Moments
Main Range Escapades with Jake Sims – The Calm Before The Storm
Every now and then le ambassador Jake Sims (aka @australian_backcountry) climbs down from his perch atop the Kosciusko Main Range, collects a little cell service and drops us a line to let us know how his latest BC mission went down. As predominantly sea level, office dwelling folk, it’s something we eagerly anticipate. We get to mind shred some lines, share them with you guys and plan our next backcountry strike mission depending on how the conditions are shaping up out there. This week, Jake graced us with some gallery quality shots of the main range, during some admittedly less than quality snow conditions. "This tour was classic Australian backcountry packed powder, aka solid ice." Said Jake. "Almost every aspect was solid ice, even those in the sun, typical for this time of year out there. Due to the rain last week and the minimal snowfalls it’s also the least amount of snow I’ve ever seen for this time of year, but that’s about to change it seems." Lots of green on the lower slopes of the Main Range...for now. Photo: Jake Sims Jake and his crew were up there for two days, "The weather was perfect," he said. "No wind and clear skies with a full moon. As we arrived back at the car we could see the clouds forming up in the distance." "We had plans to ride Watson Crags but we soon realised that there wouldn’t be enough snow for that and even if there was it’d be solid ice and that’s not an exciting place to ride in bad conditions. So we changed plans on the way out to ride a couple of chutes and actually relax a little as we are always just go-go-go every time we tour. It was nice to take some time and actually soak in the views and enjoy the quiet rather than worrying about how many lines we could ride in a day. We still bagged a couple of really fun lines that got the heart rate up." Slipping on Le socks with a view. There are certainly worse places to spend a night. Photo: Jake Sims A little scale on the moonscape that is the roof of Oz. Photo: Jake Sims Talk about a sunset. Photo: Jake Sims As for whether Jake's noticed an influx of resort refugees taking to the backcountry this season, he said he's still yet to see any more traffic out there than any other year. "There is always a few people camped closer to the resort areas and it was nice to see a fair few tents on the way out with people enjoying the space. Once out to where we camped we only saw one other group who are regular tele skiers out there who absolutely shred for a bunch of old fellas." Looking more like October than early August. Photo: Jake Sims Fortunately, up to a foot of snow has fallen since last weekend when these shots were taken and there's plenty more inbound. No one knows how much of a gift this will be more than Jake, "The backcountry needs this coming snowfall and more if we are to have a decent spring for touring." "We need it badly, there isn’t much snow out there, it was almost like I was touring in the middle of October." Clear skies while the high-pressure system presided over the alps last weekend. Photo: Jake Sims A sneak peak of a new Light Snow Sock we sent Jake’s way for testing… Needless to say they passed with flying colours and are coming to market soon! Photo: Jake Sims It's not just Jake's toes we look after on his long tours though, "I practically live in my Buddie Beanies, I’ve always got one on my noggin to keep it warm," he told us. "The Balaclava 200 Lightweight is also a staple for me when touring, it’s great to keep the head warm and if I’m too hot I simply use it as a neck warmer." Social distancing at its finest. Photo: Jake Sims Erryn Reeder making the most of the low tide terrain on offer out there. Photo: Jake Sims When asked if we'd run into him on the Main Range after this weekend's snowfall, Jake said, "I’d love to say I’ll be up there Tuesday but It’s always hard balancing work and family life while still trying to get out there. Erryn and I are always begging our respective partners for leave passes to get up there!" "As soon as I get the green light I’ll be getting amongst it."
