1. Burton Beeracuda

I’m the first to admit that I am not a fan of beer, but I LOVE this. I’ll love it even more when Smirnoff Ice comes in cans (sorry Leigh). Going to watch your roommate race in the x-country running championships, going to watch an F1 race, or just going to the park to have a picnic and want to be conspicuous? Buy this pack. I haven’t seen design like this since Eames banged out his Eiffel chair.

2. Klean Kanteen 27oz Reflect Mirror Finish

Classy as a diamond ring with puppies on it. It almost makes me weak at the knees seeing this beauty. I have had a KK stainless bottle for years now and thought I would never find another I would prefer, but alas I was wrong. NOW IT HAS BAMBOO! Seriously though, this is a nice accessory for the stroll down to the vintage typewriter shop.

3. Platypus Wine PlatyPreserve 800ml (pack of 4)

I am starting to look like an alcoholic. But if you enjoy a nice bottle of wine around the campfire while your friends look at you jealously while sipping their lukewarm hot chocolate, then this bladder is for you. No more panic attacks about bottle breakage, just decant into the trusty bladder and off you go. If you are already thinking about attaching a hose directly to the bladder then I suggest calling AA- book me in as well.

4. The North Face Duffel Brief

It is sad to say out loud, but I am not known for my classiness, suaveness, or general hygiene. I’m working on it however, and I’ll start with this briefcase from The North Face. The tough duffel fabric gives it an original look, and a tough-guy attitude, while the laptop and iPad compartments adds the touch of refinement I need in my life. I feel like Steve McQueen when rocking this minimalist brief.

5. Dave Todaro Art Series

Todaro: the man, the myth, the legend. One day he might become one of these, but in the mean time we are selling some great works he did for us. Honestly he has done a wonderful job capturing Altitude-Sports.com as not only an entity, but an ideology. These one-of-a-kind A4-sized prints are perfect for that little wall at home or at the office that needs sprucing up. It is also worth having a look at his personal website davetodaro.com.

-Mark Altitude

J'ai décidé que descendre de Tremblant valait la peine afin d'essayer ces godasses. Même pour un vendeur d'expérience comme moi, acheter une paire de souliers de course n'est jamais évident puisqu'il faut assurément les acheter basé sur quelques pas dans un magasin. Je n'allais pas rater la belle opportunité de les tester en courant avec. Ma gang et moi étions debout tôt et après une belle moustache au café et la moitié d'un croissant au chocolat, nous étions au Altitude-Sports.com St-Denis.

Un raz-de-marée de souliers The North Face nous a accueuilli. L'emphase était sur trois modèles: le Single-Track II, le Single-Track Hayasa, et le Double-Track. Disponibles pour femmes et hommes. Curieusement, tout le monde dans mon groupe a décidé d'essayer le Hayasa. C'est un soulier de course ultra-léger avec un maximum réponses sous le pied.

Avec nos souliers poid-plume, nous avons gallopé jusqu'au Mont-Royal, à quelques patés de maisons de la boutique. Une petite pente montante nous à réchauffé les jambes tandis qu'un soleil de printemps réchauffait le reste. Le Hayasa avait un bon comportement sur l'asphalte. Un soulier neutre, il ne compense pas pour la pronation (le pied qui plie vers l'intérieur), son minimalisme a définitivement été apprécié par le groupe; tout le monde commentait son poids, ou plutôt manque de dans ce cas-ci.

Nous sommes arrivés à la base de ce magnifique parc et nous avons commencé notre douce ascension vers le sommet sur le sentier en gravier. Le soulier garde son adhérence lorque nous arrivons aux cailloux, même qu'on le sent plus à l'aise. On commence même à se permettre de s'aventurer et passer par des sections de forêt plus garnie. Les souliers ont très bien performé dans le terrain rocailleux truffé de racines. The North Face a mis leur Snake Plate dans le Hayasa, ce qui permet de réduire la douleurs venant de courir sur un object pointu, ce qui a été bien apprécié lors de promenade rapide.

C'est à peu prêt ça les amis. On s'est amusé en essayant des souiers de course The North Face. Je recommande fortement l'expérience à quiconque serait de passage. Des amis, une belle météo et un peu d'exercice. Quoi de mieux? Un test de crèpes belges après? Un gars s'essaye.

À la prochaine les amigos

Mark Altitude*

*Traduit par Jean-Michel Sotiron

I decided that a trip down from Mont-Tremblant was in order to test these babies out. Even for an experienced retail assistant, buying a pair of running shoes is never easy as you most assuredly have to buy them based on a few strides in the shop, so I thought I would take full advantage. My gang were up early and after a great mustachioed coffee and half a chocolate croissant we were at the Altitude-Sports.com St-Denis store.

A tidal wave of North Face shoes greeted us. The focus was really set on three models: The Single-Track II, the Single-Track Hayasa, and the Double-Track. Both men’s and women’s were available to everyone. For some strange reason everyone from our group decided to try the Hayasa. It is an ultra-light running shoe with maximum underfoot feel.

With our featherweight shoes strapped on we galloped off to Mount-Royal which is just up the street from our shop. A nice incline warms us up the legs as the spring sun warms the rest. The Hayasa feels nice on the pavement. A neutral runner, it does not compensate for pronation (the foot falling inward), its minimalism is definitely appreciated as everyone comments on their weight, or in this case lack thereof.

We arrive at the base of the beautiful park and start our slow ascension up the gravel path to the summit. The shoe loses no grip as we hit the loose rock, in fact it seems to feel more at home. We even start to get cocky and cut trhough more heavily wooded sections of the park and the shoes perform very well in the rocky, root-infested terrain. The North Face put their Snake Plate in the Hayasa thus reducing the inadvertent pain of striking sharp objects underfoot- well-appreciated on our run.

That’s about it folks. We had a blast trying our running shoes at St-Denis and I recommend it to anyone in the neighborhood next time. We had good friends, nice weather and a pleasant bit of exercise- what more could you want? Well, maybe a Belgian waffle test afterwards? I can always dream.

Toodles

Mark Altitude

To my gigantic surprise Arc’teryx’s spring line of shells is complete with four new jackets which are made using Gore’s new membrane, Active Shell.

Let’s just say the morning after my celebration I was hungover. Parched, and wondering if that dubious looking cat in my bed took advantage of me in my weakened state, I decided to put all these thoughts aside to edify you, my readers, on the new technology.

