Winter cometh....

With the temperature dropping and first snow fall in the Lakes and Scotland its time for me to start and think about winter and what I want to do and achieve in the mountains. To try and prepare I've mentally split things into 3 categories.

Physical -  After I smashed up my left leg quite badly over 10 years ago I am well aware of the fact that I'm 'wonky', well out of alignment/symmetry, and also I have a clear disparity in strength and control between left and right sides. I'm pretty fit/strong, and in everyday life its easy to ignore or mask this issue. But over the last year or so I've quickly realised that skiing highlights this fault. Partly linked to this, and also to try and get in the best condition possible for the season I've signed up for SkiFit, a specific home exercise program. Its early days (1.5 weeks!) but it seems to be a very good program, and the exercises and balance work seem to be working me hard. Currently trying to fit in 3 x 1 hour weekly sessions at present......

Get down to those crazy hoedown ski exercises!!

Equipment - Dust off the kit, check its working, and although I should have done it at the end of last season finally get those holes in the ski bases filled and repaired!!!

Skills/Education - I love the world of backcountry skiing that I've recently started to dip my toe into, but also I've been thinking a lot about how the risk is probably a lot greater than the other stuff I do. I don't have any evidence to back this up, but even when winter climbing you are generally trying to avoid snow laden slopes, looking for the steeper (consolidated) ground, whereas with skiing you are actively seeking snow filled slopes to cruise down, and obviously 'theres the rub', you want the snow slopes, but will they play nicely... So education to back up (good) judgement is required.

Lots of reading... Bruce Goodlad's Ski Touring book  is very good, along with watching Internet videos ....!


Know Before You Go from Trent Meisenheimer on Vimeo.