Mont Blanc view from my house

It’s not everyday that I leave my house at 2am and set off to climb the the highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, 4808.75 m (15776 ft 9 in) This majestic white mountain happens to be the backdrop from my home in Chamonix. The majority of the summiteers choose to stay at a hut prior to sumitting, using lifts or trains access part if the way. This is the beauty of Chamonix. Mont Blanc and the high mountains are accessible by day and one can enjoy a cafe in the morning and a nice evening meal, hence one of the reasons Chamonix proves to be one of the best places to live for a mountain guide, as they can climb or ski by day but be home with their families in the evening.

A view from town

I have had the chance to ski Mont Blanc’s North Face twice now, once from the traverse up high crossing Mont Maudit, sleeping in the Refuge du Cosmique and descending the North Face on skis. This was a great way to summit. The next time was Mont Blanc in a day from the tunnel of Mont Blanc and returning by the Aiguille du Midi mid station lift. I have had my heart set on leaving from my house round trip in less then 12 hours. The first woman to climb mont blanc was in 1808, a maid servant,  named Marie Paradis clearly more than a maid servant, also passionate about the mountains.

Leaving from the Chamonix Church at 2h10 with my Petzl Nao to light the way

I left my house at about 2 am in my Hoka One One running shoes and met up with some friends at the Chamonix church. We made our way to the Mont Blanc tunnel with skis and ski boots strapped to our packs. Some of our most challenging obstacles were the enormous amounts of blown down trees after the high wind storm we had a few weeks ago.

Walking up the old Aiguille du Midi lift line in my Hoka's

This resulted in many obstacles to cross and detours to make as we made our way up the Old Chamonix Aiguille du Midi Tram line. I was using the Petzl Nao head lamp for the first time and it’s reactive lighting was excellent for the objective in front of us. At the top of the tram line we put on our skis and traversed with ease across the  ”le Jonction” of the glaciers.

Morning light is coming while we traverse the junction

Ahead we could see the lights of parties climbing  The Arete du Dome and the Grand Mulet route . These folks left early from the Grand Mulet hut. We passed by the Grand Mulet hut about  6am.

Starting to boot pack with the view of Chamonix in the valley

We had chosen the Arete du Dome, as it is an aesthetically beautiful route, a little safer from serac fall, but also a bit longer than the Grand Mulet route.

A lot of the climb is done on foot in crampons

The conditions were solid on the Arete with little ice. We arrived at the top of the arrete about 8h15, a long 700 meters of climbing.

Almost to the top of the Arete

Once on top the winds began to really howl. Until then we were almost warm, with no winds. Within about 45 minutes we happily took shelter at the Vallot Bivouac hut to re-warm and consider our options.

Warming up at the Vallot Hut

The winds were blowing over 140km/hr and just too strong to make a summit attempt; even thought the summit was less than 500 meters away in elevation, less than an hour in time, the most important choice to make in the mountains is to be safe.

En route down

We chose to descend down the Grand Mulet route, getting a good look at the uphill tracks. It was a lovely ski down toward the Mulet Hut, and then it was less than lovely onwards. Let’s say a good thigh burner!

Navigating through the obstacles of fallen trees

Nonetheless all in a good days work, we made our way back down across the junction, back to our shoes and down through the forest back home by lunch time and plenty of time to pick up my boys at school.

Ready for next time!

A great day out, a good reconnaissance for the next time with hopes to do it round trip under 10 hours. We climbed over 3,330 meters (my Suunto Tc6 watch recorded 3600 meters of up w/ all the undulations) of the total 3,775 meters.  Here is a link to my Strava record of the climb, sadly the App drained my battery so it does not show the last bit of the route.

Podium Women's Sprint Tromso, Nina Silitch (USA), 2, A. Figura (POL), 3, E. Gex-Fabrey (SUI)At the port after the race! (Photo Alex Lugger)

Winning the World Cup Ski Mountaineering Sprint on April 14th, 2012 in Tromso, Norway is a dream come true for me. It is a culmination of reaching for something that felt somewhat unattainable, committing and believing. When I stepped on the airplane to Tromso Norway and flew all the way up north, across the Arctic circle to the 69^thdegree latitude, I had no idea that I was going to come home with a gold medal.

