When people think of Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, they often think of sunshine, sandy beaches, sweet cannoli’s, lemon trees, gelato and La dolce vita, the sweet, slow pace of Sicily.

Pure Sicilian Sunshine (Photo from www.stephanmantler.com)

There is also Mt. Etna, the most active volcano in Europe.  Did you know that the first ice cream came from Sicily? Greeks and Romans sent runners  to the top of the Etna slopes to get some snow, which was then sweetened with Sicilian honey,  nuts and berries.

What you probably don’t think of is skiing, a ski-mountaineering World Cup none-the-less. Well, there is in fact skiing on Mt. Etna!  The locals are also passionate about ski mountaineering on this active, unpredictable volcanic peak. The 2nd World Cup, in a 5 world cup series was held on snowy slopes of Mt. Etna, in the dichotomy of the sea against the snow.  Perhaps we were not so different from the runners of roman times, only we racers were running around in lycra race suits and skis on our feet!

Racers in lycra suit on Mt Etna (www.stephanmantler.com)

The night before we arrived, Sicily received over 2meters  of fresh snow. That is over 6 feet for those of you who think in inches!

Officially "snowed under!"

There was so much snow, not only the access road was blocked, but also the chairlifts.

Officially snowed under (parking lot of Mt. Etna Ski area)

Thanks to a hard, working Sicilian road crew, just like Katy and the Big Snow, (a book my boys love), we were able to get to the race. 

The most baffling thing was that even though it snowed 2 meters, there was no powder!

Sicilian Snow Removal

The snow quickly transformed and condensed to hard pack. Skiing down was like skiing in sand, with a layer snow crystals washing over the hard surface, making a very cool swishing noise. I was stoked I could use my new swix poles with super lightweight baskets! Thanks Swix and Michael for prepping them in time!

More great shots from Stephan! www.stephanmantler.com

There was a real rendezvous of nations here for this race, with the top athletes in ski mountaineering circuit from France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. We were welcomed in an opening ceremony of parade of nations. Friday the vertical race was straight up the slopes of the volcan with a boot pack in the middle. This was a nice change from the  the normal straight up against gravity verticals.

Opening Ceremony of Etna World Cup

Talk about extremes. Two weeks ago when I set foot on the starting line it was -20 C, and I was sporting amour for the cold (hand warmers and mittens) and this time a complete opposite of 14 degrees Celsius. The vertical was for me all about the ‘gitter done attitude adopted from the John Deere roots in my own family.

The fight against gravity with a smile on the World Cup Vertical Race

The vertical was a pure fight against gravity, one of the steeper verticals I have done. I managed to find some  power at the boot pack and kept thinking of Anders message to me to have a happy race and finish with a smile.

from my budding little optimist

Sicilians are on Sicilian time, not Swiss time, much to the dismay of the heavily present Swiss team. It is a refreshing change  to the hubbub of today’s modern pace and one we all can all meditate on in a full breath. Briefings starting 30 minutes late, starts delayed due to traffic mayhem on the access road, no problemo. Tranquillo….just breathe…

A race with a view (photo:www.stephanmantler.com)

Saturday the heat was on and I was ready. Plenty of Hammer Nutrition Heed in my camelbak, check  Sporting my white national team suit to avoid melting in the hot sun! check . Once again, yours truly, finds her pace at the middle of the first climb. This course was not so long (1450m) with2 long climbs, and not so technical up or down so it favored those who are good climbers and difficult to gain much on the descents. I did managed to find my power on the 2nd climb and had some clean and fast transitions, passing 3 WC women, 3 FISI women, finishing 9th overall WC,  in the 82% from the winner, a drastic improvement from last year.

Nina on the 2nd downhill on the individual course (photo http://martinavalmassoi.com/)

Adventuring to the top of the Mt Etna Crater with my austrian teammate Veronika after the race was a highlight of the trip, reaching the snow summit and looking out towards the sea  in the distance breathing in the two

Looking out towards the sea

Here are some photos from the journey to the summit.

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The ski down was spectacular! We descended over 2000 meters on soft spring snow, weaving our way through lava rocks along the way and hitched out way back to town.

