Having Nordic skied in the past and with me currently an alpine skier, telemark seemed an obvious choice. It’s just alpine skiing with a free heel right ? A mix between Nordic and Alpine, yes ?
Telemark skiing originated in the Telemark region of Norway (surprising that). Obvious name choice. A hybrid of Nordic skiing and downhill skiing technique it allows skiers to move from walking on their free heel equipment to making controlled turns downhill at high speed.
The first thing you will notice about telemark, and the most obvious, is that the skiers’ heels are not fixed to the skis at a rear binding enabling you to both ski uphill and downhill. Clever.
Telemark skiing uses the skis themselves to make the turn and when done properly there is a definite sinuousness and gracefulness about it; even if it does look incredibly hard. If you have ever watched a telemark skier flow past you on the mountain they are the epitome of grace. It’s not about charging at everything the mountain has to offer. Even the best alpine skiers can look like they are bullying the mountain as they slash and carve down it at will.
A good telemarker though appears at peace with the mountain, flowing down the slopes in reverent homage to the power of gravity and at one with the magnificent surroundings. Those folk you see lunge their way gracefully down the mountain looking like some kind of god even if they are dressed in wool trousers and flannel shirt. The latest craze seems to be using a single long pole to control speed and to turn downhill. Try it sometime. It’s … erm … interesting.
Even flowing over a blue run feels like a perfect fluid line. You’ll find yourself on the same blue run time and time again simply because you liked the feel of it. Those little sections that merely connect one run to another become fun again. The curves from one arc to the next, the flowing technique, it’s just so exciting. There is indeed a freedom of movement in telemark skiing that makes it feel so good. That free heel of telemark grants a freedom of movement that makes every turn feel magical.
Whilst the telemark position doesn’t look the most comfortable of positions to hold for very long the boots you wear are a very different matter. Telemark boots are comfortable. Every alpine skier understands the ridiculous technique required when tackling stairs in alpine boots. Telemark boots on the other hand are flexible, able to bend around the toes allowing the wearer to stride, move, walk and go downstairs normally. This flexibility brings with it the added bonus of comfort. It’s worth trying telemark just for the comfortable boots !
Telemark may have dimmed in Alpine’s shadow but it has never disappeared completely. Everyone follows their own path into telemark. Mine would be through BASI. I had to give it a go even though I very much doubted my 45 year old knees and legs would thank me for it.
Freeing the heel
John Eames
BASI run a beginners introduction to telemark. It’s aimed at those who have never telemark skied before giving them a chance to try something new and maybe consider it as a second discipline. As with anything I do with BASI it wouldn’t be straight forward and the first course was cancelled due to lack of interest. I had to wait for the course to run on a second date. This time it did go ahead.
The trainer for the day was the renowned John Eames. Anybody who has telemark skied has heard of John Eames and he is known all over the world. Somewhat unusually, BASI gave out his contact details in a pre-course email. This I really liked. It meant that not only did I know who my trainer for the day was but it also gave me his contact number so if there were any problems I could contact him directly instead of having to go through BASI or the venue. I wish other BASI trainers and examiners would do this.
When I had booked onto the course (having first failed to negotiate the booking system and resorting to phoning the BASI office) I had supplied my height and shoe size amongst other information in order for the hire equipment to be available. Everyone who gave their details for equipment should have had some equipment but this didn’t happen and one member of the group found themselves without the equipment they had reserved an unable to take part. John spent a considerable amount of time trying to sort the problem out but to no avail. He was very apologetic about the delay it caused.
Putting the telemark skis on felt a bit weird. They felt like alpine skis. I expected to feel like … well like I was on something different. I nervously made my way to the button lift and up to the top, the instruction being to ski alpine style to get used to the feel of the skis. How was I supposed to ski alpine style on telemark skis ? In actual fact it’s really easy, you just ski. I had fully anticipated spending most of the day face planting into the snow but I didn’t.
Telemark skiing is quite deceptive. You think you’ve got a really wide tele stance only to discover that in reality you are achieving no gap whatsoever below the knees. It’s what they call telelell (parallel on telemark skis) and I was very good at it. I could do a tele-wiggle though. I would love to do more telemark skiing. I could certainly do with practicing ! Frustratingly I have several friends who are telemark skiers and I look a complete beginner and fool compared to them. Hang on a minute, I am a beginner.
Everybody enjoys that sense of pride when learning a new skill. Like everything else, once you try something and get the hang of it there is an enormous amount of satisfaction. Practice makes better. Now I just need to practice. Committing to telemark, one leg forward, knees bent, weight evenly distributed, sinking into the turn. The ultimate in being able to go up and down, all in the same unaltered free heel state.
BASI will be running another telemark course later this year. Perhaps I can book on it again. Whether you are an accomplished alpine skier who admires the elegance of telemark, or a complete newbie, my piece of advice is try telemark.
7 Reasons to try Telemark
Here are 7 reasons why you should give it a go:
1) Telemark boots are comfortable. You can actually walk in them !
2) You can wear wool pants and a flannel shirt while skiing without looking hopeless.
3) Telemark is an effective, efficient, and fun ski technique that makes even a mediocre skier look like a god.
4) For an accomplished skier tele is a new challenge that makes even the smallest hill fun again. For a newbie there is no reason not to start with telemark.
5) You can ski uphill by attaching skins to the bottom as well as skiing downhill. No need to buy a lift pass !
Having finally passed my BASI Alpine Level 1 and become a licensed ski instructor I needed to decide what to do next.
Adaptive skiing is something I am passionate about. The chance to help people with healthcare needs experience the same thing you and I do and feel the exhilaration of what it is to ski is something very special and important to me.
After successfully completing my BASI Alpine Level 1 there were two choices; Adaptive Level 1 or Alpine Level 2.
Adaptive Level 1 would mean I would be better placed to help on the DSUK social ski groups that I go to and on the adaptive ski holidays that I volunteer on. Not only would I be able to increase my knowledge of adaptive equipment but also increase my knowledge of health problems and how to manage them in a ski environment whether that be indoor or outdoor. In addition it would also give me a ski instructor qualification in another discipline. Like my Alpine Level 1, Adaptive Level 1 courses run at indoor centres across the UK over a period of 5 days. I would just need to book on one if I chose to do Adaptive Level 1 next.
Since the alpine discipline was my second discipline to adaptive I was not required to do any further alpine levels; but having Alpine Level 2 would automatically entitle me to go straight to Adaptive Level 2 thus speeding up the adaptive training process.
Perhaps I could do both ? Perhaps I could do Adaptive Levels and Alpine Level 2 ?
Peak Leaders
Peak Leaders in Saas-Fee might not have any adaptive links but they are one of the first to have an Alpine Level 2 exam; usually in mid November. This would mean I could do Alpine Level 2 and still go onto do adaptive the same winter with another provider.
Peak Leaders have been running training courses for nearly 20 years. The whole thing is run by BASI trainer and examiner Emma Cairns. Coaching is by a combination of BASI Level 4s and BASI examiners. The course gives you the unique possibility of completing the course early in the ski season and then working for the entire winter. I sent an email but go no response. It wouldn’t be Alpine Level 2 with Peak Leaders that I would do next.
Snowsports Coach– Arinsal
I got in touch with Ash Newnes at Snowsports Coach in Arinsal. Not only do they have an adaptive ski school and offer adaptive exams but they also have an alpine program too. This meant I could potentially do BASI Adaptive Levels and BASI Alpine Level 2 all in the same winter. Usually the Alpine Level 2 course ran first, immediately followed by the Adaptive Level 2 course. I sent an email. Ash recommended that I do the Adaptive Level 1 in the UK prior and suggested doing it in August at Tamworth Snowdome when one of his team, Marcus Upton, would be delivering the course content. I could then go to Arinsal that winter and do both my Alpine Level 2 and Adaptive Level 2 back to back. As it happened I was already booked on an Adaptive Level 1 course at Manchester ChillFactor in October. There was just one problem with this plan. If I failed my Alpine Level 2 I wouldn’t want to stay on and do the Adaptive Level 2. Added in to the equation was the fact that the alpine examiner for level 2 was almost certainly going to be the same alpine examiner who failed me on my original Alpine Level 1. No way was I having the same examiner fail me for both Alpine Levels 1 and 2. I would need another alternative.
Having obtained my BASI Alpine Level 1 qualification and licence I would need to complete a further 35 hours of shadowing should I wish to go on and do my BASI Alpine Level 2. With it now being March my choices of places to go for shadowing were becoming limited; I was left with either Southern Hemisphere resorts (not an option), or indoor slopes.