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What We'd Do With A $7900 Outdoor Prize Pack - Hit The Road Giveaway
It’s about that time we’re all shedding the iso chains, hopefully swapping them for snow chains or bike chains. To help in this endeavour to hit the road and reclaim the outdoors, we’ve teamed up with We Are Explorers and a bunch of like-minded brands to bring you the prize pack of the pandemic age. Valued at a whopping $7900, here’s how we’d utilise the gear if we were allowed to win it… (sadly, we’re not). First off, we’d throw said gear into the JUCY Camper (which would be ours for 14 days) then I reckon we’d drive that bad boy from our office in Sydney down to the Snowy Mountains. But, probably not as the crow flies, there’s a hell of a lot of good surf breaks in between after all and it would be rude not to test out our new Quiky and Roxy wetsuits. If there aren’t any waves, we’ve got a brand-new mountain bike to take for a spin – the Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29 MTB. But the legs will probably need even more of a stretch during such a drive and we’d likely do so in our brand-new pair of Salomon hiking shoes or new trail running shoes (depending on the mood and terrain). Obviously, these would be paired with some of our finest woollen and bamboo rayon foot sheaths (socks) and maybe the Suunto 9 Baro GPS Watch for good measure. Surf check in our Outdoor Light Crew Socks. But wait… a cursory look at the snow forecast sees over half a metre headed for the alps (we’d hope) so naturally we’d put our foot down and get there in time to take our new Atomic skis for a spin in some fresh stuff. A new Arc’teryx jacket and set of Le Bent baselayers will keep us warm during the day before we decide to retire to the van – which we’ve named Vincent – and tuck ourselves into our Sea To Summit Trek TKII Sleeping Bag. This could be you booting up behind Vincent... Photo: Teddy Laycock Got a better idea on how to maximise these outdoor goodies? Enter the comp for yourself and show us when you win! Enter here. Winner's are grinners. Photo: Tim Sanderson Hit The Road Major Prize Total Prize Value: $7908 Specialized Rockhopper Expert 29 and Tactic Helmet ($1840)Suunto 9 Baro GPS Watch – Ambassador Edition ($1099)Arc’teryx Beta AR jacket ($820)A pair of Atomic Skis ($800)14 days JUCY Camper rental ($600)Quiksilver Highline Ltd Monochrome 4/3mm Steamer Wetsuit ($500)Roxy Performance 3/2mm Steamer Wetsuit ($550)Sea To Summit Trek TKII Sleeping Bag ($429)Sea To Summit Comfort Plus Insulated Sleeping Mat ($300)2 pairs of Salomon running shoes ($400)2 pairs of Salomon hiking shoes ($400)Le Bent baselayer, neck gaiter and socks ($170) Hit The Road Runner Up Prizes (9 to Win) Total Prize Value: $340 3 days JUCY car rental ($120)Salomon Prolog Bag ($70)Arc’teryx Men’s Cap ($50)Le Bent Le Lucy trail running socks ($35)Specialized Air Tool Switch Comp Pump ($35)Sea To Summit 13L Dry Sack ($30)
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From Isolation to Inundation… Half a metre of May Snow at Mt Buller
In late March, ambassador Teddy Laycock was in the unenviable position of having to self-quarantine at Mt Buller for two weeks after returning from Japan. Teddy tells us, the decision to leave the cool temps and endless spring skiing opportunities of Hokkaido at that time of year was not made lightly. Teddy also told us that both his and Crystal’s families weren’t too keen to host their quarantine, being potential corona carriers, so Buller was, no pun intended, a last resort. Yet, a little over three weeks after the pair were permitted to go outside for exercise, Mt Buller became the place to be. Buller village looking wintry at 9am on April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock According to our friends at Mountainwatch, Mt Buller received 116mm of rain on Thursday, so arguably it wasn’t the place to be on this particular day. But come Friday morning, that rain had turned to snow and by Saturday morning there was 35 – 60cms across Australian resorts with up to 75cms at higher elevations. The snow quality, according to Teddy was more like mid-winter than early May and his photos sure do paint a wintry picture. Teddy never confirmed whether they went skiing, so we'll leave it up to your imagination... What would you do? Check out all the shots from Teddy below. Slowly filling in. Photo: Teddy Laycock Fingers and poles crossed we see these guys spinning this winter. Photo: Teddy Laycock Feeling a lot light a cold winter morning. April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Transformed. Photo: Teddy Laycock Seasonally confused at 9:30am on April 30th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Biggest 1st of May snowfall in years... because 2020, that's why. Mother nature’s just rubbing it in at this point. Photo: Teddy Laycock Crystal walking through Alpine Ash on the 1st of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock The locals were loving it! A Crimson Rosella making most of the powder day on the 1st of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock Snow buried chairs ready to be loaded. Photo: Teddy Laycock All aboard the rime quad. Photo: Teddy Laycock We're told wind chill was down in the minus 20's.... Brrrrrrr. Photo: Teddy Laycock It was tools down on Sunday the 3rd of May. Photo: Teddy Laycock Mind-ski this one to your hearts content... Photo: Teddy Laycock Teddy's car thinks it's in Japan. Photo: Teddy Laycock Yep, we're ready for winter... and so is Mt Buller. Photo: Teddy Laycock A warm summit sunrise on May 4th. Photo: Teddy Laycock Were the last six days all a dream? #protectourseason
