TELEMARK SKIING: WHAT IS IT?

Telemark Skiing - Are You Up For It?

With January upon us and February around the corner, we here in the Northern Hemisphere enter the height of ski season.

Skiing has long been a great adventure sport, turned extreme sport for those who live in mountainous, snow-covered terrain. The Olympic Winter Games features skiing as the biggest attraction, along with snow boarding and biathlons. And of course, for those in flatter areas, cross country skiing is quite popular. But one of the more extreme styles of skiing is know as Telemarking. Telemark skiing is quite popular, so much so that there are magazines and organizations dedicated to the sport.   

What is telemarking you ask?

Telemark skiing, also known as "free heel skiing", is a form of downhill skiing using bindings where the boot is attached only at the toe (similar to those of Cross-country skiing), allowing the heel to come up from the ski. Because the heel is free, it allows the skier to go into a lunge position in order to turn. The act of lunging while turning is a technique called the telemark turn.

Telemark turns are led with the heel flat on the outside ski (which becomes the downhill ski at the end of the turn) with the knee at a 90-degree angle. The inside ski slides back under the skier's body with a flexed knee and raised heel. This position resembles that of a lunge. The skis are staggered but not quite parallel, and the downhill ski is pushed forward by the skier’s lunge. Normally the 50% to 60% of the body weight is distributed on the outside ski, depending on snow conditions.

Telemark turns are rounder and more graceful than alpine turns. They are also much more strenuous, so expect your quads to burn afterward — though, compared to downhill, Telemark skiing is considerably easier on the knees. 

Equipment for telemark skiing differs from traditional alpine skiing as unlike alpine ski bindings, which lock the heel and toe of the boot, Telemark skis only lock in the toe and leave the heel detached; for this reason, Telemark technique is sometimes referred to as ‘free-heel skiing’. Traditionally, the bindings are different as well. Older telemark bindings used a ‘three-pin’ system that locked the duckbill in place but for the last 30 years or so, spring-loaded cable bindings have been the most widely used models.

The next, and possibly largest difference, as explained above, is the telemark turn. Making a proper Telemark turn generally requires a lot of practice and beginners should first learn the skill on relatively flat terrain.

Here is a video to help you learn the basics of a Telemark turn. So sit back, watch, and enjoy. The get out there and give it a shot if you are up for it.

RACE ME TO THE POLE - Wrap Up...

Photo provided by Hannah Rollings

Race Me To The Pole - Wrap Up

BY: HANNAH ROLLINGS

Ahead of relaying the final installment on Gavin's trip, we want to thank all supporters of Gavin and Moving Mountains Trust throughout this expedition on behalf of Gavin himself and all of the Moving Mountains staff and beneficiaries.

100% of the donations will go towards projects in Kenya, Nepal and Borneo so make sure you follow Moving Mountains in the near future to see the fantastic projects that these funds will help support. 

The last re-supply checkpoint was at Cator Harbour on Sherard Osborn Island, right at the Northern Tip of Bathurst Island and at the 310km mark of the journey. Gavin and the team made it here on the 21st April. The re-supply plane picked up one of the guides, Steve, who unfortunately suffered from frostbitten fingers. As a precaution he was flown back to Resolute to have it checked out and we since hear he is doing fine. The re-supply plane brought extra food and fresh sat-phone batteries. These phones have been one of the only links between Gavin and the outside world, allowing us to exchange brief conversations, and relay information by text. In addition, the Yellow Brick GPS tracker unit has allowed us view his position at hourly intervals on the interactive map and also extract accurate Lat/Long coordinates. READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP

Race Me To The Pole - UPDATE...

Photo provided by Hannah Rollings

"Race Me To The Pole"  - Update

By: HANNAH ROLLINGS

Thanks to unseasonably good weather and high pressure over the Arctic, Gavin was ahead of schedule at an impressive 88km after just four days of skiing. However, there were indications that the spell of good weather would change, with low pressure moving over the Arctic. Sure enough, the bad weather came and conquered, with the team were camp-bound for 60+ hours. Let’s hope that the low pressure heading to the Arctic doesn’t cause too many disruptions on the Race to the Pole.