I had already used the indoor slope at Manchester ChillFactor for shadowing and wanting to gain the most from my shadowing I opted to choose a different slope; Castleford near Leeds.
Castleford is my nearest slope. At a journey time of 1 1/2 hours each way it’s still quite a distance but depsite this I ski there regularly and know several of the team. I approached the manager and was given shadowing on the Children’s School Holiday Camp (kids camp) over Easter.
In the holiday camps children aged 7-15 years not only get the opportunity to learn a brand new sport and meet new friends they also get to learn brand new life skills through mini-medics, an accredited first aid course for children! There is also a keep fit Zumba session.
Each day is packed full of fun. The children learn to ski or snowboard followed by a hot lunch and then head back out onto the slopes before taking part in off snow sessions such as the mini medics, a keep fit Zumba session or sign language lessons. Sign language bingo is great fun !
The camps are available for beginners or experienced skiers and snowboarders.
NHS commitments meant I was only able to join the camp Tuesday to Friday. I found it was a large group of children; skiers, snowboarders, beginners and intermediates. I was kitted out with Snozone ski instructor clothing and allocated to the beginners on the practice slope. If you are a qualified instructor reading this you will know how useful it can be having a helper in a beginners class. Having me to help meant that the beginner group could be pealed off to the main slope in groups of seven more easily. If there was someone not quite ready to progress to the main slope I was there to stay with them on the practice area for that little bit longer. I quickly developed a ‘cling-on’. It started with an occasional tug at my clothing, then holding onto my clothing, then me. Of course the inevitable also happened where at the end of the day you find yourself not only carrying all the skis and sticks but a child as well. Cling-ons ! I have decided that if you want to be a childrens ski instructor it is either helpful to be an octopus or have the ability to grow at least one extra arm !!
I fitted in quickly, both with the instructors and with the children. I typically stayed with the beginners and lower intermediates when out on the slope. After lunch, those not wanting to ski from the top of the slope would ski with me from the half-way point. Again, it was proving useful having me around.
By the end of the week all my beginners were coming down from the top of the main slope. Occasionally I could be heard shouting ‘Pizza’ as I chased down the slope after a child who was only just in control. Children can be easily distracted, especially when all they want to know is what their friends are doing. When one of the children skiing with me decided they wanted to go over the jump without either telling me first or waiting for me to be there they got a real telling off from me. They promptly burst into tears. Oops !
As a childrens ski instructor you learn to expect the unexpected. This was indeed the case with one of my Snozone colleagues teaching on the kids camp. Feeling the need to relieve herself she had gone to the toilet. Her group had other ideas. Finding the instructor had locked the toilet door they simply picked the lock.
‘What are you doing ?’ (kids)
‘Having a pee. How the … ?’ (instructor)
‘We picked the lock !’ (kids)
‘Can you go away ?’ (instructor)
‘Can we watch ?’ (kids)
‘No you can’t !’ (instructor)
I love skiing with children and teaching them. You can progress them so quickly. It’s also a good excuse to be a little bit silly.
BASI Teaching Children
Once a year BASI run a Teaching Children CPD course (training course). As always, nothing I do with BASI is ever straight forward. It runs only once a year and so when BASI cancelled the previous one I had been booked onto I was not impressed. This time, however, it would go ahead. In the run up to the training day I had been injured whilst skiing with Disability Snowsports UK. Whilst doing an uplift of a bucketed bi-ski my skis had pre-released, both of them, forcing me to take the decision to put myself and my passenger backwards into the wall for safety reasons. Unfortunately when people came to help they hadn’t realised I was tethered to the bi-ski in a harness and as they pulled the bi-ski off me my back was twisted. I was still in pain and unable to turn left when skiing. It was going to make the day interesting to say the least.
I know a lot of BASI trainers / examiners and had been trying to work out which one was delivering the course. BASI are not allowed to tell you who your trainer is but quite a lot of the time I can take an educated guess. It turned out to be Gareth Shelbourne. I’d previously met Gareth whilst skiing at Manchester ChillFactor earlier in the year but this was the first time with him on a BASI course. If I kept moving my back was fine but standing still whilst Gareth talked was giving me problems, especially in a cold environment. When he got me to try tic-tac it was hopeless. I really can’t tic-tac, not even close to being able to do it. My brain just gets confused.
The day was really good. Full of useful tips on how to teach children and a chance to be a bit silly. It’s quite funny skiing behind a BASI trainer / examiner as they make mock farting noises whilst they ski down the slope. By lunchtime my pain was really bad and unable to turn left when skiing I dropped out.
For anyone who teaches children as a ski instructor I would recommend doing the course. You can also download the Teaching Children to Ski booklet from the BASI website.
Once my ski season had finished at the end of March I turned my attention to summer training. For me, keeping the skiing going and getting regular coaching input over the summer was going to be hugely important if I was to maintain the standard I had got to and not slip back into old habits.
Neither of the two main BASI trainers/coaches that I had used in the winter offered summer coaching. Besides which, it was time to move on.
My search for summer training was hampered by the fact that the shift pattern at the hospital ward where I work part-time is written three months in advance. When I finished my ski season towards the end of March we were writing June’s shift pattern at work.
When I had needed a technical resit for my BASI Alpine Level 1 due to my short turns not being at the required technical level I had used Shona and Derek Tate from Parallel Dreams and BASS Megeve. Shona is a BASI trainer and examiner so her and Derek were potentially a good option but there were no UK dates on their website.
Another option was Warren Smith Ski Academy.
Warren Smith Ski Academy
I knew Warren Smith Ski Academy ran coaching sessions at Manchester ChillFactor but the dates on the website only went up to May and it was now too late for me too book the necessary day(s) off work. It would therefore be ‘pot luck’ as to whether I was able to go or not and if any places were left by the time I got my shift pattern. Despite not knowing until the last minute whether I would be able to go or not I did manage two coaching sessions with them. For me, personally, I found Warren Smith Ski Academy didn’t suit me. It was nothing to do with the coaching, more to do with the timings of when the sessions ran. The sessions run 12.00 – 18.00 which is hopeless for me. I end up leaving home at the tail-end of rush hour, either have a very early lunch or lunch when the group stops at 15.00, then leave at the tail-end of rush hour. I quickly chose not to do any further sessions with Warren Smith Ski Academy.
There was also another drawback; Warren Smith Ski Academy is with the Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors (IASI). Really I needed something that was with the British system of BASI.
New Generation
New Generation Ski and Snowboard School is a ski school I have used before for coaching and training. In December I had joined the team in Villars-Sur-Ollon, Switzerland for shadowing hours and had returned to join them again in January for extra coaching in the lead up to my technical resit. Based in ski resorts throughout Europe, New Generation Ski and Snowboard School also run preparation days in UK snowdomes over the summer. I chose do the sessions at Manchester ChillFactor.
Aimed at people thinking about doing a ski instructor internship you get coaching from a BASI Level 4 ISTD coach, video footage, written feedback, chance to get used to BASI terminology and the opportunity to ask questions about doing a ski internship with New Generation. The BASI Level 4 ISTD coach costs nothing; you just pay for a lift pass.
I have no plans to do a ski internship with New Generation but this didn’t seem to matter. Sarah in the office was still happy for me to book on the days.
My first of the preparation days was with Andy Hind from New Generation in Verbier. The next three were with Rob Britton; also from New Generation in Verbier. For me, getting to ski with the same coach consecutively is hugely important as I am the sort of person who needs continuity and progress much better like this.
In the first of my sessions with Rob he had us doing various skiing drills so as to focus on posture, balance and body management. One or two of the drills I was very used to from my previous time with New Generation and so Rob upped the difficulty level for me and made mine harder. I definitely need to practice my bracage more.
The second of the sessions with Rob was a little more ‘challenging’. ChillFactor was really busy and there was only half the slope available making the ‘challenge’ of the day being to avoid other slope users. It was definitely a day for skiing short turns.
Part way through the session I noticed Rob had moved from his vantage point part way down the slope and instead was tending to someone in the netting. Nurse mode then kicked in, I released myself from the ski lift and went across. Upon reaching them I discovered it was a boy who had crashed into the netting. He’d hurt his arm in the fall and was unable to move it. I think Rob wondered why I had gone over, he then remembered I’m an NHS nurse. The boy definitely wasn’t capable of getting up and putting his skis back on so I skied down to the bottom of the ski lift to a staff member, asked for a first aider and then returned to the boy and Rob. My nursing knowledge told me suspected fracture to the radius and ulna (that’s the posh word for the lower part of the arm). Once the first aider arrived we left them to it. They ended up calling the rescue wagon out from its station at the top of the slope to take the boy down. As it turned out, the boy was in fact fine.
