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Stano Faban

Review of Dynafit touring setup: Manaslu skis, TLT 5 Performance boots, TLT Radical ST bindings, Speed Skins

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This is a review of my current touring setup.
I skied the gear described below from December last year until June 2012, and I will be skiing it this season too. Also, I used the Performance boots with other skis on some really hard-pack and corn snow.
When I chose this setup I was looking to balance couple of things. But mainly, the need was to find something that gets me from December to July and is reasonably light. Color didn’t really matter. 😉
I didn’t want very wide touring skis, as is now common, because I ski in different conditions, at different places, and at very different times of the year. Also, I somehow still think that a narrower ski edges easier than 105mm+ boards, and that anything under that can be still fun in deep powder. I was right and wrong, sort of.
Here are my impressions. All from backcountry skiing.

Dynafit Manaslu skis + Speed skins

I picked these in 187cm since I am 6′ 2″, and I was trying to buy float with length versus width. Their side-cut came at 124-95-109 and weight at under 1600g per ski.
Dynafit Manaslu skis and skins.

Skins

What I really like about Dynafit’s ski-skin combo is the complete package. The skins fit exactly as they should and it’s very easy to rip them off without taking your skis off, and not from the back but from the front, like when rando racing.
Plus I have never had such a fast pair of skins out of the box, no matter what width! Usually, skins need to wear out a bit before they start gliding well. These grip uphill nicely too.

Skis

To be honest, these were my first skis over 90mm. Little late to the game…
I believe I chose the width, length and weight well for my needs. I am totally satisfied how they perform in all conditions and over various terrain.
Yes, there were some days when I thought: “Could use something wider right now”. However, those were “too deep to ski” days at couple of the best powder places in North America. Manaslu’s rockered tip definitely helps with the float.
On spring/summer snow or in chopped powder they were good, no complaints.
On hard-pack I can’t really say yet because I am still not used to forcing such a wide ski on its edge. And I can’t compare it to anything wider since I haven’t tried on a such surface.
Bottom line: Not impressive in anything specific but versatility, great all-around skis. Looking forward to take them to more places.
Manaslu skis online at:

Dynafit TLT 5 Performance boots (vs TLT 5 Mountain)

Simply, these are some damn good touring boots.

Up

Ease of walking is very comparable to any skimo racing boots. The no-resistance big cuff rotation plays the biggest role here, and the light weight helps as well – 1050g at size 27,5!
I tried walking them with the removable tongue in. It’s still good compared to other touring boots but definitely walk them with the tongue in your pack – it’s super easy to take out or to slide back in once on the top.

Down

Again, I tried skiing the TLT5s with and without the tongue. There is a definite difference – always put the tongues in. But even when I forgot them in the car they skied powder no problem, on hard-pack felt little soft.
Their stiffness comes not only from the tongue but actually from the carbon cuff, so let’s talk about that.

Dynafit TLT 5 Performance and TLT 5 Mountain boots
Dynafit TLT 5 Performance ski boots with carbon cuff, and the Mountain version with the bigger liner.

TLT 5 Performance vs TLT 5 Mountain

I was fortunate to try the TLT 5 Mountain few times before I got the Performance. The Performance version is quite stiffer thanks to its carbon cuff but the Mountain version skis well too, just feels softer under pressure.
I found both boots to walk exactly the same.
One warning, the beefier liner that came with the Mountain TLT5s was much more comfortable, and I don’t have a wide or big volume foot. For this year, I am sacrificing some grams – I am buying the bigger liner and sliding it into the Performance boots. Happy feet make powder deep J
Bottom line: Just to repeat – these are some damn good touring boots.
TLT5 Performance boots online at:

TLT5 Mountain boots online at:

