UKC

Gabriel Lees and Leanne Callaghan have become the first British female team to complete the Pierra Menta ski mountaineering race.

The Pierra Menta involves 4 days of climbing on lightweight carbon fibre skis, running over exposed ridges and summits, and high speed descending down a variety of steep icy couloirs and technical off piste terrain, in teams of 2...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67951

In reply to UKC News:

Pretty inspiring, it'd be great to see a more detailed article on how they train for this.

Brilliant!

In reply to Tyler: 'it'd be great to see a more detailed article on how they train for this.' while living in Cardiff and the Wiral! Good work girls.

Mark C

In reply to UKC News:
Well done, they should do a handicap depending on how far you live from reliable ski areas - in that case the British teams would probably win! Great to get a bit of exposure on UKC as well for what is still a fairly niche activity in the UK, most people (climbers included) don't really know what ski touring is...

In reply to UKC News: Leanne is ace, she did a talk for the LC&CC and she is an inspiration. Congratulations to the both of them.

In reply to UKC News: Effort !

In reply to UKC News: I see Leanne is still as fit as ever!

In reply to luckyjim:

Fantastic effort!

Does anyone know if there are mixed teams in any of the ski mountaineering races or are they just mens and women's categories?

In reply to Dave P: of course you can compete as a mixed pair, but not sure if there is a specifc catorgry, I think they will put you in the mens age catorgry. Have a look at http://www.skimountaineering.org/de for details of specifc races.

In reply to UKC News:

Impressive. Top work.

Y

Nice one Gabby and leanne. Very impressive stuff and things.

In reply to Blinder: You can race in a mixed team, but in the Pierramenta there is no separate ranking for mixed teams. Leanne raced last year in a mixed team with Nick Wallis.

Well done to Gaby and Leanne, awesome effort, and to Gaby for going on and winning the GB champs the week later. Also might be of interest; Jon Morgan, Ben Bardsley, Misha Gopaul and Ben Tibbetts recently did the Haute route in a single push! http://www.movescount.com/moves/move12246241

In reply to Tyler:

re: training techniques, I believe the uk-based team have been making a lot of use of roller-skis, skikes (off-road roller-skates) and some tyre-dragging up and down the beach. Another revelation was that one can ascend a smooth, grassy hillside on skis and expendable old skins, without needing any snow at all, thus still getting a sport-specific workout. No substitute for the altitude and scale available by training in the Alps though...