SkinTrack

Skimo Racing

"Bread and butter" summer training for rando racing and speedier ski mountaineering: Endurance and Activity variety

By 1 Comment

I would never believe that my first thought would be about training when waking up today, then closely followed by thoughts exclusively only about bread and butter. Perhaps because I was waking up after a successful Iron Maiden show. Then somehow the brain quickly connected the two and here we go 😉
Ski mountaineer's summer.An old cycling wisdom says: “Tour de France is won in the winter!” It’s an interesting statement since the Tour is ridden in the heat of July.
It means that if you are not building your endurance engine sufficiently  long time before your goal event then you will have trouble reaching your potential that year, and consistently improving over long periods of time.
So what does this mean in rando racing and ski mountaineering terms?
Feel free to let me know in comments below if you want me to expand on any concepts introduced here. I am keeping this article simple for everyone to understand as too much detail can be overwhelming and difficult to act upon.

Endurance capacity should be your “bread and butter” in the summer

Basic principle:

All endurance performances (sports lasting longer than 2-3 minutes) are the most effectively improved (long term) via consistently improving ones endurance capacity (low heart-rate intensity).
The biggest reason for this is that improvements to your more intensive (higher heart-rate) capacities rely heavily on your low intensity endurance base. Simply, if you stop improving your body’s efficiency at low intensities you will have very hard time improving its efficiency (thus speed) at high intensities, also known as around and above lactate threshold.

What to do:

If you are planning to do (or improve upon from last year) couple of rando races in February and March  then July, August, September should serve you as your base endurance building months.
Personally, during this time I don’t follow any structured training plan. All I think about is “bread and butter” – I don’t worry about speed or sports specific workouts during this period because the single most important thing is building a big endurance base.
This “bread and butter” theory also allows for easier prioritization. Let’s say you want to improve in the winter and have time for 14 endurance sessions and 6 bouldering or fishing trips during August. If you miss 2 MTB rides because of bad weather by mid-August then without deep analysis you will know that you should replace 2 bouldering sessions in favour of 2 endurance building activities in the next 2-3 weeks.
Note: I am not saying climbing is not more fun and that you should sacrifice your pleasures. I am simply stating what is “bread and butter” during this time of the year if you really like to improve 6 months down the road.

Intensity:

The intensity could be easily measured with a heart rate monitor or jugged by your breathing comfort level – you should be able to talk fairly easily at any moment.

Activities: variety, agility and injury prevention

I strongly believe endurance base should be built through a variety of activities during this period of the year, and that summer is the best time to improve your agility.

Variety:

Variety is important as it allows your body to relax certain muscle groups while engaging new ones, and it is way more fun to alternate sports from day to day than just running all the time.
Also, 6-8 months from your goal you can afford not to focus on repeating sport specific movements at all times. You won’t be any worse because of that as long as you remember to eat your “bread and butter” regularly.
The most successfully used and easily accessible endurance building summer activities for ski mountaineering are:

  • Running
  • MTB biking
  • Road riding
  • Hiking
  • Running or hiking with poles
  • Swimming

These are great because they let you control your exercise intensity easily.
MTB biking could be an exception here but it depends on the terrain you ride and your skill level. For me, MTB is a bit too demanding until later in the summer when I get the hang of it, which I never fully do though 😉
Great skimo athletes such as Kilian Jornet, Melanie Bernier, Sari Anderson, Luke Nelson (too many to name) are also very successful endurance athletes in MTB, road cycling, trail running, or adventure racing. Variety serves them well.

Agility:

Agility comes from variety but is more effectively developed through different summer activities than the above endurance sports:

  • Climbing / mountaineering / bouldering
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Football
  • Balance challenging strength training

Basically, anything requiring good hand-eye (foot-eye) coordination and balance develops your agility. This will help you with technical skiing, mountaineering, transitions, and injury prevention.
Personally, I spend lots of time playing tennis and soccer between June and August. Then I usually keep only playing soccer until I start regularly skiing (late November).
I don’t do them because I want better agility, I do them because I love the skill, strategy and have lots of friends that are very good at those. But I do notice that if I miss a summer doing them I kind of feel “off balance” once the sliding season starts.

What do you do in the summer?

Absolutely feel obligated to ask or comment below since you got all the way here.
Are there any activities you would recommend to try to accomplish the above goals of summer months?
And a tweet won’t be out of place either if you learned something new. Thank you.

Skimo racing 2012-2013 World Cup and World Championships calendar

By 2 Comments

Top level ski mountaineering racing calendar is now out:

  • No team races on the WC calendar, except at the World Champs!
  • The World Cup itself will have 5 rounds – hosted in Italy (2), Switzerland, Andorra, with finals in Norway.
  • The 2013 Ski Mountaineering World Championships will take place between Feb 9-15, 2013 in Pelvoux-Puy, France.
    – likely the same venues as for the Euro Champs in 2012

