The Silitch Family- Adventures in the Alps and Beyond

New Blog Site: www.ninasilitch.com

2010-09-28T22:59:00.002Z

I am transitioning to a new site. You can click on the link www.ninasilitch.com

and find all the recent news and posts there.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!!

Sierre Zinal 2010

2010-08-24T21:25:00.002Z

The Sierre-Zinal, also called The Race of the Five 4000 m Peaks, might be called by some, one of the finest mountain races in the world. "It was once written that it is to mountain races what the New York Marathon is to marathons. It is the oldest mountain race in its category in Europe." With that said, I am a little bias, as I think the race in my own back yard is one of the most beautiful trail races, the Marathon or Cross du Mont Blanc. The Sierre Zinal could be compared to the NYC marathon, though I have never run it, as there are sure a lot of runners on the trail. The most challenging part for me on the course was trying to pass people on the technical narrow trail, and not being agro enough-yelling, pass or course or what ever you can say to get the guy to move over! Next time!

This course takes place in the heart of the Valais Alps of Switzerland, not too far from my home in Chamonix. This year, held on August 8th. It is 31km w/ 2200 meters of ascent and 800 m of descent. This year it was fun to see a bunch of ski mountaineering folks racing, and a change to see them out of their lycra full piece race suits in summer! Kilian Jornet, won the race for the 2nd year in a row despite getting a bad bee sting the day prior. It was fun to have my pal Lyndsay on course too cheering from her bike!

This was the 2nd time I did Sierre Zinal, the first being 2 years ago. I think after the first time I vowed never to do it again, but somehow forgot the pain and there I was running again this year, up that steep first hill with a crowd of people. As 007 says, Never say Never Again. This year I managed to shave off 30 minutes from my time 2 years ago, finishing under my goal of 4 hours in 3:50, despite the severe calf cramp that arrived with 1 km to go to the finish. I Finished overall men and women 224th out of 989 finishers and 18th overall out of 224 for women .

Blueberry Picking with the Boys

2010-08-23T22:26:00.003Z

We did not make it to Maine this summer to taste real Maine blueberries, but still managed to pick some wild blueberries at Col des Possettes in Le Tour. The boys came home with enough for blueberry muffins and some left over for cereal in the morning! The picking is not over yet!

Here is a slide show

USA Trip- Summer 2010

2010-08-05T22:49:00.001+01:00

Summer Memories from the boys' great trip to visit Grandma in Annapolis. Clearly from the photos, they stayed active!

Here are a few photos from the adventure!

On the Run around Mt Blanc

2010-08-02T13:07:00.000+01:00

Bonjour, Ciao, Salut...are just some of the greetings you will hear on the Tour du Mont Blanc. Rather than completing it in the typical 10-12 day fashion, our recent Running Tour du Mt Blanc was 6 days. What a great way to travel through through 3 countries, France, Italy and Switzerland, trace the route of the famous Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and work on some endurance trail running at the same time! Surely tasting good food and drink came with the territory too!. More tales from these trails coming soon!

Here are some photos from our adventure around Mt Blanc.

Tour of the Berner Oberland

2010-07-27T06:53:00.004+01:00

Grüezi! Tales from the trails of the Bernese Oberland coming soon! In the meantime, here are a couple photo albums to give just a taste of the amazing journey from Lauenen to Wengen.

If you are crazy about flowers like me, you will enjoy this album. I am still working on identifying the common English names, as well as the latin, and French. The German will have to wait.

Nina-2nd Place: Gran Trail Valdigne

2010-07-11T23:00:00.013+01:00

A few photos from the: Grand Trail Valdigne in Aosta valley on Saturday July 10th, not too far from my home in Chamonix. I have always wanted to do this race, but normally am not around in July. It is always fun to race in Italy. You are assured a great cappuccino- great pasta and of course limoncello. This was about one of the most memorable trail races I have done and by far my best result yet. The total distance was 41km and 3100 m of climbing (elevation gain). It was super technical, and varied terrain, all of which I love. Needless to say I expected to be out there for around 7 hrs and rolled in about 7:15 placing 2nd overall for the women and 14th overall for men and women with the men's finishing time just an hour before.

The race started at 10am, not sure why so late, maybe the Italians like to have their late espresso. It was hot already, pushing 85 degrees (25c) and climbing. Humid too.

We started in the village of Morgex with the runners for the big race (87km). The first climb was a monster. 2000 meters and climbed up to snow!

It was great along the way at one aid station they had set up a portable shower to cool off. This entire climb took me about 2:18 min till the top! Whew...and then a fun glissade through the snow fields.

The course then rolled a bit and then climbed up another technical steep couloir- quite impressive and reminded me of boot packs in ski mountaineering. I thought we were done climbing but my altimeter said, no- there's more and there sure was, some more rolling up and down, followed by another big one that followed a beautiful high crest, again very similar to some of the technical ridges in ski alpinisme. Super fun to scramble over rocks on the arrete looking down to the valley below.

After that, it was a good 10km of downhill and this is where the fun began. I was testing a pair of Hoka Mafate's and really flew.
I managed to pass the women in I could see the dark thundercloud approaching and it did not hit til I was down in the forests of the larch trees. The terrain on the Italian side of Mt Blanc is much drier, with beautiful pine and larch forests.

The rain hit hard and it was refreshing in the 90 degree heat. Rain, thunder, lightening and even hail stones! There were times when I was running through ankle and calf deep rushing rivers. It was not until the rain started that my fucsia pink mini shuffle died. Sigh... I had about 1 hr left of running, but Lady Gaga and a few others did a great job of keeping me going for the 6 hours prior! Grazie for the tunes! Love to run with them. And Bravo to my friends of the CMBM club who did a great race, both the small and big.

If you are thinking of racing in Italy, don't hesitate! You will love it!

Below a slide show from the race:

More tales from the trails to coming soon! Next stop Hiking in the Berner Oberland!

Cross and Marathon du Mt Blanc

2010-07-05T20:05:00.007+01:00

The Cross and Marathon du Mont Blanc weekend, is always a big one in Chamonix. This year, the weekend of June 26/27th, the Cross brought over 1300 runners and the marathon over 2300 runners! The weekend was superbly organized by the Chamonix Club des Sports and all their volunteers including my local running club CMBM. Hard to believe that so many folks want to put themselves through such a challenge! Having said that, I signed up for the challenge of Cross this year, the shorter of the 2 races with 23km and 1454 meters of elevation gain.

The start of the Cross

While running, I took a moment to look around, which I don't always do while racing, and hands down, it has to be one of the most beautiful running courses out there with the back drop of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix Aiguilles. Stunningly beautiful really!

Taking a minute to look around

It was great to see my CMBM friends at the Flegere aid station. I grabbed a coke and headed onto Brevent with a little left in my legs to the finish. With not too many expectations, other than a goal to finish under 3 hrs, I managed to come in at 2:45 which put me in 11th overall for the women out of 379 women total.

The finish of the Cross and Marathon at Planpraz

I was not the only one in the family racing. While my start gun went off at 8:30 am, my two boys were getting ready for their race- The Mini Cross which went off at 10:30. Anders was keen to run as his pal Ethan. And Birken had some pals from school running as well. They did great, finishing their 800 meters around the parapente field and into the woods and proudly wore their finishing metals.

Anders and Ethan at the Finish

It was hot, real hot and it only got hotter the next day for the marathon runners. I was a volunteer at the Vallorcine aid station. It was great to be on the other side, seeing how much really does go into an aid station: We were there hours early cutting up fruit, salami, granola bars and lugging water and coke bottles. It is quite a rush when the runners come through and impressive to see all the types, young and old, tall and short passing through at all times.

The timing was done by Live Trail which also does the timing for the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc races, Trail Verbier-St Bernard and also Trail des Aiguilles Rouges. It is an impressive service as you can follow any runner on the web and see where they are and what check point they have gone through.

Preparing the aid station -Vallorcine

So if you are looking for a trail race to do think about the Cross or Marathon du Mont Blanc next year, but sign up early as the entries fill up fast.

Don't Forget your SportLegs

Summer Skiing at Flegere

2010-06-28T21:00:00.005+01:00

Nina taking advantage of the copious amounts of snow still at Flegere which is now open for the summer season!

Recovering with SportLegs
View of Les Drus
The sheep love the snow too!

Happy Land & Tour de Suisse- Stage 2

2010-06-15T20:46:00.005+01:00

Sortie to Happyland

The Chamonix Judo club spent their end of year outing to Happyland in Switzerland, just past Sion in Switzerland tucked against the wine vineyards in the heart of Valais. My youngest son, Anders said, "Mommy, is Happyland is a place where you get happy?" Surely it did make them happy! It was like pulling teeth getting both boys to leave.

Upon return traffic was blocked by some police and we curiously pulled off the road to find it was stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse. Cool...we got to see the cyclists pass by 2x going up and down a hill. It was exciting, and even more exciting was that Lance Armstrong was riding among the group. Here are some photos from the race.

Michael road all the way from Chamonix and to Saint Leonard- Granges - 84Km and was able to catch the riders coming through. Here he is about to sign on to Team Radio Shack.

Bravo!

The IRON Terrific-

2010-06-14T21:08:00.002+01:00

June 12, 2010.... A race apart from any other race.
You have all heard of biathlons and triathlons, this was a septathlon: It consisted of a multitude of events. Normally this race, held at the famous Swiss Ski Resort, Crans Montana in the canton of Valais, is done as a team. 2010 was the first year the Terrific had an IRON division. Somehow I decided to take on this challenge, along with 4 other women and 35 men. There were over 150 teams in the relay division.

Here were the multitude of sports involved and the order for the IRON division:

1. Swimming: 600 meters in a high alpine lake of 14-16 degrees (wetsuit required!) Believe me, you want that baby and make it a full one! I am no expert swimmer, learned to dog paddle when I was younger and can make my way across a pool. My few sessions with theChamonix Adult Swim group have improved my stroke but I am no Dara Torres that is forsure.

2. Mt Biking #1: 7.5 km 750 m climbing on a 10% grade!- Pretty new to this one....still have my Gary Fisher Paragon from 10 years ago- front suspension- but happy to go up!

3. Trail Running #1: 4.5km, -300 m descent and +240 climbing- Love this but managed to get lost on this one and was wandering around for about what felt like 5min

4. Ski Mountaineering: 4.5km, 650m climbing, -90 descent- don't need to say any more here! Love this one!

5. Cross Country Skiing on Glacier at 2700m: 4.8km, -110, +50- Love this!- super fun up high -interesting snow -can we say like mush....had to carry the skis the last little bit. My wax was super fast!! Thank you M! Double poled past many other racers!

6. Ski Mountaineering: Return +90, -650- Don't need to say much here!

7. Trail Running #2, 2.2 km, +140, -127m- Pretty technical rocky and scrambling-Fun!

8. Mt Bike #2 (down) 5.2km, -710m VERY TECHNICAL!- Was pretty much in tears on this...walked 1/2 way down. Did not crash!

9. Road Bike: 19.5km, +560 meters Got on my road by 2 times this season and 1 the year before, again no expert here but I did not crash!

10. Trail/Cross Country Run: 7km +120/-120- Fun run even though at the end, through woods and fields up and down

A few tidbits from the terrific....A gear intensive event! Had to make sure all your ducks were in a row for this one! And needed a trailer to get it all there! There was a lot of calculating on how many gels were needed throughout the race, and which sac to put them in!

Terrific Athletes happy to be done!

Severine and Nina on the Podium. The women's race was tied by the Morretti sisters, some very strong Swiss women in their late 40's (impressive), and then Severine Pont Combe 3rd- member of Swiss Ski Mountaineering Team, followed by Sabine Hammer a strong runner and ski mountaineer of Switzerland and then me! I was happy to finish, not sink in the swim or crash on my bike! Bravo to Yann, our ski mountaineering coach from Chamonix, who took 2nd for the men and to all the others who finished this crazy terrific endurance challenge!

A terrific event, well organized with a great ambiance! See you next year!

Training for the Terrific

2010-06-07T21:36:00.002+01:00

Ok, I know how to swim, did a few swim lessons when I was younger, I even did a few triathlons back in the day in college. I think one of them was even .75 miles long. I can't quite believe how I survived that one, but I did. Somehow I convinced myself to sign up for this event in Switzerland called the IronTerrific next weekend. This race starts with a 600 m swim in a high alpine lake with water temps of 14-16 degrees Celsius (58-60 f) . I had to do the conversion too! Yes, just the thought of that part would scare most people away! It sure scares me!

I managed to borrow a full body wet suit, and spent a day at the lake and got some tips from Lynds who is a real pro at swimming. My goal is to just finish that leg and not sink!! And have the energy for the next 6 legs which compose of:

Mt Biking, Mountain running, ski mountaineering, cross country skiing and back down the mt in the way you got up to your road bike and then finishing with a road run.
Lac Passy... A great place to spend a sunny Sunday in the Alps!

Monday, I decided I should probably get on my road bike even if it is just 20km that we will be biking in the race and it has been about a year it has been sitting on the wind trainer at home so...allez off we went on a

Girls ride!

Lynds, Nina and Colleen and top of Col des Montets

Lynds (definitely a rider/ triathlete with tons of ex and already has about 1000km under her belt I think! And Colleen- ex pro team rider and me...I think I have about 15 road rides in me in my life. We set out and had a ball. Road a couple cols over to Switzerland and back. Fortunately the flats were on the way back and yes the girls did a great job changing the flat. I just took notes!

Ascent of Mt Blanc on skis in a Day

2010-05-27T14:06:00.003+01:00

Monday morning at 2am we gathered at the parking of the tunnel du mt blanc for an Ascent of Mt Blanc in a day. Here is a little video of what it was like- a beautiful day!

VIDEOS: Here are a few videos that I took while climbing Mt Blanc where you can get a sense of the beautiful day we had and what the route was like. You can click on the Picassa Photo link below to take you to them. (pardon mon francais!)

Videos Ascent Mt Blanc

Mt Biking Intro

2010-05-18T12:57:00.006+01:00

We managed to escape the rain in Chamonix and head over to Valais, Switzerland for the boys and my first mt bike race in the vinyards of Saillon. Here is a little video about the adventure- subtitled- Learning to Fall- as I took at good fall on the last corner of the course- very flat, not technical at all- Michael said, just don't fall, but I did. Funnily enough I ended up in the ER in Martigny later that evening with 3 stitches in my calf. (I had it on YouTube but they pulled it for the music)

Click on the picassa photo below to see the video with music.

From Mt Biking-Learning to Fall

Michael and Birki riding up to Emosson

A Huge Thanks to my Team

2010-05-18T12:34:00.002+01:00

How do you measure success? It is a question we all ask ourselves at the end of something we have worked long and hard on. One year ago if you asked me if I was going to race at the World Cup level this year I would have probably said no. But somewhere inside of me I found the motivation and desire to reach for the stars this season and I did.

What I mean by going for it, is to take my ski mountaineering to a new level. To take my training more seriously and my goals for the season. I had two main goals: to compete in the World Cup circuit in Europe- to do almost if not all the races in the series and to also compete in the World Championships in Andorra. I realized both of these goals. I finished 7th overall in the women's world cup category, 5 individual and 2 team races. I completed in 22 races total.

"]

That is probably more than I have ever done in my life. You may be thinking, wow that is a lot, crazy! It is a lot. How did she manage to do that and have a family and train etc?

I am an artist at heart....

For me it is not the final result that is the most important but the process in getting there. In a nutshell, that is how I approach my ski mountaineering racing. Sure, to get good results in nice, and to create a beautiful piece of art is satisfying, but to me it about the process.

