Early Snow Above and Below

The end of summer marks the beginning of the camp season. I really like the familiarity and consistency that comes with training in one place for most of the summer, but by September I'm ready to mix it up. I find that being at a camp and training in a new location usually results in increased focus and some fun adventures both planned and accidental. I count myself lucky that for the past two years my team and I have been able to get on snow in September and this year was no different. However, instead of just going to Austria for our fall camp, this year we added a weeklong stint in Slovenia. We stayed at the Olympic Training Center in Planica and skied in their underground parking garage turned summer ski tunnel. The air in the tunnel smelled a bit stale, skiing under fluorescent lights was weird on the eyes, and it only took 2 minutes to ski the 800m loop, but our focus was speed and technique, and our training sessions were very productive. Despite the oddness of our surroundings, I actually enjoyed skiing in the tunnel.

The Planica Olympic Training Center dwarfed by the
surrounding mountains (photo: Caitlin Patterson)

Pretty psyched to be skiing even if it was below ground 
surrounded by cement walls
(photo: Pepa Miloucheva)

There were many sharp turns in the tunnel so 
we got to practice lots of cornering! 
(photo: Sam Dougherty)

So speedy we're blurred!
(photo: Sam)

This funky mirror was one of the many pieces of evidence
that the tunnel is also used as a parking garage
(photo: Caitlin)

We looked rather out of place strolling through the
warm, sunny parking lot with our skis!
(photo: Caitlin)

Thanks Ian Harvey for our awesome Toko gloves!

(photo: Caitlin)

We did get out of the tunnel on occasion for some adventuring in the mountains. We were located in the heart of the Triglav National Park in the Julian Alps so the scenery was pretty spectacular. I'd never been to Slovenia before, but what I saw of the country exceeded my expectations and I would love to go back.

Headed out for an afternoon run/hike in
the mountains

Up up and away

Looking down into the Tamar Valley from 
whence we came

We got to catch up with friend and former teammate 
Tara and watch her fly off the 120m ski jump!
 (photo: Pepa)

Looking down on the many ski jumps at the training center.
The jump on the far left was the "course" for a 400m
Red Bull sponsored hill climb that we got to spectate.
(photo: Caitlin)

That afternoon we decided it was our turn to climb
the ski jump as a warm up for our strength session.

Heather taking in the view partway up. 
Can you spot the two guys wearing 
viking helmets?!

The crew at the top
(photo: Sam)

A recovery run/hike up Mala Majstrovka at the 

top of Vrsic Pass

Peering over, but not falling over, the edge of a 
rather vertical cliff face
 (photo: Caitlin)

The cliff face shrouded in mist

Some small Bellflowers (Campanula
scheuchzeri) growing between the rocks

Traversing above a scree field 
(photo: Nick Brown)

In the clouds on top of Mala Majstrovka
(photo: Caitlin)

It was a rather cloudy day, but we kept catching views 
as the cloud banks moved through. Of course, each time a 
view appeared we had to stop and take pictures...

A small Russian church built in memory of the 30
Russian POWs who died in an avalanche
while building the road over Vrsic Pass

We had one afternoon off from training so we drove into the quaint village of Bled for the afternoon. It was a rather drizzly day, but we still had fun exploring the town, taking pictures, and sampling chocolate-wine and honey. We also enjoyed checking out the beautiful, local, artisan crafts for sale in the small shops along the lake.

Scenic Lake Bled

A neccesary sLOVEenia tourist moment!
(photo: Ben Lustgarten)

After wrapping up our speed-focused week in Slovenia, we headed to Austria for a distance block at altitude. This was our third year in a row skiing on the Dachstein glacier and I think it's safe to say the third time was a charm. We had an incredible streak of weather with eight straight days of sun making t-shirts a necessity even on the glacier. After skiing around in a dark concrete tunnel for a week, we had to be sure to layer on the sunscreen... While the snow did get dirtier as the week progressed, we were able to ski on race skis as long as we avoided some of the sketcher corners. With our primary focus being distance, we logged 2-3 hours each morning on the glacier followed by a strength session or another distance workout in the afternoon. We went on some scenic run/hikes in the mountains and utilized the hilly rollerski track, which also had a biathlon range. For strength, we got super creative in our rental house backyard... 

Back on the Dachstein!!

Riding a crowded tram up to the glacier (photo: Sam)

Walking down to the ski trail from the tramhouse
(photo: Caitlin)

Skiing with Caitlin and Liz 
(photo: Pepa)

Ant or skiers? Also, can you find the helicopter?
(photo: Caitlin)

A bird's eye view of the ski trail looping across the glacier
(photo: Caitlin)

Working on our synchronicity (photo: Sam)

Nick did an incredible job helping us test and keeping our 
skis well waxed and cared (photo: Caitlin)

Women's team going left, men's team going right
(photo: Sam)

Striding it out during a rare cloudy moment
(photo: Caitlin)

Heather, me, and Caitlin riding down from the glacier on
the tram roof! Don't worry, there was a railing keeping
us from falling overboard...

One of our favorite camp traditions is double poling up the "Pichl Road" which is a 1,500ft climb over 4.5 miles from Pichl to Ramsau. It's a bit of a grind, but super good for specific strength and a satisfying workout to complete. This year we all double poled it once and then some brave souls did it a second time while the rest of us skated.

Skating up the Pichl Road with some nice cows 
in the background
(photo: Pepa)

A lovely clear evening for a rollerski 
(photo: Pepa)

Another workout that's quickly becoming an Austrian camp favorite is our 2x6x1 minute bounding intervals. With so many distance sessions, these intervals ensure we maintain some of our top end speed and remind us what lactic acid feels like. This year we were fortunate enough to be living on a downhill ski trail so we had a lovely, steep, grassy slope for our intervals right out our back door!

Hanging out in "flood city" halfway through our two sets 
of 6x1 minute lactic acid inducing bounding intervals 
(photo: Pepa)

Taking advantage of the biathlon range 
at the rollerski track
(photo: Sam)

Trying out an alternative shooting technique (photo: Sam)

Backyard strength (photo: Sam)

This house, like many in the area, was dripping with flowers

For one of our over-distance workouts this year we took the tram up to the glacier, skied for a bit, and then ran back down to the valley. Like every other day of the camp, the weather was amazing! The trail below the glacier passes through the glacier foreland and it looked like the moon!

Running down behind the glacier

A chairlift over the moonscape

On our last day of the camp, I got to go for a hike 
and catch up with a college friend, Stephen, 
who happened to be passing through Austria!

View from the top of Sinabell Mountain

Waterfall in the Silberkarklamm gorge

The team in our snazzy new Craft tights
(designed by Caitlin and Heather) and our awesome
custom Skida headbands!
(photo: Sam)

After our final run/hike through the mountains, we headed back to Craftsbury just in time for peak foliage! As a team, we had a super productive camp. Everyone was positive and focused, and it was an inspiring crew to be training with. I'll leave you with a video recap of the training camp courtesy of master videographer, Pepa. And last but not least, thanks to Nick, Sam, and Pepa for all the coaching, waxing, and support during the camp (and always)!