ISMF World Cup calendar for 2012-2013 season

Jan 12-13, 2013
Vertical + Individual
World Cup Skialp Race Ahrntal (Valle Aurina, Italy)
All categories
www.skialprace-ahrntal.com
Jan 25-26, 2013
Sprint + Individual
World Cup Alpiniski (Les Marécottes-Salvan, Switzerland)
All categories
www.alpiniski.ch
Feb 9-15, 2013
Team + Relays + Sprint + Vertical + Individual
World Championships (Pelvoux-Puy Saint Vincent-Vallouise, France)
All categories
www.ski-ecrins.com
Mar 02-03, 2013
Sprint + Individual
World Cup Skialp3 Presolana (Clusone, Italy)
All categories
www.sciclub13.it
Mar 09-10, 2013
Vertical + Individual
World Cup Font Blanca (Ordino, Andorra)
All categories
www.fontblanca.ad
Apr 13-14, 2013
Sprint + Individual
World Cup Artic Race (Tromso, Norway)
Only senior and espoir
www.arcticrace.no

Other big ski mountaineering races in 2013

Pierra Menta, France – Mar 21-24, 2013 (www.pierramenta.com)
– 4 day stage race [teams of 2] Trofeo Mezzalama, Italy – April 2013 (www.trofeomezzalama.org)
– 1 day high altitude, long distance race [teams of 3] Adamello Ski Raid, Italy – April 2013 (www.adamelloskiraid.com)
– 1 day high altitude, long distance race [teams of 2] Tour du Rutor, Italy – not in 2013! but will be back on Mar 28-30, 2014 (tourdurutor.com)
– 3 day stage race [teams of 2] Patrouille des Glaciers, Switzerland – not in 2013 as it historically rotates with Mezzalama, should be back for 2014 (www.pdg.ch)
– 1 day high altitude, long distance race [teams of 3]

Stephane Brosse: Remembering the greatest rando ski mountaineering racer

By 1 Comment

As you have probably already read through various internet sources – a ski mountaineering legend Stephane Brosse died yesterday (June 17, 2012) during a fast mission traverse of the entire Mont Blanc massive. He was accompanied by Kilian Jornet.
I don’t want to discuss details of the accident here, there is plenty of that elsewhere. All I want to do is to introduce him to people that started participating in or following rando racing after he retired from the sport. And pay a small tribute to him.
Stephane had a massive influence on the racing community along with his teams race partner Pierre Gignoux (the maker of the now famous carbon boots). They were fast, hungry, and brought so much innovation to ski mountaineering on many levels.
Here is a beautiful example of that – arguably the most fluent skimo transition ever made – while racing Utah’s Powder Keg in 2005:

Stephane won everything there is to win in skimo racing – World Champs, Pierra Mentas, the old classics (Mezzalama, Patrouille) and too many others to mention.
However, I will remember Stephane as the guy that climbed from Chamonix to top of Mt Blanc and skied back in only 5h 15min! He did this with Pierre Gignoux. (Wikipedia states they did it in 2007 but I think it was earlier.)
Fortunately, these days, the skimo world has as influential person as Stephane was, and I don’t think it was any coincidence they became ski partners. But it is very sad that “the passing of the crown” to Kilian had to happen under such tragic circumstances.
No one is invincible, and nothing is for granted. But that is precisely what makes life worth living. Because it applies both to life as being physically alive and healthy as well as to making us reach for our dreams – we can’t try to fulfill them just at our wish, and it is not granted we will even touch them.
My best wishes to Stephane’s family and friends.

Nina Silitch interview: Skimo racing mom gets the first ever ski mountaineering World Cup win for North America

By 2 Comments

On April 5th I congratulated Nina (via her blog) on a great racing season and asked whether she would consider an interview for Skintrack. A day later she replied: “I’d be happy to…”.