]pen and ink-by Nina

How do you get there? How do you balance everything in your life? Training, racing? Family? Staying on track, calm and disciplined. Lots of yoga..
a little Yoga for balance

There are days that are easier than others that is for sure. Some days you don't want to get up early and take the kids to school or go out and train in a blizzard, or cook dinner for that matter. Stay positive and upbeat even in tough moments. All these emotions can arise. I can relate this to our recent PDG team race.
] Lynds, Nina and Mona- finishing the PDG

We were a team, working together. Everyone had moments when they felt at their worst and they felt their best. As a team, we got to the finish, but again it was about the process of getting their together and remembering the power of the mind. Mental toughness....

Working together as a team

For me, I could not have had such a successful season without my "team" surrounding me: my loved ones, my family, my friends, my sponsors and other supporters that have really enabled me to make this dream possible. I am sending a huge "thank you" to all of you out there who have been part of my team! Thank you for helping me reach for the stars!

Grazie! Merci! Thank You!

Thank you! From the artist at heart!

Nina finished ranked 7th in Overall Ski Mountaineering World Cup

2010-04-30T12:43:00.001Z

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The 2010 ski mountaineering season has come to a close. It is the first time I have ever wanted to keep racing when such a long season was over. I started the season in mid December racing the first world cup in Italy and just finished the last one not long ago. I completed the entire world cup circuit, 5 individual races and 2 team races, finishing 7th overall in the ski mountaineering world cup circuit. For me it is not the final ranking that is important but the entire experience I had getting there. I am an artist and in art it is not the final result that is the most important but the process in how you get there. So much of this has been a way of life, how to manage and balance it as a mother, a partner, woman and athlete; the experience of competing at this level has been travelling to other countries, getting to know other athletes and sharing and pursuing this dream together with those close to me.

"Nina on the Valley Blanche for some end of season sunshine! "

Patrouille des Glaciers- TEAM USA Women 4th World Cup

2010-04-25T12:46:00.001Z

The Patrouille des Glaciers was the last world cup ski mountaineering race of the 2010 season. This is a famous high altitude, long distance, race done in a team of 3. We were the first all American team, all women's team, non the less, to compete and complete this famous race. The is truly a mythical event that dates back in history to as early as 1943. For more information on the PDG history click follow this link (in french). My teammate Lyndsay and I arrived in Zermatt a couple days before where we planned to join up with our other teammate Mona Merrill who was flying over from the States.

Due to the ash cloud situation, the air travel delayed her a bit, but she managed to arrive by Thursday morning with plenty of time to get settled, stretch her legs a bit and be good to go for our midnight start Friday evening.

Friday we spent part of the morning getting our equipment checked by the army.

Equipment check by Swiss Army- Everything had to be "tip-top"!

Fortunately we were give the "A Okay" by the Army....and we returned by to our hotel with a few Swiss Army issued blocks of chocolate to keep us going.

"Teams had to carry a 9m rope, ice axe, mobile phone (Swisscom) in addition to the normal safely equipment required by the ISMF

With the entry athletes were given a hotel room at random; we were lucky to get the luck of the draw- 4 star Hotel Pollux. We spent the day getting gear sorted and resting as much as possible. In the evening we went to the briefing which is a magical experience, especially when we and our equipment and the surrounding countryside were blessed by not one but two priests- one from each end of the course -Zermatt and Verbier.

"Briefing in the Church"]

To read the blessing of the race and equipment (in french) click here. We took advantage of our first class balcony view to watch the evening unfold.

All set...ready to go!

So..I had a goal of completing this race under 10 hrs. Mona was the expert in ultra distances and when we set off...the first part on foot with skis/boots strapped to our backs, her words of wisdom were..."We want to finish this race stronger than we start." Reverse splits....Don't go out too hard. We had about 1hr of running ahead of us until we put the skis on and then about 2000 meters of climbing until our first downhill, part way up that we would rope up for the glacier travel part of the course. The total distance of the race was 53km with 3394 meters of climbing Zermatt to Verbier. For a full view of the course click here:

[caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Matterhorn was truly magical on this evening with the almost full moon next to it. Sorry no photo of that! "]
Already roped up...Mona in front, then lynds then me. A beautiful evening!

We arrived in Arolla- 1/2 way point in good time. We were supposed to meet Michael there. I was looking forward to getting a new pole as someone stepped on mine in the first 15 minutes so I had been doing the race with a pole 4 inches shorted than normal and no basket. Luckily the snow was firm and it was not a huge problem. No luck, we could not find michael amougst the huge crowd in Arolla. We made due. I filled the others camelbaks while we got a bit of food and then set off not magaging to ditch our heavy lights or take advantage of the resupply paks I made. Next time we will have a big USA flag to mark the spot.

Heading up out of Arolla...4:40 am...is never easy...1/2 way through the course.. As Mona said earlier on in the race, we will all feel good and back at different times throughout the race. It was important to work together as a team and push through the tough spots. I was feeling strong still both mentally and physically despite our little setback in Arolla. The guardian angel that was mentioned in Zermatt was guiding our way.

A little Swiss flavor on Rosablanche

Crowds of people cheering helps keep you going for last big climb-RosablancheLast big push....

Gritting and bearing it here...

Final transition before a super-fun downhill on Verbier pistes!

Started on foot and finish on foot- Last 1km run to finish in Verbier!

We were greeted by my family in Verbier, a nice site to see after 9 hrs 52 minutes. Thank you!!

B with a huge smile- Great to see at the finish!

We did it! We finished as a team....under 10hrs. 4th for the World Cup Women and 7th overall scratch women. Went through night and day, sweat and chills, all kinds of snow conditions, on foot and skis. It is amazing what you can demand of your body when you put your mind to it. Great job girls! Hope to do another one again soon!

An impressive airshow by the Swiss Army to top the day off!

To read the commendants message to all participants: (in french)

LA PATROUILLE, NOTRE COMMUNE AVENTURE…

Vous qui prêterez attention à cette modeste publication, vous le ferez au-delà de la ligne d’arrivée de Verbier… Ce mot vous est donc avant tout dédié comme un hommage à votre endurance, à votre ténacité et à votre courage.
Il est aussi dédié à celles et ceux qui vous ont accompagné durant tous les multiples mois de votre entraînement et qui ont, à leur façon, - ne comptant ni les absences ni les sacrifices, tous deux nombreux, - participé à l’effort commun pour bénéficier de tous les atouts afin d’affronter la montagne et se mesurer à la Patrouille des Glaciers. Les qualificatifs me manquent pour la décrire, pour faire passer dans des phrases certes trop étriquées, les sensations, les douleurs et, tout au bout, la satisfaction d’avoir réussi à se vaincre soi-même, aidé par les deux compagnons de cordée et d’avoir été jusqu’à l’extrême de ses capacités. Comme vous, cette PDG, je l’ai faite : mes félicitations proviennent dès lors du tréfonds de moi-même et possèdent quelque chose de que nous avons physiquement et moralement en commun. Maintenant que j’ai passé de « l’autre côté du miroir », je me dois d’adresser mes remerciements à tous ceux qui se sont engagés pour que la Patrouille puisse avoir lieu et qu’elle soit cette incontournable fête du sport de nos Alpes. A l’Armée comme institution, tout d’abord, qui l’organise et met à disposition ses ressources et son savoir faire ; à tous celles et ceux qui, sous l’uniforme ou en civil, ont accepté de mettre leurs compétences, leur travail et leur coeur pour que toute la machinerie fonctionne. Sans tout cela, point de Patrouille des Glaciers. Chapeau bas, ensuite, à toutes les régions traversées, à leurs habitants et leurs autorités qui ne refusent vraiment rien pour que la course soit une réussite. Je n’oublie bien sûr pas les médias qui, chaque deux ans, ne manquent pas le rendez-vous et trouvent les nouveaux clichés et les nouveaux mots pour parler de la PDG. Alors, un mythe ? Vraiment ? Ou plutôt l’image de ce qu’on peut faire lorsque tous et chacun tirent « à la même corde ». Avec un tel état d’esprit, d’abnégation, d’enthousiasme, de sueur et de joie, le mythe est bien réalité : vous, nous, l’avons vécu. Alors une brassée de mercis qui vaut tous les records, et vive la Patrouille des Glaciers. Lt col EMG Ivo Burgener, Commandant de la Patrouille des Glaciers.

Altitude Training for the PDG

2010-04-18T12:55:00.000Z

Nina heading out for some altitude training .

The Patrouille des Glaciers is the last world cup race of the season. It is a high-altitude race, ultra distance, team race. It climbs to almost 3700 meters and it is important to be well acclimitized. Mona our teammate lives in Breckenridge,Colorado and is sleeping at 10,000 feet, and well aclimitized. Her problem is that she needs to train at a lower elevation. Lyndsay and I are lucky to live in Chamonix where we can go from the valley floor up to 12,000 feet in just a few minutes.

"Nina and Lynds with Mt Blanc in background"]

If you are not acclimatized for altitude you can feel miserable so we made our best effort doing everything from skiing up there, to eating lunch to even watching movies at the restaurant. Call us crazy, but it did work! We took advantage of this high-altitude backyard playground and did some training of our own. Here are some photos from our training.

Heading out to the Arret through the tunnel"

First morning light...."

Dolomiti di Brenta, Italy- Individual World Cup

2010-04-10T13:10:00.009Z

I arrived here yesterday in the heart of the Dolomites for the last individual world cup. This place is quite far from Chamonix- the heart of Mont Blanc, but certainly beautiful! In fact I realized I travelled not far from here (Valle di Daone) in 2001 back in the day when I was following and competing in a few Ice Climbing World Cups.

Madonna di Campliglio is a vast ski area- known as the pearl of the Brenta Dolomites and also one of the most famous ski resorts in the Alps.

Their motto is "Come ski in Heaven!"

The morning sun rays hit and I headed up the cable car to do a little reconnaissance of the course, move my legs a bit before tomorrow's big race and of course soak up some of the golden rays.

top of first climb...

A little taste heaven here...

The course looks like a long, but great technical course with, steep couloirs up and down. Here is a Link to Course Profile:

Stay tuned for more to come!

The weather forecast is superb, opposed to last weekend's Grand Beal World Cup in Arvieux, France with 45 cm of fresh snow!

images from Grand Beal World Cup

Easter Monday- Spring Sking with the boys!

2010-04-05T12:55:00.002Z

No school on Easter Monday! How 'bout skiing! The boys an I took advantage of a bluebird day and headed to La Tour for a day of skiing. Had a great meal at the Alpage de la Balme (be sure to reserve your table!) We were home in time for 4 oclock gouter and then the boys were on their bikes. Not many places in the world where you can ski in the morning and be on the bikes in the afternoon!

Click here to view the video:

More photos of our fun day!

Pierra Menta 2010 Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Video

2010-03-18T13:58:00.004Z

Pierra Menta 2010 Footage:

Credits go to Chamonix Ski Alpinisme coach Yann Gachet who managed to ski faster than us up and down with the video camera in hand and Nuno Caetano,the one and only Portugese ski alpinisme racer, who compiled the video. This gives a taste of the Pierra and all it's glory!

Pierra Menta 2010- Tour de France of Ski Mountaineering

2010-03-18T12:28:00.007Z

The Pierra Menta marked its 25th Anniversary this year. It is one of the oldest ski mountaineering events in history and by far the hardest thing I have endured apart from child labor.

The race takes place in the heart of the ski alpinisme region of France- the Areches- Beaufort region, home of the famous Beaufort cheese. If you have never tried it, I have plenty as I won a huge chunk for our 9th place finish! It is good stuff and the cows are really beautiful!

Here are the stats from 2010:

Stage 1: 7am start . rise and shine early: 5:15am. 2847 meters climbing (they said only 2600!) 20 km, 7 climbs, 4 bootpacks, temp: -12...snow: boiler plate. I felt super strong on day 1, but Lynds did not. We all have good and bad days out there.

Stage 2. 7:30 Start. This was a killer day. I felt lousy. Stomach bug or something. The altimeter topped out over 2910 and the GPS was 37km's (7 more than they said) Literally, this stage felt like we went to the end of the world and back! It was so long and very hard mentally. We hung in there though and finished. I seriously felt like I could sleep like a bear in hibernation for a year.

One cool thing about the PM is the camaraderie of athletes throughout the 4 days. Another cool thing is the massage therapists who volunteer their time in exchange for lodging and lift tickets. Each athlete receives a 30 min massage after each stage- and this really does help with the recovery. Recovery is so important. I try to have a recovery drink within the first 15minutes of finishing a stage and then it is an ice bath, shower, followed by a good lunch and good stretch/ yoga session. There are 3 posses which are great for the legs. Shoulder Stand or legs on the wall, kneeling and leaning back to stretch the quads and of course resting pose!

Stage 3: This is the best day out there! No matter how tired you are from the day before your energy comes back because there are so many people out there cheering for you. Thousands of spectators wait in line to ride the lift at 5:30 am and then skin another couple hrs to the top of the Grand Mont. They bring pots of fondue and vin chaud, flags and harmonicas, cow bells and accordions. Let me tell you it is a site to see for sure. When we pass through the crowd of thousands of people cheering it is quite a feeling! This day's stats were: 3 pierra menta stats: 2762 meters climbing over 4 climbs, 4 boot packs(skis on sac) sun, wind, cold, Another long one...

Stage 4: Last day and the shortest stage. Lynds and I started out easy with the first climb of over 1000 meters. Stats: 1740 meters, 14km. 3 climbs. This one we had fun on the descents and skied fast, doing what we do best and finished in good style with an overall place of 9th for women. We were thrilled to be done.

Total Stats: 4 days of racing over 16 hrs, 10,359 meters climbing, + 95 kms. (33,987 feet!)

The first year, we were thrilled to finish the event. We said once is enough but entered again last year because it was a world cup event. This year we entered again and are once again so glad to finish and even prouder to be in the top 10. A Swiss coach once said, "To merely finish the Pierra Menta is a feat, and to be a woman and finish the Pierra Menta is really something!" So, hats off to my partner Lynds for getting through it together!

And thanks to all of you who were supporting us along the way! Thanks to all those who were there from our Chamonix Alpinisme Club, Julie, Daniel and especially our coach, Yann Gachet, cheering us on on day 1 and 2. It was great to have such a strong presence at the Pierra Menta with our young Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club with 3 teams this year! Next year, I just might be one of those spectators at the top of the Grand Mont cheering the rest on with a glass of vin chaud and a cow bell! Vive ski alpinisme!

Below is a small video of photos of the race:

From Movies
or for the direct link to the photo album click here

Coming up! The season is not yet over! 3 World Cups still to come in April including the famous Patrouille des Glaciers. In the meantime a much needed rest at home with my family!

Images from the 25th Pierra Menta

2010-03-16T20:52:00.001Z

Nation's Relays and Closing of the Ski Mountaineering World Championships!

2010-03-06T18:29:00.013Z

USA World's 2010 Ski mountaineering Team: Pete Swensen, Brendan French, Cary Smith, Molly Zurn, Ben Parsons, Max Tamm, Amy Fulwyer, Jari Kirland, Travis Schefer, Bryan Wik, Jared Inouye, Mona Merrill, Nina Silitch (missing junior member-Matuesz Burgunder)

The Ski Mountaineering World Championships is coming to a close. Today was the nations relay. I had a chance to sit this one out and be a spectator for once which was super fun, especially as it was a gorgeous day. The relay event has to be one of the most exciting and a sure crowd pleaser. If we ever make it into the Olympics as an event, this will surely be a good ticket. The course was held at the top of a gondola, and was just 180 meters elevation gain over 2 climbs, one climb 120 meters and the 2nd, a short skin, followed by a boot pack and final skin. The course had 2 great descents as well.

