Stano Faban

Vertical Race – 2019 Skimo Worlds – Mar 13: Werner Marti finally on top as Andrea Mayr defends her 2017 title

March 13, 2019 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Another stormy day in Villars, Switzerland forced organizers to shorten the vertical race course to a very fast 470m of vert while utilizing some XC trails.
This type of unusual “skimo” terrain provided teams to think outside the box regarding the use of equipment (very short skins) and technique that reminds more of xc skiing than skimo – skating, gliding, poling, etc.
» If you are looking for results only then visit this page, otherwise, keep reading for more details.

Men (Senior & Espoir)

As already mentioned, the shortened race course made for a high speed race over a flatter than usual terrain. It also perhaps favoured taller racers (longer ski poles) but at the end it were the vertical specialists that prevailed.
After trying hard for a couple of years, Marti Werner (SWI) finally managed to snatched the gold medal in his strongest discipline. On top of that he beat second Robert Antonioli (ITA) by 40 seconds, although, the Italian blew a ski/skin right at the start! By the way, this was Antonioli’s 3rd medal in 3 races this week!
Bronze went to another tall Swiss vertical specialist, Remi Bonnet, who only lost to Antonioli by 4 seconds. Michelle Boscacci (ITA) took fourth place further 20 seconds behind.
Once again, Italians managed to put 3 of their athletes into the top 10, with a young Davide Magnini in 9th.

Rory Kelly (USA) leading Peter Knight (CAN) during the race.

US and Canadian men:
Certainly, the highlight of the day is Cameron’s Smith (USA) performance, finishing in 18th! Cam is reasonably new to skimo and has been having a great season so far. Today’s achievement is cherry on the cake.
For North America, it was John Gaston (USA) once again to produce the top placing. John took 13th today with less than 2min behind Marti but probably won’t be as happy as in 2017 when he placed 11th.
Mike Foote (USA) was replaced by Rory Kelly and battled to 39th place, a very respectable performance.
Peter Knight was once again the highest placed Canadian in 42nd which is pretty good considering his winter-long reoccurring injury. Tyson Smith was second Canadian in 48th.

Women (Senior & Espoir)

In women’s race, just like 2 years ago, it was an “easy” affair for Andrea Mayr (AUT) to grab gold again. Mayr is a current European mountain running champion. Clearly, vertical disciplines are her specialty.
Second place went to Axelle Gachet Mollaret (FRA) who won gold yesterday in the Individual race. Bronze was claimed by Victoria Kreuzer (SWI) while two Swedish athletes took 4th and 5th.
Of note, there was a “citizen” race right before the main event and a former Swiss team member, Maude Mathys, won in a time that would have seen her claim a medal in the World Champs race!
US and Canadian women:
Top North American lady was once again Jessie Young (USA) in 17th. Yesterday she placed 13th in the Individual race – both very strong performances.
Jamie Breede (USA) had a great race as well to capture 19th place, thus, putting two US women in top 20th. Michela Adrien from Montana raced to 22nd which is also a great performance.
For Canadians, Kylee Ohler placed a respectable 24th in her least favourite discipline. Spots 30th to 32nd were occupied by the other 3 Canadian women with Courtney Post leading them home.

Juniors & Cadets – Women and Men

Gold medals went to these four young athletes:

Junior men – Aurélien Gay (FRA)
Junior women – Ekaterina Osichkina (RUS)
Cadet men – Robin Bussard (SWI)
Cadet women – Caroline Ulrich (SWI)

Canadian cadet Ema Chlepkova on the right.

US and Canadian athletes – highlights:
Jessie Mcauley (CAN) had another good perfomance, finishing 14th in the men’s junior category with Noah Schuh the second Canadian. Jacob Dewey was best US athlete in 20th in the same category.
There were no North American women in the junior category.
The best NA result in the cadet men’s went to George Beck (USA) while Canadians didn’t participate.
In the cadet women’s category, Team US did well again as Grace Staberg and Elsa Bates took 6th and 8th respectively. Canadian athlete Ema Chlepkova, who’s specialty is biathlon, had a good race to finish in 17th.
» For full results visit this page.