 Sunshine thoughts from Sicily: 

Yoga in the Sicilian Sunshine

Sunshine strength, fresh -infused new energy,  friendships, pace for a lifetime, relish siestas in the sun, take time to read, balance, yoga in the sunshine, smile .

Mission Accomplished-Finishing with a smile (photo www.stephanmantler.com)

So that is it from Sicily.  

Next skimo world cup just 1 week away, Lagorai Cima d'Asta, Italy! (photo: www.martinavalmassoi.com/)

Arctic temperatures have blanketed the Alps these last 2 weeks, some mornings with the thermometer reading -19 C (-2 F)!  Growing up in Vermont and Maine  these frosty temps are quite common in January. Back then I grew tired of freezing my tail off at the top of a GS course. Not only did I soon switch over to a more aerobic sport , cross country skiing, to keep my engine warm  but also moved to a sunnier state, Colorado. Now I have switched over to another sport, ski mountaineering which keeps my heart and mind equally warm.

Sunshine warms the heart

I have had a little break in the World Cup calendar. Despite the Siberian temps, I have bundled up just like we did when we were kids,and headed for the mountains on my own, with friends and with my family, all heartwarming and important moments to stay balanced.

Enjoying warm winter moments as a Family

Perhaps it’s only in ski towns in France that when teachers strike and there is no school, kids go skiing! These two weeks I took advantage of having some more time to pump up the volume in my training logging more than 15,000 meters of climbing in 2 weeks, but also get out find some new terrain that I had not skied before. I headed out with a friend one day  up the Col de la Floria, a good climb from the valley floor to the top (1440+meters) There was a nice long boot pack at the top and a great steep ski coming down. Another time I explored the, Aiguille de la Gliere Nord, once again a great varied climb, boot pack, with an impressive view to the other side. It is these kind of days in the mountains that bring me warmth and a smile.

Heading to the Hills

I managed to get in some good races as well in these 2 weeks. I squeezed in 2 Mountain Ski tour uphill victories ( Flaine and Les Contamines), both excellent for my own uphill climbing but also really fun ambiance.  I did not have these on my calender but decided to go as there were not only good training opportunities but also a great chance to see another part of the Alps and go with other from my local Chamonix Ski Mountaineering club. The Tour de Grand Veymont in the Vercours region of France was also the CAF (Club Alpine Francais) national championships. This time artic temps prevailed. Mittens and hand warmers were the ticket. It was a gorgeous course, a great sunday out as a club and I came home with the win for the women and the CAF national champion title.

Tour de Grand Veymont & Trophee de Gastlosen

 The Trophee de Gastlosen is the 2nd largest race in Switzerland next to the famous Patrouille des Glaciers, with over 1200 participants. Two years ago this race was a world cup and I raced with my USA teammate and pal lyndsay. It was the first team race of the year for me with 2300 meters of climbing. I raced in Chamonix Club mixed team.  We placed 23rd overall out of 210 teams with a time of 2h53 reaching our goal of being the first mix team and also breaking three hours. It was probably the coldest temps I have ever raced in with the thermometer around -21 C. at the start but the great backdrop of the Gastlosen mountains and the technical climbs and descents kept me moving and made for an excellent day.

Warm moments together

Now it’s tapering time for the next world cup which will be held on the active volcano of Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy. on February 24 and 25th. This volcano has been rather active these past few months so it will surely be an interesting race! See this article for pics and news. Surely the HEAT will be on in Etna.

Staying warm

This is a great time for everyone to slow down, breathe, and rejuvenate together.

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”—

Anne Bradstreet

Heading for the finish in the vertical race ski mo world cup

As I leave sunny Andorra and head for snowy Chamonix I look around at this beautiful countryside here which I am so fortunate to have had a chance to explore. What I love most about racing in other countries is it gives me a real chance to experience a country more than in the eyes of a tourist.

A map of Andorra to give you a sense of where in the world this little country is

This goes back to some of my earlier jobs in life which allowed me to work abroad, teaching English in China, working in Africa as an outdoor educator and even mountaineering in South America. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences as a young professional. Surely they have enriched who I am today and given me a global perspective.

The start of the womens vertical race: I always start a little too fast!

Racing in another country allows one to  not only take in the land while racing but also meet the people locally with first hand flavor.