Killian Jornet crashed and still managed to come away with the 3rd fastest overall time. Impressive!

What a site to see the top men and women. Cow bells were ringing, voices cheering in at least 7 languages ....."hup hup, allez, forze, venga, go, go..." It was great to see almost all the nations participating and helping this sport make more of a presence in the world. I continue to be in awe of the depth of the sport in nations such as Italy and Switzerland.

Roberta Pedrazini and Francesca Martinelli ( a mother of 2) of Italy, who have been doing this sport since they were teens and now are in their late 30's, are purely inspirational to me: they have the epitime of teamwork- syncranizing in stride together almost as if their skis are one.

Today in the relays, the USA women and men put forth a great effort with the women finishing 8th and the men 9th. The competition was fierce and we were in there! Way to go USA! For the final nations ranking the USA placed 9th out of 23 nations, a strong presence for sure.

I can not speak for everyone on the team, but I can speak for myself: Thank you so much to all of you that made it possible for me to be here this week. It was an unforgettable experience for me and an amazing

opportunity to be joined by 23 other nations, see this sport at such a high level and see the athletic prowess that so many individual entail. Bravo to all who participated and thanks the my fellow USA teammates

for making it such a fun event together!

Photo: Women's Team: Mona, Amy, Nina, Molly, Jari

We are all a part of the growing movement of ski mountaineering in the USA and one day we will look back on this and say we were a part of that in the early days.

Photo Video Hightlights:

Here is a little video I have put together with highlights from the week!

Or for the direct link to the web album click on the photo below.

World Champs

If you missed the video footage of the individual race....here it is below to get as sense of what it is about.

If you are interested in viewing any of the official videos (they are great!) of the world championships click here:

And you can also find great info on skimo.org

What is on the rader coming up? For me, home to my 3 boys and a quick turn-around to

....The Pierra Menta- the most beautiful ski mountaineering race in the World- and the harderst- a 4 day stage race- also known as the Tour de France of ski mountaineering. I will be doing this for the 3rd season with my great friend and USA teammate Lyndsay Meyer.

World Champs Update: Teams Race

2010-03-06T08:15:00.004Z

Jari Kirkland and Nina at the finish of the teams race.

Almost 4 hrs of effort: 26 km over 2640 meters of climbing. 3 big climbs, the final one with a boot pack up and across a ridge. The weather was variable: at the start cold and windy but as the race went on there were moments of being super hot. The visibility was anywhere from flat light to clear. You never know what you will face in the mountains.

Jari is a professional mountain bike and adventure racer based in Crested Butte, Colorado. It is not always that two people who have never met before can jump into a team race together in a pretty grueling circumstances. Fortunately we made a great team, staying positive, encouraging each other and in the end having a really positive experience. This was both of our first ski mountaineering world championships.

Thanks Jari and best of luck for the upcoming m bike season! She jumps onto her bike on Monday!

Team USA put in a great effort as well in the teams race and today the worlds comes to a close with the Team relays and the closing ceremony.

World Champs Update: Individual

2010-03-04T09:10:00.012Z

Here we are day 4, of the world championships, rest and recovery day for me. So much about this week and this sport is about how you rest and recover so you can stay fresh for the next race, tomorrow- the teams race which should be a fun and enduring event.

Yesterday was the individual race. Both USA men and women all put in great efforts in their race. The start was delayed 1 hr due to new snow and the course changed considerably- less technical. My impression of the World Championships is that they are far less technical than the Pierra Menta. Here is the course profile: For me, it was not a personal best, but I gave it my best shot for the day. Some days in sports, just as in the daily swing of life, we feel more "on" than others.

Thanks to fellow team mate Bryan Wickenhauser, who video'd the race yesterday I tried my hand at doing some editing and here are some shots of me in the race yesterday. It is nice to have some video to share with friends, family and others who have no idea about the sport.

For more updates on the World Champs: http://www.skimountaineering.org/

Training is a bit like a personal jigsaw puzzle, figuring out how to fit the pieces together- what is your background in sports, strengths, weaknesses, where you live, home, family, work, amount of time you have to train, what is your job like, age, injuries, how to recover- all these factors coming into the puzzle. It sure makes for an an interesting adventure.

With that said, in the big puzzle picture of life, gaining strength from these experiences is all the more empowering. I had a chance to watch Julia and Julia yesterday while recovering and taking my mind off skiing. Kind of funny about blogging too. It was a great example about finding something you are passionate about and living it. So, find your passion and live it.

As a Wild Roses athlete and ambassador, I would like to conclude with a thought:

"A womens life is not about climbing the highest mountain or being the first on top. It is about the passion of doing things for a greater reason. Life can be an adventure, but the greatest adventure is giving life meaning. What are you up to next? are you already working on a dream?" -Wild Roses - For Women by Women

Ski Mountaineering World Championships Andorra March 2010

2010-03-02T13:58:00.005Z

Highlights so far from the World Champs:

The World Championships in ski mountaineering has been a goal for me this season and it is amazing that they are here already! There has been much hard work and preparation to get this far. I arrived in Andorra on saturday evening and met my fellow USA teammates who had arrived and were working on getting over jetlag. Here we are joined by 23 other nations from all over the world, some coming as far as China, Japan, Argentina and South Korea. All these countries are trying hard to grow the sport of ski mountaineering in their country so some day it becomes an olympic event.

Here is the Week Schedule:

Monday: Vertical race

Tuesday: rest and recon the ind course

Wednesday: Individual course

Thursday: Rest and recon team course

Friday: Team Race

Saturday: Team Relays

Here are some pictures and highlights so far from the week: (that is me in the USA star suit)

or link to this picassa album

For more details on the races, photos, results from the week this is a great link:

http://www.skimountaineering.org/ismf-world-championships-2010-andorra-main-menu

Mt Etna Individual World Cup, Sicily- February 20th, 2010

2010-02-27T05:46:00.006Z

Who would have ever thought that there would be skiing on the Italian island of Sicily, much less the highest active volcano in Europe, Mt Etna? When I heard that there was going to be an individual world cup this season on Mt Etna I was intrigued. This season one of my main goals has been to race the world cup circuit. I saw this as a great opportunity to gain more experience racing and travel somewhere I have never been. http://www.scsudest.com/
Nina on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Wild Roses- For Women by Women

Michael drove me to Turin, where I then took a flight from Torino to Catania. As we flew over the island of Sicily, Mt Etna was there popping above the Adriatic Sea with its snow slopes rising above the sand and sea. I soon learned that Mt Etna was the highest active volcano in Europe with repeated eruptions over the past few years, notably the eruption of 2001, and over 200 recorded eruptions since 6000bc.

At the airport we met the Andorran and Italian national team. Waiting for us outside were minibuses with signs of each nation- I found the one that said USA/ France, loaded up and travelled from Catania to the small city of Nicolosi considered the gateway to Mt Etna. I had pictured Sicily to be a small island with not too many people but in fact Sicily is heavily populated. I was surprised to see how much traffic we had had getting to Nicolosi. Once I had arrived in the village, I learned that walking around town was dangerous than the sport of ski mountaineering itself. Cars zoomed up and down narrow streets not slowing down an inch for pedestrians. I was even surprised to see small children riding in the front seat of a car with out a car seat- I guess they do not have the same child seat laws as in the US.

Sicily]Town of Nicolosi

I have never been so welcomed to a race before and this race has to have been one of the most well organized world cups I have attended. Upon arrival at the hotel I received a welcome package with my number, a box of Sicilian almond sweets, a bottle of Sicilian wine and a beautiful race souvenir –a rock plaque of Mt Etna. Later that evening there was a knock on the door and I was given a flower (all the women who raced) got one by the major of the village.

Italian Women, Roberta and Francesca reconning the course on Friday

Athletes training friday- with the cable cars in the distance-I think they were going faster up than the gondolas.

The following day I, as well as other teams, did a reconnaissance of the course but did not climb too high as it was super windy.

That evening there was a race briefing, followed by a parade of athletes. The only other time I had seen this was at the last World Championships in Switzerland. I was the soul American racing in this race. A local young skier from the village accompanied each national team. Bruno was the young 14 year old who carried my USA flag and I proudly carried the USA sign.

For me it was a great moment parading through the village streets with the Sicilian crowds around, seeing the other nations as well: Belgium, Canada, Germany, Slovenia, and of course the usual alpine countries. At the opening ceremony the nations and their athletes were introduced onto the stage while playing the beginning of their national anthems. After the ceremony, traditional flag throwers and dancers performed.
Traditional Flag Throwers]

Race: The race was scheduled to start at 9:15 but due to extremely high wind, 120km per hour, s it was postponed first to 10:30 and then again until 11:15 but did not start until 11:30. The course intended to go up the flanks of Mt Etna, near the summit crater which would have been amazing, but it was moved to much a lower elevation and only climbed 250 meters higher in elevation.

Kilian in Front

The course did not have any super steep technical descents but it remained interesting passing through the main part of the station 2x and then proceeding for a second loop in a little different terrain. In total there were 4 climbs in each loop, 8 transitions (change of skins), which meant you got plenty of practice, but also it meant that those who were good at transitions were favored.

The front pack]

The wind was a huge factor. At times on the course I was being pelted with small ice balls and sometimes the wind blew so hard it blew me backwards. Manfred calm, cool and collected in the transition

I learned a trick for taking off skins in the wind, to take the middle of the skin with my teeth and then fold. Also using bike tactics of drafting behind the person in front of you helped. Putting up a sail with the wind at our back would have worked too.
Men's podium with Italian Confetti]

Post Race: The organizers continued to impress us with an amazing closing ceremony: traditional Sicilian dancers and singers took the stage prior to the podium awards, which closed with an amazing show of fireworks. One thing I had never seen was the confetti blower, which blew thousands of Italian colors- red, green and white strips of paper all around the podium. (I would not want to be the one picking up the confetti post ceremony.)

Various forms of Limoncello and volcano cakes

That evening all the athletes were given a book of coupons to taste the local flavors of Sicily –and to the region. There was wine, limoncello, pizza, pasta, an amazing volcano cake, cannoli and even pistachio cake. Pistachios are grown on the slopes of Etna and exported worldwide. I have learned that they really eat well here in Sicily and have had a chance to taste many of the culinary delights.

Volcano Cake

Sicily has proved to be an example of strength and diversity. Speckled throughout the ancient lava flows are green trees growing healthy and vibrant, like the people who have weathered the challenges of the islands landscape over the years. The tenacity of these people and this land shines through here like the sun, but endures like the wind, often never lessening.

]Image of Etna

Sicily’s message: Be tenacious in the force of a challenge and proud of the ground you stand on. For me a good reflection as I stay for a few days of relaxation before heading to the World Championships in Andorra next week.

Mt Etna Hot Spots

I had the opportunity to stay the week after the race for the ISMF (international ski mountaineering federation) Technical Training Camp run by Andre Dugit – technical director (FRA) and Adriano Greco- Manufacturers Pool Manager (IT).

Our group from USA, Canada, Belgium and Argentina coached by Andre and Adriano

Both brought with them to the camp a wealth of experience and knowledge about the sport of ski mountaineering. Molly, a fellow teammate from USA and other participants from Canada, Argentina and Belgium joined me in the camp. The camp proved to be a great chance to learn more about the sport and in doing so bring the new knowledge we have learned back to our own countries to help it grow further. More on the camp on a future post.

Images from the slopes of Etna during the camp]

Flora in snow on the slopes of Etna

While in Sicily I had a chance to learn more of the history and geology of the region. The volcano museum of Mt Etna is an amazing visit and only 1 euro. The geology of Mt Etna is very interesting and a subject for another post. The culinary delights were delicious. I learned that gelato came from Greek and roman times when foot runners brought snow to the aristocrats from Mt Etna to Catania to be flavored with nuts and berries.
Map of Siciliy and Mt Etna ]

Here are a couple links on the history and culture of Sicily that I found interesting:
http://www.bestofsicily.com/index.htm
http://geology.com/volcanoes/etna/

Pretty in Pink Lycra- Racing around France

2010-02-26T16:57:00.002Z

The Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club is taking off with flying colors, pink that is for the gals. If you find yourself behind one of these pink suits, you might have a hard time staying on their heels, or you might find it motivating to keep going as one racer said it was great to have the " bon bon rose devant" (the pink candy in front) So, three cheers for bringing more woman into the sport of ski mountaineering and keeping the suits fun and feminine.

Here are a few pics from some recent races with the pink candy suits- from Texner.

allezCham!
Julie, Nina and Lyndsay sporting the new Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Suits

] Nina and Lynds at the Start of the Verte

Nina gaining on the guy in front- Verte Envers

Sr Women Podium- Verte a L'Envers"]

World Cup Team Race- Gastlosen, Switzerland- February 7th, 2010

2010-02-16T09:15:00.003Z

Race Report: Trophee des Gastlosen- Team World Cup- 7th Place

A walk down memory lane... This race was a memorable one for me because my very first real ski mountaineering course was the Gastlosen in 2005. I was living in Switzerland, teaching at Aiglon College. That winter, my first child had just turned 1 year old, starting to sleep through the night, so why not take on a new challenge-ski mountaineering?

Team World Cup around the Gastlosen Range- 2304 meters of climbing and descending

Another beautiful shot of the range. I have climbed to the top of one of those peaks in summer.

There was a Friday night series of races in the area- all uphill at local ski areas, always followed by a great meal of fondue, raclette or pasta and a fun ambience- surely the cow bells were ringing.

The Swiss love their cow bells and haul them up on the course to cheer people on. This is one of the more beautiful ones I have seen. You can see the Swiss have real roots in ski mountaineering.]

It amazed me how fit these people were that showed up for the night races but also how welcoming the Swiss were to all levels of skiers, from the elite to folks just looking for a good workout after work. This is how I hope the sport can grow further in the US.

I started on my heavy gear- atomic rando skis with fritchi freeride bindings and scarpa magic boots. A great set up for touring but for going fast uphill it was not the lightest. Quickly snowshoe-ers and many Swiss national team members passed me, but I did manage to hold my own and get a few good results even on heavy gear. The Friday night series become a great way to get out after work and even some students got into. Now Aiglon has its own ski mountaineering team and even hosting a race this season.

Michael my husband said if I did 6 races on my heavy gear I could then start to slowly invest in some lighter skis and then eventually boots. I found a flier for the Gastlosen race and asked my friend Tracey Wright if she was interested in racing with me. She was keen. We blindly signed up for the A course- little did we know that year it was also a world cup event.

Retro me in 2005 in my first Montura suit testing out my new Ski Trab light weight skis after fullfilling my quota on heavy gear.

Here is a little recap on my first ski mountaineering race experience at Gastlosen in 2005:

The day of the race we woke up early- 5 or so but I had been up already in the night to feed my little guy before leaving for the race. We arrived in the small Swiss village called Jaun (in the German speaking canton of Bern, just on the border of the French speaking canton-Fribourg, home to the famous Gruyeres cheese.) We arrived and the wind was howling, it was blizzard and there were many people in spandex suits. The bibs were being passed out at the local fire station. Tracey and I looked at the Course A and B and looked at each other both thinking the same thing. How would you feel about changing to the course B- Fun Pop category? Sounds good to me, I said. Little did we know what we were getting into?

