Pre-Xmas Olympics training at Whistler

Any 2010 Olympic hopefuls out there needing tips, give us a call. After 5 days I think we know every nook and cranny, dip and dive, roll and plunge, on the Dave Murray Downhill and Franz’s run. This is simply because, in an unusual reversal of Whistler conditions, the lower runs had more snow than up high due to a severe blast of Arctic weather. In fact the alpine was closed due to lack of snow. Luckily, snow-making and Arctic blasts are fine bedfellows – they saved our trip. And the weather was clear and cold.

Blackcomb was only really decent on Springboard and Zigzag, and I guess on the glacier if you could be bothered going up there for short runs, with only greens or rock-ridden runs down. Hence we gravitated to the lower runs to Whistler Creekside, where firm conditions, a consistent pitch, and light-ish crowds made for some fast and fun cruising. Other advantages were Dusty’s and Chickpea for lunch – yep – when I’m talking about food on the hill you know  it wasn’t vintage Whistler.

Still, we got in plenty of vertical, demo-ed some skis (the Canski demo tents are a great deal), and hey – we were skiing. In nasal hair-freezing cold, clear weather, with ice crystal-created rainbows floating across the mountains. You sure knew you were alive 🙂

5 days – 45600 verts

season totals:

11 days, 80,800 vertical metres. 2 powder days