Individual Race – 2019 Skimo Worlds – Mar 12: Antonioli and Mollaret win senior titles

March 12, 2019 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

After a forced day off due to stormy weather yesterday, the World Ski Mountaineering Championships continued today with Individual race for all categories.
» If you are looking for results only then visit this page, otherwise, keep reading for more details.

Men (Senior & Espoir)

Today’s course was very technical and lots of big names dropped out, and it was big for Italy when Robert Antonioli (ITA) added a gold medal to his bronze from the sprint race two days ago! His team-mate Michelle Boscacci was only 35 seconds behind to take silver. This results makes them the top favourites for the Teams race later in the week. Third place went to Xavier Gachet (FRA) only another 40 seconds behind.
The whole top 10 was distributed only among 3 countries – Italy, France and Switzerland – with the Italians had 4 of their athletes there!

US and Canadian men:
There were lots of anticipation whether John Gaston (USA) can improve on his 15th place from the Individual race from two years ago. Gaston is known not to be satisfied with himself even when he delivers his absolute best which adds to the pressure. However, he seems to constantly deliver when it matters the most and today was no different as he took a historical 12th place in this event for North America with only less than 5min behind the winner!
Cameron Smith (USA) had a very good race as well to take 33rd, with only 12min off the podium, in his first ever showing in the senior category. Cam definitely has potential in the coming years! Max Taam (USA) was 41st and likely not as satisfied.
The Canadian’s were led home by Peter Knight in 51st place, followed by Tyson Smith and Matt Ruta in 53rd and 54th respectively.
Of note, Mike Foote (USA) suffered an injury in training and likely won’t race at these Worlds at all.

Women (Senior & Espoir)

It might not be Laetitia Roux but the French have a new queen when Axelle Gachet Mollaret took gold with 3.5min ahead of Alba de Silvestro (ITA). Another French lady, Lorna Bonnel, had a great race and took bronze.
Of note is that two Swedish women placed 5th and 6th which is a big result for such a new skimo country!

US and Canadian women:
After delivering her first baby only a couple of months ago, Jessie Young (USA) reached her personal historical maximum with 13th place. Congratulations!
While Sierra Anderson (USA) might be reasonably new to skimo, and participating in her first Worlds, she delivered a great performance to finish in 18th. Nikki Laroche and Kate Zander (both USA) took 26th and 27th respectively.
The best Canadian result came from Kylee Ohler in 25th. Kylee was likely dreaming for a slightly better result (top 20) but we are sure she left everything on the course. Lori Ann Donald missed the top 30 by only one spot.

Juniors & Cadets – Women and Men

US and Canadian athletes – highlights:
Jessie Mcauley (CAN) had a great race to place 10th in the men’s junior category. Jacob Dewey was best US athlete in 18th in the same category.
There were no North American women in the junior category.
There were 49 athletes in the men’s cadet category! The best NA results went to Caden Klein (USA) with his team-mates following closely behind, while Canadians didn’t participate.
In the cadet women’s category, among 24 athletes, Team US did very well as Grace Staberg and Elsa Bates took 6th and 8th respectively. Canadian athlete Ema Chlepkova had a satisfactory performance to finish in 18th.
» For full results visit this page.

Sprint Race – 2019 Skimo Worlds – Mar 10: Arno Lietha and Galicia Cotrina win senior titles

March 10, 2019 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

The 2019 Skimo Worlds were off to a windy start when strong gusts caused couple of issues to organizers. At the end, everything worked out and the first medals have been distributed to the fastest athletes.
» If you are looking for results only then visit this page, otherwise, keep reading for more details.

Sprint Race – Men (Senior & Espoir)

After a big disappointment at the 2017 sprint race, Robert Antonioli (ITA) the 2015 Sprint World Champ, made it back to the podium to capture a bronze medal. He was out sprinted by a pair charging Swiss athletes Arno Lietha who took gold and Iwan Arnold silver.