Trace and me in the parking before the race of the Gastlosen in 2005

We were bused to the start and quickly a Swiss man pointed his finger at me and shook his head at me for bringing my poles on the bus with my and not putting them behind with the others. (I did not want them to break)

We had 2 climbs to do on a ski area and it was pretty mellow-we cruised along at a good pace- got used to transitions and changing our skins however at the 2^nd to last hill we joined up with the A course at the top of a steep couloirs. There were guides there helping people get into the couloir, directing the A people to go first. These racers were in full lycra suits and zipped down the couloir in a flash- not using the fixed line. There were rocks at the top. Trace and I carefully worked our way down the fixed line, trying to avoid the rocks in the way. The wind was still howling and racers from the course A slid by us like lightning. The next thing I saw was a rock coming toward me and someone yelling “rock” in French. We quickly moved to the side and were clear. Thankfully we were wearing helmets. We made our way down to the bottom of the couloir and the slope opened up, but there was avalanche debris on the slope (the guides slid the couloir before to protect if from sliding during the course) If you have ever skied through avalanche debris you know it is not easy. Big chunks of heavy ice and snow and even rocks sometimes obstuct your path. We continued on our descent, amazed at what we were actually skiing down, huge snow moguls, trees and off piste terrain –Nothing I have ever skied like before. Every now and then we were used somewhat like GS gates for the World Cup racers as they flew by at mock speed. Luckily we were not taken out by one of them. We finished in one piece. After catching our breath we both turned to each other and shook our heads, amazed at what we had just experienced. Somehow that experience made an impression on me, as five years later, I was one of the world cup racers on the A course flying by people in the B course on the couloir.
"World Cup Team number -Course A- 2010

5 Years later...Team World Cup- Gastlosen- February, 2010

Lyndsay, my great friend/ teammate, and I arrived in Charmey at the Hotel Cailler (of Cailler Swiss chocolate) and enjoyed a hot chocolate while learning more about our course and where were staying. I managed to resist the temptation to eat more than one chocolate and save some to bring back home as little presents for the boys.

We enjoyed a pre-race hot cocoa at the Hotel Cailler (home to Cailler Swiss chocolate) The factory is not far from here. Free chocolate with the cocoa- only 1 though, as we were racing the next day!

All the World Cup athletes were lodged at a hostel at the race finish and not far from the start. It was super convenient and avoided leaving at 4:30 am like the 1400 other people. This race, we learned, was the 2nd largest Swiss ski mountaineering race after the Patrouille des Glaciers. More on that race in a future post, but to give a heads up- another team race of 3 from Zermatt to Verbier, Switzerland.

Go USA team sign made by Meg and Birken! We hung it proudly in our room! Thank you guys!"

The Gastlosen range is a small mountain range that holds more than 1000 climbing routes. It is a dramatic setting when it is clear. Unfortunately the sun peaked through a few times while we were racing. This race is essentially a tour of the range.

Map of the Course- A circuit of the Gastlosen range- 4 climbs

Course Profile:

4 climbs totaling 2,304 meters climbing and descending over 20 miles in length. Quite a long course.

Here is the start in 2009- over 1000 people. It climbs up a ski slope for 550 meters and then gets steeper until 700 meters. The final part is a 250 meter climb on foot."

1st climb: 900 meters some technical switch backs at the top followed by a 250-meter couloir by foot with skis on the sack and in crampons

1^st descent: killer couloir- fun skiing down but you had to be strong on your skinny skis. Just what Lynds and I love- steep descents followed by super nice softer snow-

2nd ascent: 500 Meters- technical at the top followed by a short 150 meter descent and

3^rd ascent: another 500 meters of climbing.

3rd decent: This was a great 720-meter descent- super good off piste snow. Lynds and I let them rip.

4^{th ascent: 350 meters of climbing- not quite as short as I thought it would be. The top of the climb crowds of people lined the trail making a pathway to come through- Cowbells and cheers encouraged us on to the top and the transition.}

Final descent of 6km with a 100 meter finish on foot.

A view of the Gastlosen Range]

Racing as a team: This has to be one of the highlights of ski mountaineering for me but I have been very lucky. Some teams don’t work well together or are not at a similar level and then it can be miserable, I imagine. One of my (guy) friends explained your teammate has to be like your “2^nd wife”. Lynds and I sure don’t talk much on course- but we don’t need to. You kind of know what the other person needs- help them out in a transition if one finishes with skins off first. Grab them a gel or fold up their skins or put their crampons in the pack. Sometimes we put the elastic on often more for the mental aspect of staying together as a team. This helps keep together especially on the longer races when one team member may be a little more tired.

Lyndsay and Nina working together as a team

The Finish: The finish of this race was super fun though there was a mens team in orange that were determined to beat us to the finish. In fact they were down right dangerous on the ski down. We crossed the finish line and, barely had a moment to catch our breath. Within seconds we were greeted by 2 strangers, one of whom, whisked Lindsay away for a random drug test (something they are do now in all world cup ski mountaineering events) and I did not see her until 1 hour later. I did not even have a chance to say goodbye! (For more on her experience on the drug testing check out her recent post on Brava Bella.com) I, on the other hand, was not drug tested, but had my equipment checked scrupulously by a Swiss miss; avi Beacon, probe reg size, and hovel. You can still use the small shovel with out a handle in World Cup but for the Swiss Cup races it is not aloud. This rule is likely to change- next year all World Cup skiers requiring a shovel. With a handle) other needed items: goggles or sunglasses. Hat or headband, helmet, safety blanket, whistle, wind layer on top and bottom.

Here we are at the finish! Glad to be done!

Recovery: I am all about trying to recover well...and there are many different ways: recovery drinks, ice baths, massage, stretching, recovery compression tights..Sport Legs...you name it! It was super handy to have our room just next to the finish so I headed up – drank my recovery drink which happened to have been Hammer Gel Strawberry flavor- but I have also heard Choc milk does the trick. Then it was shower time (cold bath soak too for the legs- it would have been better if I just lay in the snowbank for a while) followed by stretching , into skins recovery tights and socks and of course Sport Legs. When we are racing as often as we do in the competition season, you have to do everything you can do reduce soreness and fatigue after a race. Of course, lynds and I will do anything for a good Starbucks fix so we made a pit stop in Vevey, near lake Geneva (AKA Swiss Riveria)

I am not a huge coffee aficionado but I do miss the States- mostly my family but from time to time vanilla lattes."

Some of you Americans at home in the US may think we are crazy as you have them on every corner, but here in Europe they are hard to come by. Living overseas is funny. I miss my family a lot and good friends, I miss bagels and good mexi food and I also miss a good cozy coffee shop with ambience and good coffee-The Vevey Starbucks happened to do the trick for recovery that day!
Recovery drink at Starbucks. We are suckers for Starbucks. It is not many places where you can be racing in the mountains in the morning and then have a nice warm drink near the Swiss Riveria in the afternoon."]

Coming up soon! Local training and racing in France as well as the next World Cup on the Italian island of Sicily. Yup, who ever thought there was skiing on the volcanic island of Mt Etna- I hope it is dormant.

Thanks for reading!

Nina wins at Cenise Bargy!

2010-02-08T12:24:00.004Z

Race Report: Cenise Bargy 31 January, 2010

1st place podium- Ind. Women

The Cenise Bargy is a race I have always wanted to do. I heard about it last year after the fact, so I had my heart set on doing it this year. It was a great memory and great to take home the first place for individual women. My current coach of the Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Club- Yann Gachet was the winner last year. He gave me a few tips on the course but all in all I had no idea what I was up for.

The race consisted of 3 legs, combining two of the things I love to do: ski Mountaineering and skate Skiing. You could race as a team or individually.Though I don't focus much on skate skiing, I did have a chance to go out with the local adult ski de fond club a couple times coached by the famous Lionel Tarantola- who gave me great tips about keeping myself upright and my legs bent- in the crouching position. This really has helped both my skate and my ski mountaineering technique. I do cross train with classic and skate sking for my ski mountaineering. It breaks up the hill climbing a bit and also is good for the endurance and most of all fun!

At the start with fellow teammates-Chamonix Club

1^st leg depart on foot and run with skis for 835 meters, then an 820 meters climb with 700 meter descent

"

2^nd leg- 3 loops of 2.7 km skate

3rd Leg -Ski Mountaineering 570 meters climb and descent

]

The temperature was -16 degrees C. in farenheit around -1. This was really cold. My hands have been suffering a lot this winter from cold temps. For the first leg I had hand warmers in my gloves but I made a mistake and changed gloves during the skate section and thenI could not feel my fingers. I constantly tried to open and close them to generate blood flow. During the 3rd leg- the down mittens went on with hand warmers and it was much better.

This event was having it's 15^th anniversary. Bam, the man, english teacher and fellow teammate from the Chamonix Mont Blanc Marathon running club, organized the race with a great crew of people. It has been one of my most memorable races so far this year, a great ambience, nice meal and all levels from national team members to other folks just wanting to get out and have some fun on a sunday in the mountains.

Another cool thing about this race was that it gave a donation of the procedes to a cause- The Orchid Association- http://www.lorchidee.org/pages/presentation.html This organization helps children with terminal illnesses. To me, so much about doing sport is about inspiring others to get out there and enjoy, take care of their bodies and minds, but also about giving back to acause when possible.

The best part of the race was a surprise greeting by Michael, my boys and Meg. We all enjoyed a great meal together in good company and the boys shared the podium with me during the award ceremony.

I will not hang up my skate skis for the season, but no more skate races. Now my energy focusses toward the Team World Cup this weekend at Gastlosen in Suisse where I will race with my team mate Lyndsay Meyer. After that things gear up. We head to Sicily- the Italian volcanic island. Yes, there is ski mountaineering there, and they will host an individual world cup this year. Let's hope the volcano is not active while we are racing! . After that it's gearing up for the the World Championships in Andorra and the Pierra Menta.

Thanks again for all your support and thanks for reading!.

Here is a cool video of the 2010 race that gives you a sense of what it was all about. Cenise Bargy 2010 YouTube

Individual World Cup- Claut, Italy

2010-01-26T10:40:00.007Z

Here is a weekend wrap up from the last individual world cup in Claut, Italy- the Italian Dolomites. It was about 7 hrs drive from Chamonix and I was glad to travel with the French National Team who were very kind to share some space in their team van.

Claut is normally a summer resort town but they are ski mountaineering fanatics and really proud to host a World Cup this year as well as the World Championships in 2011. There are kids not much older than my 6 year old son who are kitted out in ski mountaineering equipment and cheering on the sidelines of the course.

It was a great chance to get to know some of the other teams and learn from the Italian and French and Swiss. This terrain is know for its technical difficulty for skins and I did have some skins troubles on the 2nd climb which caused me to loose at least 5min or so but I was happy with the result of 9th place especially against the tough competition in the World Cup division. The skins are getting re-glued so they will be in top shape for the next race.

The pasta was amazing...and of course the cappuccino's!

Sunday we had great family ski day on the slopes!

Next world cup is the team event in Switzerland. In the meantime I look forward to a fun race- The Cenise Bargy- a combination of ski mountaineering and skate skiing.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next update!

St. Nina's Day

2010-01-14T22:57:00.004Z

Greetings from Chamonix, France. Happy New Year! In France every day is a Saint's Day and today January 14th is St. Nina's day. I sure am glad I have a saint out there with my name. Throughout the whole day, many friends said, "Bonne fete" and I said, what are we celebrating? Someone said, "take a look at the calendar!" Sure enough, it was St. Nina's day and I am glad I can share a day with a St and celebrate the joys and challenges each day brings.

My race season is off to a busy start with 7 starts already under my belt. Nothing seems to slow down in our own house hold with two young boys under the roof: Christmas, new years, my son's 6th birthday. Always remembering here to take time to breathe through the transitions and be sure to get in that weekly yoga session.

First and foremost , thank you to all of you who have made monetary contributions to my "Reach for the Stars" campaign as work towards my second World Cup Season and this year a World Championship year in Andorra. I know in this economy things are tight and the help is greatly appreciated.

I am transitioning to my own website but will still keep the Silitchfamily news too! www.ninasilitch.com- however it is still in the beginning face. Feel free to visit my blog there http://ninasilitch.com/blog/ It will be the same post as here.

I am honored to announce to have been invited to Blog for www.fasterskier.com as the first Ski Mountaineering blogger to help introduce the sport and help it continue to grow in the USA. http://blogs.fasterskier.com/ninasilitch/

My season this year started off pretty early with the first World Cup in Pila, Italy middle of December. http://www.ismf-ski.org/ At this race I was joined by my national teammate all the way from Colorado, Monique Merrill.

Pila World Cup

This was a great event for first world cup- still early for many but good training none the less. The first day was a sprint race- under 5 min which included a short flatter skin to a series of kick turns to a transition to a boot pack and then back to skins and a short down hill. A really great race for spectators to see what ski mountaineering is all about- like World Cup Nordic sprint races there were 3 heats. Day 2 was a night race- very cold -22 degrees celcius. http://vimeo.com/8748014 My extremities are still de-thawing. For me that race was about survival and staying warm. It is tough on the lungs when temperatures go that hard and you are maxing out the effort.

on!"][

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After this race I tried to put in some volume training and enjoy the holidays with my family.

]

]

I train on a similar 4 week cycle to nordic skiers, intensity, med volume and volume and recovery week. Night training is often the only time to get out.

Michael and his Petzl Ultra

Last week I finished an intensity week - a series of 4 races in 9 days. There is a great series here of night uphill races often mid week. The races are a fun ambience followed by a good pasta or raclette meal and good company. At the Barloucka race in Switzerland I was joined by Kilan Jornet and Miro Mirella 2 of the best ski mountaineering racers in the world.

As my friend said, the Vo2 max levels of those at that table was pretty high combined. This race was 750 meters over 5km. Some races have much more flat than uphill. Obviously the nordic background helps for the kicking and gliding sections. This past year I helped start at Ski Alpinisme club here in Chamonix www.chamonixskialpinisme.com with the Club des Sports of Chamonix www.chamonixsport.com. We travelled to some of the night races together of the www.mountainskitour.com and it reminded me of the days at Dartmouth traveling by van to races. Fun to be part of a team for sure. The first race: La Clusaz (night race) was a climb of 720 meters with a section in the beginning of +20 meters to skate or skin. I chose skating and it was to my advantage -and flied past people on the small first hill. These short uphills are pretty intense efforts- this one just under 30 minutes so your heart is working pretty hard. This one was also about -12 degrees (not warm again).
][

Here I placed 3rd overall behind Swiss and French national team members. La Maurrienne (saturday)- Cold again! Hand warmers really do the trick for me and my Reynoids Syndrome. This was the first team race of the season and had 2 ascents, 2 descents and a boot pack +1300 meters). I did this with my teammate Nuno from Portugal. Team races are really fun as the two are obliged to work together going up and down. Often people use elastic chords to stay close on the ascent. This helps the second person who may be a little less fast than the first. For me it helps also mentally to stick together and work in the same rhythm. For me it was fun to race with Nuno as it made me work just a bit harder on the uphill to keep up with him. We were placed in the mens category and came in top 30 in a tough field. Not bad, just 1 min behind the top womens team who are on the French National Team. Race 4. Mt Saxonnex +580 meters (sunday eve) I was not sure if I was going to do this race- It depended on how I felt and if I had a good recovery after saturday. I felt good, rested, stretched and spun on my wind trainer to get the lactic acid out of the legs. Headed out to this race. It was an interesting course. Straight up hill up a ski lift line then a downhill section with skins on in the off piste powder (remember at night- here the Petzl Ultra head lamp would have been an excellent choice- little did I know I just had my small Tikka). After the dowhhill a boot pack (carry skis) through tough deep powder. At this point my legs were quite tired. And the boot steps were huge for my short legs. The last section was a good gentle skin up to the finish!

