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Stano Faban

Skimo Racing in Poland, Stryn Rando 3000 and Lofoten Skimo in Norway: Eric and Stano travelling

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Since Eric and I are staying longer in Europe than other North American skimo athletes we searched for some “out of the beaten path” races to attend. He ended up in Stryn, Norway and I went to Poland. Originally, I thought I would make it to a new race in Lofoten – group of islands in the north west Norway – but I opted to stay closer to my family to spend more time with them.

Memorial J. Oppenheim – Central Europe Skimo Cup – close to Zakopane, Poland

This event was the final round (out of 3 races) of the Central Europe Ski Mountaineering Cup which is run by three countries – Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic – with one race being held in each country. Currently, there are no world class athlete in either country (the last one retired 6 years ago), however, the level and depth of competition is comparable to US.
» See Wikipedia page about Zakopane, Poland
A unique aspect of this race is that the start is about 7km walk, deep into the valley, to a mountain lodge where all racers stay. The race map and profile showed it would be a 25km slog with only 2100m of climbing (7000 feet) but considerable time spend on bumpy alpine ridges and shoulders. Little anyone knew that extreme winds high up would make our progress much slower than anticipated.
oppenheim-start
The race started on a snow dusted logging road with about 1.5km run, then on skins for 10min, then back on foot, and back on skins. After all these transitions we finally stared at a steep snowy boot-pack with crampons that would take us to a long ridge. As soon as we crested the top the wind was relentless but it was nothing compared to what came later on.

Ready to go.
Ready to go.
To make a long story short, the 5-6km ridge line included lots of up and down skinning and about 3km post-holing walk with crampons – all that time wind speed hovered around 40km/h and often gusting close to 80-100km/h. After that we skied back to the valley and completed the first 15km, with another ridge walk awaiting on the other side of the valley 🙂
Not that I was a podium contender, my race went “side ways” as I deliberately chose to prioritize my health and look around for anyone that might need help on that windy ridge. After all, skimo race suits and thin windbreaker jackets aren’t much protection in such conditions. I finished 21st in 3h 43min and well behind the top ten.
My respect goes to all the top racers for pushing on so strongly despite the furious winds. Luckily no one got hurt and rescue wasn’t needed despite 18 racers out of 77 abandoning.
There was also a shorter version for juniors and recreational athletes which brought the total number of participants to over 100.
Results:
» 2017 Memorial Josef Oppenheim

Stryn Rando 3000 – Norwegian Skimo Championships – Stryn, Norway

This race report is from Eric.
As the lone American competing on the World Cup, the Norwegians have been my adoptive team at the races and also pushing me to come for a visit. I decided to head over there last weekend for the Norwegian Skimo Championships – the Stryn Rando 3000 race. I was lucky to be able to stay with one of the Norwegian skimo stars, Lars Erik Skjverheim (6th at recent Pierra Menta).
» See Wikipedia page about Stryn, Norway
Western Norway reminds me a lot of a mix of British Columbia, New England, and old Europe. The fjords and mountains are amazing and fall away dramatically. The forest thins quickly and the treeline is visible not far from the valley bottom. The houses are generally wood and colourful, a bit of a contrast to the stone houses and tiny windows of the Haute Savoie region in French Alps.
The weather wasn’t optimal during my visit but we were both tired from the Pierra Menta and were happy with a few short walks in rain jackets. Luckily, the forecast looked a little better for the weekend so we headed off to the town of Stryn. We arrived early to join the race organizers doing some course marking. The crew of volunteers they had assembled was more than capable but I love seeing some of the top athletes of the country helping out picking the route and placing flags – something I’d like to see more of in North America!
stryn-norway
The original course traverses six summits surrounding the Stryn ski area with about 3000m of elevation gain and looks incredibly spectacular. A big snowfall two days before the race meant the course was switched to plan B: a bit more time skiing below treeline and two of the alpine peaks with about 2300m+ of gain. The course was incredibly well marked – something that was obviously necessary in the not unlikely case of whiteout – big bamboo flags only a few meters apart and there must have been several thousands spread over the route!

Photo by Ole Eltvik.
Photo by Ole Eltvik.
We woke up to clearing skies and a very civilized start time of 11:00am – giving time for avalanche control and weather concerns. A recreational class started a bit before the elite wave, bringing the total number of entrants to almost 150. The race started a bit more mellow than expected with lots of attention given to the big star of the event, Kilian Jornet, with the rest of the field being tentative about pushing it early. Kilian slowly increased the pace while Lars Erik and I chased, not far behind. We started the second ascent (of four) all together and Kilian and Lars Erik opened a gap while I fumbled through some kick-turns in the fresh snow. As we climbed up into the alpine, the views opened up to the nearby summits and the fjords behind us. By the third ascent, I was starting to feel the effort, losing time to the athletes behind me. Dropping into sixth, I struggled staying warm and stopped to put on my wind-breaker. Feeling a bit like a tourist at this point, I was mostly looking forward to the final 1000 meter powder descent to the finish.
Kilian leading Eric and Lars Erik.
Kilian leading Eric and Lars Erik. Photo by Ole Eltvik.
I can’t really say I had a good race. I felt like I started well within my usual pace but just couldn’t keep it up. The residual effects of the virus I caught a week earlier at the Pierra Menta were close in my mind and I know I’m still recovering. It was hard to get down about my result though spending a weekend in a beautiful lakeside cabin with a group of good friends who only occasionally forget I don’t speak Norwegian!
Photo by Ole Eltvik.
Photo by Ole Eltvik.
The following day, we had a big group ski of two more of the summits on the original course and plenty more powder! Kilian led the way breaking trail most of the day without even taking off his down jacket while I sweated along at the back of the track.
After two more days staying with Lars Erik (and finally getting in a rain-free day of skiing) I was back at the airport, regretting not having booked an extra week. I can’t wait to go back!
The below race promo video showcases the terrain and environment:

If you are interested in visiting Norway for skimo, I’d highly recommend it. Any of the Norwegian Team athletes would likely be very helpful resource but I can say that the skimo scene is strong. Areas like Sogndal, Romsdal, and Trondheim host a series of races and have tons of training options. A car is probably the way to go but the trains are pretty useful. Spring seems to be the best time to visit (April and May) but you risk rain just about any time of the year it seems. The only downside is that Norway is expensive – food, gas and just about everything are expensive by European standards and the exchange rate does not favour North Americans.
I would highly recommend the Stryn Rando 3000 event. The organization was on a World Cup level and put this year’s World Championships to shame. The backup course options were well planned and kept the spirit of the race. The track setting and marking was excellent and the volunteers were plentiful and helpful. Definitely put it on your list!
Results:
» 2017 Stryn Rando 3000
lofoten-arctic-triple-logo-2

The Arctic Triple – Lofoten Skimo – Lofoten, Norway

This is an event and destination I would like to definitely visit in the future as Lofoten is one of the most beautiful places in the World. This event is not necessarily trying to attract the pure skimo racer, seeking just competition, but rather is for those that like a big outdoor challenge in a unique destination.
The original route was planned to cover 36km and climb around 4000m, running from north to south. Due to stormy weather in the days leading up to it organizers were forced to shorten the route to about 28 km and 2600m – still a big course. Shorter course covered 14 km and climbed about 1000m, and went on pretty much as planned.
Two French athletes, Mathèo Jacquemoud and Lèo Viret, finished together to take the win in just over 4h. Italian Skimo Team member Martina Valmassoi (we will bring you an interview with her soon) was the best female crossing the line in 4h 25min. The female winner of on the short course was Anja Millerjord while the men’s race was won by Edvard Vea Iversen.