I already knew Rob was delivering that session and had confessed to him that I’d done nothing with the feedback he had given me from the month before. He didn’t seem to mind. For me these sort of sessions are a really good way of getting some of the basics right. Every now and again you need to take your skiing back to basics, strip it down and put it all back together again. The feedback from that second session with Rob was that I ski too much like I’m twerking … I need to ski more like I’m a leaning pencil.
We finished the session with some synchro skiing. Or at least we tried to. It was great fun being synchro lead even if on one of my runs there was a significant amount of people dodging which made it look more like follow my leader or a game of chase.
My third session was of a slightly different content. Being a ski instructor isn’t about being a brilliant skier yourself, it’s about getting other people to be brilliant skiers. With only one other person in the session with me and Rob it was the perfect opportunity for me to get coaching on teaching an intermediate; what to look for and what feedback to give. This is something I rarely get to do and so was an invaluable opportunity for me.
Develop Your Skiing
I am very active on Facebook, in particular the BASI pages, and it was whilst on one of the BASI associated pages that I saw ‘Develop Your Skiing‘ had coaching sessions running at ChillFactor, Manchester on three dates in June and September. This was far enough in advance for me to book the time off work. I clicked on the information, took a better look and immediately recognised the logo. When I had been skiing with Parallel Dreams there had been another group using the slope for coaching. I couldn’t help notice the progress the group made in the two days I had seen them so took a photo of their advertising banner at the top of the slope and then forgot all about it. That group and the banner I took the photo of was ‘Develop Your Skiing’.
Develop Your Skiing is run by Austrian based coach / instructor and BASI Level 4 ISTD Toby Fishel. The courses are short turns/bumps and tactical all mountain techniques camps aimed at instructor development and individuals looking to gain some ideas to develop themselves. It is ideal for those that want to improve their skills or are working towards the technical part of their BASI Level 2 or 3 exam. Video is used to give clear constructive feedback through the day on your personal skiing.
I sent a message and got a place reserved on June’s course while I waited for work to confirm I had the time off. When my shift pattern was released I had been given all three days off. I had such a good time and improved so much I booked to go back on his September course.
Toby is dedicated to helping you achieve your personal goals. He loves to teach and meet new people whatever their level of skiing. Helping people to have fun skiing is something he sees as a real privilege. Toby not only looks at the technical part of your skiing he also looks at the tactical, physical, psychological, equipment and environment aspects (performance threads) as well. It definitely is training designed to boost your skiing and confidence to your maximum potential!
He has transformed my skiing and my confidence. Previously I would have taken my skis off when faced with a pitch of bumps and walked down the side. To me, bumps were to be avoided. Bumps were much easier and safer to negotiate if you took your skis off and walked down the side. All that bumping, jolting, having your body shaken every which way only to end up in a painful crashed heap very quickly. No thanks. Now, I look at a pitch of bumps, go ‘OK’, have a good long hard think and ski them. Skiing bumps is actually really good fun. You just need someone to give you that first bit of confidence.
If you too are looking to improve your skiing then the next Develop Your Skiing camps are in Tignes, France.
When Toby has enough people booked on his courses he brings in a second coach. On both courses I did the extra coach was Andy Jerram.
Andy not only works as an instructor for BASS Morzine he is also a long standing BASI Trainer, with responsibilities to train and assess instructors coming through the British system.
Andy is one of the most enthusiastic and genuinely lovely people you could ever hope to meet, he has a depth of knowledge and ability to communicate that allows him to condense complex issues into one simple point that solves everything making what is often complex simple. His calm, enthusiastic approach is loved by all. He really does enjoy the challenge of coaching people and enabling them to develop.
It was whilst at lunch on one of the days that I discovered Andy held an adaptive qualification. I also discovered that he ran weekly coaching sessions in Tamworth every Thursday evening. By going on the Develop Your Skiing courses I had inadvertently found my perfect coach; a BASI Trainer and Examiner with adaptive knowledge. Exactly what I was needing and looking for.
Now, I have expert coaching, on a regular monthly basis. Even if it does mean a ridiculously long journey from my Yorkshire home. I always check with Andy that he is running the coaching session before I drive down. Knowing that I am going to be there he will make sure some of the content of the coaching evening is aimed at me.
Andy also enjoys the finer things in life, in particularly fine wine and will always include ‘wine tip of the week’ in his sessions. One week, it was a ‘de-alcoholised’ wine especially for me because the medication regime I am on means I shouldn’t drink alcohol. Outside skiing, Andy spends his summers barefoot waterskiing. Why not ask him about it on a chairlift ride!
Manchester
Most of my summer training has been at Manchester. When possible I try to practice at the nearer slope of Castleford but fitting in coaching / training and practice in between my NHS shifts wasn’t always easy and very little practice got done. The reason I go to Manchester so much for coaching is because there isn’t any at Xscape Castleford in Leeds. This means contending with the M62 each time I drive to Manchester.
The M62 can be a dog of a motorway. It is regularly shut at Lofthouse, Brighouse and Huddersfield. Getting from my home in Filey, North Yorkshire across to Manchester without using the M62 is difficult. The only realistic alternative route is the Woodhead Pass which can be time consuming, but so is sitting on a closed M62.
When I had my first Warren Smith coaching session I nearly gave up trying to get there. Those of you who know me will know I’m a persistent sort of person who doesn’t give up easily but on this occasion I was close to abandoning and going back home without ever having reached Manchester.
The M62 had been closed after the Huddersfield area since the early hours of the morning following two separate accidents. My plan was to use the intial bit of the motorway then turn off several junctions before the blockage and backlogged traffic. Yeh … right … as if that was going to work !
As soon as I got even remotely close to Huddersfield I was sitting in standing traffic. Not only was I sitting in standing traffic but I was still on the M62 which meant I was sitting in standing traffic on a closed motorway. Oops ! Mistake number one.
Progress was painfully slow but finally after an eternity of having not moved very far I managed to get off at the junction. I’d already put my sat nav on before leaving home and finding it difficult to keep pulling over and look at the map I now decided to follow my sat nav. Mistake number two.
Huddersfield was grid locked. I swear my sat nav sent me round in a loop as it tried to find me the best route and had me drive down the same stretch of road twice. I persevered with it. Mistake number 3.
Thinking Huddersfield had been bad, Ripponden was even worse. The whole area was at total gridlock. My sister tried to alert me ‘Don’t go through Ripponden’. Too late. I was already there. Again my sat nav tried to be helpful and find the best route … the same route all the other traffic was taking. The roads became narrower and narrower. When it directed me down a narrow farm lane I started to question if it was wise following it. That farm lane was to be mistake number 4.
I had only just turned onto the lane when I ground to a halt in stationary traffic. I sat, sat a bit more, and sat some more again. I was going nowhere. It was then that I noticed traffic reversing back up towards me. This was going to be interesting. As the driver of one of the vehicles came alongside he wound down a window and beckoned me to do the same. ‘It’s chaos down there … there’s a vehicle stuck … I’d turn around if I were you’. I thanked him and set about turning around. Now this was not going to be an easy task; turning a car around on a narrow, muddy country farm lane.
Having finally (and only just) got the car turned around via a multi-point turn I thought things might possibly get better. They didn’t. I was met by an oncoming vehicle. With not enough room for us to pass there were two choices; he went into the wall or I went into the mud. I chose the mud. Mistake number 5.
Now I was stuck in the mud. Literally. I put the car into first gear. Nope. That just span the wheels. I gave second gear a go. Nope. That too just span the wheels … further into the mud. Think. Come on brain. THINK !
The lane was on a slight incline in my direction. Gravity !! I didn’t want to use any more engine power so just took off the hand brake and let the car glide slowly and gently back while I made adjustments with the steering so as to get a rear wheel onto terra-ferma. With the rear drivers side wheel on solid ground I put the car into reverse and slowly nudged the steering wheel round until the front drivers side wheel was also on the road and out of the mud. I knew then that with two wheels back on the tarmac driving out was going to be easy. With the car now in forward gear and with a bit of gentle steering I was out of the mud and back onto the road that I had originally turned off. Of course I was also back into stationary traffic as well.