A view of the course track for the individual

On the world cup ski mountaineering circuit it is a fairly small group of athletes( 40 men and 20 women) from a variety of countries – mostly alpine nations. It is nice to say hello again and meet new people to expand horizons even further. The locals in Andorra were welcoming, enthusiastic and put on a great weekend of racing.  It amazes me how this sport grows and grows each year worldwide. With that the levels get higher and higher each year.

The World Championships were held in Andorra two years ago and I was lucky enough to go. This weekend, the Font Blanca, was the kick off weekend of the ski mountaineering world cup with a vertical race on saturday and the individual race on sunday. The vertical, not my favorite event but a good training for me, and I managed to hold my own finishing 12th overall behind some real climbing specialists, and in the 80th percentile behind the winner. I had no idea I had placed 2nd in my new age category!

Map of last 2 climbs

The individual race was really what I was looking forward to. It was a technical course on profile with 1380 meters of ascent, 4 climbs , with 2 boot crampon sections and some fun couloirs to descend.

Sr. Men on the crampon section

For me, all of my favorite things in ski mountaineering. I was pleased with how I felt, each climb a little stronger, trying to stay consistent and focussed throughout the course. Hammer Nutrition Heed provided me with consistent energy throughout, a perfect energy for a race just under 2 hours. I ended up with a personal best for me with a time in the 80th percentile of the winner and an overall 9th place out of a very strong field of women. Results can be found here. 

View of technical section of course

Staying consistent and focussed outside of the race is equally, it not more important. All parents know that this applies to raising children but also to oneself in following a path or a dream.

Having fun with the boys who remind me each day I must be consistent.

So,now it’s back home to my boys who keep me motivated on and off the race course, keep me focused on being the best mom I can be, keep me consistent with what is important and keep my dreams alive!

Nina- 1st place sprint in age category, 2nd place overall womens final

Just three years ago I helped found the section ski-alpinsime club with the Chamonix club des sports. This year we have reached the 60 member mark in our club. This is not only a result of the passion behind this sport but also the fact that the sport of ski mountaineering is growing exponentially  worldwide, especially here in Chamonix, the heart of the Alps. The international ISMF is working hard with others to see that this sport will one day be in the Olympic Games.

Top 3 Women at the finish of the French national Sprints: Laetitia Roux 1, Nina 2, Emile Favre 3

Sunday evening, under the lights of the Les Planards ski area, volunteers from my ski alpinisme club joined forces with the Chamonix Sports Club and the FFME (French Federation Montagne Escalade- the governing body for ski-alpinsime) to host the 1^st ever national championships in sprint.

The sprint race is a fairly new format that encompasses many variables of ski mountaineering. This format includes: skinning, to kick-turns-to a boot pack- more skiing, a descent with giant slalom gates and a finish in skating, all of this in an area of around 80m of elevation gain and under at time of 3.5-4.5 minutes.

The sprint event has already taken place in ski mountaineering world cup and in the World Championship in the past 2 years. This is an event that I personally really love and also have had good results with a 5^thplace last year in Gavarnie World Cup. This was the first time the sprint has been part of the French national championship series. The cool thing about the sprint event is that it is very exciting to watch from a spectator standpoint. It is similar to the Cross Country Sprint where there is a qualification round, followed by ¼ finals, ½ finals and then finals.

The start line for the womens finals. I had first choice my lane with fastest qualifying time

The race was my second big objective of this season. I am really happy about how I felt in the qualifications and in the final. I had the fastest qualification time, trying not to go out too fast.  In the final I had the lead above Laetitia Roux, the current world champion in this discipline, until the kick turns and then she gained on me in the boot pack.

Warming up before the finals!- It was a cold night! I had Michael and Birken in the pit crew! Thanks!

I placed 2^nd overall behind Laetitia Roux, who holds the World Champion title in the Sprint, and I placed 1^st in my new age category, with elite athlete Corrine Favre in 2^nd.

For me I really love the sprint race because it encompasses so many variables in such a short time. It requires clarity and grace both equally  important in our daily lives. For me, it is easy to get caught up in all of the million things I feel like I need to do at home, with my children, and family. There is a lot going on in our household with lots of transitions, and it often feels like a sprint race: school, ski-club, hockey practice, meal time, bedtime, piano practice and more. It is important for me to be graceful, compassionate and swift in day to day transitions, and at the same time keep a clear vision of what is important.