Dynafit TLT Radical ST bindings

Dynafit TLT Radical bindingI’ve been using Dynafit style bindings for about 15 years now and I chose the Radical because I wanted to try a binding where I don’t have to bend down to twist the heel.
Stepping into these with the TLT5s could be done with closed eyes – it’s super easy thanks to a new Dynafit patent. Everything else works great as well, breaks too.
One thing that might happen sooner or later though might be that the heel lifter will snap. It’s not going to under normal use but from time-to-time when I need to stomp on the heel really hard (to set a steeper track in powder or kick off some snow) I wonder.
Crampons attach and work great too.
With Radicals, I like the fact that this binding is still lighter (at 531g), with all the ease-of-use perks, than its overbuilt competitors.
Bottom line: Great binding for anyone seeking more comfort and that is not overly rough with their gear (applies only to the heel lifter).
TLT Radical bindings online at:

Continental Ski-Mo Championships in Golden, BC set for March 2013

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The biggest ski mountaineering race in North America for the upcoming season found its home. Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, BC will host a skimo dedicated weekend on March 16-17, 2013.
The official name for the event will likely be “The Dogtooth Dash- 2013 Continental Ski-Mo Championships” but some details are still in the works.
If you have never skied at the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort here is your chance to race over its amazing terrain that tests Canadian skimo athletes each year during the annual Canadian Ski Mountaineering National Championships.
More details will be made public in the near future. In all previous years the course was beautifully designed by Ian Gale, the angry one in the photo.
For reference, here is a short edit from the 2011 two day event:

ISMF White List: List of approved equipment, clarification… and some confusion

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As we were busy researching gear for comparison pages of the lightest equipment the last couple of weeks – skis, boots and bindings – the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) was busy creating a list of gear that would be approved for racing. They labeled it the ISMF White List.

Show me the White List

Unfortunately, due to the way the ISMF website is built there is no unique link to any page on their site, same goes for White List.
Therefore, to browse the White List go to ISMF home page and in the middle column you will see a banner that will point you to the right page.
The navigation through the White List is somewhat confusing, so be patient and forward thinking 😉

Clarification

People that studied the latest version of the ISMF competition rules (for 2012/13 season) know that there are some grey areas that create confusion about whether a certain piece of equipment would be in fact legal at an ISMF sanctioned event.
On top of that, the White List doesn’t seem to include some big names at the moment, for example Dynastar and Pierre Gignoux are not there.
With curiosity I emailed ISMF directly my questions:

Thank you for the information on the newly created equipment white list. And hopefully you can clarify something for me.

I own and are planning to buy some equipment that is not currently on the “white list”, so I want to ask:

If equipment is not on the white list does that mean it is illegal for ISMF sanctioned competitions (such as World Cup)?

What about Dynastar skis or Pierre Gignoux boots (those brands and their equipment are not on the white list), will you allow me to compete with that equipment?

Does a company have to be part of the manufacturers’ pool in order to make their equipment legal, put on the white list?

I got an answer yesterday which is actually almost identical with what they just clarified on their website (home page banner). But they clarified even further which I thanked them for.
ISMF response (interesting in red):

“The ISMF White List is a list of products all relevant to competitive ski mountaineering – provided by various manufacturers which are member of the ISMF Manufacturers’ Pool. Each product is self-certified by the manufacturer to fit within ISMF Sporting Regulations. Therefore when a skier looks at the ISMF White List he/she knows that the products are suitable for use in ISMF races. Items which do not feature in the list are not necessarily outside of the guidelines, it’s just that the manufacturer has chosen not to participate in this initiative, therefore the validity of products not listed should be checked directly with information provided by the manufacturers. In any case the equipment used in ISMF competitions must comply with the ISMF Sporting Rules.”

They added this bit for me:

“You can buy the brand you would prefer: the only important aspect is that if you would like to compete in an ISMF race the equipment should comply with the ISMF Rules.

The advantage of the white list is the fact that you have already a list of certified products, so you don’t need to ask to the manufacturers if the material complies with ISMF rules.”

Confusion still exists

I applaud the effort to put the White List together, it was long due.
However, by always referring to the rules, should one be in doubt, one will do so. The crux is that the rules aren’t crystal clear about bindings, specifically the release functionality – no specs are provided/required – leaves room for self-interpretation.
And with essentially manufacturers self-submitting (certifying) their equipment into the White List they must have figured that as long as a binding has a release mode it’s good enough.
Does anyone actually know what is OK-ed by the rules?