Martina Valmassoi battling arctic elements.
Martina Valmassoi battling arctic elements.
Leo Viret followed by Matheo Jacquemoud.
Leo Viret followed by Matheo Jacquemoud.
Original course map - click to enlarge.
Original course map – click to enlarge.
lofoten-skiingResults:
» 2017 Lofoten Skimo results – The Arctic Triple
And what does the Article Triple mean?
The Arctic Triple consists of three annual races. 2017 is the first year with all three races set up and Lofoten Skimo was first out in week 11. Next comes Lofoten Ultra-Trail in week 22 and the triple year is final with Lofoten Triathlon in week 33. For more information visit http://www.thearctictriple.no/

Vertical Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Mar 1: Kilian Jornet and Andrea Mayr claim gold, John Gaston 11th and Kristi Knecht 15th for North America

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Today, most of us were waiting whether Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg can pull off a double as a couple, or whether it will be Damiano’s Lenzi third gold medal of these World Championships. At the end, neither scenario came to fruition as Austria’s Andrea Mayr (former Olympic marathon runner) basically just showed up for a day and won the women’s title, and Lenzi claimed silver behind Jornet.
» Click here for previous day: Sprint Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 28

John Gaston moving up the field after a cautions start. Photo by Matt Reid.
John Gaston moving up the field after a cautious start. Photo by Matt Reid.

Vertical Race – Men (Senior & Espoir)

Today’s race was always going to be contested between this season’s fastest four skimo athletes – Jornet, Lenzi, Palzer and Werner. Kilian Jornet (SPA) had a 12sec gap over Damiano Lenzi (ITA) in the finish, with Werner (SWI) further 20sec back, and Palzer (GER) another 15. Jornet and Lenzi established themselves early on and then just extended their gap. Top espoir was Remi Bonnet (SWI) in 6th.
It is worth noting that today’s vertical was one of the most competitive ones in recent history due to many top guns sitting out yesterday’s sprint because of the rain and opted to focus on the vert instead.

Eric Carter with Mike Foote slightly behind him on the right. Photo by Matt Reid.
Eric Carter with Mike Foote slightly behind him on the right. Photo by Matt Reid.
USA and Canadian men:
Given such top competition, John Gaston’s 11th place – only 1sec behind 10th – is even more impressive than if it occurred in a “regular” World Cup race. Mike Foote and Eric Carter perhaps started a little too fast and faded slightly by the end, yet still finishing in 26th and 27th respectively – a great result. Tom Goth wasn’t too far behind Mike and Eric to place 36th. An espoir Cameron Smith finished very respectable 43rd.
Best Canadian placing came from Peter Knight who had a great personal performance to claim 38th. Nick Elson and Rob Krar were couple of seconds behind after not having their best day, finishing 42nd and 46th. As for myself, I hopped for better than 57th although short non-technical races are exact opposite to my strengths.
» Full results – men’s vertical
Peter Knight and Stano Faban - same painful grin couple of minutes apart. Photo by Matt Reid.
Peter Knight and Stano Faban – same painful grin couple of minutes apart. Photo by Matt Reid.

Vertical Race – Women (Senior & Espoir)

As for men, today’s women’s vertical was going to be one of the most competitive ones in recent history since there are many female athletes in their best form at these Championships. Furthermore, absence of Laetitia Roux suggested that the race will be wide open.
Emelie Forsberg (SWE) and Axelle Mollaret (FRA) were the likely two favourites but at the end it was a seasoned mountain and road runner – Andrea Mayr (AUT) – who surprised them all to take the win in a convincing fashion, more than 30sec ahead of Forsberg.

Forsberg fending off Maude Mathys and Axella Mollaret. Photo by Matt Reid.
Forsberg fending off Maude Mathys and Axella Mollaret. Photo by Matt Reid.
USA and Canadian women:
Along Gaston’s, another notable US performance came from Kristi Knecht who finished in a fantastic 15th place, and only about 30sec from top ten! Janelle Smiley came in 20th while Jessie Young finished 25th – probably feeling a bit tired by now considering, that she entered all events so far.
Not far behind Jessie, for North America, was a Canadian Kylee Ohler with a great performance in her least favourite discipline to finish 27th. Nikki Larochelle finished one down on Kylee with the rest of Canadian team behind her – Michelle Roberts in 40th and Caroline Reid in 41st.
» Full results – women’s vertical race
Kylee Ohler enroute to another top 30 finish with Caroline Reid in her first World Champs. Photo by Matt Reid.
Kylee Ohler enroute to another top 30 finish with Caroline Reid in her first World Champs. Photo by Matt Reid.

Vertical Race – Men (Junior & Cadet)

Racing on the same course as seniors, a 19-years old junior Davide Magnini (ITA) threw down a truly impressive gold performance which would have saw him place 13th if he raced with the senior men! After wining the individual few days ago, he now has two world titles. Second junior, Stefan Knopf (GER), was 40sec behind but still would have placed within top 20 in men’s race. Bronze medal went to Maximilien Drion du Chapois (BEL) who claimed bronze in yesterday’s sprint race as well.
In cadets, racing on a shorter course, it was time for Swiss athletes to dominate with Leo Besson and Aurelien Gay (who won sprint yesterday) taking two top podium spots. Matteo Sostizzo of Italy claimed bronze.
USA and Canadian men:
Ian Clarke was the only junior racing for North America and placed respectable 22nd.
US Team cadets trio – Quinn Simmons, Henry Boyd and Henry Hanes – were racing again. Many eyes were on Quinn to see whether he can repeat yesterday’s bronze sprint race run. Although, he was with the top guns for some time he faded a little later on to finish 9th. Boyd and Hanes gave their all, finishing few minutes behind, in 17th and 18th respectively.
» Full results – juniors and cadets

Quinn Simmons (cadet) and Ian Clarke (junior) - both very talented cyclists trying their hand in skimo in the winter. Photo by Matt Reid.
Quinn Simmons (cadet) and Ian Clarke (junior) – both very talented cyclists trying their hand in skimo in the winter. Photo by Matt Reid.

Vertical Race – Women (Junior & Cadet)

In junior category, adding to her medal collection (now two gold and one silver), it was Russia’s Ekaterina Osichkina to claim the win with an impressive 1min 15sec lead on the second Guilia Murada (ITA) – who also now has one gold and two silver medals. Third place went to Malaurie Mattana (FRA).
In cadets, the order shuffled a bit compared to previous days, with Italy’s Samatha Bertolina winning gold. French Justine Tonso had to settle for second this time around, with bronze going to Caroline Ulrich of Switzerland.
USA and Canadian women:
The only women competing in youth categories was a cadet Morgan Fortin (USA) who continues to gain experience, finishing 8th today.
» Full results – juniors and cadets

Tomorrow

The last day of these Championships will see athletes competing in relay races – in teams of four and three, depending on the age category and gender.

