Sport - article index

• The Ultimate Skiing Experience. by: Lachlan Brown
• A Great Day of Cat Skiing by: Lachlan Brown
• You to Can Ski Down Mount Everest by: Robin Shortt
• Backcountry Skiing for Intermediate Skiers by: Lachlan Brown

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The Ultimate Skiing Experience. by: Lachlan Brown

For downhill skiers, “powder snow” provides the ultimate skiing experience. For most skiers however, good powder skiing is a short-lived and infrequent event. Ski areas in some geographic areas enjoy fairly frequent “powder days” but in most areas, powder days are rare and the dryness and depth of snow is often marginal.

In most ski areas too, when powder snow does occur, it is only a matter of hours before it is completely "tracked out”, lumped up and beaten down. Only those few early birds that ride the first chairs in the morning get the ultimate run of the day, in deep, consistent, smooth, untracked snow. 

For years, diehard powder snow enthusiasts have headed for the backcountry to “ski the powder” among remote alpine peaks, far from crowded ski areas. Many enjoy the peace and quiet of ski touring and move and ski at a pace governed by their own physical fitness. 

Others who may be less ambitious or have less time, but who have ample disposable funds, have headed for the backcountry in helicopters. For about $1000 per day or more, heli-operators offer small groups of proficient skiers 5 to 7 days of guided skiing on huge pristine slopes, high in the mountains. Guests stay in comfortable lodges and spend their days being shuttled back and forth with their guides, with each run on a fresh untracked slope. Heli skiing has its problems. There are “down days” when storms make flying impossible and there is always the inherent risk of all backcountry skiing: avalanche.

Avalanche risk depends on many factors. All reputable backcountry operators provide highly qualified guides who choose areas for skiing and a safe route down the hill. On days of poor weather or unstable snow, guides may avoid alpine areas and restrict their groups to "skiing the trees”. Tree skiing is a fixture of all mechanized backcountry skiing and is preferred by some skiers to the more open “alpine” skiing.

In recent years, a new type of mechanized backcountry ski operator has emerged. Snowcat skiing operators use snowcats to transport skiers and snowboarders into backcountry regions. Snowcats are fitted with a large cab that seats clients in a warm, comfortable environment. A snowcat typically carries a group of 12 clients, two guides and a driver.

Of course, snowcats are much slower than helicopters. They are also much less expensive and guests can expect to pay between $500 and $600 a day, including transportation, lodging, meals, and guiding. As slow as snowcats may be, most clients will wear themselves out every day and get just as much skiing as their group can handle. 

The great advantage of cat skiing is that “down” days almost never occur. Clients ski every day and bad weather can often mean extra-good snow. Cat skiing is more relaxed and “laid back” than heli skiing as there is no need to share equipment between groups or to maximize equipment usage. Cat skiing is very “client-friendly”. Each group has a dedicated machine and it moves at the group’s pleasure. Weaker skiers can feel at ease and not “pushed”.

Snowcats provide a relatively quiet, comfortable, warm and relaxed environment in which the trip back up the hill can be almost as much fun as the run down. Guests can “unbutton”, dry out, warm up, converse and browse on sandwiches, cookies, cake and drinks. If a guest gets tired, it’s easy to “sit out” a run and ride down to the next pickup with the cat driver.

Snowcat skiing is more restricted geographically than heli skiing. However, that has a drawback. Since they can operate in a larger area, heli-operators may sometimes be less familiar with changing snow conditions and risk factors than snowcat operators who work in a more restricted area.

Most snowcat operators have ample terrain to consistently provide good snow, even in periods of drought, and to ensure that clients exhaust themselves every day. Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd. operates in a 95 sq. km area and ski between the elevations of 5400ft and 9500 ft. Monashee Powder Adventures advertises an area of 66 sq. km and operate between the elevations of 7800 ft and 3,000 ft.. Baldface Lodge uses over 140 sq km. Guests need not worry about running out of terrain!

Snowcat skiing provides a wonderful holiday for intermediate and advanced skiers alike. Individuals, family groups, groups of friends, business associates can have a “trip to remember”. Operators with remote lodges offer a real “backcountry” experience, usually with good food and very comfortable accommodations. 

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About The Author
Lockie Brown is retired and lives near Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He has cat skied for about 10 years, taking groups of 12 and 24 friends to different cat ski venues in British Columbia. He now takes his groups to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges near Golden, B.C. 
For more information, please refer to the Chatter Creek Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/

A Great Day of Cat Skiing by: Lachlan Brown

Snowcat skiing offers strong-intermediate and expert skiers the ultimate powder snow experience.

Operators provide full-service guided tours into remote high-mountain regions. Powder snow and “fresh tracks” are the norm. Uphill transportation is provided by a tracked snowcat having warm, comfortable cabs. They usually accommodate 12 guests, two guides and a driver.