Max Taam (USA) during the qualifying round. ISMF photo

US and Canadian men:
Today was not as successful for the North American men as 2 years ago when Eric Carter made it in the top 20. The best performance came from Cam Smith (USA) who made it into the quarter-finals and ultimately placed 27th.
Jason Dorais was the second best from Team USA while Tyson Smith was the best Canadian in 44th.

Sprint Race – Women (Senior & Espoir)

The women’s gold medal was decided quite early on as Claudia Galicia Cotrina (ESP) took the lead from the start. Silver medal went to Marianna Jagercikova (SVK) and bronze to Deborah Chiarello (SUI).
US and Canadian women:
Strong performances came from Sierra Anderson (USA) and Kylee Ohler (CAN) as they made it into quarter-finals and placed 20th and 24th respectively. Nikki Larochelle (USA) was the continent’s third best woman and placing 31st overall.

Sprint Race – Men and Women (Junior & Cadet)

Among Juniors the Italian Giovanni Rossi and the Russian Ekaterina Osichkina have perfectly opened the world week in the Canton of Vaud, while among Cadets Caroline Ulrich (SUI) and Robin Bussard (SUI) got the top stage of the podium.
» For full results visit this page.

Ema Chlepkova (CAN) in her first ever Skimo Worlds race. She is one of the top junior biathletes in Canada. Eric Carter photo.

US and Canadian athletes – highlights:
Two years ago, Quinn Simmons earned a historical silver medal for USA in the sprint race in cadet category.
While North American’s didn’t come out with a medal Grace’s Staberg 9th place in the women’s cadet category is a big success.
Best placed cadet men was Rush Peterson in 24th place. A biathlete specialist trying her luck in skimo, Ema Chlepkova (CAN), placed 19th.
In the junior category, top honours for North Americans went to Finnegan Remias for USA and Noah Schuh for Canada while there were no NA women on the start line in this category.

Overview: 2019 Skimo World Championships + Team USA and Team Canada Athletes

March 9, 2019 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Two years went by very fast since the last World Ski Mountaineering Championships!
On Sunday, March 10 athletes will line up for the first event of the 2019 Skimo Worlds in Villars, Switzerland.
We have prepared the following overview – including names on the US and Canadian Teams – to make it easier for you to follow events every day… and a little bit of controversy too.

Events

World Ski Mountaineering Championships take place every second year and usually take over a region or a valley somewhere in Europe for 6-7 days.
Here is the events schedule for 2019 Skimo Worlds:

March 10 – Sprint Race – All categories
March 11 – Individual Race – Junior & Cadet
March 12 – Individual Race – Senior & Espoir
March 13 – Vertical Race – All categories
March 14 – Day Off
March 15 – Teams Race – Senior
March 16 – Relay Race – All categories

Controversy: Pierra Menta dates clashing with World Championships

Over the years, there have been many issues regarding collaboration between the ISMF (International Ski Mountaineering Federation) and the Grand Course races (big traditional team races) such as Pierra Menta.
This year, the two biggest skimo events, the World Championshisp and Pierra Menta, take place in the same week – Pierra Menta goes from March 13 to 16.
While both sides tried to work this out to some degree it shows that skimo as a sport is still very small that no one has the luxury to move the dates infinitely.

Team USA

The following athletes were named to the US National Team after qualifying races in February, however, there could be last minute changes due to athletes’ abilities to fund themselves to participate.
This is the largest US Skimo Team ever with 20 athletes being less than 21 years old!
Athlete Demographics by State:

Colorado – 28
Utah – 7
Montana – 3
New Mexico – 2
Washington – 1

Senior Men:

Jon Brown – Crested Butte, CO
Jason Dorais – Salt Lake City, UT
Mike Foote – Missoula, MT
John Gaston – Aspen, CO
Tom Goth – Salt Lake City, UT
Rory Kelly – Boulder, CO
Jack Linehan – Aspen, CO
Cam Smith – Gunnison, CO
Max Taam – Aspen, CO

Senior Women:

Michela Adrian – Bozeman, MT
Sierra Anderson – Breckenridge, CO
Jamie Brede – Breckenridge, CO
Sarah Cookler – Silver Fork, UT
Annamae Flynn* – Marble, CO
Sara Kadlec* – Boulder, CO
Nikki Larochelle – Breckenridge, CO
Chelsee Pummel – Bozeman, MT
Jesse Young – Aspen, CO
Kate Zander – Breckenridge, CO

