Minimum altitude: 1,281 meters
Distance: 24 km
Slope Aspect: North
Vertical Climbed: 469 meters (1,539 feet)
Vertical Descended: 456 meters
I'm doing some shadowing with the Ecole de Porte after my BASI Nordic course. Started by helping with the laser Biathlon then moved on to a 2 hour session with the schoolkids who were doing classic. Leonie, the instructor, laid out a track through powder down a slope which then led onto a pisted slope. The kids were supposed to traverse across the slope (knees/ankles flexed) then when they reached the prepared slope turn around some cones and either herringbone, stride (if they had enough grip) or even sidestep up the slope. We continued this exercise but looked at adding striding in the tracks, then striding and gliding (two steps then a glide) then one skier sling-shotting another skier into a glide. Finally a bit of fun as skiers paired up and played cat and mouse. Take outs were animating the session and keeping the group from interfering with other skiers.
Warm, snow was generally better than earlier in the week - no ice but sticky where it had not been prepared due to the rapidly rising temperatures. Some uneven surfaces and berms on corners were surprising. The south loop had reopened.