]

Here I took 2nd place just 1 minute behind a very good uphill climber! This week is recovery with volume for me. I have two weeks leading up to my next world cup in Italy. This sunday I will head over to Italy to race. The races are always well organized and techincal and this one will give me some good endurance training as it is a climb of +1800 meters and 4 transitions. For some this year their sites are on peaking for the Olympic. For me my goals are to peak for the World Championships in Andorra beginning of March and also the famous Patrouille des Glaciers end of April. This year my father has put together a team for the mini patrouille des glaciers. www.pdg.ch Here is a link where I am written up in the Boston Globe with my dad.http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/skiing/articles/2009/12/24/with_vancouver_looming_vonn_looks_golden/

As mentioned before, we have no national team support, monetary or equipment. If you or you may have friends who feel compelled to support my "Reach for the Stars" campaign-see my earlier post in the blog on how to contribute.

What’s on the calendar next?
17th January- Italy race
Italy World Cup 23 January- http://www.ismf-ski.org/
Video
Nina’s Rando Race gear video on Vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/8747628
Skiing in Val Ferret, Italy http://www.vimeo.com/8747939

Mommy's Disappearing Bag

2009-12-30T12:38:00.005Z

As I write this blog post rain continues to pour down. The snow is disappearing fast..below 2000 meters and snowing hard above 2500 meters. We are talking about building an arc so we don't float away or maybe taking up water skiing. One of my favorite Christmas stories as a child was Morris's Disappearing Bag, By Rosemary Wells. My husband tells me time and time again the I have way too many bags. I often have bags with in bags.

One of these very important zippered bags which I keep in my Petzl Bug Pack, disappeared last night as I was getting ready to go to a night race in Switzerland. I went to get my passport which was in that little zippered bag which normally is in my Bug Pack and it was not there. That bag also contains various other important and non important things like, my French Drivers licence, a check book, lip gloss, arnica, band aids, Purel hand cleaners. I ferociously searched all over in a frenzy of despair- much to my husbands dismay, but had no luck.

"Let's just go. It will turn up." He said in a calm mannered tone, surely the calm in my life in moments of stress. " This is a great opportunity to practice reacting in a calm zen way. " He continued. "Only for you to say...easier said than done.." I murmured. Drudgingly, I headed out to the car which he kindly had loaded up in the rain...hmm driving to a night race in the race...Suddenly I lost all my motivation to go. "Think of Lance Armstrong and when he broke his collarbone and what his coach said..." Michael trying to lift my spirits. "Stick to your decision to go. It will be fun." "ok," I thought "lets go."

Off we went and arrived just before the Col de Montets to a sudden wall of snow blocking the road... The pass was closed due to all this rain. Avalanche danger was very high. We could still take the train tunnel and make it. At this point rain was turning to hail. We waited behind a line of 100 or so cards waiting to get back through to Switzerland or their home in Vallorcine. We decided to call it a night and go have a nice meal together and perhaps figure out where my zippered bag went... Did I leave it in Switzerland last week, or maybe the post office, maybe the grocery store... I was stumped.

Surely this missing bag a was a sign:

1. Old age maybe. Late 30's! After having children women's minds become absent.

2. Too much stuff in the house! Need to organize and weed out and sell some stuff! (yes-true-husbands words)

3. You have too many bags -often left unopened..it is no wonder that it is missing- (Husband's words again.)

4. Put your passport back in the safe place...ok done.

So my mind was wandering to the steps I was going to take to get all those things back, like the US passport (trip to Geneva consulate and wait 2-3 weeks for new one +$100)

French drivers licence- that would be a bunch of paperwork to do.

Check book- have to change checking account number and who know what else.

Lip gloss and antibac gel...ok that could be replaced.

Upon returning from a nice evening together, I was in a much calmer state of mind and realized that it was not unrealistic to replace the items in the zippered bag. No problem. Zen mommy is back!

The next morning I woke and asked the boys casually... "Guys, have you by any chance seen my zippered bag anywhere- you know the one I keep in my backpack with the waist strap?"

"No, I have not seen it," said Birken shaking his head.

"Oh, Yes I have seen that Mommy." Said Anders. "You have, " I asked. "Where is it?"

"oh, it's behind the curtain . I put it there. " Said Anders (3 years old), simply. I gave him a huge hug and said Thank You!

There you have it. The case of mommy's disappearing bag. I still will work on weeding out stuff and zipping the bags closed. It was reassuring that my brain had not gone to complete mush. I do recommend the book too, By Rosemary Wells.

Don't let the Rain slow you down....
Michael and I did a night training session in the snow/rain with our petzl Ultra headlamps.

Today's rainy day activities with active boys:

- New Years Art Projects,

- helping Aunt Meg find a great rando set up!

-interval training on the wind trainer.

- Bryan Kest Power Yoga- and Babar Kids Yoga!

THINK SNOW and Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Pila World Cup and Festive Family Fun!

2009-12-26T20:25:00.012Z

It is hard to believe that 2009 is quickly coming to an end!

2009 Highlights!

First and foremost, my family- my husband and my two boys-! We have had some great adventures together this past year in this amazing outdoor playground!

I often have to pinch myself to remind me how lucky I am to be a part of this sport Ski Alpinisme - at such a high international level. It is pretty amazing to share the start line with so many athletes from nations all over the globe. My USA teammate Mona Merrill joined me (all the way from Colorado) for the weekend of fun!

She is helping pave the way for ski mountaineering racing in the USA. I look forward to our USA team of 3, Nina, Lynds and Mona for the famous Patrouille des Glaciers this year as a international World Cup end of April.

The Pila World Cup was the first world cup of the season and early for many but that did not leave it any less exciting. The first day was the first ever ski mountaineering sprint- run much like they are run in the Nordic world cup sprints, with 3-4 rounds of qualifications. It was very exciting and a crowd pleaser. Possibly a great spectator sport for the 2018 Olympics when ski mountaineering hopes to make its debue. Unfortunately in my second heat my boot broke- The Pierre Gignoux carbon boot is definitely the best boot out there in terms of lightness and stiffness but it also is more fragile. Thanks to my husband and my good friend Yuki I managed to get my old skis and boots to ski on the next day. Italian television filmed the whole weekend which is great for the sport. Here is a link for a video that gives a good idea of what the weekend of racing was all about and you can practice your Italian.

Saturday's race was a night race of 1400 meters in elevation. I had never done such a long night race with ascent and descents other than the Patrouille des Glaciers. My Petzl Ultra came in really handy and worked like a charm in the -22 Celsius temps. It was COLD- and I am from Maine. It was Maine cold and windy. Everyone wore extra layers and wind layers, many wore mittens. It made for much slower transitions. It was definitely survival temps out there and the hot tea tasted really good at the end.

Sunday's temperatures were equally cold with a little sunshine. I still dressed warmly and enjoyed the race and the amazing views. The Italians sure do know how to put on a good race. It was super well organized the whole weekend and the International Ski Mountaineering Federation also has been making some exceptional contributions to the sport. Aside from the fact that my toes are still dethawing from the cold temps, the weekend of racing was a great kick start to the season ahead. It was good to get in some intensity before a bit of volume training during the Christmas holidays with the family which have been filled with skiing of course!

Happy New Year to you all! My resolutions for 2010: I have many as we all do but the main one is: Continue to be thankful for all we have! LIVESTRONG!

Thanks for reading!

World Cup Countdown

2009-12-15T13:45:00.006Z

Winter is getting underway here in the Alps with some good early season training sessions. The new Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club, which was just an idea of mine 1 year ago, is now in full force with already 25 members and a coach. We aim to bring together the passion of ski alpinisme competition right here in the heart of the Alps-Chamonix. www.chamonixskialpinisme.com

I had a great chance to train in my old stomping grounds of Villars, Switzerland and make some great turns with my buddy Jean-Pierre. Also in Switzerland I had a chance to visit the impressive Swiss Suva Clinique de rehabilitation and sports evaluation for my first ever VO2 Max testing.

The first World Cup race in Pila, Italy is just a few days away. It should be an exciting few days of racing. The first race is a night sprint, followed by a 1500 meter race at night, and then a time trial on sunday- all on ski mountaineering gear. This should draw out the crowds and get people excited for the season. http://www.ismf-ski.org/

For the holidays I am looking forward to skiing with my boys and spending a quiet Christmas at home with my family.

Thanks so much to those who have helped support with my World Cup project so far! Please see my earlier blog post to see the details on donations and sponsorships or feel free to contact me.

Reach for the Stars!

2009-10-25T04:50:00.003Z

Nina Silitch: World Cup Athlete

and member of USA National Ski Mountaineering Team

Always a sports enthusiast, I fell in love with ski mountaineering 5 years ago after my first Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route with my husband of High-Alpine Mountain Guides. Ski mountaineering or ski alpinisme as we call it in the Alps combines all the things I love about the mountains: passion for endurance, tenacity of technical climbing, and the intensity of the downhill run off-piste

2010 marks an important year for me as it is the year of the Ski Mountaineering World Championships in Andorra where I will represent the United States. It is also marks my 3rd year as a member of the US national team and the 2nd season competing on the World Cup circuit in Europe.

I feel very fortunate to be able to train, travel and race this high level of competition. My biggest fans, my husband and my 2 young boys see the value in following a dream. I hope to also empower confidence in women and show them how much they have to gain from sport and a healthy, active lifestyle.

Though many teams and athletes are subsidized financially, I am not and am responsible for costs of race entries, travel and equipment.

Please help me reach the finish line!

Sponsorship Options

Below you will find various peak possibilities for sponsorship. If you come to visit us in the Alps, I will be sure to point out these magical summits.

If you have a company logo I would be honored to represent it on my website. For larger sponsorships, a logo can be placed on the race suit at the cost of printing.

Club Aiguille du Midi $0-$100

Club Les Drus $150-$300

Club Mt Blanc $350-$500

Club Haute Route $1000 -$5000

Club ALPS $5000 and more

Send checks to:

Nina Silitch

270 Chemin de la Deviaz

74400 Chamonix-Mt Blanc FRANCE

pay hassle free and safely online with Pa yPal

Thank you kindly for your interest and support!

Stay updated with our adventures all season long at:

www.silitchfamily.blogspot.com & Twitter: MTMAMAN

and

FACE BOOK

Do you know a friend who might enjoy supporting and reading? To send a web version of this page to a friend click here or forward them this link.

Autumn Adventures in the Alps

2009-10-24T20:46:00.000Z

The Boys on their Bikes! Be sure to watch this video of our backyard Jungle Gym- . Enjoy!

here is a smaller version if you have trouble viewing the YouTube one.

Here are some recent pics of Autumn Adventures here in the Alps

Lastly, Autumn colors are pretty amazing here in the Alps too and that is coming from an New Englander!

Trail des Aiguilles Rouges

2009-09-28T04:06:00.008Z

Course details: 51km/ 31 miles

Ascent: 3361 meters/ 11, 027 feet

Descent: 3602/ 11, 817 feet

taken from my Suunto t6c

There is something special about racing the trails in your own backyard. Often you don't have to set your alarm for quite as early, but for this race that was not the case. The 5 am start meant that I woke with the French bread makers at 3 am. Yup. It brought me back to the middle of the night feedings when the boys were babies, however with night feedings you could always go back to sleep.

We were looking at running in 2hrs of darkness but my Petzl Ultra belt lit the way for me (as well as those runners who were in front.) Most people raced with Petzl tikkas but I wanted to be sure to have a good path as the course was super technical, riddled with roots, rocks and pine needles then in sections scrambling up slabs and across streams. The evening thunderstorm the night prior gave the whole course an additional slickness which was a real challenge. I took a couple nasty diggers, pushing the envelope a bit too much on the downhill, one while crossing a stream and slipping on a slick rock. The worst crash was when I fell into a "cascade" small waterfall in a stream. I felt a firm hand on my arm pulling me up out of the river. I later learned that this kind souls' name was Lionel. Other runners stampeded by like a herd of wildebeests. For a moment I thought I was done in for the race, smashing up my knee and rolling my ankle but after a few minutes and a good adrenyline rush, I forged on.

It is amazing how much concentration it takes to run downhill. You really have to train your muscles and mind, focusing on having "soft" knees and visualizing stable footing, engaging your core muscles for support. If you loose concentration for even a second, you could be toast. Needless to say this course had 11, 620 feet of descent. Yes, the thighs were screaming at the end and still are as I write this race report.

Somewhere along the course I looked at my watch at 4hrs and thought, hmm if I was doing a marathon I would be finished by now. I was almost half way through this one. I managed to fuel efficiently with Hammer Nutrition Perpetuum combined with the occasional blueberry pompegranate Gu Chomps; Endurolytes and Sport legs helped with electrolyte loss and cramping- though my legs did threaten to cramp a few times, and I just tried to visualize them being long and light. I tried to be efficient as well at the aid stations and take the time I needed to refill my Nathan water carrier and my bottle for Perpetuum. I went with the multi hour bottle of Perpetuum which would last 4 hrs. The Nathan Women's Intensity running vest was awesome. Super light- carried what I needed and so comfortable!

Managing your digestion and blatter is always a challenge on a long course. That sounds crazy but true. When you are out there for 9 hrs you have to pee at some point or else you are dehydrated and could suffer in other ways. I was pleased that I managed to pee 3 times on the course, trying to discretely find a large boulder or tree to duck behind. I was a little short on water as I did not fill up as I should have at the 2nd aid station. I took some water from a fast running stream up high..and did not treat it. This would be a huge taboo in my book of outdoor education and hopefully the giardia microbes will not come to haunt me in 10 days!

While filling up with water, I managed to drop my Ipod shuffle in the stream; if any of you were wondering....they are somewhat waterproof....and it managed to keep me movin' through the remainder of the course. I would put songs that got me going on repeat...maybe even 4 times up a big hill. It really helped and I did not have listen to the sloshing of the water in the pack or the rustling of the number on my shirt. I love that mini! Thanks WCC! It keeps me movin' and groovin' especially on the long runs.

The weather was actually a perfect temperature. I was never too cold or too hot. In the morning it drizzled lightly with rain to make it even more interesting, rain and darkness, but it was quite refreshing. I had Skins Capri's and also Skin's arm bands. The arm bands were great as I could just slide them down when I got hot or pull them up when cooling off. I had a Wild Roses technical tee shirt with a handy zip pocket in the rear for gels etc. Stashed in my Nathan Intensity pack I had a super lightweight Wild Roses wind proof, lightweight gloves and a Buff. On my feet I had Asics 2130 Trail shoes and Smartwool Womens Phd Trail running crews. On my wrist I had a Suunto T6c to help monitor HR and ascent. Leki lightweight Carbon poles to get me up and down the hills. And of course a Bondi Band to keep the hair back and sweat away!

I survived, barely, the last big descent, almost 6,000 feet down steady...My thighs were screaming and I was cursing expletives, wishing I had my skis and and remembering why I love ski mountaineering. The women who came in 2nd came flying down past me like a gazelle. I was slightly humbled that I had been in front of her until this point 7hrs on the course. I made it down to the aid station to refuel and was happy to start up the last climb of 1800 feet and then a nice friendly downhill finish. I finished at my goal of 9 hours, placing 10th overall for women, 4th for my age category.

Here were my cheerleaders at the end! They finished strong with me around the lake!

Forum des Sports Chamonix- Cycle Race

2009-09-25T08:59:00.001Z

Forum des Sports- New Section Club Ski Alpinisme! Right to left, Nuno, sectataire, Daniel- President, Nina- V. Pres, Yann- Coach!

Future club member- 2018

Michael and his partner at the Start

Michael and his pit crew at the finish! Go Daddy Go!

Climbing in the Aiguilles Rouge

2009-09-09T15:48:00.002Z

A beautiful indian summer day in the Aiguilles Rouges

North Face Ultra Trail- Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie [TDS]

2009-08-31T20:26:00.007Z

Last year I ran 1/2 way around Mont Blanc -competing in the North Face Ultra Trail:

CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix): passing through 3 countries - France, Italy and Switzerland, and approximately 98 km and 5600 m of +altitude change - semi-autonomous. Maximum time limit was 25 hours. I completed it in just over 18hrs and placed 10th for women overall, 8th for Sr Women.

