by hattenburrow | Jul 14, 2017 | Adventure, Biking Adventures
Last year I took on my biggest challenge yet. The Trans Alp Bike Race, the toughest amateur Mountain Bike stage race in Europe.
My team mate Michelle and I spent seven days doing battle up mountain passes, riding through valley floors and dropping down breath-taking descents as we crossed from Austria to Italy. We passed through 3 countries, climbed over 17,000mts, (which equates to climbing Mount Everest twice) and rode 521km.
Albeit spectacular, The Trans Alp was far tougher than I imagined both mentally and physically. No training in the UK can prepare you for exhausting 2,000m climbs. As a team we burnt around 70,000 calories, went through 4 sets of brake pads, ate mountains of bananas and watermelon, consumed 36 energy gels from High 5 and SIS, drank around 4.5L a day and spent 44 hours in the saddle.
The months after the Trans Alp took me by surprise I was the fittest I had ever been but my motivation to train or even ride my bike seemed to have gone. I felt like something was missing from my life and I felt drained on enthusiasm.
I pulled out of Torq 12:12 as once by body started to relax out of training I started to get ill with colds. This was my only goal after the Alps now I started to feel like I had failed.
I felt unhappy with the way I felt and constantly beat myself up about how I was feeling but nothing seemed to pull me out of the black whole I had fallen into.
Having an operation in November and six weeks off exercise didn’t help my mood and stress levels. Finally around Christmas my boyfriend Martyn had the genius idea of climbing Mont Blanc for our 30th Birthdays in 2017. This was the first push I needed to get back to feeling inspired and motivated towards a new goal and new challenges.
Since finishing the Trans Alp I found the Tough Girl podcast which also has helped! I listened to inspiring women who had been on epic adventures and had come back and felt exactly like I did. Phew! This normalized the way I had felt and helped me to move past these feelings and look to the future.
So, what does it feel like to race a stage race?
I can’t quite put it into a sentence the mental and physical strain on training six days a week around running your own business and working full time, it was immense and I am in complete awe of everyone who puts themselves through this, I salute you! The Trans Alp changed my life, it gave me a new perception on hard work, team work and the dedication needed to be at the top of your game when it counts.
Since getting over my little post-race blip I feel more determined to make the most out of life and the adventures it throws at me. I am now focused on building my coaching business and starting to work with more women to help them achieve their cycling goals.
by hattenburrow | Jun 22, 2017 | Adventure, Biking Adventures, Hotel Reviews, Kitesurfing
Tarifa sits at the Southernmost tip of Spain, where the Mediterranean sea meets the Atlantic ocean. It smiles at Morocco across the Gibraltar Straight which splits Europe from North Africa. With its long sandy beaches and rolling countryside Tarifa is an adventurer’s paradise with plentiful opportunities to have fun in and out of the water.
The town of Tarifa is a quaint fishing port with narrow cobbled streets. Tumbling jasmine and beautiful wrought-iron rejas make Tarifa old town a charming place for a stroll and a great place to stumble into one of its many Tapas bars for a delicious bite to eat.
The ‘new town’ in Tarifa adds a different element to this laid back fishing town with is rows of surf shops, bike rental places and an international vibe.
Where to stay.
For our trip we stayed at the Ocean Nature Lodge about 6km from Tarifa town. The hotel sits back from the road with views over the beach and mountains.
Stepping into the main hotel building it had a fresh, laid back vibe and we felt instantly at home. The hotel had a restaurant which served breakfast, lunch and dinner. A bar which was open all day serving hot and cold drinks, the fresh orange juice was my favourite. During our stay Martyn and I spent time drinking and playing games on the veranda at the front of the hotel overlooking the sea.
The hotel complex included self-contained ‘bungalows’ which looked like great places for groups of friends or couples wanting more privacy.
There was also a nice pool, gym (which wasn’t open when we were there), on site bike hire with Scott Bikes and kite school making it easy to rent gear or have lessons.
The staff where so helpful, they made us feel like friends rather than guests, and they were very patient as we practised our broken Spanish each day.
Our Room.
