You know it’s the start of winter when the ski mags start coming out. I’m stoked to have an eight-page spread in Snowaction Magazine with some sweet photos from the Freeride World Tour and Abby Dell. It’ll be in stores this Friday!

Ever since I started freeriding, I’ve had the continued desire to learn as many skills as possible. When I ski, I want to be able to make my own choices, I want to understand the best way to approach skiing on a glacier or making a steep couloir descent.

Photo: Lynsey Dyer

However, skills like these are hard to come by, especially when you are a female in quite the male-populated sport like freeride skiing and ski-mountaineering. If you don’t have a close friend or mentor to teach you the trade, it can be challenging to find someone to teach you.

I guess I’m not the only one who feels this way. Last year, SheJumps.org partnered with Anne Keller, AMGA and ACMG ski guide and Selkirk Backcountry Lodge to host the inaugural She Jumps Alpine Finishing School in BC, Canada. I was lucky enough to be one of the ladies taking part in the program, which in turn became quite the life experience.

Learning to rappel into a crevasse, Photo: Lynsey Dyer

Myself and several other women from the big mountain community spent seven days touring around the breathtaking, glaciated terrain of the Selkirk mountains. Working together we learned crevasse rescue techniques, how to ski on glaciers and my favourite, rappelling and ascending on ropes. There was also a lot of powder skiing.

Selkirk Backcountry Lodge, Photo: Lynsey Dyer

Our group was the first all- female group to descend upon the lodge, which for Grania (owner and operator) and her sister Reinet was a big change. I’m the first to agree that all-female groups can be rather intimidating, even to participants, especially when it’s a mob of female competitive big mountain skiers who enjoy sending cliffs and going on adventures.

Ironically enough, the most profound part of being involved in the Finishing School wasn’t the mountaineering skills I walked away with. Being exposed to women such as Anne, Grania, Reinet, Kate, and Michelle (our third, but equally incredible female Nols guide) was awe-inspiring and sharing my experience with the other girls involved was priceless.

POWDER, Photo: Lynsey Dyer

Working with these women to improve my skills made my ski bum dream seem much more plausible.I felt even more fortunate after discussing this with Grania, who pondered,“Who knows what would have happened to me if I was exposed to girls like you when I was younger.”

Check out a video of us from last year.

This spring SheJumps.org are running another session of the Alpine Finishing School and there are still spots available to join in. The course runs from April 20th-27th just out of Revelstoke, BC. For more information or to sign up, please email claire@shejumps.org or go to shejumps.org/alpinefinishingschool

I never saw ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ by Al Gore. It would be easy to say that I was too busy or that I wasn’t interested in science but the real truth is I was scared. I have nightmares; about robbers and war but most frequently about how humans are screwing up the world, me included.

When you wake-up from a nightmare the best way to get back to sleep is to distract yourself or by telling yourself that it’s not true and ignore it. However, with so much time to spare, things I would usually turn a blind eye to haven’t gone away so easily. I think it’s my conscious catching up with me.

I believe in climate change and being the eternal optimist I also believe there is something that we can do about it. I’m not a scientist, I’m not going to find the cure but I am going to spread as many new ideas about accepting and dealing with the problem at hand. Maybe I’ll inspire a real scientist to make an amazing change. Maybe a cult will be started in my name. Maybe no one will listen. At least I’m trying.

This week I was really proud of myself, I faced one of my bigger fears. I went and saw James Balog’s documentary, Chasing Ice. It’s a film about James Balog’s struggle to open people’s eyes about their impact on the planet, especially in the frozen parts of the world. It was distressing and frustrating to watch but at the end of the film, after the applause, I was inspired, I felt better because accepting denial and fear are the first steps to making a change.

I really recommend that you check out the Chasing Ice, then you can make your own decision. Check out the trailer here.

It’s been a week since I had my ACL reconstruction surgery. I’m happy to say that everything went very well. The doctor’s replaced my torn ligament with part of my hamstring and my MCL was left alone to heal by itself.

Being my first major injury outside of having my wisdom teeth yanked out, I was caught somewhat unaware. The whole hospital, self-dosing morphine and bedpan thing caught be off-guard. I also think I scared the nurses a bit in the recovery room as  I woke up and instantly demanded to know the outcome of my surgery followed by cries for more morphine. On the positive side my family took a lot of amusement out of my drowsy, post-op phone calls, letting them know I was ok and too high to communicate.

Morphine-filled selfies in hospital

One thing that I had prepared myself for was at least two weeks of uselessness- well at least in terms of mobility- I’ve spent the last week in bed. At first I was too sick from opiates to do much but look disheveled and complain that I couldn’t curl up in a ball of self-pity. Lucky my siblings were around to make fun of me.

My usual chauffeur, Anna Segal

When I was finally conscious enough to function I was able to start reflecting on the last few weeks and start planning for the year ahead. In bed I watched the last two events of the FWT. There were a lot of mixed emotions, I wanted so bad to be there and was so jealous of all my friends but luckily and more importantly I was happy to be watching everyone get gnarly. However, in the back of my mind I had to keep on repeating, “next year ” to myself.

