What’s It Like To… Extreme Ski and Snowboard?

"What's It Like To…" is a series where we'll find out what it's like to do an extreme sport, be a professional athlete, and more. It's a peek inside some fascinating worlds that most of us will never experience ourselves, but I hope you enjoy the vicarious thrills!

Jeremy is 33 years old, getting his Doctor of Psychology degree.  I found out about his love for the extreme when we were talking about upcoming ski trips this past winter.  When I asked where he was headed, he said the Alps.  The more questions I asked, the more amazing it got.  Here's his story.

Q:  What's it like to ski and snowboard off the beaten path?

I go to central Colorado, on the Ten Mile or Mosquito Range as well as the Sawatch range. Many 14,000 foot high mountains (14ers) are in this area, including Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert. These are the two highest peaks in the Rockies, the 2^nd and 3^rd highest peaks in continental US).  I was able to winter summit both of these this past year.  I've also been fortunate to experience a lot of the Alps doing some mixed climbing and what's being called "adventure skiing," There are hidden gems in the northeast as well.  Anyone in the know got their best lines of the year on the Ice Coast this past year!

Several years ago, riding a snowboard in the backcountry meant boot packing through the deep powder to reach far flung peaks. In more recent years, the invention of the splitboard has allowed snowboarders to access terrain once limited to those only with alpine touring setups.  A splitboard is essentially a snowboard that splits in half and the bindings rotate making it a short, fat set of alpine touring skis.

Some backcountry skiing can be accessed using ski lifts at resorts. The East Vail Chutes for instance are a fairly easy traverse after taking a few lifts within Vail resort.  It is possible to lap this a few times in a day and only see your own tracks in the waist deep powder, not a tourist in sight.  This may be more "side country" riding than extreme.

More challenging trips require a several hour approach and establishing a base camp where a summit push can be made beginning pre-sunrise the next morning. This requires 40+ pounds of gear, as well as the mental preparation to stay a few days out in the hills if the weather turns bad. Night time lows can easily hit -20F without the wind chill. Extended trips can be done via the 10^th Mountain Division hut system. An area in Colorado is where the 10^th trained for WWII, and there's an organization that maintains a series of huts that can only be accessed in winter via long skin tracks. Staying a night here by the wood stove with like-minded people you haven't met is one of the jewels of the backcountry experience.

Q:  What are the biggest physical challenges and how do you overcome them?

Off season preparation cannot be understated. Most people can't just wake up one morning and decide to gain 3,000 feet of elevation in waist deep powder. The exclusiveness is a large part of the reward.  Spending time on the treadmill and stairmaster in the warmer months will pay huge dividends in the winter.

The most important physical challenge is keeping yourself dry.  In the backcountry, dry equals warm and wet equals dead.  Most wetness comes from perspiration.  Maintaining hydration and good core temperature are the primary focuses of any backcountry excursion.  The fact is, no matter how good a shape a person is in, their mind is going to tell them they are fatigued.  The body will keep going if your mind tells it too.

Q:  What are the biggest mental challenges and how do you overcome them?

Wind will break a man's will. That's all I have to say about that.

Keeping yourself oriented towards your goal and maintaining confidence is imperative. Bad decisions are made from weak minds. And bad decisions get people killed.  The light powder of central Colorado is notorious for avalanches, and having the courage to turn around and go home takes more mental strength than pushing through a sketchy bowl section.  When a party pushes off from the trailhead, the number one goal is coming home safe.

Q:  What's the best story you have from your adventures?

I could tell war stories for hours. About the time we got stuck here, had to bivy on the side of that mountain, dug snow caves and spooned with a friend shivering through the night, etc, etc, etc.  But these are stories for a bar or campfire. Honestly, the best times are reaching a summit with your best friends from around the world, dropping in on that line you've been studying for months, feeling the board plane out in untouched virgin powder and reaping the reward of months of effort. Any questions about being worth it are instantly answered seeing the stoke on each face and realizing just how lucky I am to have taken part in the day.

Q:  Anything else?

Knowledge is the most important tool you can have. Take an avalanche course, practice in the beacon parks, do your safety checks EVERY time, and don't forget that Mother Nature is unforgiving. Respect her or she will not think twice about taking you back into her fold.

Fear is a good thing; fear keeps you alive. But panic leads to bad decisions that can get you killed. Preventing fear from becoming panic is largely a function of knowledge and confidence. Increasing both of these elements will make fear a lot less scary.

Lastly, have FUN. Worry less about who is doing what, what guy dropped this mega line, keeping up with the latest fashion and trends.  Instead, just go out with the people you have the most fun with and enjoy the outdoors.

Thanks to Jeremy for his story!  If you do ultra sports or have a sports-related career and would like to be interviewed, contact Dr. Whitman at Sarah.Whitman@drexelmed.edu.

Dr. Sarah Whitman practices sports psychiatry in Philadelphia. She is a guest contributor on Sports Doc.

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