Flying North

 I set off simply to have a “happy race” as Anders, my youngest son told me to have.

Mommy-Have a Happy race!

Norway is a country that holds a special place in my heart. My first visit to Norway was in 2003 when Michael and I made a journey to ski the famous Birkebeiner World Loppet cross county ski race traversing 55km of the mountain range  near Lillehammer. Needless to say that spring I not only skied the Birkebeiner, but also ran the Paris marathon with my best friend,  followed shortly after by my first haute route with Michael and friends on my first randonee/ski mountaineering set up.

A beautiful country and culture

Growing up skiing in New England both alpine and cross country I did love snow sports thanks to my parents and some inspiration from some great coaches at CVA,  Holderness and Dartmouth. Back then sports were important to me, but I never really gave them the commitment and dedication it takes to excel further to a higher level as I have done the past two years. It really was the trip to Norway in 2003 that planted a seed to come back one day.

Birki and Anders taking a pause with Hammer Gels

Our boys, Birken and Anders, were given Scandinavian names,  hence one of the reasons the local Tromso paper wanted to interview me the day before the Sprint race. It was somewhat serendipitous that during the interview the journalist asked me what  my expectations were  for the weekend. I replied that I had my sights set on the Sprint race.

Newspaper article in Tromso paper the day before sprint race. Translation not available

And lo and behold, the next day I took the victory.

What is the sprint race in Ski Mountaineering? The sprint was introduced a few years ago to the sport of ski mountaineering in an effort to bring more spectators to the sport and to present a course that embodies all aspects of ski mountaineering in an urban or accessible setting.

A view of the start of the final women's sprint race with the town square view, Nina out in the lead

The notion of the ski mountaineering sprint has grown from the World Cup Sprints that take place in cross-country skiing in large cities like Milan (IT) or Bern (CH), Drammen (NO). The local city of Tromso, with 70,000 residents, trucked loads of snow in to prepare for the World Cup event on Saturday where crowds of spectators were able to watch the exciting event as they did their market shopping.

This was the first time a skimo sprint has taken place in a town center. More importantly, it was also the first time in history a North American has won a World Cup event in ski mountaineering. Typically alpine countries such as France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland dominate the sport. This is a big step forward for the future of the sport.

The start of the women's sprint final

The Sprint formula is similar to world cup cross country sprints with obstacles and challenges of ski mountaineering.  It is comprised of an individual qualification round to win the access to the quarter finals followed by the semi finals and finals. One must adapt to the terrain so not all courses are alike.

Start on skis/skins 

Women's Sprint Semi Final (kicking & gliding section)

kick turns/ conversions

Approaching the boot pack

bootpack with skis on the pack. (no pic)

Downhill

Obstacles on the downhill

Skate section

Skating past the downtown library

Finish skating to the line.

Finish at women's final! Where are the other girls?

Athletes must be not only quick on the skis but also quick in the transition to excel at this event which lasts 2 ½ – 3 ½ minutes. 

!!!! Click here on this You Tube video to see some footage of the women’s sprint final in Tromso.  Here you can see really what the sprint course is all about.

Here are some more articles and photos of the sprint:

Tromso Journal

RESULTS WORLD CUP SPRINT 

OVERALL World cup men and women 

Norwegian Ski.Alpinisme 

It feels like ages ago when Chamonix Club des Sports and the chamonix ski alpinisme club hosted the French National Championships in January. Being the President, it was unsure if I would be able to compete in this event, but I was really determined to make it happen.  It was an upbeat atmosphere with my friends and family cheering from the sidelines. I was crowned vice-champion of the sprint behind World Champion Laetitia Roux. I took home a gold medal for winning the veterans category.  The first world cup sprint was cancelled in Italy due to lack of snow leaving only one sprint event in this years ski mountaineering world cup in the final world cup 3 months later. My most recent races lately have been between 2 and 4 hours rather than 2-4 minutes! Ouf, Quite an extreme difference.!