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ONE WORD: PANCAKES
Ok, time to try something different. We usually find ourselves in conversation with our community about feats in the outdoors or high in the hills, but when pro team member Lucy Bartholomew told us we could give mum something more than just socks for Mother’s Day we jumped at the idea! Although it comes without question that socks always become the staple gift, don’t you think it’s nice to add a little something special?… especially if it comes in the form of our favourite dish of all time. Now, the term ‘cooking’ comes very loosely to us. It's a means to fend off hangry rants more so than a tasty platter, and when put into practice, we find ourselves laying claim to the word ‘gourmet’ any time our camp kitchen experiments take on more than 3 ingredients. But one thing we do know is that we can seek out the source of a good smelling dish from a mile-off and when Lucy told us she’d been more productive during her lockdown than an office octopus, we had to refrain from eating every delicious, healthy raw ingredient before it was combined. We caught up for a chat and even included her secret recipe so you can cook up a storm while in this Covid shituation (nope, that wasn’t a misspell). Hey Lucy, great to catch up for virtual hangs. How have you been going with the crazy times of late? I’ve been good! It’s been strange to really slow down and halt some selects go life but also jump into the fast lane with some projects I’ve been wanting to do for a while and getting a good groove on some high training. Ebb and flow though-some days are easier than others. Where were you before all this went down and where have you been hiding out? I was lucky to have some early year missions to New Zealand for the Tarawera 100km and a trip to the Himalayas for a camp and exploring so I certainly got to exhaust my body and excite my mind before life hit the brakes. Pursuing greener pastures before the downtime. Pic: @andrew_fawcett We’re seeing plenty of stories coming out of how folks have been picking up new habits while staying at home. What have you found yourself up to? Something I’ve been really wanting to do was write a cook book. It’s been a fun project and definitely kept me busy, and full! Can’t say I have learnt a tik tok dance routine, but I am learning what goes into a book- and I have a lot of admiration for them all now! As one of the world’s most decorated women’s ultra-marathon runners, diet and intake would be at the top of the list outside of the training programs you’re on. How do you manage this? I chose to follow a plant-based diet which makes me feel, perform and recover at my best. I really just try to be intuitive and smart about what I eat, when I eat and why I eat foods. I always try to include a rainbow of colours, I have no problem on portion sizes and drinking plenty of water along the way too. Isolation?... or happy place? Pic: @andrew_fawcett Our mouths are watering at the thought of the wondrous creations we’re sure you’ve been working on. What’s are your favourites? If I was to be stuck on an island with one food it would be oats. I use them a lot in waffles, pancakes, cookies, smoothie bowls, bliss balls... I think they make up the most of my mass. I can’t go past a stack of pancakes or waffles where you can go wild on the toppings and it feels so abundant and delicious. Any trips to the kitchen for us generally involve a bowl of weetbix or a pack of Mi Goreng and we recently learned what the difference between a spork and a spade is. Do you have any tips for the first-time chef? Just like anything new; start small, gain confidence. Take it step by step. Enjoy the process and don’t focus too much on the outcome. My dad is a great example who used to burn water but now has turned into quite the cook when I’m away (when I come back, suddenly he loses the talent). Ok, we’re all set to don the apron and give this a whirl. How else can we learn about these delicious and healthy recipes you’re creating? I’m hoping to release this cook by the middle of 2020 (we’re nearly there) so that will be the easiest and best presented way to follow along with the recipes. Otherwise my Instagram feed and stories is usually either running or eating! Well Lucy, we’re so damn pleased to get the time to hang out and get an insight into what you’ve been up to. We really hope to see you in person soon, whether it be on the trail or in the kitchen. Thanks for keeping us company! Mother’s Day Pancakes 3 cups oat flour** (makes 8 small pancakes - don’t forget your dad, siblings and yourself too) 1cup almond milk 2tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon Bunch of fresh Strawberries, sliced + your toppings! Here with: yoghurt, more strawberries, walnuts, coconut, tahini! **If you need to make oat flour. It’s easy. Blitz 3cups or raw rolled oats in a blender on high for 1min until a fine consistency! Done! Step 1. In a bowl mix together all ingredients until well combined. If it’s a little thick add some extra almond milk or water splash by splash Step 2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place spoonful of the mixture into the pan in your ideal size Step 3. Place a few slices of the fresh strawberries into the mixture Step 4. Let cool for 2-3 min and then flip Step 5. Let cook for another 2-3min Step 6. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining mixture Step 7. Stack your pancakes and go wild on your favourite toppings! Step 8. Become the favourite child. - Bon Appétit! - Lucy
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LE BENT SKIER ISAAC FREELAND IS 2020 FREERIDE WORLD TOUR MEN’S CHAMPION!
