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Eric Carter

Catching up with Eric Carter before Trofeo Mezzalama

April 27, 2015 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Eric and Pascal happy to win a Euro skimo race!
Eric and Pascal happy to win a Euro skimo race! Photo by ISMF.
With Eric spending last couple of months skimo racing in Europe and waiting for the ever postponing Trofeo Mezzalama (newest date is May 2nd) I sent him a few quick questions to catch up.
Coming off a successful Pierra Menta with Nick Elson, he will be partnering for Mezzalama with our Swiss friend Pascal Egli, with the third teammate still to be determined.
Eric and Pascal managed to win a 2-day Ski Ecrins skimo race in France two weekends ago!
Q: After placing 15th at Pierra Menta and winning the Ski Ecrins 2-day teams race how do you feel about Mezzalama? Who are your teammates?
Lars Erik and Pascal were supposed to be the team but due to postponing Lars Erik has to go back to Norway and can’t stay, so if anyone knows of someone looking for a team please let us know!
I think we have a good shot at a decent placing in Mezzalama depending on who jumps in as our third. We were assigned bib #11 which might be a good sign 🙂
Regardless, as long as we don’t have any equipment, illness, or crash issues and just ski smoothly, I’m sure we will be quite happy with our race.
Q: How was your April in Chamonix? What did you get up to?
Since Mezallama got postponed, Lars Erik and I took advantage of the good conditions in Chamonix for a rip up and down Mont Blanc last week. Not particularly fast since it was beautiful and we couldn’t stop taking photos! I felt good at the altitude though and am feeling the most acclimatized of my life!
Since the last World Cup, I’ve been skiing but summer has arrived in full force in Chamonix, so I’ve spent quite a bit more time taking the lift up high and doing some fun and easy alpine climbing which is a nice change.
Eric and Lars Erik atop Mont Blanc.
Eric and Lars Erik atop Mont Blanc.
Q: When are you coming back and what are your summer plans?
I will be getting back right after Mezzalama, and I’m really looking forward to getting back to Squamish to see everyone and jump into BC summer.
I’ve got some running plans and want to do lots of rock climbing but nothing set in stone. For running races, I won’t do an ultra this season but a few others: Sea to Summit race at the S2SG, Kusam Klimb, Broken Goat VK, Survival of the Fittest, Comfortably Numb, Grouse Grind Race, and perhaps some more.

Filed Under: People (Interviews) Tagged With: Eric Carter, Trofeo Mezzalama

Report: 2015 Mondole World Cup – Elson, Bernier and Carter raced for North America

March 30, 2015 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Report by Eric Carter, edits by Stano Faban, all photos by ISMF.
The Prato Nevoso venue for the World Cup finals was an exciting one. Being very close to the Mediterranean Sea in the very southern alps, it has a very coastal snowpack. The day before we arrived, a storm dropped 3+ feet of heavy wet snow on the entire region so while previewing the course on Thursday we had to ski through deep slush. Luckily, the temps overnight were just cool enough to allow the snow to solidify.

Nick Elson racing to 22nd in the vertical race.
Nick Elson racing to 22nd in the vertical race.

Vertical race

Laura Orgue, left, and Laetitia Roux battling it out once again.
Laura Orgue, left, and Laetitia Roux battling it out once again.
Friday morning featured a vertical race of approximately 700 meters. The men’s race started fast right off the line and up a steep groomer with the Italian Damiano Lenzi pushing the pace. Midway through the course, when the grade kicked up, Kilian Jornet (ESP) attacked the Italian and was only matched by espoir Anton Palzer (GER), fresh back from an ankle injury. In the final 200 meters, Palzer attacked and gaped Jornet, and held on to the lead to the finish. Despite the lose, Jornet managed win the Vertical World Cup title.
Nick Elson (CAN) led the North American contingent with a 22nd place, with Eric Carter (USA) coming just behind in 25th.
In the women’s race, Laetitia Roux (FRA) was pushed by the 2015 Vertical World Champion Laura Orgue (ESP) but managed to hold on to the lead and the Vertical Cup title. Behind Roux and Orgue, Emelie Forsberg (SWE) took the bronze.
Eric Carter, in the far right, giving all trying to catch Marc Pinsach.
Eric Carter, in the far right, giving all trying to catch Marc Pinsach.

Individual race

The individual course on Saturday was shortened slightly due to avalanche conditions. At approximately 1550m of climbing, the course was slightly shorter than most World Cups this season but had a significant distance covered and the times for completion were similar to other races.

Spectacular route, views and weather for awaited athletes for the individual race.
Spectacular route, views and weather for awaited athletes for the individual race.
The race started fast with the Italians pushing the pace early like in the vertical. The race led through the Prato Nevoso ski resort and then onto the south-east ridge of Mont Mondole. This time Matteo Eydallin (ITA) took the victory in front of his teams race partner, Damiano Lenzi, and William Bon Mardion (FRA).
Canadian Nick Elson skied strongly throughout the race but an unfortunate crash near the finish dropped him to 30th place. Eric Carter (USA) had a solid race as well and finished in 36th. Melanie Bernier (CAN) placed 8th in the women’s race, again dominated by Laetitia Roux of France.

Sprint race

The weekend concluded with an exciting sprint event on Sunday on the lower slopes of Prato Nevoso. The ascent portion was steep and long and featured icy switchbacks. The descent was off-piste with breakable crust and ice and made racers very nervous before starting the qualifying rounds.
Damiano Lenzi (ITA), one of the favourites, took a big fall warming up and walked away with a bloody nose. Philipp Schaedler (GER), fresh off his visit to Canada, threw down a strong qualifying time but was eliminated from the quarter-finals when he botched the skins-to-bootpack transition.

