The rando racing world championships are winding up in Switzerland. Rando Steve has some good first-person on his blog. We like watching the transitions. Notice in one of the faster tour-to-downhill mode transitions how the guy latches his boot and changes his Dynafit heel from uphill to downhill mode in almost one motion, but keeps his boot heel up off the ski so he can tilt forward and grab his skins at the ski tip. He then rips skin and steps boot heel into binding all in one motion. Super smooth.
We appreciate Steve and his team mates getting over there and representing the U.S., thanks to all of them!
We’re still walking around in a daze after 24 Hours of Sunlight (see previous posts). That suffer fest has a good vibe, but it takes a lot of time and money to make it happen. Be ready for that if you’re going into it. More, as their numbers increase (they almost got to 300 participants this year), less space will be available for support so that could become an issue. Some folks camp out in the base lodge, but space there is limited. The rental condos at lookers left of the ski slopes work okay, but it’s awkward and even tiring getting team members up and down the grade to and from a room as you switch laps. Some folks use RVs, but the designated parking for event camping is down a long hike from the start/finish area. You can set up a tent near the start/finish during the resorts non-open hours, but without a big support crew to make that happen it’s not a great option. All tricky, but strategy and logistics are a big part of this race, so bring it on.
Two lost skiers found their way out of the mountains near Aspen. They had fire starting gear so a possible tragedy was averted when they spent an unplanned night out. Would have been a good situation for a Spot Satellite Messenger (and perhaps a map and GPS).
Here is a wild one: One of Colorado’s most prolific rock climbing pioneers is a guy named Harvey Carter. Back in my early 20s, Harvey mentored me for a while and launched my fairly short but somewhat productive stint as a rock climber. Even back then, Harvey was obsessed with starting a ski resort on Colorado’s iconic Pikes Peak. With a somewhat acerbic personality, he seemed to have endless problems with various business deals. Harvey mellowed with age (he’s now 77). For several decades he’s continued to quietly promote his dream, and recently looks to have another very possible deal in the works. More here.
By now you’ve probably heard about the guy in Alaska who survived what said to be a 40 minute avalanche burial. We’re certainly happy for him, but can’t help but wonder how, even though he had a beacon, it took his friends 40 minutes to get him out? If anyone knows the details please give a shout. More here.
As for news here at WildSnow HQ, we’re ramping up the backcountry skiing after 24 Hours of Sunlight providing a nice mid-season break. To that end, we just got a pair of Dynafit Manaslu skis for extended testing, as well as goodies like G3 skis and skins, and more. No shortage of blog fodder. Now, if I could just get out the door…
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
