REPS SEASON DEBRIEF
Image: Emily McCarron
It’s a wrap! Ski Club Reps reflect on the remarkable season that saw Members flock back to the mountains after the pandemic
The only thing we could have predicted about winter 2021/22 was that it would be even more unpredictable than expected. From ever-changing travel restrictions and COVID variants to snow droughts and Saharan storms, it’s been a winter of curveballs. In celebration of the season that saw many of us gratefully return to the mountains after far too long, we invited Ski Club Reps to share their highlights of a truly extraordinary winter.
“Here are some photos from the stunning Sella Ronda region, taken while we were staying in Canazei. We had to work hard for our off-piste turns but the group was totally up for it. There was lots of boot packing and a day of ski touring, which led to some great itineraries. We did some tough gullies – steep and narrow – which opened up into beautiful valleys below.”
Mark Colston
“After two years without skiing, it was great to be back with Members in Lenzerheide! We had a fantastic week of skiing: the weather was perfect, we lunched in the sun and skied until the lifts closed every day. Good times! Can you see the Members reflected in my goggles?!”
Emily McCarron
“This picture from a Freshtracks Pila Top-Up course shows that age is no barrier, with one of my groups spanning the ages from 29 to 82 years. I feel that Michael Patrick (pictured here in black) would deserve an article of his own. He learned to ski in his fifties and hadn't been skiing for three years before this trip. He prepared for the trip by training four days a week in the gym for six months and walking many miles to get fit.
“Not only did Michael smash the course, he improved his own ski standard and inspired everyone – Phil the instructor and myself included. Michael, who lives alone, also used the Club course as a platform to go skiing later in the year with a friend. In my opinion, Michael epitomises some of the strengths of the Ski Club and its potential benefits to Members of all ages.”
Danny Lake
“Powder, no wind and plenty of visibility. Sun and snow. Blue bird days. That was February in Switzerland with the Club.
“Repping was great fun with an excellent team of red-silver tryers on the Peak Experience course in Arosa, all of whom moved up a grade, many to purple, in the ideal conditions. Rebecca Gallagher and I had a ball leading these folk all over the three linked resorts and availing ourselves of the great facilities of the Sunstar hotel in Arosa. Many of the group developed their backward skiing skills and did plenty of 360s, just playfully jaunting around perfect pistes.
“Earlier in the season, I had the pleasure of being joined by Members and guests for some fun days of skiing in Grindelwald and Wengen. The highlight for most was Run 23 for the many kilometres from the top of First all the way back to Grindelwald past massive cliffs, spotting chamois beside the steepest runs and finishing through silent trees.
“Earlier in my month, I was a paying participant in the Freshtracks Andermatt off-piste adventure. What fun was had by all in fantastic conditions for playing around in powder and exhausting ourselves with skins!
“All of you future off-piste experts should consider that trip! A great hotel at the end of the day – almost ski-in/ski-out, except for the bars along the route home of course...
“Ski Club holidays offer great opportunities to meet others and hone, develop and practice all those on-snow things we really want to be better at. Come along next season for even more fun!”
Lindsay Mollison
“My wife Sheila and I kicked off our Zermatt Repping duties in early December. Even with the expected reduction in Members travelling to the Alps, we had a great turnout and some good early season skiing with mixed conditions. The Alps seemed to have a general drought this winter, so it was reassuring to be in such a high resort with guarantee of snow.
“It was great to have a healthy number of young Members out skiing with us before Christmas. The Taylor family in particular had us up and out on the first Gornergrat train on several mornings to get the early groomers. The Social in the Pollux is always a great Ski Club evening meet up and proved popular with new Members as well.
“I was fortunate to also have attend a Fresh Tracks Peak Experience week in Damüls in March. It’s an area I had only vaguely heard of but had never visited. What a nice surprise this compact area proved to be. Very different from the popular big resort areas, it’s very picturesque, low-key and friendly, with a superb hotel, the Mittagspitze, and fascinating FIS ski museum.
“It is always a pleasure to share the mountains with the loyal Peak Experience Ski Club Members. My experience this season has really emphasised the importance of the Repping service for Members. Long may it continue to deliver an enhanced holiday experience to you!”
Kenneth McCallister
Keen readers of Ski+board might recall a news piece in our Winter 2021 issue about Ski Club Rep James Atkins and his group of ‘Canazei Escapees’. Having endured a fraught 36-hour journey out of Italy as Europe was plunged into lockdown in March 2020, the group vowed to return to Canazei to “finish unfinished busines.”
The group’s resolve was tested further when their planned 2021 return was cancelled due to Omicron, yet we’re happy to report that James and several of his ‘escapees’ finally reunited in the Sella Ronda on the Peak Experience ‘Italian Indulgence’ trip in March 2022.
“After a massive seven-week stint Repping in Klosters, Obergurgl and Zermatt this winter, I was able to ski with what I calculate to be around 90 Members, plus some Ski Club Reps past and present. Apart from being amazing skiers, they were all great people and always willing to pass on their wealth of knowledge to this relatively inexperienced Rep.”
Mark Brailey