In the centre, in yellow, German Philipp Schadle spent his winter couloir hunting and racing in Canada.
In the centre, in yellow, German Philipp Schadler spent most of his winter couloir hunting and racing in Canada.
The Germans and Italians battled throughout the day with the overall sprint cup on the line. Michelle Boscacci (ITA) survived through the heats unscathed and managed to gain a healthy lead along with Roberto Antonioli (ITA) to hold off the screaming descender William Bon Mardion (FRA). With Boscacci taking the day, the Sprint World Cup title was awarded to Antonioli.
Laetitia Roux skied head and shoulders above her competition through the heats and took a commanding lead to the finish in the finals, also taking the overall in the World Cup. Melanie Bernier was eliminated from a strong semi-final heat that included Roux, Forsberg (SWE – 3rd), and Malene Haukøy (NOR – 6th).
» Full results from all 3 races can be found on ISMF website, however, they are not complete.
This year saw ISMF spicing up the sprint courses with some surprising features on the descents.
This year saw ISMF spicing up the sprint courses with some surprising features on the descents.

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Eric Carter, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson, skimo World Cup

2015 Pierra Menta In-Depth Race Report by Eric Carter

March 28, 2015 By Stano Faban 3 Comments

This is an in-depth report from Eric about his and Nick Elson’s amazing journey to 15th place at Pierra Menta few weeks ago.
I have had a few people ask if the Pierra Menta is what I expected. The honest answer is partly yes. Stories from Stano, Melanie, and Reiner certainly prepared me for what to expect and the 30th anniversary of the race lived up to every expectation.

Nick and I running in the alpine at Pierra Menta.
Nick and I running in the alpine at Pierra Menta.
For those not intimately knowledgeable about the European ski mountaineering race calendar, the Pierra Menta is generally regarded as the premier event of the season. Certainly, the World Cup events host a high caliber of athletes at every race. The World Championships bring in athletes from many countries. However, the Pierra Menta is one of the longest running skimo races on the circuit.
Being a ‘Grande Course’ race, it is longer and more technical than a standard World Cup. Athletes compete in teams of two over four days with a total of ~10,000 meters of elevation gain. You can take a look at the exact stats for each stage and a map from each below.

  • Stage 1
  • Stage 2
  • Stage 3
  • Stage 4

With about 200 teams racing, the event is quite a show. It was easily the biggest competition that I have ever taken part of, in terms of athletes, organization, and spectators.

Pretty spectacular spot and lots of teams to enjoy it!
Pretty spectacular spot and lots of teams to enjoy it!
We arrived at the race in good time thanks to Emelie Forsberg who kindly loaned us her car. The race essentially takes over the town of Areches (mainly composed of cheese making cooperatives). Racers check in at the community centre and are assigned to a room in one of the many hotels throughout the area taken over by the race. Nick and I were assigned to a hotel near the start/finish line along with Melanie Bernier and her teammate from Norway – Malene, and Nick Francis and Eric Bunce (from Utah). It was quite nice to be able to ski two minutes out of our door to the start line but it was a bit of a tradeoff as we were a 10min drive to the race briefing every evening.
Race briefings were invariably drawn out affairs in a room filled with people far beyond what would be acceptable to North American fire codes. Race information was presented in French, Italian, and English so the process was slow. French and Italian were usually long multi-sentence instructions while the English translation was usually just a few words. We were continually wondering if we were missing out on any crucial information.

Stage 1

» Stano’s report of Day 1 at 2015 Pierra Menta
Waking up on Day 1, it was hard not to be excited. So much training led us here and after a few weeks of tapering we were quite full of energy. To avoid the chaos of a mass start, the organizers planned an individual start time trial. Having never raced Pierra Menta before, Nick and I were ranked somewhere in the middle or back 3/4 of the field. We started and immediately passed a few teams (starting at 15 second intervals). It was a short stage with just two climbs but we continually passed teams. The biggest shock of the day were the descents, either steep and icy or steep and icy through alder – a theme that would persist through the week. We finished in 20th and were quite happy with ourselves. It was a good enough placing to be seeded in the front row of the next days start line and with a handful of places only seconds away.

Stage 2

» Stano’s report of Day 2 at 2015 Pierra Menta
Because the first stage was so short (~1400m), we still felt pretty energetic when we woke up on Day 2. The second stage was much longer (~2800m) and we knew it would be a tough one. Nick made sure to keep reminding me to take it easy on the start. With a 1000m climb off the line, it shouldn’t have been hard to keep the pace in check. Running off the line with 200 other teams, however, is a different story and it’s easy to red-line it immediately.
The race tackled a long boot pack and then was in the alpine. We hit another boot pack up a rocky ridge with awesome exposure on either side. Later, we found out that our British roommates, already battling the time cut-off had a disaster here when one of their pairs of skis detached from their pack and rocketed down the mountain into another valley. They had to be helicoptered back to the start area.
The first descent of the day we were warned was icy and had cliffs. We dived in behind another team and started descending above the cliffs. We saw Kilian Jornet and his partner Mark Pinsach (ESP) clinging to the icy slope trying to get crampons on. We traversed above the cliffs and into a couloir before opening it up into the faster descent and passing one of Mark’s skis laying at the bottom of the descent.

The skintrack.com photo team,
The SkinTrack.com photo team,
The next climb took us to another summit and another steep, icy descent. This one was steep enough for fixed ropes to be in place. A Catalonian team took off from the transition just ahead of us and one of their skis went immediately flying into oblivion but the racer skied on with just a single ski without slowing. Nick made relatively cautious jump turns while I grabbed the fixed rope and power slid. The final series of climbs was all skins on in the mid-day sun with big groups of spectators until we hit the last descent and shot back through the woods to the finish.