Our room overlooked the sea. On more than one occasion I found myself sitting on the bed staring out at the palms blowing in the gusty wind and watching the colourful kites dance on the water below.
The room followed the chilled out beach vibe with open wardrobe, roller door and white washed wood a plenty.
The room was a reasonable size with a balcony, nice comfy double bed and amazing waterfall shower in the wet room.
Restaurant.
Breakfast was not included in our room price and cost 12 euros a day but was well worth it. A fresh selection of pastries, croissants, hams, cheeses and fruit. You could also have cooked eggs with bacon or omelettes cooked to order each morning. This was a nutritious way to start an action packed day exploring the nature reserves or playing on the water.
Lunch was simple but delicious; with a small menu selection of salad, sandwiches and mini burgers all the food was well cooked and prepared to a high standard.
Evening meals were a real treat. The menu was small but the choices were cooked to perfection. I had the tuna, caught using the Almadraba method a style of fishing using a circle of boats and nets, a practice which has not changed since the Phoenician times, over 2000 years ago. It was cooked pink and served with an variety of vegetables and new potatoes, as requested by me.
Martyn had the pork cheeks which were melt-in-your mouth tender and came with a butternut squash and greens.
Puddings were also incredible my favourite was a melting ball of cocoa which uncovered a rich chocolate, orange and nut cake with a rich dark chocolate sauce and candied fruits it was the perfect end to any meal.
Scott Test Centre – Mountain Biking Tarifa
Ocean lodge is a Scott bike test centre with a fleet of bikes including, road, mountain and e-bikes to try out in the stunning countryside.
We chose to hire Scott Spark mountain bikes which were super light and great fun! Our ride started early to avoid the mid-day sun. The ride started, as every good mountain bike ride should, with a climb.
We traversed the side of the hill until we reached the top, the winding gravel surface kicked up dust in the balmy heat of the morning and we were soon stopping to admire the view and catch our breath. We had hired a guide to explore the 600 kilometre National Park, which turned out to be a sensible idea as off-road it was a rabbit warren of trails and paths and knowing where the best single track was required local knowledge.
The advantage with going high was being able to make the most of the stunning views out across the Atlantic with Morocco a hazy shadow in the background.
Our route was around 25km in total and the perfect way to enjoy the single track Tarifa has to offer. I would love to go back and do more biking soon.
Tips for biking in Tarifa:
- Go with a guide or use Bike Map to download routes so you don’t get too lost
- Know where you can get water from if you go alone
- Early mornings or evenings tend to be cooler
- Sun cream is a must
- Pump your tyres a little harder for the climbs and then let a little out for the descents
- E-bikes are a great way to enjoy the countryside without so much effort on the climbs
Kitesurfing Tarifa
I had lessons with Kite Force Kiteschool who are linked to the hotel. It was super easy to book my lessons via email and on arrival we worked out the ideal times due to wind and conditions. A friendly instructor met me at the hotel and took me to the beach for each lesson. To read about my kite surfing lessons click here.
by hattenburrow | Jun 16, 2017 | Adventure, Kitesurfing
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Touching down in Gibraltar I didn’t realise how much hard work and fun the next four days would be!
My goal for the holiday, learn to kitesurf, for the second time…. Kitesurfing and I are old friends having learnt whilst I was at University, but not really having the time to carry it on my skills never improved.
Never liking to admit defeat, when Martyn suggested I take lessons again, it didn’t take much for me to sign up. This time, with help from the Levante, an easterly wind that blows across the mountains of Tarifa and funnels into Gibraltar straight creating gusty strong winds.
Arriving at the beach with Morocco as the back drop the beach colourful kites danced in the sky, many with newbies, like myself, struggling to keep control in the gusty conditions.
Jordi my instructor started with the basics of laying out the kite and lines, checking for tangles and attaching the kite and lines together. The force of the wind determines the kite size, on my first day in Tarifa I was flying a 3.5m kite on 10m lines as the wind was gusting up to 35 knotts, I tried not to panic about being blown away.
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Once the kite was set up Jordi attached himself through his harness using the chicken loop and safety leash and we launched the kite into the air, it took off with vigor and fidgeted in the sky as Jordi spoke to me about the wind window, this is the imaginary area downwind that the kite can fly in which uses the face of a clock with 3 and 9 being the points where you can land your kite.