It’s at this point that I realized my big mistake and the key to all my suffering. I was pissed off because I couldn’t be there, I felt like I needed to be constantly skiing and competing to prove myself but it was this mentality that lead to my injury in the first place.

The Wave, chilling by the pool

So like many injured athletes before me I’m going to slow it down, look around and enjoy the time off. Already I’ve been made busy with little projects and ideas, the week started with marathon-long stints of Downton Abbey and has finished with one a day because I’m otherwise too busy.

The best thing that has happened so far is being given the book ‘The Wave’  by Susan Casey. The Wave explores the history and future of ‘freak waves’ (100ft waves that trouble the worlds shipping channels), climate change’s impact on our oceans and big wave surfers whose dream it is to ride these waves rather than running from them. Check out this video preview of the book.

“When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you,” Friedrich Nietzsche

Looking at the world through the eye’s of both athletes and scientists hit home quite quickly. As a teenager I was always super pro-active about climate change and saving the earth but as my career as a competitive skiing took over, I lost a lot of my drive for the issue.

I’ve got at least six months of rehab ahead of me where I can’t ski and I’ve decided now to use this time to try and make my love of mountains and skiing something that can help to make myself and others more aware of what our passions can do to nature if we remain oblivious.

Australia

How many blog posts start with the phrase “it’s been awhile?” Quite a few I believe, blogs can be hard work, especially when your mind is planning adventures and escapades. But it’s been awhile.

Lately my mind hasn’t been planning too much, more musing, “what’s that funny floaty stuff in the bottom of the pool?….” I’ve been swimming a fair bit at my local public pool and more often than not there will be something questionable floating past you in the water (today there was quite a lot of floaty activity). So there can be a lot to mull over.

Prahran Pool- place to be

Swimming can be pretty boring, especially when you can’t kick. Consequently, it’s also a great time to think, or over-think. For instance, I’ve been planning this blog for over two weeks. Between counting laps and floaty things I’ve been puzzling over a good way to write about injuring my knee.

I finally realised why it was so hard. I couldn’t work out what the injury meant, how it was affecting me. Of course I was bummed. When I found out that I’d torn my ACL and my MCL I was devastated.  It meant the end of my winter, one that I had been looking forward to for nearly nine months. Then it all registered, hurting my knee meant one thing: back to reality.

Auckland Airport

Sitting on the plane back to Australia the sadness started to get to me. Usually going home after a long winter I’m so happy for the break. But this time I was going home knowing that I wouldn’t be skiing for the next seven months.

Whenever I come home, friends and family shake their heads smiling at the run-around life I lead. A lot of people tell me how jealous they are of what I’m doing but it’s only now that I fully appreciate their jealousy.

For the last three years I’ve been living a dream. I ski eight months of the year and work like a maniac and train for the other four. While I haven’t had a full-time job for the last few years, it sure feels like it. The only difference is my job is flipping awesome. Everyday is full of adrenaline, silly plans and curious exploits. One minute the pressure is on, it’s comp day, and the next I’m happily hiking up the side a ridge to shoot photos.

Family icing time

This winter I wasn’t in one place for more than two weeks. It was stressful and tiring but in comparison to sitting with my leg up all day, it was epic.

What I see now is that this injury doesn’t mean the end of the world, there will be more opportunities and more pow snow. But it will be a struggle, for a brain that is so used to constant movement and change, I need to learn to be patient and happy with where I’m at.

So going into surgery this week, I’m being positive. I’ll make a full recovery, my knee is going to be 110% and it’s going to go on to do great things.

Heirloom crutches that Anna is passing on to me

In the meantime I just want to thank everyone who has, is and will support me over the next few months. Reality can be a bitch sometimes so it’s only with friends and family that you can get through it.

Peace and love kiddos.

Late last month I headed over to Chamonix for the first time since I left in spring 2010.  The trip brought up a lot of nostalgia. Chamonix always meant a lot to me, so it was amazing to be there for the week of the FWT but so hard to leave.

The competition took place on the first weekend of the weather window. I wrote a blog for Mountainwatch.com about the competition itself. You can check it out here.

Bib Draw with Pia Nic Gundersen and Anne May Slinning

Venue inspection at Flegere

After the comp had finished I had a whole week before heading back to Jackson Hole.    First things first, I went to Sole bootfitters to make a few alterations to my new Dalbello Kryzma’s (which are now skiing like a dream).

My booties got to have a bath!

Seb and Matt ‘fixing my boots’, I think they just wanted to get close

Then I went skiing. The weather went south straight after the comp so a lot of the mountain wasn’t accessible due to high winds and avalanche danger- but we made it work.

Touring with Anna Caesar on Col de Berad

While I didn’t get to ski as much as I had planned, I felt so lucky to have had the opportunity to go back to Chamonix, so I really couldn’t complain. I might just have to make my way back there this spring.