Have an opinion on rules around bindings?

With the above I wanted to help you clarify some things, and at the same time provide my opinion that there is still some confusion existing. To me, based on the rules, it’s not clear what a “safety release system” means, thus it leads me to assume that as long as the binding releases it’s legal.
Quoting from ISMF rules, section about bindings (regarding toe is in red):

“which allow heel movement during ascents and are blocked for descents;

front and rear parts:

• The rear part of the bindings must have front and lateral release safety systems.

• If front bindings have limited or no release safety system or can be used locked without a safety

system, it must be clearly specified in the written information supplied with the equipment that these

bindings are designed for competition and don’t require a safety release system for the front part of

the bindings.

It is recommended to use a safety release system in the front part, which will be compulsory

from the season 2012-2013.

For the season 2012-2013, a minimal distance of 4mm will be imposed between the rear part

of the boot and the heel piece.

(NB : ski stoppers are no longer compulsory for the 2013-2014 season)”

What do you make of it?

Rogers Pass in fall light beauty + October snow dusting

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Yesterday, after a shivering -4 C night in a 10+ C sleeping bag I got rewarded with what I hopped for – beautiful views over a lightly snow dusted Glacier National Park, BC.
For those that have been to Rogers Pass only in the winter or haven’t been at all these few pics should convince you to visit in summer or fall.
I hiko-runned-scrabled my favourite trail in the area, up and to the very end of Abbot Ridge. Just after 10am I was at the top, still enjoying the best light nature has to offer.
BTW, Abbott Ridge area is a permanently closed area in the winter, so your only chance for the below views is a snow-less season.

Rogers Peak and Swiss Peak morning light
7am light hitting Rogers and Swiss Peak.
Abbot Ridge
This could make for a nice hiking post card, missing the usual bear though. Left: looking to Mt Abbott from end of official trail, Right: looking back at the ridge from Mt Abbott (2465m).
Rogers Pass, Abbott Ridge
Random Rogers Pass beauty. Winter is slowly approaching.
Mount Sir Donald
Mount Sir Donald, with its spectacular climbing routes, is a deserved king of Glacier National Park. It was first climbed in 1890. The below 1902 photo, from Wikipedia, shows the Illecillewaet Glacier (to the right from Sir Donald) flowing all the way down to the valley. Now, it is about 400 vertical meters higher.

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.

Steve Sellers interview: Skimo racing is the ultimate skiing challenge!

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Steve Sellers skimo racingThe world of ski mountaineering racing is full of unique characters, and arguably the Canadian and the American skimo scenes are responsible for bringing the most flavour in recent years. This translates to the national teams as well which makes the North Americans’ Euro racing trips very enjoyable.
But there is one character that I feel I neglected with my interviews for way too long. He is a die-heart competitor to whom age seems to only provide with more speed, in fact, he is on the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team.
Steve is a father of two and a pastor in Canmore, Alberta. At the age of 51 he just recently captured bronze at the Canadian skimo nationals!
Personally, I am very happy to had the experience to witness him to give a true 120% in our teams race at the 2011 Worlds. It was inspirational to be part of it – one can always improve.
» Check out Steve’s blog – Ski Training Central

About training, longevity and racing passion with Steve Sellers:

Q: Steve, what do you find the most beautiful and the most challenging about skimo racing?
Skimo racing is the ultimate skiing challenge! You have to have the motor of an xc skier and the athletic ability of a downhill racer. With my xc background the obvious weak link for me are the downhills (as you Stano probably painfully became aware of in our teams race in Claut, Italy!). [Stano’s note: I remember very vividly :)] To rectify this I go to Norquay ski area in Banff at least once per week with my lightweight race gear and hammer the double blacks off the North American chair. I time myself and try to improve every run.
It’s the challenge of getting better that keeps me motivated in this great sport.