Team Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 26: USA women 4th, Lenzi wins another title, French women win without Laetitia Roux

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Third day at the 2017 Ski Mountaineering World Championships brought another sunny day but thankfully it didn’t get as hot as forecasted, thanks to a thin cloud cover, and so there were perfect conditions for senior athletes to tackle the longest of all the World Championship races.

Showing parts of the course. Green is skinning or on foot, red are descents. ISMF photo.
Showing parts of the course. Green is skinning or on foot, red are descents. ISMF photo.
Organizers prepared one hell of a technical course including via ferrata sections and a walk/hike on an exposed ridge over one of the local summits. Technical and rocky descents continued to be on the menu as no new snow fell since the opening ceremony.
Arguably, the two most notable performances were in the women’s race with French ladies winning the title without Laetitia Roux, and that the US Team’s Jessie Young and Janelle Smiley clinched 4th place – the best ever for a North American women’s team at Worlds!
» Here are beautiful ISMF photos from the teams race
» Click here for previous day – Junior & Cadet Individual Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 25
Janelle and Jessie on the final descent. Photo by Mark Smiley.
Janelle and Jessie on the final descent. Photo by Mark Smiley.
 

Team Race – Men

Historically, Italian teams have been quite dominant whether at Worlds, Pierra Menta or any other teams events. Today, again, it was more of a question which of their teams wins than anything else. Damiano Lenzi is on top form this season and partnering with experienced Matteo Eydallin didn’t hurt. However, they out-skied their fellow country men – Robert Antonioli and Michele Boscacci – only by a few seconds to win gold. Third place went to always strong and well skiing William Bon Mardion and Xavier Gachet (FRA).

Boot-pack over the peak of Mount Cavallo was the highlight of the day! ISMF photo.
Boot-pack over the peak of Mount Castelat was the highlight of the day! ISMF photo.
USA and Canadian men:
It was a mixed day for the US mean’s team today. John Gaston and Max Taam proved their skills finishing 11th, only one place lower than at Worlds 4 years ago. Another strong duo – Eric Carter and Tom Goth – had minor gear issues on the technical ridge walk (many teams had gear issues on that section of the course) but their race really went off the tracks when Eric broke a ski at the bottom of the second descent and they had to abandon. Very respectable performance came from Jon Brown and Teague Holmes who finished 16th. Paul Hamilton and Scott Simmons are showing in the results at 17th place but in fact abandoned after suffering too many issues.
The top Canadian placing went to two mountain/ultra runners, Nick Elson and Rob Krar (see quote below),  finishing 17th (18th in results after Hamilton/Simmons correction). They skied a solid race with Rob having some difficulties in the icy skin tracks – after all it was his very first time seeing something like that.
Nick and Rob in the second descent. ISMF photo.
Nick and Rob in the second descent. ISMF photo.
Second Canadian team placing was still up for grabs half-way through the race with Stano and Matt Reid leading Travis Brown and Peter Knight at that point. Eventually, Travis and Peter prevailed, finishing 19th, after Matt suffered from cramps and breaking his boot early into the third descent. By slowing down a little and taking on fluid and salt, Matt was able to pull through and even skied well with one working boot, and so our team finish 20th.
Stano and Matt atop the last climb of the long technical race. Photo by Lori Ann Donald.
Stano and Matt atop the last climb of the long technical race. Photo by Lori Ann Donald.
Here is what Rob Krar had to say in the finish about his experience today:

I was humbled and in awe of the competition and athleticism on display this morning, including my teammate Nick Elson. I believe we both have a strong and quiet drive that led to a solid showing, although Nick was clearly the stronger athlete and I wish I weren’t the weaker link that held us back from placing higher.
There is a great quote something along the lines of the only risks I regret are the ones I never took. It has been a primary goal the past few years to take more risk and step out of my comfort zone whenever possible. This approach to life has opened doors I never thought possible and racing today was really the culmination of a two year goal to represent Canada at the World Championships. It was the toughest and most challenging ski mountaineering race of my life and I loved every moment of suffering out there.

» Full results – men’s teams race

Team Race – Women

Just like in the individual race, today, was very competitive in the women’s field again. Italian team was leading up the first climb but another 4 teams were right on their heels, including Janelle Smiley and Jessie Young.
At the end, the gold went to Axelle Mollaret and Lorna Bonnel (FRA) with Mollaret having done quite a bit of towing as well as bringing a lot of experience. After all, she has won many teams races with the most decorated skimo athlete in history, Laetitia Roux. Second team over the finish line was from Spain – Mireia Miro and Claudia Galicia – both very experienced racers. Bronze medal went to home Italian women – Martina Valmassoi and Alba De Silvestro – who were in fact leading that first climb.

Italian team on the way to the summit of Cavallo. ISMF photo.
Italian team on the way to the summit of Castelat. ISMF photo.
USA and Canadian women:
For North Americans, the story of the day have been written by Smiley and Young (USA) by racing into a historical 4th place in a teams race! Today’s result will given them a huge confidence bust for Pierra Menta (starts March 8th) where they can certainly attack for the podium, because why go top 5 if you have already done that.
The rest of US and Canadian women had a mixed bag of feelings but overall still delivered respectable performances. Nikki Larochelle and Lindsay Plant place 8th about 10min ahead of 9th Najeeby Quinn and Michela Adrian. In 10th, and only few minutes behind, came the Canadian ladies – Kylee Ohler and Michelle Roberts – who got in good training today before Pierra Menta. 12th place went to another US team of Kristi Knecht and Anne Gonzales, finishing the race on a substitute ski after breaking one.
» Full results – women’s teams race
To give you an idea how spicy and rocky all descents were. ISMF photo.
To give you an idea how spicy and rocky all descents were. ISMF photo.

Tomorrow

There is planned rest/transfer day for tomorrow as we all head to Piancavallo for the last three events including many youth events as well. None of the athletes on US and Canadian teams are sick or (significantly) injured so we are all looking forward to more racing! 🙂

When suffering is fun: Recap from first ever Skintrack skimo training camp

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And just like that, after a 3-day blurry of workouts, adventure, presentations and loads of fun the first ever Skintrack training camp is over! Everyone is tired but with a huge smile on our faces.
First of all, Eric and I want to say Thank You to everyone that attended, in some cases travelling hundreds of kilometres. You guys put faith in us and believed that when you show up the two skimo junkies will have no choice but to deliver all everything they promised 😉
Next, we (and on behalf of all participants) want to thank to Dynafit North America, Escape Route, Clif Bar Canada and The Alpine Club of Canada for their great support of this summer skimo training gathering.

Supporters of this first ever North American skimo training camp. On behalf of everyone - Thank You!