Nina Silitch sprinting.
Nina in the zone. (Photo by Stephan Mantler, with permission from Nina's blog.)
However, at that point I didn’t realize there was one more World Cup weekend left on the calendar and that it featured a sprint race – Nina’s specialty racing format.
Fast forward nine days and on April 14th Nina Silitch became the first North American to win a ski mountaineering World Cup race! I mean, a North American won a skimo World Cup race! Wow, in all my “calculations” I couldn’t see this coming for at least another two-three years.
It is a great accomplishment and we obviously gonna talk about it. But we are also going to talk about more as Nina is a mom of two and lives now in Chamonix, France.
Q: You just won your first World Cup race. Was it a beautiful surprise or you felt throughout the season it was reachable? 
For me the sprint is something I really love. Yes it was a beautiful surprise, but I did believe that I was capable of a podium in the World Cup Sprint.
Q: Can you describe the skimo sprint racing format.
The Sprint format encompasses all aspects of ski mountaineering into a very short race. It was started to help bring more spectators to the sport as when it is in the mountains it is harder for people to watch.
There is a goal for skimo to be an Olympic sport one day, and the sprint is an event that can draw a crowd. It is the same format as the World Cup cross country sprints that have now become a newer discipline.
Skimo sprint Tromso, Norway.
Leading her semi-final round in Tromso, Norway. (Photo from Nina's blog.)
It progresses through a qualification round, followed by 6 person heats of quarter-finals, semis and finals. The course is anywhere from 3.5 min to 4.5 min long and can range from 50-90 m in elevation gain.
The start is on skis with skins going straight to a series of kick turns, followed by a transition to a boot-pack (skis on the pack) then another skinning section, followed by a descent that encompasses both alpine gates, on and off piste and also skating.
Athletes must not only be quick on their feet but also very efficient in their transitions. It allows them to specialize in something, as a sprinter will train differently than a distance athlete.
Q: Is it your favorite skimo racing discipline? Are you naturally a good sprinter or you started to focus on this event only recently?
It’s funny because I love the sprint and all the concentration and focus it involves, but I also love longer races of 4-8 hrs.
I realized I had talent in the Sprint race when they first started and I definitely tried to hone my skills a bit. I always have started a little too fast in races but this is actually good for sprints.
Q: How many World Cup skimo racing seasons do you now have under your belt?
I did my first world cup in 2009 at the Valerette in Switzerland. I remember loosing a ski on a boot-pack and miraculously launching for it and catching it before it went 300 meters down a big slope.
I have consistently raced the World Cup circuit the last 3 seasons, with the last 2 seasons 2011, 2012 not missing one race. This year I placed 8th overall in the World Cup in a pool of very strong women, where the level grows and grows each year.
Q: Do you ski during summer (no snow months) as well or you rely on honing fitness through other activities?
I like the change of seasons and take a break from skiing in the summer. The earliest I would find snow would be end of October, though, one time I did ski in July just for fun when it snowed in Chamonix.
I enjoy trail running, road and mt biking, yoga and pilates. I do some roller skiing but not until the autumn.
Q: What are your three favorite skimo races? And why?
The Pierra Menta 4 day stage race – it is truly the heart of ski mountaineering. It is the hardest race I think as each day you have to get up and do it again. But the challenge, the camaraderie and the energy from the crowds keep me going.
Crowds on the 3rd stage at Pierra Menta 2012. (Photo from Nina's blog.)
The sprint race in Norway – because I felt really good there, in the zone.  Not many times in my life has that happened. I also love Norway. Tromso is a spectacular place.
French national Sprint race – it was held in my home town of Chamonix. It was an amazing feeling to be racing in my own town, with friends and locals cheering, my husband and boys on the side lines too under the lights at night. I took 2nd here behind world champion L. Roux.
Q: Your background is in downhill and cross-country skiing. Why ski mountaineering now?
I grew up in New England, learning to ski in Vermont and Maine. I was an alpine skier when I was younger and really did not like it when my parents dragged me out cross-country skiing. I found it boring.
I did a couple years of alpine racing at age 13-14 at Carrabasset Valley Ski Academy in Maine, however, after ACL knee injury when I was 14 I decided to try my hand at Nordic racing. I was inspired by a teacher and coach, also a former US cross country team member.
It turned out I loved it and continued skiing in college for a few years, though, not on the high level team.  I was not so into the high competitiveness in skiing and also got quite involved in rock and ice climbing as well as telemark skiing.
Nina Silitch at Pierra Menta
Nina with her partner, Valentine Fabre, climbing the Grand Mont at Pierra Menta 2012. (Photo by Xtof Aubonnet, from Nina's blog.)
I did not even know what ski mountaineering skis were until 2001 when we moved to Chamonix and in 2002 I tried my first pair when I joined my husband (High-Alpine Mountain Guides) on haute route trip.
I did my first ski mountaineering uphill race in 2005 after my first son was born in 2004. I loved the challenge of getting up the mountain and the fun ambience after the race with a nice pasta meal.
Eventually I learned that there were more than just uphill races. It really was not until we moved back to Chamonix after living in Switzerland that I really discovered the sport.
The first race I did my youngest was about 10 months old, I was still breast feeding. But I managed to go do the race and get back for the evening feed.
I grew to love all that skimo encompasses: the challenge of the climbs, the thrill of the descents, the technical aspects of the climbing. It combined endurance, skill, power and the beauty of mountains.
Q: There is quite a difference between the number of men and women athletes taking part in ski mountaineering racing. Is this only at the faster level or is it similar at the local races throughout Europe?
I think like most endurance sports – trail running or mt. biking – there are less women in theses sports. There are less women in general but I am pleased to see the pool of women growing in the sport.
I encourage women to get out and try it, not by shy. Start with an uphill, like I did.
Q: Why do you think more women don’t race? Because I don’t think it is a “manly sport” as all the girls that are racing are great looking. 😉
In Europe it is not a new sport, but rooted in the Alps. Yet, still the pool of women is much smaller than men.
In North America it is a newer sport but it’s great to see it growing like mt biking grew in the 90’s.
I think that sometimes the technical aspects of the sport can be intimidating but also the price of the equipment is an issue.
Q: Do you have any advice for the skimo community (organizers, novices, ski partners…) that could help to raise this number?
I am all for empowering women in sport, especially this sport.
Holding Women specific ski-mo clinics, camps or workshops is a great way to start. Races can give ½ price entries to women or even have uphill climbs that have free entries for women.
Offer community slide shows or presentations by athletes who race at a higher level, and include women to speak at these events.
Q: You obviously spend lots of time training but you have two young sons. How do you balance it?
Nina Silitch with sons at Pierra Menta 2012.
Nina Silitch with her sons at Pierra Menta 2012. (From Nina's blog.)
It is definitely a balancing act to train and race at a high level and be a mother.
In the winter I actually train less than I would in the fall when I am really doing more volume training.
During competition season this year the volume is lower as more time is spent racing and recovering. As an “older” athlete I have learned that I need more recovery time and the importance of listening to what I need.
With that said there are certain times in the competition season where the volume can be up as high as 20hrs, but mostly 12-15hrs not including racing.
This year, I raced 20 races – 7 world cups, 3 grande courses, 3 national championships as well as some smaller local races.
My boys do join me on hikes, bike rides and skis. I try to include them as much as possible in my training, and sometimes I have no choice so I make it work.  My older son is passionate about skiing. This year he tried skinning with Nordic skis and a narrow pair of skins.
Q: You live in Chamonix, a town with rich history of steepest skiing. Is that the reason?
We moved to Chamonix about 10 years ago when my husband completed his international mountain guides certification UIAGM. He was one of the first Americans to hold this certification. For a mountain guide, Chamonix is really the ideal place to work, as you can come home at night.
Q: Dreams for the future?
I have a dream of continuing to live a balanced lifestyle that integrates sports in the mountains, good health and wellness combined with family and friends.
I hope the sport of ski mountaineering continues to grow. I am proud to be a part of that growth and would like to see more women in the sport, more athletes in general as well as one day it become an Olympic sport.
I helped start the ski mountaineering club in Chamonix 3 years ago with only 5 members. This year I have taken over the role of the President and our membership has grown to almost 70 members. This is a great step in the right direction.
Q: Any advice for the racing folks back on the NA continent?
Keep helping the sport grow, especially with the younger athletes. It is with the youth that we can really start to develop the skimo programs. Offer camps and mentorship programs in schools and ski clubs/partnerships with ski shops.
Keep bringing on more racers that can excel against the Europeans who have been doing it for so long.