In Norway, Nina had fasted qualifying time, won the semi finals and the finals- she even beat 16 out of 28 world cup men overall

Being American, I was not authorized to participate in the European championships in Pelvoux France this year, even though the sprint would have been the event I would have loved to compete in. Maybe I will join in next year at the world championships when they are at Pelvoux, France.

Results from the Sprint World Cup

Since living in Europe we have optimal coverage of world cup ski racing both alpine and Nordic. Michael, being, a huge fan of world cup nordic skiing was often watching the sprint races calling me to come watch. It was not through osmosis that Marit Bjorgen, Norwegian world champion cross country superstar, and Kikkan Randall, American, the current world cup sprint champion soon became inspirations to me in the sport.

The view of the fjords

I feel like I  share a special kind of bond with Kikkan Randall. I don’t know her personally but she has a mission to help encourage young girls and women in sport through her program Fast and Female. She has been dedicated to her sport through thick and thin in the Sprint discipline and beyond.  I remember her saying once about what she did for her win and she simply replied that she stayed relaxed, focused and smiled. For me staying relaxed, focused and smiling is ultra important in the sprint, non the less, to any success.

Kikkan is the first American to win a world cup sprint in cross-country skiing, none the less the World Cup crystal globe this year . (she also likes pink). She has made history for the sport of cross country skiing in the USA.

Making history being the 1st North American to win a world cup ski mo event

Like Kikan, I, too, feel proud to have made history, being the first North American to win a world cup event in ski mountaineering.

Tromso was a port of tranquility for me. There was a calming and centered feeling when looking out in the water with the ships passing. The sun rose early and I woke to calls of seagulls close by.

Morning meditation

I used to rock climb a lot BC (before children).  It was a real passion that I shared with many friends. I remember working on a climb, which was hard, 11 c+,  probably one of my hardest routes I have led. It was overhanging, steep and some holds that were hard to reach. I was determined and focused to do the route without falling or hanging, clean, with grace. I finally got the route, free, and clean and was happy. My friend said after, ‘ boy you have a lot of tenacity’.

Tenaciously climbing

It was this kind of tenacity and grace  that has helped me train for the sprints, working the transitions until they were clean and fast, fluid and ultimately graceful. It was one of those races where I felt really happy and alive. And even better was the journey it took to get there way up north above the arctic circle.

Tromso is 69' north of the equator, way up there!

To me the sprint embodies a metaphor for life itself:  a series of rounds, with obstacles, challenging transitions,  ups and downs, highs and lows, fast and furious, calm and centered. The sprint challenges one’s ability to stay calm and focused amidst a storm, breathe through challenging transitions, move forward from mistakes and be tenacious until the end with a smile.

Happy to find Grace in Tromso

There is a certain busy-ness and hubbub that can take over our daily lives and overwhelm us. Being a mother of two active young boys, managing a household can be very hectic if you make it, but to do it with grace and a smile is the ultimate victory for me. The sprint event takes the same amount of grace.  This victory for me symbolizes a culminated effort, and in my mind a victory of grace. It is one I will continue to strive to embody in how I live my life, approach my work and how I raise my children.  

Nina keeping the Grace

 I have so much gratitude for all those who have helped me reach this goal. My husband and boys have stood behind this dream 100%. I could not have done it without the help of so many individuals, my parents,  friends and sponsors. 

Namaste

photo credits: stephanmantler, skialper

Nina is the first North American ever to win a world cup ski mountaineering race.

She came all the way up past the arctic circle to Tromso, Norway to do it.

Tour du Rutor Extreme 2012: Veronika Swidrak (AUS) & Nina Silitch (USA) -4th Place overall Women

The Tour du Rutor holds a special place in my heart because it really was the first real ski mountaineering race I did with my teammate Lyndsay the year we started ski mountaineering racing in 2007. It was our first real introduction to “real” ski mo racing with technical ridges and arretes and some great long downhills. It is great because it is just over the other side of the Chamonix valley in the Aosta valley, so not too far away to drive compared to many of the other races I have been to this year. My teammate Veronika’s journey was much longer, driving 8hrs from Austria.

Le Rutor

In 2007 we placed 10th overall for women with L. Roux winning again back then and many of the same women’s teams  in the top ten, many of which are still world champions today.