As it all happened

To recount our three days for those that couldn’t come, here are some facts:

  • 17 athletes attended, either the whole camp or couple of sessions
  • Another 20 or so attended the 2 speaker presentations
  • 5 training venues
  • Over 13 hours of training
  • Around 3700m of vertical
  • About 80km covered
  • And 1 birthday celebration

Day 1 – Friday, Sep 13

We started the camp off by meeting for a trail-running session up Squamish’s iconic Chief and over its three summits, amazing views all around.
chief-run-squamish-1
chief-run-squamish-1a

chief-run-squamish-2

Afternoon brought us to Callaghan Valley for a roller-ski session. The valley is located between Squamish and Whistler, and was the venue for cross-country skiing during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Eric Carter with Melanie Bernier roller skiing.
Eric Carter with Melanie Bernier roller skiing.
Summer skimo skinning - over the hills and far away.
Summer skimo skinning – over the hills and far away.
One the way to Callaghan and then back we made sure to take advantage of the lakes along the scenic Hwy 99. Cold water in two Alice and Brohm lakes relieved pain in our muscles while we soaked in September sun.
Friday’s night presentation belonged to a slideshow from my recent trip to Kyrgyzstan and China (here you can read part 1 and part 2) inside Escape Route outdoor shop. I am proud to say that everyone seemed to really enjoy it.
Escape Route proved to be a very cozy venue for the evening presentations.
Escape Route proved to be a very cozy venue for the evening presentations.

Day 2 – Sep 14, 2013

Saturday’s itinerary was looking big and thankfully the weather held on.
In the AM hours our group swelled to 13 as we were joined by a group of athletes from the UBC Nordic ski team. Some people roller-skiing, some biking, (me driving) one by one we made it up Cypress Bowl road that brought us to 930m above sea level and to another 2010 Olympic venue, Cypress Mountain.

Melanie Bernier pushing the pace with great passion.
Melanie Bernier pushing the pace with great passion.
A very thick fog was sitting above Vancouver and the ocean at around 600m so we were treated to heaven-like experience.
lions-run-1
After some rest and a light lunch in the sun we started our long trail run from Cypress Mountain to Lions Bay. During this session we ended up splitting into three groups – one returning back the same way after about an hour (led by Eric), the second running to Lions Bay (3.5h), and the third, led by me, did a detour to scramble to the summit of West Lion thus extending the session to over 4h.
lions-run-2
Posing for Sports Illustrated on top of Unnecessary Mountain on the Howe Sound Crest Trail.
lions-run-3
Nick, Mel, Dean and I pushed for the West Lion summit in the name of my birthday wish.
Later in the afternoon, we all met in Lions Bay and went for a plunge in the Pacific Ocean before heading back to Squamish.
The second night started with a sushi dinner before a presentation on performance nutrition from a professional coach Bjorn Ossenbrink. The take home message seemed to be that proper fueling and recovery are very critical to athletic success.
Right after the presentation I got a big surprise in a form of birthday cake (complete with candles) and a bottle of 7-year old red wine. Then to make sure we remember all that was said during the nutrition talk we headed to a pub for a round of birthday beers. 😉

Day 3 – Sun 15, 2013

Eric and I thought a strength session specifically targeting skimo muscles should be included in camp’s itinerary and so Eric arranged a coach and a gym from Challenge by Choice for 2h of suffer-fest given the training load on previous days. Muscles hurt but fun was had all around. This workout topped the most-sweat-lost charts.

gym-session-1
Pretty much as a whole, we were accused by the gym coach of not having strong gluts 🙂

The final workout went almost as planned, only cut short by an approaching lightning storm. Yet still, we did about 3h of running over superb trails inside the beautiful Garibaldi Provincial Park.
garibaldi-run-1

garibaldi-run-2
At Garibaldi Lake: from left, front row – Eric Carter and Will, back row – Kate, Eric, Dean and Max.
Once done and 50 hugs later, everyone took off in different direction in search of a couch at their homes.
See you all next time, we will try to make it as soon as we can 😉
Nutrition, eh?
Nutrition, eh?

Canadian team summer skimo training camp – Revelstoke, Sep 15-16, 2012

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Since 2009 Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team have been meeting every September for our summer training camp.
Previous camps were usually hosted in Canmore, AB by Steve Sellers but this year we thought it’s time for a change and organized it in Revelstoke, BC.
The team was pretty much complete with one exception – everyone’s favorite and North America’s fastest, Reiner Thoni, couldn’t make it as his old truck started to come apart a day before his departure.

Camp concept

The idea behind this camp wasn’t about training hard. It was about getting together and have good times.
We are also trying to blend in some younger blood into the team before people find themselves sharing a room at World Championships in February, 2013.
Attending: Melanie Bernier, Martha Burley, Steve Sellers, Stano Faban, Brad Schalles, Peter Knight, Adnrew McNab, Ian Gale, Jeff Colvin, Julie Matteau.

Day 1: hiko-running-scrambling Mt Cheops (2605m)

Summary of day one and all photos are from Brad Schalles (WestCoast Skimo – http://westcoastskimo.blogspot.ca/), one of new additions to the Team. Watch out for Brad this year, he will be the NA dark horse this year.
On Saturday the group split up, with five of us heading up to Rogers Pass for a run and scramble up 1300m to summit Mt Cheops. After meeting up with Steve, who had spent a cold night at the pass, we headed up the trail in the crisp morning air.
The run up to Balu Pass was fast and we all felt light on our feet on the superbly maintained trail. We made it to Balu in an hour and thirty minutes – we all remarked on how much faster it was to run up the valley rather than ski.

Just below the summit rock atop Cheops Mountain, from left: Steve Sellers, Martha Burley, Melanie Bernier, Stano Faban, Brad Schalles.
After a quick snack on top of the biggest rock we could find, we scrambled along the ridge to the top of Mt Cheops. At the summit we pulled a few bouldering moves to ensure that we were on the tippy top of Mt Cheops. We had a snack and took a group photo in our team Rab jackets, and then we set off down the ridge towards our next stop: an ice cold dip in Connaught Creek (which just might be the coldest creek in Canada).
We made a light-speed trip back to Revelstoke (thanks to Slovakian over-drive), and we regrouped at a fine local establishment with Andrew and Peter. They had spent the day at the Martha Creek Melt Down where Peter placed 1st and Andrew 4th. After a great night caching up and talking all things skimo, we headed home to rest up for the next big day of the camp.
Descending from Cheops with the Trans-Canada highway one vertical mile below us.

Day 2: Skimo pentathlon + bike ride

Watching the summer London Olympics left me with lots of inspiration and so on Sunday morning we all met at Revelstoke high school stadium. The leader for this session was Jeff Colvin – one of the fastest Canadian skimo racers few years back – who is a track & field coach at the school.
Under Jeff’s leadership we all completed the following “skimo pentathlon”:

  • 100m sprint
  • shot put
  • star run (agility run)
  • long jump (from stand-still)
  • 800m run

Everyone had loads of fun as none of us knew what to expect from each discipline. On top of that, by the time our heads somewhat grasped one skill it was time to move to something else – testing our adaptiveness in the process.
Women’s pentathlon was won by Melanie Bernier and men’s main prize went to Brad Schalles who blew everyone in the 800m run on top of winning the 100 dash.
» Revealing video coming soon 🙂
Afternoon
After a season planing meeting during the lunch we split into road and mountain biking groups.
In fact, it was only me and Brad riding the road. We had a good 3h ride in the sunset lit valley north of Revelstoke, riding the always twisting road on the shores of 130km long Lake Revelstoke.
The mountain bike group rode the shadowy side of the valley, however, great Revelstoke trails kept them warm too.

Next camp

Team’s next camp is in the works. It will likely be already on skis somewhere high in the beautiful Canadian mountains.

Game Changers 3-article series: Interesting ski tourers answer “What is the one event that changed or influenced the way you do (or approach) your ski adventures now?”