Freeride World Tour rookie and Le Bent athlete Isaac Freeland took the tour by storm this season with consistent runs, strong line selection and a bag of tricks that saw him end up on top of the men’s ski field with one final event remaining in Verbier, Switzerland. While a decision was made to conclude the tour early and the Bec des Rosse face would not be skied on account of Covid-19 and burgeoning government lockdowns, a silver lining was our boy Isaac walked away with the world championship and rookie of the year title! As much as everyone would have loved to see the guys and gals throw down in Verbier – Isaac included – congratulations are in order! Isaac bagged an 11th at the first event in Kicking Horse, BC, before really kicking into gear with a 5th in Hakuba, Japan, followed up by back to back 2nd place finishes in Fieberbrunn, Austria and Ordino Alcalís, Andorra. Check out the 2020 recap and some of Isaac’s sends below. If you find yourself with some free time these coming weeks – you can rewatch all the events at Freerideworldtour.com. Isaac (middle) before the Kicking Horse event in BC. Isaac's wearing our Heather Gray Lightweight Balaclava. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac mid run/mid air at Kicking Horse. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Isaac wasn’t the only team rider on the circuit this year. Skier Andrew Pollard, off the back of winning the 2019 rookie of the year award rounded out the Men’s podium in 3rd. Andrew Pollard sending one at Kicking Horse where he grabbed 3rd. Pic cred: FWT/Dom Daher Congratulations also to snowboarder Blake Hamm who finished 7th overall with a 3rd place result in Ordino Alcalís, Andorra, and to Emma Patterson who competed in the ski women’s event for the first time. See below for the full statement from the Freeride World Tour on the decision to cancel the final event. Statement From FWT: Following the current situation concerning COVID-19, the Grande Finale of the Freeride World Tour 2020 and all Qualifier and Junior events have been cancelled. Due to COVID-19 and the new measures put in place by the Swiss government today, we are sorry to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Verbier Xtreme, as well as all Junior and Qualifier events. The situation surrounding COVID-19 is evolving rapidly, and the priority of the Freeride World Tour before everything else is to insure the health and safety of its fans, athletes, team and their peers. The World Champions will be discerned from the current 2020 season rankings which will remain as they currently stand. We would like to thank all of the athletes, fans, and staff for this incredible season.
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Ultra Trail Cape Town 2019 - Race Report By Ambassador Vlad Shatrov
By Vlad Shatrov And there it was, my 2019 of racing rounded out with finishing the Ultra Trail Capetown 100km Trail Run (UTCT). South Africa, whilst it can be a difficult place to visit, has many upsides. Driving from the Airport towards the city the crowded mini vans of dancing workers, the shanty townships built from corrugated iron and at the same time a resilience, beauty with many of the simple things in life providing a freedom lost back in Australia. I arrived on Thursday for Saturday’s race, not ideal! It’s a long flight from Australia and my door to door travel was over 30 hours. Staying in Camp Bay (10 minutes from the centre of Capetown) this is a really nice area under the 12 apostles. I spent the afternoon getting all my race nutrition and kit packed and then going to registration, so I could just relax and not have to run around at all on Friday. Yep, I hate to say it but 100km Trail runs are referred to as the “Sprints of Ultra’s” I guess it’s all relative. But to be competitive in 100k Trail races you do need speed still, and this year I maintained a decent level of speed work to complement my longer strength based running sessions. I’d have to say that I was as well prepared as I could be for this race with all my lead-up events going to plan and if not better. I guess that’s why a result like this for me can hurt, but even as the emotions are raw and my body aches UTCT 2019 offered me the chance to learn something different. As hard as it was throughout the day. So, Saturday the day started with a 1:55am alarm. I had a good night’s sleep considering I had only arrived on the Thursday. I’ve got very used to sleeping in new places with all that brings, this was a one-bedroom room attached to a house. I was in bed by 7:30, asleep by 9pm and woke only once during the night. Still when the alarm went off, I was not quite wanting to get up! Breakfast – Last minute gear check and out I slipped into the night, it was 3am, Uber on time and the 10-minute drive from Camps Bay around to Capetown then up towards the base of Table Mountain to race HQ at Gardens Rugby Field. A small Rugby Oval was the HQ for race start/finish/expo etc. Being a 100km with a tight 17-hour cut-off means the field is limited, so it wasn’t that busy and easy to drop bags, meet my crew