Stage 3

» Stano’s report of Day 3 at 2015 Pierra Menta
Day three was looking to be a big one but it also had a few exciting sections that we were looking forward to. The race started with a short (~50m) climb and then a longer (~150m) skins-on descent. We chose our fastest skins and strategically applied them to one side of our skis hoping for a bit more glide on the descent.
The race started fast as always and we stayed in a reasonable position of the line but as soon as we started descending, big groups of racers started whizzzing past us like they didn’t have skins on! We realized that these guys must have planned ahead and were using 1/3 or 1/4 width skins with excellent glide. Oh well.
After a longer skins-off descent into Areches, we put our skis on our packs and start the run through town. I was actually surprised how few spectators there were as we ran up the main street of town but it was quite early and I think most of the town was already up on the mountain! The run was about 15 minutes and we wound our way up to the top of town and into a farmers field where we put skis back on. From here we skied up into the alpine and past the much celebrated Pierra Menta – a very distinct peak – before descending again and back up to Mt. Coin. There were lots of spectators on these peaks and Andrea and Jennie – our biggest cheerleaders – were given a lift to the top of Mt. Coin on the press helicopter as SkinTrack.com photographers!
The final climb took us to the top of the ski resort that was packed with spectators. Earlier in the day, we had passed Kilian and his partner who was not looking so great. Now, as we came into the mass of spectators, Kilian caught back up to us skiing solo after leaving his partner behind. We got huge cheers from the crowd but they were clearly more excited about Kilian than team Squamish. The final descent was a bizarre rally through steep gullies, trees, and much dirt back to the finish line. We skied with Kilian throughout the descent and managed to limit the damage to our skis. Crossing the line, we were pretty stoked to find out that we had moved into 16th place overall.
We gorged on food and had our nightly massage and were feeling pretty worked. The three days of racing were definitely catching up with us now. I was feeling a bit worried about the next day which had been talked up as a pretty serious one.

Stage 4

» Stano’s report of Day 4 at 2015 Pierra Menta
We woke the next morning pretty wiped out still. It was hard to get in a big breakfast and we dragged ourselves down to the start just before we needed to be in the corral. No need to warm up much at this point.
Rather than a short climb and immediate descent, the final day had a long climb into the alpine right off the bat. We moved into position with the top 20 and were cruising along feeling pretty good. The first summit was covered with a huge crowd of people as we skinned along a rolling ridge. The crowd pushed so close that the track was only wide enough for one skier and gave us little boosts as we went. We did a short descent and then started up the big climb to Grand Mont. Steep icy switchbacks led to a boot pack. The switchbacks were dead in the sun and had very little track exposed. I was feeling the last few days and was only thinking about how much I wanted a drink of cold coke.

Running through the streets of Areches.
Running through the streets of Areches.
We were happy not to have any other teams around us when we hit the via ferrata section and clipped into the fixed rope. The ridge was definitely exposed. Considering the other sections of the race that didn’t even have ropes, you can imagine why the organizers decided was necessary to have us clip in! We cruised up with one of our tethers in our hand and the other on the rope and then topped out with another big crowd in front of us.
The top of Grand Mont was the main spectating spot and it was crazy. Spectators were taking over the entire summit and pushed back to the very edge of the cliff. We ran into the transition. I had a smooth one and finished before Nick. As I waited, a french volunteer appeared in front of me holding a two-tier bottle of Coke. I heard the crack and hiss as he opened the bottle. We looked each other in the eye and I stuck my hands out. He passed me the bottle and I chugged away. I turned and passed the bottle to Nick who did the same and then we were off.
I felt supercharged and bombed down the descent from Grand Mont. We passed another team and I ripped downhill faster than I had all week. I was keeping up with Nick! It didn’t hurt that the snow here was the best of the week as well, soft with no crust! I caught an edge and went down hard on my back but everything stayed attached. In a high speed turtle slide, I spun around and managed to flip back onto my skis without stopping or even losing much ground to Nick who didn’t realize I had crashed!
We started the last climb – 100m of skinning, and then 200m of boot packing and managed to hold off the team close behind us while passing a few junior teams before cresting one last spectator filled summit and descending one last icy slope down to the finish.

Finish at last!

Done with 4 days of racing!
Done with 4 days of racing!
After four days of racing, it felt a bit strange not to have a race the next day. We were just getting into the rhythm and then it was done. All along, our mantra was ‘there is still lots of racing left’ and then all of a sudden there wasn’t! So we packed up our room and headed into Beaufort for the dinner and party.
Because of the 30th anniversary, the organizers went all out. First, there was a movie about the history of the Pierra Menta. It was cool to see the evolution of gear and styles (our skimo suits look pretty tame in comparison) even though the movie was in French. After that, wine and crackers while they set out big tables. While we waited for dinner, the entertainment arrived putting on quite the show singing and dancing. Finally, awards started and it took forever as they called up every category (there were many) and quite deep. Nick and I got called up being in the top 33 of the men’s race. After the final awards for the top senior men, we hustled out of there and passed out though it sounds like the party lasted well into the morning.
Cheese-mania on the summit of Grand Mont
Cheese-mania on the summit of Grand Mont
The Pierra Menta was an awesome experience! It had a high level of competition, the most amazing terrain I have ever raced on, incredible organization, and loads of spectators. It is definitely the race I most want to go back and do again. I definitely suggest it to anyone interested in checking out a European race.

