Blue Skys and Soft Snow in La Parva, Chile

I have to admit I was bummed not to ski the second day of the La Parva Freeskiing Competition. The second day of competition was cancelled due to weather; the wind was nuking and there was no visibility. The storm lasted three days and we were all trapped due to avalanches closing down the only road up to the mountain. After three days of skiing in white out conditions, the skies turned blue and it was well worth the wait.

 

Once the competition was over, all of the athletes were forced to move to a smaller more affordable town. The only problem was trying to get to La Parva in the morning. There are a couple of options hitching or hiking. I was lucky enough to catch a ride after 15 minutes, just in time for opening.

La Parva had turned into a ghost town. There were only a few freeskiers who waited around to shred the day 2 venue. We all hooked up and had a sick pow day. I’ll let the photos tell the story!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Parva Day 1 – Freeskiing World Tour

[Vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/6436780[/Vimeo]

The first day of the La Parva Freeskiing Competition went off! The competition was held on McConkey’s face. The venue was technical with lots of features to play around with. It was amazing to watch the athletes compete. Most people had one or two days of skiing under their belts since last year, but skied like it was mid-season.

There were 43 athletes from around the world who came to compete in the first stop of the Freeskiing World Tour. It has been over a year since I have competed in a Freeskiing World Tour event. It felt like coming home. It was so nice to see all of the good people from MSI and of course Jim Jack and Shcmitty, along with all of the IFSA athletes.

The venue for day 1 was a challenge for me. I had a difficult time finding a line that would showcase my best skiing. I chose a line that was very tight and technical. It happened to be the same line that all of the women skied. It is not very often that all the women ski the same line. It was very difficult for the judges to make a decision, but Jacqui Edgerly came out on top with a score of 35.94. I skied into second with a 35.38 and Soledad Diaz from Chile finished third with a 35.25.

The women are stacked and we were all looking forward to charging the second run. The day 2 venue is perfect for my style of skiing. I could barely sleep with the anticipation of ripping my line. Mother nature seemed to have other plans. When I opened my eyes at 6:00 this morning snow was gently falling. All of the athletes loaded the t-bar at 7:00 to find out that the wind was nuking at the top. With 100 mph winds and no visibility, MSI regretfully had to call the competition. I am super bummed I will not have another run to prove myself, but tomorrow should be an epic powder day.

La Parva, Chile – 1st Stop of the Freeskiing World Tour

The Freeskiing World Tour is starting early this year and in Chile. The competition will be held on McConkey’s run. I can’t tell you how cool it was to hike to the top of the venue and see the face of an icon stoked that you came to enjoy one of his play grounds.

The competition will be held on Friday and Saturday. The first run will be held on the skier’s right side of the main chute. Saturday will be held on the skier’s left side of the venue.

Both venues appear to be really fun. Day one is very playful. There are a ton of super fun features and nothing with heavy consequences. Day two is the day to put your “Grandpa Boots” on. It is the day to do some stomping. The venue is wide open. I would expect to see ripping fast skiing and huge airs. I am super stoked to be competing in Chile!

Marte is Open!

It is always important to remember to bring your patience to South America. I have been in Las Lenas for almost a week. The wind has been blowing at 50 km/h and the infamous Marte chairlift broken indefinitely. Rumors have been circulating about when the chairlift might resume operation. It was rumored to open in a couple of days or not all for the rest of the season. As the frustration rose, gringos vented in a few different ways. Some put on their skins and headed to the top of the mountain while others retreated to the casino for late night gambling and dancing. Everyone was checking the weather forecast for the Andes; tentatively making plans to travel somewhere else.

I have to admit, even after 5 years of skiing Las Lenas, I was also entertaining the idea of fleeing. Luckily, I didn’t forget my patience. After five days of battling the wind and multiple days of skinning, Marte opened. It was worth the wait. Game on in Las Lenas!

I spent the first couple of days cruising around the lower mountain. The skiing was good, but not worth the 8 hour plane ride and the overnight bus ticket that it takes to get here. Day three I decided to skin to the top and was pleasantly surprised to find great snow. Above is the footage from Cerro Martin. Always feels good to earn your turns!

