Stano Faban

Skin track photo contest winner + all photos gallery

January 15, 2010 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Firstly, I want to say big thank you to all those that participated in this first ever SkinTrack contest that was very fitting to this website – photos where a skin track plays a role.
main-pic Secondly, I want to thank to James Minifie and John Baldwin for choosing the winning photo.
I opted to stay out of the judging process as I knew who sent which photo since I was receiving entries via email.
And finally, below are all the photos that were submitted by you along with your comments sent with them.
Aaand the winner is… Bruno Long’s shot! Congrats and your shovel is on its way.
The contest was sponsored by BackcountrySafety.com online store that donated Ortovox Grizzly snow shovel as the winning prize.
Some of judges comments about the winning and a close second photos:
“Both seemed to capture the texture of the snow really well… you know exactly how those two types of snow would feel if your own skis were going through it… they really capture what a skin track represents – progress, efficiency, continuity with the slope… ”
“[Bruno’s photo] has a strong composition with the track and the outline of the skier…”

All shots gallery

The first photo is Bruno’s, the rest is displayed in no particular order, but according to James and John, Reiner Thoni’s photo was a close second. (Original post about this contest can be found here – skin track photo contest.)
bruno-long
Author Bruno Long says:
“This is a photo of a skintrack up to Sapphire Col earlier this year.
I took it because I always take pictures of my travels while touring and this just happened to be the right time of day for great shadows and texture. The ridge on the left leads up to Castor Peak. Great day with great friends!”
reiner-thoni
Author Reiner Thoni says:
“Tasman Glacier New Zealand.
Woke up on day 3 of a trip into Tasman Glacier sick as a dog puking periodically through out the day. None the less I was sucking wind and had the opportunity to follow and photograph allot of skin tracks in this beautiful terrain!”
robert-haine
Author Robert Haine says:
“Location: Lakit Lookout, BC
Date: December 2006
Why: To be honest I just bought a new camera and was a little trigger happy, I guess I just like this picture.”
jeff-colvin
Author Jeff Colvin says:
“Photo is taken at the top of Forever Young couloir on the Young’s Traverse in Rogers Pass, BC.
This is the point where you need to decide whether to finish the tour as a classic and push the track through the weakness in the cornice, and up to the summit, or drop into Forever Young for a spicier line. Many a party have had a conversation or two at this location about whether to rip the skins or keep climbing.”
daniel-dvorsky
Author Daniel Dvorsky says:
“Photo was taken in may 2006 during a 5 day Misty Icefield traverse.
After yet another epic day me and my buddies were rewarded with spectacular sunset colors, after hauling all that heavy photo gear all day it would be a sin not to try and capture some of that magic, so while my buddies were getting the dinner ready I tried to capture the moment.”
matthew-smith
Autor Matthew Smith says:
“These are some skin track shots from the 100109 CAA avie 1 ops course at Valkyr lodge in the Valhallas… Each shot is a pretty epic part of a super epic week.”
Matthew’s photo was submitted after the deadling, however, it has a slightly different setting from the others, so it made it to the final gallery but did not compete against the other photos.

Which one do you like the most?

Which one of these photos is your favourite shot? Use the comments below to share your point of view.

Cayoosh area, Duffey Lake: conditions as of Jan 10, 2010

January 13, 2010 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

Here is a quick news on how it looks for skiing at Duffey Lake area on the West Coast. During the past two weeks I did two trips to Cayoosh area:

I headed there for a day on Dec 30th, 2009 and the snow coverage was quite good and the quality of snow was good too (at some places even great).
Then I headed there for a second time for an overnight trip on Jan 9th, 2010 and the conditions were completely different from the previous experience and they are most likely like that even today.

In both cases the visibility was OK below 2000m, above that it was either a whiteout or not even good enough to try go higher.

Conditions as of Jan 10th, 2010 – weather, snow, skiing and avalanches

Looking back. We skinned up on a ridge that runs from east to west and can be reached from a high logging road that starts at the parking lot. — Looking back. We skinned up on a ridge that can be accessed from the end of a logging road.

Weather set it all up and somewhat spoilled a trip for me and my two friends. It was raining lightly all the way up to around 1650m, then it turned to some snow. Even over night almost no crust formed on the surface up to about 1600m. Above that very little.
Visibility was good up to 2000-2100m and there were occasional breaks in the clouds with blue sky and sun peeking through.
Snow was very wet – “late afternoon in May conditions” – up to about 1750m and it was wet down to about 30cm below the surface. The snow was quite moist all the way to 1950m.
There was a small accumulation (2-4cm) of new very moist snow on top of an older thin crust during the two days.
Skiing wasn’t what we expected but all in all…it wasn’t that bad – very warm and wet spring conditions in January.
We didn’t even get on the Armchair Glacier that leads you to Cayoosh Mounatin as the visibility was very poor. But I did not expect skiing to be much better there – drier for sure but very wind affected (as I observed on Dec 30th).
Avalanches

Couple of good turns at around 1900m. This is just before the old morain that has to be crossed to reach Armchair Gl. — Couple of good turns at around 1900m. This is just below the old moraine that has to be crossed to reach Armchair Gl.

Surprisingly, with this rapid warming trend we didn’t see any avalanche activity whether natural or caused by us or other people. For sure, there were occasional sloughs running from our skis on steep terrain but nothing scary at all.
We did a shovel compression test on N-NE slope at top of the tree line and we didn’t get any results that would make us worry.
So within the elevations we were touring in we skied pretty much anything we wanted and nothing was giving any impressions of instability.

