October 18, 2008 (Hanover, NH) – Hey, you all know the training regime, right? Running, hiking, strength, roller skiing, hill running and such. Well, add another element to the mix for a page straight out of the Flying Walinda’s, the famed high-wire, tight-rope walking family that has gained seven generations of fame thrilling spectators with their jaw-dropping feats.

This week on a breathtaking autumn day with fall colors at their peak in the nearby venue of Oak Hill, home to the Dartmouth Nordic Ski Team, I witnessed the team training on a ropes course. The ropes course likely won’t replace any of the standard training protocols, but this unique training concept created stronger bonds, renewed self confidence, and a sense of team interdependence.

More than 20 members of the Big Green’s varsity and development squads assembled to take the challenge. “We only do this one time every year but it makes a huge difference,” said Dartmouth’s Director of Skiing and Women’s Nordic Coach, Cami Thompson. Thompson, a former member of the US Ski Team and member of the 1985 USA World Championships Team to Seefeld, Austria, teams up with former US Ski Team Coach, Ruff Patterson to make this happen.

“What Ruff and I like about this is that we really come together as a group, help to build really strong and positive group dynamics, and it’s all mandated by working together – as a team. High up on the ropes, it doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior captain, it all comes down to working together,” said Thompson who stressed that this is an important part of preparation for the winter season ahead.

Both Thompson and Patterson have been at the helm of their respective programs for 20 years now. As proof of their collective success in recruiting and training of some of the nation’s top xc skiing prospects, one need only look back to the 2007 season where Dartmouth won the NCAA Championships, or to last season’s strong 4th at the NCAA’s in Bozeman, Montana.

“It’s great,” said one athletes, “this gives us a lot of confidence in ourselves. We’re hooked in with safety ropes and wear helmets but it’s pretty daunting to be that high off the ground. For some of us who have done it before, you can increase the difficulty by doing it blindfolded – and it’s also such a blast.”

The ropes course training was impressive and I saw the immediate benefits of this drill adding to the many facets of the cross-country ski training package. It reminded me of the US Ski Team’s hiking the Long Trail in the 1970s and biking around New England – both proved to be great opportunities for team bonding, an invaluable part of preparation for the season ahead.