Day 1 of the NASTC-Portillo Camp 2011
Today was a great day despite the fact that Chris was still in transit to Chile after a flight cancellation delayed him by 24hrs. Kim Mann filled in Chris’s spot for the day and together with Nick Herrin they kicked things off with a bang. It was a spectacular day, blue skies and balmy temperatures.
The group sucessfully skied most of the Sella Ronda on Tuesday. They logged in 13, 812 vertical feet in 5 hours of skiing! They skied a total of 16 miles in one day – pretty impressive!! Looks like they are getting a fresh coat of snow for their ski adventures tomorrow.
Dates: December 3-6, 2014
Location: Northstar
Skier levels: 6-9
Price: $1195 (includes lift tickets)
This course is designed to boost your confidence levels and dial in the technique that you need to ski hard the rest of the season. Creating a strong technical platform at the start of the season will help you ski better throughout the season. In addition to your skiing technique your coaches will assess your equipment and dryland training needs to make sure they are the best fit for you and your goals. We are looking forward to kicking off the season with you.
Below is an initial itinerary for the course including a suggested equipment and clothing packing list. This schedule may change slightly based on the group or weather. We will provide you with an updated itinerary as we get closer to the start of the course. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the NASTC office 530.582.47.72
ITINERARY
Wednesday, December 3: 
Meet in the village for a brief introduction then head up the gondola together as a group. We will do a few warm up runs and then divide into groups. This day is about getting your feet back underneath you, finding your balance and warming into the first day of skiing. In the afternoon we will review the video footage of your skiing taken during the day.
Thursday, December 4:
Your trainer will let you know whether you will meet in the village or at the mid-mountain lodge. Once your group is assembled you will head up the hill for another full day of skiing and coaching. You will continue to work on fundamentals and making corrections to your technique.
Friday, December 5:
Meet up with your trainer and group and head up the chairlift for full day of skiing and coaching. As you continue to strengthen your technique and correct ineffective movement patterns you will work on blending skills for overall ski performance. Group dinner
Saturday, December 6:
The last day of skiing with your group and coach. Things that you have been working on will start to come together, this day is dedicated to reinforcing your learning and getting lots of personal feedback. At the end of the day, we will say goodbye as everyone departs for home.
On the first day of the course Wednesday, Dec 3rd, we will meet at 8:30am in the Starbucks at Northstar Village. Please be dressed in your ski gear
Directions:
Take Interstate 80 to Hwy 267 South, Northstar is roughly 10 miles south on Hwy 267 from Truckee. Take a right at the light, entrance to Northstar and follow the road all the way to the resort.
Meals:
We will eat lunch together at one of the on-hill dining venues each day. If you want, you could also pack a bag lunch each day instead – just let your trainer know so he or she can plan accordingly.
Group Dinner: Friday, Dec 12th: 6:30pm (included), Location: TBD
Lodging:
For lodging in Truckee, we recommend The Cedar House Sport Hotel. Contact the The Cedar House Sport Hotel directly to make reservations at 530-582-5655 and mention that you are with NASTC when making your reservation. 530-582-5655 or www.cedarhousesporthotel.com.
There is also lodging located in the village at Northstar. Please call Northstar central reservations at 1 800 466 6784 or email [email protected]
Transportation: If you need to fly in, the closest airport is the Reno-Tahoe International airport. If you are renting a car, we suggest reserving a 4-wheel drive vehicle. If you do not wish to rent a vehicle, we suggest North Tahoe Executive Shuttle, 866.583.7685 or North Lake Tahoe Express at www.northlaketahoeexpress.com or 866-216-5222. Please inquire with us about carpooling opportunities.
The following list may help you pack: This list serves only as a guide and is not a complete list.
Alpine skis, boots, and poles
Helmet
Thermals (tops & bottoms)
Ski socks
Midlayers (moisture-wicking)
Fleece layer, top
ski pants & jacket
Ski gloves
Warm hat, baseball cap, headband, facemask, and neck warmer
Goggles and sunglasses
Evening clothes: pants, collared shirts, sweaters, shoes, sweats, slippers
Toiletries, including SUNSCREEN & chapstick with SPF, pain relievers, body lotion
Please remember that the balance of the course is due 30 days prior to the start of the course. If you have a balance due, please contact the NASTC office to settle your balance 530.582.47.72.
V1DIGITAL COACHING SYSTEMS:
NASTC’s MOST IMPORTANT TAKE HOME TEACHING TOOL: V1
Here is the way to get the most out of your NASTC course: you will literally take your ski course “home” with you. After all that your trainer tells you on the snow, you need to take something home to keep it all fresh on your mind. NASTC’s technology partner for this cutting edge teaching tool is V1 Digital Coaching Systems. This program will allow you to see your video on a secure website, a virtual “locker.” You will be able to look at your video at your leisure with skiing analysis and tips from your trainer. The trainer does voice over critiques and offers drills to improve your skills. You can log on anytime you want to remind yourself what you are working on. You can use this system for multiple courses to see your progress and continue to receive expert coaching and tips in-between your NASTC courses. You can even send us video your friend or spouse shoots, we will give you coaching and send it back to your locker room for you to view and learn from. Sign up for this take-home bonus feature prior to your course by contacting the NASTC office.