Looking ahead to what is next

As I look back to when I really started ski mountaineering racing 5 years ago with my youngest son not yet one  year old, I am really proud of where I have come and even more so what I have learned about myself along the way, and meeting so many wonderful people from all over the world. This year my oldest son is super excited as he has been asking to try skinning for many years. Last week I put some skins on his cross country skis and he joined me with for a nightly training with our Chamonix club.

Technical Boot packs

This year , like in 2010 when it was a World Cup race, The Rutor,  was a three day stage race, similar to the Pierra Menta but higher in altitude.

Great Views

The Rutor, this year, is also part of the Grande Course Series which includes the Pierra Menta 2011/2012, Mezzalama 2011, Adamello 2011, Tour du Rutor 2012, Patrouille des Glaciers 2012. I will race the PGD as an “all American” team  with 2 great friends and athletes, Lyndsay Meyer and Sari Anderson.

Madonna at the Summit on stage 1

I am currently ranked 5th in the Grande Course Rankingsjust behind the 4 women who are tied for 1st place, (l. Roux, M. Miro, R. Pedrazini, F. Martenelli)

All smiles after a strong 4th place on the 1st stage

I am super excited and pleased with Veronika and my overall finish of 4th place.  It was a goal of mine to finish in the top 5 in one of the Grand Course races and so far this year I have done that twice, with a 5th place at the Pierra Menta and a 4th at the Rutor.

Skinning up 1st hill on 2nd stage

It was a real pleasure to race with Veronika who is experienced, an excellent pacer and always bringing positive energy to the race.

Heading down the fixed rope on 3rd stage

We are a good strong team and we  had a great 3 days of racing. We managed to hold our  4th place throughout the 3 days. Here are some cool shots of the race.

Trail running season started early! (running down the ridge)

It was hard to gain more time on the local Italian world champion Gloriana Pellisier but we came very close on the 2nd day with a very good stage.

Last downhill was over 2000 meters!

Here are the 3 stages with over 6,690 meters of climbing in 3 days.

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

While many of you are putting away the skis, and getting out the running shoes and bikes, we still have a good month of racing left. I will be celebrating the Easter holidays with my boys and then head to Tromso, Norway for the ArticRace, the last World Cup weekend of racing with the Sprint Final on Saturday the 14th and the Individual final on Sunday 15th. Currently ranked 9th overall for the Ind. ISMF rankings, it should be a great season finale for the World Cup. The season finale will finish with the Patrouille des Glaciers on the 27th of April.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring in the Mountains!

 Enjoy the sunshine and warm weather! 

Pierra Menta 2012

The Pierra Menta, a.k.a The Tour de France of ski mountaineering racing, is really one of the most mythical ski mo races out there and I think the hardest in my book. This year marked it’s 27th year!

Is this really my 5th?

I have to say, when I racked up for this race for the 1st time 5 years ago in 2008 with Lyndsay in our 2nd season of skimo racing, never did I think I would still be at it 5 years later. To do this race 5 straight years in a row, none the less finish is a huge achievement in my book.

Super happy to see my boys at the finish!

This year I raced with Valentine Fabre, an experienced skimo racer, our Mezzalama team mate from 2011 and a fellow team member from our Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club.  For my 5th Pierra Menta, I was super happy with our 5th place overall behind some of the top women skimo racers in europe.

Stats from this year’s Pierra Menta:

Pierra Menta 2012

205 mens teams and 16 womens teams took the start line. These teams not only are  the best ski mountaineering athletes from all over the world, but also teams who are simply there for the love of the sport. The Pierra Menta is part of the Grande Course series, a series of 5 races over 2 years: The French Pierra Menta, The Italian Mezzalama, Adamello and Tour du Rutor and the Swiss Patrouille des Glaciers. Next on the Grande Course Calender is the Tour du Rutor Extreme followed by the Patrouille des Glaciers.

This year: 177 mens teams finished and 11 womens teams. Here are the complete results: 

We completed almost 10,000 meters of elevation gain and over 80 kilometers of distance covered. 

