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Happy Valentines Day!

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
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

 

 

 

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Winter Rainbow

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

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!

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1st Ski Mountaineering World Cup of the 2012 Season in Andorra

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

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.

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Another 2nd for Nina in French National Championships in Sprint!

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Nina- 1st place sprint in age category, 2nd place overall womens final

Just three years ago I helped found the section ski-alpinsime club with the Chamonix club des sports. This year we have reached the 60 member mark in our club. This is not only a result of the passion behind this sport but also the fact that the sport of ski mountaineering is growing exponentially worldwide, especially here in Chamonix, the heart of the Alps. The international ISMF is working hard with others to see that this sport will one day be in the Olympic Games.

Top 3 Women at the finish of the French national Sprints: Laetitia Roux 1, Nina 2, Emile Favre 3

Sunday evening, under the lights of the Les Planards ski area, volunteers from my ski alpinisme club joined forces with the Chamonix Sports Club and the FFME (French Federation Montagne Escalade- the governing body for ski-alpinsime) to host the 1st ever national championships in sprint.

The sprint race is a fairly new format that encompasses many variables of ski mountaineering. This format includes: skinning, to kick-turns-to a boot pack- more skiing, a descent with giant slalom gates and a finish in skating, all of this in an area of around 80m of elevation gain and under at time of 3.5-4.5 minutes.

The sprint event has already taken place in ski mountaineering world cup and in the World Championship in the past 2 years. This is an event that I personally really love and also have had good results with a 5thplace last year in Gavarnie World Cup. This was the first time the sprint has been part of the French national championship series. The cool thing about the sprint event is that it is very exciting to watch from a spectator standpoint. It is similar to the Cross Country Sprint where there is a qualification round, followed by ¼ finals, ½ finals and then finals.

The start line for the womens finals. I had first choice my lane with fastest qualifying time

The race was my second big objective of this season. I am really happy about how I felt in the qualifications and in the final. I had the fastest qualification time, trying not to go out too fast.  In the final I had the lead above Laetitia Roux, the current world champion in this discipline, until the kick turns and then she gained on me in the boot pack.

Warming up before the finals!- It was a cold night! I had Michael and Birken in the pit crew! Thanks!

I placed 2nd overall behind Laetitia Roux, who holds the World Champion title in the Sprint, and I placed 1st in my new age category, with elite athlete Corrine Favre in 2nd.

For me I really love the sprint race because it encompasses so many variables in such a short time. It requires clarity and grace both equally  important in our daily lives. For me, it is easy to get caught up in all of the million things I feel like I need to do at home, with my children, and family. There is a lot going on in our household with lots of transitions, and it often feels like a sprint race: school, ski-club, hockey practice, meal time, bedtime, piano practice and more. It is important for me to be graceful, compassionate and swift in day to day transitions, and at the same time keep a clear vision of what is important.

Some things that really help me stay focused are yoga,  meditation, getting plenty of sleep. I like aromatherapy too. Thanks to my friend Valerie of Ciel et Terre in Chamonix I have discovered Altearah’s wonderful scented oils that work hand in hand with the senses and the mind. Indigo is a favorite of mine.

Purple cornflower a.k.a Bachelor's Button- Color- Indigo -symbolizing Clarity

 

My next big objective, 1st world cup in Andorra this coming weekend. Thursday I will hop on a plane and head to the Pyrenees.

 May all your daily transitions be graceful and swift.

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Nina places 2nd at French National Ski Mountaineering Championships!

Monday, January 9th, 2012

Happy that my legs are feeling good!

Areche, Pierra Menta country hosted the French National Championships (individual) yesterday. This was my first real objective of the season and I was happy that it fell into place for me on this day, my oldest son’s 8th Birthday. I came in 2nd overall just behind Laeticia Roux and in front of Corrine Favre, both of whom are exceptional athletes. Laeticia a World Champion in ski mountaineering and Corrine and exception trail runner and ski alpinist. I took first place in my “new” catatgory this year, Veteran. I am proud to bring home a French national Championship medal, but even more happy to go home after and give my birthday boy a squeeze after a great day of racing.

Happy 8th Bday B!

After a summer of being injured, this is great start to a beginning of my ski mo season, but surely with lots more work to come. Our club, Chamonix ski alpinisme  had a strong presence of 17 people at the French Nationals which was a record! It was a great ambience to have the whole skimo family there!