Arc’teryx Alpha FL Jacket

I’m not much one for words so here I go. Thinner Gore-Tex, and less glue. What’s that spell? Lighter more breathable jackets. Luckily I was able to get my hands on a nice new Arc’teryx Alpha FL (FL is also a new Arc grade of clothing and stands for Fast and Light). First shock was the lack of pitzips. How dare you omit pitzips on a hardshell Arc’teryx, do you take yourselves for God? Only a true test will decide.

The Stupid Test

Let me explain.  Understand? No, ok. The Alpha FL jacket from Arc’teryx is a hardshell. As per the aforementioned article there are things you do with hardshells and there are things you do not do with hardshells. The Stupid Test consists of, you guessed it, doing something you don’t want to do in a hardshell.

Things to do in a normal hardhsell: Conquer Winter, test waterproofness and walk to the end of the Earth. What do these look like? Like this:

Things not to do in a hardshell: Go for an hour long run in Spring. The stupid test.

I will never go for a run in a hardshell. That is what I promised myself years ago. Nothing can be breathable and breath enough to keep me dry inside if I go for a run in the rain- nothing. I will sweat in it so much that I will get wet from the inside out anyways, let alone the rain pawing at my face and neck. Gore-Tex says this shell can breath almost twice as well as an ordinary Gore 3-ply. I’m going for a run, and it’s not even raining.

Notice the proper stretching form. I call it the prancing antelope. Now notice certain features about this jacket: might be silly to mention but has great reflective tape in 4 key spots. Arms and torso get seen, and we all know it’s about being seen in Arc’teryx. Secondly, the cut is extremely trim, unlike many of their other hardshells (which are meant for serious layers underneath). The slim fit cut is much nicer for aerobic activities like running, snowshoeing and cross country skiing, and sports needing less garment clutter like rock climbing, alpine stuff.

You can’t see in this epic photo, but they use a reinforced fabric for the shoulders and hips so you can throw on a heavy pack without worry about wear and tear issues like other ultralight jackets. Oh, did I mention this 3-ply comes in under 300 grams (in fact it is 50grams lighter than the 2-ply Alpha SL). Blah, blah, blah, can I run in it?+

The short answer is yes, you can run in it. It was April 6th, the temperature was hovering around 6 degrees and it was windy as heck. Let the stupid test begin. We ran for about an hour up in Mont-Tremblant through some picturesque cross-country trails. Most of the time I wasn’t coughing up phlegm I was focused on the breathability/my sweatiness level. Honestly I was impressed. I have never dared run in a hardshell, but this jacket made me think twice. I did start getting flushed at the 30 minute mark and took off my beanie, but I probably would have done that without jacket as well. Seeing as it wasn’t raining I would always throw on a light softshell, but this test (which turned out to be not so stupid) made me realize that Gore has done a sweet job with this new membrane. As always Arc’teryx has used the technologies available to make a superb versatile piece.

Its questionable breathability has been questioned, and those questions have been answered. If you are looking for one jacket to do everything, from walking the dog in Nova Scotia, to snowshoeing in the Gatineau, to climbing in Canmore, to jogging in Mont-Tremblant, I would definitely put the Alpha FL at the top of that list. The Alpha only has one chest pocket, which I love for weight and compactivity, but if you have one of those cellphones from the early nineties and need more pockets then get the Beta FL- two big Napoleon pockets. It has a massive hood so if you protect the ol’ noggin with a helmet then bingo bango you are good to rock. But really the greatest asset of this jacket is the fact it is a burly 3-ply jacket that is lighter and more compact than a less robust 2-ply. That translates to a tiny jacket that will last you a lifetime if you treat it well.

Finally, in it you can take pretentious photos which will hopefully make it into some Arc’teryx catalog one day, making you millions of dollars. Or just embarrass you as most of your other photos assuredly do.

Love,

Mark Altitude

Are you an outdoor enthusiast? Do you have a passion for technical clothing and equipment?

Take the first step towards an exciting future.
Altitude-sports.com, a leader in outdoor apparel and equipment, is looking for talented people to work at its boutique in Tremblant. If you are dynamic, ambitious and passionate about the outdoors and want to join Altitude-sports.com's team send us your CV to tremblant@altitude-sports.com We are looking for an Assistant Manager (Full time)

Short Job Description

Starting date: As soon as possible

Required Skills

Bilingual
Knowledge of the outdoors and of related products
Retail experience and desire to acquire store management experience
Ease in learning new computer systems (web orders, inventory management, cash register)
Experience in organizing events is a plus

Salary to be discussed during the interview (according to experience and skills)

We would love to have you share your expertise and knowledge with our customers. Please drop your CV off at one of our locations or email it to us

If you are dynamic, ambitious and interested in being a part of the Altitude-sports.com team or would like more information about the positions send your résumé today to: tremblant@altitude-sports.com

If you think you know someone for our team have them send us an email .

We thank all applicants for their interest, but we will only contact selected candidates.

Êtes-vous une amateure de plein air? Êtes-vous passionnée par les vêtements techniques? Notre équipe n’attend que vous. Altitude-sports.com, un chef de file en vêtements et en équipements de plein air, est à la recherche de candidates talentueux afin de travailler à sa boutique à Mont-Tremblant.

Si vous êtes dynamique, ambitieuse et passionnée par le plein air et souhaitez vous joindre à l’équipe d’Altitude-sports.com ou désirez simplement en savoir plus, faites parvenir dès aujourd’hui votre curriculum vitae en boutique ou à l’adresse suivante: tremblant@altitude-sports.com. Nous cherchons une assistante gérante (à temps plein)

Le poste en bref

Début : Dès que possible

Qualités recherchées
Bilingue
Bonne connaissance du milieu du plein air et des produits vendus
Expérience de vente en magasin et intérêt à acquérir de l’expérience de gestion de magasin
Facilité à travailler et apprendre différents systèmes informatiques (commandes web, gestion d’inventaire, opération de la caisse)
Expérience dans l’organisation d’événements serait un plus

Conditions salariales à discuter lors de l’entrevue (selon l’expérience et les
compétences)

Si vous connaissez personnellement une candidate, cette dernière peut nous envoyer un courriel.

Nous remercions à l’avance tous ceux et celles qui témoignent de leur intérêt pour le poste, mais nous communiquerons uniquement avec les candidates retenues.