For more images from the race: 

Heading up the last boot pack on day 1

Stage 1:  Rise and shine at the bright hour of 5h15am. None-the-less our Italian neighbors above us managed to do a skimo dance with their boots on every morning about 4am so were were often awake! 7am starts for the first 3 stages. The first day we finished in a strong position of 6th place for women with plenty of energy for the next 3 days

Stage 1-2684 meters of climbing 13 transitions!. A great 1st day in Pierra Menta style!

Stage 2:  The long and winding stage of day two. This stage was over 4h20 for us!

A good mixture of Hammer Nutrition Heed & Perpetuum kept me fueled for the long stage

A hot day but we took plenty of fluids and drink and kept a good pace throughout. We managed to move up to 5th place on day 2!

Stage 2

Stage 3: Le Grand Mont! This mythic day is when 1000′s of spectators come to cheer with their bells, fondue and vin chaud!

Mythic Pierra Menta Crowds on the 3rd stage

It is really truly amazing and inspirational to pass through these crowds!

The Famous Grand Mont Arrete

Here are some more images from the day! 

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Stage 3

We maintained our 5th place lead and enjoyed the ambience and full flavor of stage 3 with the crowds and the true spirit of the PM. Another long day with over 2600 meters and almost 4hrs.

Finish of Stage 3

Stage 4:  The Finale! Some say the the last day is like the Champs des Elysees but anything can happen. Equipment can break, someone can fall sick or just have a bad day. I felt  stronger each day and the best on this last stage which was only 1800 meters but full of some great ascents and descents.

All downhill from here!

We finished strong for the day, with just a few minutes behind the 4th place team.

Last quick transition and then down!

What a great feeling to pass the finish line after 4 hard days of giving it our all!

Smiles at the Finish! Yes!

A huge congrats to all the finishing teams and a special thanks to my teammate Valentine!

Womens Podium: 1st-PEDRANZINI Roberta : IT/ MARTINELLI Francesca-IT 2.ROUX Laetitia FR / PONT COMBE Sèverine-CH 3. RICHARD Mireille / MAGNENAT Gabrielle -CH4. BESSEGHINI Laura / CLOS Corinne 5. SILITCH Nina-USA / FABRE Valentine-FR

A special shout out to all the womens teams who competed!  It is a huge feat in itself to show up for the Pierra Menta as a woman, none-the-less finish it! I hope to see more and more womens teams at the Pierra Menta next year!

Ambience

A huge thanks to all my friends and family who came to support us with their cowbells and cheering!  Thanks to all the folks who took some great photos out there and I used in the blog! Thank you to my sponsors too who have helped support me in many ways to make this season happen!

My lil' Helpers!

A special felicitations to all the other members in the Chamonix Ski Alpinisme club. I think we were probably the most well represented club at the race with 21 members who raced and finished the 27th Pierra Menta! Bravo!

Now it's Nap time!

 

Here is a cool video of the PM 2012

Spring flowers burst through the Snow

The ski mountaineering season is long with the first races beginning in December and the final race, the Patrouille des Glaciers the last weekend of April. Every athlete has their own ways to keep their motivation high throughout the season.  The hubbub of daily life: family, work, combined with travelling and racing can take it’s toll. It is important to be able to recognize what one needs to keep fresh.

Sunshine across the VB

Here in the Alps, the days are getting longer, the sun is peaking over the Chamonix Aiguilles earlier than the midst of winter and we have had fleeting moments of spring, which gives everyone a fresh, new energy.

Happy to be in the Mountains

For me, a few good days in the mountains is often all it takes to keep the energy going. Here are a few tours I have done to give me a smile, new spring energy and doing what I love.

Brèche Puiseux : Traversée W > E par les glaciers des Périades et du Mont Mallet This was my first time doing this magnificent tour!

View of Bresche Puiseux Route

Couloir up to the Bresche

Top of the Couloir

Looking over to the Col des Droites

Col des Droites: Versant S This was a great one to have done, all in good company too.

View of the Col des Droites and other routes in the Glacier Talefre

Cool cloud cover on the moraine looking back to Mt Blanc

MIsha coming up the s. face col des droits

Almost to the top of the Col

Turned out to be a nice day after all!

And now the count down begins for the….The Pierra Menta….next week! Four days of real ski mountaineering racing! The Tour de France of Ski mountaineering at it’s best.