and get ready to roll. Most people do the shorter distance options of this race simply because it is brutally tough with a stiff cut-off of 17 hours in comparison to other similar trail runs. 4am was here, head lights were on, purple flare and off we went. The Men’s field was impressively strong this year, I had the lucky number 11! The first 2km is on streets through Capetown, we literally ran on roads behind a pickup until we got led onto the trails, I was actually leading at this point, but pretty quickly I was where I planned to be just running amongst the top 10 or so runners. The first 10km is pretty uneventful although we are climbing gradually and across to the left the city of Capetown can be seen, into the first checkpoint – I was still feeling pretty good, maybe a mistake I made was wearing a light jacket, but not really familiar with the environment I knew we were heading up very soon and it could be very cold at the top. By 13km things just didn’t feel right! It was actually very humid, but I was also sweating a lot and I really don’t usually sweat that much in comparison to other runners. Unless something more sinister comes out in the next few days or weeks ahead, I’m going to say I had picked up a small bug on the flight over. I wanted to jam a tissue up the guy sitting in front of me between Singapore and Capetown, that’s about an 11.5-hour flight and he kept sniffing LOUDLY the entire way. Anyway, on Friday I had that scratchy throat and runny nose and now 13km into the race my energy levels just faded in almost an instant. Between this point at 13km and the first crew checkpoint at approximately 20km I was starting to do it tough. It just felt so hard to run, like I’d run out of all my energy. Runner after runner passed me and my head wasn’t in a great place. I met up with my crew for the first time at around 20km and reloaded, there wasn’t much said that I can remember as I was processing my options. I was only stopped here for a couple of minutes, and off I went. Straight out of this checkpoint is a climb of maybe 200 metres, the first taste of the energetic crowds clapping you on as you start the ascent, then it’s a traverse along the base of the mountain for a while before you really go up! Before I started this first climb though I had to stop, I called my Wife back home saying I wasn’t feeling great, the lead females were now also running past me. I needed a voice of reason, someone removed from the hype of the event I could speak too about how I was feeling! Throughout this race I was having 3 conversations, when I could handle it (for long periods I simply put my phone into flight mode and focussed on only one thing – moving forward), the conversations were with myself, my CREW including Benn and my Wife who was tracking along back in Australia. After a few minutes I went on, first up the small steep section before the traverse and then the real climb, this one taking you to the top of Table Mountain , by now I was being passed regularly by runners passing me from behind, I was literally crawling on all fours in sections and 2-3 times on this ascent I stopped and sat down, feeling faint and light headed. At this point, I had made up in my own mind that I was going to just get through to the next checkpoint and have to stop, I felt so unwell that I did not possibly think I could make it. So now the real battle began! Body and mind were saying stop, but heart keeping me in, just. This actual climb is mainly stairs of stone. They are wide and often big steps. When it happened and I got to look back behind me, the view was incredible. For the runners back in Australia having done UTA, this climb would have had to be like doing the Furber stairs 5 times continuously and whilst I was not enjoying how I felt, it was impossible to not be carried away with the beauty of the course and the sounds of the race, the runners and the spectator support. Bag pipes rang out over the valley as we continued on and up, it was a magical place. At the top of this climb and on the top of table Mountain I was engulfed by the clouds, it was eerie, uncomfortable and almost claustrophobic at this point, I was in this section for too long, just because I wasn’t moving quickly at all, and it was really getting to me. There was no reception here, just me and the trails. When you climb up – This is looking back over your shoulder. So the next checkpoint was food only, as in no crew and being on Table Mountain it was isolated, so that decision was made for me I'd have to keep going, if I pulled out here I could be waiting a long time for a lift back to the race precinct. The next 8km or so went pretty quickly and I soon arrived at the next checkpoint. At the time it didn’t help at all, I was telling myself, fuck how bad do I need to feel before I give myself the “Its ok to pull out card”? I was sitting at this next checkpoint and I was wondering can I, should I continue? I sat down trying to process the situation realistically. I was alone, the sights and sounds of other runners coming in and going on, a constant reminder I was