Espoir Men:

Peter Butler – Port Angeles, WA
Jeshurun Small – Gunnison, CO

Junior Men:

Max Bonenberger – Breckenridge, CO
Jacob Dewey – Gunnison, CO
Peter Hajdo – Gunnison, CO
Henry Hanes – Albuquerque, NM
Finnegan Remias – Breckenridge, CO
Sam Wescott – Silverthorne, CO

Junior Women:

Morgan Fortin – Albuquerque, NM
Victoria Olson – Salt Lake City, UT

Cadet men:

Connor Albin – Breckenridge, CO
George Beck – Woody Creek, CO
Sam Burke – Dillon, CO
Paul Hans – Breckenridge, CO
Mark Jardim – Breckenridge, CO
Caden Klein – Aspen, CO
Rush Peterson – Silver Fork, UT
Jeremiah Vaille – Dillon, CO

Cadet Women:

Elsa Bates – Breckenridge, CO
Ada Fendler – Silver Fork, UT
Samantha Paisley – Silver Fork, UT
Grace Staberg – Silverthorne, CO

Team Canada

We have not received an official press release from the Canadian Skimo federation neither the World Champs team is announced on their website but these should be the athletes representing Canada this year.
Men’s Team – All categories:

Matt Ruta
Tyson Smith
Peter Knight
Scott Semple
Noah Schuh

Women’s Team – All categories:

Kylee Ohler Toth
Lori-Ann Donald
Ema Chlepkova
Courtney Post
Katarina Kuba
Caroline Reid

New Scarpa Alien 1.0 vs Scarpa Alien RS vs Scarpa Alien 3.0

December 20, 2018 By Stano Faban 2 Comments

Here are a couple of close-up photos of the newly redesigned Scarpa Alien 1.0, now using a carbon infused Grilamid shell just like the Alien RS.
The new 1.0 really seems to be a blend of features of the old 1.0, the new RS, and the racing specialist boot 3.0.
We will add more details soon so check back to this page.
>> Visit our ski boots comparison page for more details on these boots.

Scarpa Alien 3.0 compared to new Scarpa Alien 1.0 (on the right).

Scarpa Alien RS compared to new Scarpa Alien 1.0

Full image of Scarpa Alien 1.0 showing many new features. Because of these, the boot might be slightly heavier than previous model but should be a lot more comfortable, and of course less snow getting inside ;) — Full image of Scarpa Alien 1.0 showing many new features. Because of these, the boot might be slightly heavier than previous model but should be a lot more comfortable, and of course less snow getting inside 😉

Comparing Alien 3.0 and 1.0 from the back. They seem to be the same height but the 3.0 heel cup is considerably smaller.

New closing mechanism - there is no locking pin for the lever to clip into - used for Scarpa RS and Alien 1.0, but not yet on Alien 3.0 — New closing mechanism – there is no locking pin for the lever to clip into – used for Scarpa RS and Alien 1.0, but not yet on Alien 3.0

Review of Julbo Aero Sunglasses: Perfect for Ski Mountaineering to Cycling and Everything Between

October 23, 2018 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

Quick Overview:

Usual Retail Price: $130-250 depending on the lens
Weight: 34g only!
Lens we tested: Zebra Light lens – category 1-3 photochromic lens
Pros: very light, transition lens (category 1-3), anti-fogging, fit
Cons: didn’t really find any

Bottom Line:

Thanks to their fit and transition lenses Julbo Aero sunglasses work very well for a variety of outdoor sports. Their “airy” design helps the lens to stay ventilated which makes the sunglasses especially suitable for high output but low speed activities such as breaking trail in the winter or trail running.

Product Description and How We Tested It:

I started using the Aero sunglasses last spring for ski touring and a bit of xc skiing. As the seasons went by I have been using them also for cycling, hiking, running, mountaineering.
I would say that the best features of the Aeros are their anti-fogging capability, the transition lens and fit, so I will focus mainly on these three aspects in this review.

