Ski Camps at Foret Montmorency
The whole 2017 Foret team!Front L-R: Kait, Mike, Ben, Ida, HallieBack L-R: Caitlin, Adam, Liz, Nick, Pepa
Most of the GRP skiers and biathletes spent Monday Oct 30 – Thursday Nov 2, and Monday Nov 6 – Thursday Nov 10 at Foret Montmorency. The Foret Montmorency is a skiing/research/vacation facility operated by the University of Laval, and it is located about 1 hour north of Quebec City in Eastern Canada.
Fortunately for us, based in Craftsbury in northeastern Vermont, it’s only about a 4-4.5 hour drive to the Foret. This made it possible to go up north two consecutive weeks, returning to VT for a few days of the weekend and the NENSA Elite Rollerski race at Trapps on Saturday Nov. 4th.
During both 4-day camps, we put a big emphasis on technique and making sure to ski with good body position. Pepa was out on the trailside for every session, capturing video with her iPad for us to review after the ski. This constant feedback loop of ski-video review-ski can be extremely useful for making changes, but it also requires you to stay mentally engaged the whole time for the most benefit.
Camp week 1 included several distance sessions, skate jump skate speeds, classic start practice, 3 minute classic/DP intervals, and a skate time trial. Camp week 2 included more distance sessions of both classic and skate, 90 second classic intervals, and 3-4 minute hard skate intervals.
Enjoy the photos below. For more media – photos and videos from the camp – look at our Instagram or Facebook pages.
Ida leaves for Europe on Nov. 15th, the domestic biathletes leave for Canmore on Nov. 20th, and the domestic skiers leave for West Yellowstone on Nov. 21st. The winter of racing is right around the corner!
Thin snow, but it still glides! There were considerable numbers of woodchips, sawdust, a few rocks, but at least the majority of the surface appears white.
Ben and Hallie
Ben and Hallie heading out along the white ribbon. This was during camp week 1, and the narrow spot ahead of them is the part that melted out and was no longer skiable in week 2
Mike out for a classic cruise
Ida and Kait deciding, right or left?
It was great to have Ida up at the Foret camps with the rest of us domestic GRP racers, before she heads to Europe on Nov 15th. Photo: Pepa
Liz and Kait during a skate distance session
Adam Martin wins the men’s race at the NENSA Elite Rollerski Invitational. Photo: Gary Solow
Ida Sargent wins the NENSA Elite race for women. Photo: Dave Priganc
Back to the Foret: Adam Martin, the masquerading Swede
Liz and Kait pass the main lodge along the snow loop. Photo: Pepa
Pepa skis along with the iPad, reading to video and offer technique advice at any moment
Ida, Liz, Kait. Photo: Pepa
Dance for the Foret!
Photos by myself, Caitlin, unless otherwise noted. Thanks for reading!