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game changer even
Thanks to an unknown author for this photo - it really captures the essence that something is about to profoundly change 🙂
After talking about gear game changers and people that influenced their skiing Greg Hill, Melanie Bernier, John Baldwin and Christina Lusti answer the 3rd and final question in this series. As before, I am attaching my answer at the end.
I hope that you enjoy these articles because the people answering seem to like it a lot. If you do spread the word cause it’s likely your friends would enjoy it too.
And share what event influenced YOUR ski adventures – you can do so via comments section at the end of this article.

3rd question: What is the one event that changed or influenced your ski adventures (whether that be touring or racing)?

Greg Hill says (http://www.greghill.ca):
I skied from aged two; it was a passion from the start – ski racing, jumps just having fun on the slopes. I recall in Grade 3 being extremely excited because I had skied more than 60 days that year. The freedom of speed and fun of skiing was deeply ingrained in who I was.
I skied until I was 16 and then got taken up by rock climbing. All of a sudden skiing was second place and rock climbing was first. The incredible challenge, endless progression and exploration was all that I could think about.  For 6 years I rarely skied but climbed exclusively.
Then at 22 years old I dislocated my shoulder while rock climbing. All of a sudden this whole side of my life was taken away from me…which left me with a huge void. Then explorer in me had been awakened, the search for challenge had been continuous for so long that I needed it.
Greg Hill skiing.
So I set my sights on climbing and skiing mountains, this filled the void and more. Backcountry skiing was challenging physically, the development of my mountain sense mentally stimulating, the exploration endless. It was sad to lose the climbing but I gained so much more in return.
I started recognizing that I had more energy than most, that I could move quickly and efficiently through the mountains.  I would be standing on top of mountains looking at what I hoped would be our next run only to see that my partners were exhausted.
So I entered my first randonnee race in whistler, came in as a canadian should, mullet and leather jacket. Had a blast during the race and somehow ended up winning it. This prompted me to continue pushing my speed in the mountains to see what my potential was. Later that spring I returned and did the Spearhead Traverse in 4 hours 1 minute and really started to push the limits of the possible.
Since then I have pushed my endurance endlessly and loved the limits, I have progressed – so many traverses, mountains, new lines, huge days and great times.
Had my shoulder not dislocated I would have continued to have fun rock climbing but possibly I would not have developed into the mountain man I have become. I would have missed out on so many great adventures that I am almost happy it happened.
Now 14 years later I have a reconstructed shoulder and I am climbing again, which will inevitably help progress my technical limits of ski mountaineering.
Melanie Bernier says (http://inthetrails.blogspot.ca):
Back in 2010, a few of us from the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team stayed in Europe after racing the World Championships in Andorra to take part in a 4 days stage race – the Pierra Menta – in the small town of Areche-Beaufort in France.
Day after day, teamed in pairs we covered at great pace routes with around 2500m of climbing. This event really opened my eyes to what really is ski mountaineering racing, its roots and how respected and part of the culture it is in Europe.
Granted we suffered and pushed our limits but it was such a great feeling of accomplishment to work as a team, pace ourselves and cross the finish lines with a large smile at the end of each day. Coming to a summit with 1000 of spectators cheering was an experience I will never forget. This event and skiing in Europe all together has forever changed my vision of racing and even skiing in the backcountry.
In this video from 2012 (in around 1min) you can see what kind of atmosphere Melanie is excited about:

John Baldwin says (http://www.johnbaldwin.ca):
It was on my second long ski traverse in the Coast Mountains. We were trying to complete a 3 to 4 week ski trip from Ape Lake to Knight Inlet across the Monarch and Ha-iltzuk Icefields, west of Mt. Waddington, BC.
The last quarter of the trip goes through some really rugged terrain with steep slopes and big icefalls. A big storm moved in with tons of new snow. I started to worry about whether the conditions would be good enough for us to finish the trip (there were no other escape routes).  But at some point I had this intuition that it would work out. You could say I was learning to listen to the mountains and what was in my heart.
It is something I have always tried to do in difficult situations. It’s not always easy to do but I think it’s very important to listen to the mountains and the earth.
Christina Lusti says (http://christinalusti.wordpress.com):
ACL reconstruction on my knee . . . sad to say there was more than one surgery L. But this was the event that made me decide to step away from ski racing and start a new career in ski guiding and ski mountaineering.
The injury motivated me to get strong and walk/ski away from the competitive sport of alpine ski racing 4 years ago. Since then it has been winters full of Adventure School, Coaching, Training, and exploring the steep alpine . . . no regrets!
Stano Faban (Skintrack.com):
The one event that changed my approach, or I should say “understanding”, of skiing didn’t happen during a specific experience or on a certain day. It is actually still happening. It is an ongoing event since it is a perception changer for me, fueled by constant learning and curiosity.
To hopefully demystify and clarify – the terrain, and people I met and keep meeting while backcountry skiing after moving to Canada are responsible for this ongoing event.
Skiing before was fun, was a sport, was a great way to explore, but in no way I would understand how much it could affect people’s lives. How fulfilling it could be.
It didn’t start happening right after I moved but couple years later. I guess, I needed to meet the right people first J. Run after run, trip after trip, winter after winter, I started to understand why anyone would arrange their whole life around skiing.
The backcountry skiing culture in Canada is unique, I believe. This has a lot to do with great snow, terrain, and work opportunities.  If you don’t grow up with those your perception is different and you need a while to put the pieces together.
But through spending time with open-minded people and experiencing emotions from riding dry deep untracked powder you start to understand. You start to look for slopes where there is no skin track even though it means work, and you can manage to sore your ass in a car for hours because you know what is waiting, or because you actually don’t know.
So something like this changed my ski adventures because I think of skiing as a whole differently. Before, the trips needed to have a goal (a peak, or a specific run) to feel fulfilling. Now, it’s more like: How do I ski today just so I can feel happy the whole day?

The previous two questions:

Game Changers 3-article series: Interesting ski tourers answer "Who is the one person that changed or influenced your ski adventures?"

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Here are answers to the 2nd question of the Game Changer article series. I was able to put together a very representative group (in terms of their main skills and passions) of ski mountaineers to answer these questions to make for a great read, and include my answers at the end.
Person that influenced your ski adventures or racing.
» To read answers to the 1st question in this series see: What is the one piece of gear that changed or influenced your ski adventures?

Who is answering?

In short:

  • Greg Hill
  • Melanie Bernier
  • John Baldwin
  • Christina Lusti
  • Stano Faban

For more details about these ski mountaineers see the first article of the Game Changer series.

2nd question: Who is the one person that changed or influenced your ski adventures (whether that be touring or racing)?

I would like to hear who influenced YOUR ski adventures. You can do so via comments section at the end of this article.
Greg Hill says (http://www.greghill.ca):
I am not someone who likes to place people on pedestals, I feel that we are all unique and usually deserved of respect but most likely not so great that we should be idolized.
I respect anyone who pushes themselves to be their personal best in whatever avenue they choose. But of course there have been people who have stood out in the past.
Alex Lowe was a champion of men and having seen what he could do and how he progressed mountaineering was impressive. He chose his path and went after it with wild determination. His technical climbing, exuberant character and his style were standards to be sought.  Sadly enough he died doing what he loved.

