Another Euro ski fest first in Zermatt and then on the the Ortler in Italy. All skiers were in rear form, but I must say that Ingrid aka Christine was a bad little German girl. We crossed glaciers, climbed peaks and circumnavigated the Matterhorn. All in the spirit of the NASTC philosophy, a total immersion ski adventure. The team came from the far reaches of the planet to converge on the little ski hamlet know as Zermatt. Greg from Dubi, Sandy from Texas, Howard from SF, Elliot from Washington, Christine from the Black Forest, Ron from New York, Michael from France, Kim from Switzerland and Chris from Austria. The gang worked as a team as they navigated, with the help of UIAGM/IFMGA full certified guide Michael Silitch and Ski trainer/ NASTC director Chris Fellows through some of the most challenging terrain and conditions any NASTC camp has encountered. Kim Mann, Events coordinator for NASTC not only held down the social and logistical responsibilities, but helped with the on hill coaching. The team began to move like a Swiss clock by day 5 and we finished the week with a challenging ski down the Sunegga. As we said our goodbyes the guides and coaches began to pack for the next leg of the European ski fest.
I'd like to reiterate how amazing this trip was. Particularly for me, since the last time I had skied Zermatt was when I was about 12yrs old with my Dad who was a very avid skier. It was very special to come back and ski at this amazing place for real - and by that I mean not just fannying about the mountain making my Euro-parallel turns but skiing off-piste and really absorbing what these mountains have to offer.
ReplyDelete.... Switzerland holds a very special place in my heart, because this is where I grew up and fell in love with mountains. Something else that was special about this trip was being able to witness each person battle and conquer their inner fears and challenges. Our calculated brushes with mortality and sharing a cold beer at the end of each day helped transform us from a group of strangers with a shared passion to a group of friends that will always have this amazing trip to Zermatt to look back upon. I for one will have to deal with a little culture shock when I return to my home resorts in Lake Tahoe, I'm really going to miss skiing 16,000 vertical feet in one day and eating in a quaint mountain hut with ridiculously good food or just enjoying the scenery of a true alpine village on my way to the lifts. I think the NASTC Zermatt 2010 trip pretty much holds the pole position on the adventure scale amongst the NASTC courses. My only questions is when can we do it all over again? Tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteP.S Thank you Frau Lederhosen for your charming sense of hospitality, generosity and sense of humour!