Q: When did you start skimo racing? And for how long have you been backcountry skiing?
In 2007. That year my focus was on fulfilling a dream of cross-country (xc) ski racing the famous 90km long Vasaloppett in Sweden.  Just prior to leaving I jumped in the ski mountaineering race at Sunshine. On the heavy gear I wasn’t too fast, but I was easily hooked. I just felt it would be the sport for me.
Later that year, I found myself in Vancouver for a conference the same week as the North Face Whistler skimo race and decided to do it. Everything seemed to go wrong and it was a total disaster, but deep down I felt like I could do this sport. I decided then and there to go back the next year and prove to myself I could do skimo racing. I finished 4th or 5th and knocked a couple of hours off my time.
Q: What is your racing background – which sports, for how long?
I started xc ski racing in high school. Living in Minnesota at the time there wasn’t very much downhill or backcountry skiing to be had so I totally poured myself into xc.
I really loved it. I even got to represent the US in a world cup in 1985.
My main focus each year though was the US Birkebeiner. I competed in the elite wave from 1980 to 2010.
Q: You also race Ironmans and shorter triathlons in the summer. When do you switch from winter to summer training and then back again?
After 20 years of roller skiing and running in the summer, among other dry land training, I figured it was time for a change.
For a long time I had on my Bucket List: “competing in an Ironman”. It seemed like the clock was ticking, so I thought I’d better go for it. I did half-Ironman and Olympic triathlons for 4 years, then finally got into the big one, Ironman Canada.
Interestingly, my ski results got better. I think it was the extra endurance base hours I was putting in, plus the new knowledge I’d gleaned from training and competing at a whole new level.
I’ve since found that for my best winter results competing in this totally different sport really works. But it also works the other way around. Two years ago I placed 3rd in my age group in the Calgary Half Ironman and qualified for the world age group championships. I was kind of surprised since due to our usual long ski season and a trip to Europe I’d really only tri-trained a month or so.
However, on the ride home as I shared these thoughts with my wife she mentioned, “that skimo racing is pretty tough, that’s probably why you did so well.”

Steve (in red cap) with part of the Canadian team atop Mt Cheops in Rogers Pass, BC. Photo from Brad Schalles (Sep 15, 2012).
Q: Do you have any rest periods during a year?
After an Ironman you’ve gotta take about 3 weeks off. The first one you don’t even want to train. The second one you can’t even if you want to, then the third you can start easing into activity.
I take about 4 weeks of easy training after the skimo season too. I’m still skiing 6 days a week (the skiing’s too good to sit around!), but absolutely no intensity.
During the year you have to build in rest days. If I train 3 weeks uninterrupted (hard to do with a job and family though), then my body makes me take that 4th week easy.
Q: What do you think is the secret to your longevity in competition sports? How can someone copy you?
The heart’s gotta be in it. You’ve also gotta be in it for the right reasons.
Sport was never designed to be a place to get your self-esteem needs met. If you’re just competing because you have to prove to yourself and others you’re a worthy person, then you’re just chasing after air.
When you’re secure in yourself as a person, at peace with your Creator and have family and friends that love you and support you, then you can be at peace to pursue your passions.
Q: You are always keen to compete. What keeps you motivated?
I’d say the key for me is improvement. If there’s the possibility to get better then I find that a fun challenge to take on.
After last year’s Canadian Nationals at Kicking Horse ski area, I identified 6 areas I felt I could get faster in (transitions, downhills, uphill fitness, kick-turns, boot-packing and skin speed). I also estimated how much time I could realistically gain from each.
From there I started working on each individual area. I’m still doing it. I’ve got a cool summer ski sprint course I grass-ski on to work on transitions, boot-packs, kick-turns and uphill sprint speed.
Q: You have two daughters, Anna and Kjirsti. Are they competing in sports too? Does ski mountaineering potentially interests them?
Anna did her first skimo race last year as part of our team relay at the Vert 180. She also had 2 biathlon and 2 xc ski races that weekend. It was hard for her to choose which ones to do. She’d do all of them if we’d let her.
My other daughter cries when she has to go downhill skiing with the family but she’s a pretty good skier anyway. Like her older sister she’s involved in the Canmore Nordic ski club.
With kids you gotta let them find their own path. We give them the opportunities but I want them to show some initiative on their own to pursue what their heart leads them to.
Q: You represented Canada at the 2011 World Ski Mountaineering Championships. How did you find the experience?
Simply put…amazing! I don’t think there is a greater privilege in sport than to represent your country, especially at the highest level.
During the warm up before our teams race I started feeling the nerves coming on and thinking “how in over my head I was”. Then I began to contemplate how truly blessed I was just to be there, representing Canada, my country.
This realization just filled my heart with joy. Joy is such an energizer in so many ways. I think too that my walk with God brings joy and energy to these moments.
Q: Do you have plans to race at the 2013 World Championships? Or what is going to be your biggest goal for this winter?
I’ll admit I was a little embarrassed being the “grandfather” of the 2011 championships; however, I seemed to make a bit of a jump in performance last year. As long as I’m improving I may as well throw ‘er down with the big boys and see what I can do!
Q: With so much experience in competition sports, what would you advise to ambitious skimo racers in North America?
One thing I absolutely love about our Canadian skimo team is that we work together. Having a “win-win” philosophy benefits everyone.
The sport is so young in both the US and Canada and we have so much to learn. We might as well help one another as much as possible. That way we’ll all get faster sooner!