Some snowcat operators are based in towns or near highways and offer guests continued access to “civilization”. In some cases, guests use local hotels and restaurants for accommodation and meals. Such operators may offer single-day trips.

Other snowcat operators use remote lodges high in the mountains, far from cars and telephones. These lodges provide a multi-day backcountry experience in the midst of pristine alpine wilderness. They also place guests very close to their skiing.

Many backcountry “cat skiing” lodges offer double-occupancy bedrooms complete with private ensuite baths. They have cozy and comfortable sitting areas, dining halls with cathedral ceilings, drying rooms for boots and outside clothing, games rooms, well-stocked bars and “commercial” kitchens. They offer exercise areas, video players, satellite telephones, perhaps a computer with Internet access and, of course, a well-stocked bar. Guests can enjoy a social drink and spectacular views while luxuriating in an outdoor hot tub, and then step right to their bedrooms for a shower or a nap.

No special equipment is required for cat skiing, just boots and clothing. Powder skis can be rented at the lodge. However, snowboarders should bring their own boards. Guests will make the most of their snowcat skiing tour by being in good physical condition.

Lodge life is informal and relaxed. Juice and fruit and coffee are served at 7:00 AM and a buffet breakfast is available at about 7:30. Snowcats depart between 8:30 and 9:00, when guests are ready. 

The first day of a tour is special. Guides take the first hour or so to make sure guests understand safety procedures. Everyone has practice using the radio beacons that the operator supplies. No one goes out without one.

The first run of the day is rarely more than 20 minutes from the lodge and the last run of the day can end at the lodge door. During the day, the group moves around, sampling different areas and never staying long in any one spot. Each run is in fresh, untracked snow. 

On “bluebird” days, the guide will head for the high alpine. Perhaps for two or three runs on a glacier before trying the big open slopes, taking a run or two in each before heading to the next. The highest skiing elevation can be close to 10,000 ft and the views are spectacular. There is always time to pause for pictures.

If visibility is poor or if the alpine snow is unstable, it’s off to one of the many ridges to “ski the trees”. Tree skiing is amazing! The tree-protected snow is usually deeper and softer than in the alpine. It is consistent, light, and there are no moguls. The short, fat “powder skis” are easy to control. Forget the trees. Just ski the openings! Intermediate skiers who may never before have skied in trees find that they can not only do it, but that it’s fun. 

In the old burns, the trees are gnarly, but very widely spaced. The living forest has closer-spaced trees, but offers beautiful glades and tree stands that may have been thinned. Some of the glades are as open as some ski-area runs. The old cut-blocks are great fun. Snow-buried stumps create “pillows”, small mounds to ski around or “pop” off. Landings are nearly always the same, soft and forgiving. It’s amazing!

Guests team up in pairs in the trees and the guide keeps a watchful eye. No one gets separated. When a guest “augers in”, his partner or the tail guide or someone else is close at hand to assist. 

The speed of the group depends on it’s ability. A group of good skiers may ski non-stop to the bottom; perhaps 1800 or 2000 ft. of pure joy, with lots of “whoops” and hollers”. Slower groups will stop more often to rest, share experiences, take pictures and “smell the roses”. 

Guides are very responsive to the needs of the group. The guests set the pace. There is no pressure to maximize equipment usage. Each group has a dedicated snowcat that moves at the pleasure of the group. Guides are expert at providing for different skiers in their group. Stronger skiers may enjoy some “steeps”, “drop-offs” or other challenges, while others are guided down more “mellow” lines. 

By the end of the day, everyone is tired out. Guests who tire early can “sit out” a run and keep the driver company on the way back down the hill. If a guest wants to quit for the day, a staff member will shuttle them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. It’s all very relaxed and very friendly.

Packed lunches are eaten in the snowcats, as guests feel hungry. It’s possible to browse all day on a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes, cookies, buns and drinks. “Hip flasks” are definitely NOT welcome. Guides are extremely safety conscious and they want guests to be alert and functioning well at all times. 

At 4:00pm, guests are welcomed back at the lodge with special snacks or hot soup. Guests then have over two hours to relax, shower, read, play pool, soak in the hot tub or hold up the bar. Other diversions are possible. Guests might have the opportunity to try out a snowmobile for the first time, to learn how these machines are driven, and to do some exploring.

Dinner is served at about 7:00pm and is of very high quality. Most operators provide gourmet cuisine with extensive wine lists and will carefully cater to guests with allergies and special needs. No one “dresses” for dinner. It’s a relaxed, laid-back and friendly affair. Staff mingles with guests and share tales of the day’s conquests. Amusing speeches and special “award” ceremonies are common. Everyone gets to know one another. There are no “loners”.

After dinner, guests disperse to read, watch a video or to congregate in the bar or games room for some friendly darts or pool. At about 9:30 PM guests start to depart for their beds. The bar usually shuts down by 10:30 PM. Everyone is tired and looking forward to the next day!