This was ridiculous. I pulled over. Turned off the sat nav and got out a road map. For those of you who don’t know what a road map is … anyway, thirty minutes later I was out of the traffic on a freely flowing road heading towards the Ripponden junction of the M62. Now the Ripponden junction has to be the strangest motorway junction ever. In order to get on the motorway you have to go over a cattle grid !
By the time I got back onto the now re-opened M62 I had missed half my coaching session.
If you are a BASI Level 4 ISTD or BASI trainer / examiner reading this can there please be some training / coaching sessions at Xscape Castleford !
My late father was a keen mountaineer. The picture at the start of this blog post, taken in 1982, is of him with two of his climbing friends (Geoff and Nevin). My father is on the left as you look at the picture. It’s little surprise that I choose to spend part of the summer as well as the winter in the mountains. Preferably the Swiss Mountains.
Feeding the Rat
I have always struggled to understand my friends who seek action and adventure in their lives. Then I read ‘Feeding the Rat’ by A. Alvarez. Don’t be fooled by the title. It’s about mountaineering. All of a sudden I understood my ‘crazy’ friends that much better and realised I’m probably not much different.
In the book, about climber Mo Anthoine, the author describes “Feeding the Rat ” as ‘the need to get out, to test yourself, to flush out the system, and, above all, to have some fun’. I couldn’t agree more. The need for adventure is explained perfectly in my opinion, if a little confusing at first read.
‘The rat is you, it’s the other you, and it’s being fed by the you that you think you are. And they are often very different people. But when they come close to each other, that’s smashing, that is. Then the rat’s had a good meal and you come away feeling terrific. It’s a fairly rare thing, but you have to keep feeding the brute, just for your own peace of mind. And even if you did blow it, at least there wouldn’t be that great unknown. But to snuff it without knowing who you are and what you are capable of, I can’t think of anything sadder than that’.
I guess that last bit is what my ski instructor training is all about; knowing who I am and what I am capable of. Learning new skills and competencies that make a person able to engage with the world’s environment in different ways is something that I value and respect most highly.
Back to the rat.
Every now and again the rat starts gnawing … gets hungrier and hungrier. It
gradually gnaws away at one’s soul if left unfed for too long. The only way I
can halt it is to ‘feed’ it by going to the mountains. Preferably the Swiss
Alps. The majestic mountains and snow capped peaks leave my rat very full. Just
how I like it.
Life is not at all complete without a mountain. They make me feel more fulfilled and life more complete even for weeks after, but sometimes that fulfilled feeling quickly wears off. So the conclusion is to keep feeding the rat and bask in the respite and completeness that comes in the between times. Until the next time.
Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee is a picturesque car free village in the Swiss Canton of Valais and lies in the Saas Valley along with the villages of Saas Balen, Saas Grund and Saas Almagell. Surrounded by 16 peaks of 4000 metres in height, or greater, it is known as the ‘pearl of the Alps’. The scenery is certainly stunning. It was local priest Johann Josef who introduced tourism to Saas-Fee in the mid 18th Century and a statue of him stands in the middle of the village. It was only in 1951 that a road to Saas-Fee was built. Prior to that, guests had to travel by mule. Throughout Saas-Fee there are quaint little wooden ‘houses’ on stilts. Known as ‘raccards’ they were traditionally built for crop storage with the stilts designed to help keep the crops away from rodents. Just because it is car free doesn’t mean you don’t still need your wits about you. Electric powered buggies trundle the streets silently creeping up on you or rounding a corner when you least expect it.
Inghams Travel
Normally when I travel in Switzerland it’s either independently or with the Ski Company. If I have wanted to use a travel company it’s been Swiss Travel that I’ve used. This time was different. I was a client of Inghams Travel. Inghams, in my opinion, do things properly. You get real paper tickets and a luggage label arrive in the post two weeks before you travel. When you arrive at your destination airport there is an Inghams representative waiting to greet you and show you where to go. Then, when you arrive at your resort there is an actual, real life, human resort manager based there and not just someone at the end of a UK phone number. Our resort manager was a man, easy to get on with, a lot of fun and great company. He made a great resort manager.
The fact that I
was used to independent travel did show and at one point the resort manager
jokingly suggested I might like to wear his spare Inghams badge. I tried to
shut up a bit after this but undoubtedly failed.
A long time ago I did want to be an Inghams representative; I wanted to be one of their ski reps. The ‘dream’ was to rep in the winter and work as a nurse in the summer. It never happened. Maybe one day …
Park Hotel
I based myself in the Park Hotel run by Patrick and Jutta Bumann-Rossi. Sat in a quiet, yet central location it was the perfect base for the week. It is also a hotel used by BASI in November of each year for ski instructor exams. Consequently, Patrick knows the same BASI people that I know. All the rooms are named after the local mountains. My room was ‘Weissmeis’ which unsurprisingly had a view of the Weissmeis from it.
Acclimatisation
Hohsaas (3142m)
I know people who don’t bother to acclimatise. They just roll with the headache, nausea and dizziness. I have to confess I am just as guilty. The main reason for me not acclimatising are time constraints and a low enough altitude to avoid altitude problems.
My visits to the Alps always come with a time constraint attached. There isn’t the option to spend days acclimatising. I also know that in the past I have been alright up to a height of 3450 metres above sea level. Anything more than that and I’m likely to start becoming a bit breathless although I have managed higher at 3650 metres above sea level but this is not guaranteed. When I went to Glacier 3000 last December skiing at a height of 3000 m was a struggle. I got breathless really easily. When I skied at Plaine Morte in March at a height of 3200 m I was absolutely fine. So why the difference ? Well … they were different trips and different places for a start. On my trip to Glacier 3000 in December I was battling out of control arthritis and was anaemic. By the time I went to Plaine Morte in March my arthritis was starting to be under control and thanks to a course of iron tablets I had a really high haemoglobin level.
Although I don’t acclimatise once I arrive in the mountains I did at least do some prep before flying out to Saas-Fee. One of the places I wanted to go was Mittelallalin at a height of 3500 m. I don’t like Diamox so put together my own pre-travel acclimatisation plan. The month before flying out to Saas-Fee I started taking cod liver oil capsules, vitamins and iron tablets. The idea behind this was to ‘boost’ myself prior to arriving. In particular the iron tablets would boost my haemoglobin level increasing my bodies oxygen carrying capacity. I also make sure I carry items in my backpack when I’m up a mountain as high as 3500 m. Rehydration salts, prednisolone, ibuprofen, anti-sickness tablets, plenty of fluids to drink and a mat to sit on all get taken out with me.
Risk
To me, there are three sorts of risk taker. There are those that at the first sign of risk avoid it all together without so much as a second thought as to how to work it out, manage it and proceed. Then there are those that will measure, understand, learn and develop so as not to get rid of the risk but to manage it and engage with it safely. Finally, there are the nutters, who will just give it a go without thinking and can’t be arsed to bother about being safe. To the onlooker the difference between the three can be a little blurred. Sometimes it’s not always possible to tell what type of risk taker someone is. That’s something for the individual risk taker to know. I can be either of the first two. Generally I’m the second category but if I think something is too risky I won’t do it. Complete avoidance of risk is a terrible thing stunting a persons development of capabilities but as I’ve got older my body doesn’t bounce back off the ground quite as well as it used to.
Allalinhorn (4027m)
The Allalinhorn is one of 86 mountains in Switzerland that are 4000 m in height or heigher. The route starts from the Mittelallalin (3450m). It’s a T4 Alpine Route, unmarked and is prohibited unless you are either experienced or with a mountain guide. I went with experience having already previously done a route from the Jungfraujoch across the Aletsch Glacier to the Monchjoch Hutt which at 3650 m is the highest occupied hut owned by the Swiss Alpine Club. The following year I did a trekking route along the Aletsch Glacier from Brig – Blatten – Belalp – Riederalp via the hanging suspension bridge – Bettmeralp – Marlejensee – Fiescheralp – Fiesch.
Along the
Allalinhorn route you pass multiple crevasses. Somewhat intimidating they are
also spectacular. Only once do you actually have to cross over a crevasse.
Conditions for the route can vary, as with any high mountain route. I chose to
do it in July following a particularly hot spell of weather. All around were
little avalanches coming down but far enough away not to cause a problem. Even
so the sound of them kept me a little on edge. I had kept an eye on the slope
stability in the preceding days, had checked the avalanche warnings and risk
level. Crampons, climbing harness and hiking pole are all advised. I also took
an iceaxe.