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Eric Carter, Nick Elson, Pierra Menta

Stage 3 – 2015 Pierra Menta: Carter & Elson 15th, Lenzi & Eydalin won again, Roux & Miro as well

March 13, 2015 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Today’s stage went around Pierra Menta, the peak, and is traditionally the longest stage of the race.

Nick and Eric raced super well today to finish at 15th.
Nick and Eric raced super well today to finish at 15th.

Stage 3

Michele Boscacci finished 3rd today.
Michele Boscacci finished 3rd today.
Top 3 men finished in the same order as yesterday except the time gaps were much smaller. Damiano Lenzi & Matteo Eydalin won by less than a minute in front of the home favourites William Bon Mardion & Xavier Gachet. Third, like yesterday, were Robert Antonioli with Michele Boscacci.
Women’s top 3 was also the same as yesterday but only a minute was separating the second and third teams. Win went to Laetitia Roux & Mireia Miro, second to Emelie Forsberg & Axelle Mollaret, an third to Jennifer Flechter & Severine Pont Combe.
Tomorrow, is the last stage of this 30th edition of Pierra Menta.
» Full results – stage 3

North Americans:

I got super excited this morning as I read Eric’s email before the results were fully released. They, with Nick Elson, came in 15th in today’s stage which moved them to 16th overall! Read further below about their day.
Melanie Bernier with her Norwegian partner repeated their 6th place from yesterday and are 7th overall by only about 35 seconds.
Nick Francis and Nick Bunce improved today once again and crossed the line at 132nd. They are in 133rd position overall.
Quote from Eric:

Hard day today but amazing stage going by Pierra Menta!
First few huge climbs felt good and we got into a good position. Descents were less stressful than yesterday but still extremely icy and difficult. I struggled a bit descending, especially the big ones but Nick was strong and led us well. Sun came out on the final climb and really drained us but we held position. The last descent into town was nuts – super low snow, crazy steep tight gullies around rocks and traverses over patches of dirt. Lots of spectators today.
Tomorrow will be hard. Major recovery time now. Whew…

One of the super climbs today.
One of the super climbs today.

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Eric Carter, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson, Pierra Menta

Stage 1 – 2015 Pierra Menta: Carter & Elson 20th, Bernier 7th, plus others

March 11, 2015 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Nick Elson with Eric Carter today at Pierra Menta. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
Nick Elson with Eric Carter today at Pierra Menta. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
Today was the first day of the 2015 Pierra Menta. Usually, the PM starts on a Thursday but because this is the 30th edition the organizers shuffled things around to accommodate the festivities.

Stage 1

The stage was unusually short so something big must be awaiting the racers in the next few days to make up for the average of 2500m per day.
Domination of the Italian duo, Damiano Lenzi & Matteo Eydalin, continues! After winning everything there was to win last year, they won the teams title at last month’s World Championships, and today they won the first stage.

Lenzi and Eydalin are continuing the rish Italian history of super strong skimo teams.
Lenzi and Eydalin are continuing the rish Italian history of super strong skimo teams. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
In women’s category, the super tight battle is starting to shape up. Two strong teams, Laetitia Roux (FRA) with Mireia Miro (SPA) and Emelie Forsberg (SWE) with Axelle Mollaret (FRA), went through the whole stage together. At the end, Emelie & Axelle took the win by mere 10 seconds!
The top two women's teams were neck and neck today.
The top two women’s teams were neck and neck today. Photo by Andrea Kuba.

North Americans

There are couple of North American teams competing this year.
The top men’s team, consisting of Eric Carter (USA) and Nick Elson (CAN), started the big race well and came in at 20th place, thus, nicely positioning themselves for tomorrow.
Among women, Melanie Bernier (CAN) paired up this year with Malene Blikken (NOR) and they also had a good start to Pierra Menta, coming in at 7th.
» Here’s a quick interview with Melanie from just few days ago.

Melanie Bernier approaching a transition.
Melanie Bernier approaching a transition. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
As for the rest, I am only aware of these North American teams racing the PM this year:

  • The team of Eric Bunce and Nicolas Francis (both USA) came in at 133rd place. BTW, Nicolas is the USSMA president!
  • At 151st today, came in Crowley Jon and Kilcoyne Jamie.

» Full results – stage 1

Kilian Jornet races with Marc Pinsach this year.
Kilian Jornet races with Marc Pinsach this year. They placed 7th today. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
Michele Boscacci with Robert Antonioli came in 4th today. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
Michele Boscacci with Robert Antonioli came in 4th today. Photo by Andrea Kuba.
 

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Eric Carter, Kilian Jornet, Laetitia Roux, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson, Pierra Menta

News Shorts: Aspen's Power of Four, NA racers in Marmotta Trophy World Cup, Upcoming races

March 3, 2015 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Laetitia Roux going for another gold in World Cup last weekend.
Laetitia Roux going for another gold in World Cup last weekend.