My key points for beginners:
- The bigger the kite the slower it reacts to your movements on the bar
- Pushing the bar away de-powers the kite
- Make small adjustments on the bar
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Once I had learnt the basics of kite control it was time to try one handed in preparation for holding the board, this was harder than I expected leaving the kite at 2 or 10 in the wind window and using little movements on the center of the bar to control it was challenging.
The three main zones of wind window impact the power of the kite. Mastering where to place the kite is a skill that takes time and patience. Day one’s lesson over I felt good about my kite skills but far from ready to stand on a board yet…
The three wind window zones are:
The Edge/Neutral Zone: in good winds, the kite can remain in stationary flight in this zone, producing little or no power.
The Intermediate/Soft Zone: the area downwind of the neutral zone, where the kite starts to move dynamically and produces power; the power generated within the intermediate zone is gradual, increasing the closer it is to the center point of the window or power zone.
The Power Zone: the most powerful area within the wind window and is used with sensible control; this zone is rarely needed except in light winds and when performing advanced tricks; the kite cannot be paused or stopped in this zone and will continue to fly towards the neutral zone.
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Day two, body dragging
Day two was about mastering the body drag this is a key technique to master both up (against) wind and down (with) wind in case you lose your board.
Adding the board…
The Atlantic was surprisingly warm as I bobbed down in the water and with a slow motion moved the kite to 10 it instantly pulled me forwards and I shot off with the wind down the beach after a short while I moved the kite back to 12 and then over to 2, this time I pulled on the bar a little too hard and shot off in the air, face planting and taking a great gulp of ocean.
After a few more attempts my body drag downwind was going well and it was time to work on going upwind.
This was slightly trickier especially in choppy water. Moving the kite to 10 I stuck out my arm in the direction of beach and slowly made my way against the wind back to shore.
Reaching the shore I was surprised how difficult I had found it, not only the physical demands on trying to swim against the current whilst holding the kite still in the window and trying not to swallow too much water made for an interesting challenge.
My beginner tips:
- Stick your front leg out straight as you stand
- Put pressure on your back leg
- Once you’re standing, if the kite loses power stand ‘figure of eights’ back around the 12 and back again
- Don’t pull on the bar as this powers the kite
During the next few hours I kept at it, determined not to give in. I drank pints of the Atlantic, winded myself twice and had to be rescued by the safety boat once but persistence paid off and by the end of the session I was standing, not for long but standing none the less.
Kitesurfing is a tough sport, there is a lot going on all at once so brain power and muscle power are both working over drive. I am going to keep up my lessons in the UK.
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My beginner tips:
- Be persistent when your leaning
- Never kite when the wind is off-shore (In Tarifa you can pay for tokens for the safety boat which will pick you up, this then allows for kiting off-shore)
- Good core strength will be an advantage – pilates!
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by hattenburrow | Jun 1, 2017 | Adventure, Biking Adventures, Mountains
Our first ever Glamping adventure!
This one was no exception, on Friday night Lauren, Stu, Martyn, myself and the dogs drove to Wales for a spot of Glamping.
Glamping is a form of ‘glamorous camping’ which combines the luxury of a warm cosy night’s sleep in a real bed (usually) with the element of adventure in the outdoors.
We stayed at Bryn Betws Lodge in Afan Forest Park in ‘glamping’ pods which were little wooden huts with blow up beds, lighting, electric and that was about it! I have never been ‘glamping’ before and it was nice to arrive in the dark and not have to worry about fiddling with tent poles by torch light.
The pods were very basic and camping equipment like stove, plates/bowls, sleeping bags and pillows were needed. It was nice to have lights and electric two things I have learnt to deal without camping.
Glamping in Wales
The pods had benches and chairs where we ate breakfast and admired the views.
Saturday morning was drizzly but this didn’t detract from the beauty of the Welsh valley, a medley of green and grey rolling hills. After a somewhat leisurely start to the day we headed up the forest tracks with the dogs in search of a good pub. Now the keen eyed of you probably noticed I said ‘up’ and yes I thought I had seen a sign for a village going up the side of this hill, after a while it became apparent I was wrong.
