BC Ski Team in Europe - 2020 B-Tour
Toblach, Italy - Tuesday, February 25th
We woke up in Toblach, expecting a balmy summer day like the day before, but instead found ourselves in a grey, wet cloud. We feasted on a massive breakfast spread, where the bread and pastries were by far the best we’ve had. After klistering up our skis (much to the dismay of all the athletes) we drove straight up the side of a very windy mountain road, trying to find better snow to ski on. On our way, we picked up a German couple and gave them a lift up the last stretch which made it a bit of a tight squeeze, but typical Canadians, we can’t help being nice. We had hoped that our elevation gain would bring us out of the clouds, but unfortunately, the fog was even thicker there. We found ourselves in a high alpine plateau at 2000m elevation, where the skiing conditions were comparatively great. At first we had to be a little tentative on the downhills as we could barely see more than 2 meters in front of us, but we got used to terrain quickly, thanks to the posts on the side of the trail that keep the groomers on the right track. While it cleared up slightly at the very end of the ski, we were never able to see the alleged “amazing” view from this mountain plateau.
We had planned to have lunch at around 12:30 but because of our coaches’ eagerness to ski as long as possible, we were a little late getting back. Luckily the hotel was very flexible and we dined on four delicious courses, the ice cream dessert being the favourite. Afterwards we had a lesson on how to use Training Peaks from head coach Chris. Some were shocked and had a lot to learn as they have only ever used Google sheets as a way of recording their training (if they ever remembered to update said Google sheets). All in all, it was an important lesson on how to be the best athletes we can be, for ourselves and for our fantastic coaches.
At the end of the day we were all keen to utilize the spa in the hotel, but there was a clear notice about the dress code requirements at their spa (or lack thereof). See photo below for the hotel rules. This was a bit of a shock to all of us, so we decided to all wear our bathing suits and keep them hidden under our towels in order to not cause any problems.
Toblach, Italy - Wednesday, February 26th
This morning, we woke up to a beautiful snowfall. It was met with a considerable amount of relief seeing as the trails had been significantly dirty and skiing on them had not been particularly enjoyable. After over-stuffing ourselves on croissants and other pastries, we headed out on the freshly covered trails. Unfortunately, the new, wet, heavy snow made the skiing climbing up towards the pass quite a slog. While coach Chris had said that the grade was perfect for practicing one skate, there were a few of us who simply had to offset in order to stay in our heart-rate zones. Despite the painfully slow pace, everyone managed to get in quite a long ski, and the snow-covered scenery with hints of blue sky were incredibly beautiful.
After a quick afternoon nap, we headed to a cheese factory just down the road. While production was not happening while we were there, we still got to see all the equipment, learn about the cows, and taste a selection of cheeses. We were also able to see into the maturation room where the cheese is aged. The tall shelves, stacked high with the huge wheels of cheese were quite impressive. After making a few purchases, the team then headed to Cortina, a ski resort town on the other side of the pass. Being a typical resort town, all the shops were tremendously expensive but the views were incredible. To finish off the day, almost everyone headed back to the hotel spa for a relaxing sauna and/or steam room.
By Marielle Ackermann
Cheese Factory
Previous Reports & Photos:
1. http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-ski-team-europe-2020-b-tour
2. http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-ski-team-europe-2020-b-tour-feb-22
3. http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/bc-ski-team-europe-2020-b-tour-feb-24
Schedule Overview:
February 12 Depart Canada
February 13 Arrive in Frankfurt (Germany) and drive to Seefeld (Austria)
February 13-16 Training in Seefeld (Austria)
February 16 Competition in Saltzburg (Austria)
February 16-21 Training in Ramsau (Austria)
February 21-24 FIS race in St Jakob/Rosental (Austria)
February 24-27 Training in Toblach (Italy)
February 27-March 1 FIS race in Klosters/Davos (Switzerland)
March 1-2 Travel to Frankfurt (Germany); fly back home
Athletes:
Beth Granstrom (Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club, Revelstoke)
Cole Turner (Telemark Nordic Club, Williams Lake)
Emma Wong (Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, Courtenay)
Fred Albrechtson (Nickel Plate Cross Country Ski Club, Penticton)
Gabe Gledhill (Strathcona Nordic Ski Club, Cumberland)
Gregory Baxter (Bulkley Valley Cross Country Ski Club, Smithers)
Marielle Ackermann (Kimberley Nordic Club, Kimberley)
Torin Andrews (Sovereign Lake Nordic Club, Vernon)
Coaches:
Chris Manhard (Cross Country BC)
Frank Ackermann (Kimberley Nordic Club)