Some things that really help me stay focused are yoga,  meditation, getting plenty of sleep. I like aromatherapy too. Thanks to my friend Valerie of Ciel et Terre in Chamonix I have discovered Altearah’s wonderful scented oils that work hand in hand with the senses and the mind. Indigo is a favorite of mine.

Purple cornflower a.k.a Bachelor's Button- Color- Indigo -symbolizing Clarity

My next big objective, 1^st world cup in Andorra this coming weekend. Thursday I will hop on a plane and head to the Pyrenees.

 May all your daily transitions be graceful and swift.

Happy that my legs are feeling good!

Areche, Pierra Menta country hosted the French National Championships (individual) yesterday. This was my first real objective of the season and I was happy that it fell into place for me on this day, my oldest son’s 8th Birthday. I came in 2nd overall just behind Laeticia Roux and in front of Corrine Favre, both of whom are exceptional athletes. Laeticia a World Champion in ski mountaineering and Corrine and exception trail runner and ski alpinist. I took first place in my “new” catatgory this year, Veteran. I am proud to bring home a French national Championship medal, but even more happy to go home after and give my birthday boy a squeeze after a great day of racing.

Happy 8th Bday B!

After a summer of being injured, this is great start to a beginning of my ski mo season, but surely with lots more work to come. Our club, Chamonix ski alpinisme  had a strong presence of 17 people at the French Nationals which was a record! It was a great ambience to have the whole skimo family there!

A little word of thanks to my Sponsors! Thanks Petzl, Hammer Nutrition My gel pouch fell out in a transition but HEED got me through all the way in the race just under 2 hrs! Sportlegs kept my legs from cramping on the killer descents! I used my Camelbak Race vest which worked great and kept the drink from freezing! Pierre Gignoux boots were awesome especially in the descending in the tough snow with the compression. My Swix poles worked well even in the deep powder snow. My Suunto kept me on track with cardio. Thanks to Eyeshop for protecting my eyes with some great goggles!  It was snowing and tough to see! I can’t forget Wild Roses, who adds the splash of pink to my wardrobe,  keeps me warm and dry on and off the slopes and encourages all women to follow their dreams.  I will surely be heading to Maison Carrier sometime soon to celebrate!

Today I will enjoy a little recup and make some turns on some fatter skis.

Next big objective, French National Champs in Sprint which we are hosting here in Chamonix next sunday evening under the night lights of Les Planards. It should be a great event to watch!

Skiing Breithorn Face

Here in Europe things are a little thin, but not in Italy! I headed over to do some early season training in Cervinia last week. I had a chance to ski a 4000 meter peak, The Breithorn,  from the base of Cervinia to the summit with a few members of my ski-alpinisme team in Chamonix.

There is nothing better than sunshine, good snow and making some great turns with my boys!

Happy to be back on snow!

Hard to believe I spent 3 amazing days on snow last weekend in Cervina, Italy, when as I write this today here in Chamonix, we are in short sleeves and riding bikes and roller skiing, and just one week before I was on the beach in a bikini! This was the 2nd time of our Chamonix Club pre-season camp in Cervina, where we had a chance to dust off the cob-webs from summer and get the ski legs under us a bit, remembering how to take skins off and on and do a kick turn. It takes a bit of remembering, but just like riding a bike, it comes right back rather quickly.

Enjoying the great roads for riding here in Mallorca

Many teams head to find snow right about now, my family headed for sunshine and the sea. As the end of the guiding season in Chamonix hit, we headed for our fall family training camp in Mallorca, Spain in order to wind down from the summer and gear up for the ski mountaineering season here in Europe.

Smile, breathe and go slowly (except when racing) ~Thich Nhat Hanh

As all athletes know, here are many things that go into a season of racing. The ski mountaineering season is long, beginning in early december and ending in the 1st of May. There are moments in the season that are low points and high points, races to try to peak for and others to recover from. Juggling and balancing, especially as a mom of two young boys, is never easy but for me two things help a lot:

Breathe and Believe