Retracing our steps the rain cleared slowly as we walked down into the village below.
Since having a dog Martyn and I have tried to take Luna (the dog) to as many places as possible, finding dog friendly pubs in Wales proved to be a challenge over the course of the weekend, one that I am sure other dog owners can appreciate. (If you know of any good dog friendly pubs in Wales please comment below and I will add links to these for others!)
Arriving back at our pods, the hot and now damp weather had whipped the midges into a frenzy so we re-treated inside to play Linkee (a camping essential). I was just about to ‘win’ a letter K when there was a knock at the pod door. A smart gentleman stood with a bottle of prosecco in his hands and we were invited to a wedding! It turned out an episode of Don’t Tell the Bride had been filmed and the groom (prosecco in hand) said we were welcome to join the party.
Fast forward a few hours and we were the only four people on the dance floor. Sunday morning brought some sore heads and mountain biking was put on hold until the afternoon.
We spent most of Sunday exploring the beaches around the Gower Peninsula (Swansea end) I have never been to this part of Wales and the rocky cliffs stretched up for miles towards the peninsular from Swansea bay.
The dogs loved the beach and we had soon lost or broken several tennis balls in their enthusiasm to run and chase them down.
By the time we got back to the pods the beach air and walking had created 4 tired humans and two tired puppies!
Monday was our last day in Wales and it came with another slightly random surprise as we opened the pod doors three donkeys were chilling out in our camp area. The donkeys were keen to get to know the dogs, it’s safe to say this was not a mutual friendship!
Packing the cars we headed to Afan Trail Centre where Martyn and Stu hired bikes. This was Stu’s second time on a mountain bike and the plan was a ‘gentle’ loop of Y Wal. Y Wal is a swooping 24km mainly singletrack loop where the descents and the views are both breath-taking. It is a red graded trail which, according to the guide book, boasts some of the best singletrack in the UK and I must say after riding it I agree. We climbed fire road and more technical singletrack climbs, rode along exposed ridge lines and weaved our way through the forest. It was exhilarating.
by hattenburrow | Mar 27, 2017 | Adventure, Mountains, Snowboarding
If Canada is the Mecca for adventure seekers then Whistler is the shangri-la of snow sports. Arriving for our five day whirlwind visit, Whistler was a hive of energy. 8,171 acres of powder, over 200 trails, Whistler boasts the longest unsupported gondola (4.4k,) joining the Blackcomb and Whistler peaks. In an average year they have 11m of snow making this a powder capped heaven! With a great mixture of blue, red and black runs Whistler has something for everyone.
During our (Martyn & myself) trip we ventured into the back-country for the first time with a guide. An experience that Martyn and I will never forget.
Back-country Snowboarding
We met our guide, J.F from Coast Mountain Guides at the bottom of Whistler gondola with nervous anticipation as we talked through the avalanche safety gear and created a plan for the day. J.F is a highly experienced mountain and ski guide with years of experience, he probably shares more in common with mountain deer than Martyn and I though, as we stood there un-aware of the adventure that was about to unfold.
Coast Mountain Guides was started by Guillaume Otis with his Dad back in 1998.
They operate year round and provide mountain guiding services for a wide range of client’s skills and abilities.
The first challenge of the day!
Once at the top of the lift system, to make our way into the back-country we had to take a toggle lift – sounds easy right! Wrong. I managed to expertly fall off the long pole not once, but twice… The first time I hung on thinking surely I can pull myself back up, this turned out not to be the case, after a few seconds I collapsed into a crumpled heap in defeat as others slid by without a care, not struggling to sit on the pole that seemed impossible to me!
Third time lucky! With some help from J.F to balance the beast I made my way shakily to the top arriving with a smile and a sigh of relief! I made it. Wow…and we have not even started the challenging bit, I thought to myself!
After a short run down we entered the back country gate, making sure our transponder’s where working as we passed through we left the lifts behind and walked into Mother Nature’s playground.