in a race and time was ticking. Not thinking clearly, I had also expected to see my crew at this point, but we had agreed earlier that they wouldn’t come here, rather go to the next checkpoint (as its possible due to traffic that you could possibly not make it to the next stop in time after being at this one). So again I just had to keep going. It was a swinging battle, I’d come good in places, and literally start overtaking runners with ease, before just as quickly feeling flat and unwell, my mind was ticking away constantly. I recalled on that first major climb up, as I was struggling, three runners within earshot talking about how the “Elites pull out” I guess they are right it happens a lot. And right now, this section heading towards the coastal town of Llandudno I found myself in conversation with one of the runners. The talk was of mutual respect for how it was a battle today, he wasn’t doing it easy, but he was a local and this was the second year he had taken it on. We discussed our challenges at that point, offering support. Somehow it came out that I was one of the expected top finishers, he told me how his respect for me instantly grew. “You are here doing it, it’s a beautiful course – just enjoy it today” and a beautiful course it was, magically brutal. So, I was almost at halfway and it was now really warm and humid, watch glances in sections showed it was well over thirty degrees. This was one of those I’m feeling ok sections, running into the Aid station just positive and with no thought that I wasn’t going to run on and finish. But this next section is referred to as the make or break part of this race – but yeah I'd already suffered and completed the biggest hill, it couldn’t be that hard. But for me today this was the death zone! Pretty quickly off the beach and rocks out of Llandudno you take a steep climb and are shortly at a water only checkpoint, where I grabbed some Coke luckily that was being poured sparingly from 2L bottles, it was warm but still tasted so good, from here is then the most treacherous section of the course, I was climbing pretty well though initially and catching runners ahead constantly. But in this section as we were now getting exposed to the rising temperature, I suffered the most. There were extremely steep sections where you were climbing large step and sections of rock face, often behind you a drop off and a fault here would lead to a fall with potentially fatal consequences. That severe cramping that was plaguing me today really was accelerated and intensified from this section onwards. I knew I couldn’t afford to cramp when scaling a section that I needed to get up, so Id brace, climb quickly as I felt the cramps taking hold, and then drop and recover usually on the ground, section by section. I was going faint again here at times but continued to the top finally and there I sat and waited in the shade legs elevated for maybe 10 minutes recovering enough to continue. Time was lost here and on a totally runnable section the next 6km into HOUT BAY, all I could do was walk, it was a downhill trail and I couldn’t run at that point, I just physically was too unwell and crippled by cramps. But on I went convinced that I’d need to take a lot of time at Hout Bay and likely just have to stop. The only photo I took that day out on course is here. I just had to share this with others I though, this is amazing. But as it turned out, my crew was having none of it. I didn’t get a chance to tell them anything about how I was feeling really, I cannot remember either though lol. As I walked in they grabbed me, ice towel was on, I was reloading, they were explaining the next section. See, I think they had become so motivated and excited themselves that, against the odds I had kept going, and had got through the toughest part and was still in front of the cut-off. 10 minutes was all they would afford me, shoe change, clothes change, fuel and refuel (now on the bliss salted potatoes) some motivation, high fives and shouts and I was off – Running! I was going strong again now, the next section contained another climb, but these climbs were not that bad, the next 75 minutes or so I ran the entire leg and regained time on the gap to the cut-off. This was further motivation for my crew now pretty pumped as I left the next aid station with a real determination that I could now finish. I was giving myself every chance too. The issue really was however the cramps, mostly all hill sections had to be walked so I wouldn’t totally burn out. The rocky terrain and tree roots, stairs and more on the single-track sections were causing me grief, any extension of legs beyond a certain range was keeping cramps right there and then occasionally bang, it would come, and I’d have to simply fall or drop. A fall or drop cramp happened to me on no less than 10 occasions in the last 35km. I would have to quickly lay out straight on my back and grab the muscle belly of my hamstring and with every single piece of strength, drive my fingers into the muscle to release the cramp – from here it was still at least another 