This summer I made a reconnaissance of the 100 mile, Ultra Trail du Mt Blanc, in a running tour of Mt Blanc - approximately 166 km and 9400 m of altitude change - semi-autonomous. We covered 102 miles and over 30, 000 feet of climbing in 5 days.

Instead of running the new course, Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie [TDS]: approximately 105km and +/- 6700m - semi-autonomous, I happily crewed for my American friend Kim Gaylord. She is an experienced ultra-runner, recently transplanted from the Italian Alps back to L.A. She managed to train amongst the movie stars and pulled off an amazing 3rd place in this tough race. Crewing for Kim was a nice change for me.. The course passed through amazing, tough and rugged countryside of the Alps. I passed through Col des Saisies, Col Cormet de Roseland and Col Petit St Bernard. Believe me throughout the day it made me want to take up road cycling. It was beautiful, true alps.

Next adventure....Trail des Aiguilles Rouge- hosted by our own Chamonix Mt Blanc Running Club. http://www.aiguillesrouges.fr/accueil.php

Running around the Matterhorn-

2009-08-24T11:32:00.012Z

Musing on the Matterhorn:

I always dreamed of visiting the Matterhorn when I was a child. My father went on business trip in Europe and brought back a special bar of Toblerone chocolate and there was this great magical mountain which the chocolate was in the form of. When I was a young girl I grew up eventing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eventing and my oldest best friend named her dark bay horse "Toblerone" in honor of our love of the great chocolate. Now you can find Toblerone almost anywhere but you can only go to Zermatt (or Cervinia on the other side) to see the Matterhorn. my first time skiing in the Alps was at Crans Montana. I remember on a really clear day we could see this pointy peak. My husband of www.high-alpine.com has climbed the Matterhorn many times. The first time I saw this magical peak up close was while visiting him when he was guiding in Zermatt. Someday we will climb it together. My dearest friend was recently engaged on the Matterhorn! What a place to be engaged! It is also a great place to run around as you are surrounded by this magnificent view of this magical peak. We adventured there on the train from Chamonix to Zermatt as a family. We wanted to share with the two boys the magic or the Matterhorn while Mommy got a little exercise running up the mountain.

The Matterhornlauf was a perfect run to do on a sunday morning: 12.6 km and 900 meters in elevation gain. The course started in town and winded its way up to the top of Glacier Paradise with the Matterhorn in full view.

Our team of Brava Bellas of Lyndsays website Bravabella.com: Lizzy Hawker of GB, (2nd place), Mara Larson of US (13 place), Lyndsay Meyer (US, 3rd for age group) and Me.

Our team did not actually count as we were "mixed nations" but if it had we would have done really well.

My great supporters, Michael and the boys! Along the Way! Thank you M and the boys for sharing this experience!

Stay tuned for what is coming up!- The 2009 Ultra Trail du Mt Blanc! It should be very exciting this year! 4 Great Races and thousands of participants!

Running around Mt Blanc

2009-08-13T13:58:00.016+01:00

One often hears about hiking the Tour du Mt Blanc in 10-12 days, a beautiful tour that passes through France, Italy and Switzerland, circumnavigating the Mt. Blanc Massif. I partnered with Sierra Mountain Guides for their first ever Tour du Mt Blanc Running Trip.

We took 6 days to complete this tour-and covered 102 miles and 32,560 feet of elevation gain and loss (yeah that is a lot of downhill.) We averaged about 18-10 miles a day. Our route followed the general route of the Ultra Trail du Mt Blanc with a few variations.

Day 1: Travelled from Chamonix to Les Contemine, France. 20 miles, 5000 feet gain. This day we ran along the L'Arve river down the Chamonix Valley to the small town of Les Houches. From here we took a lift (just one!) to the Col de Voza and descended down to the city of St. Gervais and then went up the valley to the small village of Les Contamines where we had a lovely stay at the Hotel Chemenaz.

Day 2: Our biggest elevation day. 18 miles and 8, 323 feet in elevation gain. A 2 col day. 2 cols a day keeps the doctor away! We left Les Contamines and climbed up from the lovely church of Notre Dame de la Gorge to the Col de Bonnehomme and the crete de Bonnehomme. We reached our highpoint of the 2,665 meters and crossed a small patch of snow! We headed down and up to our next col, Col de la Seine or (pain!) and then descended into the Italian Valley of Val Veny to our refugio for the night Elizabetta. At the Elizabetta hut our night was far from restful as we were sandwiched like sardines in an upper bunkroom with an orchestra of snorers....c'est la vie in a mountain refuge. One thing the high alpine hut had going for it was the glacial stream which was a great spot for a recovery leg soak!. We managed to find a cold stream to soak our legs in each day. 10 minutes of cold soaking really helps with recovery!

Day 3: Our shortest day. 9 miles to Courmeyer and just 1540 feet in climbing. We had a restfull day here exploring Courmeyer and soaking in the famous Pre St Didier natural hot springs.

Day 4: La Fouly: 20 miles and 7, 020 feet of climbing. We left in the misty rain and climbed a steep and steady climb from town to the Bertone refugio and then traversed the Val Ferret to the beautiful Bonnatti hut for a very thick italian style mocha (basically chocolate pudding and expresso) This gave us a jump start up to the Col de Ferrett and brought us in for the final descent into Switzerland into the town of La Fouly. One really notices a change from country to country. Once we arrived in La Swiss, cows were grazing there to greet us. The villages were swept clean and there were even Gnomes to welcome us.

Day 5: Col de la Forclaz. 18 miles and 4,579 feet. We headed down the valley and made a short climb up to the beautiful village of Champex, a classic village that the haute route passes through. From Champex, we climbed up the famous, steep and technical climb up the Bovine pass. From the high mountain pasture we overlooked into the Swiss Valais and out to Lac Leman. We stopped for a drink and cake at the Refuge de Bovine- (fyi. they don't take Visa). From here we headed down to the Col de Forclaz, a pass we cross many times in the car heading over to Switzerland.

Day 6: Big last day. Another 2 pass day! 18 miles and 7, 635 feet in elevation! We headed down to the small village of Trient. We discovered the water was not drinkable at that moment but managed to fill up at a little store before our first big climb. We crossed the border from Switzerland back to France (there is no border patrol) We only realized that the Swiss are very acurate in their descriptions for how long it will take to get somewhere and France is a little more laissez-faire. We fueled up in Vallorcine before our last big climb from the Col de Montets into the Aiguilles Rouge nature reserve. Here we had some clouds as a backdrop but still managed to get a great view of the Mer de Glace glacier and the Chamonix Aiguilles. We even saw some wildlife other than cows, a young bouquetin (ibex). Just when we arrived at the Flegere the rain started to come down and kept us cool for our final descent into Chamonix.

It was great to get back home, see my boys and husband and slip those feet into an ol' pair of flip flops! And perhaps get a well needed pedicure!

To see our trip in video format click here!

Summer Solstice

2009-06-20T01:12:00.005+01:00

2009 Ski Mountaineering Season

2009-04-26T07:54:00.012Z

2009 Races

1. 27 December, Holiday Hill Climb, Sugarloaf, USA 1st woman AT

2. 10 January, La Maurienne, Rhone Alps, Team race with Michael

3. 18 January, Valtellina Orobie, Italy, Ind World Cup, 12th

4. 25 January, Pyramid D’Oz, France, Ind. World Cup

5. 30 January, Montet des Signal, France, 3rd place sr woman

6. 7-8 February, TSF Millet, France, 2 day, 5th place

7. 17 February, La Verte Envers, France, 1st place sr woman

8. 21 February, Challenge Run & Skate, 1st place team women

9. 8 march, l’Integral du Rogneux, Swiss team Champs, 7th

10. 12-15 March, Pierra Menta, France, Team World Cup, 4 day, 7th WC div.- also - Miss Pierra Menta

11. 28 March, Dachstein Extreme, Austria, Ind World Cup, 10th Sr WC div

12. 2-5 April, Tour du Rutor, Italy, Team World Cup, 3 day stage, 7th WC div

13. 11 April, Cols et Cimes, France, 1st place woman

14. 2 may, Trofeo Mezzalama, Italy, high altitude team of 3 (to be confirmed)

Ranked 13th for World Cup 2009 Season- International Ski Mountaineering Federation

A very special thanks to my USA teammate Lyndsay Meyer of bravabella.com-without you we would not have had the all the fun & smiles!

Musings of a Mezzalama Mama

2009-04-23T20:36:00.007Z

Today I headed up the Aiguille du Midi to try and do a bit of acclimatizing for the recently rescheduled Mezzalama before picking up the kids at school. The Mez had been postponed when all 1200 of us were on the start line at 5 am. This was a tough but smart call due to bad weather.

The new race date was not confirmed until yesterday so needless to say there were a few days of limbo. I had done 14 races this season, 5 of which were World Cup. I was ready to go on the 19th of April and was thinking summer days after that. It was kind of like showing up to an exam that you had been preparing for all semester and having the prof say –once you arrived with pen in hand, sitting at your desk,-sorry guys no exam today but maybe in two weeks. That was tough for the mind. I felt summer calling and so were my children.

2:30 pm- Aiguille du Midi view point 3480 meters (over 11,000 feet) I was up there trying to open up my lungs to acclimatize a bit. I fished around in my Petzl bug pack for my sunglasses. I found a Petzl e-lite, a pacifier, some homeopathic arnica tabs, lip stuff, a diaper and some wipes, but no sunglasses. Meanwhile a couple of tourists fished around in their bags and pulled out their Lucky Strikes. Hey, why not light up at 11,300 feet and fill the lungs with some cancer filling smoke rather than the fresh mountain air of Mt Blanc. You know it never ceases to amaze me here in Europe the amount of athletes who actually do smoke. In fact it was just last week when I was at the check in for the Mezzalama and I noticed a racer smoking as he was gathering his gear. What ever works man? This reminds me of a conversation I was part of last year. It went something like this, Yes, this year I am training for the Mont Blanc ultra trail, a woman explains as she takes a drag on a cigarette. Interesting training concept.

This winter was pretty full on with races almost every weekend, which meant focus on a few things: family, training and sleep. Cleaning seemed to be swept by the wayside as did going to the monthly book club meetings. But who am I kidding. I have read I think 2 novels since my 2 kids were born and a slew of child development books are stacked by my bed but I have not gotten through those either. It seems I read a few pages and then nod off to sleep only to be woken a few hours later to a wee cry in the middle of the night.

From time to time I will pick up a Martha Stewart Magazine-www.marthastewart.com She has some good craft ideas and recipes but who in their right mind could actually be that organized? She actually has a whole room dedictated to crafting. Sounds nice- We have a garage dedicated to gear. She begins each issue with a calendar that is marked with things to do each day of the month. The April issue usually has things like, turn mattresses from winter to summer side, ( I did not even know they had two sides), wash curtains ( I would be scared to shrink my curtains), polish silver (I opted for no silver when I got married- just a climbing rack instead), air out duvets (I could do this), plant seedlings, (have to wait on this til after 5 May) and put winter clothes away (should do this). I am thinking she probably does not have 2 young boys or does not do ski mountaineering races nearly every weekend.

My weekly list goes something like this:
Take shower and brush hair! -Since motherhood-this routine has lessened
Catch up on laundry (the piles of laundry!)
Wash dishes
Unload dishwasher
Wash power gels out of race suit
Buy diapers and wipes
Put race stuff away

dry hockey socks
Organize kid’s art drawer
Tidy toys

Long Term List: looming out there in the distance somewhere on the monthly calendar
Organize garage
Vacuum cheerios and cookie crumbs out of Chariot Carrier and car
Wash couch slip cover (the kids take a beating on it)
Potty train Anders

Spring Clean after Mezzalama!

So needless to say, I may not be Martha and I know my house will never be as neat and tidy as my neighbors who name I will not name but then again she does not have 3 and 5 year old boys who seem to wreak havoc on any bit of organizing I may have done. Seriously I could spend hours tidying toys, closets and art drawers and moments later it seems as if WW3 has broken out when one pulls that favorite shirt from the bottomof the pile or they dump out all the blocks to find just the one they need for their tower.

But my husband would say, that stuff is not important- yes it might look good on the outside to have a spotless and well organized home but did that person actually enjoy a ski up a 4000 meter peak or spend the afternoon playing soccer with the boys? It's more important to do yoga than clean the bathroom or sort toys. Or more important to get a good night sleep than stay up for hours surfing aimlessly for friends you once had in grade school on Facebook. And remember, you aint gonna see Martha doing the Mezzalama either... but maybe you can find her on Facebook.

And so he is right and as a Mezzalama mama I have learned to prioritize. In order to be a high level athlete and a mom/ wife and run a household it is important to be at my best. If this means I have to sacrifice some dirty dishes or extra loads of laundry piling up, so be it.

Important news: Spring Cleaning postponed to a later date. Date to be confirmed by end of the week.

So for the record, I aint no Mezzalama Martha, but just a Mezzalama mama who is trying to keep motivated for the big spring cleaning coming up!

Chamonix Cols et Cimes- 1st place woman

2009-04-16T13:14:00.011Z

The 2nd Chamonix Cols et Cimes on Easter weekend- Saturday April 11, 2009 was a great success. The organisers of the course- the ski patrolers of the http://www.versant-sud.net/ did a great job accomadating with the foehn wind. (for full results and more pictures also check this site)

I placed first for the women with a time of 2 hrs 28 minute.

The race took place in the Aiguilles Rouge area above the Brevant-Flegere.

The course was technical, fitting to the alpine flavor of Chamonix, with half a dozen transitions from ski to boot packs to descents down techincal couloirs. These transition were favorable to my skills.

It is great to see ski alpinisme racing growing in the Chamonix Valley. This course debued our new local club with the Chamonix Club des Sports: Chamonix Ski Alpinisme http://www.chamonixskialpinisme.blogspot.com/ Competing from the club were Daniel Hoffman- President, Nina Silitch-vice president, Nuno Cateono - Secretaire and Michael Silitch-club guide.

Go Michael Go!

Fun downhills!

The finish at the Flegere Refuge, with a backdrop of the Chamonix Aiguilles, was followed by a hot savoyard tartiflette in good company.

A great thanks to the organizers and volunteers to a job well done! It was great to see my CMBM friends there too!http://www.aiguillesrouges.fr/accueil.php

To practice your French see http://www.skimountaineering.org/en/2009/04/14/1104-3-cols-et-cimes-%C3%A0-chamonix-fr for a write up of the race

Also a big thanks to my sponsors!

High Alpine Mountain Guides http://www.high-alpine.com/
Wild Roses http://www.wildroses.it/

Yellowman http://www.yellowman.com/

Eyeshop, http://www.eyeshop.com/

Smartwool https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm

Pomoca http://www.pomoca.com/

Suuntu http://www.suunto.com/suunto/main/index.jsp

BeechersCheese http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/

Saddleback Maine http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/

Pierre Gignoux Carbon Boots http://www.pierregignoux.fr/

Leki http://www.leki.com/

Texner, http://www.texner.ch/

Restaurant Maison Carrier http://www.hameaualbert.fr/

Camelbak http://www.camelbak.com/

SportLegs www.sportlegs.com

Mezzalama Altitude Training

2009-04-08T14:39:00.001Z

We set out to Italy to do some high altitude training as a team in preparation for our final race of the season the most famous high altitude ski mountaineering race, the Trofeo Mezzalama http://www.trofeomezzalama.org/ We also practiced skiiing roped up as a team; for this race we are obligated to ski up and down with a rope.