From Snow to Sea: Nina on the descent of the World Cup Ind. Course on Mt. Enta (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

When people think of Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, they often think of sunshine, sandy beaches, sweet cannoli’s, lemon trees, gelato and La dolce vita, the sweet, slow pace of Sicily.

Pure Sicilian Sunshine (Photo from www.stephanmantler.com)

There is also Mt. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe.  Did you know that the first ice cream came from Sicily? Greeks and Romans sent runners  to the top of the Etna slopes to get some snow, which was then sweetened with Sicilian honey,  nuts and berries.

What you probably don’t think of is skiing, a ski-mountaineering World Cup none-the-less. Well, there is in fact skiing on Mt. Etna!  The locals are also passionate about ski mountaineering on this active, unpredictable volcanic peak. The 2nd World Cup, in a 5 world cup series was held on snowy slopes of Mt. Etna, in the dichotomy of the sea against the snow.  Perhaps we were not so different from the runners of roman times, only we racers were running around in lycra race suits and skis on our feet!

Racers in lycra suit on Mt Etna (www.stephanmantler.com)

The night before we arrived, Sicily received over 2meters  of fresh snow. That is over 6 feet for those of you who think in inches!

Officially "snowed under!"

There was so much snow, not only the access road was blocked, but also the chairlifts.

Officially snowed under (parking lot of Mt. Etna Ski area)

Thanks to a hard, working Sicilian road crew, just like Katy and the Big Snow, (a book my boys love), we were able to get to the race. 

The most baffling thing was that even though it snowed 2 meters, there was no powder!

Sicilian Snow Removal

The snow quickly transformed and condensed to hard pack. Skiing down was like skiing in sand, with a layer snow crystals washing over the hard surface, making a very cool swishing noise. I was stoked I could use my new swix poles with super lightweight baskets! Thanks Swix and Michael for prepping them in time!

More great shots from Stephan! www.stephanmantler.com

There was a real rendezvous of nations here for this race, with the top athletes in ski mountaineering circuit from France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. We were welcomed in an opening ceremony of parade of nations. Friday the vertical race was straight up the slopes of the volcan with a boot pack in the middle. This was a nice change from the  the normal straight up against gravity verticals.

Opening Ceremony of Etna World Cup

Talk about extremes. Two weeks ago when I set foot on the starting line it was -20 C, and I was sporting amour for the cold (hand warmers and mittens) and this time a complete opposite of 14 degrees Celsius. The vertical was for me all about the ‘gitter done attitude adopted from the John Deere roots in my own family.

The fight against gravity with a smile on the World Cup Vertical Race

The vertical was a pure fight against gravity, one of the steeper verticals I have done. I managed to find some  power at the boot pack and kept thinking of Anders message to me to have a happy race and finish with a smile.

from my budding little optimist

Sicilians are on Sicilian time, not Swiss time, much to the dismay of the heavily present Swiss team. It is a refreshing change  to the hubbub of today’s modern pace and one we all can all meditate on in a full breath. Briefings starting 30 minutes late, starts delayed due to traffic mayhem on the access road, no problemo. Tranquillo….just breathe…

A race with a view (photo:www.stephanmantler.com)

Saturday the heat was on and I was ready. Plenty of Hammer Nutrition Heed in my camelbak, check  Sporting my white national team suit to avoid melting in the hot sun! check . Once again, yours truly, finds her pace at the middle of the first climb. This course was not so long (1450m) with2 long climbs, and not so technical up or down so it favored those who are good climbers and difficult to gain much on the descents. I did managed to find my power on the 2nd climb and had some clean and fast transitions, passing 3 WC women, 3 FISI women, finishing 9th overall WC,  in the 82% from the winner, a drastic improvement from last year.

Nina on the 2nd downhill on the individual course (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

Adventuring to the top of the Mt Etna Crater with my austrian teammate Veronika after the race was a highlight of the trip, reaching the snow summit and looking out towards the sea  in the distance breathing in the two

Looking out towards the sea

Here are some photos from the journey to the summit.

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The ski down was spectacular! We descended over 2000 meters on soft spring snow, weaving our way through lava rocks along the way and hitched out way back to town.