25min documentaries from Pierra Menta 2012 and Tour du Rutor 2012

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Every two or three years we get great documentaries that capture the beautiful essence of our sport. Usually, they are from skimo’s two biggest stage races – Pierra Menta and Tour du Rutor.
Find half an hour on two evenings and make sure to watch these two. They are full of in-action shots, aerial footage and interviews. There is one hook though, they are in French.

Pierra Menta 2012 – 25min

If you don’t have time for the whole clip then just watch only 20 seconds – from 16:30 to 16:50 – and you will breathe the amazing atmosphere.

Tour du Rutor 2012 – 27min

5 important things: New ISMF ski mountaineering competition rules for 2012-2013 season

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2012-2013 ISMF rules and regulationsThis is a brief look at some important points and changes that you can find inside the recently approved (June 23, 2012) ISMF ski mountaineering competition and ranking rules for the 2012-2013 season.
Here is a PDF of the full document – 2012-2013 ISMF Sporting and Ranking Rules.
This document mostly affects only those planning to race at ISMF sanctioned events such as World Championshisps, World Cups, or other ISMF certified races.

Overall changes

Understandably, majority of rules and regulations stayed the same as they have strong basis.
However, many new small changes helped to simplify and clarify the interpretation of specific rules, therefore, removed lots of “grey areas” from the whole document.

5 most important things inside the new rules

1. Race lengths – more specialization

Comparing to the previous regulations version, the vertical races will be shorter for all categories. Now:

  • for senior and espoir men and women they are set at 500 to 700m (vertical gain)
  • younger categories will race 400 to 500m

Individual races will get longer compared to the past. Most importantly:

  • for senior and espoir men they will be now 1600 to 1900m
  • for senior and espoir women 1300 to 1700m

Team races will get longer too:

  • for senior men it will be at least 2100m
  • for senior women at least 1800m

Sprint and relay courses will stay about the same.
Personally, I believe this is a change for better:
Ski mountaineering races shouldn’t be sprints if we want them to stay true to their roots. On the other hand, shortening the vertical is fine as it never really was a traditional skimo discipline, and now will provide one more race to seriously focus on for the explosive types.

2. Equipment minimum weights – unchanged

The skis+bindings and the boots minimum weight regulations stay unchanged. Therefore:

  • ski-binding combo is still at 750g (1500g/pair) for men, and 700g (1400g/pair) for women
  • boots are at 500g/boot for men, and 450g/boot for women
Regulating is one thing, enforcing another. I hope that these limits will finally be enforced. This is not to say some racers were not complying before but rather to imply that the limits seemed to be checked only very sporadically.