Photo: Freeride World tour

With such a busy winter, staying on top of this blog is one of my main challenges (that and doing weekly loads of laundry between road trips). The first stop of the FWT already seems like a month ago but the comp only took place last week.

Revelstoke put on an amazing event for us; there was pow, sunshine and an epic venue to rip up.

Mac Daddy Face, Photo: Freeride World Tour, Bruno Long

I was fairly nervous coming into the first stop of the tour. While deep down I knew that I could put down a solid comp run, I didn’t trust my nerves to keep it together under so much pressure. Believing in yourself is so important when performing well under pressure and in Revy, I just didn’t quite have the faith.

This is my nervous face, who would know? Photo: Casey Lucas

 In moments full of self-doubt like this I like to think about my friends and family who believe in me. I try to imagine what success looks like and what it means to me. While I hiked up the side of Mac Daddy Face success meant being brave enough to ski to the bottom. It meant not giving up or hesitating, even though the snow wasn’t pristine. I just wanted to be proud of my skiing.

My run didn’t go perfectly but as I have learned perfect is a word that shouldn’t be associated with an athletic performance- nothing will ever be perfect. I was so nervous at the top that I skied slower than usual through the steep, rocky face. Annoyed, I tried  to ski through the middle of my line faster but coming out of the straight-line the snow was rough and not as creamy as I had expected. At that point I didn’t care about the rest of my line, I just wanted to make it to the bottom without screwing up.

Dropping into Mac Daddy Face, Photo: Freeride World tour

At first I was so stoked about not crashing but later as I was somewhat disappointed in not charging harder through the crap snow. Nevertheless my safe skiing paid off and I took out 3rd place. A podium on the Freeride World Tour is something that I didn’t really expect out of this winter, I am so happy with this result and stoked to be able compete in three more stops of this winter.

On the podium with Christine Hargin (1st) and Nadine Wallner (2nd)

All I want now is to keep challenge myself, skiing harder and trying my best to land my runs. When I think about the things I want to achieve, Sarah Burke always comes to mind. Her strength and positivity when fighting for her goals has always inspired me. Just before I dropped in at Revy, she came into my thoughts. I decided that despite nerves and fear, she would have skied and put down the best she had on that day. So that is what I did, and more than anything I’m proud to have skied for Sarah. #CelebrateSarah.

POWDER! Photo: Bruno Long

Ion Mountain Championships- Dew Tour

Despite the amazing conditions we’ve been having in Jackson Hole, I thought it was about time to head to Colorado for a few days to ski some park and visit my big sister. Luckily enough, my cunning plan coincided with the Dew Tour at Breckenridge.

Before I left I made sure to take care of business, I had a morning of cliff drops and fast shredding with the ladies. Skied ‘Four Pines’ ( an awesome backcountry run accessed via JH) and I even got to see some moose.

Caroline, Hadley and I…. Tess sent it so big, she ended up in a tree

Halfway to Four Pines with Pip and Scott

The drive to Breckenridge was less fun. It started off fairly mellow as I cruised along the Wyoming highways to I-80 but the minute I began my trek down to the CO border I found snow and some sketchy roads. One fish-tail later I was trucking along at 30 mph trying to stay safe. It was worth the drive, I was stoked to see my funny sister Anna and be able to support her at the Dew women’s slopestyle final- despite the gnarly conditions.

Women’s Slopestyle Ski Finals with Angeli and Jen

Checking out the ION tent with Maria and Giovanni

During the finals the wind was howling and the speed was never consistent, I’ve never felt so sick watching a competition in my life. In my opinion, the event should have been put on hold for an extra day. Neither the women or men could compete to their usual standard, which is a huge shame, 50% were knuckling the booters or unable to finish their runs because of wind. How is freeskiing meant to gain support if the competitors are unable to perform at the best of their abilities and showcase their sport?

Even worse, several competitors were injured during the competition due to the bad conditions. Granted slopestyle skiing is a risky sport, these skiers shouldn’t have been put in a scenario of either knuckling/possibly crashing their air or forfeiting the feature. I really hope that in the future the athlete’s safety is put first.

Slopetyle Podium, Kaya, Yuki and Anna

Notwithstanding, the girls battled through their final runs like champs! Kaya Turski took out first place with Yuki Tsubota in second and Anna Segal in third. Whether or not these girls put down the best runs of their lives I think they did a great job for their first comp of the season in some of the worst conditions they have ever competed in.

On that note, it is now snowing in Breck, not the best conditions for working on tricks in the park but oh well, I’ll still give it a crack! It’s been hard looking at reports of nearly 30 inches falling in Jackson over the weekend but at the end of the day, there will always be pow but sisters don’t come around too often.

As a last note, here is some great work by Anna’s coach, Tori Beattie, photo bombing the Today show in true style. Thank-you Tori!

Anna doing weather on the Today show, Tori Beattie lurking in the background, photo bombs pay off.