Photos

Since pictures tell more than 1000 words here are some more:

Crossing the open gully at around 1550m. — Crossing an open gully at around 1600m.

Looking east and down to Cayoosh pass and Duffey Lk road.

Because of the wet snow at lower elevations and somewhat colder temps (-2 C) higher up, some of us had snow building up on the bottom of our skins. — Because of the wet snow at lower elevations and somewhat colder temps (-2 C) higher up, some of us had significant snow shoes building up on our skins.

Photos taken by Stano and Tomas.
If you have any questions regarding the conditions on those two occasions feel free to ask below. Or report more recent observations for others.

Be strong and healthy: Chocolate moose recipe from Canada's skimo champ

January 12, 2010 By Stano Faban 8 Comments

The night before an opening race of the 2010 Canadian skimo racing season I ganged up with other two Canada’s skimo racers, Reiner Thoni and Ian Gale, to prepare dinner for us, plus Ian’s wife and their room-mate.

Chocolate moose fancied by lots of fruit. Preparation and photo by Reiner Thoni. — Chocolate moose fancied up by lots of fruit. Preparation and photo by Reiner Thoni.

Since there were three pairs of hands in the kitchen we knew that to serve this dinner without a desert would ruin the whole experience and wouldn’t go unnoticed.
So Reiner happily volunteered to get ready this portion of our little feast.
Once the dust after the main meal settled and we were talking racing once again, Reiner served us his chocolate moose with fresh fruit.
I have to say, it was one of the most delicious healthy deserts I ever had.
And I had to ask Reiner to share his recipe with us since I think it has a shot to become a refueling hit during evenings at Pierra Menta.

From Reiner:

Until the last couple years chocolate moose was on my no eat list, especially while training, however, this recipe has pushed it into a healthy choice.
Loaded with healthy fats, antioxidants and electrolytes it not only tastes good but it feels good to eat!

Guilt free Chocolate Moose

4 ripe avocados
1 cup coconut milk or almond/rice milk
1 cup cocoa powder
add sweetener to taste of your choice (Agave nectar or real maple surip makes it smooth and healthy)
(Bannas or dates are also great but not as smooth)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla seeds

If you thought there was no way to put a moose in a fridge here is proof - two of them cooling down. (Reiner's photo) — Moose in a fridge? Actually, two of them cooling down. (Reiner's photo)

Method

Put all the ingredients into a food processor, or a blender, and blend until smooth.
If it is not sweet enough add more sweetener and if consistency needs adjustment add more avocados to make it thicker and water or milk to make it thinner.
Next, place in a bowl and put in the fridge for 1 hour. Keep in mind when mixing ingredients that it will firm up in the fridge.
Serve with fresh fruit to enjoy this guilt free treat!

Grand Targhee Skimo Classic and Pierra Menta 2010

January 7, 2010 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

A bit of current news that should interest you if you are into ski mountaineering racing:
This Saturday is arguably the most important day in US skimo racing this season for those shooting for the stars…and a National Team.
The second news is a brief update on Pierra Menta since the French released some teaser info and it is also a time to register.

Grand Targhee Ski Mountaineering Classic

The event will be held this Saturday – January 9th, 2010 – at the Grand Targhee ski area, located on the north side of Grand Teton National Park.
The significance of the race is due to a US National Skimo Team selection process. One of the chances for athletes to make the team is to have a great result at this race. Then, if successful, in March they would be off to Europe to compete at the World Skimo Championships and Pierra Menta.
You can find more information about the event on USSMA website – Grand Targhee Skimo Classic.

25 years of Pierra Menta

While ski mountaineering and randonnee racing is still quite young in North America the Europeans have been hammering for some time. Between March 11-14th 2010 the four day stage race will write its 25th year in history.
To read their official press release you don’t need to speak English. French, Spanish or Italian is enough ;).
The links to that press release are on the event’s home page, within the center column area, below a title “Communiqué de presse”. They are PDFs, so might load a bit slower.
For those that want to register it is about time to get ready. Even though that I cannot find anything on that topic on their website the registration will open in the next few days. Be ready to grab your spot as there is a limited number and there are no exceptions – first come, first serve.
BTW, to compete in Pierra Menta you don’t have to be a member of any national team. The race is not part of the World Cup, therefore, it is open to anyone. And youth can race too – special two day Pierra Menta – which is awesome.

Tips and advice from a world caliber skimo racer Peter Svätojánsky

January 5, 2010 By Stano Faban 8 Comments

To progress Canadian and American ski mountaineering racing further we have to learn from each other but more importantly from those that are doing it longer than us.
Since one of my good friends is a world class ski mountaineering racer I asked him to share some knowledge (via an interview) that would take us long time to gain or to confirm.

A bit of background info

Peter showing some nice stride at the old liftless Revelstoke resort.