Andrew McLean
Andrew McLean staring down one of his many first descents.
Andrew McLean was someone who influenced me early on in my ski mountaineering career. What Andrew has done, in terms of firsts, is huge, his list of accomplishments hard to conceive. As a young mountain boy I was blown away by the potential that Andrew demonstrated, how much he could explore and have fun while doing it.
Initially, in the rando races, Andrew was the big name. So while I ran up and down mountains I trained to beat him and also dreamed of befriending him and going on some cool adventures with him. Both those came true and we have been friends ever since.
But he truly showed me the potential of fitness and passion in the mountains and how endless it really is.  He was someone who helped me realize my huge days in the mountains by being humble and psyched about what we do.
Melanie Bernier says (http://inthetrails.blogspot.ca):
The person that influenced me the most for ski adventures and skimo racing is Kilian Jornet (standing skimo world champ).
I remember when I was just starting to race, part of the Spanish skimo racing team came to Canada to race the Spearhead Passage race in Whistler. The sport was very young in NA back then, and I remember while gaining Russet Lake, Kilian had already reached the top of Whirlwind and was on his way back. He nicely cheered me on and kept going. I remember being really impressed and could not believe how fast he could move on his skis.
From competing in more events where he was also racing, I got to learn about his philosophy about the sport of skimo but also running. He also has a great personality and is very humble in all that he does, which is a great quality for an athlete of his level.
Looking at all that he does and how fast he is makes me not only want to train harder but push the boundaries and explore always a bit further.
John Baldwin says:
I have definitely been influenced a lot by the collective sport of ski mountaineering – whether it be new ideas for kinds of trips, new gear, new avalanche skills. It’s always inspiring to see what other people are doing.
I was definitely inspired by such as Whistler’s local Karl Ricker pioneering the Spearhead Traverse, or Chic Scott‘s long trips in the Rockies, or Galen Rowell‘s ski trips in Alaska.
I’ve been inspired by ski descents and skimo racing. I have also learned tons from different friends about things ranging from ski technique to how to know where the snow drifts in light and deep or many other things.
But it is hard to single out one person.
I suppose the biggest influence was the person that got me into backcountry skiing in the first place. It was Hans Fenz, my high school French teacher. I was never any good at French but on weekends he would take a few students backcountry skiing. Trips to Diamond Head and eventually the summit of Mt Baker opened up this magical world for me.
Christina Lusti says (http://christinalusti.wordpress.com):
pet lustenbergerMy Dad has been the biggest influence of my skiing career.
It must have started when I was a baby in his back-pack skiing around the local ski hill. Teaching me how to tune my skis, driving us to ski races, helping out on the race course. . . and of course free skiing all over the mountain as a family.
Supporting me through a ski racing career and then up a new path of ski guiding, he has helped me create a life and career around my passion!
My dad loves to ski, watch skiing, talk about skiing!
He grew up on a mountain in Switzerland so skiing was a way of transportation . . . ski racing at a young age, moving to Canada and working for CMH, to running Lusti’s Ski Shop at Panorama Resort.
I think that his passion has been passed over to me. . . I look up to him and how he has formed his life around the greatest sport I know!
Stano Faban (Skintrack.com):
I guess, one never realizes how hard it is to answer a seemingly simple question until he asks the same himself :). So I totally agree – it is hard to single out only one person that influenced us the most.
As I think about it, by looking at a bigger picture, I was always amazed with human powered speed. That means that racing or “racing-like” efforts inspired me the most.
To some, climbing North Face of Eiger in less than 3h (Ueli Steck) is a suicide mission, or to run a sub 30min 10k in an olympic distance triathlon is just that – running 10k in 30min.
To me, the final time of such an effort is an extraordinary summary (even though a very brief one) of what came before. It is a result of a long journey that starts with wanting slowly being transformed to believing. The more obvious things follow such as planning, commitment, determination. But even each of those include tremendous details that have to come together, on a daily basis, 365 days a year!
And because speed comes and goes as we age my biggest inspirers have changed too over periods of time:
Firstly, it would be Miguel Indurain (5-time Tour de France winner) but then reading about Reinhold Messner’s and Hans Kammerlander’s missions in the Himalayas showed me how speed can blend with adventure and mountain environments.
The biggest inspiration in my triathlon “career” came from Jan Rehula and Simon Whitfield after seeing them duke it out for gold at the first triathlon at Olympics in Sydney 2000. I knew Jan since about 1997 and all he could talk about was that race. Then seeing him getting bronze was amazing.
Finally, once I turned to mountain sports fully Ueli Steck (the speed with adventure), Stephane Brosse (completeness and consistency) who recently died, and Peter Svatojansky (determination and sheer will) inspired me the most. These days it is mostly Reiner Thoni and above answering Melanie Bernier.

Previous and Next questions:

Who influenced you?

Share who was/is The most influential person for your ski adventures, backcountry or racing.
And thank you for enjoying the read!

Game Changers 3-article series: Interesting ski tourers answer "What is the one piece of gear that changed or influenced your ski adventures?"

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I like to learn from people and about people because we are all unique characters. With some we have lots in common, with others only few things. But there is always something to learn.
gear that changed your touringSo I had an idea – let’s ask couple of interesting people 3 simple questions and see what comes out of it.
Since answers came in longer and deeper than expected I decided to spread them over three articles than jam everything together.
» To read answers, from the same people, to the 2nd question of the Game Changers series see – The person that influenced or changed your ski adventures.

Who is answering?

I reached out to couple of people that would represent the ski touring pool in every aspect – from exploring, adventurous skiing, to rando ski mountaineering racing:
Greg Hill – the 2 Million Man trail breaking machine, Dynafit Stoke ski features his name
(http://www.greghill.ca)
Melanie Bernier – 5th at World Ski Mountaineering Champs 2011, triple Canadian Skimo Champ, also very successful MTB rider
(http://inthetrails.blogspot.ca)
John Baldwin – Canadian West Coast ski mountaineering explorer and author of “Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis”
(http://www.johnbaldwin.ca)
Christina Lusti – 2006 alpine Olympic skier metamorphosed into a backcountry skier and ACMG Assistant Ski Guide
(http://christinalusti.wordpress.com)
Stano Faban – this is me. I wanted 5 people to answer these and since I couldn’t get hold of Andrew McLean I humbly decided to take his place. Hopefully, I can fill in his answers later.

1st question: What is the one piece of gear that changed or influenced your ski adventures (whether that be touring or racing)?