Me, on the right, wearing the Julbo Aero on a very bright day but with lots of N facing skiing so I preferred the lighter lens compared to the Montebianco model. Eric used a darker lens.

We all know that when sunglasses fog up too often then their other features don’t matter much because the whole point of sport sunglasses is to enhance our sight in challenging conditions, and of course, to protect our eyes.
Julbo Aero combines anti-fogging coating on its lens and ventilation-friendly design to keep the lenses clear even while I was breaking trail on skis in warmer and humid conditions.
While you can choose from a variety of lenses for these glasses, I recommend to go with a type that provides transition from category 1 (very light) to category 3 (medium dark). My Aeros have the Zebra photochromic lens with the category 1-3 transition which I found to be super useful for everything I do.

Riding the 2,757m high Passo Stelvio on a cold October day wearing the Aeros.

Of course, for bright days on snow or on a glacier the Julbo Montebianco offer better eye protection – find our review here – with their lenses transitioning from category 2 to 4.
The Aeros design features light weight construction using only top frame. This makes for a wide viewing range, which I find essential for ski touring, and also saves on weight.
The stems are quite long and have lots of rubber coating. This makes them hold in place even during running and while keeping them on my ski toque or head when I am not using them. Width-adjustable nose pads help to customize and fine-tune the fit even more.

Overall, I recommend these sunglasses for any sport. Their look is very sporty so if you are looking for something more stylish then check out the our review of the Julbo Montebianco model.

What We Think Could Be Improved:

There is not much I found that should be improved on these sunglasses as they work very well for the purposes and environments they were designed for. So it’s just about individual preferences and fit – I would say they probably fit better medium-to-larger faces.

Buying Julbo Aero online:

Review of Karpos Race Skimo Racing Suit: Faster transitions, Breathability, Comfort

October 20, 2018 By Stano Faban 4 Comments

Quick overview:

Usual Retail Price: around $300 USD
Weight: 530g (size L)
Pros: Pockets, Fit, Comfort, Breathability
Cons: Could use warmer fabric panel on knees
Suitability: skimo racing
Colour Options: There are a couple of variations you can find in stores. Two designs on the left, in the picture above, are the 2017/18 colours.

Bottom Line:

Karpos skimo race suit features practical outside pockets for faster transitions and overall efficiency. This race suits is perfect for warmer/spring conditions but can be easily adapted for colder days by wearing underwear of various thickness.

Product description and How we tested it:

We have used the Karpos Race suit for over 20 times now in various conditions – from warm spring sunny days to -15 Celsius (5 Fahrenheit), and in wet snow and cold deep powder.
This well designed piece of skimo wear comes from Italian outdoor clothing division of the well-known Sportful brand that manufactures custom clothing for many professional cycling teams and some national teams in other sports.
The Karpos Race suit is used by Italian and Spanish skimo national teams so you have most likely seen them in many photos and videos over the years.
Sizing is accurate, just make sure to follow Karpos sizing guide when thinking of buying one.
The whole suit is predominantly made using Lycra Power fabric that is defined on Karpos website as “fabric with a high degree of stretch, thanks to 250g Lycra Power and 30% elastane. Offers maximum support and muscle compression while at the same time allowing complete freedom of movement. Tear-resistant and offers UV protection.”
At first glance and try, the Karpos suit feels thinner than most other skimo race suits. We can confirm that this makes it highly breathable, even providing a cooling-like feeling in warm conditions. On colder days (below -8C), we definitely had to wear a warmer underwear than with Crazy Idea NRG suit for example (which can get quite warm in the spring).
Now, starting from the top down, let’s take a look at various features this race suit has to offer.
When fully zipped up, the collar stands tall and fits tight, providing a good overall protection in windy conditions. Fleece lining inside the collar (and around wrists) create a warm and comfortable feeling.
Shoulder fabric is thicker for improved durability and features “rubberized” silicone anti-slip inserts that provide extra grip for race pack shoulder straps.
Chest area pockets are where Karpos suit differs from other suits on the market:

There are two large stretchable mesh pockets on the outside that can store skins (without the need of opening the suit), or other larger items such as a drink flask or glasses. These two big pockets allow for really fast transitions.
Then there are two smaller pockets – one on each side – with vertical zippers that are great for storing gels, energy bars, phone or your car keys during a workout.