I have known Peter for about 14 years now and he has been the main reason why I have become very interested in the racing form of ski mountaineering.
What made me interested wasn’t that I had a friend participating in “not a main stream sport” because in Europe ski mountaineering racing has been quite popular for long time by then.
But what made me über interested and involved was his progression and a passion as a racer.
The racing goals that Peter achieved in ski mountaineering are truly impressive considering the background he was coming from. Born and raised in Slovakia, a non-Alp country without a single glacier and without rich snow falls, he was lucky to start skiing quite early thanks to his parents. But shooting for sporting international success requires all your being in this Eastern European state.
After couple of years of super committed approach and support from his parents Peter was able to progress to international level racer. Since then, here and there, he has been able to support his development further with a help of scarce but passionate sponsors. However, his racing activities are still mainly depended on his own financial efforts and his family’s support.
Fortunately, smart and hard training usually pays off if you stick around long enough. And linking a year after year of the most sport committed lifestyle I ever saw Peter progressed in the modern era of super competitive skimo racing further than many thought was possible.
Here is a summary of his biggest international achievements, besides countless national level wins:

bronze medals from World and European Championships
3rd place and couple of top 5 finishes at Pierra Menta – the biggest race in skimo racing
1st place at Whistler’s High Range Classic in 2007
5th place at the super long marathon event at the Worlds in 2008
and many more achievements that are highly respectable

Now the goods – Peter talks racing

Here, via couple of questions, I asked Peter to share his experience and provide us with some tips and advice that might help us progress our passion further than we ever thought was possible.

Peter leading a Spaniard Kilian Jornet on his way to win the High Range Classic race at Whistler in 2007. Since then there were few people that beat Kilian again. — Peter leading a Spaniard Kilian Jornet on his way to win the High Range Classic race at Whistler in 2007. Since then there are few people that beat Kilian again.

Q: When did you start with skimo racing and how did your training evolved over the years?
I competed in my first skimo race as 18-year old in 1995. Back then there were no junior categories, so I had to wait until I was legal to race. Before that I raced in cross country skiing.
My training was mostly dependent on what kind of race I was preparing for. But usually longer events suit me better thus my training was also geared more towards that.
Q: What do you think made you develop from a top national level racer to stand on some world’s prestigious podiums?
This was due to lots of experience I was able to gather at home events in Slovakia…and lots of commitment of course.
There were couple of racers in Slovakia back then that were quite competitive in the European Cup (now it’s called World Cup), therefore, I could compare against some high level racers.
Then once I was able to beat them at home I knew I could be ahead of them in the international races too. So this experience was what gave me a lot, including lots confidence.
Q: You are known to be able to prepare very well for your targeted goals. What are some of the things you watch for and do in training to be 100% when you need to be?
Everything is about a very committed approach. Over the years of racing I know myself very well, I learned what works for me. The only things that usually limit me are the time available to train and financial issues.
Q: What sports do you do in the summer? Which ones serve you well in preparing for ski mountaineering races?
I mostly ride my mountain bike or my road bike during the summer, and I also trail run a lot in the Tatra mountains.

At the top of one of the peaks in High Tatras, Peter's life time training ground...and my old. It's beautiful over there especially in September. — At the top of one of the peaks in High Tatras, Peter's life time training grounds. Behind him is the highest peak in Slovakia - Gerlach Peak, 2655m. It's beautiful in the Tatras, especially in September.

Q: You spent one winter in Canada, the 2006-07 season, during which you competed in some races in Canada and US. What surprised you the most about the participants? And what did you think about the whole racing scene here?
There were some high quality racers especially from places like Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. At other places, the racing form of ski mountaineering wasn’t developed much because people mostly prefer to do the sport without any competitive ambitions.
During the time when I was there everything was heading in the right direction, towards attracting more people into skimo racing. But what I missed was an involvement of young athletes. Of course, this is related to opening new categories for 15 to 18 year olds, which were non-existent back then. Are they now?
Simply any country that wants to have world class athletes in the future has to start working with the youth.
Q: Most of North America racers are about 30 years old which might be a little bit too late for starting to be competitive, but we all have good endurance base from long days in the mountains. What would you recommend to focus on primarily in training in order to get faster?
Of course, anyone who starts to compete in skimo racing after teenage years, and doesn’t have any experience with racing in this sport, won’t excel in speed. However, this speed can be trained quite well even latter but it requires lots of strong will and commitment to train systematically.
One of the best methods to train speed is to include a speed workout once a week in your program, year round. During the summer it is enough to include 10sec full-on sprints in one of your endurance workouts. Do around 6-8 of them separated by plenty of time of active rest (spin, jog).
Q: What do you think racers and organizers in developing skimo racing countries need to do in order to get to world class level in the future? How long it can take before even one NA is consistently in the top 15 of the biggest races?
As I mentioned before, it is all about committed and systematical work with the youth. The bigger the base pool the better the chance that someone will make it to the elite.
Personally, I think that North America can have as many talents as Europe has. You guys have very good predispositions – great terrain environment, could have great financial support and the culture, especially in US, makes you very ambitious.
The more races you will organize the more experience and skill can racers gain. Then the sport will gain more exposure and that will attract more sponsors.
I believe that North America can take this sport to another level if you guys will have quality racers since this will create more interest, therefore, giving it a higher level and a bigger chance to get included in the Olympic Games.
Q: For sure we are not the fastest but what strategy can we use at the upcoming world championships to have a bigger chance of higher placing in the standings? For example – start fast or slow, pace evenly…
It is a bit difficult to advise someone I don’t know. But in general, if a racer feels that he gave everything through an evenly paced performance he will have a better chance of success than somebody trying to run with the best from the start for as long as he can. Simply, he will be missing too much energy at the later stages.
Q: What is it like to compete in various European countries? For example compare some differences between competing in Slovakia, Italy and France.