Audi Power of Four, Aspen (Feb 28, 2015)

Quickly growing into the biggest skimo race in North America, the Power of Four is already a Colorado classic. With vertical gain totaling 11,600 feet and course spread over three peaks covering 25.3 miles in distance, this race’s proportions resemble some of the big European classics such as Mezzalama in Italy. The route is not as technical but the altitudes most likely make up for it.
This year, once again, it was the home team of Max Taam & John Gaston that took the win. However, this time around, they put in a big gap (23 min) between them and 2nd placed Jon Brown & William Laird who only narrowly beat (1 min) a team of Pete Swenson & Rory Kelly. In 4th, was a notable duo as the team consisted of well known ultra-runners Mike Foote & Rob Krar.
The women’s race for first was a much more exciting affair. The newly married, Stevie Kremer partnered with Lindsay Plant to take the win by less than 2 minutes, in front of Jessie Young & Annie Gonzales. All this after 6 hours of racing! Third went to Darcy Piceu & Petra Pirc.
» Overall results and results for various categories are here

Marmotta Trophy World Cup, Italy (Mar 1-2, 2015)

Recap and photos submitted by Eric Carter who raced as well. Edits by Stano.
Set deep in the Martello Valley of South Tirol, Italy, the Marmotta Trophy World Cup featured both an Individual race and Sprint. The weather was kind to the organizers and athletes, with fresh snow falling the week before the race – a contrast to the low-snow, spring conditions of the previous edition.

Canadian Team: Michelle Roberts, Travis Brown, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson.
Canadian Team: Michelle Roberts, Travis Brown, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson.

Individual Race

The course featured three major climbs and descents. A wide track at the start quickly funneled into a double skin track. The first climb ascended out of the shadowy valley to the sunny South facing slopes before talking a direct but steep and narrow descent on breakable crust. The second climb started with a long flat stretch before tackling steep switchbacks to a hut where the women descended. The men continued up innumerable but gentle switchbacks to the glacier below Cima Marmotta before descending wide open powder fields at high speed. A flat traverse at the bottom took racers to the base of climb three. The climb was primarily switchbacks split in half by a bootpack up a steep couloir that would have likely been a pleasure to ski. Descending another long powder field before entering a steeply walled couloir, racers were again spit back onto open slopes that led to a final luge track descent through the trees. The last skins on transition was within sight of the finish, athletes put skins on frantically for a 15-meter climb to the line.

Melanie Bernier.
Melanie Bernier.
The women’s race was dominated as usual by Laetetia Roux (FRA) who led the race essentially from start to finish. Axelle Mollaret (FRA) chased behind with Emelie Forsberg (SWE) keping the French espoir in view to round out the podium. Behind the leaders was a pack that battled throughout the race including couple of Italian and Spanish women.
Melanie Bernier (CAN) skied strong on the last descent to gain contact with the Spaniards and Italians and the five women arrived in a group to the final transition before sprinting to the line within seconds of each other. Melanie finished 8th, only 7 seconds behind 6th, which is her top WC Individual result this season. The only other North American women to race was Michelle Roberts (CAN) who finished 20th.
» Women’s full results are here
The men’s race was also a battle between France, Italy, and Spain. Killian Jornet (SPA) led much of the race only to be passed on the final descent by one of the finest skiers William Bon Mardion (FRA). Xavier Gachet (FRA) rounded out the Frenchman sandwich with Michelle Boscacci and Damiano Lenzi (both ITA) skiing strong but not well enough for the podium.
Nick Elson (CAN) led the North American men with a 35th place finish. Eric Carter (USA) was 43rd and Travis Brown (CAN) 45th. A notable absence was super-German espoir Anton Palzer, sidelined since the World Championship relay race with a knee injury. However, Palzer is expected to be back skiing just in time to attend the Pierra Menta.
» Men’s full results are here
Sprint Race
Sunday began cloudy with Junior athletes racing before the Seniors, allowing an extra bit of rest and recovery. The men qualified first with 30 athletes advancing on to quarter-finals. The women followed quickly after with only 12 advancing on to semi-finals. Nick Elson led the North American field, however, failed to qualify for the heats along with Travis Brown and Michelle Roberts.
Melanie Bernier qualified with a strong time in 5th position. Melanie raced an amazing semi-final, falling behind to fourth place in the boot-pack but ripping down the descent and skating into a photo finish, ultimately placing third in the heat and continuing on to the final. The women’s final was led throughout the race by Laetitia Roux with Melanie finishing in 5th.
In the men’s heats, the usual players worked their way ahead with the notable addition of Kilian Jornet, rarely seen in a sprint race, who placed 13th overall. The Italians fought hard along with the French and Swiss racers but the day was dominated by the German Josef Rottmoser who decisively led every heat and settled the final uncontested.
» Sprint results: Men and Women
Melanie Bernier (on the left) during her semi-final heat.
Melanie Bernier (on the left) during her semi-final heat.

Upcoming races

Wasatch Powder Keg and US Skimo Nationals

Over three days, March 6-8, the whole US skimo scene will move to Brighton Resort close to Salt Lake City for the famous Wasatch Powder Keg. It will begin with a sprint race on Friday night, then continue with individual race on Saturday, and technical teams race on Sunday.
The very next weekend, March 13-15, everything and everyone will move to Crested Butte, CO for the 2015 Gore-Tex US Skimo Nationals that will also feature three days of competition – vertical race on Friday, individual on Saturday, and concluding with a teams race on Sunday.

East Coast

Skimo racers on the East Coast will also have their work cut out for them and they will line up for:

  • Mar 7 – Jay Peak Rando Race, VT
  • Mar 8 – Owl’s Head Quebec Touring Challenge, Quebec
  • Mar 14 – Magic Mountain Rando Race, VT
  • Mar 14 – Mt Orford Skimo Race, Quebec

Pierra Menta (Mar 11-14, 2015)

There will be couple of North American’s lining up for the 30th edition of Pierra Menta. Melanie Bernier is set to race once again, after collecting couple of top 5 finishes, and her partner should be a Norwegian athlete.
For men, North American will have an international team consisting of two good friends from Squamish, BC – Eric Carter will race with Nick Elson. Here is what they set in today:
Q: How are you and Nick feeling for Pierra Menta? What is your goal and what are you most excited about?