Whistler backcountry gate
The Ascent towards the unknown
Martyn and I had never been back country skiing before or, even walked up a glacier for that matter. So a brief lesson on how to split our board in two and then how to add the skins (sticky pads which ran along the length of each ski), so that we could climb the mountain. It was an odd feeling after being on a board to split it in half to use as skis it was easy to do once you got the hang of it.
Making tracks
We started the traverse to the summit. Using the ski tracks of the people that had been on before we slowly zig zagged up the side of the mountain not dissimilar to the way you would mountain bike up a steep hill.
Each binding had a heel riser so your heel stayed high to make walking up steep terrain possible, looking behind I was amazed at the distance we had covered considering we were moving slowly.
Walking up hill was hot work!
Reaching the summit, the Fitzsimmons Mountain Range stretched out before us in every direction, a majestic landscape, frozen and wild. The wind howled around us, whirling snow into tiny tornados. I felt in awe at the sheer power of the wind and the vast expanse of snow reaching out before us, I felt humbled by my surroundings and also a little chilly!
Looking into the back-country
We worked quickly to remove the sticky skins wrapping them back in our packs, releasing our bindings from each ski and slotting them back together to form a board.
J.F applying skins to skis
Carving Powder
With the wind thrashing around us we swooped over the edge into pure white powder, it was like riding through whipped egg whites, the board carved through the deep snow descending quickly down the slope.
We traversed the side of the glacier bowl staying high so we didn’t end up in the flat valley below. It was unbelievable gliding through fluffy clouds of powder making fresh tracks where no one else had been.
The clouds stole our view.
Making our way to the next climb, we stopped beneath a ridge. The approaching storm shrouded the tops and the dark clouds looks ominous, our perfect visibility was about to be snatched away from us. It was time to split our boards, apply our skins and make our way into the cloud. It was hard, hot work climbing pushing your ski forward with your toe and the pushing down with your heel so the ski gripped the snow.
At the top we used our skis to compact the snow, to make a ledge to work from, then it was time to reassemble our boards. The trees gave us shelter from the wind, we worked quickly to avoid chilling off. Stopping anywhere in high mountains in changeable weather can be chilly work and the colder you get the slower you get.
Reaching the top
Ready to go, the visibility was making our route through the trees tricky so J.F went first then I boarded down to just below him and then it was Martyn’s turn. My first tree run was good however, on my second run I didn’t turn quick enough and ended up as a tree decoration! The powder was so deep my left leg sunk out of sight and all the pulling in the world was not budging it, when I looked up all I could see was snow which was a little frightening. I shouted to Martyn who heard the slight panic in my voice and came to my rescue. Its times like these that you appreciate having mates around.
Watch our for that tree!
After extraction – we made our way down to where J.F had stopped to wait for us. J.F had scouted a jump for Martyn who expertly carved through the fresh powder launching off the lump and got good height landing softly in thick, thick snow.
What a show off!
As we split our boards ready to head back up through the trees the snow quietly fell and the only sound was coming from us, crunching back through the snow covered trees. It was hot work walking up hill and I was nicely roasting by the time we stopped.
Skins sticking to the skis to make walking up-hill possible
Our last back-country run of the day was epic! The visibility had been reduced to about 15m because of the storm. It took all my concentration to work out the contours in the snow so that I could make good turns. Once we were lower the visibility opened up and we weaved through the trees and dipped out into a long run down to Whistler village. Buzzing from our day in the back-country – full of stories, memories and feeling exhausted Martyn and I stopped for a well-earned drink and to share some amazing memories of the day.
Wine time…
Tips for back-country:
- Hire a professional guide, the equipment for avalanche safety is expensive. With proper knowledge of the areas guides can help you get the most out of your experience
- Layers of clothing is king. Going from snowboarding down to skiing uphill – your temperature changes constantly so having layers to zip and unzip makes it more comfortable
- Food and hydration. My water froze so a lucozade type drink would be better, every time you put your skins on take a sip to make sure you stay well hydrated
- Being able to put your helmet and goggles inside your bag will mean they don’t fill up with snow! Mine did it was a brain freezing experience outing them back on!
by hattenburrow | Mar 19, 2017 | Adventure, Mountains, Snowboarding
6 Days, 2 Mountains, Let’s go!
“The mountains are calling and I must go” – This quote by John Muir I have always found powerful. As a child I spent time with my family exploring majestic peaks, now in my twenties the mountains hold a special place in my heart, they are filled with wonder and adventure.