Racing the famous and hectic Pierra Menta. Transitions are more spacious when you are on the front positions :) — Racing the famous and hectic Pierra Menta with his team mate Milan (left). Transitions are more spacious when you are at front positions 🙂

There is a very good tradition in skimo racing in Slovakia but because of financial and other problems the competition is not as strong as in other European countries.
At Italian Cup races there is often as strong competition as at any World Cup event.
There are races that are way more prestigious than World Cup events or World Championships.
In France, Italy and Switzerland there are these three monuments – Pierra Menta, Trofeo Mezzalama and Patrouille des Glaciers.
Those events aren’t usually part of the World Cup circuit but popularity and attendance are over the roof.
Q: Who are currently the best skimo racers in the world right now?

The very best because they are the most consistent are Italians Manfred Reicheger, Denis Brunod and Guido Giacomelli. Then Swiss Florent Troillet, Spaniard Kilian Jornet and Frenchman Florent Perrier.
Q: At last some questions equipment. What skis and boots will you will be racing this season?
For ski boots Pierre Gignoux 500 and for skis most likely Ski Trab.
Q: You are 186cm tall, how long are your racing poles?
My racing poles are 138 cm long.
Q: What skins do you use for competition and why?

I use Colltex and Pomoca skins and I choose which one based on conditions.
Colltex skins usually glide better in a new wet snow and some times also on an absolutely frozen-through powder (frozen soft snow). Their disadvantage is that the glue is not as good as Pomocas have. I can put on Colltex skins for two maximally three climbs during a race.
Pomoca skins glue better to even a wet ski and you can use them for more climbs.
I usually test which skins I will use for a race the day before and I stick with that as the conditions usually don’t change too much over night.

On top of Cayoosh Mountain on the Coast. Peter was amazed about the vastness of the Canadian mountains. — On top of Cayoosh Mountain on the Coast. Peter was amazed about the vastness of Canadian mountains.

Q: Do you use the same skis, boots and poles for training as for racing? If different than how close they are to your racing gear?
I don’t use the same equipment as there is no way I could afford that. I have a separate set for training because I am saving my best gear only for the biggest races.
I race my training equipment even at most of the races, only when I go to compete against the world’s best I pull out the carbon stuff.
So, my training skis are the same length and width but they are a bit heavier. Then for boots I use Scarpa F1 Race.

Saying hello

Peter says hello to everyone he met when he was here or during other occasions. And he is looking forward to see all NA racers in Europe this season.
On behalf of all readers I thank Peter very much for sharing such valuable information this openly.
All photos were taken by Stano Faban except the Pierra Menta transition one.

SkinTrack: 2009 recap and 2010 plans

January 2, 2010 By Stano Faban 6 Comments

First of all, I want to wish all of you all the best in 2010. And right after that, I really want to thank all of you for reading SkinTrack articles and for your input through your comments. It is much valued and makes future writing that much more enjoyable.

Skinning up for one of many great runs in December 2010 at Rogers Pass. (Image cropped from Reiner Thoni's photo.)

When I set on to create the SkinTrack website I had a good idea of what value it can bring to our backcountry skiing and skimo racing community.
This idea first occurred about 2 years ago. From there on it was often a ‘go’ and a ‘no go’ project for various reasons, mainly lack of time and also some laziness as I often got sidetracked.
Now, it is January 2nd 2010 and the website has been running for four months. Within that time 37 articles were published on various topics. The ones that got most comments and got read the most seem to be about gear or ski mountaineering racing.
Within that time we all had some good discussions and valuable information exchanges. In a sport (skimo racing) and an activity (bc skiing) that can’t count on big money sponsors or big media exposure it is great to have a platform to learn, discuss and share. I learned a lot myself and I hope so did you.
And one of the last things that happened in 2009 on SkinTrack was its first ever contest. BTW, the contest is still open for few more days, so if you haven’t submitted your favorite skin track photo yet there is still some time.

What is in the kitchen for 2010?

Personally, I don’t make New Year resolutions and I didn’t make any for SkinTrack either. I always make plans and goals year round, just not when the society asks me to 😉
Therefore, future SkinTrack topics are long prepared and I will make a great effort to stick to them all, so you will be able to enjoy them too.
Topics and some of the plans in the SkinTrack kitchen include these:

to show more people the beauty of backcountry skiing
to expose you to some very interesting people you don’t read much about
to attract more people to skimo racing in North America
to provide you with world class race tips, some from the highest caliber athletes
to motivate you to find your own goals within your ski mountaineering activities

Along the website plans I have some personal ones too: As a member of the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team I will be flying to Europe to attend some of the finest races in our sport – most notably the World Championships and Pierra Menta. I intend to vigorously inform you about the World racing scene once there.
And besides racing, I also enjoy very much relaxing backcountry skiing and interesting ski mountaineering projects. I mean, it is the other way since I would be always bc skiing regardless of racing or not.
So with a passion for anything related skiing freely through endless mountains I hope, in 2010, to complete some of my old goals as well as be part of new adventures and meet new friends.
Wish you all the best in 2010 and beyond,
Stano

How North American ski mountaineering racers compare against the World's fastest?

December 28, 2009 By Stano Faban 19 Comments

On December 5th, 2009 the Canadian racing season (and North American too) started with an event hosted at a ski resort near Golden, BC. One of the disciplines was a vertical race, a hill climb, that was a pure all out effort without disruptions of transitions and leg burns from crazy downhills. Besides the fastest Canadians, two US speedsters took the starting line too.
» To see a complete report from the Golden race go here – Tiki Torch Dash 2009.