*Veuillez noter que le féminin est employé uniquement pour allèger le texte.

Like all good journeys this one begins in recycled air and stale peanuts.

Part 2: Skiing at Alta (ie: Pleasure)

Alex and Max, the big bosses of Altitude-sports.com and my travel partners, got wonderful seats side by side. I however was planted next to the stinky, armrest thief who not once allowed my tender elbows to rest. One airport blurred into two, then three and finally we had arrived in Salt Lake, smiles smeared across our faces. A quick drive North past the industrial district and we were safely wedged into our hotel rooms.

The following morning, after a killer bowl of Lucky Charms to energize me for the day, we were off to this unknown mountain. Apparently 500 inches of snow yearly is higher than usual. We learned this the hard way.

It had continuously snowed since our arrival the night prior, and unfortunately most of the mountain was shut due to elevated risk of avalanches. Strike one for Alta.

Half of Alta is still a serious adventure, let it be known. The foot of powder, which continued to build as we skied, was causing us Easterner’s some serious issues. It doesn’t react under our skis like rock-hard ice and/or granular hardpack. We were scratching our heads (not our edges). Furthermore you had to rent these wide ‘skis’ that resembled 2 by 4’s to navigate this white filth.

Why would you pay money to get slowed down by this light snow- it was just getting in the way of the hardpack? Strike two.

That was our first day: getting used to the falling snow and its subsequent nuisance around our ankles and legs. Hopefully the next day of skiing would bring with it Eastern conditions.

A day off at the Retail Show, and numerous hours in the hotel Jacuzzi to recover the old pegs, and we were back to Alta. Saturday brought with it not that crisp -20 Celsius wind we so enjoy at Quebec ski resorts, but more powder. Sigh. The all wheel drive truck struggled to get us to the mountain as we struggled to swallow another day of these conditions.

The chairlift rides were eerily beautiful. We stayed in spirits by reminiscing about night skiing at Bromont. This day we decided to step it up and grab some guides to take us out to some less travelled areas (ie: secret spots). All they could manage to do was take us to even deeper, more pristine powder. Needless to say they would not be getting a good tip.

We were starting to get the hang of this powder stuff near the end of the trip.

The only thing I could not complain about was the company. We laughed all day and competed to see who had the most aching legs. A beer or two at lunch and the team spirit stayed with us from first tracks to well after closing of the chairs. Alta may not have the greatest snow, but at least we had the views and each other.
I know I can be a terrible smart-a**, and enjoy puling legs, but I can say without any hesitation that this trip was a one in a lifetime. The people you meet, the laughs, the sites, the moments you will cherish for years to come- nothing beats a trip with those close friends who constantly push you to be better, work harder and smile more. So a huge thank you to Alex and Max, who without them you would not be on Altitude-sports.com, Steve B the genius-maniac on two skis, and Serge the Arc’teryx assassin.

After a whole day of trudging through powder this is what we came back to. Over a foot of fresh snow dropped in only 6 hours. We spent some time digging out of the parking lot. Strike Three Alta.

Ps: apparently Utah does have the greatest snow on earth. Where it was no one will ever know.

Like when they open Willy Wonka’s factory doors to the children’s eager eyes, the OR Show is a magical, wondrous and even whimsical extravaganza which even outdoes a gear freak’s wildest dreams. There is corridor upon corridor of outdoor companies in the monstrous Convention center, and let’s not forget the annexes and second story. If you have been wondering where you could find a company that makes a drilled-out titanium spork made with helium (to make it lighter) then you could just ask the 3 or 4 companies that make just that product. I jest, but not really. This is the show to end all outdoor shows for retailers like Altitude-sports.com.
I had a few minutes to snap some shots while the guys who make the real decisions around here were meeting with company Presidents' discussing golf and stock portfolios.

Part 1: The Outdoor Retailer Show (ie: Business)

Take a look:

Patagonia rocked a beautiful recycled wood booth with all the trimmings

Outdoor Research had a nice booth, and is clearly moving in more colorful directions.

Patagonia: A colour palette of the psychedelic gods!

Gregory showed us once again why they are the quality-price kings in the backpack game

I didn’t have enough film to capture the entire line, so I took this. Plus Merrell provided beer so I was busy.

Wait. Do you really think all I did was drink beer and soak all these outdoor goodies? Well, I certainly did spend a lot of time salivating at the precious gear and apparel. A lot of time. Almost too much time, if such a thing exists. But I didn't do just that. They say that when you are in Rome, you should do as the romans. That's just what I did. But since this is Utah and not Italy, I went skiing. When I wasn't getting dizzy checking out the sundry new arrivals in the outdoor sporting good world, I was on the slopes at majestic Alta. More on that very soon.

Des rumeurs que je veux clarifier immédiatement:

• "Puisque nous n’avons pas les Rocheuses dans l’Est, je devrai changer d'article à l’instant même". FAUX. Allez, une petite taloche. Votre déclaration est de la folie. La première chose que vous devez réaliser, c’est que le hors piste est partout.
• Le ski d’aventure est dangereux. Non plus. Les ARVA, sondes et les pèles ultralégères ont rendu ce passe-temps plus sécuritaire que de traverser la rue.
• "Vous devez être un skieur professionnel pour vous aventurer dans l’arrière-pays". Foutaise. Il y a de quoi pour tout le monde. Ce n’est pas chaque descente qui est à 75 degrés, avec 1, 5 mètres de large entre les rochers et la mort qui vous guette à chaque virage. La vérité est simple. C’est à vous de choisir le niveau de difficulté.
• "L’équipement est hyper-cher; je n’ai pas le budget". Franchement. Vous allez dépenser entre 25$ et 100$ pour le billet de remonte-pente d’une journée. L’arrière pays vous chargera 0$. Vous voyez où je veux en venir?
• "Je suis paresseux et l’aventure me déplaît." Ok, vous avez gagné. Cet article n’est pas pour vous. Allez manger un beigne.