Some photos of cat skiers at play can be found by following the links located at the bottom of the Chatter Creek Cat Skiing photos Web page at: www.backcountrywintervacations.com/snowboarding-pictures.html

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About The Author

Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver, Canada and skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. He also organizes cat skiing trips for groups of friends to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges, located about 120 km north of Golden, BC, in a snow belt in the Canadian Rockies. Chatter Creek has an informative Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
lockiebrown@hotmail.com
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/

 
You to Can Ski Down Mount Everest by: Robin Shortt

Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory. - David Breashears-

Extreme Skier Maegan Carney:

Extreme skier Maegan Carney had made a bid to be the first woman, and second person to ski down the world's tallest mountain. 

Because of the high winds of Mount Everest at that time, Maegan Carney abandoned her first summit attempt. 

To find more information about Maegan's quest, go to the mountainzone.com website. 

Preparation Is The Secret: 

Before you climb a mountain, you need some major preparations: 

You definitely need to be physically and emotionally fit. 

You should have people in the group who know first aid and of coarse you have a first aid kit. 

Make sure you have a schedule set up, because of the dangers involved. 

The mountain you're climbing, how long it should take, how many and who are going, and where will you start your assention. 

Bring a camera for breath taking views and to record your trip. A cell phone for emergencies and to call someone to share your excitement when you make it to the top. 

If you have the proper climbing gear with you, there's no worries about staying the night if you get lost. 

Also you know you'll get rescued by morning because the proper people have been notified. 

Some Guidelines For Climbing: 

It's not a good idea to be flown or driven to altitudes higher than 3000 metres. Begin your walk at below that. 

Once over the 3000 metre altitude, travel up in 300 metre increments each day, thats it, no more than that. 

Climb up high during the day and sleep at lower altitudes at night. 

If high altitude symptoms start to affect you, stop climbing higher. If symptoms worsen, go down right away. 

You will need to drink plenty of fluids, hiking dehydrates your body very fast when climbing at high altitudes and this increases as the temperature does. 

Do the climb at a slow pace and you'll enjoy your climb more. 

Stay away from alcohol, tobacco and other vices that will play havoc with your body and mind at these high altitudes. 

A high-carbohydrate diet will really benefit you here. 

In the USA there are many resorts above the 3,000 metre level, meaning you will need to keep a watch out for mountain sickness. 

Some Mount Everest Facts: 

Historic Mountain Climbing Deaths: 

George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on June 6 1924, made an attempt on the summit from which they never returned. 

An eyewitness claimed he saw the group reach the summit. 

A total of 808 climbers have reached and stood on the summit, 764 men and 44 women. There were 161 that died, 36 on the descent. 

More About Mountain Climbing Deaths 

In 1965, was the best year for climbing, nine climbers summitted and there were no deaths. 

In 1996, the worst single year for deaths, 15 climbers died. 

About Mount Everest Itself: 

The Highest Peak: At 29,035' (8850m), thats about five miles up, the highest summit in the world, and is close to the cruising altitude of a jet, or it is 23 times the height of the Empire State building. 

Above 26,000, the body gets a third of the oxygen available at sea level. 

Even after getting acclimated, the body starts to shut down, and if someone stays at that height long enough, they will die. 

A lot of the climbers use oxygen here for climbing and sleeping. 

The weather on Everest allows for climbing only in May and October between winter snows (December-March) and summer monsoons (June-September). 

As you can tell, this article is just giving you the basics of what information you'll need to find your way to the top of the world's highest peaks. 

Amazon.com has a great source of books on this subject. 

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About The Author
Robin Shortt is a father of five children and five step children and thoroughly enjoys the outdoors. He is also a Cub Scout leader,who sees the big picture when it comes to helping our children to love and explore the great outdoors. Visit: http://www.goodnightcampingequipment.com.
This article is shareware. Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as the entire article is left intact including this notice. Copyright © 2004 Robin Shortt.
Robin@goodnightcampingequipment.com
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/

 
Backcountry Skiing for Intermediate Skiers by: Lachlan Brown

Snowcats have made backcountry skiing accessible to intermediate skiers.

Backcountry skiing offers vast expanses of soft, consistent powder snow in remote and spectacular high-mountain settings. Often considered the domain of hardy and self-reliant ski touring enthusiasts, or of proficient and deep-pocketed helicopter skiers, backcountry skiing is now easily accessible to intermediate-level snowcat skiers. 

Snowcat skiing is typically much more affordable than helicopter skiing and can be more adaptable to skier ability. Also, it requires no special equipment or backcountry experience. However, good physical fitness is desirable, especially in skiers with little powder snow experience.