Before you dive in, I want ask you to share the piece of gear that changed YOUR ski adventures. You can do so via comments section at the end of this article. It is always interesting to see what influences others.
Greg Hill says:
Google Earth changed the way I approach adventures! It increased the amount of terrain I could explore from home, which expanded what I could do out in the mountains.
I remember the moment I started using Google Earth, in 2006, it was getting information for the Bugs Rogers traverse [Bugaboos to Rogers Pass]. We were planning on doing some variations from thee normal route and we spotted this 4500 foot avalanche path into the Duncan creek. Weeks later when we rolled into the line it looked exactly like on Google Earth, and we skied it top to bottom completely relaxed, knowing the line was cliff free to the valley bottom.
Up until that moment all our information came from maps – vague 100 foot contours hinting at the terrain that was out there. Huge cliffs could hide in the middle of lines, a line pondered and penciled in at home could turn out to be un-skiable.
It was harder to truly daydream a line, you could see the potential but there was always a huge amount of unknown. With Google Earth you can view lines from all angles, tilt them and look down them. Check out approach, spot hazards from home and then go out with so much more information.
You can spot a line from 100 km away, go home and view it close up, mark it “Cool Peak”. Dream about it for a few months and then go and ski it, feeling like you have already been there.  It’s unbelievable!
Melanie Bernier says:
Ski touring bindings.
Growing up, there was a cross-country trail just across the street from my parent’s house. Getting lost in the forest with our cross-country skis was what we would do after school.
At 8, I put the free heal equipment aside when I discovered a new passion for downhill skiing.  After learning the skills and racing moguls for years, I would have never thought this amazing sport could get any better until the day I moved to the West Coast and discovered touring bindings.
The purchase of my first pair changed my perspective forever. It totally made sense tying in the cross-country skiing roots, which were still present in my heart and the ever-growing passion of downhill skiing. It offered not only a way to fulfill my desire for exploring beyond the boundaries but also the love for carving turns in the white fluffy stuff.
It allows for freedom of the destination, the length of the journey and the type experience. In a rando ski mountaineering racing perspective, the type of binding and their evolving technology allows now not only to discover new terrain but also cover the distance with speed and confidence.
As simple as it sounds, the piece of equipment that charged my perspective in ski touring and racing is the piece that rests between my boots and my ski.
John Baldwin says:
Stano, that’s a tough question. I’ve been skiing for 40 years and have used a lot of different equipment over the years.
I don’t feel that old but I do remember leather downhill ski boots, jackets that had cotton in them before there was Gore-tex, clip on skins, and sat phones and GPS hadn’t been invented.  Most of the gear we use has generally gotten way better and we have some pretty amazing gear nowadays. As a package all of it has influenced my ski adventures.
To single out one piece of gear is hard! But if I had to pick one thing I think it would be maps.
I started backcountry skiing in the 1970s. Back then there was no Coquihalla Highway (BC, Canada), no winter access to Duffey Lake (BC, Canada), and far fewer logging roads. There were areas that didn’t have 1:50,000 scale maps. Many of the detailed maps of the Coast Mountains were not completed until the mid 1970s.
I remember going on a trip to the Manatee Range in 1979. Hardly anyone had ever gone in there skiing. Access was from logging roads that were still under construction. What really influenced my ski adventures was the map that we had. It was a new 1:50,000 scale map of the area.
Half of the map showed the Lillooet Icefield which is just north of the Manatee Range. I remember staring at the map. It showed huge glaciers and I was so curious to see what those large blue areas on the map looked like. In a way it was that map that got me started on going to all these wild incredible places in the Coast Mountains.
Christina Lusti says:
All of my amazing Arcteryx clothing!
I love spending as many days skiing as I can. . . So being suited with Arcteryx’s finest makes my days in the mountains comfortable.
Stano says:
As John pointed out, it is difficult to single out one piece of gear and I definitely agree with any of the choices above. But I wanted only one, so here is mine.
The game changers for me were a pair of Dynafit Classic bindings. I think it was in the winter of 1999/2000 when Peter Svatojansky (an upcoming top Euro skimo racer at the time) recommended that I switch from Silvretta to Dynafit even though I was not seriously racing skimo back then. To this day I am grateful my father spend the money to let me have a pair of quite light Dynastar skis mounted with the Classics.
These bindings have not only let me enjoy mountains more and feel less sore for next day’s triathlon workouts but they showed me that if you buy a quality product you never have to buy again. To this day I remount them from skis to skis. They are 12 seasons old and I never serviced them once!

Next question: Who is the one person that changed or influenced your ski adventures (whether that be touring or racing)?

To read answers to the 2nd question of the Game Changers series see – The person that influenced or changed your ski adventures.
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What piece of gear was your game changer?

Share what was The piece of gear that changed your ski adventures, be it backcountry or racing.
And thank you for enjoying the read!

Chasing an old dream at Duffey: skiing Joffre, Matier, Slalok in 5h 58min

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I believe everyone has their mountain dream missions whether it be a ski traverse with friends, a steep line descent, or a new climbing route. Everyone has dreams and everyone gets inspired.
One of mine came to life when I first skied off Mount Matier about 10 years ago. That evening, I and Miki (good friend of mine) imagined skiing the summits of Joffre, Matier, Spetch and Slalok in a day. We planned to have a camp on Matier glacier to allow an early start and a place to return for a nice dinner.
We never went for it.
And in the years since I only skied the N ridge of Matier and Aussie Couloir on Joffre. I never summited or skied Slalok, nor skied the NW face on Matier.
But as time passed the dream was still there, however, taking on a different shape.
I realized that if we ski Slalok then it has to be its north face, otherwise, there is no point.
Then as we progressed it became clear it would be possible to do it all in one big day – starting at Cerise Creek, finishing at Joffre Lakes.
Finally, in the past 3 years, I twisted the dream further as I became more inspired by what ski mountaineering racing was teaching me and seeing how our Canadian skimo racing team was progressing. More came from John Baldwin’s exploratory spirit, Kilian Jornet’s running quests and Ueli Steck’s speed climbs.
The dream was the original but I wondered how fast it could be done.
And an integral part for me is always to do such missions in an unassisted way – you carry all you need, otherwise, there is no point.

The route

At the end I decided to leave out Mt Spetch. Its north face is nice and around 40 degrees but it is only 200m high, and the whole peak is kind of small within its spectacular surroundings.
The final route became – start at Cerise Creek, summit Joffre, ski Aussie, summit Matier, ski its NW face, summit Slalok, ski its N face, finish at Lower Joffre Lk.

Duffey Lake speed traverse map - Joffre, Matier, Slalok
A more aesthetic link-up is possible and maybe even faster - climb Joffre via its SE face/ramp, and climb Slalok via its small and steep E face. And include Spetch in the loop 😉

The challenge

The most fun but somewhat intimidating part of the whole thing was that I would be skiing the NW face of Matier and the N face of Slalok for the very first time. I liked the unknown element.

Safety wise, the worst part would be down climbing Matier summit and to ski its NW face. Once there it felt natural but I made only precise turns as the face was hard frozen. I have never seen so much snow on Matier's summit ridge (which helped), and I didn't expect to skin up right over the summit rock of Slalok (right).

Planning

For bigger speed missions I like to plan well because I hate coming out short-handed. By that I mean either not being able to pull it off or not being able to go as fast as I would like to.
I didn’t know whether it was still possible this year. I didn’t know anything about current snow pack and temps as I have not skied at Duffey Lake since early February. So I dug up some recent weather stats, and started to follow temps and weather about 10 days prior.
I knew data knowledge is good but a personal experience would be the best. On May 13th I went up Cayoosh Mt to get a feel for snowpack, and what temps and sun were doing. Also, that I could snap photos of Slalok’s N face so I could study where is the safest to ski it should the day be very warm.
Final piece of my puzzle have not come together though – a ski partner. However, there was no time to stress about it as it fell through at a late stage and the right conditions (snow, day temps, weather, desire…) were/are running out.
I decided to go through with it solo as I did in the past when I couldn’t agree on conditions with a friend over a speedy Spearhead Traverse mission.