3. Required (compulsory) equipment – simplified

There should be less confusion of what is required for each type of race from now on as the ISMF simply made one list of compulsory equipment that will be the same for all races. Obviously, some additional equipment (crampons, headlamp…) might be necessary if conditions ask for it.

4. Points system changed – simplified

The points system for World Cup and World Championships races changes from “race time points” to “fixed points”. This means the points will be determined only by your finishing position and not by time lost to the race winner.
Personally, I like the old system because I believe it gives a better picture of racer’s performance over a long period of time, just like the cumulative time from all stages at big cycling races. However, I understand that it is some times difficult to explain to wider public how they are calculated, so a simpler version might be better.

5. Penalties – DQs simplify things

In the past, time penalties for lots of rule infractions (skiing where not supposed to, equipment weight…) were defined between 1 to 5min penalties (all the way to disqualification). The new rules introduce lots of out-right DQs.
The new DQs make a lot of sense and should have been introduced sooner because how can anyone say that “a lighter ski gives only such and such advantage, so lets penalize it with 3 extra minutes.” Now, if the minimum weight rule is infringed it is a simple DQ, the racer knew all along what he was doing.

Planning to race in ISMF events?

If you are planning to participate in races where these rules will be effective then I encourage you to read the whole document as you don’t want to be sent home from the start line.
Also, only if you know the rules you can mentally note an infraction by another competitor/team during a race and file a protest at the finish. Or successfully defend yourself.

Hiko-run to Tomyhoi Peak via Yellow Aster Butte, WA

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Just wanted to share an amazing spot for hiking and mountain running, or hiko-running. Spectacular views and mostly soft trails all day long. All you need to do is search “Tomyhoi Peak” in Google Earth to find it.
Access is 7.5 km up the Twin Lakes logging road. The turn off is about 20km up the 542 Mt Baker Hwy from Glacier, WA. Normal 2-wheel drive vehicle will get you up there no problem.
Here is a quick 2min video to give you a point-of-view taste of this beautiful area. You can see Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan in some scenes. I shot it with my newly purchased GoPro Hero 2 camera after giving in to pressures of society:

This little map shows the trails I went on, retracing my route back to junctions and car:

Running Tomyhoi Peak and Yellow Aster Butte
This is a south-to-north view. The US-Canadian border runs just behind the Tomyhoi Peak - you can see the thin yellow line little bit.

Hiko-run: Skimo racer’s best summer friend

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In the previous article on rando skimo racing summer training I talked about “bread and butter” – the benefits and importance of endurance base building during the summer months for ski mountaineers that absolutely want to improve their performance once the country turns white.
hiko-run explainedHere, I am going to discuss a workout that tremendously helps with building your endurance base while making you practice almost the same movement as on skis by working the same muscles as used during skinning.
I have been using this type of a training session long time ago but only years later I started to fully appreciate how many benefits are packed into it, and it’s not all only about your lungs.

What is a hiko-run?

The term “hiko-run” is made up. I never heard it before I and a couple of friends came up with it. But it’s possible other people use it as well.
The need for such a term came from not being able to describe “a run that also featured walking parts” – our training diary was asking for something simpler.

Why you should hiko-run

Our small training group (back then I was a triathlete) never intended a running session to have walking segments but when, for training variety reasons, we wanted to run trails with long climbs while still remaining at low intensity (base building) we had to switch to a walk, or a hike mode.
In order to stay aerobic [Wikipedia link] on the lower spectrum of exercising heart-rate intensity for long periods of time our coach wouldn’t let us run over the hills. And so the “hiko-run” became a new term and a training tool.
You might be asking why one wouldn’t want to keep running even over small hills, no longer than 2-3min?
Well, even such a small hill can take you from low aerobic endurance intensity up to somewhere below your anaerobic threshold [Wikipedia link]. See also anaerobic exercise on Wikipedia for more details.
Now you maybe ask “why is this not desirable?”
Let’s say there were 10 such hills during your run and you sort of powered over them. With that you almost completely changed the goals/effects of that training session. I am not saying you should never run over the hills, I am saying that you should be quite mindful during every session to achieve desired training effects in the long term.
You can keep running over these hills right from June or July if you simply want to, however, you will be doing something that would have greater benefit on your performance if you introduced it few months after you built up a solid low intensity endurance base.
For the sake of simplicity I am going to stop discussing the physiology whys and whens right here as it might confuse less experienced ones. If I answer another why then I would have to answer many more whys and whens to fully explain this 😉 but feel free to ask in the comments below or email me.