From the summit
you get a truly amazing view over the Saas Valley, Zermatt area, Matterhorn,
Monte Rosa and so many other 4000 m peaks I couldn’t count them all.
The route I did
is one of the most ascended routes on a 4000 m peak in the Alps. The other is
the Breithorn. Although graded a T4
Alpine Route it is a F+ graded mountaineering route. The close proximity
and height of the Mittelallalin starting point means you only have about 500m
of real ascent. I thought I might have had some effect from the altitude. After
all, it’s almost 13,000 feet. There was no headache, no nausea, no dizziness,
no breathlessness. The only thing I did notice was that the tips of my fingers
were a little cyanosed but then I have Raynauds and had opted to wear thermal
fingerless gloves for greater dexterity so my fingers were never going to be a
normal pink colour.
Whilst writing this blog post my brain has just gone ‘wonder if a ski descent of that might be possible?’. NO brain !! Absolutely not !! That’s the ‘nutter’ risk category. Besides which I don’t like off-piste. Not happening.
In a previous blog post I had said there were three things I won’t do that are skiing related; off-piste, bumps and ski touring.
‘Why ski off-piste when there is a perfectly groomed run you can use which will take you to the same place ? I just don’t understand what the point of it is. Bumps are much easier and safer to negotiate if you take your skis off and walk down the side. All that bumping, jolting, having your body shaken every which way only to end up in a painful crashed heap very quickly. No thanks. Ski touring is another thing I just don’t understand. Basically, ski touring is where you ski up the mountain so that you can ski down it. What !! Just buy a lift pass ! It’s so much easier !!’
Shortly after writing the blog post, four weeks later in fact, I found myself eating my own words and doing all three of those things in the space of twenty minutes. Ah.
Whilst visiting the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana I decided to find the artwork on the mountain that is by Vision Art Festival and photograph it. My friend, Vincent, is deputy boss for Vision Art Festival so thought I would take the opportunity to find some of the urban street art pieces whilst I was there. They are all on walls located across the mountain and villages of Crans and Montana. Some are easier to get to than others. One, which I had spotted from a ski run, was off piste which would require not only getting up to it on skis but skiing off piste back to a black run which was a pitch of bumps further down. In fact, it wasn’t any old black run, it was a FIS World Cup run. Hmmm… Did I really need the photos ? I decided that I did.
In getting up to it on skis and returning off piste I had essentially ski toured but in alpine skis. The reward and satisfaction I got from achieving my goal was huge. I can quite see now why people ski tour. I’m going to have to learn.
My goal
Reached it !
Side one
Side two
Side three
Off piste back to the ski run
A friend had actually suggested I tried ski touring and I did understand his thinking. I do a lot of mountain walking, have nordic skied in the past, love mountains and snow. Ski touring would enable me to get to places I otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach. If I am going to learn to ski tour it has to be with that friend since I trust him implicitly not to get me trying anything that he knows I am not capable of.
First, in order to ski tour I’m going to have to learn to like off piste.
Off piste is something I really don’t like and am quite (actually very) nervous about. Areas of off piste make me a bit anxious. The depth and what’s underneath is hidden from sight by the snow. There might be hidden boulders or ditches ready to knock me off course, or I might be ‘drowned’ in deep snow unable to move. Anybody who has ever ridden a motorbike across a cold, murky Icelandic river will know exactly what I mean. The best approach for me would be to walk across first and find out giving me the opportunity to find a good route by feeling around with my feet, checking for boulders or ditches that might knock me off balance, then ski it. But that’s just the nonsense part of my brain that tries to distract me … and distract me it does ! Shut up brain !!
Prior to my improvised ski tour whilst in Crans Montana the last time I had skied off piste was in January. I had gone to Saint Gervais for some extra coaching from a BASI examiner, coach and trainer. It had dumped down with snow all night and all that day. I knew the person coaching me loved off piste skiing and I felt really guilty that in spending all day with me I was depriving him of some fresh powder skiing. Ultimately, the chances were high that he would try and take me off piste at some point in the day.
When he took me off-piste towards the end of my lesson there was nearly a rebellion. I am that nervous about off-piste. Had I known where I was I would have simply left him to it but the problem was I had never skied in Saint Gervais before and had absolutely no idea where I was.
As we stood together at the side of the pisted ski run my brain was busy doing its own thing and started suggesting stupid things to make me worry, and at the least useful of times. Which was totally unhelpful. Shut up brain!
My coach was really good and had almost certainly sensed my anxiety. As we stood there at the side of the run at the edge of the off-piste he went through it all with me; where we were going, which direction, which route and line, where it led to. He set off first, did a couple of turns, stopped and had me join him. Upon reaching him he set off again, did a couple of turns before stopping and waiting for me to join him again. As I did so he gave me gentle encouragement.
Once the feeling of anxiety had been silenced by a bit of logic I was alright. The fact that I was with someone who I knew had the resourcefulness to solve anything that could happen was an enormous help. Whether it be a problem up a mountain whilst skiing, or a flat tyre on a motorbike whilst riding back down a trail one October day there is comfort in the fact that you are with someone who has all the knowledge tools to sort out any problem that may arise. So I tried not to let the crazy part of my brain get its own way and distract me. My brain started to quieten down. I knew I was totally safe with him.
WHAT !!!
It was whilst skiing in Saint Gervais the following month that I came across where we had skied off-piste. For a brief moment, the total trust that I had in my coach vanished. What, at the time, had seemed a gentle enough, short stretch of off-piste wasn’t that all. It was horrible, far from gentle and not that short either. He’d been a right sod taking me down it. I kept going back to it throughout the day not quite believing that was where we had skied but it definitely was the right place.
I could’t quite believe what I had skied down. Not only that, but I’d not been knocked off course by hidden boulders or ‘drowned’ in deep snow unable to move. None of the things that my brain had suggested to make me worried had happened. I’d actually got a lot of confidence from it and it was that confidence that meant I was willing to give my improvised ski tour a go whilst in Crans Montana.
My definition of off piste is very different to that of my coach. He would say that what we skied down was a bimble. To him, off piste involves adventure and usually something steep, very steep.
See what I mean ? I can’t quite decide whether in that third picture he is advertising Milk Tray or auditioning as a Bond villain. I’m going with Bond villain. I don’t like chocolate. Yes ladies, that’s my coach in the picture, that’s who I get to ski with. Aren’t I a lucky girl !
If you fancy learning to ski off-piste, want to learn to ski tour, or simply want to improve your skills in these areas then Freedom Snowsports runs sessions throughout the winter. Dates can be found on their website when released.
One
of the reasons I am so passionate about helping people with health needs to ski
is that I ski with my own health problems; several of them. I have scoliosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, joint hypermobility, osteopenia and Raynaud’s.
Scoliosis
(curved spine) is something I have had
since a child. It’s quite severe and my spine is a perfect ‘S’ shape. In fact
it is so severe that I have had two lots of spinal surgery and am fitted with a
spinal rod which goes from between my shoulder blades down to my waist to keep
me upright. This means I am very stiff in my upper body. Something I can’t
help. My curved spine has also caused my pelvis to tilt and my right leg is
longer than my left as a result. Please, if you are a ski instructor reading
this don’t tell someone skiing with a spinal rod that they are too stiff in
their upper body. It shows ignorance. Unfortunately I get told this all the
time which just highlights my point earlier about ski schools needing to have
at least one adaptive instructor on their team.
Rheumatoid
arthritis is something I have had for about 15 years. Like my scoliosis it’s
quite severe. I am on weekly chemotherapy and fortnightly injections of a
biological drug in an attempt to keep it dampened down. My hands are
particularly badly affected and at times are utterly useless. Try spending the
day wearing mittens on your hands and you’ll get an idea of how frustrating
life can be. I do quite a lot with my teeth ! When I moved house last year I
got ‘lost’ in the hospital follow up system. A period of time being unable to
get the medication I needed had left me in real trouble and my GP had tried
their best to help whilst I waited to see a hospital consultant. By the time I
was eventually seen 6 months later in September my arthritis was out of
control. Every joint in my body was affected. My job means I work alongside my
GP and she saw at first hand the daily struggle I was having. Completely the
wrong time to be training as a BASI Alpine Level 1 ski instructor.
