Latest news with #ChristinaLustenberger
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Review: The North Face Summit Torre Egger FutureLight Kit
Powder aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. A few years ago, The North Face took a pretty big bet–and by most measures, lost. They stopped using Gore-Tex membranes in their expedition-grade technical outerwear, instead opting to go all-in on their proprietary waterproof/breathable FutureLight membrane. The material stood out for two reasons: it was remarkably breathable and felt silky soft, but it was lacking in both the durability and long-term water-repellent departments. It worked great for high-output activities like ski mountaineering, but wasn't that well suited for resort skiing during a storm, where the fabric would wet out and absorb water–though the membrane did keep you dry on the inside. The North Face ended up returning to using Gore-Tex membranes (notably the new PFAS-free Gore-Tex ePE and Gore-Tex Pro materials) in their dedicated ski kits like the Summit Verbier collection, but now uses an updated FutureLight fabric in their minimalist alpine kits, like the Summit Torre Egger. While the Summit Series Torre Egger jacket and pants were designed with high-level alpine climbing and ski mountaineering in mind (the kind of stuff TNF athletes like Christina Lustenberger and Sam Smoothy are into), we set out to see how they would fare for more garden-variety backcountry skiing. I don't have any 6000-meter peaks in my backyard, but we've had plenty of stormy weather in the Tetons this season! View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Sizes: S, M, L, XL Fit: Regular fit Material: FutureLight 3L Shell I tend to size my ski outerwear slightly differently depending on where I plan on using most–though I've definitely been trending toward the looser and baggier end of the spectrum for both resort skiing and backcountry touring. My one exception is for a kit that I'm going to wear on high-output days ski mountaineering, particularly when that day involves any technical components like climbing or rappelling. Then, I'll typically opt for a slightly slimmer fit, as I'll often wear a harness over the pants, and I don't like a baggy jacket and pants getting in the way of that. I tested the kit in size L, and felt it fit exactly as I wanted: slim, but not constrictive. Both the jacket and bibs have a relatively slim silhouette. The jacket isn't as long as other ski shells, but fits nicely with a pack and harness, and still provides plenty of coverage. The pants are more slim-fitting than most ski pants, but definitely don't fall into the skimo/lycra category. They are slightly articulated, and fit in a way that allows for an impressive range of motion. Slimmer cuffs play nice with crampons, and allow you see your feet when climbing, but could be a tight fit over larger ski boots. I didn't have an issue fitting these over ski touring boots like the Tecnica Zero G Tour Pros or La Sportiva Kilo. The kit comes in both a men's and women's version with more or less identical features. I tested the kit ski mountaineering and ice climbing in the Tetons and Norway, during both bitter-cold but sunny high pressure periods and warm, wet storms. Right off the bat, I was surprised to find how burly the jacket and pants felt, particularly compared to the older versions of FutureLight. The North Face clearly updated the face fabric on these garments to be much heavier-duty and more waterproof, which for a kit designed to get rowdy in nasty weather, seems like a pretty good improvement. In practice, the fabric update removes some of the suppleness and smooth feel, but testing the jacket and pants in two-inch-an-hour storms proved that these are notably more water repellent than before while remaining really breathable. Older Futurelight was actually quite waterproof, but the face fabric didn't do a good job having water and snow bead off the surface the way Gore-Tex Pro's DWR treatment did. I love the jacket and it's impressive breathability for high-output days where I'm sweating a lot, but it's storming out and I want a shell to stay protected from wind and snow. I found myself wearing the shell much longer than I expected to on ski tours where I would normally stash the shell in my pack. When it did come time to stash the jacket, I found that it compressed nicely. Unlike the feature-rich Summit Verbier kit, the Torre Egger's super minimalist pocket layout (one chest pocket, two waist pockets, and one small zippered inside pocket) keeps the zipper count low. The pants feel like minimalist winter mountaineering hardshell pants–oh wait, because that's what they are! There are two thigh pockets, both of which have reinforced anchor points and comfortably fit an avalanche beacon and stay out of the way of a harness. The left thigh pocket features an additional small side zipper that I couldn't quite figure out a use case for other than stashing candy bar wrappers. I really like the full-length side zips on the pants that double as vents, and allow you take the pants on and off without removing your boots. That might sound like a superfluous feature, but it's really nice when you're changing in a tent on an overnight mission, plus it helps when going to the bathroom in the mountains. Finally, the removable suspenders are remarkably low-profile, and are very comfortable to wear with a pack (they only attach in the front, so there's no rubbing).On paper, the Torre Egger jacket and pants are a pretty specialized piece of kit, but are much more versatile than they might seem. I've found myself wearing the jacket most days ski touring this winter, and enjoyed the pants for technical days ski mountaineering. I prefer a slightly baggier and looser fit for most days of riding, but when lots of skinning and climbing in crampons are on the menu for the day, these are a great choice. If you're a skier who finds themselves frequenting technical terrain in foul weather, the Torre Egger kit is an excellent choice. Its combo of remarkably breathable, burly and heavy-duty construction, and improved water repellency (and proven waterproofness) will keep you dry and happy on storm days in the high peaks.
CBC
20-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
#TheMoment a B.C. skier led 1st descent of tallest peak in the Rockies
Golden, B.C., skier Christina Lustenberger and her French alpinist friend Guillame Pierrel recount the moment they embarked on the first descent of the south face of Mount Robson — the tallest peak in the Rockies.