Hiko-run with ski poles

Apart from a great exercise this session usually means beautiful trails and views as it is basically hiking with poles with a slightly longer stride.

How to do it properly:

Pick an objective (a mountain) with enough vertical gain that will have you climbing for at least 30min, doesn’t have to be very steep. I do anywhere from 40min to 2-3h. All depends on terrain available, your fitness, and goals.
Throughout the whole session try to stay in the endurance base building intensity – more or less being able to carry a conversation:

  • On steep parts ease off the pace to compensate for the more challenging terrain thus keeping the intensity low.
  • On flats, if it’s getting too easy, switch to jogging without using your poles – grab them in the middle for more comfort.
  • All you are trying is just to maintain a low but constant intensity.

Experiment with frequency and length of your stride and because you will have poles you should use them to push off like when skinning thus getting a slightly longer stride. And remember to use hand straps.
To allow for a full arm extension your poles will need to be about 5-10cm shorter than what you use for touring or skimo racing.
>> See this article to figure out the best length for your skimo racing poles.

Benefits:

The main benefit to me is the relaxing energy of nature, and that you can do it with slower friends as the goal of the workout doesn’t require you to hammer away, or to unconditionally focus only on yourself.
Physiological benefits are:

  • Endurance base building – increased aerobic capacity
  • Increased leg strength because of the vertical gain
  • Refreshing your muscle memory with skimo specific workout yet not requiring snow
  • Downhills train your quads for non-stop skimo descents…or pool parties 😉

Hiko-run without poles

Hiko-run without poles is pretty self-explanatory but there are some differences compared to the pole version. Mainly, there is more running than hiking. I guess it could be coined then as a “runo-hike” 😉
This version can be used as a starting point if you don’t feel strong enough to sustain long climbing yet, or simply as a variation in your training whenever throughout the year – that’s how I use it.

How to do it properly:

Choose a trail/course that has some small hills. Adjust the vertical gain and length as desired. I do anywhere from 40min, when pressed for time, all the way up to 3h of total climbing time.
Again, during the whole session try to stay in the endurance base building intensity – on the hills ease off the pace to keep the intensity low. Since the vertical gain isn’t very much you should be able to run the flats while staying at low intensity. Downhills are up to you, I usually jog them but sometimes switch to walking if my legs feel too sore.
Stride length and frequency is very individual and I would advise to consult some experienced runners on this. My general advice would be, rather keep the frequency higher and stride shorter than the other way around. But mainly, just run and don’t worry much.

Benefits:

The main benefit is that you can quite comfortably cover lots of ground fast yet not be as sore the next day as if you run it. And the base building benefit is still there.
Physiological benefits are:

  • Endurance base building – increased aerobic capacity
  • Leg strength improvements are smaller but that is not the goal of this session anyways
  • Your stride frequency is faster than when on skis (hiko-running with poles) which sets you up for a faster turnover once going into the winter

Hiko-run as a year round training tool

I believe it is beneficial to keep hiko-running or simply running even in the winter:

  • Firstly, to break the training stereotype but
  • more importantly, to exercise at a fast stride frequency (cadence/turnover) that could be maintained on skis only with very taxing high  intensity intervals.

Sometimes I don’t run for couple of weeks during the winter because simply there is too much snow everywhere except paved roads, which I don’t like. However, when I get a chance to squeeze in a run even once in 10 days I can feel that my legs sort of “correct their timing” a bit.

Any questions?

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And feel free to ask anything in the comments below.