Chris Fellows’a books Total Skiing and Tactics for All-Mountain Skiing are available for purchase through NASTC. The books are great learning tools that compliment what you learn in The North American Ski Training Center’s on-hill curriculum. They are a companion to the NASTC methodologies and instruction received at our camps. The clinics and books were designed to give you the ultimate ski training resources that tie your on snow experience together with view at home learning materials. It is a specific learning tool that will serve as a reference and reminder of the course content. Please call the NASTC office to order 530.582.4772.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We love hearing from you! See you soon!
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NASTC’s Annual Portillo Summer Skiing Adventure: August 17-26
Enjoy face-full after face-full of fresh powder as you ski amidst the towering Andean peaks that surround the transcendent resort of Portillo. Let the mystical Inca Lake with its ever-changing shades of blue and green lull you into a state of serenity and mindfulness. There is no doubt that Portillo is a very spiritual location with unique powers of rejuvenation and inspiration. This is the ideal location for a summer ski improvement camp. The wild nature of Andes lends to almost endless possibilities for adventure. You can heli-ski and descend 14,00ft peaks as condors soar above you. Ski across a frozen lake after descending a 2,000ft pitch of bottomless powder. Watch the sun set over the Andes while you sip a delightful glass of Chilean cabernet. Cut loose at the bar where the floor vibrates with everyone’s dancing feet and the live band plays popular tunes. Out on the hill, you will work closely with your trainer to achieve your ski improvement goals. Days are filled with a variety of skill development & application and terrain exploration. If you still want some additional education, you can sit in on any of the number of the presentations by the NASTC coaches. http://youtu.be/lm5UNB-_3BM
Rockclimbing and KidsClimb! Camp
As the temperature keeps rising and the cobalt blue sky that Tahoe is known for is here to stay, rock climbing comes to mind. Rock climbing is one of the many adventure filled outdoor activities available in the Truckee-Tahoe area. We run our climbing lessons on Donner Summit, which has world class granite (some of the best rock to climb on) and has stunning views of Donner Lake and the surrounding Tahoe Basin. Whether you are new to climbing or an experienced climber our attentive guides will show you all the necessary techniques to help achieve your climbing goals and have a fun and successful day out on the rocks. Please call the NASTC office, 530.582.4772 to book your rock climbing lesson.
KidsClimb! Camp – June 29, 9:00am-1:00pm, $75.00 includes helmet, shoes and harness. This is fun day out on the rocks dedicated to young climbers of all abilities. The camp will be based at Donner Summit. Kids can expect to do top rope, single pitch climbs as well multi-pitch for the more experienced climbers, and learn the basics of rappelling and bouldering. Climbing provides mental as well as physical challenges that each child must work through. They learn how to self assess, set in-the-moment goals and how to work with a partner for safety and encouragement. You can register your child online or directly with the NASTC office 530.582.4772. Space is limited.
Post-season Training for the Underpowered Skier
At this time of year we are trying to rebuild mobility, strength and cardiorespiratory fitness after our bodies have broken down during the course of the season.
Functional Movement (Mobility): 3-6 times per week
Cardiorespiratory Fitness: 2-4 times per week
Strength, Power, Agility: 2 times per week.
Maintaining good levels of fitness and mobility will allow you to move right into pre-season training seamlessly. You don’t have to commit this program to purely gym time, use other sports to cross train like mountain biking, cycling, rock climbing, surfing. For specific mobility, strength and agility exercises check out Chapter 8 in Total Skiing
These are just a few of the many resources we’d like to refer you to. At your NASTC course you will learn many more. Let us know if you have any questions anytime – we are here to help you navigate your adventure skiing and climbing world!
Check back for more soon!
You book the huts, we provide the guides. We are excited to join you at beautiful Frog Lake backcountry huts, and show you the epic skiing all around it. NASTC is proud to have been a part of the Truckee Donner Land Trust’s buildout of these amazing huts since the start. At 7600 feet in one of the snowiest spots in the western hemisphere, this European-styled backcountry hut adventure near Castle Peak (just north of Donner Summit) offers some of the very best skiing right out your door, including steep chutes, gentle glades, and open bowls.
The sleek, clean, modern huts (finished Fall 2021) have hot & cold water, flush toilets, gas heat, electricity, huge windows, and common space. You’ll have a shared bunk room, and enjoy meals cooked in the commercial grade kitchen by your guide in the Main House, a 100 year old stone house named Eschenbach Backcountry House.
There are rooms for various group sizes. Your room in one of the huts has 2-4 bunk beds and a shared toilet. There is space for your clothes and a shared common area. Different sized cabins can accommodate up to 8 skiers or riders.
We keep our skier to guide ratio at 3 to 1.
It takes about half a day to ski tour into Frog Lake from our meeting place. During your stay you’ll enjoy being guided up epic descents and great tours right out your hut door! You’ll relax after with good company, delicious food and hold or cold bevies! We can’t wait to show you this unbelievable Alps-like hut experience in Truckee.
The Land Trust and its partners – The Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land and Northern Sierra Partnership – acquired Frog Lake as part of a larger 3,000-acre conservation effort in 2020. Before that, the property was closed to the public for nearly a century.
PRICE: $550 per day for one skier + $100 per day each additional skier up to 4 skiers per guide. Min. trip length is 2 nights.
Breakfasts and dinners will be made together in commercial grade kitchen, groups bring all their own food into Frog Lake.
Professional chef and planned menu available with enough notice, ask about pricing.
LEVEL: advanced resort skiing / very good fitness for long touring days / appropriate backcountry skiing experience
If you need more practice, take a Backcountry Skiing Skills course with us.