Our team: Nina, Lyndsay and Cecile

Our refuge at 3600 meters. Great food and good company- Good hospitality from our friends Walter and Tara.
Heading up towards the Breithorn Peak on a beautiful day.
Plateau de Breithorn

Looking out towards Castor Peak and Mezzalama course.

The course is April 19th with a weather date of the following sunday. We will cross our fingers that the weather stays good.

7th Place Rutor Extreme- Final Team World Cup

2009-04-07T11:58:00.001Z

The Rutor was our first international race in 2007. Lyndsay and I had great memories of this race: very technical and super long descents- just what we love. We finished in the top 10 in 2007 and were eager to take the start line again, especially since it was now a 3 day stage race, like the Pierra Menta and a World Cup.

The Rutor is held every two years in the valley of Aosta, Italy (not far from our home in Chamonix). Kudos to Marco Camondona and his Rutor team for their excellent organization on and off course. It was a pleasure racing in the region. As before the race was beautiful with technical ridges to cross and great descents!

These 2 races combined are part of the Trophy des Alpes.

Also important this year was that the Rutor was the final Team World Cup event of the 2009 season. We finished 7th for the Rutor World Cup. 6th place overall for the freeride competition which was a cumulative time for the last 2 days of descents.

Austrian Adventures: Dachstein Extreme- Individual World Cup

2009-03-30T09:54:00.013Z

Michael convinced me to go to the Dachstein Extreme-the last of the individual ISMF world cup in the Dachstein region of Austria. www.ramsau.at

The proposed course was favorable to my skills: downhill start, 1000 meters of fixed line in a technical via ferrata and overall 900 more meters of downhill than the uphill. It was a chance to see a new area in Europe; we had visited Austria once before our children were born seeing Vienna and also relatives of Michael’s in Sierendorf. This trip would be our first time away without our children in 1 ½ years and first time we had left them without family.

The estimated journey time with Via Michelin was 8 hrs going north through Switzerland and Germany or south through Italy. We opted to go through Italy and it took about 10hrs with stops. Italy was a good choice as it felt like real spring there, a treat coming from the snow and down sweaters of Chamonix. The trees were budding and the fruit trees were blooming. We cherished the warmth in t-shirts at the Italian rest stops as we stopped to fuel up on hot Panini’s and 1 Euro cappuccinos. The only draw back to the Italian route was the amount of through truckers on the west-east highway but this could have easily been the same on the northern route. The return trip home was more favorable as trucks are forbidden to travel on Sundays.

The village hosting the race was Schladming/ Ramsau both home to World Cup alpine and Nordic events. There are 10 different ski areas surrounding the big open valley- an incredible amount of skiing terrain- No wonder the Austrians are so strong in Alpine skiing. The town of Shladming lies at about 700 meters and you could literally ski to the parking lot. We stayed at a lovely little pension/ guest house- simple with a nice family touch. The Swiss team also stayed there. It was fun to get to know them a little more.

At the briefing we were informed it had been snowing steadily on and off for the last 6 weeks, hence the proposed course was changed and we were not going to go up on the Dachstein glacier (the glacier hosts summer skiing both alpine and cross-country) They would have needed 3 good days to equipe the 1000 meters of fixed line necessary to secure the course. Despite the change, the organizers and guides put up an excellent course with beautiful Dachstein scenery as a backdrop. We were lucky with a brilliant weather window on Saturday. The weather was warm, - around 10-14 degrees and it warmed up as the course went on.

The race attracted the top athletes from Europe as well as others from Poland, Slovakia and even Canada. It was fun to be a part of the last world cup and watch the final ceremony for the Individual world cup.

After the race Michael and I finally had a chance to relax a bit and enjoy the surroundings of the Austrian countryside. We visited an Austrian Haflinger farm with many new born foals. We tried Austrian schnitzel and even found a great organic café for a lunch.

All in all, a great get-away for the two of us- a chance to see another part of Europe. As always, we were happy to get home to the boys!

Skiing with my Boys

2009-03-27T19:59:00.003Z

We have a house full of boys who all love to ski.

This week I was lucky to ski with all three boys on 3 separate occasions in this beautiful outdoor playground in which we live.
The French schools went on strike along with the rest of the public services in the nation of France, so Birken (just turned 5) and I went skiing. We had a bluebird day at La Tour and profited from a great lunch at the Cabane d'Alpage.

Anders- (just turned 3)and I had a chance to get out together on another bluebird day. We have had a streak of incredable weather here in the Alps. Unfortunately as I write this the spring rain has arrived.

It is not often that Michael and I get to go out and do a tour together. Some couples do a "date night"- We opted for a "date-tour" and headed up the Col de Passon in the Argentiere Glacier. It had some good elevation gains, a nice boot pack up a couloir and a long descent down a glacier. We had a great bluebird day as you can see from the photos!

Pierra Menta 2009- 1st World Cup Team Event

2009-03-23T11:40:00.009Z

The Pierra Menta: http://www.pierramenta.com/ The french would say that this event is when hundreds of people come to the Areche Beaufort region to put skins on their skiis and endure 4 hard days of endurance racing. Others would call this event the "Tour de France" of ski mountaineering. This year marked the 24th year of the Pierra Menta. The event normally attracts many teams from other nations, but this year was particular as it was the first year as a World Cup ski mountaineering team event. http://www.ismf-ski.org/ranking/index.html The race was exceptionally well organized with over 200 volunteers.

The days began at dawn- dawn comes early in the Areche Beaufort region-known for some of the best cheese in France http://www.fromage-beaufort.com/fr/index.aspx# but also the birth place of some of the best ski alpinisme. Usually about 5 am: up, breakfast, gear on and head out to the start for an easy warmup of about 45 minutes (the warm up always included the trusty "femme funnel" pit stop in the woods. http://www.freshette.com/ (http://www.rei.com/product/407267 For those of you ladies out there who are still stuggling with peeing with your harness or race suit on- this has to be the best invention out there. (It is also great for moms who have little girls who need to pee in a pinch)

The starts always went off with a very fast bang. We tried to just hold our own amounst the 160 other teams without breaking a pole or loosing a ski. Each day got progressively harder and longer. To check out each stage of the race look at: http://www.pierramenta.com/etapes.php
Day 1: 2508m climbing over 20km Long
Day 2: 2785 m climbing over 32km LONG DAY
Day 3: 2550 m climbing over 21km long and technical day
Day 4: 1731 m climbing over 14 km not as long
Many teams apply to race in the Pierra Menta; this year there was about 170 mens teams accepted and only 13 womens teams, opposed to 21 teams last year. All 13 womens teams were strong.
Check out the link for the results of each stage and the total results.
http://www.pierramenta.com/resultat.php

The weather was superb! Sunshine each day, my kind of skiing. ( When it is super windy and cold I am reminded why I don't go on long high altitude expeditions anymore.) The one challenge of this race was the heat! It was our job to stay hydrated and fueled for each day. The stages lasted between 3 and 5 hrs each days so it was important to eat every 30 minutes to stay fueled for the maximum time. I found it hard to force down gels by the end. But for sure my fuel of choice is Power Gels. (Thanks to Michael http://www.high-alpine.com/ , a power bar sponsored athlete) They seem to go down a bit easier than the others. http://www.powerbar.com/ And also thanks to Michael who came saturday and was a real force to have on course. Great to see him- he seemed to be everywhere.

And also thanks to Yuki, Manu and Daniel of our newly formed Club de Ski Alpinisme de Chamonix. http://www.chamonixskialpinisme.blogspot.com/ our new site! And Vincent-great vid coverage on you tube.

What is most impressive about this race is the spectators that come out to cheer. Each day when the racers wake up to start, spectators also wake at dawn to skin up to higher parts of the course.

One of our favorite fans was a man who worked for the Pierra Menta organization who played his harmonica when we went by. He always played, "When the Saints came marching in" or other American Patriotic tunes. That surely gave us a smile each time we passed.

Speaking of smiles, lyndsay and I were crowned Miss Pierra Menta, an award selected by a commitee of journalists and a jury for the woman's team who embodied the spirit of the Pierra Menta, with good sportswomanship and smiles throughout the four days. Hopefully more womens teams will compete next year!

It was great to have the USA Ski Mountaineering team racing at the Pierra Menta this year and fun getting to know the athletes who are helping the sport grow in the US. There were 3 mens teams: Pete Swenson, head of United States Ski Mountaineering Association http://www.ussma.org/ and father of the COSMIC ski series in Colorado with his team mate Cary Smith from Jackson (Cary has an impressive comeback story). Jared Inouye and Brandon French, Jason McGowin and Brad LaRochelle and the other US women's team Monique Merrill and Sari Anderson http://www.sarianderson.com/. Mona and Sari are two exceptional endurance athletes who compete for team NIKE. We look forward to more races together in the future.

Last year after completing this race, I said I would not do it again, but some how when the time came to sign up, I forgot how hard and long the days were and only remembered the amazing things that this race gave me and my family. One of the best moments this year was coming into the finishing stadium on the last day and seeing my three boys and giving them all a big hug: Michael, Birken and Anders.

So, I better not say now, if I will be back for the Pierra Menta next year.

For more photos check out the slide show below:

3 World Cup Ski Mountaineering team events coming up!

2009-03-02T09:18:00.005Z

Here is what is coming up for World Cup events in ski mountaineering for Nina and Lyndsay in the next few weeks.

On thursday March 5th, we head to the Sella region of Italy for the famous SELLARONDA SKIMARATHON skimountaineering World Cup. This year it will be it's 15th edition. The race starts at 6pm from the village of Arabba, and passes through Canazei, Selva and Corvara over 4 mountain passes. 42 kms total with 2700 meters of elevation gain. We will be equipped with Petzl headlamps http://en.petzl.com/ultra/ to light our path . http://www.sellaronda.it/sellarondainglese/index.htm

The following week (march 12-15) we head out to the Beaufort region of France, not too far from where we live in Chamonix, for the famous French Pierra Menta.http://www.pierramenta.com/index.htm This year we will have more of an idea of what to expect; 10,000 meters of ascent over 4 days. You can do the math. You are pretty much cooked after each day and all one can do to prepare for the next day is recover as well as possible with food, hydration, stretching, massage and rest. One might compare it to the Tour de France in ski mountaineering. A few mens and womens teams from the US will be coming over to race which should be super fun!

The final team world cup event of the season is the Tour du Rutor-Extreme. http://www.tourdurutor.com/en/home.html Lyndsay and I did this race 2 years ago when it was just a one day event and had a great experience. It was one of our first longer races and also very techincal with some great decsents both being strong skills of ours. We hung in there with the top French and Italians and even make it on the podium with a ranking of 9th place. This year, being a world cup event, they have made it a 3 day stage race a bit like the Pierra Menta gaining over 6000 meters of ascent in 3 days.

Lastly we will head to the Trofeo Mezalama April 19th. This is not a World Cup event but it is a very international and world famous event. It is done in teams of 3 and travels at high altitude, across glaciers and climbs a 4000 meter peak. There is a lot of interesting information on this race and its history. Check out their website for more photos and information. http://www.trofeomezzalama.org/

Challenge Run & Skate- 1st place Team Women - Severine and Nina

2009-02-23T10:36:00.007Z

The 2nd "Run & Skate" was held on sunday, February 22 here in our home town of Chamonix. It is a race- 12k run on snowy trails and 18k skate ski. It can be done indivdually or in a team. I was teaming with Severine Gaillard, a friend from my local running club-CMBM. It is not often that I only have to go 2 minutes to the start of a race. Even better, the race did not start until 10 am and my skate leg at 11:15. (Normally our starts are 8 or 8:30 which means for an early rise.) Needless to say it was an early rise at home. The boys, comme d'habitude, awoke at 6:15. They must be taking after their uncle Bunge who was an early riser at their age and still is to this day!
We awoke to snow falling steadily. The start of the run set off at 10am and Severine battled out the trails blanketed with a fresh couche of snow. The run was quite technical gaining +420 of elevation in 12k. She arrived at the tag zone, snowflakes across her brow and tagged me off.

I set off for my first of 2, 9k loops onto the powdery piste- ungroomed, and had memories of the Transjurasienne in 2005 when it snowed heavily on the 54 k course. I knew the course well and tried to stay relaxed as the snow kept piling up on the trail. One would have thought they might have tried to groom it in the morning, mais pourquoi, as they say here. It made it for a little more challenging and these "trailers" and "fonders" as they call them in France are pretty hard core- so they had to keep up with the image I imagine. Thanks to my wax technician, a.k.a. my hubby Michael, my skiis were fast, as fast as I think they could be in the difficult conditions. I started out with clear glasses but by the first big climb they were fogged up, so I had to put up with snowflakes in the eyes for the remainder of the course. Michael was out on course cheering me on, as well as many other local friends. It always helps to have encouragement on course. And the best was at the finish when I found my boys cheering me there!

The event was a super fun ambience with many friends from my CMBM running club and the Chamonix Ski de Fond Club. There were many folks who came out to help volunteer for the race. It would not have been a success without all their efforts as well as the super efforts from Fabienne and Tiery Ravenel of Ravenel Sports in Chamonix. http://www.ravanel-sportshop.com/

I was informed this morning we were on French T.V. last night and they showed us on the podium! Quelle chance!

This is how much snow we have in the yard! What a snowy winter!

Michael member of team for Nissan Outdoor Winter Games- Chamonix

2009-02-20T16:52:00.005Z

This week in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, The Nissan Outdoor http://winter.outdoorgames.org/en/are underway. Michael joins Team " Insomnia" before known as "The Dream Team" as an accomplished alpinist. This event has become THE event in action sports today.

The Concept

The top athletes representing the extreme sports of skiing, snowboarding, mountaineering, speed-flying and BASE-jumping will be in Chamonix in February 2009, to dispute the Nissan Outdoor Games film and photo competition. After four very successful summer editions, the event is taking place in the Mont-Blanc mountain range for the second time.

In a class of its own, this biggest European outdoor event combines the sporting performances of professional athletes with a creative and artistic aspect and blends it all into a festival of film and photography.

For seven days preceding the event, as a prelude to this fantastic alpine show, the winter games will host about sixty athletes, photographers and cameramen from Europe and North America to take part in the competition. Their challenge: shooting and editing 20 pictures and a short film, which according to the rules, must be no longer than 5 minutes including a sequence of BASE jumping, paragliding, mountaineering, skiing and snowboarding. Creativity-wise, anything goes… Elected by a jury, the best film will be judged on its photography, its screenplay and the performance of the riders. When it comes to pulling off the biggest moves, these high-level athletes should display the best combination of their disciplines with the Mont Blanc in the background.

This one of a kind event brings together athletic performance and a creative and artistic dimension to a film and photography festival.

“For the quality of the event and to ensure competitor security (since they perform in tough mountain conditions), we have limited the number of teams to five. These 5 teams represent over 60 people for which the security will be assured by the ‘Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix’”, explains David Carlier, director of the organization. “The selection was not easy because we received candidatures from all over the world and we were obliged to narrow our selection putting aside great teams.”
“The assembly of the international elite from 5 sports proves that this event is truly what the athletes and production companies are looking for. A commitment to quality to which the public will adhere.”

In town we enjoyed spectator events such as slack -line, bouldering, watching Petzl ice climbing and below future "petit alpinists"

1st Place Senior Women-La Verte Envers-Les Houches

2009-02-19T12:02:00.000Z

La Verte Envers is the named dubbed for the local Somfy Mountain Ski tour event held here in our Valley at Les Houches. If any of you are familiar with the world cup downhill-Kandahar / La Verte http://www.chamonixworldcup.com/ This race goes down the Verte trail. You can imagine as a world cup downhill it is pretty steep and goes pretty fast ( a few minutes) It was just last year we watched Bode fly down this hill.