Joint hypermobility is something I have only recently been diagnosed with. My feet are very hypermobile. If I sit on a bar stool where I can’t reach the floor my feet dangle, literally, from my legs. I would make any ballet dancer who dances ‘on point’ very jealous. My wrists are also hypermobile. If I bend my wrist down I can touch the underside of my arm. I can also bend them back at a 90o angle. I regularly drop things getting them out of the kitchen cupboard because I have turned my hand upside down. Then gravity takes over and the item hits the floor. I don’t have very good grip anyway because of my arthritis. Never ask me to cook dinner for you … the chances of it making it to the table without being dropped are small.
Osteopenia
was found by accident. Literally. I had been out to Villars-Sur-Ollon in
Switzerland to visit my boyfriend who lived and worked there. Whilst stood in a
carpark admiring the mountain views he rang me. I put my hand in my coat pocket
and the next thing I was on the ground. I must have been stood on ice that I
couldn’t see. Not only did I badly break my wrist but I also displaced it in
two places. The doctor in Villars who treated me did an excellent job. I
immediately flew back to the UK. My injury was so bad my local fracture clinic
didn’t even want to change the plaster cast in fear of causing my joint to come
out of position. I had to have weekly hospital checks. Nobody could understand
how I had managed to do such damage from being stood still. It was only when
they did a bone density scan on me that they found the answer. I had osteopenia
(weak bones). My consultant told me to stop skiing. If I did ski then under no
circumstances was I ever to have a fall. Erm … since changing the way I ski I
fall all the time. Ooops.
Raynaud’s
is where a person doesn’t perfuse the extremities of their body. On a very hot
day my hands will only just be warm. My feet are always icy cold no matter
what. Subsequently I ski wearing a lot of layers; thermal base, wool layer, mid
layer, another layer, jacket.
Most
of you reading this will wonder why on earth I ski. The best thing I can do is
get lots of weight bearing exercise, lots of vitamin D by being outdoors, take
regular rest between activity and not sit for too long because otherwise I get
stiff. Bingo. Skiing is perfect for me. It’s weight bearing, outdoors, I get to
sit down on a chairlift regularly throughout the day and because I am moving
around a lot I don’t get stiff.
I
would be much better skiing with an adaptive instructor. Being with a ‘normal’
instructor is so frustrating. They just don’t understand that most of what they
ask me to do I can’t do physiologically. Telling me I need to be lower to the
ground, have more upper body movement, project my hips more into the turn and
keep my two skis more in alignment just shows a complete lack of understanding.
Instead of saying ‘you need to …’ an adaptive instructor would almost certainly
say ‘can you … ?’.
Of the three BASI coaches I have skied with over the last 12 months two knew I had health problems, one didn’t. When I book onto a BASI course I always tell BASI about my back. They are then supposed to pass the information onto the trainer and examiner but never do. When I did my Alpine Level 1 my BASI examiner knew nothing. I had to tell him. At least he asked for clarification as to what it all meant, what I could and couldn’t do. He has since either forgotten, chosen to ignore it or doesn’t understand how it affects me and skiing with him is both great fun but also very frustrating for the exact reasons given above.
My time with the BASI examiner who gave me shadowing hours and extra coaching wasn’t booked through BASI and because I was just going for shadowing hours I didn’t say anything. When I went back to Switzerland for extra coaching in the lead up to my technical resit I decided it was a bit late telling him.
The
BASI examiner who did my technical resit hadn’t been told by BASI that I had a
spinal rod either. The look of horror on her face when I said was really funny.
So why do I ski so much better with the coach who hasn’t been told ? What is it about him that means I progress, ski amazingly well, have masses of fun and get every instruction he gives me right all without the frustration of being asked to do something I physiologically can’t do ? It can only be because he has picked up on things. That he is observant enough to notice anyway and is able to relate it to how my skiing might be affected. The result is he knows how to correct me in a way that I can actually do it. Yet he is not an adaptive instructor. Just a brilliant coach.
Being ill
My
rheumatoid arthritis can make me quite ill. Not only is my body attacking
itself but I use a lot of energy and have problems with anaemia. To try and
stop my body attacking itself so much I am on chemotherapy and a biological
drug. These help reduce my immune response by lowering my immune system which
makes me prone to illness.
In December not only was I fighting out of control arthritis but I was also anaemic and then picked up a chest infection. Due to my health not only did I have the usual specialist nurse, consultant and GP looking after me I also had an occupational therapist, podiatrist and occupational health advisor. My occupational health advisor had recommended that I permanently stop working nights shifts and reduce my hours on the children’s ward at Scarborough Hospital down from 30 hours per week (4 days) to 15 hours per week (2 days) from the start of December. The week of Christmas not only was I rostered 28 hours over 4 shifts but one of them was a night shift. I was promptly ill. I had not felt well New Year’s Eve, had gone out skiing anyway and then to New Year’s Eve celebrations. When I went to work New Year’s Day I was starting to feel really unwell. By the end of the week I was too ill to ski, too ill to work and too ill to take my chemotherapy. I also couldn’t start my biological treatment. I came down with a bad chest infection.
In January I had coaching in Switzerland with a BASI trainer, France with a BASI trainer and a trip to Austria all coming up. When I went out to Switzerland I was still unwell, getting a lot of pain when I coughed and I was also anaemic again. Skiing at an altitude of 3000 m on a glacier made me really breathless. I was also still struggling with my arthritis.
I then moved across to France to join my other BASI coach. My coaching session took place in heavy snow and a full day in the snow, with sub- zero temperatures made me really ill again. To make matters worse, when back in the UK afterwards I managed to crack a rib whilst coughing. When I went out to Austria at the end of January I was still in pain with my rib and opted not to ski. Instead I spent the week walking and using the local busses to visit the nearby towns and villages. In the week I was there I skied just 1 ½ days.
When
I returned to Saint Gervais in February I was still recovering from the cracked
rib. Doing anything that involved bending down still gave me pain. Of course
one of the first things you do when you go out skiing is bend down to put on
and do up your ski boots ! You then of course have to bend down and pick up
your skis from time to time as well. Not great.
Shortly
into my coaching session I took a really bad fall landing heavily on my right
side with my ski pole underneath me. At least it was the opposite side to my
cracked rib. My coach immediately called out to me asking if I was ok. He then
skied down to me and repeated his question. This told me I must have really
slammed into the snow. Neither of us knew why I had fallen. I picked myself up
and initially thought I was ok but as the lesson went on I started to get pain.
I was close to abandoning but didn’t want to say anything so kept going. I
wasn’t enjoying it though and neither was my coach.
When
I got back to my hotel I was in a lot of pain. I could hardly move. The
following morning I was still in agony. I had expected to find my side black
with bruising but there was nothing to see and nothing crunched when I pressed
my side either. I had two more coaching sessions booked and needed to know
whether I could still ski so dosed myself up with pain killers, waited for them
to have some effect and went out. As long as I kept moving so as not to stiffen
up and kept taking the pain relief I was alright. That evening I ate out in
Saint Gervais and went to a concert in the church. That church concert was to
be my undoing. 2 ½ hours sat on a hard wooden bench without moving left me in
horrendous pain. I was in absolute agony. I had to leave before the concert
finished. It was a slow walk back up the road to my hotel, clutching my side
all the way.
My
phone had been off during the concert. It was only when I turned it back on to
set my alarm clock for the following morning that I found a message from my
coach. He was cancelling all further sessions with me. I could either have a
refund or have an alternative instructor. I stared at the message. Half of me
was going ‘thank goodness for that because I’m in way too much pain to ski’ the
other half was going ‘you absolute … I need that coaching to pass my technical
resit’. I didn’t want to let on the pain I was in so texted back that I would
accept an alternative instructor. I very much doubted I would get a reply; it
was by now very late at night. My coach must have stayed up waiting for me to
reply because I got an answer back. He placed me with Giacomo; one of his
Italian colleagues. Earlier in the week I had jokingly said I needed to book a
lesson with Giacomo, a tall good looking Italian. I will never know the reason
for him choosing Giacomo, whether it was because of what I had said or whether Giacomo
was the only one he could get hold of so very late at night.
One of the worst things I can do is ski in flat light after having had my chemotherapy. Both make me feel really queasy. On one of the trips to my French based coach I did exactly this; skied in flat light having had my chemotherapy. When I briefly stopped at the edge of the piste my coach was far from understanding … ‘well that’s just something you’re going to have to push through’. Really … that is not something to say to someone on chemotherapy, it shows a clear lack of understanding. Another example of why I would be better skiing with an adaptive coach. An adaptive coach would have responded something along the lines of … Do you need to stop for a bit ? Have you got any anti-sickness you can take? Do you think it might help if we went lower down where the light might be better ? They would not have gone ‘tough, get on with it’ which is basically what my coach said.