Thank you

Thank you Nina for sharing your experiences, dreams and inspiration with us.
» Nina Silitch blog

Transcript from a live Twitter interview with Reiner Thoni (North American ski mountaineering champion)

By Leave a Comment

The following is a transcript from a live interview we did (@Skintrack) with Reiner Thoni (@ReinerThoni) on February 20, 2012 using Twitter. It was a great 2h session with about 20 people listening in.
Couple of questions came also from our audience (Skintrack’s Twitter followers) by which they qualified for a draw to win two light avalanche shovels. The winners were announced a day later, see at the very bottom of this page.
Reiner Thoni interviewHow to read the interview:
1. Text in bold are questions either from Skintrack or posted by us that people wanted us to ask.
2. Reiner’s answers are all in normal text, sometimes preceded with @ReinerThoni (his Twitter handle).
3. Italic text are our comments or additions to Reiner’s answers. They are sometimes preceded with @Skintrack (our Twitter handle).

Background questions

Q: You are 27, when did you start backcountry skiing?
I have early childhood memories of touring into huts. However it wasn’t until after adolescents that it became a regular part of my life.
Q: At what age did you start ski mountaineering racing?
At the age of 21 Mr. Ian Gale introduced me to the inaugural Sunshine 5000. Life hasn’t been the same since… 😉
Mr. Ian Gale is @goldenskimo – http://goldenskimo.wordpress.com
Q: What were your first racing experiences like? What did you think of the sport?
Moving through the mountains fast was exhilarating it was the fuel. @greghill2mil handed me race skis + inspiration that was the spark.
Greg Hill is @greghill2mil – http://www.greghill.ca

Reiner Thoni racing in Andorra skimo World Champs 2010.
Only learning yet already strong. Racing the vertical at World Champs in Andorra 2010.
Q: Did you compete in any other sport before skimo racing?
Growing up in Jasper National park we didn’t have many organized sports, just racing each other through the bush and building forts. 🙂
Q: Which race in last 2-3 years challenged you the most or who? And why?
Depends on the day but Brendon French (former American skimo champion) has put on the most hurt. @slukenelson and Andrew McNab are also guilty of that. The Pierra Menta in 2011.
Luke Nelson (American skimo team member) is @slukenelson.
Q: You greatly listen to your body and mind. Do you follow any training plans?
I let my body and mind dictate my plan. I have written things down in the past but no more. Learning to eliminate unnecessary stress is key!
@Skintrack: I like that a lot 🙂

About Reiner’s diet

Q: You are a lifelong vegan, looks like it suits you well. Is your family completely vegan too?
My dad and I are the diehards although we all like to eat a healthy balanced diet.
Q: What is your usual pre-race breakfast? I saw you eat a bowl of quinoa for breakfast when racing at World Champs in Italy last year.
Oatmeal or Quinoa with some fruit, peanut butter and hemp or Chia seeds. mmmmm POWER FOOD 🙂
Oatmeal is my usual though.
Q: Reiner, until about a year ago you did not drink or ate anything during races. How did you do it?
In my mind I would normally go without food or water for 3 hours so why any different on race day. Ignorance is bliss.
Q: Do you bring any drink or food now?
I went full circle from nothing to salad dressing jars full of date goop to now a gel of natural honey with 300-500ml water + rock salt.
Q: Have you ever used any food or sport supplements? Whether for racing or just skiing?
Mother Nature seems to work in harmony. Isolating things causes problems. The extra money on organic food is a much better option.
Fresh varieties of local organic fruits, veggies, seeds, grains, nuts, mixed with creativity and love are the corner stones to a healthy diet.
Q: You seem to have a lower maximum and racing heart rate than most. Could this be due to your diet? Or do you have a theory?
@Skintrack: Don’t be mistaken if it seems like Reiner attended some seminar on vegan diet and mind control, he lives this way since a small boy.
I feel the rate is genetically determined, however, the quality of what you are pumping makes a big difference in how the engine preforms.