The Guardian
19-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Pioneering ski-mountaineer Christina Lustenberger on life in a ‘wildly dangerous space'
After a pair of first descents near her home in the Canadian Rockies, Christina Lustenberger headed to Pakistan's Karakoram Range in April 2024 for her second attempt to ski the west face of the Great Trango Tower. 'I'd seen a photo of the towers from a friend who climbed it,' says Lustenberger, 'but no one had skied it.' Humility kept her from stating the reason why. No one had skied the colossal 20,623ft peak, which is home to the second-highest vertical wall on Earth, because no one had the imagination, let alone determination, to even think it was even possible. That is, until Lustenberger came along. Known as a training ground for high-altitude alpine climbers, the Trango Towers are laden with seracs, crevasses, and hanging glaciers. Before Lustenberger, no one saw them as potential ski terrain. On 9 May, Lustenberger and her two partners, Jim Morrison and Chantel Astorga, skied the west face, later hailed as the most impressive first descent in the last decade. After a reset at home, Lustenberger then spent the fall in New Zealand, ticking off five more hair-raising first descents in the Southern Alps. The most notable, Hunter's Moon, descends the east face of Aoraki Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in the country. Like the Trango line, it parallels an alpine climbing route, which Lustenberger cleverly reprised as a ski descent. 'It was the most engaging line I've ever skied,' says Lustenberger. 'We watched it for a week, studied it with binoculars, skied around it, and felt good when we started the climb up. But the moment we crossed the bergschrund, you just have to accept the consequences. You have to just fully be there.' The monumental year put Lustenberger in rarefied air. However, it wasn't a surprise to those who know her best. The 40-year-old has spent the last decade quietly redefining the upper limits of ski mountaineering, a sport that combines backcountry skiing with alpinism, climbing the world's biggest mountains and skiing down them. By combining technical skills from an Olympic racing career with a visionary imagination, she's become one of the greatest ski mountaineers alive. So you may wonder, why have you never heard of Lustenberger? 'I'm not good at self promotion,' she says, 'I try to let my skiing do the talking.' In our extremely online world, marketing yourself on social media has become a basic prerequisite for many jobs. This is especially true for athletes searching for big sponsorships, like Lustenberger. But she doesn't seem to care. 'I get a deep sense of joy from these things, which comes from doing it for myself, not for anyone else,' says Lustenberger, who stays off social media for weeks after big descents, taking the time to appreciate the fleeting feeling. Lustenberger posts infrequently, typically with concise and modest details of her achievements, which could define a career for almost anyone else. Her obsession for skiing comes from her parents, who ran a small ski shop at Panorama Village in British Columbia. Learning to ski almost as soon as she could walk, Lustenberger was a natural, winning her first race at the age of five. 'Skiing was integrated into everything our family did and that feeling hasn't wavered for me at all,' she says. 'I have my parents to thank for that.' By 21, Lustenberger was ranked in the top 30 in the world in giant salmon and at 24 she raced in the Olympics. 'You could call it drive or work ethic, or maybe an addiction. All of my coaches will say that I always wanted to be the best.' But, on the Canadian National Ski Team, Lustenberger struggled with rigid training plans and a strict routine. 'You are told when and where to go. What to do. Even how many sets to lift. I wanted to be the driver of my own reality. I wanted to express myself. I was known as a wildcard.' Derailed by six knee surgeries, Lustenberger, at 26, decided to pivot from racing to ski guiding, something that helped her gain the skills and knowledge to chase her dream. 'I could have shot film segments or done the Freeride World Tour, but I've always been drawn to alpinism,' Lustenberger says. Guiding became her path towards earning a living in the ski world and a stepping stone towards a larger goal. After getting certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Lustenberger started working as a heli-ski guide, while spending most of her free time in the backcountry. With her extreme focus, she quickly learned the nuances of snow safety, weather conditions, rescues, ropes, and travel in technical terrain. After a first descent of Mount Adamant in 2011, Lustenberger landed her first sponsorships, launching her pro skiing career. She continued to guide for years, balancing the two. Three years ago Lustenberger stopped guiding to focus solely on bigger objectives and expeditions, realizing they took her entire focus to do well. 'There are certain things in your life that become important to you,' says Lustenberger. 'After failing our first attempt, Trango was important enough to go back a second time. I appreciate the two-year process. Trango was everything to me.' The bigger the challenge, Lustenberger believes, the larger the spoils. The team battled diarrhea, the potentially life-threatening high altitude pulmonary edema, and unstable snow for nearly a month before everything aligned and they were able to summit and ski. 'We had a lot of challenges on Trango, but that makes the experience stronger once you complete it. I'm really proud we did it,' she says. 'In life we often don't allow ourselves the feeling of pride for long. Things come and go very fast, so I sat with it for a while. It was a visionary, improbable, and beautiful line.' Despite her track record, Lustenberger still has doubts. 'Everything coexists. Without doubt, there is no confidence,' she says. 'I live in this wildly dangerous space where there is very little margin for error. Spend enough time in those places and something can happen. It's just time and exposure – and luck. When you're in the mountains, you should feel confident. Some days I don't, so I don't go.' Doubt isn't her only hurdle. Even with her sterling reputation and accolades, Lustenberger often wonders about the weight of female voices in the ski mountaineering boys club. When fellow guides, trip partners, and other professional skiers will talk louder than she does, they obscure what she has to say. It's a common dynamic, often forcing Lustenberger to subtly feed her ideas to men to get her point across. While she hopes gender equity will improve as more women lead expeditions and continue to break barriers, Lustenberger admits there is a long way to go. 'We're proving ourselves over and over again. I would like to say we're proving ourselves, but we have to do it over and over again to be recognized.' Lustenberger plans to continue chasing first descents, despite the objective risks and overt sexism. 'My goal is precise movement in wildly exposed terrain,' she says. 'For mastery [of my craft], but it's elusive. The moment you achieve it, you start to dream of your next piece of art. The forever process keeps me motivated. 'If I was turning away from the mountains because of the fear of a bad outcome, that's just a fear of living to the fullest. That would be the biggest cheat I could give myself.'