A Grand Birthday

As we left the parking lot at 3:30am, the sky was filled with flashes of lightning and the ground was wet from the evenings rain storm. The storm was supposed to move through the Tetons before sunrise, but there was another storm scheduled to hit the Tetons in the afternoon. As we started hiking, I warned the group that today was probably not the best day for trying to summit the Grand. We had been planning the birthday summit for a couple of months and no one was willing to abandon the mission in the parking lot. We decided to at least hike to the lower saddle. We would then check out the weather from there and if we had to turn around, at least we gave it shot.

We reached the Lower Saddle at 8:00 and were happy to see blue sky in the horizon. We knew we would have to hustle to the summit, but we were confident that we could summit and make it back to the Lower Saddle before the afternoon thunder storm hit the Tetons.





We made the summit at 12:30. It was crystal clear at the top. We could see the storm building in the south and decided to high tail it for lower ground. As we hiked down to the Lower Saddle, the sky grew darker and golf ball size hail started to attack the Tetons. We were so happy to see that the Park Service shelter was open. We made it inside before the storm really hit and enjoyed lunch while the storm pounded the Tetons outside.


We arrived back at the parking lot at 7:00pm. It was one of my favorite birthdays I have had in a long time. Thanks guys! Happy Birthday!

Top of the Grand, 13,770

 

It has been 13 years since I stood on top of the Grand Teton.  I have a list of excuses why, but so does everyone else.  Earlier this summer, I was visiting with a childhood friend who had never climbed the Grand.  As a Jackson Hole local, he felt that standing on top of the Grand was a right of passage.  After a few glasses of wine, I decided we should do it for our birthdays because they are only a few days a part. As the set date, August 6th, grew closer, I started to get nervous about my commitment.  It had been a long time since I was up there.  Would I remember the route?  Was I qualified to take my friends up?  With doubt on my mind, Eric and I decided we better do a trial run.

The Owen-Spalding is the easiest route to climb to the summit when conditions are good, meaning dry. The route is named after William Owen and Frank Spalding who along with Frank Peterson and John Shive first climbed it August 11, 1898. After talking to many friends and Exum guides, I learned that OS route was finally dry and good to go. Eric, my husband, and I decided the OS route would be the best choice for us because we are not exactly mountaineers. Yes we are familiar with climbing gear and know how to use it, but we would never claim to be bad-ass mountaineers. We enjoy being in the mountains.

I asked a friend if he would take us up, but he thought Eric and I would have more fun if we figured it out ourselves. So I bought the book, A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range, and photo copied the description and photos of the route. My buddy gave me a list of the gear we would need and Eric were off on our adventure.

We started hiking a 3:45 am. The sunrise in the Meadows was incredible; the rays bouncing off the Middle Teton were breath-taking. It was one of those moments when you feel lucky to be alive and witness such beauty. From the Meadows we hiked to Lower Saddle which sits at 11, 600+ feet. Exum has a base camp set up in the Lower Saddle. We met an Exum guide on the way up. He was really nice and invited us in to warm up giving us a lay of the land before we headed to the Upper Saddle. We reached the Upper Saddle by 10:00.

The “Belly Roll” and the “Belly Crawl” are the first obstacles to catch your attention. According to, A Climber’s Guide to the Grand Tetons, it is where most parties rope up. If you talk to some Jackson Hole locals there is no need to rope up and it is possible to free climb the entire route. When Eric and I saw 18 inch wide ledge and the 2000 foot verticle drop, we decided to rope up. There was a traffic jam at the “Belly Crawl.” This was not surprising being August first and the route was finally dry. We sat at the “Belly Crawl” station for almost an hour and half. I was freezing. The clouds were rolling in and out and the wind was chilly.

Once we were through the “Belly Crawl,” we climbed up the “Double Chimney” to the “Cat Walk.” The “Cat Walk” is a very exposed 150 foot series of ascending slabs. It was, in my opinion, the easiest part of the route. It was really easy to walk along, but it can be deadly when icy. From the “Cat Walk” we climbed “Sargent’s Chimney” and then scrabbled to the top.