Questions from our Twitter followers

@slukenelson asks: Does Reiner’s homebrew gel concoction contain some type of doping agent? 🙂 (I think that’s his secret to success)
@ReinerThoni: Not sure if the Euros would approve but date goop and honey seems legal enough 😉
@Skintrack: I think it is the love with which he prepares the 300ml of H2O with honey before each race :))
@JeremyRietmann asks: How does race time correlate to gear weight? If you drop 20% in gear weight, what % faster you expect to go?
@ReinerThoni: I have done experiments with different gear on a controlled hill. I found over a 40 min climb losing 400 gram per foot saved about 50 sec.
Articulation of the boot plays a role as well as steepness but moving from 1kg boots to a 0.5 kg PG I would expect around 2% improvement..
@Skintrack: Jeremy, there likely is a difference between dropping 400g from 3kg vs from 1.5kg.
Reiner, I would agree on those 2%, which is 1min 12 sec over an hour of climbing.
@NiallGCanada asks: What training tips do you recommend for guys that live in a city (Calgary) and have limited access to the mountains?
@ReinerThoni: When the environment doesn’t invite you to play I think it’s important to be creative and find something to motivate you. Challenges work!
See how fast you can make it up that hill or to that post. Bringing a dog helps change the perspective they find pleasure in the darkest places.
@Skintrack: Niall, doesn’t have to be specific (gym, run). Try to find every week a great challenge, after some time you will have a library of sessions.
@AndrewJPinfold asks: To win the NorthAm champs what kind of VAM/hr were you doing on the climbs?
@Skintrack: It likely was around1100m/hr. Hard to compare to cycling though because of very varied terrain (and quality of tracks) in skimo races.
The best (@kilianj) did 3000m race on groom-ish runs (controlled environment) in 2h17m. About 1h50m was for going up, so 3000m in 1h50m :))
If you wonder what VAM/hr is, then it’s what skimo world calls “vertical speed”.
For full Wikipedia definition see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity_Ascended,_Metres_per_hour

Continuing after the readers’ questions

Reiner Thoni powder skiing.
Enjoying some great powder around his beloved Valemount, BC.
Q: You skied Mount Robson with your brother in September. Was this the 2nd descent of Robson? Was it the same route as the 1st descent?
There isn’t much record keeping but I know of 2 other occasions that it was skied from top to bottom. We did a similar descent as the 1st.
For more info see my blog –  http://theoutsideout.blogspot.com/2011/09/robson-skimountaineering.html
Q: You skied Robson on skimo racing Trab skis and Pierre Gignoux carbon racing boots. Did you question this light equipment choice at any point?
Originally, I was nervous but with a year of hard skiing on it I felt comfortable after double checking all the rivets and leavers.
Q: Back to racing questions: You (and I) recommend more people to try skimo racing. What good reasons can you provide?
It’s a gate way to moving light and fast in the mountains, inspiring you to train and learn the fastest possible way. Amazing people…
Q: You are a big competitor but friendly as hell 🙂 quite a happy guy no matter what. What is your philosophy that always keeps you smiling?
I try to keep things in perspective and not get caught up in small stuff. We are the creators of our thoughts and we have control over this.
Q: Besides bigger engines, what do you think North Americans are lacking to start placing in top 10 or top 20 at world level skimo races?
The major thing we lack is the support that the European nations get from both their communities and government. It’s like hockey over there!
@Skintrack: Well, we are building the community right now 🙂
Q: What mountain/sporting/athletic performance do you really dig? Or whom?
Tooshay 🙂
@Skintrack: Prince Albert steering the bobsleigh down the Salt Lake City track? :))
I dig what @kilianj is doing right now in both Ultra running and Skimo racing. Following his heart, I think that’s inspiration for us all.
Kilian Jornet (currently the fastest skimo racing athlete in the world) is @kilianj.
@DavidDornian asks: Is it productive to train transitions or is a little practice now and then enough?
You can even do it inside on cardboard if there isn’t any white stuff outside.
@Skintrack: At first, quantity helps to improve quality but later on occasional brushing should be
@Skintrack: I once read that “excellence is not a skill, but practicing one skill until becomes second nature is.”

Snow shovel winners

@Skintrack tweeted a day later:
Snow shovel winners from last night’s interview with @ReinerThoni are @JeremyRietmann and @AndrewJPinfold, will contact you for your shipping addresses.

Did you like the interview?

We got a great response on the interview from our Twitter followers.
What do you think? Should we do more of these? What questions you want us to ask in the future?