The inside of the chest area has one zipper pocket for your avalanche beacon (big enough to snugly fit Pieps DSP) and features a larger horizontal pocket, across the belly, for warmer skins storage.
Another distinctive feature of the Karpos skimo suit is that the upper body (torso) portion of the suit is semi-separated from the bottom half (leg) portion. While the back side is sewn into one piece, the front side features an “invisible” horizontal gap that allows for quick access to the inside of suit (and makes for easy peeing for male athletes).
There is a large ventilating mesh panel on the back side that spans from the lower back all the way up to under the neck. This provides for great ventilation but does let in cold air in lower back area in tail wind conditions.
Suit’s fit around the hips, thighs, knees and calves will obviously depend from person to person but the stretchy fabric should easily accommodate for many body types, without looking loose even on skinny athletes.
While the whole front side of the suit (top to bottom) feels like it has some kind of a “wind-protective” finish, the knees area could benefit from an extra windproof panel, or a warmer fabric, to protect knee joints on colder days and during downhills. The crotch area has a Windstopper insert and does offer good protection in descents.
Boot “gaiters”, made of durable Cordura fabric, allow for cutting custom holes for various models of skimo race boots. Overall, they fit well over most boots and do a good job at preventing snow from getting in.
Our overall practical experience with the Karpos Race suit has been very positive but there a few small things that can be improved.

What can be improved:

As mentioned already, the knee area could benefit from a warmer fabric panel. This might make less sense in Europe but would be great for Scandinavian countries and cold North American states and provinces.
Then the bottom of the big back side mesh panel could perhaps end a little higher, thus, offering better wind protection on windy days and during descents. However, this is likely something that other race suit manufacturers are trying to figure out as well.

Buying Karpos Race skimo suit:

for $300 USD at Skimo.co
at various other stores outside of North America

Great Visit to La Sportiva Factory and Headquarters in Italy

October 8, 2018 By Stano Faban 2 Comments

Who would think that twisting mountain roads, climbing over high passes, would land me in front of a factory of one of the most recognized brands in the outdoor industry?
But we were in Italy so finding La Sportiva headquarters and factory in a small mountain town was quite fitting. The little town is Ziano di Fiemme and is situated in the famous Val di Fiemme valley.

History, Factory Expansion and Impact on Local Economy

The La Sportiva’s factory I visited is highly specialized for production of their climbing shoes and mountaineering boots while the rest of their products (running shoes, ski boots, clothing) is manufactured elsewhere in Italy and around the world.
Narciso Delladio started La Sportiva in 1928 while hand-crafting wooden leather boots for local lumber-jacks and farmers. After the war, the demand for his boots increased and he started to expand into climbing and mountain boots as well.
During the 1980s, La Sportiva set a firm foothold in the climbing market by releasing very innovative climbing shoes. These basically marked the start of modern rock climbing shoes. Since the product was so new they had to even invent and design some of the machinery so they could scale the production and deliver the desired quality.

With such rich history, local economy have depended on La Sportiva for close to a century and in 2018 the factory in Ziano have been expanded to double the production capacity. Today, the factory that also includes the headquarters employs around 250 people. This is a huge boost to the valley with only 15,000 residents.
» Here you can explore more about La Sportiva’s 90-year old history.

The La Sportiva Factory Tour

Since this main factory was recently undergoing an expansion I was not sure how much I would be able to see. Fortunately, most of the machinery was already moved when I showed up so I got a full tour. My guide was La Sportiva’s marketing manager Luca Mich who is native to the valley and is proudly with the company for over 10 years.

We started the tour by Luca explaining a couple of things around their manufacturing secrets and that he would let me know when it is fine to take photos and when not.
Then all of a sudden, after entering through a big door, we were inside.

