Snowboarding

New Instructor for the UK

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 27th October 2006 | 0 comments

Eventually getting back on the indoor slope I had a new instructor as Daniel Lloyd finished up with me for the moment as he has recently become a Daddy to a lovely baby boy. I got a Scottish lad called Grant Gallacher. He is of the same instructing calibre as Keith McIntosh and has ridden with him in France. He narrated a little story of him and Keith riding back country. On approaching a small cliff he seen Keith in the most calmest of fashion perform a beautifully executed back flip off the ...

BOARD BALLET

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 27th October 2006 | 0 comments

This post refers to the system through which Grant taught me to get rhythm in my turns. The goal of our session was for me to turn myself without his prompts, so basically going from left to right to left (without obviously hitting the pillars on the right when I go right and without hitting the wall on the left when I go left). At first Grant told me to count after each turn.. so we would go left and then I would start counting 1, 2, 3, 4 and then I would turn right and count 1, 2, 3, 4. After...

A bit small but when has size mattered

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 24th June 2006 | 0 comments

The indoor slope was good for my technique building. The SnoZone in Milton Keynes allowed me access. So who was my instructor? Daniel Lloyd, an investment banker from the city. I didn’t tell him though I didn’t like bankers as I personally feel they can at times exploit the financially illiterate. He was no ordinary banker though, he was a BASI qualified snowboarding instructor! Daniel stayed calm during my falls and struggles. I thought I was quite good up to the point we began to...

Chamonix Training session 2-more advanced snowboarding (April 8th to 11th 2006)

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 8th April 2006 | 0 comments

Day 1 on the slope 08/04/2006 First morning in Chamonix. Arrived last night after 1am in the bunk house. I was all prepared for the late arrival. Philip one of the owners had provided me with the security code for the door, I was also instructed to look for a note which would have on it a room number. I had the bus driver Martin help me enter the code, we entered it and turned the leaver to the left, for a moment of panic the door didn't open, when Martin turned it the other way...voila we ...

Chamonix Training session 1-Atempting to Snowboard (Feb 25 to March 3rd 2006)

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 25th February 2006 | 0 comments

First few days on the slope 25/02/06 - 27/02/06 Didn’t break anything yet, apart from sweat. I'm not yet ready to go up the poma lift so have to resort to a hike up the beginners' slope every time. The poma lift is basically a pole, the top end of which is attached to a cable and the bottom has a plastic plate attached to it. You place the plate between your legs and squeeze your thighs and you get pulled up the slope. Biggest problem when I snowboard is that when I attempt to...

Living it up in Lake Placid

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 19th December 2005 | 0 comments

First day of training has come to an end together with my freezing fingertips and I could swear my nose must have fallen off as I can't feel it any more! Obviously fell many times including one close encounter with a pole. Whiteface resort provided me Brendan, who is a qualified instructor and had a fantastic attitude to adapting his training methods for me. Whiteface also fully kitted me out with a snowboard, helmet and the worlds most comfortable snowboarding boots. Lake Placid Day2 2nd day...

New York New York- Drive to Lake Placid

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 18th December 2005 | 0 comments

As I am in New York for business purposes I thought I'd take the opportunity to begin the training for my Mont Blanc challenge here! Beginning at the same place where the first winter Olympics took place, Lake Placid. I met up with my contacts and the journey begins. In the car with Anthony and Doug driving from New York City to Lake Placid . Anthony is the kind camera man/ production man/comforting sage with a cool attitude. Doug is a marketing guru and an extreme sports junky wit...

Introduction to Feel the Edge and the Mont Blanc Challenge

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 1st December 2005 | 0 comments

Welcome to "Feel The Edge' "Thousands of survivors have still not been reached. Some communities have told Oxfam that they have already started digging graves before the earth is hardened by the winter. It is a race against the onset of appalling weather – but success is still possible if the relief operation is scaled up now." My unusual fundraising quest to assist in the aftermath of the South Asia Earthquake is to snowboard down a Glacier on Month Blanc, takingn a rout...