Videos: Tour du Rutor challenging Pierra Menta for the most beautiful skimo stage race

By 5 Comments

Stage racing is a well known racing format in road cycling and mountain biking but not much in ski mountaineering world. I believe it is a great format for any endurance sport and especially a sport where we travel fast, over challenging terrain, with tons of views on high-traverse like routes.
Over the past weekend I paid attention to results from Tour du Rutor, a 3 day skimo stage race in Italy, and I want to share with you great videos the organizers put together from each stage this year.
Of course, Pierra Menta (4 days) in France is the biggest skimo stage race but it looks like Tour du Rutor is as beautiful.
I participated in Pierra Menta in 2010 with other Canadian Skimo Team members and learnt about Rutor that same year. Pierra Menta was hands down the best skimo racing experience I ever had but a year from the next edition I am thinking about the Rutor as well 😉

All videos from Tour du Rutor and Pierra Menta, both 2012

This is a true skimo racing porn – 3 stages from TdR and 4 from PM. You need only 38min to watch all 7 videos in one shot.
 Stage 1 – Tour du Rutor 2012

Stage 2 – Tour du Rutor 2012

Stage 3 – Tour du Rutor 2012

Stage 1 – Pierra Menta 2012

Stage 2 – Pierra Menta 2012

Stage 3 – Pierra Menta 2012 (over Grand Mont)

Stage 4 – Pierra Menta 2012

Ken Jones Classic 2012 report & results – Lake Louise skimo challenge

By 2 Comments

On Saturday 24, 2012 the Lake Louise Ski Area hosted its second Ken Jones Classic Ski Mountaineering Challenge:

  • Reiner Thoni wins the men’s category on the elite course
  • Melanie Bernier does the same in women’s category
  • 16-year old junior Martin Carnogursky completes the whole elite course
  • Another junior wins overall in women’s category on the shorter Enduro course
  • Joel Bartley wins men’s category over the Enduro course

» Full results: Ken Jones Classic 2012 results (in PDF)

Junior racer conquers the whole Elite course!

“Only through challenging myself can I know how much I can handle, and improve from there.”

The following report was submitted by Martin Canorgursky, a 16-year old junior racer, who went on to complete the full length elite course! I took Martin to his first race in 2011 and he liked it instantly. For the 2011/12 season he prepared with some experience under his belt – mostly by practicing karate 😉 In the coming years living somewhere else than Surrey, BC can surely help.

Lake Louise skimo race 2012
Photos from Martin's head-cam nicely show the racing experience of any skimo racer. (Martin Carnogursky, from Ken Jones Classic at Lake Louise)
The Ken Jones Classic marked the end of the ski-mountaineering racing season for me this year. For those who aren’t familiar with the event, it is held in Lake Louise and this year was the second annual race.
Racers were divided into two categories: “Elite” and “Enduro”. The “Enduro” race featured three climbing segments, three descents, and one bootpacking section, adding up to approximately 1000m of climbing. The “Elite” race had all of the climbs and descents of the “Enduro”, with an additional climb bringing the total vertical gain to around 1700m.
For this race, I decided to challenge myself and undertake the “Elite” course. As a junior racer and the youngest competitor, I usually compete under the “Enduro” category, but after a successful race at Alpental Vert Fest I felt confident I could handle the longer course.
I was a little misinformed about the length of the “Elite” course, thinking it to be 1500m of climbing, only a few more than at Alpental. And with permission from the course marshal, I signed up for the “Elite” race. 🙂
On Saturday, the day of the race, we woke to a clear morning hinting of a bluebird day to come. Panoramic view of the surrounding mountains greeted us at the starting line. It was a crisp -12 degrees, but the sun lessened the cold.
At 8:30, we started off on the first ascent. Halfway up, I paused to take a drink from my hydration pack, only to find a frozen tube! I had made a classic amateur mistake, and unknowingly left my water tube to freeze over. I continued to climb, but the hydration pack was my only water and it was inaccessible.
For the first downhill, we skied one of the backside chutes, where I encountered another setback. For this race, I had a shorter and narrower pair of skis which I had not skied steep runs on before. In the chute, I skied a little too aggressively, trying to link longer turns as I would with my larger skis.
I hit a small burl and started to tumble. I slid down 40 or so metres, until I finally regained control and stopped. Fortunately, my bindings had released, but my skis were a long ways uphill from me. A helpful racer above me passed me my skis, and I was off again. I finished the descent and started on the second climb.
By this time, I was starting to feel the thirst. I had to stop for ten minutes and put my water reservoir along with the tubing inside my jacket, so it would unfreeze. Although this wasted precious time, I couldn’t simply not drink for the next two hours. After that problem was solved the rest of the race went smoothly.
Once the bootpack was over with, the course took me to another section of the Lake Louise ski area. This was the last long climb, in the Larch area. The previous three climbs had worn me out, so I had to slow down the pace. During the last stretch, I was very tired and continued at a snail’s pace, forging on uphill. Finally, I reached the top.
The last descent was a long one, starting on a nice run and finishing with a flat cat-track exit with plenty of skating. After over four hours, I finally finished the race. 🙂
I’m glad that I finished the longer course but it definitely pushed me to the limits. I know for next year that I’ll have to train a lot more to better handle a longer course like this one. Nevertheless, I feel it was necessary for me to do the “Elite” race, because only through challenging myself can I know how much I can handle, and improve from there.