 Sunshine thoughts from Sicily: 

Yoga in the Sicilian Sunshine

Sunshine strength, fresh -infused new energy,  friendships, pace for a lifetime, relish siestas in the sun, take time to read, balance, yoga in the sunshine, smile .

Mission Accomplished-Finishing with a smile (photo www.stephanmantler.com)

So that is it from Sicily.  

Next skimo world cup just 1 week away, Lagorai Cima d'Asta, Italy! (photo: www.martinavalmassoi.com/)

I leave you with a message from Danielle LaPorte’s excerpt on Decide to Rise who, b.t.w. is full of inspiration, and sageful words of wisdom.

Push. Turn up the volume. Go hard. Go harder.

Re-prioritize your aches and pains.

Infuse your sensitivities with courage.

Tell fear to #&*^#$^*@( #&(**&#^!!!

Devote to Done.

There are soul-justified reasons to cancel. There are times to just stop. This isn’t one of them. Keep going. Show up. Full on. Full tilt. Full out. Decide to be one of those people who pull it off.

Do what you say you’re going to do. 
Don’t let us down. 
Decide to rise.

Why decide to rise? Not for the reasons you might think. In fact, these are the reasons that will make you sick and tired:

Do not rise out of obligation. Do not rise because of feared consequences. Do not rise because you think being tough makes you smarter (it doesn’t.)

Decide to rise because you want to expand — your being, your life, your possibilities.

Decide to rise because super powers are meant to be activated and applied in everyday life.

Decide to rise to explore your place in the universe.

 On the other side of deciding to rise is illumination, ecstasy, insight. And the angel of your strength is there waiting, smiling, applauding, with a goblet of endorphins for you. Drink up.

When you transcend circumstances you get special privileges. You get evidence that you are indeed amazing, and irrefutable proof that what your heart and mind choose is what matters. And you get the deep knowing that life wants you to win.

Decide to rise.

Lean in. Listen up. Closely.

It’s your soul speaking and she says,

Get UP! I need you. I want you. I am you. Choose me.

Lean in. Listen up. Closely.

Decide to rise.

Staying warm in the winter chill

It’s February 14th! Happy Valentines Day! Arctic temperatures have blanketed the Alps these last 2 weeks, some mornings with the thermometer reading -19 C (-2 F)!  Growing up in Vermont and Maine  these frosty temps are quite common in January. Back then I grew tired of freezing my tail off at the top of a GS course. Not only did I soon switch over to a more aerobic sport , cross country skiing, to keep my engine warm  but also moved to a sunnier state, Colorado. Now I have switched over to another sport, ski mountaineering which keeps my heart and mind equally warm.

Sunshine warms the heart

I have had a little break in the World Cup calendar. Despite the Siberian temps, I have bundled up just like we did when we were kids,and headed for the mountains on my own, with friends and with my family, all heartwarming and important moments to stay balanced.

Enjoying warm winter moments as a Family

Perhaps it’s only in ski towns in France that when teachers strike and there is no school, kids go skiing! These two weeks I took advantage of having some more time to pump up the volume in my training but also get out find some new terrain that I had not skied before. I headed out with a friend Max one day  up the Col de la Floria, a good climb from the valley floor to the top (1440+meters) There was a nice long boot pack at the top and a great steep ski coming down. Another time I explored the, Aiguille de la Gliere Nord, once again a great varied climb, boot pack, with an impressive view to the other side. It is these kind of days in the mountains that bring me warmth and a smile.

Heading to the Hills

I managed to get in some good races as well in these 2 weeks. I squeezed in 2 Mountain Ski tour uphill victories ( Flaine and Les Contamines) Both excellent for my own uphill climbing but also really fun ambiance.  I did not have these on my calender but decided to go as there were not only good training opportunities but also a great chance to see another part of the Alps and go with other from my local Chamonix Ski Mountaineering club. The Tour de Grand Veymont in the Vercours region of France was also the CAF (Club Alpine Francais) national championships. This time artic temps prevailed. Mittens and hand warmers were the ticket. It was a gorgeous course, a great sunday out as a club and I came home with the win for the women and the CAF national champion title.