We were so lucky. We were the only people at the summit for 20 minutes.

It is easy to let your guard down once you have reached the summit, but it’s not truly over until you are drinking a beer at Dornan’s. The descent involves a 120 foot rappel. The rappel is much faster than down climbing because you are able to avoid down climbing the “Catwalk, Double Chimney, Belly Crawl, and Belly Roll.” Not too mention it is really fun. Eric and I had doubled checked with many people to make sure the rope we brought was long enough for the 120 foot rappel. We have a few friends who haven’t had a long enough rope and had to be very creative when they reached the end of their rope. At the belay station our fears of not having the right length of rope surfaced. There were two other climber’s from Montana at the belay station who also had the same reservations. So we decided to attach our ropes creating a 140 meter rope. We were confident this would plenty of rope for the rappel. Eric dropped off first.

The two ropes together was more than enough, but better safe than sorry. After the rappel we headed back down to the lower saddle. From the lower saddle, it is a long walk out.

Eric and I had great day. I think my favorite quote of the day was, “Wow Jess! That was really intense! I didn’t think we were going to do so much rock climbing.” And this from the guy who likes to run 100 foot waterfalls!

Top of Middle Teton 12,804

My goal this summer is summit all of the major peaks in the Teton range. The weather is finally getting nice in Jackson and it’s time to start bagging some peaks. I decided to start out with one of the easier peaks to summit, the Middle Teton to get myself into shape.

The Middle Teton is basically a long hike. I am accustomed to summitting in running shoes. There is still a lot of snow in the Tetons, so I brought along an ice axe just in case. And the best part of climbing up is glissading down the snow fields on the way down. I’m really glad I brought my ice axe. Without it, I would not have made the summit. In hind site, crampons would’ve been nice to have.

Eric and I summitted at 11:45 am and had the summit all to ourselves. It was beautiful up there.


The snow made it a little more difficult to go up, but made the going down a lot more fun.

Next up Teewinot…………….

Lower Mesa Falls

It has been a long time since I have run a waterfall. The last waterfall I ran was in Chile four years ago. A lot has happened in the past four years. My focus has moved from kayaking to skiing. Four years ago I was addicted to kayaking. I was living the endless summer kayaking year round. I don’t know exactly when my passion shifted from kayaking to skiing, but yesterday I rediscovered my passion for kayaking.

Ben Stookesberry is one of the most talented kayakers in the world. He has devoted his life to kayaking and the persuit of running rivers around the world. He has produced 8 adventure kayak videos, his latest Hotel Charlie 4 – At Your Own Risk. Ben loves kayaking and his passion for the sport is addictive. Maybe that is why after four years, I decided to drop a 30 foot waterfall.

Ben was the first person to run the right side of Lower Mesa Falls in 2001. In the last couple of years a handful of kayakers have attempted the right side with some success. The Wall Street Journal contacted Ben for profile piece. The newspaper sent a journalist out to spend some time with Ben in hopes of understanding his passion for adventure and kayaking. Ben decided the best way to explain himself was to show the reporter what it is all about. He chose Lower Mesa Falls as his venue and asked Eric and I to go along for safety and support.

Ben stomped the right side of the falls, a 70 foot drop. He didn’t even get his hair wet. It was incredible to see Ben clean such a difficult waterfall. He made it look effortless. Eric Seymour decided to run the left side of Lower Mesa Falls, a double drop. Eric ran the top 20 footer with perfection and then paddled off the second 30 footer with ease. Ben and Eric made it look like so much fun that I decided to go grab my boat.

I was so nervous sitting in the eddy at the top of the falls. It had been a long time since I had dropped a waterfall. I focused on the spot I wanted to be when I went over the lip of the falls, took a deep breath, and peeled out of the eddy. I came to edge of the falls, took one last stroke, and started to free fall. I tucked and waited for the impact. The free fall was exhilarating and impact was soft. I rolled up feeling on top of the world. The drop was so much fun!