Well, our race went up, 870 meters up- with 2 boot packs (ski carry's) It took Lyndsay and I around 53 minutes. This was the third year the race has been held. Lynday and I have done it each year, with our times getting better each year. This year it was snowing heavily at the start but we still managed to beat our time from last year. We came in 3rd and 4th overall for women respectively, and 1st and 2nd for senoir women.

The race was super well organized- by the EMHM (ecole military de haute montagne) These soldiers helped set up the course and were on the course throughout making sure it was safe- or serving tea or vin chaud at the finish, and helping keep the wine and water pitchers filled at the dinner. The ambience of the race is one of my favorites, as there were a lot of locals and friends from the Valley racing and cheering! It is really nice when people cheer or say "allez-allez" go go as these uphills are not exactly the easiest things on your lungs. When you get to the top vin chaud is not usually the first thing on my mind. All in all, a really fun local event for all to enjoy.

February Vacation

2009-02-18T15:36:00.008Z

ITALY- Val Ferret

February Vacation in France- We managed to escape the ski tourist crowds and venture off to Italy -only 15 minutes away through the Mt Blanc tunnel and get some great cross country skiing with no one around. The tracks in Val Ferret are amazing. The landscape is "sauvage" wild and you literally are in another country. We all skied and then enjoyed some delicious homemade Italian pasta for lunch and then found ourselves warming up in an Italian cafe for some good ol' Italian Hot Chocolate- a.k.a. chocolate pudding. The boys certainly enjoyed it.

Switzerland

Children's US passports have to be renewed every 5 years until the age of 15 and both parents must be present. The closest US Consulate is in Geneva, Switzerland so we decided to make a family day out of it. While we were waiting for the passport pictures to be developed we wandered around a corner to a Starbucks- (actually there are only a few in Switzerland and Nina could not resist paying the Swiss price for the vanilla latte. After a very efficient and quick passport check in, we strolled along the lake looking at ducks, boats and swans and headed to the Natural History Museum. There the boys got their first glimpse of the life size dinosaurs. They also have a great exhibit on all types of animals. And to top it off there was green grass to run around.....something we do not have at our house as the snow keeps piling up higher and higher. No complaining there. The skiing is excellent and the boys have been enjoying skiing in ski groups this week. Anders may be one of the few who ride the poma lift who is not yet three years old.

Saddleback Maine Mountain Challenge February 28th

2009-02-10T22:11:00.004Z

Be sure to Check out the Saddleback Maine Mountain Challenge!

It should be a super fun event for all! I can't make the overseas journey for the event but if you are not too far away be sure to check it out. Rangeley Lakes Maine has got to be one of the most beautiful spots in Maine and the views from the top of "The Back" are stunning. You can't miss the best fire place around either to warm up after the race- It is also a great place to bring the family to ski too!

Saddleback Mountain Challenge
February 28th 2009
In the beginning of skiing there were no lifts. A few hardy souls would attach animal pelts to the bottom of their skis to provide backward grip but allow forward glide. They would then climb to where they wished to ski, remove the "skins", and descend.
Today, those hardy souls are called ski mountaineers. The animal pelts have been replaced by synthetics, the leather boots with plastic, and the wooden skis with space age materials. The idea, however, is the same. There is a special satisfaction in accessing ski terrain by your own effort and determination.
The Saddleback Mountain Challenge taps into that same sentiment. This promises to be a unique experience either as competition with other mountaineers or just for the accomplishment itself.

For the winners, in both the men's and women's division, there is a season's pass at Saddleback. For all participants, there is a commemorative t-shirt and spaghetti dinner and celebration.

Registration for this event will be on the 28th, from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. No lift pass is required to enter the race, but there is a $25 registration fee. All competitors must have ski mountaineering equipment deemed appropriate by race officials. Racers are not allowed to discard any equipment on route. It is recommended that interested participants scout the route prior to the event, not the day of the event. Saddleback Mountain welcome ski mountaineers, but ask that anyone climbing the mountain check in with Mt. Operations for safety reasons.

DETAILS on Race

Randonee and Telemark
Competitors must have appropriate ski mountaineering gear
Aproximately seven miles
1800' verticle gain
Includes green, blue, black and double black terrain
Marathon start
Start time 2:30
Men's and Women's divisions
Gold, silver and bronze prizes
Dinner and celebration
$25 registration fee
No lift pass required to race

http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/pb_html/pb12302008124146.php

Skiing and Sledding in the Sunshine

2009-01-27T11:27:00.004Z

We have had lots of fun playing in the Chamonix sun and snow- sledding and skiing with the boys. Also I have been doing some great skate skiing here teaching lessons and skiing for myself. The next big race is the TSF Millet, a 2 day stage race. Last year Lynsday and I were 2nd in this race. Until then, we will put in some good distance training.

Be sure to check out Michaels feature article in Outside magazine if you have not already. It is quite a feat to be written up in that magazine.

http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200901/compagnie-des-guides-chamonix-1.html

Italy Ski Mountaineering World Cup

2009-01-20T11:05:00.016Z

It was Friday evening and most of the World Cup teams were arriving in Albrosaggia, Italy to preview the course the following day. I was at the Chamonix hockey rink eating popcorn with my 2 ½ year old and watching my 5 year old play mini hockey after picking him up from school. My plan was to leave for the individual ski mountaineering World Cup in the Italian Dolomites the following morning. It was going to be a solo adventure as my teammate, Lyndsay, could not make it for this event. This would be my first World Cup race of the season. I raced in one last year in Switzerland.
The following day, the boys woke up at 6:40 am- no chance of sleeping in at the Silitch household- they are early risers even when there is no school. I am glad that it is no longer 5:30 am! I managed to get them breakfast and dressed- pop in their favorite show- Caillou’s Winter Wonders while I got my self dressed, packed and out the door.

I set off about 9am, thinking I was had left plenty of time to travel. Little did I know what adventures lay ahead. Firstly I thought I would get the car washed at our favorite gas station in Martigny. It looked like a big car wash- no problem for the ski box, I thought. But what was I thinking…there I stood outside in the cold watching my car get cleaned and then for the blow dry…it ran over the roof rack and it did not go quite so smoothly…it caught and rip…oh no…is the whole roof going to rip off? Fortunately no. Just damage to the ski box. I could not do anything but stand there and watch it happen. I pushed the urgent button but it was too late.

So 1 hr into my trip and my first mishap. Breathe….Breathe…it is these moments that lessons are learned. The box was not repairable….. Do I leave it here?-abandon it?…No I can’t do that; this is Switzerland. I would probably get fined. I had to find the decheterie. (dump) I brought it to the dump like a good Swiss citizen would and then off I went (sans) ski box.

The cool thing about the Alps is how you can travel so quickly from region to region and see the changes as you pass into the other country. I started in France and then to French speaking Vallais, Switzerland, through German speaking Switzlernad and en route up the Simplon pass, a gorgeous mountain pass, that leads into Italy.

Getting to Italy was 1/2 the battle. The route was supposed to be about 5 hrs. Just a little more that driving from Kingfield Maine to Boston or a little less than Boulder, CO to Moab. No problem. I had also driven across country tout seul (this means alone for those of you who don’t speak French) many times. The navigating should be ok. I had my trusty Michelin FR directions printed out and my highlighted map (done by my husband).

Navigating toute seul was ok until Milan…then the traffic and smog started in Milan. Man, Italians drive fast in their nice cars! And if they want to pass you, they blink their lights. Then it was through at least a dozen tunnels that would put the Eisenhower tunnel to shame. I think getting to this race is ½ the challenge.

World Cup Italy here I come! I am the soul USA team member driving across Europe to this race. Hmm. Not many signs yet, but I know I am close. I ended up asking an ol’ Italian granny to help direct me to the Polisportiva. She explained to me in Italian that her granddaughter would lead me there and sure enough, younger women in an old fiat Panda led the way just in time for me to register and make it to the briefing at 6pm.

It was loud –the briefing had not started so I grabbed water and took a seat next to a few others. It turned out to be the Swiss coach and a few athletes. He had skied the course today and talked to me about the course and conditions, the ascents and descents and transition zones. The briefing covered the rules and the route in Italian, French, English and Spanish and handing out bib numbers to the top athletes.

Food and bed is what I needed. I did not get to do my 1 hr of training with pre race accelerations but I did eat some good Italian pasta which will hopefully fuel me through the race tomorrow.

This is what the course looks like;

1750 meters+ 1750 - descent
1. +740/ -230 meters
2. +240 / -270 meters w/ 30 meters of boot pack
3. +460/ -430 m meters w. 200 meters of boot pack
4. +280 / -830 m
5. +40 meters just test your transitions at the end

13 world cup women / 40 world cup men- over 250 Italian men and 9 Italian women.
The level of competition in Italy is high for the national racers. My goal is to finish as this will be my first big race of the season

Race Day:
I was offered a ride up to the start of the race by the Swiss team. We were to be “rolling” at 7:15 Swiss time. So I did not want to be late. I made it with plenty of time- in fact I was the first one there and we were waiting on someone on their team as well. I hoped through osmosis I could get a little strength and force from the Swiss team. We will see.

The road to the start was a windy switch back secondary road- it was essential that vehicles have 4wd or chains- there was a bit of a block up when a van from Aosta Italy needed to put chains on part way up the route to the start. (Thank God I got a ride w/ the Swiss- it would have been me fumbling w/ the chains if not) We all managed to get to the start in time.

About 9:30 the gun went off and we all were off! people loosing skins and poles of the first 100meters of steep descent. I just wanted to keep out of the fray and not break a pole. By the top of the hill the field spread out a bit. The WC athletes started in a line in front of the national athletes- men separated from women. It did not really matter though as everyone came together all at once. The first hill 780 meters – it was a long one- I tried to find my rhythm on this.

First transition –skins off and ski down. The first descent was not too technical. At the bottom, my skins were already starting to not stick so well which was not a great sign so early on. 2nd hill was a shorter climb 250 meters w/ a 30m boot pack up and over a nice crest (though here the wind started to whip pretty high on this ridge) and then a nice descent- the snow was definitely off piste- but broken up enough that the skiing was not too bad, but a quad burner no less.

I tried to keep my energy going eating every 30 to 45 minutes. I managed to choke down a power bar latte gel and it helped me up the 3rd ascent of 550meters- the last 250 meters a steep boot pack. Some might call this the master of all stair master. The track was good and I just tried to find my rhythm.

Up on top of the crest- people were cheering. Go USA. Di! Di! Brava Bella! Forte! Go Nina. OBAMA! OBAMA! (very fitting for inauguration day!) There was lots of great cheering and support from people at every transition and at tops of the hills. People were amazing to see someone from the USA racing. The suit from Texner was awesome and it was great to have our team suits so people knew where we were from.

This descent was more technical. A steep couloir off the top and then it meandered through the woods over jumps and skied out moguls. You did not want to carry too much speed here as you would be toast- into a tree or snow drift. I made it down to the transition area. Grabbed a nice hot tea and was continually cheered on by people- USA go USA. GO Nina! Obama yeah!. It was great and gave me some good strength for the last 250 meter climb which was a nice rolling climb. Not too steep and I tried to stay relaxed.

The last descent was the mother of “quad burners” It was quite technical too and long- though the woods and brush and shrubs.. Remember this is all off piste skiing far from any ski area so the terrain is what you have in front of you- you name it you ski it. Many people were slowing down here in the descent. I felt pretty good despite the burning quads and managed to pass a few people. The USA may not be as strong as the Swiss but I was determined not to be last in the field.

And then just to add a little more excitement we had to climb 40meters at the end of the descent up to the finish. My skins held up for the last 5th transition –the Pomoca Black Beauty’s as I am now calling them. I managed to pass a couple people at the end who were fumbling with their own skin issues. That could have easily been me.

As I crossed the finish line, the race director came over to me and said, “Thank you! You have made my race! Thank you. Thank you for making it such an international event!” I made it!
My goal to finish and I even finished in front of about 26 people.

I had to catch the Swiss team before they took off; they all had finished long before me. Just before seeing them someone said, “hey are you Nina?” It was Lou Dawson, the well known American skier- first to ski all of the Colorado 14er’s and skiing blog http://www.wildsnow.com/. He was invited to the race as a guest of Italy’s Ski Trabb I think he was slightly humbled by the caliber of skiing and descending at such a fast pace.

Quick into the Swiss van. I climbed in and sat next to Florent Troillet- winner for PM and PDG, a young strong skier from Verbier. How did it go for you? “C’etais bien. Tres Bien.” He said humbly. Where did you come in? I asked. He modestly responded “j’ai gagne” Which for those of you who don’t speak French means he won.

I had a great talk w/ Natalie Etzeberger and older athlete on the Swiss Team, 40years old –mother of 3 children 10. 8. and 5. She is an alpine ski instructor in Brig. She is the winner of the PM and PDG last year. She is for sure inspirational. After competing on the Swiss Ski running team, she just started the sport of ski mountaineering just 4 years ago. She was humble in her efforts as well. A great role model for sure!

It was a pleasure to be able to get to know the World Cup athletes a bit more. So much of sports and racing can depend on so many variables from how you are feeling mentally or physically, to if you have technical problems on the course. And all of these happen to the best of champions. For me it was great to get to know some of these champions a bit more and seeing them humbly respond to their successes and challenges from the race.

So long….ciao… arrivedercci!....I headed out as I had a long journey ahead and I wanted to get home to kiss my boys goodnight. Rumor has it it is snowing in Chamonix so I needed to get on my way. I stopped at got an amazing Italian pizza- the really thin crust and not too much cheese – some veggies and fresh arugula on top! Delizioso!
Even the bikers from Boulder would approve! And then I plugged in the IPOD shuffle, with Willie playing “on the road again” to take me home.

That is all for now from this Italian World Cup.

Stay tuned for next week’s story we head to the 3rd individual ski mountaineering World Cup, La Pyramid D’oz in France.

La Meurianne- Portes des Soleil

2009-01-15T19:46:00.002Z

January 10th, Michael and I raced as a mixed team at a race in the Portes des Soleil (french part).I was our first time to this region for a race. I had been there years ago but skied there from Switzerland. The area here is incredible with its vast terrain covering over 11 ski areas in Switzerland and France. It was a good season opener that had 2 hills to climb including 2 boot packs and some good decending. Check out the photos and the video of the race to give you a sense of this Alpine playground.

http://www.valleedaulps.com/meurianne_2009_resultats_course_ski-montagne_montriond_diaporama_photos-page_information-2300-HIVER-FR-DIVERTIR.html

http://www.valleedaulps.com/www-vidéos-2253-HIVER-FR-ADMIRER.html

Holiday Hill Climb- By Brava Bella

2009-01-14T20:41:00.004Z

I am pleased to share the recent post on the Sugarloaf Holiday Hill climb written by my racing partner, Lyndsay Meyer, owner of Brava Bella.Com
Check it out!

Holiday Hill Climb

Posted using ShareThis

Bring in the New Year with a Commitment to your Health

2008-12-24T16:00:00.004Z

The New Year is upon us, the ski season and the flu season is soon upon us too.

What better way to bring in the year with a commitment to your health.

Check out VIBE – a fantastic vitamin and mineral supplement

I found out about Vibe through top level Nordic ski coach Torbjorn Karlson, a who is a coach on many high level athletes including olympian Becky Scott. -Thank you to Tb for introducing Vibe to me.

www.torbjornsport.com

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READ MORE!
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Here is to Healthy Happy Holidays and a Healthy Happy New Year.

Nina