On the 10th of April Gavin had a 24hr stop-over at Polaris Mine. The once functioning mine produced 21 million tonnes of lead-zinc worth over $15 billion before closing in July 2002 after 20 years of production. At one time 250 people lived and worked there. Although the site is now closed and deconstructed, it still serves as a convenient checkpoint and re-supply point for adventurers and expeditions on this classic Polar route.

This was also the first opportunity Gavin has had to change his base layer of clothing after 6 days of skiing! The team were re-supplied with food and drink and also met some of the Canadian rangers who have been on patrol in the area. The Rangers warned of a female Polar Bear and cub in the area. Needless to say, the team gave a very wide berth to such a potentially dangerous animal. Luckily, they didn't come into contact. READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP

"Race Me to the Pole" Says Adventurer Gavin Bate...

Adventurer Gavin Bate (Photo courtesy Hannah Rollings)

‘Race me to the Pole’ says adventurer Gavin Bate

STORY BY HANNAH ROLLINGS -

Tomorrow my boss and friend, philanthropist and adventurer Gavin Bate, aims to ski more than 550km from Resolute Bay in northern Canada to the magnetic North Pole. As part of the expedition, his aim is to raise £22,000 for the Moving Mountains Trust, an international development charity that he founded more than 10 years ago.

The ‘race’ to the pole will see donors pitted against Gavin in his journey across the thinning Arctic sea ice toward the Pole. Every pound donated by the ‘Donation Team’ is worth 25 metres of Gavin’s trek, and as he gets ever closer to the finish line the Donation Team will race to achieve their target of £22,000 worth of donations. Importantly, all of the money raised via donations associated with this expedition will go towards Moving Mountains Trust which supports sustainable development projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Nepal and Borneo. Gavin covers all overheads himself via profits from his ethical adventure company, Adventure Alternative. It’s well known that tourism is one of the most over-exploited industries, especially in the developing world. Breaking the mould, Adventure Alternative was formed on a strict ethical policy, employing locals and offering them a fair wage, with benefits.

Moving Mountains’ primary aims are to provide aid for the relief of hardship, poverty, suffering and inequality through education and vocational training, medical treatment, sport and employment. Most importantly, in my mind, all projects are developed over a number of years with the local community; the community’s voice is actually heard! After completion, they are handed over to the community to manage alongside the Moving Mountains committees in each country.

Everyone can follow the daily progress made by Gavin and the Donation Team via the constantly updated race record at racemetothepole.com and via a host of other social media streams. Thanks to Yellow Brick tracking we will receive Gavin’s location every four hours. It’s near impossible for the team to carry any other form of (functioning) electronics due to temperatures that often reach -35C. 

To join the donation team in the Race to the Pole, text ‘POLE13 £1’ to 70070. You can substitute the £1 with £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10. To learn about more about the expedition and to find out other ways to donate, visit the campaign website at www.racemetothepole.com

I’ll be back soon to update you on Gavin’s progress!



Dates: 

• Gavin left the UK on March 27, 2013 flying via Ottawa and Iqaluit to Resolute Bay. 
• Several days will be spent at Resolute Bay, packing and testing equipment. 
• Gavin is due to leave Resolute Bay on April 6, 2013 to begin the trek to the pole. The team are expected to reach the Pole on May 4, 2013. 

Social Media: 

Facebook Facebook.com/racemetothepole

Twitter @MMTrust #racemetothepole

LinkedIn Moving-Mountains-Trust

Contact: 

www.racemetothepole.com
Hannah Rollings
Moving Mountains Trust
info@movingmountainstrust.com

PO Box 14
Portstewart
Northern Ireland
BT55 7WS

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