It’s the biggest event in skimo period. We are mostly stoked to race and test out all the training and preparation we have done. We of course want to place well. Reiner and Andrew’s 15th place in 2013 is certainly in the back of our heads but looking at the 2014 results it is very competitive and seems to be getting more so every year. We’re going to try to race a smart race and see what happens.

I believe the boys are in good shape and can definitely crack the top 20, so the question should be by how much. Melanie will be going strong as well since long and technical races suit her well.

Karl Egloff interview

In case you haven’t checked it out yet, I had the pleasure to interview the new Aconcagua speed climb record holder as Karl Egloff beat Kilian Jornet’s time by almost 1 hour few weeks ago!

Filed Under: News Shorts, Skimo Racing Tagged With: Eric Carter, Kilian Jornet, Laetitia Roux, Marmotta Trophy, Melanie Bernier, Nick Elson, Pierra Menta, Travis Brown

Dec 1-7 News Shorts: US Skimo Team qualifiers, Vert180 in Canada, Bernier's big November, Jornet readying for Aconcagua

December 9, 2014 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

With a new season under way, we are going to continue the weekly roundups that you got used to last winter but we are going away from the “Skimo Racing Roundup” name and will be calling it “News Shorts” as there are often other ski mountaineering related items worth including besides just skimo racing. We believe you will enjoy this format even more!

US Skimo Team qualifiers: Gaston continues winning

One of several huge snowcats used to shuttle racers to and from the Irwin Lodge race venue.
One of several huge snowcats used to shuttle racers to and from the Irwin Lodge race venue.
Skimo World Championships take place every second year and this means the US skimo athletes continue to train harder than ever before. To qualify, and to have a choice at which events each athlete wants to race at the 2015 Skimo Worlds in Verbier (Feb 6-12), he or she first needs to prove the speed. The first two qualifying races took place last weekend (Dec 6-7) in Crested Butte, Colorado. Saturday’s individual race, at Irwin Guides, is known for great backcountry terrain and skiing. The Irwin race is a unique experience for skimo racers with the entire event taking place in the backcountry. Racers are required to take a 45-minute snowmobile or snowcat ride to the venue deep in the Elk Mountains.
Utah vs. Colorado after the vertical event.
Utah vs. Colorado after the vertical event.
Scott Simons (2nd place), a father of two and always improving, took off strong from the start and charged around the first lap at a blistering pace along with Marshall Thompson (3rd place). The two reached the first descent together with John Gaston close behind. Gaston, showing his perennial strength at descending, closed the gap and by the third lap, had a manageable lead on the two to win the race. Max Taam raced hard from 10th position to 4th by the finish and Jason Dorais battled illness to finish a strong 5th.
In the women’s race, Lindsay Plant (2014 NA Teams Race Champion with Janelle Smiley) stayed in the lead throughout the race with seemingly little competition. Sari Anderson and Jessie Young (new to the skimo circuit but quickly improving) equalled each other on the first climb. Anderson dropped out of the race and Young chased hard forcing Plant to increase her pace to maintain her lead. Nikki LaRochelle finished in third.
For more Irwin photos by Crested Butte Photography see a link further below.
For more Irwin photos by Crested Butte Photography see a link further below.
Lindsay Plant shortly after crossing the line in first at the Crested Butte vertical race.
Lindsay Plant shortly after crossing the line in first at the Crested Butte vertical race.
Sunday was a vertical race (also a team qualifier) hosted at the CB resort. The results changed a bit but not dramatically. Gaston dominated the men’s field again with Marshall Thompson taking a close 2nd. Local star, Brian Smith charged from behind, sitting at the back of the pack early in the climb and moving up to 3rd by the finish. The women’s race went again decisively to Lindsay Plant who was followed by Nikki LaRochelle and McKenna Douglas.
SkinTrack’s Eric Carter, who is trying to qualify for the US Worlds Team, placed 9th on Saturday and 5th on Sunday. Eric was happy with the results despite seeing room for improvement. His altitude acclimatization program seemed to work (he lives at 14 m in Squamish, Canada) and all the hard dry land training is paying off.
» Weekend results from both races – https://www.facebook.com/USSkimo/posts/795269280519181
» Great weekend race photos can be found here.
» Qualifying criteria and process can be found on USSMA website here.

Vert180 opens season in Canada

In Canada, the Vert180 in Calgary opened the skimo racing season with its unusual format once again. The winner of the men’s category, trail runner and skimo racer Travis Brown, climbed a little less than 3000 m in 180 minutes of racing. Second and third went to Peter Knight and Ryan Burlingame respectively. The women’s category win went to Kylee Toth, who is coming back strongly after having two kids in the last several years! Michelle Roberts and Marg Fedyna finished second and third.
» Vert180 results are here.

Melanie Bernier’s big November

Melanie Bernier is the only Canadian, and only the second North American, to place on a skimo World Cup podium and as part of her preparations for the World Championship season she went on to do a massive month of training. She  accumulated over 70,000 vertical meters during November in the mountains around Revelstoke and in Rogers Pass. Once again, Melanie will travel to Europe for an extensive period of time this winter and we can’t wait to see what exciting performances she will be up to this season.

Kilian Jornet ready for Aconcagua speed attempt

If you haven’t caught the news yet then next couple of weeks will  bring another speed record attempt by Kilian Jornet. Like Melanie, he also did lot’s of training in November and, only few days ago, left France for South America. None of such records are guaranteed but if the weather on Aconcagua is at least somewhat cooperative, then Jornet should be able to set the bar very high for anyone that will come after him.