A little word of thanks to my Sponsors! Thanks Petzl, Hammer Nutrition My gel pouch fell out in a transition but HEED got me through all the way in the race just under 2 hrs! Sportlegs kept my legs from cramping on the killer descents! I used my Camelbak Race vest which worked great and kept the drink from freezing! Pierre Gignoux boots were awesome especially in the descending in the tough snow with the compression. My Swix poles worked well even in the deep powder snow. My Suunto kept me on track with cardio. Thanks to Eyeshop for protecting my eyes with some great goggles!  It was snowing and tough to see! I can’t forget Wild Roses, who adds the splash of pink to my wardrobe,  keeps me warm and dry on and off the slopes and encourages all women to follow their dreams.  I will surely be heading to Maison Carrier sometime soon to celebrate!

Today I will enjoy a little recup and make some turns on some fatter skis.

Next big objective, French National Champs in Sprint which we are hosting here in Chamonix next sunday evening under the night lights of Les Planards. It should be a great event to watch!

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Think Snow!

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Skiing Breithorn Face

Here in Europe things are a little thin, but not in Italy! I headed over to do some early season training in Cervinia last week. I had a chance to ski a 4000 meter peak, The Breithorn,  from the base of Cervinia to the summit with a few members of my ski-alpinisme team in Chamonix.

There is nothing better than sunshine, good snow and making some great turns with my boys!

T

Skiing w/ Lil A

My family joined me for the weekend and we had a great first weekend on snow!

Transition practice under the Matterhorn

I managed to get in some training sessions in the morning with great support from my hubby and boys. I must say it is a training session in itself getting everyone dressed and ready to roll. I looked forward to some good pasta with them at lunch and some great turns together in the afternoon!

The boys back on snow!

 

We are all doing the snow dance here in Chamonix, but until some of the white fluffy stuff falls from the sky, we may just be back to Italia for more pasta and cappuccinos -and great snow of course!

We'll be back to Italia!

here is a little video of our ascent of Breithorn Peak

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Pre-Season Training Camp in Cervinia

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Happy to be back on snow!

Hard to believe I spent 3 amazing days on snow last weekend in Cervina, Italy, when as I write this today here in Chamonix, we are in short sleeves and riding bikes and roller skiing, and just one week before I was on the beach in a bikini! This was the 2nd time of our Chamonix Club pre-season camp in Cervina, where we had a chance to dust off the cob-webs from summer and get the ski legs under us a bit, remembering how to take skins off and on and do a kick turn. It takes a bit of remembering, but just like riding a bike, it comes right back rather quickly.

Enjoying the view!

What a great way to kick off the season with a group of people who are passionate about ski alpinisme and sport! It was not long ago, maybe 5 years ago, I fell in love with the sport of ski mountaineering. It combines all that I love in a sport: endurance, strength, speed of downhill, technical climbing and of course being in the mountains! I found it strange that in Chamonix, the heart of alpinisme in Europe, the local sports club of Chamonix which hosts most other sports including ping-pong and boule, did not have a ski mountaineering team.

Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Club photo in front of the Matterhorn

With the encouragement from my husband, I went ahead to try and start one. Just three years ago, joined by a team of others equally passionate about the sport, we founded the club. Now on our 3rd season, we have grown to nearly 50 members which include 8 nationalities and have an age range of 14-70 years old, all of whom take part in competition of one form or another, as this is a competition club, not one for purely ski touring. Here is our link: Chamonix Ski Alpinisme

Great conditions

During the weekend we were blessed amazing snow conditions and great weather. We were able to walk from the base of town up the dreadfully steep Mezzalama trail, to about 2300 meters where we could put our skis on. It was a perfect warm up and a great way to avoid the crowds of alpine skiers. The weekend included technique drills, avalanche beacon training (always important to do pre-season!), a small race-course combining all the skills and of course some great cappucino’s and pasta!

Relaxing after a hard training session!

It looks like I’ll be making some more trips to Italy as the ground is still quite bare here in Chamonix, even though the first race on the calendar is just a couple weeks away. 

Think snow and Be Happy!

Be sure to check out the winter line for Wild Roses at the following link!  And to see the Wild Roses ambassadors Blogs click here! 

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Breathe & Believe

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Smile, breathe and go slowly (except when racing) ~Thich Nhat Hanh

There are many things that go into a season of racing. The ski mountaineering season is long, beginning in early december and ending in the 1st of May. There are moments in the season that are low points and high points, races to try to peak for and others to recover from. Juggling and balancing it all is never easy but for me two things help a lot:

Breathe and Believe

When one window closes another opens

 

 

 

 

 

Practicing yoga daily is not always possible but remembering to keep the breath  even both on and off the race course really helps, especially when the going gets tough.