Snowcat skiing operators offer full-service tours into remote, high alpine areas. Guests stay in comfortable lodges offering double-occupancy bedrooms with private baths, excellent food, and outdoor hot tubs, complete with bar service. Guests’ needs and comfort and safety comes first, both inside the lodge and on the hill. Everyone has a good time.

Western Canada boasts many backcountry lodges, where intermediate and expert skiers alike use snowcats to access the very best of backcountry skiing. One such lodge can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.backcountrywintervacations.com/vertebrae-lodge.html.

Guests ski in groups of 12. Each group has a dedicated snowcat, two highly qualified guides and a driver. Groups can be assembled according to ability, and because the snowcat and guides move at the pleasure of the group, the whole party enjoys terrain and a pace of skiing that best suits them. There is never pressure to maximize the utilization of the equipment. Snowcat skiing is equally enjoyable for experts and strong intermediates alike and for both skiers and snowboarders. 

On the hill, the lead guide sets the track and the guests follow, with everyone skiing in fresh, untracked snow. The guide stops periodically to regroup and to give people a chance to rest, to take pictures and to share their experiences. The frequency of stops depends on the ability and strength of the group. Strong groups may ski non-stop to the bottom; 1800 to 2000 ft. of pure joy! Other groups may have a few stops along the way. The guests determine the pace, not the guide. 

The lead guide keeps his flock together and sees that no one falls too far behind. The second guide, called the “tailgunner”, is always the last person down the hill. If a guest falls or has difficulty, the tailgunner will be at their side to assist. 

Snowcat skiing offers a special experience for family groups (children aged 19 & older)*, ladies groups, groups of business associates or groups of friends. In a diverse social group, everyone can feel relaxed and “part of a team”. Companions can be enjoyed, not only in the lodge in the evenings, but also on the ski hill. Groups keep together and interact while skiing and, on the ride back up the hill, share jokes and conversation. The snowcat rides allow guests to unbutton, warm up, dry out, enjoy some lunch and to take more pictures.

Many guests arrive in prearranged groups of 12, organized by one of the group members. These groups fill a single snowcat and can be very compatible, with everyone skiing well together. 

However, individual guests can be assured of just as good a time as members of pre-arranged social groups. The tour operator will usually try to place individuals in a suitable group and they will quickly make new friends and fit in to a very sociable environment.

Guides are expert in finding “lines” for skiers of differing ability. Better skiers might enjoy some “steeps” or “pop” off bumps while others in the group are guided on a more “mellow” line. Everyone has ample opportunity to challenge themselves. 

As the end of the day approaches, and guests may start to tire, they are welcome to sit out a run and ride back down the hill with the snowcat driver. A slower skier may occasionally “sit out” a run to allow the rest of the group to ski a little faster. If a guest wants to “call it a day”, a staff member will drive them back to the lodge on a snowmobile. Staff is committed to service and want to make guests as comfortable and relaxed as possible.

Safety is the primary concern in the backcountry. Snowcat skiers are always led by fully trained guides. The guide not only selects safe terrain, but also the safest track through the terrain. When the snow is unstable in the alpine regions, above the tree line, skiing will be restricted to more stable slopes at lower elevations. The first line of defense is prudence and even in periods of high stability, guides will always “play it safe”. 

“Tree skiing” is a fixture of all backcountry skiing. Snowcat skiers never hesitate due to weather. On stormy days, snowcat skiers just head to the trees, where the snow’s best and the visibility is good. 

The smooth consistency of the snow and short, fat “powder” skis allow intermediate skiers to master terrain they would not normally attempt. There are no moguls and lumps of snow to contend with. The snow is soft and light and helps control speed. Skiers who rarely “ski the trees” not only find they can do it, but that it’s fun! The sense of accomplishment and delight after a first “tree run” is enormous.

Snowcat skiing offers a welcoming, fun-filled and comfortable experience to skiers and snowboarders having a wide range of abilities. It’s an experience that’s nice to share with friends and family, but single individuals can be assured of enjoying themselves, having wonderful skiing and of making new friends.

Many snowcat operators recommend that skiers be at least “strong intermediates” and some snowcat operators prefer expert skiers only. However, physically fit intermediate skiers of lesser ability can also do well at many snowcat skiing venues, especially if they are part of a specially organized group of 12. Skiers who are unsure of their ability should discuss their concerns with a tour operator, who will be pleased to make recommendations.

*Children younger than 19 may often accompany their parents. However, more mature offspring will better enjoy the other guests and life in the lodge. Guests in their 20’s will relate well to many of the staff. 

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About The Author

Lockie Brown lives in Vancouver, Canada and skis on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. For many years he has organized cat skiing trips for groups of friends. In 2004, he will take a group of 36 friends to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges. Chatter Creek operates a remote lodge located about 120 km north of Golden, BC., in a snow belt in the Canadian Rockies. The Chatter Creek Web site is at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/