The real fun of the mountains I believe is in, the grin splitting, fist pumping, high fiving, that comes from sharing the experience with friends. To share the accomplishment of reaching the top, to be there when you fall and sit silently on the summit to take it all in is something quite special.
So it is with anticipation each year my boyfriend Martyn and I plan our annual trip to the snow.
This year was the big one, Whistler.
If Canada is the Mecca for adventure seekers, then Whistler is the shangri-la for snow sports, a hive of energy swirling around in a blizzard over 8,171 acres of powder and with over 200 trails. Whistler boasts the longest unsupported gondola (4.4k,) joining the Blackcomb and Whistler peaks. In an average year they have 11m of snow, making this a powder capped heaven! With a great mixture of blue, red and black runs Whistler has something for everyone.
As you can imagine I was super excited to get out there and test out the slopes.
Arriving late Saturday our 2 hour 30 min transfer from Vancouver to Whistler along the sea to sky road, was long! This is a stunning trip in itself following the meandering lakes. Arriving at our hotel the Fairmont Chateau a beautiful ski-in ski-out resort I knew we were in for an incredible week of luxury and snow!
Jet-lag couldn’t stop us, Sunday morning we were on one of the first lifts to the top to check out what was in store on the Blackcomb side of the mountain range. The gentle flakes of snow which had been falling from the sky since we arrived made the visibility low, about 30metres which was not great, so we spent the afternoon chilling out after a few runs enjoying the outdoor swimming pool and gym.
Having only snowboarded in Europe before I was excited to try somewhere new, Whistler is very different to Europe the trees are tightly packed together and the runs are vast, with large areas of off-piste.
We stayed on the Blackcomb side exploring the runs and off-piste areas for the first two days, the runs were beautiful and long with some mogul sections which I was not a fan of! The queues for the gondolas and lifts could be quite long but there was so much terrain you could be the only person on a run at times which was exciting, it was like you had the whole mountain to yourself.
By Tuesday evening it hadn’t stopped snowing and I was missing the sun. One of my favourite parts of snowboarding is the crystal clear skies and rays of sun creating jaw dropping views at every turn.
On Wednesday we were woken to striking rays coming through the curtains. The sun makes a huge difference, the mountains peaked through the clouds showing off their tremendous tips of white fluffy snow, the added visibility is also a huge confidence boost and allows you to really get into the flow.
As the weather had opened up we went across on the Peak 2 Peak gondola to the Whistler mountain side and into the Symphony Ampetheatre, a huge expanse of open off-piste, where we spent time making fresh tracks and enjoying the sun on our faces. Getting tired of falling over and digging myself out of waist deep snow it was time for a well-earned break and to plan our next lift.
We made our way back to the Peak 2 Peak lift and from there made our own routes down to Creek-side, for what turned out to be the best and biggest bowl of pulled pork nachos I have ever seen!
Back-country Snowboarding
Thursday we went out into the back country with Coast Mountain Guides. We met our guide, J.F at the bottom of the Whistler gondola with nervous anticipation. We talked through the avalanche safety gear and created a plan for the day.
Coast Mountain Guides was started by Guillaume Otis with his Dad back in 1998. They operate all year round and provide mountain guiding services for a wide range of client’s skills and abilities.
We took the lift up to the top of Blackcomb Mountain, to get into the glacier bowl we had to use the toggle lift, which I expertly fell off twice! We started to traverse the glacier ridge on foot it was absolutely stunning, in every direction mountains towered over us gleaming in the morning sun.
After a short run down we entered the back country gate, making sure our transponder’s where working as we passed through, we left the lifts behind and walked into Mother Nature’s playground.
Martyn and I had never been back country before or walked up a glacier for that matter, so a brief lesson on how to split our board in two and then how to add the skins (sticky pads which ran along the length of each ski), so that we could climb the mountain. It was an odd feeling after being on a board to split it in half to use as skis it was easy to do once you got the hang of it.