Luca was saying something but I couldn’t pay attention as my eyes were all over the place trying to process what was going on. There were many workers, lots of machinery and unrecognizable pieces of gear everywhere.
Despite all the technology on the floor, human hand is still touches the product and doing most of the work in every single step of production at this La Sportiva factory! This approach allows La Sportiva workers to constantly check quality along the way.

Another cool things that I observed were:

many young workers around 25 years old, of which most live in the valley;
glues used in production are water based so irritating smells are very limited;
and that the factory building captures CO2 through its filtering system to prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere.

Arguably the most valuable asset for any shoe manufacturer are the molds.

Production Steps

Since the factory I visited makes only climbing and mountaineering shoes the below describes the process I observed for this specific gear category.
Climbing or a mountaineering shoe consists of around 30-35 pieces of various materials that are glued and sewn together.
Also, the factory switches production of different models about once in two weeks.
The process:

Raw materials – leather, rubber, fabrics, etc – are cut using machines into specific pieces for a model in production that week
Soft material pieces are then sewn or glued into a shoe or a “sock”
Rubber soles and other rubber and plastic pieces are glued into place on the “sock”
Excess rubber is shaved and finished/polished
Final quality check
Shoes are packaged into a box and off they go into stores

Cutting the soles out of sheets of Vibram rubber.

Cutting leather pieces for climbing shoes.

This big computer-operated machine helps to minimize wast when cutting textile or very thin leather.

Relationship with SkiTrab

Couple of years ago, La Sportiva started to venture into the world of ski mountaineering and ski touring. After some testing years, the company decide to partner with SkiTrab – another famed Italian brand – to help them with skis production.
I believe this is a great partnership for both sides – they are companies with similar values and both still family owned – and they can help each other compete with giants such as Salomon or Dynafit/Salewa.

La Sportiva Expects Good Growth

The two segments La Sportiva expects to rapidly grow in the near future are trail and mountain running, and rock climbing, whether that be outside or within indoor gyms. The company plans to focus on these two segments so we can expect many new great products here from this Italian brand.
As for winter sports, La Sportiva sees expansion for ski touring while it is probably not going to bet much on speed oriented ski touring and ski mountaineering.

Report from Meet the Minotaur – Exciting New Mountain Running Race in Canada

September 14, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

For several years now, I’ve made the trek down to southwest Alberta to race the Castle Mountain Skimo Race but I’ve never been to that part of the Rocky Mountains in the summer.
Of course I’ve heard about the (in)famous Sinister 7 Ultra that takes place in Crowsnest Pass but never thought of it as much of a running destination until a very enthusiastic Noah Schuh described the coolest race he’d ever done – Meet the Minotaur. I decided to sign up and see what it was all about, plus I’d get to take a quick stop in Roger’s Pass en route!
This race report was written by Eric. Full results are at the bottom.

Tapering

Race day approached and pre-race emails started to roll in with vague warnings of dangers on the course and required equipment including a helmet, gloves, and bear spray. I was a little skeptical that this might all be a bit of an overreaction.
En-rouote to Crowsnest Pass I met Matt Ruta in Roger’s Pass and we went for a pleasant climb up Mt. Tupper. Rumors of scary soloing were overblown and we had an excellent day, though, a 5hr mountain run isn’t exactly an ideal race taper activity.

Race Day – August 25, 2018

Meet the Minotaur (their website) very much resembles a skimo race in that we covered ~2100m+ over 17km, mainly in three major ascents and descents. There was essentially no flat running and just a few undulating ridge sections.

I’d highly recommend this event to any runner or skimo racer who truly loves moving fast in technical, mountainous terrain.

Race morning came quickly and I headed to the start location just outside town. The 10am start was particularly civilized and allowed the temps to warm up a bit before we had to take our jackets off to get going.

With 150 athletes on the starting line, it wasn’t quite the backwoods event I was expecting. It’s definitely not an obstacle course race and while staying on course is a concern, navigation is not a major component of the race.
While the course was kept secret prior to the race, no maps were necessary and it was well marked. The organizers had their systems dialed and everything from the bib-pickup and check-in to the pre-race meeting was smooth and efficient.
As usual, a handful of racers pushed hard off the start and faded. I found myself leading for a moment before another racer surged ahead. I latched on, not realizing at first that I was following Troy Misseghers, local hero and champion of the inaugural event in 2017. We ground up the first ascent together, realizing that we’d opened a sizeable gap on the chasing athletes.