Fast Euros charging hard at Pierra Menta 2006.

Even though, I am not a big fan of the vertical race format I see its great value as it eliminates lots of variables, therefore, performances can be compared way more accurately than in any other skimo racing discipline.
With a help from Ian Gale, one of the organizers and competitors, I was able to gather correct altitude data for the Golden vertical race course and figure out the vertical gain (amount of ascent) of the ascent.
And since we know the winning times as well calculating the vertical speeds of performances is easy.
With all that info available, I was amused to establish some sort of a benchmark for Canadian and US ski mountaineering athletes, so we could compare ourselves to the fastest in the World, the Europeans.

For this comparison, I decided to choose a vertical race that was part of the 2008 World Ski Mountaineering Championships in Switzerland. The reasons are simple – vertical gain and winning times are easily available and accurate. And the race, in mens category, was won by a long time best in the business skimo racer, Florent Perrier, who had a form of his life for the whole week of the Championships. World fastest women are represented by Roberta Pedranzini.
Here is a good video from the 2008 Worlds vertical race:

Raw facts about the two races

Firstly I am going to present you with raw facts about the race courses, winning times and the vertical speeds achieved by some athletes. Then I will discuss how do I think the Canadian and US athletes compare to Europeans right now and where they could possibly be in the future.
Golden vertical race (Dec 5th, 2009)
Altitude gain: 338m
Altitude factor: almost non-existent as the race finished at 1600m
Fastest times and average vertical speeds (AVS):

Reiner Thoni (CAN) – 17:07 (17min 7sec) = > AVS of 19.75 m/m (1185 m/h)
Brandon French (USA) – 17:14 => AVS of 19.61 m/m (1176.6 m/h)
Melanie Bernier (CAN) – 18:13 => AVS of 18.55 m/m (1113 m/h)

» Click here for Golden Tiki Torch Dash 2009 results.
2008 Worlds vertical race (Feb 28th, 2008)
Altitude gain: 870m
Altitude factor: not significant as the race finished below or around 2000m
Fastest times and average vertical speeds (AVS):

Florent Perrier (France) – 35:05 = > AVS of 24.80 m/m (1488 m/h)
Roberta Pedranzini (Italy) – 43:39 => AVS of 19.93 m/m (1195.8 m/h)

» Click here for 2008 Worlds vertical results.
Vertical speed units glossary:
m/m = gained vertical meters per minute
m/h = gained vertical meters per hour

Is this comparing apples with apples?

There is an obvious fact, some might argue, that this comparison cannot be accurate – the duration of the races or more precisely the difference in vertical gains are quite big, 338m versus 870m.
And at the first glance it totally makes sense to think that, however, I believe I can show you how this is a fairly fair comparison, even though, I agree that an absolute conclusions can be drawn only from the very same race, done by the same athletes, on the very same day.

Factors to consider in this comparison

Elevation gains – point for European athletes
The altitude difference is clearly on the side of the European race and the athletes that raced on that course – Perrier and Pedranzini. The difference is 532m or slightly more than 2.5 times more vertical gain in the European race than in Golden.
Course profile – point for North American athletes
Even though I could not find the course profile of the 2008 Worlds vertical race again I believe it was, on average, a bit steeper than the Golden race course. And those that raced the Golden vertical course will agree that it was quite “flat”.
Equipment – point for NA athletes
Reiner, Brandon, Melanie and the rest of us raced the Golden vertical with heavier gear than Florent or Roberta used in their performances. The differences would be between 300gm per foot all the way to couple of kilos. By my estimation, Reiner’s equipment was about 600-700gm per foot heavier than Florent’s, if not more. And Melanie had maybe about 200-300gm more to carry per foot than Roberta.
» To get an idea of how equipment weight adds to your time and decreases your vertical speed take a look at an article about vertical climbing speed in ski mountaineering.
Time of the season – point for NA athletes
By no means was anyone as ready for the Golden race as they will be in March. Therefore, we can expect everyone to go faster later in the season, thus getting a better comparison against Florent and Roberta as they were on top of their game when they won the World titles at the end of February.
Timing of the event and conditions – point for NA athletes
The vertical race in Golden was a night race with headlamps which makes it harder to judge your effort accurately. Also, the vert race started very late, at 9.15pm, and was preceded by a relay race that already took some strength from the athletes.
And on top of all that it was close to -20 Celsius out there and it was difficult to tell whether your inside is burning because of the cold air or you are really going your fastest. Everyone coughed like we were at an emergency room for tuberculosis 🙂

How do we compare, in pure speed, against the World’s best?

If I just simply took Reiner’s average vertical speed achieved in Golden (19.75 m/m) and compared it against the average speeds achieved at the 2008 Worlds vertical race then he would have placed 58th out of the 90 competitors because:

Time of the 57th placed athlete was 44:00 which means AVS of 19.77 m/m (1186.2 m/h)
And time for 58th place was 44:07 which means AVS of 19.72 m/m (1183.2 m/h)

Brandon would have arrived just few spots behind Reiner to take 61st place.
According to the same formula, Melanie (18.55 m/m) would have place an impressive 10th out of 46 competitors in the women’s category because:

The 9th woman finished in 46:27 which means VS of 18.73 m/m (1123.8 m/h)
And the 10th finisher clocked 47:16 which means VS of 19.41 m/m (1104.6 m/h)

The difference in speed between us and the fastest are obvious and quite big – about 20% for men and 8% for women. However, there are those above mentioned factors to consider before we can paint a clearer picture.

