Leanne Callaghan gives us a round up of the GB Womens' Ski racing team's season for 2012.

The British Womens' Ski Mountaineering team race season commenced relatively late this year, but Leanne Callaghan, Gaby Lees, Dihanne Gilbert and Catrin Thomas were, as ever, delighted to be back racing together at the British Championships in Chamonix.

The late start to their season was due to a combination of work commitments and injury. Gaby has been finishing her final months of Physiotherapy training, Di has been grafting as a mountain instructor in the Highlands, Catrin has been researching the feeding habits of penguins in Antarctica and Leanne has been recovering use of her arm following shoulder reconstruction surgery.

None of the women were able to be in sufficient shape to compete in the European championships in February or the world cup series this year but the fantastic snow cover and settled weather recently has enabled virtually all the best spring races to prepare their largest courses and highest summits, so they simply set their sights elsewhere. 

At the British Championships Leanne, Gaby, Di and Catrin took 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place respectively.

Leanne recently became the first British Woman to complete the gruelling 4 day Pierramenta Ski race, arguably the “true” world championships: a race in which more than one third of the female competitors failed to make it to the finish. She raced with the experienced Nick Wallis of Sheffield and they ranked sixth mixed team. The race is about as technical as they come, involving ten thousand vertical metres of ascent, obligatory 45 degree descent couloirs and very exposed ridge running sections. The subsequent weekend, with somewhat tired legs, she was back for the prestigious French National Championships at the stunningly technical Belle Etoile race near Grenoble. Racing in a pair with the Swiss athlete Fabienne Hadorn the women were third overall but, being from abroad, they were not eligible for the French bronze medal. Their presence of a flat-lander on the podium caused a few whispers and raised a few eyebrows amongst the French national squad!

The impressive Super Trophee du Muverans in Switzerland saw 3 British entries this April: Despite being drained from the British Champs the day before, Gaby put in a stunning performance with Christopher Barnes, coming first mixed pair. This served as an excellent introduction to big race days for the talented 22 year old and she is now bristling with enthusiasm to try and be selected with Leanne for an all female GB Pierramenta team in 2013. Leanne raced the Muverans with Swiss racers Suzi Schwarz and Fabienne Hadorn to take second female team of 3.

The season is by no means over and Leanne, Di, Catrin and Alison Coulshaw of Chamonix will be putting their steely thighs to the test in the gruelling 53km Patrouille des Glaciers overnight race from Zermatt to Verbier. This is a world-renowned event which is normally the final big race of the spring due to its high altitude and glacial terrain. The event takes place every 2 years and has attracted increasing numbers of British skiers in recent times. This year we expect record numbers of British female finishers in both the long and the short course.  Good luck Ladies!”

Any women interested in having a go at ski rando racing can contact the team for advice and help on The British Womens Ski Mountaineering Team Facebook page.

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