Six months on into the year I am much better. Provided I pace myself and take regular rest periods during the day and don’t use my hands too much I’m fine. I have also taken the decision to give up nursing at the beginning of November. A hospital environment is not the right place for me over the winter months, I am just going to spend the winter ill. All of my colleagues have agreed it’s the right thing to do. I was so ill last winter. I will be returning to the Duke of Kent Children’s Ward at Scarborough Hospital in April on a zero hours contract with the hospital nurse bank.
Disability Snowsport is the UK’s leading snow sports charity teaching skiing to disabled people both at UK indoor centres and on holidays abroad. DSUK make the health and social benefits of snow sports and the unique exhilaration thrill that accompanies skiing available to anyone with a disability no matter what sort of health need they have or how severe it is. Whilst there is a team of paid staff there is an even bigger team of passionate volunteers like myself who help out at local UK ski centres, social ski groups and on adaptive ski holidays.
Helping people with healthcare needs to experience the same thing you and I do is something I am deeply passionate about. There is no such thing as disability, only ability. I strongly believe that every ski school should have an adaptive instructor on its team. Unless you have an adaptive instructor on your team you cannot be an inclusive ski school, you can only be an exclusive ski school and in being an exclusive ski school you are being discriminatory. Enough said.
Out of my three
friends who are either a ski school manager or ski school director only one
offers adaptive lessons. One has an adaptive instructor on their team but
doesn’t offer adaptive lessons, one has neither an adaptive instructor nor
offers adaptive lessons and the third who does offer adaptive lessons doesn’t
have an adaptive instructor and brings one in from another ski school when
needed.
Castleford DSUK
Disability
Snowsport UK run monthly social ski sessions at local indoor slopes across the
country. I volunteer with the Castleford group which meets the fourth Sunday of
the month. Each adaptive skier has two buddies with them. Not only does it give
people with a disability the chance to ski but we all go for coffee afterwards
and the whole thing is very sociable.
The skills you use when skiing with an adaptive skier are totally different to those you use when skiing with a standard skier. First of all there are the ropes, harnesses, carabiner clips and quick release mechanisms to get used to. Then there is the fact that a sit ski works by putting weight on the inside to turn as opposed to the outside as in the case of a normal skier. So when you want the sit ski to turn left you put weight on the left and when you want it to turn right you put weight on the right. Brain confused.com ! When it all goes wrong, just ditch your skier into the snow. They’ll soon stop. Abruptly.
I will be training as an adaptive instructor with the British Association of Snowsports Instructors later this year. My goal is to be BASI Adaptive Level 3 ISTD (the highest adaptive qualification in the BASI system) and to become a BASI adaptive examiner.
For more about Disability Snowsports UK go to their website
Back in
August 2018 I agreed to take part in a
disability ski holiday with the Jubilee Sailing Trust and The Ski Company to La Moubra, Crans
Montana, Switzerland as one of the support buddies for the trip.
The Jubilee Sailing Trust is a registered charity who
believe people of altered ability should have the same freedom to explore the
world, their ability and their potential through adventure as able bodied
people. Most adventures are sailing but once a year there is a disability ski
holiday. Anybody can volunteer to take part on one of the Jubilee Sailing Trust
trips as a buddy (helper). I opted for the ski holiday after becoming involved
through The Ski Company having volunteered on a trip through them the previous
year. It was whilst looking on The Ski
Company website in the summer that I saw the disability skiing trip. As
an NHS nurse and someone training as a ski instructor I felt I would make a
good buddy and had applied. By the time I went on the trip I was in fact a
qualified ski instructor having successfully achieved my British Association of
Snowsports Instructors (BASI) Alpine Level 1 qualification.
Buddy Role
A buddy is assigned to skiers with a disability who request it. I was assigned to a wheelchair user on her first ski holiday. The role involves helping transport the adaptive skier from the hotel to the ski slopes, assisting during any ski lesson the adaptive skier has (for example, transfer from the wheelchair to the sit ski or on and off lifts) and then helping transport them back to the hotel. Buddy assistance depends on the type of skier you are assigned to and what their needs are. Lessons are either morning or afternoon. Outside of lesson time you liaise with the adaptive skier as to whether they want to be in the hotel, look around the shops or enjoy the mountain, its restaurants and bars.
I feel proud and privileged to have been part of this as one of the support volunteer helpers. The trip has been filmed for a short television documentary.
Me and my koala bear even made it into the promo video !
For more information on disability skiing with the Jubilee Sailing Trust and The Ski Company go to their disability skiing web page.
Defisport
provided adaptive ski instructors and two types of sit ski were used : piloted
and single/individual.
In
the piloted sit ski the adaptive skier does
nothing at all, everything is done by the instructor. Two instructors were
required for a piloted sit ski. One to pilot and the other to assist loading on
and off lifts or up-righting the sit ski if it goes onto its side. They are
very heavy and in the soft spring snow piloting the sit ski was a real physical
challenge with the two instructors interchanging regularly on runs. On one
occasion there wasn’t a second instructor available so I was asked to go as
second instructor helping load and unload from the chairlift and keeping the
sit ski upright when we were stopped. The piloted sit skis have no means of
balancing themselves so you have to hold the handle bar at the back if you are
stationary. Let go and the sit ski along with adaptive skier fallover!
In the single/individual sit
ski the adaptive skier does some or all of the work. For those adaptive skiers
doing some of the work rather than skiing independently an instructor to act as
stabiliser is required. The instructor will help the adaptive skier on and off
the ski lift and use the rear handle bar to help the adaptive skier turn or stay
balanced. It’s hard work being the stabiliser and my wrists ached after a
couple of runs.
School Reunion
It was whilst at work one day at my former job on the kidney dialysis unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital that I heard a ski company (aptly named The Ski Company) were looking for a nurse who could ski to go on a school ski trip with a child from Manchester Children’s Hospital. I had immediately been interested and spent a week in March 2018 skiing in Crans Montana with St. Mary’s Catholic School, Leyland allocated to a pupil (Thomas). So as to support Thomas more I had joined him in his ski class helping out with the class and even led the ski class on occasion. Both Thomas and I had a fun week. For me, the week ticked all my boxes; snow, winter, skiing, children, teaching. I was hooked, returned home and decided to train as a ski instructor.
After the trip I kept in
touch with the headmaster, Philip Mooney, and knew from him that St. Mary’s
would be at La Moubra the same week as the Jubilee Sailing Trust. Chance for a
bit of a school reunion. On this year’s school trip were two pupils and a
teacher from the previous year. It was really nice seeing them again. Despite
being with Jubilee Sailing Trust I did manage to do a little bit of skiing with them joining Philip
and Jade (the other teacher from the previous year) on the ski run down from
the Plaine Morte Glacier.
Vision Art Festival
Vision Art Festival is a one
of a kind encounter with nature and art. Bored with looking at the concrete
lift installations on the mountain Ecole Suisse De Ski (ESS) instructor Gregory
Pages (assisted by friend, artist and fellow ESS instructor Vincent Edmond
Louis Poitout) formed Vision Art Festival in 2015. Gregory is the son of art gallery
owner Frank Pages; Vincent is a talented artist and photographer who has
exhibited his work all over the world. Vision Art Festival has become an annual
event, held in Crans Montana every August, in which artists from all over the
world are invited to add their mark. Please do not call it graffiti; it is
urban street art.
I
have in fact skied with Vincent; he was the instructor for my ski class the
previous year. Vincent, who is from Nimes in France, had been travelling in
Australia for a year and taught himself English whilst there. In the summer he
worked as a land surveyor. Or so he said. The internet is wonderful, you can
find out all sorts of things. I would later find out that he wasn’t who he said
he was and discover his real identity; that he is a talented artist and photographer who has
exhibited his work all over the world as well as being deputy boss of Vision
Art Festival. Not once did Vincent say anything about the art on the mountain
or his work.