Future? And how do we compare after the different factors are mixed in?

Based on my training program (and commitment) and based on talking to other Canadian and US athletes it appears that no one did any significant speed or interval work before the Golden race. All of us were pretty much coming out from our base building period with even only few days on skis, which I think is a good indicator of things to come.
So why is this a good sign if we are still minutes behind the best? Well, because with a good program, I believe, come March each of us will be able to hold on to our speed from the Golden race for a much longer time period…of course unless it’s -20 again 🙂
This factors in the benefits of all the training to come after the base building period as well as hoping that the course at the 2010 World Championships will be more suitable for higher average vertical speeds than the Golden one.
And I am not even going to mention that many of us are still yet to drop couple of hundred grams per foot before we line up on a start line in Andorra on March 2nd, 2010.
There is not doubt in my mind that Europeans will be faster than two years ago, however, I know their equipment is getting lighter only by around 50-100gm per foot, whereas ours is getting lighter by almost few pounds.
But by no means I am naive about our future performances, and by no means we are going to win medals soon. However, we are getting a step closer on a stair case that is about 5-10 years tall before we can even think about prestigious podiums (unless of course someone very talented comes along or recruits from another sport).

So where do we stand right now?

Not even 2-3 years ago I would imagined that we would be were we are right now, and I don’t mean speed wise as there is obviously a lot to improve.
However, speed is only a side effect of a bigger effort. Everything starts with a passion, then commitment, then team and then hopefully we stick to that commitment long enough that we can produce some results.
I can’t speak on behalf of the US skimo racers but I certainly like what I see happening in Canada – lots of committed people for various aspects of the sport are pulling on the same side of the rope. We have passion, commitment and a great team, so now it’s all about sticking to it long enough 😉

Which skis you want or would recommend to your friend, and why?

December 25, 2009 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

The 2010 Gear Guide published by Backcountry Magazine obviously contains ski reviews among other gear. By now everyone that bought this gear guide issue knows what their testers think about the skis that were available to them.
However, there are more skis out there than can be contained in one test and more importantly there are many more different “tastes” than those represented by the testers. Therefore, I thought it would be great if we all get to say what would make our “Editor’s Choice” list.

How does this work? What do you do?

The way this works is based on your honest opinion or a desired choice.
In the comments section below, you can either state reasons why would you love to have (own) a certain ski or why would you recommend a specific pair to your best friend.
So the rules are simple – be honest, make sure to give good reasons (why?) and pick no more than two pairs of skis. And you can go as wild as you want with brands or types of skis you would recommend – wide, skinny, super light, hard, soft…

How did the Backcountry Magazine review work?

The magazine ski review was basically divided into two categories – freeride skis and all mountain skis.
The freeride skis were on the fatter side – about 110 to 140mm wide under foot. The all mountain skis were in the range of around 86 to 105mm wide. Then of course there were other properties but this seems to be trend these days in terms of widths and how we categories a ski based on this one single figure.
This is quite interesting because about 15 years ago an 85mm ski would be almost unheard of. And the magazine states in their own words that in 1994 they featured a story: “…about new ‘super wide’ skis that [were] 85mm at the waist.”
It is amazing how our perception changes with time and evolution. And also, I believe this perception is shaped a lot by the terrain and snow we ski the most often. Because on the West Coast you can “get away” with a narrower ski, even on a powder day, than you could in some bottomless interior regions.

My picks

My desired ski would be something that floats enough and behaves fairly well in most conditions. Therefore, it would be around 85-95mm at the waist and perhaps weigh no more than 1600gm per ski. So my choice might be…Ski Trab Stelvio Light XL…or Dynafit Mustagh Ata Superlight.
A ski that I would recommend to a friend, based on my own experience, would be a super light ski mountaineering ski for fast backcountry missions or skimo racing competitions.
The skis would be Dynastar Pierra Menta Pro or its carbon version. It is quite stiff for its weight (870gm per 164cm ski for the non-carbon version) and it is still 65mm wide under the foot.
Now go on share your own pics. This should be interesting 😉

Questions and answers about G3 Onyx bindings with Melanie Bernier

December 21, 2009 By Stano Faban 19 Comments

Melanie Bernier is a G3 sponsored athlete for past couple of years and tests their equipment any time she is playing in the snow. She lives in Revelstoke, skis almost every day and is a member of the Canadian Ski Mountaineering National Team.
Melanie will be representing Canada at the 2010 Ski Mountaineering World Championships as well as at the famous Pierra Menta – a four day skimo stage race.
onyx-main-photo
I saw Melanie using the new G3 Onyx bindings at our Canada Team ski mountaineering training camp I asked her to answer a couple of questions for you regarding the product.
Obviously, this is not a review of the G3 Onyx bindings since Melanie is sponsored by the manufacturer, however, I don’t have any real use experience with the bindings myself, therefore I thought why not ask a friend couple of questions.
I am sharing my view of the product (even though it’s limited due to no real experience with it) below the questions/answers section.