3-4 minutes before I was able to stand and resume, time was ticking. A lasting memory, me on my back holding my leg with all my strength as a fellow runner placed a salt tablet onto my tongue I had stuck out for him, all he said was here buddy do you want this, before he moved on suffering himself. The last sections whilst tough at times – especially the really short steep hill as you head out of the last checkpoint (University of Capetown), were enjoyable. As the sunset and the head-torches came out, the views across to your right of below were ever changeable. If you asked me what kept me going today, why did you do it. I would have to say this. Today was about learning, it wasn’t about my result, it wasn’t about me being an Athlete. It wasn’t about me being selfish, but it was about a respect for the running community, the effort of so many that goes into these events, the respect for my fellow runners this day and especially those that were doing it tough out there. Sure, it was tough and for almost the entire way, I had this fear that I could possibly not make the cut-offs. I had never been in that situation. Changing the mindset from “I’m here to race and win, to I’m just going to my best today” was an excruciating reasoning between body and mind somewhere made between the 30-50km mark – I cannot remember exactly where, but I do remember the freedom afterwards of having decided to get it done. The hours of preparation, the sacrifices by me and many others the hard work, the real people within the brands that sponsor me all deserved that I simply not be a brat and show them some respect. When I did cross the line, there was no fancy fist pump this night, it was just done, something I had to do for me and you. In the days the followed, I’ve been cool with it, totally. I have taken more from this race than any race before it, it’s made me richer. Get this as an example, I was I guess slightly embarrassed to speak with Nicholas from Salomon/Suunto. This was an a race and yes whilst there is an expectation of performance, that’s not the only thing that’s important to them. “Vlad it's also about the community – there is even more respect for you now, and we know you will have your good races ahead – This is a good thing for all the runners” Immediately post race... I have to say thank-you to my amazing Wife Chez firstly, together with Benn and my crew Dalene, Jam Ham, Willemien, Rentia, Jeanette (sorry if I missed you), you all helped me to overcome demons today. Thank you to the race organizers, Elite Manager Matt Lennon and my major sponsors Salomon/Suunto Tailwind Nutrition South Africa, Lebent, Dusty, Pace Athletic, Air Relax Australia, Aviano, Achieve Podiatry and all my other sponsors, friends, runners Jeanette and Terry and family and spectators. Honestly Thank – You. And for many reasons whilst for worst race it was my best and I’ll be coming again at the right time to run your Mountains again. To follow Vlad's training and races checkout his STRAVA – A direct link to this particular run can be found here: https://www.strava.com/activities/2908977968 You can also follow Vlad's trail endeavours on Facebook and Instagram.
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SAFE AS Avalanche Clinics Championed by One of Le Bent’s Best – Elyse Saugstad
Avalanche safety championed by one of our best
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LE BENT WELCOMES ELYSE SAUGSTAD TO THE FAMILY
ELYSE SAUGSTAD – WELCOME INTERVIEW It was obvious to us Elyse Saugstad belonged on Le Bent's team. Not because her husband Cody Townsend’s a bona fide le family member, but because of the way she skis… she bloody rips! And that’s putting it lightly. A third-generation Alaskan, it’s unsurprising most of Elyse’s award-winning ski segments feature a spine line that’ll blow your mind. Freeskier Magazine’s “2018 Female Skier of the Year” came down under this season with Cody to sample some of our antipodean offerings and while we didn’t ski much in the way of spines, we skied plenty of pow and struggled to keep up with Elyse and dozens of Thredbo groms as they darted amongst the snow gums. We also had the pleasure of getting Elyse in some more of our gear, knowing she’d been in Cody’s Le Send sock since its inception. We thought we’d officially invite her to join the team. We caught up with Elyse to discuss her skiing, her time in Australia and to welcome her as the newest member of the Le Bent family. LB: Hey Elyse, thanks for taking the time and welcome (officially) to the team! Thanks, I’m thrilled I’m joining forces with Le Bent! So, how’ve you been since visiting us down under? Still tucking into the vegemite and VB’s? Ha, vegemite is just too much for my taste buds. I gave it another shot on this last trip to Aus and quickly reminded myself that I am not a fan. In all seriousness though, what did you think of Aus? You’d been before but how did you find the skiing down under? Australia is an F-ing amazing country and visiting again rekindled the love I had previously developed for it. Cody Townsend and I totally scored with