I just recently got back from my European training camp in Zermatt, Switzerland, and Sölden and Pitztal, Austria. Despite some inclement weather in Zermatt, the camp went very well. I really enjoyed the few days of downhill training we had in Zermatt… The hour-long tram journeys getting on and off the glacier carrying loads of equipment, on the other hand, weren’t much fun!

After a week in Zermatt, I joined up with the tech team in Sölden for some GS training and the World Cup qualifier. I didn’t perform quite to my potential the day of the actual qualifier because conditions were tremendously rough, provoking my knee enough to slow me down. My GS was actually quite good, however, and my skiing felt better than it has in a long time. It was really encouraging.

I moved to Pitztal after my stint in Sölden to train Super G with the speed team. Pitztal is exactly my kind of hill: steep and challenging. With the steady repetition of my technically-sound skiing on such a tough hill, I continued to build the confidence I’ll need to reach my goals this season. It was rewarding to have fast times on a hill where simply turning around the right gates amid a sea of hundreds of other team’s gates, is an accomplishment!

I have physical testing in Park City the first week of November, after which I will head to Copper Mountain, Colorado for a final two weeks of training before the season really kicks off in Lake Louise!