Équipement

Une idée reçue majeure du ski d’aventure est que vous devez avoir de l’équipement flambant neuf, futuriste et cher. Ce n’est pas nécessaire, même si nous vous invitons à dépenser autant d’argent que possible chez Altitude-sports.com! Plus sérieusement, le strict minimum c’est votre équipement de ski. Je vous suggérerais un sac à dos qui permet d’attacher vos skis ou planche, mais votre simple épaule peut facilement suffire. Nous vous invitons aussi à consulter notre section avec des suggestions de produits qui agrémenteront vos expéditions de par leur excellence. Lorsque vous serez sérieux, vous pouvez commencer à étudier les fixations de ski touring qui vous permettent de gravir les pentes avec des chevilles libres et qui peuvent être barrées afin de descendre en style ski alpin. Ajoutez des peaux d’ascension (un genre de ruban gommé qui se colle en dessous de vos skis afin de permettre la montée), sonde à avalanche, ARVA (Appareil de Recherche de Victimes d'Avalanche), et pelle et voilà, vous serez prêts.

Pour les expéditions plus longues qui requièrent tentes ou refuges, de l’équipement plus technique et plus amusant sera nécessaire. Un sac de couchage est un incontournable, même dans les refuges que vous retrouverez dans certains parcs. Dotez-vous aussi d’un réchaud qui saura résister au froid. Finalement, la pièce ultra-importante est la lampe-frontale

L’Accès à l’immaculé

Un des avantages du hors-piste est qu’il se trouve n’importe où et partout. Nous sommes bien au courant que les gens l’associent à la Colombie-Britannique et aux hélicoptères, mais il ne s’agit que de regarder aussi proche que le Mont-Royal. Prenez vos skis, mettez-les sur vos épaules et hop, vous êtes partis! Vous serez assuré au moins d’un petit sourire. Notre argument: vous pouvez le faire n’importe où en autant que ça ne dérange pas le propriétaire (vous pouvez rentrer en contact avec notre avocat pour plus d’infos).

Pour votre côté zen, le ski en arrière pays vous permet d’accéder à des zones ayant un très haut niveau de naturalité. Vous pouvez vous donner une journée complète de ski sans entendre le grincement du remonte-pente, les cris des gens ou devoir (im)patienter 30 minutes pour votre tour. Au contraire, seront à vous la paix et la tranquillité. Un autre exemple, le Parc du Mont-Tremblant. D’accord, ce n’est pas Fernie, mais vous passerez quelques belles heures à compenser le stollen que vous avez dévoré pour déjeuner, tout en agrémentant le tout de quelques descentes enlevantes.

Vêtements

Il est important de se souvenir qu’il est important de s’habiller stratégiquement pour les activités aérobiques hivernales. C’est encore plus vrai pour le ski touring. Je le souligne parce que cette activité comporte deux activités très distinctes : la montée suivie de la descente.

L’ascension, même à -30C, peut-être un festival de la sueur. Plusieurs débutants font l’erreur d’enfiler toutes leurs couches isolantes, se disant qu’il fera -30 toute la grimpe. Au contraire, il s’agit de porter presque rien. Je vous garantie que vous n’aurez froid que les 5 à 10 premières minutes. Sinon, après ça, vous vous en voudrez d’avoir gardé votre manteau en duvet. Idéalement, en montant, portez une couche de base en synthétique ou en mérinos, peut-être avec une coquille souple par-dessus, dépendant des conditions.

La descente est une autre paire de manche, autant au sens littéraire que figuré. Notre fameux -30 ne sera qu’encore plus froid lorsque vous dévalerez les pentes entre les arbres. Ce sera au sommet que vous ferez bien de vous garnir de votre manteau de ski isolé ou d’une coquille complémentée d’une couche isolante en duvet par exemple.

Où aller au Québec pour le ski d’aventure au Québec

Les sélections de ski d'aventure de Louis, gérant à la Boutique Altitudes-sports.com au 4140 St-Denis.

*Traduit par Jean-Michel Sotiron

Rumours I want to clear up instantly:

• I guess we don’t have the Rockies here in the East so you should probably just skip this article and flip to another page, sigh. WRONG. Hit yourself. That’s silly talk. The first thing you need to realize about the backcountry is that it is everywhere.
• Backcountry skiing is dangerous. Nay, sir. Avalanche beacons, probes and ultra lightweight shovels have made the pastime more safe than crossing the street.
• You need to be a professional skier to go into the backcountry. Hogwash. There is something for everyone. Not every backcountry area is a 75 degree, 4 foot wide rock chute with certain death if you catch an edge. In fact hardly any of it is.
• That equipment is so expensive; I can’t afford any of it. Um, you are shelling out anywhere from $25 to $100 to go skiing for a day! How much does the backcountry charge you? $0. Do you get where I am going with this.
• I’m lazy and hate adventure. Fine I give up, this article is not for you. Go eat a doughnut.

Equipment

A major misconception about backcountry skiing is that you need to be tricked out in shiny, futuristic, expensive equipment. In actual fact the bare minimum you need is your ordinary ski gear. I would suggest a pack to strap your ski’s or board to, but your shoulder is as good as anything. A good start is The North Face Patrol 34, a pack big enough for a nights worth of gear but small enough for daytrips. If you want to make your life easier on those snowy days then invest in a nice pair of snowshoes. I just strap them to my ski boots and get hiking. MSR makes a nice, light pair that fit comfortably on your back when descending. When you want to get serious you can look into alpine bindings which allow you to ascend with your heels free (cross country style), and then are capable of being locked down to descend in the more traditional alpine style. Add a pair of skins (sticky tape that goes under your skis to ascend with ease), avalanche probe, beacon, and shovel and you are ready to travel.

For the extended trips into the backcountry where huts are needed, much more fun, technical gear needs to be procured. A winter sleeping bag is a must (even in those drafty wood shacks you find in certain parks. The North Face Snow Leopard is a great purchase because the synthetic filling will keep you alive in the cold even when wet- yes, it happens. A lightweight stove that warms up your frozen beer is a must. I am partial to the MSR Superfly as it is tiny, but has simmering capabilities. Finally the most important piece of gear that everyone should always have with them when in the outdoors is a headtorch. Black Diamond is producing some nifty little torches like the Spot.

Accessing the untouched

The greatest thing about the backcountry is that it is anywhere and everywhere. I know most people associate it with British Columbia and helicopters, but you have to look no further than Mount-Royal. Grab your skis, strap them to your back and hike up with the kids and the crazy carpets. Lock in and go for a brief ride. I can assure you a smile will creep across your chapped lips. The point is that you can do it anywhere there is an incline, snow and a land-owner who doesn’t mind (contact my lawyer for edification).