One of the things I have enjoyed whilst with the Jubilee Sailing Trust has been looking for the Vision Art Festival pieces whilst out skiing. Some have taken a bit of getting to due to their location. I even did an improvised ski tour in my alpine skis and then skied back off piste to find one of them. WHAT !! I hate off piste skiing and in a previous blog said there were three things on skis that I wouldn’t do (ski touring and off piste were two of them) as I just didn’t see the point of either. Ok … ski touring and off piste do enable you to get to places that would otherwise be out of reach. Perhaps (and I mean perhaps) it’s something I should learn to do. Other Vision Art Festival pieces were out of reach because the Aminona ski area was closed and I didn’t have time to find the ones located in the villages of Crans or Montana.
In September 2018 I started my training as a ski instructor. At the end of the week long course I found that my short turns were not at the standard required and that I would need another exam.
My examiner advised me not to book onto the re-assessment until the problems with my short turns were corrected. I continued with the practice driving to the indoor slopes at either Castleford or Manchester when I could. I even did a two day ski performance course with someone who was a BASI trainer. Nothing helped. My short turns were still a problem. I was getting nowhere and running out of ideas.
With my off duty already written 3 months in advance and the examiner advising me not to book my technical resit until I was at the required standard I had struggled to get booked onto a technical resit.
Failing to make progress alone, I had tracked down my BASI examiner from September and flew out to him and his ski school in Chamonix, Freedom Snowsports, for coaching. When I had done my 35 hours Snowsports School Shadowing I had met another BASI examiner who I also flew out to for coaching. Between Will Roberts in Chamonix and Alessandro Cambon at New Generation ski school in Villars-Sur-Ollon my skiing was brought to the standard required for me to take my technical resit and I booked onto the resit in March in Cairngorm, Scotland.
As with anything I do with BASI, it wouldn’t go to plan.
Problems
72 hours before my technical resit at Cairngorm I received an email from BASI informing me the course was no longer running at Cairngorm; instead it would run at Kincraig. I was already in Aviemore having driven up earlier in the week. A quick look at a map told me that Kincraig was close enough to Aviemore for me to avoid having to find alternative accommodation.
A second thing had also changed. Kincraig is a dry slope; a surface I had never skied on before. I quickly emailed one of the coaches I had been using asking how different skiing on a dry slope was and if they had any tips. Keen to get some experience on the surface prior to the resit I contacted two nearby dry ski slopes, Glenmore Lodge and Kincraig itself. Even BASI somehow got involved in trying to get me somewhere to practice.
Glenmore Lodge were willing to hire me their dry ski slope provided it was for a full day and I had a ski instructor with me. Unfortunately, they were unable to find me a ski instructor so I couldn’t use the slope. Kincraig was full and it was they who had passed my enquiry to BASI.
There was also yet another problem. I’d been planning on hiring skis at Cairngorm. Although the Kincraig website said ski hire was available there when I telephoned to check I was told the opposite; ski hire wouldn’t be possible. I hurried to the reception of the Youth Hostel where I was staying and was provided with the details of a Facebook page (Snowbadgers Rentals). Off I set in the car to find them. When I pulled up outside I nearly didn’t bother getting out of the car. It didn’t exactly look open. It was only when I pulled in fully to turn the car around that I noticed sledges for sale outside. I parked up and got out. When I got down the steps to find it all closed up and a hand written note on the door I wasn’t entirely surprised. Instead of the note saying ‘closed’, as I was expecting, it directed me back up the steps to ‘Pine Marten Bar’. My request to hire skis was met with surprise.
‘You want to hire skis ?’
To be honest, I was asking to hire skis in a place with its ski area closed because there wasn’t any snow. They must have thought I was mad.
A quick explanation later and I was led back outside, down the steps and into the ski hire shop. Looks can be deceptive. It was an Aladdin’s cave of every type of ski hire equipment. I was kitted out with skis and poles for the bargain price of £20.
Technical Resit
Eight of us were on the course and our BASI examiner was Elaine. As with all the BASI examiners I have ever met she was easy to get on with and an amazing skier. One of her runs down the slope left the group stood at the top saying to one another ‘What ? … How does she ski like that ?!!’
Having been told a dry ski slope was a slower surface than snow I actually found I was too fast. Elaine had to ask me to ski slower ! There is someone I can blame for my fast skiing. He works in France, wears a blue ski jacket with a white logo on the back and was the last person to give me ski instruction.
I wasn’t the only person in the group who had not skied on a dry ski slope before. Whilst the others whispered this amongst themselves I was a bit more ‘open’ and ‘honest’. I tend to speak my mind … speak before I think rather than thinking before I speak. It gets me into all sorts of bother.
Elaine set the day up perfectly. We started with the very basics of how to slide on skis. Having climbed up the slope slightly she then went through plough and plough turning. I tend to have a very parallel plough and plough turn (my BASI examiner from September knows what I mean). Over the day Elaine built us up to the all important and more technical short turns and long turns leaving those latter two things to the end of the afternoon. In doing so she had made sure everyone in the group had opportunity to get used to the surface. A brilliant bit of coaching.
At the end of the day Elaine was quick to announce I had passed. The first people I told were Alessandro and Will. Without the help, support and coaching of Alessandro and Will I would not have made it to the standard and level required. Both of them have put a lot of time and effort into helping me improve. My skiing would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for the two of them. Will, in particular, has been an important part of my life since September. I think he’ll be glad to see the back of me. Thank you so much Alessandro and Will.
Disaster
When I returned my hire skis back to Snowbadgers Rentals they had suggested I go back down to them that evening for some live music in Pine Marten Bar. I was staying in Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel opposite so it was only a couple of minutes walk down the road leading to the Youth Hostel. I’m not a fan of the dark … and certainly don’t like unlit roads in wooded areas so I didn’t walk back down … I ran. Some live music, a drink and with a long drive back to my Yorkshire home the following day I left after that one drink. Again, I ran up the road and when I reached the car park I reduced down to walking pace. It was as I went from the Youth Hostel car park to the patio terrace at the font door that disaster struck. I completely failed to see the step between the two and slammed to the ground.
The pain to my right knee and my right hand was instant. I lay for a brief moment ascertaining if any other part of me was damaged. I tried to get up but couldn’t. The front door was tantalisingly close. Rolling on to my left side I crawled into the doorway and summoned help. Battered, bleeding, my room key broken and my clothes torn (I’d even ripped my ski jacket) the Youth Hostel staff helped sort me out.
When I went to bed I used one of the spare pillows to support and elevate my knee in order to keep it comfortable and help reduce the swelling. Walking or any kind of weight bearing was impossible. I had to hop on my left leg everywhere. My right hand seemed ok. A simple clean with TCP and a plaster. By now my right shoulder was also starting to hurt and the only way I could keep it comfortable was to hold my arm across my body with my right hand on my left shoulder as if the arm was in a sling.
In the morning the damage to my right hand was more obvious. I had completely taken the skin off from the base of my thumb round to the centre of my wrist. Off I went back to reception and asked for the first aid box again. When my hand wasn’t bleeding it weeped a serous fluid. The first aid box consisted of plasters, some TCP, gloves, disinfectant wipes, antiseptic cream and some bandages. Not really what I was needing. I really wanted a gauze dressing pad.
A twenty year nursing career has taught me to improvise on occasion. If you haven’t got what you need, make it out of something else. One of the bandages had a padded centre running along it so I cut that out, made it smaller, cleaned my hand, put my improvised dressing pad on top and bandaged it all up. Bandaging your hand with the other is a little tricky.
Upon returning to work on the Duke of Kent Children’s Ward at Scarborough Hospital I sought out my manager and had permission to avail myself of the contents of the dressings cupboard. Over my 6 hour shift I had to change my dressing three times because nothing would stick. When I got home my hand was looking really nasty.
My own first aid box at home is quite extensive. You always need something when the shops are closed and consequently my first aid box is quite large. I cleaned my hand with TCP, put some manuka honey onto the wound followed by some gauze and a dressing. The following morning my hand looked significantly better. Manuka honey is amazing stuff.
As for my knee, a night of rest and pain killers that also help reduce swelling and I was able to weight bear. (Yes, that is the correct spelling … I checked). Although I did rather resemble Herr Flick of the Gestapo from ‘Allo Allo’ when I walked. My knee is a lovely shade of purple now. There is still some pain, especially when my cat jumps onto my lap. She quickly gets off again as a result of my yelping.
This is not the first time I have needed the attention of a first aider whilst away on a BASI course. When I was in Manchester doing my Alpine Level 1, somehow, I managed to get one of my fingers caught in one of my ski boot clips, took a chunk out of my finger and was left dripping blood everywhere. The Manchester ChillFactor team had to patch me up.
From NHS Nurse to Ski Instructor 