Product intro

G3 Onyx bindings use the Tech technology that was developed by Dynafit about 15 years ago. Since the Dynafit’s patent expired few years ago some companies took on the challenge improving a system that revolutionized alpine touring bindings market. Here is how G3 made their mark.
» Click the following link to see a bigger photo of the G3 Onyx bindings.
» Click this link to see a PDF version of the operating manual for Onyx bindings.
G3 Onyx features as highlighted by the manufacturer:

Easy to switch between tour and ski mode on-the-fly
Easy step-in toe utilizing the Tech system
Dependable and intuitive pole-actuated heel lifts
Increased overall rigidity creating increased overall skiing performance
Adjustable base plate mounting system applied to the toe and heel for quick adjustments, maintenance of boot center mounting and 33mm of adjustment to fit a wide range of boot sizes
Ski brake and crampon compatible
Complete disassembly and re-assembly possible
Lightweight

Materials

Forged aerospace aluminum toe-jaws, chassis and heel-post
Fibre reinforced binding mounting base plates

DIN Settings

5 – 10 (My)/12(Mz)

Weight

1430g / 50oz with screws

What does Melanie have to say about the G3 Onyx?

Q: For how long have you been using the Onyx bindings? How many days have you toured or skied on them, backcountry and ski resort?

g3-onyx-walk-mode — Tour mode lever (1) is in the locked position and the heel mode lever (7) is in the down position. In tour mode, the RED tour mode indicator (10) is visible.

I received the bindings in April 2009. They were part of the “Beta Program” which consisted on giving the opportunity to G3 gear users to test the binding and give feedback after each day of skiing on them.
So the bindings version that I have been skiing on is slightly different than what is on the market right now. What you can buy at your favorite gear store is an enhanced version of the Beta Onyx bindings based on testers’ feedback.
I skied the Onyx bindings about 10 times in the backcountry exclusively last season, and I have skied them about 22 times already this season, which 7 of those days were on a ski hill.
Q: Did you have any problem with the binding during that time?
I did not have any problem per say. They are still in great working shape. No brake and no need to replace any parts.
I only had one emergency release while skiing with them and it was well needed and actually comforting to know that it works. I also only had one accidental switch from skiing to touring mode but it could have happened with any other binding in that situation.
Q: What features do you like the most about the G3 Onyx bindings?

g3-onyx-ski-mode — Tour mode lever (1) is in the unlocked position and the heel mode lever (7) is in the up position. Low (8) and high (9) heel lifts must be in the stowed position.

How quick and easy they are to switch from walk mode to ski mode and vice versa. And activation of the heel-lifters is very fast too.
Then I like the fact that the bindings are so easy to adjust for different boot sizes. If you have different touring boots that have different sole lengths or if you want to let your friends use your skis, it’s a feature you will appreciate!
Also, the fact that you can adjust the positioning of the toe and the heel pieces of the binding on the skis is great. Therefore, whoever is using your skis can be positioned at the right place on them.
Another really nice feature of the Onyx bindings is that they are really easy to clip-in since the toe piece is designed to place the tip of your boot exactly where it should be in order to clamp onto the toe piece.
Q: What would you like to see improved in the future?
The toe piece activation mode since you have to push on it quite hard in order to get the boot in or out. It’s easy enough to get clipped-in properly as mentioned but sometimes when you are in knee-deep snow or if you are trying to put your skis on a steep icy ridge the current mechanism may cause some difficulties. I know G3 has been working on this.
Also, there are a lot of movable pieces with this binding but so far everything is pretty solid for me.
Q: What Skis are you using with the Onyx binding?
The new 2009/10 G3 ZenOxide. They are 105cm under foot – big boards. They have exactly the same side-cut as the G3 El Hombre but with a lighter core!
Q: You are a Dynafit binding user too. Pick one (feature or specification) to which the Onyx is better in your opinion and pick one thing that Dynafit has and Onyx not.
Onyx – Really quick and easy to switch from walk to tour mode.
Dynafit – Really light bindings, especially the Dynafit Low Tech model.
Q: What do you think is the best use for the Onyx bindings – backcountry skiing, slack country, extreme skiing, big vertical days? In other words, what type of user would mostly benefit from this product – regular backcountry skiers, occasional tourers…?
I think the Onyx would answer the needs of someone looking for a binding that does it all. It’s a great option for people getting more and more into backcountry skiing, people that do not want to carry the weight of heavy bindings like Fritschi or Naxos, and who want to have a closer contact with their skis.
The Onyx would be also for those who want a reliable setup which works on the hill, in the slack country and on day touring trips.
It will also meet the needs of people who are not wiling to spend a large amount of money for bindings since the Onyx are sold at a competitive price.
I think even the Dynafit die-hards should consider this binding since it is a great option. If you are all about the overall weight of your touring setup then it may not be your preferred choice but for a good days out in the backcountry it’s been proven to be a great choice!
Q: What is your overall impression?

I am so glad to see that there are companies, like G3, out there looking for alternative to touring bindings. It’s like the touring boots a few years back. Before Scarpa, Garmont and Dynafit were dominating the market, then others started to come out with alternatives which forced the previous mentioned companies to have a closer look at their products and improve them.
I think the same phenomenon will happen with the bindings. Since the Dynafit patent ran out, I am glad to see that more options are offered to backcountry skiers. I think the Onyx is a great alternative since it’s a competitive and reliable product.
And like any piece of equipment, the Onyx bindings have great pros to them and some room for improvement. But I still think that people have to try them in order to see what they have to offer.