the storm of the winter, which made for a fabulous experience. The mountains may not be as big and steep as they are in Alaska, but the terrain is playful and ultimately really fun. There are so many ways to be entertained on skis that it was impossible not to have a good time! Of course, you visited with Cody to help put the finishing touches on his Le Send sock. What did you think when Cody first started to work on that? I thought it was a great idea. As an athlete sometimes the brands we work with are so large that they are not interested in our feedback and ideas, and for us athletes that can be a bit of a bummer as we put so much time into what we do and really know what works and doesn’t in regards to our gear. So when Cody was approached by Le Bent and they gave him carte blanche to design the best backcountry sock possible it became the perfect pairing, so to speak, between the two. I got to test the socks all last winter, and as good as they are I found they could use a few tweaks specific for the ladies. Whereas Cody lives on the skin track these days, you’re the one jumping out of helis and putting together the adrenaline pumping, show stopping segments. Congrats on taking out IF3’s “Best Female Freeride Performance” for your part in Winterland! We went to the premiere in Sydney and your part was definitely a crowd favourite. How does that segment compare to some of your others like All Us? Thanks for the props! My segment for Winterland was essentially building upon what I’ve accomplished previously in my career. Not in the sense of the actual skiing as my segment in Winterland is not above and beyond my past few years of ski segments with TGR and MSP, but I’ve finally got a bit of traction going from my filming over the last few years and received the offer to join TGR on their highly coveted, marquee, big-budget Alaska trip. I was viewed as someone that could perform in big terrain and be worthy to film. There’s so much money, production and logistics going into a trip like that you understandably have to prove beforehand that you deserve to be there. Getting this opportunity was something I’ve worked towards my entire career so it was quite special. It’s not always serious shredding with you and Cody though is it? For example, ‘It’s called backcountry skiing’ and the recent Mica Heliskiing vid… How important is not taking yourself too seriously and having a bit of fun with the video parts too? Yes, even though the skiing portion of those edits were still full on, intense days filled with pressure to get the shots (it’s work!) Cody and I feel that we ski because it’s fun, and in the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t be taken too seriously. We are really lucky to call skiing our jobs. Plus, audiences don’t need to be reminded of work as skiing is an escape for them. It’s all about perception - so why bother getting your panties in a wad when you can choose to just enjoy the moment. When you visited, we skied with a bunch of groms from the Thredbo Mountain Academy and we know a lot of the girls loved getting a chance to ski with you and ask questions. What words of wisdom do you normally tell young girls and boys about being a professional skier? There’s lots I’ve learned over the years of being a professional skier so really it’s almost too broad of a question. That being said, I think that the underlying need to becoming a professional skier is having a ridiculous amount of passion for the sport. If you have the passion it will carry you through the lows you’ll surely experience as well as it will inspire you to continually work hard during the highs so you don’t become stagnant. Speaking of words of wisdom, what would you like to see from us at Le Bent? Complete and utter domination of the outdoor world’s sock industry! Other than the Le Send sock what other gear of ours would we find you in? The neck gaiters are all time. They’re soft, breathable and warm. My face is the most sensitive spot on my body so the products that I use for it need to be the best quality possible. While you obviously managed some riding in the Southern Hemisphere with us, your northern hemi season is about to kick off. Can you tell us much about your plans for this season? Chase powder and scare myself a little. Film trips usually don’t emerge until the snow starts flying and locations start taking shape, but there has been talk of filming in BC. I imagine it’ll be in the cards as the terrain and snowfall are consistently some of the best in the world. Awesome, best of luck with those projects and we’re looking forward to seeing you in Le Bent. Yewwww. Thanks! Stoked to be a new addition to the family. ABOUT ELYSE SAUGSTAD Age: Young enough to send’er and old enough to know I need to be discretionary about it Hometown: Tahoe City, California, USA Home Resort: Alyeska Resort, Alaska, USA Nationality: USA Sponsors: Blizzard/Tecnica, Orage, Scott, Alyeska Resort, Hestra, Arcade, Ortovox Favourite Le Bent gear: Le Send Backcountry Sock Follow Elyse here: Instagram
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