We started the traverse to the summit. Using the ski tracks of the people that had been before we slowly zig-zagged up the side of the mountain not dissimilar to the way you would mountain bike up a steep hill.
Each binding had a heel riser so your heel stayed high to make walking up steep terrain possible, looking behind I was amazed at the distance we had covered considering we were moving slowly.
Reaching the summit, the Fitzsimmons Range stretched out before us like a scene from an action movie, the wind howled around us, whirling snow into tiny tornadoes. I felt in awe at the sheer power of the wind and the vast expanse of snow reaching out before us. Although a little chilly I felt humbled by my surroundings.
We worked quickly to remove the sticky skins wrapping them back in our packs, releasing our bindings from each ski and slotting them back together to form a board.
Then we were ready, with the wind thrashing around us, we swooped over the edge into pure white powder, it was like riding through whipped egg whites. The board carved through the deep snow descending quickly down the slope.
We traversed the side of the glacier bowl staying high so we didn’t end up in the flat valley below. It was unbelievable gliding through fluffy clouds of powder making fresh tracks where no one else had been.
Making our way to the next climb, we stopped beneath the ridge, where we had to climb in the bowl for a lunch stop with a serious view.
The approaching storm shrouded the tops and the dark clouds looked ominous, our perfect visibility was about to be snatched. After a few bites it was time to split our boards, apply our skins and make our way into the cloud. It was hard, hot work climbing pushing your ski forward with your toe and the pushing down with your heel so the ski gripped the snow.
At the top we used our skis to compact the snow, to make a ledge to work from, then it was time to reassemble our boards. The trees gave us shelter from the wind and we worked quickly. Stopping anywhere in high up mountains in changeable weather can be chilly work and the colder you get the slower you get.
Ready to go, the visibility was making our route through the trees tricky so our guide J.F went first then I boarded down to just below him and then it was Martyn’s turn. My first tree run was good however on my second run I didn’t turn quick enough and ended up in a tree… The powder was so deep my left leg sunk out of sight and all the pulling in the world was not budging it, when I looked up all I could see was snow which was a little frightening. I shouted to Martyn who heard the slight panic in my voice and came to my rescue. It’s times like these that you appreciate the wild of the wilderness and understand the respect that should be given to outdoor sports and mother nature.
Making my way down to J.F to rest, it was Martyn’s turn. J.F had scouted a jump for Martyn who expertly carved through the fresh powder launching off a jump into the air, landing in thick, thick snow.
As we split our boards ready to head back up through the trees the snow quietly fell and the only sound was coming from us, crunching back through the snow covered trees. It was hot work walking up hill and I was nicely roasting by the time we stopped.
Our last backcountry run of the day was epic! The visibility had been reduced to about 15m because of the storm. It took all my concentration to work out the contours in the snow, so that I could make good turns. Once we were lower the visibility opened up as we weaved through the trees and dipped out into a long run down to Whistler village. Buzzing from our day in the back-country full of stories, memories and feeling exhausted we stopped for a well-earned drink.
Tips for back-country:
- Hire a professional guide, the equipment for avalanche safety is expensive and with proper knowledge of the areas guides can help you get the most out of your experience
- Layers, going from snowboarding down to skiing up your temperature changes constantly so having layers to zip and unzip makes it more comfortable
- Food and hydration, My water froze so a lucozade type drink would be better, every time you put your skins on take a sip to make sure you stay well hydrated
- Being able to put your helmet and goggles inside your bag will mean they don’t fill up with snow! Mine did it was a brain freezing experience putting them back on!
Our time in Whistler was over too quickly. We met some wonderful people and you cannot fault the Canadian hospitality, everyone is super nice and welcoming. Whister village has a great selection of outdoor shops for perusing and a buzzing après ski scene, although to be honest we spent more time on the slopes than in the bars.
The Blackcomb side of the mountain has, in my opinion the better longer runs and on the Whistler side you have more powder and glaciers to explore. The blue runs are like red runs in Europe and the black and black diamond are more advanced. The whole area is vast and we only touched the surface on ticking off the runs.
We will be back!