For that zen side of you, backcountry skiing allows access to areas that are mostly untouched and (relatively) pristine. You can have an entire day of skiing without hearing a lift creaking, people shouting or with those 30 minute lift lines. Just peace and quiet. Take Parc Mont-Tremblant for instance. Throw a pack on and you can put some elevation under belt in a few hours. Sure it’s not Fernie, but you will spend hours working off that Stollen you had for breakfast Christmas morning, and getting a few fun descents all the while.

Clothing

It is important not to forget for winter aerobic activities to dress appropriately, but most especially for backcountry skiing. I say this because this activity has 2 very distinct parts: the ascent followed by a descent.

Ascending, even at -30 Celsius, can be a sweaty ordeal. Many beginners bulk at at the bottom thinking it will feel like -30 throughout the ascent. I guarantee you will only be cold for about five to 10 minutes. After that you will be cursing your decision to leave your down jacket on. But if you are going to do that let me suggest The North Face Catalyst. Warm enough for the serious cold, but a down quality that crushes down to a fraction of its size in your pack. Ideally on the ascent wear a synthetic or Merino wool baselayer and throw a softshell over top. Arcteryx recently revamped (and dropped the price!) of their classic Gamma MX line- the Arc'teryx MX Hoody is especially beautiful. It is extremely robust and has endless four-way stretch- two things important in the world of backcountry skiing.

Descending is another ball game. At -30 Celsius zipping through the woods can be a chilly experience. It is at the summit where you want to pull out your insulated hardshell and throw it over your layers. Arcteryx has added some pizzazz to their colour palette in the last few years and their new Tempest Jacket. It is a full Gore-Tex Proshell with a fleece backer to add a little warmth, and a ski skirt to keep that drifting snow and wind at bay.

Backcountry Spots

Louis, our manager at the Altitude-sports.com boutique on St-Denis in Montreal created a list of great backcountry ski places in Quebec (coming February 17th!)

A Rainbow of Ski Styles to Try Out: by Jean-Yves Altitude

JanSport Fort Hayes

Ok, stay calm first you need a beautiful bag to put you and your partner’s things in for the weekend getaway. JanSort has you covered with their Fort Hayes bag. First off it looks stylish as all heck. Your partner will be impressed with your fashion sense. Secondly it is an amazing construction with a Lifetime Warranty. If in a moment of heat nudge nudge wink wink a zip breaks no probs people. Just watch out because Hipsters will follow you drooling everywhere.

Coffrets Prestige Détente Giftbox

Bags are easy, totally superficial so your partner knows you style. What you put inside that bag is what counts. Bam, a relaxation giftbox! Need I say more? This baby is good for over 20 relaxation ideas in and around Montreal. What says I love you like zen music, oils and Scandinavian muscular individuals working out knots? They will be impressed with your thoughtfulllness. And if you don’t live near Montreal then there is the added benefit of your partner thinking you are buying a ticket to Montreal (I would suggest it otherwise the gift is sort of silly).

MSR Cook Quick 2 set 

Spas aren’t your thing, got it. You are an outdoorsy person and you want to share some quality time together in the woods. What better way to show you care than by cooking a delish meal with a nice bottle of red. As you woo your mate with stories of that time you were caught in your tent by circling wolves in Yellowstone, you can prepare them a 4-star dish fit for kings. 2 mugs, 2 plates, pots, frypans and all that jazz will make the meal a breeze. Don’t cook too much because he or she will not be able to thank you properly after if they are digesting up a storm.

TNF Twin Peaks

A two person sleeping bag from The North Face. It’s is warm: good until -7 Celsius. It is quality. It is the only choice for a Valentine’s Day snuggle-fest in the woods (or at home for that matter with candles and chocolate fondue on the floor). Thank me later.

Chocolate & Flowers

If you don’t go out now and buy chocolates and flowers then you are in trouble. Trust me.

But here is my problem (besides the car door situation), what the heck do I wear to run in when it is -25 outside? My winter down jacket is made to keep me smoking warm at a standstill so jogging in it is out of the question. I have numerous base and mid layers but I would have to wear at least 5 layers to keep me warm enough. That would definitely irritate my delicate flower-like composure.

Royal trumpet sounds

Enter The North Face Crimptastic Jacket! A rare breed indeed.

The North Face Men's Crimptastic Hybrid Jacket

Looks like any other down jacket on earth, right. WRONG! Well ok, in the above photo it does, but trust me, it is like no other. Look at the elbows and you will notice that they are made out of simple fleece. Life up the arms and you will notice that the entire sides are also made out of Polartec.

I hope you were sitting down. Get a paper bag and breathe into it. Regain your composure. This is not a Frankenstein ‘monster’ of the outdoors, mixing fabrics and materials, disregarding Biblical rules in a Dr. Moreau-ish manner, this is a marriage of technology unseen since Alien v. Predator.

This is the bees knees of mid-layers. It is made with 800 Loft down so number snobs like me will be happy. It takes less down to keep you as warm so they can make a lighter, thinner, more compact jacket (such as this one). I used in this on an epic night hike in the Laurentians where it was -20 Celsius and with windchill approx -30 C and as long as I was on the move I was warm as a button.

I don’t know how to photoshop so don’t look up my nose. Too late

My friend and I almost died that night because it was snowing and blowing so hard the track disappeared under the fresh snow, but I am still certain that it was because of my Crimptastic jacket that we survived (disclaimer: this jacket does not provide free orienteering tips), and not because of the dog with us sniffing us through the haze.

Someone should wipe that smug smile off her face…

To make this tech top as light as humanly possible The North Face has gone with tried and tested fabric company Pertex, but more importantly Pertex’s lightest fabric ,known as Quantum. It is 20 Denier and weights an astonishing 30g/m2. Fast and light people- the former depending on you of course). What that translates to is if you put this jacket on, you actually lose weight! All you worry warts are shaking your heads thinking this is a recipe for major down loss through the face fabric. Fret not my wee one’s, Pertex Quantum has a super tight weave so no embarrassing down loss (the dandruff of outdoor products). The fabric is also extremely wind resistant and so I wore this as a standalone piece with only a base layer underneath.

But enough about the jacket, and more about me. I usually demand hoods on jackets like these, but The North Face has really made a hardcore midlayer here, and there is just no need for a hood on a mid-layer, when your final layer most definitely has one. I accept the hoodlessness. I praised the lightweight fabric earlier, but it must be mentioned that this is not a jacket to go rock climbing with. I have ran into some serious branches and snagged it a few times, and so far haven’t noticed a scratch, but bare in mind that weight goes with durability. It was designed as a mid-layer (and thus hides under a hardshell or softshell), but I have mostly used it as a final layer because it offers such good wind resistance. If you do as me be weary of sharp nails!

