Steep Camp Concludes

It's not very often on the slopes that I get to scare myself.
Its those runs that make you go holy sh*t, when you are standing on top of them looking down and the stomach starts to churn. This is what I am looking for on the slopes...runs that will help take my riding to their next level.

This is exactly what Northern Escape's Steep camp is all about. Not only do they get you to the top of these epic runs with views that will knock your boots off, but they give you the education you need to harness those fears and take the abilities to their next level.

And now at its conclusion, I am sure there may be a few of the 15 of us walking away from this five day steep and deep bender just a little disappointed. And there was nothing anyone could have done - avy conditions locked off most of Northern Escape and the Skeena's true potential...however our outstanding guides did manage to make the most with what we had.

And what we had was an epic time, picture it - you swoop in to land on the peak of a powder filled summit, the door opens, the wind is blowing snow is flying, you get out of the chopper, it's chaos, the noice the snow, it lifts off and than it all goes silent, for miles around there is nothing around you but an endless sea of white peaks. The noice picks back up but now its my buddies yipping and yelling cause before us is a big wide open powder bowl without a track in it just waiting for us to launch in and carve it up.

For people who are resort skiers, “steep camp offers the chance to get to your next level. You can expect pillow drops, some shoots and when conditions are right, big lines,” explained our guide Yvan Sabourin. “Steep camp was born out of demand from our guests. They would be up when the film crews were here, asking, well why can’t we ski that?” said Sabourin. Now Northern Escape has welcomed people from all over the world including Germany, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada in for the very same reason- to shred some serious gnar.

On our last day out on the slopes, guides John Forrest, Sabourin and others took us out for a ski into the Skeena's- with wide open spaces, glorious powder bowls and an endless sea of terrain before you- this is seriously one of the best places to be on the planet to get out the skis or snowboard and go for a shred. There is nothing like having these wide open spaces, all to yourself!

I can't wait till next year.

Track & Trail is stoked to release its 2010 conference dates to held at the Yellow Cedar Lodge- home to Northern Escape. For full details click here

Steeped in info

A reality of heli-skiing is that there can be down days, ones where the chopper cannot fly due to weather….and today was unfortunately such a day.

In addition to some serious relaxation time, this is steep camp so Northern Escape maximized the day, allowing us to get the in’s on how they pick which lines we’ll ski and pointers on avalanche recovery techniques.

It truly a valued experience to learn from the guides themselves just what goes into the assessment of terrain and the value of a day in the mountains. “Experience is everything when it comes to approaching the mountains," explained long time Association of Canadian Mountain Guide Al Ducros. “It’s not just about firing up the bird, getting on the skis and hitting the slopes. There is a lot of information, analysis and experience that comes into play,” explained Ducros as he worked us through the weather and avalanche reports located in the guide’s office here in the lodge. Twice daily, once in the morning and evening, the guides rally to cross-examine the weather and conditions.

As for when you are on the snow, avalanche safety is crucial and the guides treated us to a scenario and some demonstrations on the art of recovering potentially your buddy from the snow.

The biggest things I picked up where:

When you come close to locating the victim-where the beacon reads to about 1.5 meters or less, mark your boundaries around the burial - you've got to give yourself a road map on where to probe. Actually draw lines or a circle in the snow in and around the strongest signal point.

Use the probe in a spiral fashion, working from the point of the strongest beacon response out by 30 cms, again in a spiral form.

Dig a ramp to the person- coming in at the side to the probe, don't shovel directly over top of them. If you just dig from where the probe hits something, you will just be digging a pit. This will not allow for an effective recovery. “If you were digging and hit a foot, how are you going to work your way through that pit to get the most important part, their head – so they can breathe,” asked Ducros.

“Working as one team is important, stay together and move from there. If you are all spread out its chaos, communication is the key,” explained Ducros.

Even though it’s a bummer that we couldn’t get up in the bird, this education from folks who have 10- 20 years of experience running around and loving life in the mountains is invaluable.

Drs. Freer and Johnson back to Base Camp

If you have not had the chance yet get over to Drs. Luanne Freer and Eric Johnson's blog at http://www.everester.org/

Both Doctors are up a Everest Base Camp this month managing the operations for the world's highest medical clinic. At over 17,500 feet above sea level, Freer and Johnson will be at Everest Base Camp through April helping to manage any medical issues that may arise.

Track & Trail is honoured to have both Freer and Johnson heading up the faculty for our most adventurous academic retreat so far- en route to Everest Base Camp Oct 1-21, 2009.

For details check out out website at http://www.tandtadventures.com/adventure.php?adv=4

Putting the digi to good use

Northern Escape's steep camp offers a backstage pass to the art of big mountain riding. One of the tricks of the trade Yvan - our guide with Northern Escape and film crew program manager is the use of the digital camera.