As we rolled over the top of the first climb, we dropped down to a checkpoint station and then down the first scree descent. Troy took off hard down the slope while I held back a bit to be cautious. It was just that terrible kind of scree where the rocks were big enough you couldn’t just surf them and had to be careful of getting bitten in the ankle but not big enough to trust that they’d stay in place when you jumped on them.
I made the time up again on the next ascent so Troy and I cruised across the ridge together. This had the majority of the scrambling terrain on the course with a few exposed ridge crests and some up and down climbing of rock steps equipped with ropes.

There was consistently stone fall as we moved together. Even two relatively experienced guys moving carefully, we dislodged some rocks. I can imagine it was considerably worse later in the field, with many people moving through these areas together. The helmets were definitely a wise decision. I was also very glad to have gloves on as per the mandatory equipment. I don’t usually wear gloves while running in the mountains in the summer but, while racing, I took 5-10 small slip and falls that would definitely have cut up my hands pretty badly.
Troy and I worked together throughout the race. The course was well marked with flags and tape. Not so well that you could turn your brain off, but not so sparse that you would ever get completely lost. While looking down at our feet, we also had to look ahead for the route. We were definitely pushing each other during our respective strong sections of the course. Troy would bravely smash ahead on the descents and I’d try to make him hurt on the climbs.

As we approached the final climb, we both expected it to be a bit longer. I pushed hard and opened up a gap. When I realized we were approaching the start/finish area, I really gave a good push and managed to roll into the finish with less than a minute to spare. Not long after, the lead woman, another local, Anna Koevoet crossed the line, dominating the women’s competition, all in preparation for racing the following weekend at Run the Rut SkyRace in Montana!
The atmosphere at the start/finish area was excellent with everyone hanging around for a taco bar and the awards presentation. Andrew, Ian, and the rest of the race organization did a fantastic job encouraging athletes to take the short course if they were on track for a long day and before long, the last few racers were finishing.
I’d highly recommend this event to any runner or skimo racer who truly loves moving fast in technical, mountainous terrain. I even left out a few of the race “twists” for you to discover next year. I’ll certainly be back!
Full results – click here

Andreas Steindl Sets a New Speed Record on Matterhorn

September 13, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

On August 27, Andreas Steindl set a new speed record for going up and down the iconic Matterhorn (4478m) from Zermatt via the Hornli Ridge route.
Andreas is a 29-year-old Swiss mountain guide and a member of the Swiss National Ski Mountaineering Team who is known for his speed mountaineering abilities.

» Back in July, another Swiss mountain guide, Dani Arnold, set a new speed climbing record on Grand Jorasses.

Matterhorn FKT via Hornli Ridge – August 27, 2018

While Kilian Jornet holds the speed record for a round-trip on Matterhorn from the Italian side (starting and finishing in the town of Cervinia), Steindl now holds the record on the Swiss side starting and finishing in his hometown of Zermatt.
Andreas’ took 2 hours 38 minutes to ascend the 2860m to reach the summit from the church in Zermatt, and after running down this iconic mountain he stopped his watch at 3 hours 59 minutes 52 seconds.
Kilian’s route via the Lion Ridge from the Italian side is a bit more difficult than Hornli Ridge but has more fixed rope sections. The elevation gain for ascend via the Lion Ridge is also less, at around 2500m. However, Kilian took only 2 hours 52 minutes for his round-trip. He set this record in August 2013.
Video from Andreas’ record day:

Video from Kilian’s record day in 2013:

Five 4000m peaks in a day by Andreas Steindl – 2015

Back in August 2015, Andreas set an outstanding record for linking up – by running and speed climbing – 5 peaks going from Zermatt to Saas Fee. He covered a total of 31km and ascended just over 4000m.
He needed only 7 hours, 45 minutes and 44 seconds to complete this difficult route.
Here is a really good 25min video from that day:

Stano Faban

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