This is an amazing piece of equipment that belongs in (some of) your wardrobes. It is definitely not for everyone, as it is a hybrid piece that is simultaneously warm (in the down core), and cold (in the fleece underarms, and so many people will find it quite redundant if not useless. But for all you winter aerobic enthusiasts out there do not look past this sweet piece of gear candy. It will keep what you need warm while you exercise and also breathe like any old fleece jacket. Best of both worlds in my opinion.
I give this jacket two of these:

If I could feel my other thumb it would have been giving a thumbs up.

Against my pale skin I am sure you are all tired of me writing about Merino wool, so cool your jets because I am going into the backcountry on this trip so I have changed my usual recipe.
	Arc'teryx Phase AR Zip Neck LS for Men & Women On my upper body I will be wearing an Arc'teryx Phase AR Zip Neck. Made with 2 different fabrics (one that hates water and one that loves it) it absorbs sweat extremely quickly and dry in the blink of an eye. Since we will be bootpacking up into the backcountry, I prefer this against my skin when I will be sweating a wee bit more heavily.
	Icebreaker Bodyfit 200 Legless for Men & Women On my legs the classic Icebreaker Body Fit 200 Legless bottoms. They stop at the upper shin so I don't have useless overlap in my boot of a legging AND sock. My go to legging for aerobic activities in the winter.
	Icebreaker Ski+ Lite for Men & Women I don't sweat in my feet (they like to pretend to be iceblocks after 5 minutes so I will be wearing Icebreaker Ski+ socks. They are thin in low wear areas and padded in those spots you weight your boots constantly.
Middle Earth Many people neglect the midlayer. I love the midlayer, less so due to importance, but mostly because some outdoor companies make some radical options (of which I own all). But don't get me wrong, it is the midlayer that will decide if you are happy all day or sad.
	Icebreaker Quantum Hood for Men & Women Icebreaker's Quantum Hood is one of my favourite's. It is snuggly when you are cold and almost nonexistent when you are heating up. Alta is topping out at -2 Celsius during the day so this is an ideal piece for those marginally cold days of descents. If the temperatures were around the -10 Celsius range I would be grabbing my The North Face Crimpatastic down midlayer jacket. Thin, filled with down, and fleece cutouts in high wear areas- amazing cold weather piece. Not this trip unfortunately.
	My drumsticks don't really get cold so I won't bother with a midlayer. I'll be slapping a pair of old Burton AK snowboard pants to keep out the wet. They are loaded with zips to vent out the humidity so I am not worried about getting too hot hiking around with my skis strapped to my pack. Check out Altitude-sports.com in the near future and you may be seeing more products like these…
The Final Layer
	Oakley Pink Iridium Goggles Oakley's Pink Iridium goggles are the way to go. They're like a bulletproof vest for your eyes and face.
	The North Face Hecktic down jacket for Men Ah the ski jacket. Can you ever have enough of these? This winter I decided I was tired of freezing my booty. I welcomed to my gear closet The North Face Hecktic down jacket. 700 loft down keeps me toasty warm and the core vents keep me cool as a cucumber; it really depends how hard I want to push and my body temperature. The rad green colour makes this a certain choice for me, especially with the built in snowskirt and the Hyvent Alpha MEMBRANE TNF has used in this high-end piece.
	Burton Clutch glove for Men With the weather being as warm as it is I am not too worried about my fingers. Usually I rock The North Face Mountain Guide Mitt, but to Alta I will bring the Burton Clutch glove. Full Gore-Tex assures me of dryness and the storm cuff reassures me of powder not sneaking in.
	The North Face Patrol 24 People call me a lot of hurtful words: the most appropriate one would be pretentious. Some say it is because I use big words unnecessarily, others because of my thick-rimmed glasses, but mostly because I always ski with a pack on. Who wouldn't want to sip on water as they ski, or have constant access to gummy worms, or a copy of a Dostoyevsky novel you just have to read a seventh time? My The North Face Patrol 24 Pack is the bees knees (mine is white I apologize for the visual deception). I can strap almost anything to it, it will carry avalanche gear, lunch, etc, all without complaining. It's hideaway belt is my favorite feature as I can use it around town hassle free.

So that's it folks. I'm off to Utah to see some nifty outdoor brands, ski the backcountry, and most probably introduce myself to the nearest hospital that deals with ski accidents. Layer up and hit the slopes.

1. Arc’teryx Zenta AR Glove

Last year Arc’teryx revolutionized the construction of gloves. This year they have perfected it. 200 grams of Primaloft make this a warm glove to be reckoned with. The lavish leather palm and finger tips create unsurpassed tactility as well as durability. However to add breathability and comfort to the glove they went with a nice softshell fabric for the back of the hand. Perfect length for skiing or any snowsport where keeping the snow out is a pre-requisite. Did I mention it is full Gore-Tex?

2. Icebreaker LS Pursuit Zip

Tired of hearing about Merino wool? Too bad, it is the best stuff on earth. What could be better you ask? What if they add 3% Lycra to add that extra stretch you oh so pray for when in the crux of an ice climbing pitch you have to do a high-step. No problemo with their GT line because that Lycra helps you move even more freely. Zip neck lets you regulate your temperature more easily, and the thumb loops keep the sleeves where they should be. Now if only I could get a six-pack so I could wear this in public…

3. Oakley Crowbar (Hot Pink). For women (or adventurous men)

Style and class isn’t just reserved for first class passengers. Get a pair of these babies and you will be riding high next time you hit the slopes. They are super comfortable with or without a helmet, and most importantly are a great size- goggles seem to be on steroids these days. It fits over the face perfectly, and does not gobble it up like some bigger models. But most important it comes with the beautiful VR50 Pink Iridium lens. The iridium coating blocks glare and heightens the contrast on the hill. No more flat light sneaking up on you.