Wolf Creek skimo race on Nov 22

The first race on the USSMA calendar went down two weeks ago at the Wolf Creek ski area in Colorado. Men’s category top 3 were: Scott Simmons, Jon Brown, Pete Swenson. In women’s race category, the win went to Lindsay Plant, followed by Sarah Stubbe and Christena Ward.
» Full results are here.

Teaser video for 2015 Ski Mountaineering World Championships in Verbier

Filed Under: News Shorts Tagged With: 2015 Skimo World Champs, Eric Carter, Irwin Skimo Race, Jason Dorais, John Gaston, Jon Brown, Kilian Jornet, Lindsay Plant, Melanie Bernier

New Fastest Known Time for Mount Rainier: Up and down in 3h 51min 40sec

June 9, 2014 By Stano Faban 4 Comments

This is pretty much old news now but for various reasons we have not been able to cover it for you yet.
In short, couple of days ago, SkinTrack contributor Eric Carter was able to set a new fastest known time (FKT) for the ascent and descent of Mount Rainier via the usual Disappointment Cleaver route. The previous record was held by brother Andy and Jason Dorais using skis as well.
For the long story you can head over to Backcountry Magazine article – http://backcountrymagazine.com/stories/reign-rainier-carter-resets-speed-record/

Filed Under: Trip Reports & Conditions Tagged With: Eric Carter, Mount Rainier

Photos, Results, Report from Dogtooth Dash – 2014 BUFF Canadian SkiMo Championships

April 4, 2014 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

The results and lots of photos were posted through Facebook and Twitter within few hours after the Dogtooth Dash race party, however, I want to apologize that I slacked with writing up a nice race report for you. Here it is.
Secondly, one more big shout out to all 26 volunteers that came out to help marshal the race course on Saturday!
Thirdly, big Thanks to main sponsors goes to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for their unwavering support, BUFF Headwear for keeping the Dash going for another year, Live Out There store for superb enthusiasm, and Clif Bar and Hammer Nutrition for fueling the participants and volunteers.
»For reference here’s the original 2014 Dogtooth Dash event page

Friday’s vertical: Thight margins

The new addition to the Dogtooth Dash was an 800 m (2625 feet) vertical race that featured a steep 200 m section sandwiched between rolling and flat terrain.

Marg Fedyna on her winning path.
Marg Fedyna on her winning path.
Gun went off just after 5pm and 24 racers charged from the start line. I was standing at the beginning of the steep section to cheer and brief everyone of what was to come. All racers were grinding and grimacing but everyone appeared to have good times.
In the men’s race, everything was kept very tight all the way up to the finish. At the end, Reiner Thoni managed to get a small gap to secure his vertical national title (in 35:52), but behind him there was an Olympic-like diving finish for second between Nick Elson and Pascal Egli (from Switzerland). After some discussion, even 3 pairs of sharp eyes could not pick one over the other and so we had two second place finishers! Fourth went to a great Canadian trail runner, Adam Campbell, who was trying his luck in skimo this past season. My SkinTrack’s co-author, Eric Carter, finished fifth.
The women’s race started to take shape much earlier as Marg Fedyna used her known climbing abilities well. Mid-way through the steep section she already started to establish a nice gap. Eventually, she took the vertical national title ahead of Lizanne Bussieres and Michelle Roberts who were separated by only 35 sec after a 53 min of climbing! Fourth went to a young Katarina Kuba and fifth to Jean Ann Berkenpas.

Saturday’s individual: Full on ski mountaineering

After taking over the Dogtooth Dash, from the very competent hands of Ian Gale, Eric and I knew the expectations will be high yet we decided to raise the bar for course setting even higher.

The unstoppable train, Reiner Thoni, collected his 5th Canadian individual race title.
The unstoppable train, Reiner Thoni, collected his 5th Canadian individual race title.
With the main 1890 m (6200 feet) course consisting of 6 downhills and 6 climbs – featuring 4 steep descents, 4 boot packs, and about 100 switchbacks – there was no question that technical skills will play as big of a role as conditioning.
With such a course, the single biggest challenge for us organizers was to keep all skin tracks and boot packs well set and marked. At the end we managed to pull it off!
With the traditional downhill start and not very long first climb the men’s race stayed quite close. Gaps started to appear on the second climb (the biggest of the day) when Reiner Thoni began to turn the screws and Nick Elson started to find himself in no-man’s land between Reiner and a group consisting of Eric Carter, Ben Parsons and trailing Travis Brown and Pascal Egli.
Very similar scenario was playing out in the women’s race as well when none of the girls were establishing significant gaps. This started to change on the third (and the most technical) climb where by the top Michelle Roberts was leading Katarina Kuba (only 19 years old) by about 4 min who managed to establish the same gap to Kylee Ohler by this point.
As all the top racers managed to take good care of their skins and fueling the order didn’t change. However, Ben and Eric had a great sprint battle with the later eventually snatching the third – a nice reward for all the organizational work.
On the Enduro course (about 800 m or 2625 f), the race for junior’s national title (under 20) played out with Brinton Wolever (16) taking the gold just in front of Tyler Gillson (19). Brinton’s brother Riley Wolever (16) took bronze a bit further behind the two. All three are new to skimo so we hope they like it and will stick around.

Full results

Below is a PDF with results, however, for an unexplained reason, the times from the vertical race are missing “1h”, thus, affecting all times that were more than 1h.
» 2014 DTD Official Results

Photo gallery

All individual race photos by Malcolm Taylor – thank you!
 