As I reflect back on my 2010/2011 season I want to graciously thank all of my supporters and sponsors who have helped me believe in this dream. Above all I would like to thank my family; my husband  Michael of High-Alpine Mountain Guides who continues to  support  me to follow this dream and all that comes with it, and my two amazing boys who keep me smiling when the going gets tough. I just counted it up and I had 26 races this past season between Dec 5th and May 1st.

 

Training "En Famille"

 

It  is the journey that counts….


2010/2011 Season Stats:

9th overall in the World Cup with 5 individual World Cup starts in multiple countries- Italy, Poland, France,

Best world cup result: 5th Sprint World Cup Gavarnie

2011 World Championships- 8th place Team Race, 12th sprint, 17th individual

3rd French National Championships

3rd Overall French Ranking

2nd in the French Cup

6th Trofeo Mezzalama

7th Pierra Menta

8th Adamello Ski Raid

1st place Run/Skate mix

1st Transvanoise Mix Team

Other Podiums:

Mt Saxonnex- 2nd

Verte a L’envers- 2nd

Combloux-2nd

A big thanks goes out to Wild Roses for their support as I follow my own dream of racing on the World Cup Ski Mountaineering circuit. I am proud to be an ambassador for Wild Roses.  So much about Wild Roses as a company is encouraging woman to follow their dreams and believe in their dreams. I feel very lucky to be a part of such an amazing team of woman who are following their dreams.

I hope through my own dreams I can help empower others to follow their own and BELIEVE!

Just Believe

To check out the Wild Roses Dream Book click here

photo credits to Patitucci Photo and Brava Bella

 

 

 

 

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Teamwork

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

Teamwork! 6th place women's team

My 2011 ski mountaineering race season culminated with one of the biggest, longest and hardest races out there, the Trofeo Mezzalama.  This was the 3rd and final race in the Grande Course Series. Believe it or not, this was the 3rd time I had been at this start line and the 1st time I had finished so it was a memorable moment for me. Even better was knowing the my family (mom, dad, michael and the boys) and friends were there to welcome us at the finish as we ran in on foot!

part of the welcoming crew!

This race  was held on May 1st already delayed 1 day due to new snowfall. The majority of the race  is between 3600 meters and 4200 meters, with 3000 meters of climbing and 45km in length. What makes it equally amazing is that this race is done as a team. This year I shared this experience with two other amazing woman, also high level athletes and professionals, Lyndsay Meyer and Valentine Fabre,  both from my ski mountaineering club in Chamonix.

Being on a ski mountaineering team is like any team, a soccer team, football,or  an expedition team.  It takes preparation, especially to be aclimized at altitude.

Nina & Lynds training at altitude

As on any team, the key is working together and sharing the strengths and  helping out the weaknesses within the team. Here is a little photo essay of our Mezzalama 2011.

5:30 am Start

Col de Breithorn

It was very very cold at the Col. We tried our best to keep moving here to stay warm. Eating and drinking was difficult at this altitude of 3800 meters as the water bottles were frozen and the wind was quite strong. One also looses their appetite at such a high altitude.  I managed to get a Wild Berry Nuun going in one bottle and a multi-hour bottle of Hammer Nutrition Cafe Latte Perpetuum in my other. This as well as the hot tea at a few stops along the way managed to give me enough energy. Every 2 hours I tried to remember Sport Legs for avoid cramping.   Temperatures were well below zero degrees Celsius until the sun hit.

Castor

Finally kissed by the sunshine!

Castor Peak 4228 m

Col between Lyskamm and nose of Lyskamm

All smiles at the end!

We finished with a very respectable 6th place( out of 23 womans teams) with a time of 7h:30 m

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Final World Cup in Zakopane, Poland

Sunday, April 17th, 2011

Final World Cup in Zakopane

Poster for Final World Cup

The last world cup of the season was in Zakopane, Poland home of the ski jumping world cup and gateway to the Tatra’s Mountains. Unfortunately due to the weather, we never really saw the mountains but they sure do look beautiful in the photos.

Tatra Mountain Panorama

Even though we could not due the planned course, the organizers did an exceptional job creating a descent course with the conditions we had.

Walking to the Start

A glimpse of the Tatras on race day

Pre-race moment studying the course

Happy to be finished!

It was one of the best organized races I have been to and the enthusiasm for ski mountaineering was also impressive.

Post Race Food- homemade healthy cookies! A nice change from the normal stuff!

Congrats to Michael for his Podium! 1st place Master Division

We also enjoyed seeing and experiencing the culture of Zakopane. In my mind, one of the best way to see another country is to go to a race and experience the culture through meeting the locals.

Pre race ski with Claudia of Zakopane

Traditional Transport

Traditional Tatra Mountain Home

Zakopane Hotel for the World Cup Athletes

 

 

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