Juniors, parents – don’t hold back

For any juniors or parents thinking about their teenagers participating in skimo racing – don’t hold back, try it. As you see, it doesn’t matter where you live because you never know how the experience will form your future passions and weekend activities.

Ken Jones Classic Ski Mountaineering Challenge – Lake Louise, Mar 24, 2012

By Leave a Comment

Ken Jones ski mountaineering skimo raceLake Louise Ski Area will be hosting the 2nd annual Ken Jones Classic on March 24th, 2012. This ski mountaineering challenge will be the last race on the Canadian skimo calendar this season.
Lake Louise Ski Area partnered with the Alpine Club of Canada to organize this event and they are promising true ski mountaineering courses, great fun, $1000 cash purse and lots of draw prizes.

Ken Jones Classic quick facts

» $70 (youth only $35) will sign you up, pay for your day lift ticket and more!
» race poster for Ken Jones Classic skimo race (in PDF)
Schedule – all is happening on Saturday, Mar 24th:

  • 7.00am – Check-in (bibs pickup, last opportunity to register) in the Great Bear Room in the Lake Louise ski area Base Complex
  • 7.30am – Race briefing (course presentation), should be same place
  • after the briefing a special lift will be running to take all up to the Whitehorn start

Two race courses:

  • The Youth and Enduro courses will climb from Whitehorn Lodge, over the Summit, to Richardson’s Ridge, and back to the Base Area finish by way of Temple Lodge – approximately 620 metres / 2000 feet of climbing and descending.
  • The Race/Elite course will add an ascent through Rock Garden, over Larch, and a descent of Elevator Shaft to make for 5000+ feet of vertical gain.
  • Both routes exit down the ski out for final skate to the finish.

Categories:

  • Men, Women
  • Youth, Elite, Enduro

Registration:

  • Entry fees: $70 adults, $35 for youth 19 and under
  • online registration is available – www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/skimo
  • or call 403-678-3200 (extension 108) to inquire, pay, or enlist directly
  • there will be race day registration at 7.00am sharp

» First timers might want to check out this article: 6 tips to get you ready for your first skimo race
» To train your transitions see videos: ski mountaineering racing transitions with Reiner Thoni

How to choose the right length (and kind) of skimo racing poles for you

By 10 Comments

Some time ago someone posted a question on Skintrack about ski poles for skimo/rando racing. It never got fully addressed.
Recently, @peteyknight asked about skimo racing ski poles length during our live Twitter interview with Reiner Thoni. And I bet you are asking the same, so I decided to share some personal experience and discuss the topic more.

ski mountaineering racing world championships
Top 3 from vertical race at 2010 World Champs: in blue Dennis Brunod (he seems about 170-175cm tall), Florent Perrier in red/blue (about 180cm tall), behind Kilian Jornet was about to pass them, more on him below.
Feel free to share your experience and thoughts in the comments below. It will open more opportunities to benefit yourself in finding the most suitable poles for you.

Previous personal experience with racing poles

As anyone I started skimo racing with normal ski poles with full baskets, don’t remember the exact length though. There is nothing wrong with that as during this time you should be evaluating other aspects of your experience more, such as: “Do you like this type of racing? What turns you on to come back?”
After getting inspired by super-fast Euros I decided to put more energy into skimo racing. I noticed that their poles were longer than usual backcountry ski poles and that they were actually cross-country ski poles (smaller baskets too).
To shorten the story, I ended up with 140cm cross-country poles. I am 186cm (6’ 1.2”) tall so it seemed appropriate until I noticed that my shoulders and arms were getting quite tired even mid-way through each race. But still stuck with them.
Few years later a friend from a Spanish skimo team gave me his 130cm Ski Trab poles, he was about 170cm (5’ 7”). Sure, 130cm felt a bit short but was more comfortable on the steeps, in the switchbacks and on the downhills. I stuck with these for few seasons (they were free, eh) until I lost one. Then the dilemma began again. What length?

My racing poles now

In the last three seasons I use 135cm cross-country ski poles and find that length the most suitable overall. As I mentioned above, I am 186cm. My arm span (Wikipedia on arm span) is 186cm too which gives me about an average height to arm span ratio (this ratio is different for women). I am providing this info since I believe it is important to consider also your arm span, not just your height, when choosing your poles.

Some thoughts and examples

Perhaps, a super ideal length for my skimo race poles lies somewhere between 135 and 140cm. However, it is very difficult to objectively select the right one, so by relying on my feelings I am leaning towards 135-138cm, and only maybe 140cm for a flat vertical race.
This leads me to believe that some of the most advanced skimo racers would use, and train to effectively use, two different lengths. In the same time I believe it is very individual.
What length other people use:
Reiner Thoni at cca 188cm (6′ 2″) – 140cm poles (NA and Canada’s skimo champ).  You can read our interview by following Skintrack on Twitter and diggind in our history. The transcript is coming here soon.
Peter Svatojansky at 186cm (6′ 1″) – 138cm poles (podiums at Pierra Menta, World and Euro Champs). Read an older interview with Peter where he provided his ski poles info.
Melanie Bernier at 175cm (5′ 9″) – 130cm poles (3 x Canadian champ and a 5th place from a sprint race at World Champs 2011).
Kilian Jornet at 171cm (5′ 7″) – (best of the best last 3 years) from photos Kilian seems to be using quite long poles for his height, I would guess around 135cm. I also guess that he would be the one to use two different lengths – for individual race and for a vertical.
This video does a good job of showing how long poles the best use (in proportion). Not the best quality but you will get the idea:

How to choose your skimo (randonnee) racing poles?