Once again, thank you everyone for coming!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: 2014 Canadian SkiMo Champs, Dogtooth Dash, Eric Carter, Michelle Roberts, Reiner Thoni

Jan 25-26 Weekend Skimo Racing Roundup: World and North America

January 29, 2014 By Stano Faban 4 Comments

WORLD CUP

Courchevel Individual race boot pack. ISMF Photo.
Courchevel Individual race boot pack. ISMF Photo.
World Cup racing action moved to Courchevel France last Saturday. The weekend began with a 1,700m vertical ascent individual race including 6 climbs with two boot packs and a technical via-ferrata section. The Italian men began a strong weekend with three athletes in the top group. Robert Antonioli (ITA) took the win with a strong final descent while the 2nd – 4th finished all within a minute of each other. Killian Jornet (SPA), normally a dominant racer did not finish due to stomach troubles.

In my side I try to start the race, but after 50m I was without energy…need to try to eat and recover.
-Killian Jornet Facebook

Laetitia Roux (FRA) dominated the women’s race, taking control early on and skiing into the finish with a comfortable cushion over Sophie Dusautoir Bertrand (AND). Will Roux be threatened at all this season? Melanie Bernier (CAN) finished in an impressive 6th place overall (4th among senior women) and had this to say about her race:

I had a good race, trying to stay as consistent as possible throughout and focusing on energy management. Only did I start to loose momentum at the end of the last long climb but it was to be expected. I crossed the finish line in 6th place which I was pretty happy about, closing the gap on some of fast ladies.
-Melanie Bernier

» Individual Race Results
Here’s a great video from the Courchevel skimo World Cup weekend. Vertical-only video is further below.

Start of Courchevel Vertical Race. ISMF Photo.
Start of Courchevel Vertical Race. ISMF Photo.
The low-angled vertical course (540m ascent) allowed for some exceptionally fast skiing. The start is crazy fast – see the guy double poling at 0:41sec in the video below and at 1:16 it is hard to tell the difference from a Nordic ski race! Amazing. In the senior men’s race, Matheo Jacquemoud  (FRA) set the pace from the outset but Damiano Lenzi (ITA) pulled out all the stops and passed Jacquemoud near the finish to win in a time just shy of the course record.
In the senior women’s race, Mathys Maude (SWI) pushed the pace hard but could not hold on when Laetitia Roux accelerated, eventually taking the lead with a twenty second gap at the finish. The lone North American, Canada’s Melanie Bernier finished 10th overall, just under four minutes behind Roux. Meredith Edwards (USA) did not start.

Knowing the course was a must since it was full out from start to finish. I had a great race, keeping my eyes on the lady ahead of me the whole race and passing right at the end. I’m happy with a 9th place considering I am not much of a vert racer! Next stop, Italia!

-Melanie Bernier

» Vertical Race Results
Vertical race video:

NORTH AMERICA

Ben Parsons leading Eric Carter in the Whitefish Whiteout. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Ben Parsons leading Eric Carter in the Whitefish Whiteout. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Two races on the North American calendar happened this past weekend. The Whitefish Whiteout in Whitefish Montana lived up to its name with thick fog blanketing the course throughout race day. An impressive number of racers turned out for both the race and recreational divisions despite the dreary weather. The race division took off at a civilized pace with a line of racers stretching out under the ski lifts. With cash on the line for the fastest ascent up the first climb, local Ben Parsons (USA) surged at the halfway point. Eric Carter (USA) and Peter Knight (CAN) tried to match the pace and Carter skied in to the  lead by the top. Carter and Parsons traded positions throughout the race and sprinted to the finish with Carter taking the win.
» Whitefish Results

The New England Rando series visited Berkshire East for a three lap race including a ~1,050 vertical foot backcountry ascent and ~400 foot boot pack. Team Hagan, led by race winner Jerimy Arnold (USA) dominated the race but was threatened by US National Team athlete Nina Silitch who finished fourth overall to win the women’s division. See Jonathan Shefftz’s full race report on SkinTrack (including results).

The Berkshire East course was more challenging this year with a longer bootpack (repeated each circuit) located in the woods just of of the descent trail giving one the opportunity to see how close other competitors were. Natural snow was thin, adding to the challenge, stepping on lots of downed trees, rocks, and leaves in the booter.
-Jerimy Arnold
Jerimy Arnold en route to win Berkshire East. Photo: Steve Sauve
Jerimy Arnold en route to win Berkshire East. Photo: Steve Sauve

UPCOMING RACES – February 1-2 weekend

The World Cup is headed to Italy with the much anticipated Pitturina Ski Race. There will be a sprint on Friday afternoon and Sunday morning an individual race along the Pitturina route.
No racing in North America this weekend with the postponement of the Mad River Valley ski race in New England but there are local race series taking place during the week in Colorado and Salt Lake City. With the weekend off, the racers will be getting ready for a slew of races available throughout NA on February 8th and 9th!
dogtooth-dash-280x210You can also put on your calendar this year’s Dogtooth Dash at Kicking Horse Mountain near Golden BC. With SkinTrack crew involved in organizing, expect a full weekend of skimo action March 21st – 23rd.
Registration is about to open so follow the event on Facebook and keep an eye on the info page to stay up to date with the latest information!

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Ben Parsons, Berkshire East, Eric Carter, Jerimy Arnold, Kilian Jornet, Laetitia Roux, Melanie Bernier, Robert Antonioli, Roundup, skimo World Cup, Whitefish Whiteout

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Travelling through snowy mountains on skis is like flying… and experiencing life at its core.

Gear reviews, interviews, adventures, contests, skills, skimo training, race reports – we connect you to all things related to self-propelled skiing.

SkinTrack.com, created by Stano Faban, was born out of passion for ski mountaineering and ski touring. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular ski mountaineering blogs in North America.

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