Tour de Grand Veymont & Trophee de Gastlosen

 The Trophee de Gastlosen is the 2nd largest race in Switzerland next to the famous Patrouille des Glaciers, with over 1200 participants. Two years ago this race was a world cup and I raced with my USA teammate and pal lyndsay. It was the first team race of the year for me and I raced in Chamonix Club mixed team with Yann, our coach from our club and an experienced skimo racer. We placed 23rd overall with a time of 2h53 reaching our goal of being the first mix team and also breaking three hours. It was probably the coldest temps I have ever raced in with the thermometer around -21 at the start but the great backdrop of the Gastlosen mountains and the technical climbs and descents kept me moving and made for an excellent day.

Warm moments together

Now it’s tapering time for the next world cup which will be held on the active volcano of Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy. on February 24 and 25th. For our family, a great time to spend with the boys who are on vacation from their busy days at school. It is a time for everyone to slow down, breathe, and rejuvenate together.

Staying warm

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”—

Anne Bradstreet

Grateful for the rainbow at the end of a long training day!

A fellow classmate from Dartmouth is doing amazing work with her  Raising Happiness project. Not only is she an amazing woman, but also an amazing mom and an inspiration to so many, myself included.

Weekly Thoughts

As the the French say, Grâce a Christine! 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
-–Melody Beattie

Amazing afternoon light around Chamonix-Mont Blanc

“Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” –Buddha

A winter miracle

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

–Albert Einstein

Enjoy your miracle!

Heading for the finish in the vertical race ski mo world cup

As I leave sunny Andorra and head for snowy Chamonix I look around at this beautiful countryside here which I am so fortunate to have had a chance to explore. What I love most about racing in other countries is it gives me a real chance to experience a country more than in the eyes of a tourist.

A map of Andorra to give you a sense of where in the world this little country is

This goes back to some of my earlier jobs in life which allowed me to work abroad, teaching English in China, working in Africa as an outdoor educator and even mountaineering in South America. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences as a young professional. Surely they have enriched who I am today and given me a global perspective.

The start of the womens vertical race: I always start a little too fast!

Racing in another country allows one to  not only take in the land while racing but also meet the people locally with first hand flavor.

A view of the course track for the individual

On the world cup ski mountaineering circuit it is a fairly small group of athletes( 40 men and 20 women) from a variety of countries – mostly alpine nations. It is nice to say hello again and meet new people to expand horizons even further. The locals in Andorra were welcoming, enthusiastic and put on a great weekend of racing.  It amazes me how this sport grows and grows each year worldwide. With that the levels get higher and higher each year.

I think I am happy to be done with the vertical!

The World Championships were held in Andorra two years ago and I was lucky enough to go. This weekend, the Font Blanca, was the kick off weekend of the ski mountaineering world cup with a vertical race on saturday and the individual race on sunday. The vertical, not my favorite event but a good training for me, and I managed to hold my own finishing 12th overall behind some real climbing specialists, and in the 80th percentile behind the winner. I had no idea I had placed 2nd in my new age category!

Map of last 2 climbs

The individual race was really what I was looking forward to. It was a technical course on profile with 1380 meters of ascent, 4 climbs , with 2 boot crampon sections and some fun couloirs to descend.

Climbing to a personal best in the Ind. Race

Sr. Men on the crampon section

For me, all of my favorite things in ski mountaineering. I was pleased with how I felt, each climb a little stronger, trying to stay consistent and focussed throughout the course. Hammer Nutrition Heed provided me with consistent energy throughout, a perfect energy for a race just under 2 hours.

Descending, what I love most on the individual course

I ended up with a personal best for me with a time in the 80th percentile of the winner and an overall 9th place out of a very strong field of women. Results can be found here.

View of technical section of course

Staying consistent and focussed outside of the race is equally, it not more important. All parents know that this applies to raising children but also to oneself in following a path or a dream.

Having fun with the boys who remind me each day I must be consistent.

So,now it’s back home to my boys who keep me motivated on and off the race course, keep me focused on being the best mom I can be, keep me consistent with what is important and keep my dreams alive!

A huge thanks to Michael, who helps me keep my ducks in a row and reminds me to be consistent.