"At at resort and you see a big line you'd like to hit, use your digital camera and take some great shots of the line from below," he recommends. "Than on the chair lift bring up that photo again to say, “ok so there is that tree as my marker, I want to hit it on skiers left, there is this small pillow drop there or little cliff here, which ever you were interested in hitting. This way when you get up and into the line, you have the exact markers there so you know which way to hit it.”

Sabourin was explaining to use that his guys from the movies that he caters to will take dozens upon dozens of shots, from below, from above and from the chopper and analyze them tirelessly over days to they understand and know their line in and out.

As a snowboarder, I have had to be cautious about just how much weight I am putting into my turns when on something with a mighty pitch.

“About two weeks ago up at our other steep camp there was this one snowboarder who was out of Australia, he’d take a pitch that might have a potential to slide and he’d do these really hard auger turns on it, as if we was surfing off a wave. We had to work with him to say, lighten up your turns, more flow to it, so that way you won't create a slide,” suggests Sabourin

the steep adventures continue

Big Mountain Education

As mentioned below in my last post, one of the stellar things about Nothern Escape's annual steep camp program is the education that comes with it."We pass along this eduction because then people can be aware of their skiing, the terrain and make the most of it," explains Yvan Sabourin, 12 year mountain ski guide with Northern Escape.

For my buddy Michael Grand, a big lesson was learned about looking before your leaping, as the guides lead us off with the words, “ok so I want you to just get out on this slope and take which ever line you think is the right one.” Grand, a first time backcountry skier, charged over a lip where you couldn’t see to the other side only to be in one of those, “oh shi*t” moments dropping I’d say about 15 feet into a creek bed and into a sizeable hole. A double eject later and a strong sense of pride missing, Grand was back, with that lesson learned.

“You want to establish the run before you and asses which hazards could be out there, if you just ski into it blindly, that is where you can get into trouble. Always look before you leap," says John Forrest, anouther of Northern Escape's stellar guides.
Some big lessons came into play yesterday morning, when they took us to one of the venues to be featured in this fall's release of Standard Film's Black Winter. This one was all about how to read the terrain and prepare yourself for potential sluff hazards. Sluff is the small stream of snow that can come loose as a skier or shredder makes their traverse.“On a particular slope you can give a big cut turn, I’d say on anything with an over 45 grade pitch. Do a big wide cut turn on top of it and continue to ski out to the side. You could experience a sluff slide, wait for it to run out and than which will clear the way for your turns below," explained Sabourin. "Should you get caught in it, work your best to ski out to the side."

As he explained, even this little stuff can really get you in trouble.

As for the run from the top its was gnarly, big mountain riding at its best, two shoots, some trees and a few major cliffs to avoid but all us steep campers made it out in one piece, all fully charged to get up and do it all again.

It's stellar this is five days...lots more ops to shred some more gnar!

Northern Escape Steep Camp

Track & Trail Adventures is on special assignment this week up in Terrace BC - home to Northern Escape Heli-skiing. I am fortunate to be fortunate enough to be up here for five days on reconnaissance part of their new program entitled Steep Camp.
We all have seen the movies, those segments where you think, "how is this guy going to navigate this line and get off that mountain face in one piece." While if you wanted to really get an answer to that question and at the same time maybe try a line or four that is going to push your big mountain snow shredding buttons than this camp is for you.
We've been hanging with Yvan Sabourin for the last few days up here who is responsible for managing the film crews and programs for Northern Escape (NEH). Since its start five years ago the operation has been featured in a bunch of films by Matchstick Productions, Standard Films and a host of others. Its Sabourin's job to take the athletes out and get them what they are looking for - some phat lines that will translate well on camera.
"What you don't see in the movies is the amount of preparation that has to go into each shot," explains Sabourin. But here at steep camp you sure get to and its awesome.
What I am loving about this program is the fact that not only do you get to ski some phat lines but also you get a stellar amount of education behind it. Big mountain riding does not come easy, you have to be savvy to the wealth of hazards that are out there- crevasses, avalanche dangers and many other factors that may not have you come back in one piece.

The biggest thing is experience, and that is sure what we are getting up here at steep camp.

more updates and a movie from our days to come in the next bit....

Anouther Winter Escape Video

The action continued up at the Yellow Cedar Lodge for the 2009 Winter Escape Emergency Medicine Update...

2009 Winter Escape Success

Track & Trail would like to thank its faculty for the outstanding efforts surrounding the 2009 Winter Escape Emergency Medical Update.

Those include,

Dr. Bruce Mohr (Whistler), MD, CCFP (EM), Dip. Sport Med.

Dr. Alexandra Brooks-Hill (Whistler), MD, BPHE, FRCSC (ORTHO), Dip. Sport Med.

Dr. Dennis Djogovic (Edmonton), MD, FRPC and head faculty of the 2010 Winter Escape Update

Dr. Jonathan Theoret (Edmonton), MDCM

Delegates were thrilled with the conference setting and the small group format.

We look forward to doing it all over again March 15-19, 2010 with reservations already starting.

For at look at the action, please have a view....