Since all competitive skimo racers use cross-country (xc) style poles I suggest you consider them as well. Just be careful to pick the ones where hand straps can be easily removed.
Length:
Consider that the poles length should be suitable for all aspects of skimo racing – skinning, bootpack, and downhill.
Since most of xc poles can be cut to adjust length I would  suggest this formula:

  • if you are 190cm+ tall (6’ 3” +) buy 145cm and you can either cut them or keep as is
  • if you are 180-190cm (5’ 11” to 6’ 3”) buy 140cm, cut or keep
  • 170-180cm (5’ 7” to 5’ 11”) buy 135cm, cut or keep
  • 160-170cm (5’ 3” to 5’ 7”) buy 130cm, cut or keep
  • 160cm and less (less than 5’ 3”) probably buy 130cm, then cut or keep

Material and weight:
You have couple of choices:

  • Carbon is very strong and very light but most expensive. Need to be careful not to fall on them because it breaks, does not bend.
  • Aluminum is less expensive, strong but heavier than carbon or composite. Makes for a good beginner or training poles. Usually bends when you fall on it – you can still finish the race. Cheap aluminum poles bend way too much when you put lots of your weight on it, they are too soft.
  • Composite poles are a mix of materials. Price, weight and performance varies quite a bit. Similar qualities as carbon.
  • Fiberglass probably comes only with composites these days. I find it a bit too “bendy” when loaded.

Baskets:
Some xc poles come with very small baskets. You don’t want those. You need something smaller than backcountry skiing pole baskets but still big enough to provide some support when the snow is deep.
Figuring out the length:
See the length formula above before buying. Then it will take some time (maybe even few seasons) to find your ideal.
How about figuring this out with a length-adjustable mountaineering pole?
This only works if you manage to restrict how much of the tip sinks into the snow. Usually, tips on mountaineering telescopic poles can go as deep as 5-6cm. You want to restrict your test poles that only up to 1cm punches in, and then you can use this length as a reference.

What poles do you use? Questions, thoughts?

Share what poles you use and how tall you are. Or if you have any questions use the comments below to ask.

Face shots at ROAM Randonnee Rally – ski mountaineering race at Whitewater (Nelson, BC)

By 2 Comments

With Whitewater’s excellent ski resort terrain, backcountry and an original vibe it is only logical that it hosts an event from Canada’s skimo racing calendar. The race is also one of many events that take place over the weekend-long annual Cold Smoke Powder Fest.
And why ROAM? Simply, ROAM (Rivers, Oceans and Mountains) is a great store with the best outdoor equipment in the center of Nelson, BC.  It is one of the main forces behind the whole festival and the skimo race, to which the store lends its name.

The race the strongest man won

After about 30h of snowfall, combined with a newer (longer) course, the race was set to be a “skins’ glue game” and a great endurance challenge. These conditions also meant that the pack of front hounds was kept somewhat together until the second to last descent.

ROAM randonnee rally race course 1
This shows the first loop of the course dominated by a long traverse on a wide ridge leading over the top of White Queen. The descent (marked red) under the big alpine basin brought racers back to the ski area.
From the very start Andrew McNab took it by the horns. Only on few occasions I (Stano Faban) was able to bridge up to him and break the trail. Others were always very close; among them Canada’s fastest girl Melanie Bernier.
First climb was a short 3min sprint up a cat track road. Then a quick treed descent onto cross country trails for about 5min of on-and-off skating. After that a long climb (500m) in the trees took us up on the shoulder. We followed it up and down (about 200m) for another 20+ minutes. Then finally a proper descent with lots of face shots brought us to the heart of the ski area.
Andrew left this bottom transition with 1-2 minute lead with another 5 of us closely together. From here on he marched like a man possessed. I managed to keep his lead in check and shed the others but only by following in his tracks. This climb (about 350m) was split with a tough boot-pack and delivered us on top of a great powder run called Elevator Shaft.
ROAM randonnee rally skimo race course 2
The start/finish are was just below the skins-on transition Andrew left with some lead. Course lead up Mother Load, boot-packed to the ridge, ski down Elevator Shaft and the drainage below. Then back over the long ridge, ski down through the saddle and Mother Load to the finish.
Throughout the whole race, especially on the last climb (about 500m), Andrew did huge amounts of work and even though I caught him before the top I was totally happy to let him ski for glory from this last top transition. And that is not to say that he needs any head start when it comes to skiing 😉
Behind us, over the last hour of racing, positions were exchanged regularly until the very end. Peter Knight bested Melanie Bernier and Nick Elson to the line and rounded the men’s podium while Melanie took the women’s top prize in front of Julie Matteau and Alexandra Dubois.
The race was long (new snow and 1610m of climbing in total) with Andrew winning in 2h 47min and the rest of us trickling in behind him in about 1-2min intervals.

Full results

» Men’s Race course
» Women’s Race course
» Men’s Rec course
» Women’s Rec course