Switzerland Training.. Warm vs the Arctic!

Well arriving in Wengen, there was a lot of snow around, but the temperature was a warm -2 deg C. Warm??? Well, Cold compared to Cape Town, but I was expecting that. What I wasn't expecting though, was for me to feel warm at -2 deg C. Aaah, the training in Yellowknife is working: I 'see' snow, and I now associate it with -20 to -30 Deg C, but now Wengen is confusing that, and I feel warm.(I haven't quite finessed this 'brainwashing' to associate snow with -40 yet!! I guess after the North Pole that or lower is what my reference then will be!)



First day out on the touring ski's.

I decided to keep the training simple here, and focus mainly on strength work. I have my touring ski's and boots here, and although they aren't the same as the type I'll use in the Arctic, they are good for training, in that once I put 'skins' on the ski's I can literally go anyway where there is snow....Uphill, downhill, flat, obstacles etc. For those that don't know, skins are strips of friction fabric, that are the length of the ski, and clip onto the underside, ski-ing surface to enable one to have grip when going up hill. Early North Pole expeditions did not use Snow Shoes, and the expeditioner would carry these 'skins' with them, attaching them when the terrain required 'ski grip', and removing them when the terrain allowed, low friction, ski-ing.

My training plan was to basically try everyday to ski from Wengen village up to the base of the Eiger... A tough 2 hour climb of over 800 metres along a magnificent, back country, off piste path. I would do that at as fast a pace as I could go, and without rests, to simulate a single 2hr Arctic 'march. For the North Pole the plan is to do approximately four, 2 hour, 'marches' a day, with rests between each 'march'. I would then either have 'a fun' downhill ski back, or on the occasional day, take a longer alternative ski-walk route back.

This plan has worked well, and as I prepare to head back to London tomorrow, I feel like my fitness has improved, and my mind is stronger than when I arrived.



The destination everyday....: The base of the Eiger, an awesome 'beacon'!


Of slight concern though is the occasional numbness I feel in a single toe, one that was affected by the frostnip. The fingers and toes that were affected by the frostnip, are far more sensitive than normal, and after initially un-nerving me, I see this as a helpful, early warning mechanism for the future.

On the diet side, I have been trying to put on a bit more weight...not a significant amount, probably 2 kilograms, but try as I will, I am struggling to do that! I must say it is pretty nice not watching what I eat these days, but it does go against my better judgement to just binge knowing I will get fatter! I have never experienced this dichotomy, of training heavily for an event, yet also wanting to 'get out of shape'... the mind boggles!



The 'Easy Life in Wengen'...Jagermeister coffee, after a good day's training!

So tomorrow, its back to London, and knocking off the "Things Still to Do" list. There is an amazing amount of stuff still to do, as once I leave for Yellowknife again, (5th February) there is no turning back and basically the stuff that comes with me, goes to the Pole.

More in the next Post.....