4. The North Face Base Camp Gear Box

The base camp duffel line has been around for years. The fabric is tough and waterproof (seems are not sealed so don’t go scuba diving with it please). Recently The North Face started delving into ski products and thus have come up with this prize jewel for skiers. Put your ski boots in there, with accessories and throw it in the trunk- no more concerns. Throw it on your back with the handy shoulder straps or clip it to its buddy (http://www.altitude-sports.com/eng/products/gear-and-equipment/backpacks/travel-packs/base-camp-ski-roller?avcj). Are 3 handles enough for you?

5. The North Face Shekter Jacket

As I kid I always dreamed of being trapped in the world of Tron (the original, not the Legacy)! Those cool electro suits and Bauer hockey helmets subtlety converted into futuristic headwear- what a world they battled in. Well my dreams were realized this season with the addition of the Shekter Jacket. With it’s crazy design and neon green trim anyone can pretend to be in the ultimate Frisbee/jai alai battle to the death. All the usual stuff The North Face brings to the table: fully waterproof, seam-sealed, beautiful softshell fabric. 80 grams of insulation in the core and 60 in the sleeves- definitely for the racer in you, so ski hard on those cold days.

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Max Altitude

The North Face Men’s Free Thinker

This jacket hasn’t changed in years, and I say this not as a criticism. Burly to all heck, a skier’s cut, and best of all comes in WHITE. For men! I know what I am asking for this holiday.

Arc’teryx Men’s Beta FL

Sure I have a penchant for this Canadian brand, but this jacket uses Gore’s new membrane Active Shell. More breathable and lighter- what more could you want? How about the Citron colour it comes in? I’ll have 3, thanks.

The North Face Women’s Mountain Light Triclimate Jacket

One price, two jackets. Gore-Tex hardshell protects a removable down jacket. Practical, versitle and hardcore. Sure it is in black- Jonny Cash wore black. Do you dislike Jonny Cash?

Icebreaker Women’s Oasis V Speed Crew

Sure I love merino wool. You know what I love more than merino wool? Cool motifs. This Icebreaker top has both.

Burton’s Clutch Glove

This glove is warm, tight-fitting and covered in that delicious membrane Gore-Tex. Small enough to wear throughout winter, but insulated enough to wear while skiing/riding. And the cuff, my lord, the cuff: fits nicely under any jacket.

Buy them, try them, thank me later.

Mark Altitude

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Max' Top 5 New Ski/Snowboard Gear for 2011/2012

Patches, I swear one day I will give you a good belay on a climbing roadtrip. Thanks for giving up 4 coffees.

Mom, I really hope you are not internet-savvy enough to find my striptease. But if yes, I’m sorry.

Andy, bro, I will ride hard to deserve your donation, even if it’s not on a vintage Colnago.

Creece, when is your band going to become famous, I’m tired of waiting.

Max, I’m sorry about the tent fiasco. One day I will grow up, I swear.

Mr. Dave H., it’ll be our little secret. One free squash lesson is waiting to be redeemed.

Sofia you Mexican minx, gracias. Mi otro burro es una moto? I’m still learning.

You magnificent anonymous donators, thank you. Really, thank you. Your generosity and mysteriousness abounds! And specifically to the one who wants me to be president, after this next photo I will never have a chance, I apologize.

Erick and Simon at Jacobsons, merci pour votre aide alimentaire, notre equipe vous adore. I will try and wear long sleeves more often so as not to scare your customers.
Icebreaker, what can I say your jerseys are fabulous. The entire team LOVES them, so thank you very much for the support.

So now it is time.  Thanks to another anonymous donator I have one last photo for the world.  Are you ready to take a journey through space and time with me?  Juan Altitude dared me to take this photo, and I’m not one to decline a challenge.  I am, however, one to do things because they seem funny at the time and then regret them in a hail of embarrassment at a later point.  But then I said to myself, “Sven (that’s what I call myself when I need positive reinforcement), this is for a good cause, do it and then go get ice cream.”  And so that’s what I did.  I put a sock on, called up a friend to take the photo and waited.  Two days later when my friend arrived I was cold, but ready.  He later told me he did two days of drinking in preparation for the photo shoot; understandable. During the shoot I felt good, a little too good some would say.  Maybe it was because I enjoy wearing my birthday suit, but maybe, just maybe it was because I knew I was getting ice cream after.

Avert you eyes if you are squeamish, and click here.

A promise is a promise. And don’t forget you can donate up until the 9th of September!

But back to the good stuff. “Sofia” has generously donated $50 to push me/us into the next level of awkward nudity. She is a crafty one that Sofia. An anonymous donor also gave another $100 so after this article I will have to publish another in quick succession, but we’ll go over that “uncovered” bridge when we come to it (that was a nudity-bridge pun by the way). So let us all give thanks to Sofia, that mysterious beauty who actually demanded I take something exciting off. Your wish is my command Sofia. I hope you are sitting down:

This is a good time for you to give to a good cause. Click on this link to help kids out.

Mark
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24h Tremblant Striptease: Stairway to heaven begins

24h Tremblant Striptease: Say what?

According to Icebreaker, “the Circuit will soon become your favorite cycle top.” Pfft, don’t tell me what I will like, sir. I am my own man. Furthermore no one could dethrone my favorite bike jersey, no one! But I guess if I don’t try anything else then I’ll never grow as an individual. And so begins our journey begins.

It was hot that morning, and it made me worried. The Circuit jersey is made with 2 different fabric weights- 260 on the front and 200 in the back. I was worried because that 260 weight fabric is what I wear as a base layer skiing when it’s flipping cold out- why on earth would I want to wear it pushing it on a bike in the middle of summer? Turns out merino’s breathability is far greater than my small mind could comprehend. I didn’t even bother to unzip the jersey during the lengthy ride, which is saying a lot as usually my synthetic jerseys are open like a 7-Eleven after about 5 minutes. 10 out of 10 for breathability.

Someone had left their camera in the road and it totally randomly took a picture of me.

The fact that the jersey breathes so well translates to a comfortable cycling experience. I was always in a nice comfort zone in terms of bodily temperature. Some might say it is because I ride at a modest 8 kilometers an hour, but others would say it is because of the amazing qualities of merino wool.

This is me going 8km/h

Now perhaps of the six people who read this five think cycling is actually about cycling- it isn’t. It’s about parking your bike at the swankiest coffee shop in your town and basking in the sun on the terrace. Must haves include a retro cycling cap, musette and (unfortunately) attitude. What you don’t want are hairy legs, (in my opinion) attitude, but mostly importantly a foul odor. Merino wool’s got your back- no stink.

