As many of you know our fearless leader, Crystal Wright, also hosts a female only trip to steep jagged terrain of Chamonix, France. The roster of ladies included Shannon Yarrow, Sharee Moser, and Kim Prebish. These ladies trained hard for the camp through the Ski Fit progression cycle that took place September through November to be prepared for the epic trip. The camp took place at the end of February where the ladies found 5 days of skiing off piste and in the backcountry. The average vertical per run is around 5,000 ft per run (that’s almost the same vert as the Tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort!) so you can imagine having strong capable legs is key. Aside the physicality’s of the the unique location, the nerves come into play too because the ladies had to have unwavering focus on their skiing and turns on steep terrain. Needless to day, the ladies were strong and it was a very successful camp with lots of powder skiing!
How did you mentally and physically prepare for this trip?
Sharee
“Mentally, I knew I was going to be challenged by the terrain, so I mostly just told myself that I was going to suck it up and be brave. I don’t think I succeeded, but the trip was fantastic at pushing my limits, and I loved that. I still get vertigo, but I pushed my limits and was able to get past it in some instances. Physically, I took the Ski Fitness class at Wright Training in the fall and continued training twice a week (it was less with holidays and kids’ sick days from school) with the trainers at Wright Training. I also skate skied once a week and alpine skied 2-3 times per week leading up to the trip.”
Kim
“Physically, I prepared my trip by working out at Wright Training 3-4 times a week. I knew that I had to be strong to ski the best I could and sustain the long runs. Mentally, I envisioned myself skiing while working out, with different exercises and drills, I could see how they applied to my skiing – I again envisioned the drills with skiing.”
Shannon
“The Women’s Ski Camp in Chamonix was a trip of a lifetime. I started skiing many years ago but gave it up for about 15 years for snowboarding. I was a far more confident snowboarder than skiier, and really only skied in the past 10 years when the snow conditions were not good for snowboarding. In order to prepare for the trip to Chamonix, I made the commitment to skiing this year. I traded in my 15 year old skis and boots and got some new gear. Physical preparation began by taking the Ski Fitness Series of classes at Wright Training in the fall.”
What did you training entail getting ready for trip?
Sharee
“My training involved taking the Ski Fitness
class at Wright Training in the fall preceding thetrip and then taking twice-a-week Sports Maintenance (targeted toward skiing) workouts at Wright Training. I also made sure to do weekly skate-skiing and alpine skiing (sometimes more).”
Kim
“My training entailed combining my workouts with weights, cardio and core exercises. I also took a weekly mobility class to make sure my muscles were getting the stretching they needed. I tried to get to a Pilates class as much as I could. Wright Training mixes the workouts up so that you are always cross training. I also made a point, while I was skiing, to ski different terrain and conditions. I skied many runs top to bottom without stopping I also skied some of our most challenging runs without stopping.”
Shannon
“I combined Ski Fitness with one day of yoga and a day of spin class each week, along with skiing on the weekends at JH Mountain Resort. After the Ski Fitness training ended, I continued to attend Base Fitness and Sport Maintenance classes about 2-3 times per week. Ski Fitness classes include a lot of strength training for major leg muscles, glutes, and core, but it’s not all just weight lifting. We did a lot of jumping over bags, onto boxes, foot speed work, and static holding. The group classes after ski fitness ended included more cardio work such as sprints and burpees in combination with kettle bell swings, various dumbell rows and barbell cleans.”
How did your training help you with the trip? Mentally? Physically?
Sharee
“Mentally: I don’t know that my vertigo and fears of steep, rocky terrain are fixable unless I just skied that terrain all the time, which is not a practical option. Physically, however, I can’t say enough about how much taking classes at Wright Training has improved my skiing and athletic stamina! I doubt that in previous ski seasons (since I stopped ski instructing about 18 years ago), I would have been able to ski 5 days in a row, let alone 5 days of steep, taxing, expert terrain. Taking classes at Wright Training made me know that I would physically be able to get through 5 days in a row of hard skiing without “bonking” or being unable to move in the mornings. I knew that I would be alright on the trip because the improvement in my fitness over last year is almost unbelievable. Last year, before training at Wright Training, in any individual run my legs would burn and I would need frequent small breaks to recover. In addition, I would ski from morning until about 12:30 on a hard ski day and my legs would tell me I was done unless I wanted to injure myself due to my exhausted legs. I spent many Saturdays “apres-skiing” so early I was ashamed of myself. On the few occasions last year that I skied two days in a row, I was sore and barely functional on the second day. This ski season, we in Jackson Hole have had record snow fall, and thank goodness I had Wright Training behind me to make sure that I was able to enjoy it. I have been skiing full days, usually two weekend days per week plus one weekday. All in fresh powder (i.e. physically challenging conditions), and I truly have not been sore or tired almost at all. I am honestly AMAZED at the level of physical improvement I have had this year from just 2 classes per week at Wright Training (often less, just ask Crystal about my too-irregular attendance!). I almost feel like a teenager again. I have not been sore, I have not started “apres-ski” at 1:00, and I have not been too tired and sore to ski a second, third . . . fifth day. In addition, this year, my skate skiing has improved dramatically. I can skate ski miles without the soreness or the cramping that I have experienced in past years. My lungs are the limiting factor now, not my legs. Which is how it should be, I think. Without Wright Training I can almost guarantee I would have begged off the middle day of the 5 days to recuperate from my soreness and fatigue. I have been so happy with the results of what amounts to just two really hard workouts per week, that I probably wouldn’t believe myself if I saw or read my own testimonial. Crystal and her trainers know what they are doing, and I feel 20 years younger when I ski. Well worth the time and money I have put in at Wright Training. I can’t say enough, and I know it is hard to believe, but I am more-than amazed at the improvement in my ski-fitness and stamina between last season and the Women’s Steep Skiing Camp this season.”
