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Where do you want to ski?

Boí Taüll hosts the Open Mountain Month to bring ski mountaineering closer to the public.

Published: Jan 24, 2024

Content

1 How to dress for ski mountaineering

2 National Park and Sant Climent de Taüll

Boí Taüll hosted Open Mountain Month 2024

During this month of January is celebrated in many ski resorts around the world, Open Mountain Month. It is an initiative that invites everyone to enjoy the mountain with respect and to approach it regardless of sport and level, whether on skis, on foot or on snowshoes.

Boí Taull, as a resort that has become a reference in ski mountaineering after organizing last year the Skimo World Championships, and in a few days two World Cup events, has not wanted to be alien to the Open Mountain Month. To do so, it has counted on its official supplier, Helly Hansen, who not only equips professionals from 60 other ski resorts in Europe and North America, but also took the opportunity to test its Odin capsule collection and the 3-layer dressing system invented almost 150 years ago.

For these Skimo days organized last weekend, Boi Taüll counted on Xavier Bonatti, brand ambassador, professional guide and ski mountaineering teacher, who will also be an Olympian.He will also be an Olympian as he is one of those chosen by the Spanish team to participate in the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 Winter Games.

Xavi Bonatti wanted to remind those who do not know ski mountaineering, which differs from alpine or cross-country skiing because their skis release the heel to be able to climb the mountain by applying the skiing technique.This allows the skis to "jib", that is, to slide the ski forward, without sliding backwards. Material, technique and even the connection with the mountain are different.

"This is how skiing was done before ski resorts existed. The grace of this sport is that you go to unimaginable places, you can spend entire days going up and down mountains and sleeping in shelters until you reach incredible places that would be unreachable without these skis."

"Skimo has its own technique and is a very aerobic sport with high energy expenditure. It must always be practiced accompanied or with a guide who knows the area, with some previous lessons to learn the technique and with the specific equipment that can be rented at the resort."

"Lately we are seeing many couples and couples who meet to practice Skimo, while the children learn to slide down the slopes as it is a moment that allows them to connect with nature and breathe," adds Andreu Velilla, one of the managers of the Boí Taüll resort.

Ski mountaineering equipment differs from alpine or Nordic skiing.

For the test, technical mountain clothing from the Odin collection was chosen, which is Helly Hansen's renowned three-layer system developed for outdoor activities, whether Skimo or high-mountain trekking, as it provides maximum breathability, waterproofing and warmth.

The Odin BC Infinity Shell Jacket and the Lifa Active were used as jacket and technical shirt respectively, two of the most appreciated garments worldwide by mountain guides and rescue groups as they keep the body dry and at a comfortable temperature whatever the intensity of the exercise and the outside temperature. This is very important in the mountains because it prevents all the sweat accumulated on the ascent to the summit from cooling down on the descent, thus protecting the body and even reducing the risk of frostbite in extreme conditions.

This is due to the 3L construction of the Odin BC Infinity Shell Jacket and its highly breathable, waterproof and eco-sustainable membrane, Lifa Infinity, which allows a constant exchange of air between the inside and the outside to keep the body dry and comfortable at all times. In addition, the fabric and membrane are 4-way stretch and the fit is pre-shaped for maximum freedom of movement. So says Bonatti,

"The second layer or thermal garment, on the other hand, should always be ready in the backpack and should be worn on the descent, as it will keep us warm and make us more comfortable.

Think that when you go up "jibbing" with skis for an hour or more, you have to add the heat these days, so you get to the top very sweaty; then on the descent, all this moisture is cooled by the wind and to avoid this you have to use the second layer whose function is to retain body heat".

Open Mountain Month Boí Taüll 2024

How to dress for ski mountaineering

The "3-layer concept" or system of dressing with a first layer or technical shirt, a second layer or thermal garment and finally a third layer or jacket, was invented by Helly Hansen almost 150 years ago.

He was the founder of the company. Helly Juell Hansen, in 1877 in Oslo (Norway) who invented the first waterproof jacket by applying seal fat to a fisherman's canvas jacket to continue his work despite rain, cold and wind. This invention became so popular that he became the first manufacturer of waterproof jackets.

Subsequent to the jacket, Helly Hansen invented the first fleece pullover in 1961 when it was realized that the wool or cotton pullovers used until then, even on expeditions, absorbed more moisture than synthetics and increased the risk of frostbite in extreme conditions.

Finally, Helly Hansen invented the first technical shirt made of hydrophobic fibers called Lifa. These fibers repel moisture and keep the body dry and at a comfortable temperature at sea and in the mountains, as well as drying very quickly. The so-called "baselayer" was invented in 1972 for the first round-the-world sailing team, at which time Helly Hansen is credited with creating the 3-layer clothing system.

National Park and Sant Climent de Taüll

Nicknamed "paradise on earth", the Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici is a protected natural area of great beauty that can be visited between spring and autumn. Among peaks that exceed 3,000 meters, waterfalls, rivers, ravines and more than 200 ponds of different colors and shapes, it is a wild and wild place and a great gift for the senses.

If you go skiing in winter or visit the village at any time of the year, a visit to the Church of Sant Climent de Taüll (1123), which has just turned 900 years old, is a must. Your guide will tell you how it was created, how people lived there in the Middle Ages and what the most famous Romanesque paintings and sculptures still preserved in the church mean. To see how the church is "repainted" in a few minutes by a musical videomapping and left in its original state for a few moments is impressive.