My take on the Onyx bindings

As a loyal Dynafit bindings user since about 1998 it is tough to look at any other bindings without high expectations. But I fully credit G3 for sticking their head out and trying something new.
Whom the Onyx will benefit – in my opinion
I can clearly see that there are people that would desire the Onyx bindings and that they would really benefit from them as opposed to buying Dynafits or Fritschi or other models.
In my view, those people that would benefit from the new features that Onyx introduced (easier stepping in or more convenient ski-to-tour switch mode) are more of a leisure tourers or slack country skiers because all this comes at a weight cost compare to Dynafit bindings. In my opinion it would benefit more those that don’t log too many big days in the backcountry during a season or are likely to backcountry ski only seldom.
Whom the Onyx won’t make a difference for – in my opinion
In my view, the Onyx won’t make a difference over other existing bindings (meaning Dynafit bindings here) for people that are heavy backcountry users or performance oriented people. Because these groups use their equipment in such ways that they can live with small “inconveniences” if that means having a lighter and simpler product. Personally, I belong to that group.
My overall impression
My overall impression is that the Onyx appear very solid, therefore should be quite durable. The new features seem like a good improvement towards user friendliness, however, that caused an addition of many more parts over the very simplistic design of the Dynafits. With all those extra parts the Onyx design seems quite “exaggerated” to me, kind of overdone or unnecessary.
The price point (about $400) is very similar to Dynafits and other bindings, it only depends what models you are comparing it to. So there is no advantage or disadvantage when it comes to your wallet.
As you can see I am a Dynafit fan and that’s why I wanted someone else to make a case for the G3 Onyx. With that I hope to give you a more honest picture of a new product.
I believe, that in the next couple of years G3 will improve the Onyx more to my liking as well, thus I would finally have more choices on the alpine touring bindings market.

More about G3 Onyx bindings

There is a website dedicated by G3 to their new product with videos and all the specs – visit Onyx bindings at http://www.g3onyx.com.
Also, you can read more answers and reviews at Backcountry.com.

Any questions? Share your experience

If you are thinking about buying the Onyx bindings or just simply have more questions you can ask in the comments below and Melanie, I or other people will try to answer them.
It would be valuable to hear from people that are using or have tested the Onyx bindings. You are welcome to share your experience in the comments below.

Alpaca Peak, Coquihalla: snow conditions and touring with John Baldwin

December 20, 2009 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

Yesterday, December 19th, the weather forecast predicted a break in the recent storm cycle on the South Coast and five of us headed to Coquihalla area which is best known for the Coquihalla Highway (between Hope and Merritt, in BC).
The trip was special for me because the timing of my and John’s schedules finally collided and I was able to get a touring day alongside someone that introduced me to Canadian mountains (via his guide book), and through his projects inspires me to find and define my own ski touring goals and dreams.

The day – weather, snow, skiing and avalanches

Looking south towards Zupjok Pk. The clouds kept coming and going.

We chose our objective based on the current avalanche conditions and the weather that was forecasted.
Alpaca Peak (2040m) is a full day ski touring trip that follows about 4-5 kilometers long ridge, over Zupjok Peak and Llama Peak. Access to the ridge is via a logging road and steep trees.
All that means that trip is doable in almost any avalanche conditions and the views are spectacular.
However, in the fog the navigation on the ridge can be very tricky. You can find the trip in John’s book “Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis” on page 198 under “Alpaca Peak”.
Weather
Whole day, the weather wasn’t a blue bird as we got treated to something better – rolling clouds in multiple layers with occasional sunny breaks replacing fog clouds. This provided for excellent photo opportunities.
Temperatures were quite warm all day and most likely above zero Celsius up to about 1600-1700m.
Snow and skiing
The weather on the South Coast was pretty warm and wet for past couple of days. Therefore the snow conditions for skiing were a bit…miserable.
Alpine areas were either heavily wind affected or with a thick rain crust on the top, or both. Inside and below the tree line, the snow was heavy and mostly wet.
Depth of the snow pack was sufficient for good traveling conditions even at the lowest elevations (around 1200m) and in the forest.
Snow and avalanches

About the same length of the crown extended to the other side, behind my back.

As for avalanche conditions, this was one of the least stable and most tricky snow packs we could observe. The recent weather over past 2-3 weeks allowed sufficient time for surface hoar to grow into great dimensions and the subsequent heavy/wet snow fall created a thick slab layer on top of it.
By walking on a ridge, about 5-7m from the edge of a cornice, our party remote triggered a cornice fall twice (just couple of meters apart) that then triggered an avalanche on the slope below it. Both were about 100m wide and run to the below basin, about 100m down. Through the fog cloud, the size of both avalanches appeared to be about 2-2.5.
During the day we didn’t witness any other avalanches going off, however, we observed slabs at many locations, on all kinds of aspects and at almost all elevations.

Interview with John Baldwin and trip photos

I and John are working on an interview for the SkinTrack website. Part of the interview will be a little contest for you where you can win the latest edition of John’s guide book. So make sure to check back soon.
Otherwise you can get your copy of “Exploring the Coast Mountains on Skis” guide book from John’s website or pick it up from outdoor stores that are listed on his website.
And here are some photos from the Alpaca Peak trip, outdoor and landscape photographers would have loved the light conditions.

frozen-trees — As we gained the ridge from the forest the sun lit our tracks.

Looking north towards Llama Pk. This ridge connects all three peaks from south to north.

Setting the track up the final climb to Alpaca Pk.

In late afternoon we were treated to some amazing plays of light.