Kim
“My training helped me both physically and mentally. I felt very strong, was not tired at the end of the day, and my muscles were never sore. I could feel my strength. Training certainly helped me mentally. During some or many of our workout sessions, I focused on the task and told myself that “I could do it”! Training gave me the drive and determination to ski whatever was in front of me. I knew I was strong and certainly felt that I could almost ski anything.”
Shannon
“The training is rigorous both physically and mentally. You have to push yourself to make it to the end of a class, and the fact that I’m not the only person working hard really helps get me through it. One of the best aspects of this training, is that the classes are never the same. I walk into class not knowing what is in store that day, as compared to a spin or yoga class where I’m fairly confident in what lies ahead for the next hour. Wright Training classes prepare you for the unexpected and challenge your body and stamina in ways you never even imagined.”
Did the training help your confidence?
Sharee
“Yes, the training, and its dramatic effects on my regular skiing showed me I could handle 5 days of difficult skiing without injuring myself and without undue fatigue or exhaustion.”
Kim
“Confidence is a funny thing…. I knew I was mentally prepared and definitely physically, but my confidence often got the better of me. When I wasn’t skiing the best I knew I could, I lost my confidence and the voices in my head took over. I often felt that as my confidence was wearing on me, it was affecting my physical stamina, which then set off a roller coaster of in my mind “poor skiing”. This sometimes happens while working out, but it’s different in a controlled environment.”
Shannon
“I know that the training helped my performance and confidence. My skiing here in Jackson this year greatly improved. I could tell that my body could handle longer runs and a longer overall ski day before reaching the point of exhaustion. My preparation gave me the confidence to know that I may not have been the best technical skiier among the womens group, but I was going to have the stamina to keep up and ski all 5 days.”
How was your recovery after a long day?
Sharee
“Truly, I was astounded that I was not super sore all week during our trip. My knees twinged, but I had virtually no muscle soreness. I kept waiting for fatigue and soreness to set in, and it simply never happened.”
Kim
“After the long days of skiing we had, I was certainly tired – but I wasn’t sore. That was the greatest thing! I think like anyone who works hard all day, you are tired when done. My recovery was trying to get a good nights sleep!”
Shannon
“After the first day of the trip and a long traverse at the end of a wonderful run, the back of my calves were really sore. The rest of my body recovered pretty well. I found that once I started skiing again the next day, my calf soreness subsided. Even with skiing in pretty deep heavy powder for middle 3 days of the trip, my legs on day 5 were ready to tackle the day. I know that my ski technique does not lend itself to being easy on my body. I had some falls and I muscled through some turns that probably a better skier would have glided through. I attribute my recovery and my stamina to the training I had back at home. Although I had never been to Europe on a ski trip and did not know what to expect, I think my physical conditioning gave me the confidence to mentally say “I can do this!”.”
What would you have done differently preparing for trip?
Sharee
“Mentally I probably would have sought out some meditation or breathing techniques to use when vertigo sets in. Physically, I would have made sure I was 100% regular about attending my twice-weekly classes at Wright Training, and not missed so many due to my kids’ illnesses and activities. I would also have asked the trainers and possibly a doctor if there were ways to prevent my knees from getting sore when I ski. Other than that, I was so happy with my fitness level on the trip compared to previously, that I really could not ask for better results!”
Kim
“In preparing for the trip again, I would increase and work on my stamina with training. I would ski more often than I did and in all kinds of conditions, so that I could really work on my confidence. Try to ski terrain that I normally wouldn’t ski or that I’d hesitate to ski. Also, I’d try to ski in the back county and different areas that I do not normally ski at.”
Shannon
“I don’t think I would do anything different in preparing for the trip, other than plan to bring a little more ski clothes. By the end of the week, my ski pants really could have used a good wash!”
What was the highlight of your trip?
Sharee
“Oh, this is such a difficult question! So much about the trip was amazing. The pure scale of the Alps is unbelievable and I had no idea they were so vast. Fabulous company, world-class food, and skiing—what more could I really ask for? The entire trip was just incredible. I guess the skiing highlight for me was skiing off the top of Mont-Fort and past so much varying terrain: exposed traverses, steep chutes, along streams, over headgates and locks, around reservoirs, down the side of a high-alpine dam, and into a restaurant with delicious food that was miles from where we started. There is just nothing like that in the U.S. That was my favorite day, even though the snow was the worst of the trip. The terrain was amazing and the day just felt old-world and adventurous.”
Kim
“Oh, boy… There were so many highlights. I have to say the one of the best highlights of my trip was skiing in the vast openness with all the powder! On my runs that I considered “good” – I could just feel my rhythm, the powder in my face, and the awesome feeling of just a floating bounce!”
Shannon
“The highlight of the trip was skiing the Vallee Blanche Glacier. After 3 days of storming, the last ski day of our trip welcomed a morning of sunshine and low wind, so the tram opened up. I was nervous to make the trek from the top of the Aguille du Midi down the path to the start of the glacier. Thanks to the French for putting in some rope lines to hang onto, and for the confidence of our team harnessed together, I found that it was a lot less scary than it looks. We took our time as we skiied the glacier, stopping to take photos of the ice spires, working our way past giant crevasses, and traversing down the Mer du Glace end of the terrain. One of the Canadian men at the little cabin at the end of glacier hike said “You know…it’s a 1 in 10 chance that you will get to ski the Vallee Blanche while you are here in Chamonix”. I didn’t know that, but I certainly feel lucky to have had such a wonderful day with such a fun and strong group of women. Sharee and I are already talking about planning our next trip back to Europe…and maybe this time we will let the husbands come along.”