Check out Ben’s kayak advetures at
www.clearh2ofilms.com or www.jacksonkayak.com

Verbier Extreme 2009

It is always an honor to compete in the Verbier Extreme. It is the biggest freeride competition in the world with some of the best skiers in the world. The streets of Verbier are filled with thousands of skiing enthusiasts who have gathered to celebrate extreme skiing. The competition takes place on the Bec De Rosses, one of the more intimidating faces I have ever skied.

The organizers call the Extreme a “show,” highlighting the best skiers in the world on the most difficult competition face in the world. As a competitor, I see the Extreme as a competition and more. I wanted to choose a winning line, but I also wanted to make it to the bottom of the Bec de Rosses unscathed. It was difficult to make a choice between a winning line and possibly getting hurt or skiing for the rest of the season. A winning line includes: exposure, big airs, fast skiing, and pushing yourself to the edge. I spent two days and two sleepless nights trying to decide if it was worth skiing the winning line or skiing a less exposed line and giving up the win. The other thought I couldn’t get out of my mind was; if I don’t ski the winning line, will someone else ski it? The winning line was obvious. It was over heavy exposure (if you fall you will most definitely get hurt), included two 20 foot airs, and had the worst snow conditions on the face. The more appealing line began over heavy exposure into a chute that had a manditory 20 foot air in the middle. This line was more appealing because once you made it into the chute you were relatively safe. If you were to fall, you would be okay.

My goal this season was to win the Freeride World Tour. My season started off great winning Russia and then I was off to Japan. After Japan, my body was beat up and my mind needed a break, but there was no time. I pushed on to Squaw and Tignes moving from 1st on the FWT to 6th. The Verbier Extreme would be my last opportunity to insure myself a spot on the FWT for the 2010 season. I needed to finish in the top four. It was hard to decide what to ski. Should I ski for the win, risking injury and not making the tour next year. Or ski a second place line which was safer and would probably put me in the top four for next year. In the end, my decision was made with my heart. I have always told myself to ski the line that looks like the most fun. The winning line didn’t look like fun at all and the other line looked like a lot of fun.

Standing in the starting gate for my final competition run in 2010, I knew I was not going to ski a winning line. It is one of the stangest feelings I have ever had. I have never not skied to win, but I didn’t know if someone else would attempt the winning line and if it would work out well for her. As I left the starting gate, I decided to rip my chosen line as fast and flawlessly as possible. And I did. I ripped my line with no hesititation off the manditory 20 foot air and into two more airs. I was at the bottom in under 30 seconds. It was a beautiful line. I skied into second and finished third overall on the Freeride World Tour.

It feels really good to be Back in Jackson. My goal is still to win the Freeride World Tour and I will have the opportunity in 2010.

Contemplating the Bec De Rosses

The final competition of the Freeride World Tour, the Verbier Extreme. The season has gone by so fast and now it is the last chance to prove that you have what it takes to be on the Freeride World Tour and it will take place on the biggest venue in competition history.

All of the competitors spent the day contemplating the venue. The Bec de Rosses is an intimidating face. The top 2/3′s of the venue are a no fall zone. (a no fall zone: if you were to fall, you would seriously hurt) It is riddle with dead end chutes, sharky rocks, and rolls over to 50+ degrees. In good conditions, it is intimidating and difficult to ski. The winds have come from the north and have scoured much of the face. For the first time in the history of the Bec De Rosses, the competitors were allowed to hike to the top of the venue and take a look at the snow. We were not allowed to ski the venue, but it was an opportunity to see what the lines looked like from the top.

The snow conditions are inconsistent at best. As I hiked to the top, I found bullet proof ice, breakable crust, 3cm of powder, and sugar. It is hard to know where to ski. The women are starting on the shoulder of the Bec. The men will start from the top. I do not envy the men. The question of the day is, “Is it worth it?” There are lines that have won year after year, but can they be done in these conditions and are they worth attempting?

The competition has been postponed to Sunday due to high winds. So we have one more day to choose our destiny.