Most importantly Icebreaker has done a killer job with the aesthetics of this jersey. Super simple, two tone beauty. It comes in three nice colours all with a great stripe across the shoulder in a cool accent colour. Who could ask for anything better?

Some proud members riding for Cycle et Sports Tremblant in the 24h. Notably two riders who raced for Canada (cross-country and downhill) and a national level cross-country skier, amongst others (like Chris “monster” Green).

Finally I cannot write this review without mentioning that I could not have reviewed this product if it was not for Icebreaker’s generosity. They kindly gave the Cycle et Sports Tremblant/Altitude-sports.com 24h bike team these jerseys so we could compete in the race in style. And in style we shall. So a big thank you to Icebreaker Canada and their support of great cause. Don’t forget that you yourself can contribute to the cause through my site if you wish:

24h Tremblant: My fundraising so far. Won't you help me help sick children?

Now go and ride before cyclocross season rolls in and the leg warmers come out.

Mark

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24h Striptease and/or Tremblant: Mark's Stairway to Heaven Begins.

A lot has happened since my last article about the 24h race against cancer in Mont Tremblant. Snippets of my excitement have been splashed across our facebook page (found here), but I thought I would add some meat to the bones.

Icebreaker’s generous donation of cycling jerseys for our team finally arrived and we are currently putting miles onto them. Once I have my religious inspiration I will throw a review your way of these very cool jerseys.

Also, Jacobsons Concept Gourmet Mont Tremblant has very generously decided to support the team by supplying us with delicious food for lunch. Now I don’t throw around the word delicious lightly. I use it when my mouth waters thinking about certain foods. Everything at Jacobsons makes me drool, from their vêge paté sandwich to their chocolate/praline croissants to their crazy selection of teas. And don’t get me started on their chocolates. I haven’t put something that good in my mouth since summer camp back in 2000.

But I know you are just skimming this as you know what is coming. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I reached phase 1 of my donations. So you get a little prize - my body. Now I understand if you are shy, but ssshhhh everything will be ok. Just take a deep breath and click here.

That wasn’t so bad right. Just sort of embarrassing for me. I don’t mind at all. Click here to go back to it. Now that was naughty. Let’s face it, you want more. All you have to do is donate to the cause and your wish is my command (you can check out my progress here). You don’t have to tell anyone about your infatuation for me. It’ll be our little secret.

And don’t forget if I reach my next goal I will be losing a piece of clothing- and not something superfluous like a sock. I want to embarrass myself fully (and my mother) so it will be a largish piece.

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24h Tremblant Striptease: Say what?

24h Tremblant Striptease: Gettin' Hot in Herre

Last year Mont-Tremblant held the first annual 24Hour bicycle event at the local car racing circuit to raise money for sick children, and let me tell you it was a fine success. The reciprocal skiing event has been such a tremendous triumph at raising money the last decade that they finally introduced it to the summer loving folk such as myself. They won’t regret it.

My friends and I had a blast raising money and riding hard for last year’s 24hours which you can read about here), and naturally this year my friends and I have joined together once again to ride in this endurance event. We will join forces from noon Saturday September 4th until noon Sunday to ride non-stop around the track. But before this astounding feat of athleticism is accomplished we will raise as much money as possible. I plan on doing just that to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately my abilities are rather limited in that department, so Altitude-sports.com will be helping me to raise as much as I can- Altitude-sports.com and your love for nudity that is. Let me explain.

I don’t remember much from University (not because I was a drinker, but because it was so long ago), but one snippet I do remember is of men and women scantily clad in the middle of winter raising money for the swimming team (not because I hung around the swimming team, but because I hung around scantily clad people). This gave me an idea. An idea that may give people a reason to give money to the 24h cycling cause and the children it will help; it may also give people nightmares, but we have a good lawyer so I am not too concerned with this aspect. I will sacrifice my beautiful (and rarely seen) body in hopes it will get people to throw your spare change my way.

This is the game: the more money you donate to the 24hour cause, the more clothes I will take off. Simple. Things you should be wondering: how pale is this boy of Scottish origin? Can looking straight at his alabaster skin make me go blind? Can I donate more money to keep his clothes on (answer is yes)? What do his parents think of their “alternative” child? All good questions and all to be answered in the near future. Who’s with me? Anyone? Good! Get out your wallets and join me on an epic adventure of totally gratuitous nudity (PG-13 of course), and other edgy money raising schemes to help kids receive the money they need to fight cancer. Click here to see where I'm at.

You can see that thanks to many generous friends I have almost accomplished my 1st goal of $500. Currently I am standing at $487 so I need a mere $13 to make it. Do this and you will be rewarded with a surprise on the Altitude-sports.com blog. If I can reach my second, and more ambitious, goal of $650 another surprise will be rewarded. I won’t even mention the photo I would have to put up if I reached the ultimate goal of $1000- but the nudity will be magnificent. Maybe I could find a horse and cowboy hat or something along those lines. If unicorns existed I would ride one for you.

On the subject of donations I want to thank those who have made it possible for me to reach my first goal. My brother Andy (who is actually in England building me a vintage steel bike as we speak for me), Max you sly, secret hipster, Davey Creece who is supporting me from his singlespeed in Australia, Mr. Dave H. who anonymously donated to prevent family vendettas, Simon and Erick at Jacobsons Concept Gourmet in Mont-Tremblant (amazing post-ride coffees to be had), and finally Patches who gave up some serious caffeine rushes to help this cause- thank you all. A big thank you also goes out to Altitude-sports.com who is giving me two weeks paid holidays to train in Europe for this event… (please?)

A special thank you goes out to Icebreaker who are generously offering our team their new merino wool Circuit Jersey for the men and Rhythm jersey for the ladies. If ever you have been cycling on a hot, oppressing day you will be glad you looked into these jerseys. Their comfort and breathability are beyond reproach.

24h Tremblant Striptease: Stairway to heaven begins

I will be going more in-depth in the near future reviewing this product for your edification. The event is happening September 10th and 11th, meaning you have until Friday night to donate to this cause, and potentially see me riding a unicorn naked. Start saving those pennies because it will be worth your while (according to 2.3 out of 10 inebriated women). After this date you will have to suffice with my fully clothed person serving you at the Tremblant store. -Mark

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24h Tremblant Striptease: Stairway to heaven begins

24h Tremblant Striptease: Gettin' Hot in Herre