Stano on Joffre, Matier, Slalok
Peace and quite up high. Standing on top of all three within about 2h.

Some facts and the day’s route

I started a bit after 6am (May19) from the bridge over the first creek below the Duffey Lk road at Cerise Creek. The start gave my mission “a bigger life perspective” as there was no bridge/log over the second creek. But quickly I managed to find a log crossing it about 100m down.
In 5h 58min I finished on the bridge over the creek that drains the Lower Joffre Lk, after some summer trail and forest navigating as all Joffre Lakes were unfrozen on their perimeter and couldn’t be skied over.

Joffre, Matier, Slalok from Cayoohs
I snapped this photo a week earlier from the Armchair Gl below Cayoosh.
All in all, my watch measured 2520m of climbing and descending (the start and finish happen to be at almost the same elevation). Fresh hard tracks all day long, up and down.
3 summits, 3 classic descents. What a day 🙂

Further inspiration

There was one thing that struck me during the day – I crampon boot-packed from the bottom of Aussie to the summit of Joffre in about 35min (400m), and I feel couple of weeks behind my fastest this season. That means that someone much more skilled can surely boot it up in 20-25, maybe Steck even faster, that would be something to watch!
Here are some route points and times that further inspire me and can serve anyone as a reference if they want to repeat it:

  1. Start point – bridge at Cerise Cr below the “parking lot” at Duffey Lk road
  2. Up the Cerise Cr drainage, up the right moraine (close to the hut)
  3. Up Anniversary Gl to the col [reached in about 2h]
  4. Ski down to the bottom of Aussie Couloir
  5. Crampon up Aussie and to the summit of Joffre Peak [2h 45min]
  6. Ski off Joffre summit and down Aussie [3h 15min]
  7. Skin and crampon up the North ridge and over the summit of Matier [4h]
  8. Down climb to the top of Matier’s NW face, ski it and down the Matier Gl
  9. Skin up (with a short boot-pack) over Slalok’s Northerly rib to its summit [5h]
  10. Ski down the Slalok’s North face to Upper Joffre Lk
  11. Ski down to Lower Joffre Lakes mostly via the summer trail

After getting it done I believe I can do it quite faster, and it likely could be done under 4h30 by the fastest skimo racing Euros. But not while going solo, skiing two first time lines and visiting new places. That only could have happened in a more balanced way 🙂

Matier from Joffre
Awesome morning atmosphere on top of Joffre, and scanning the planned route over on Matier.
Skiing Aussie Couloir
Skiing in Aussie was tough – very hard snow as the sun hit its top half only 10min before I started skiing, and bunch of funnels through the middle in the lower half.
Aussie Couloir from Matier.
Looking back at Aussie. And so much snow on the summit of Matier.
Joffre lakes forest.
And as all good Canadian traverses end - with a tree skate-ski slalom over pine needles and creeks 🙂

Mount Cayley TR: long day, spring skiing, gong show, and supernatural Thunderbird

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Have you ever heard of Mount Cayley? Because I haven’t until two weeks ago.
Mt. Cayley is a stratovolcano (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Cayley) in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt that managed to elude my good friend Tomas on two previous attempts.
Mount Cayley, British ColumbiaIt’s not a high mountain, only 2377m, but it’s far away enough that lots of things have time to happen before you even reach the foot of it – weather goes bad, equipment fails, motivation fades…
According to the Squamish natives Mt. Cayley is called “Landing Place of the Thunderbird”, and that the mountain have been burnt black by the supernatural Thunderbird’s lightning – bird of power and strength.
I didn’t know this when going up there but now the whole trip borders legendary missions.

7h in, 3h back, great skiing – May 12, 2012

I don’t think anyone but we goes to ski Cayley on a day trip. Even Tomas on two previous occasions would try it only as a part of multi-day trip.
The day before he said “it is 8k one way”. Looked more to me. We didn’t to plan to move fast but starting at 9am in mid-May is a bit pushing it, and I was on Tomas the whole day for being too lazy to wake up earlier.
At the end his argument was proven right: “we could ski corn at 10am when SE face starts melting…..or we could ski it at 5pm as it starts refreezing.” Love your friends and be happy, I guess. 🙂
Thanks to lots of snow this year we had to park our car quite far out, at around 900m. And the day began.

About 15min away from Brandywine Mt. Cayley shows up looking super far.
See route map and route photos at the very end.
First, we conquered a boring forest road full of snowmobile tracks by obsessing about skiing Mt. Fee. Then to avoid a narrow valley bottom, smeared by avalanches, we gained the SE shoulder that took us to Brandywine Mountain. From there we went up-and-down-and-traversing couple of shoulder bumps that run W of Brandywine, finally reaching a big glacier below Cayley that connects to the Powder Mountain icefield on its southern end.
By traversing and following small humps to we reached the glacier below Cayley.
Then we skinned up a NE slope that brought us to SE ridge of Cayley. A quick boot-pack up the SE face, hop over the SW ridge and up the W face to the summit.
Highway to Hell - despite heavy snowmobile traffic the place still has its atmosphere. Plus the guys were careful when passing by. We met/saw only about 20 of them the whole day.
At 4pm, after 7h, we were standing in the middle of of it all, and quite freakin far from the car. 😉
The skiing was excellent despite my worries over a very warm day. It was getting a bit mushy but still on the good side. We skied right off the cornice between the two summit spears following our way up.
After 2550m of climbing and skiing  we were back at the car around 7pm.
It’s great to have a friend that gets obsessed with peaks I don’t even know about.
Clockwise from top-right: Tomas skinning with Brandywine far behind, eyeing a landing on SE face, on the "summit"
The NE face (55 degrees) got skied before and didn’t look super steep when we were going up around it. Even the conditions might have been right that day, however, sending down the big entrance cornice might have took out enough snow to make it un-skiable. Will face up to it one day.

Gong show

I think I was the gong show of the day. Always remember to check your bindings after you lend your skis. Mine were too big, so the first downhill and a traverse were without heels. Then a Swiss knife safe the day.
Also, it is worth buying a real map instead of looking at one on a camera, especially, when a photo of that map was taken off a computer screen. Tomas eh…
Day’s score:
Stano -1 + Tomas -1 = 100% day

Route map and photos

Red shows our way in. On the way back we went with the blue variation.
Green shows gaining the SE Brandywine shoulder. Red is a descent on the way back.
As seen from SE ridge of Cayley: green shows way in, on way back we retraced it, then went red.

Cool environments





More than half of the photos in this TR are from Tomas Cernicka. If you want to copy any off this page please contact me.

Cayoosh Mountain – the next day

If anyone is heading up here are the subjective facts (from May 13, 2012):
Since I wanted to check out conditions on Duffey Lake I headed up to Pemberton in the evening. Slept in the car and went up to Cayoosh Pass for a solo mission the next day.
I did only a quick up-and-down the mountain as it was supposed to be very warm even up high. And it was, but I was skiing off the summit around 11am. The top 150m was quite slushy with sluffing but below that great skiing.
Surprisingly, in the whole Duffey Lk area the slopes looked quite pristine, not many signs of avalanching. That’s likely due to only very recent warm days, otherwise, around this time you can see some huge slides over there.

Saxifrage looking good. (From the summit of Cayoosh.)
From the Armchair Glacier, looking at Joffre (left), Matier and Slalok.