‘Tsirku’ Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Hadley Hammer
Few people will ever make the trek to ‘Corrugated’, a remote face covered with mind-boggling spines on the border of Alaska and British Columbia, let alone drop in from the top to ski it. To get a better sense of the challenges and thrills involved in tackling such a tough objective, we spoke with TNF freeskier Hadley Hammer about her crash course in spine skiing at the highest level.
Have you ever done a backcountry trip like this before?
I've had my fair share of time spent in tents, even in the winter, but the Corrugated mission was on a much bigger and more complex scale than anything I had done before. There were so many logistics involved in just getting to the base of Corrugated, let alone the mental preparation needed to ski a line of that level.
What were your expectations going into the trip? How did they compare to the reality?
Luckily I was invited on the trip last minute, so I didn't have the chance to dream up any wild expectations. I have had very little experience in Alaska and have never skied a spine before. Everything was bigger and steeper than I imagined. The first second we got on snow, I knew that I was going to learn more in the next month than I had in the past three years—and that it was going to be pretty fun.
What's it like to go from an environment where you're at the top of your field, to one where you're the rookie learning from others?
It's taken me a few years to really get a grasp on big mountain competitions, and then a few more years on top of that for filming. Just when I thought I was starting to get comfortable, I was invited to ski Corrugated. The experience really opened my eyes up to how much mountaineering experience I was going to need to gain to ski these bigger lines that are in remote locations. I think it would be easy to feel overwhelmed by how much there is to learn, but having the right partners made me feel inspired instead of frustrated. It's a goal now to become an equal partner in these expeditions.
What was the most challenging part of the trip?
With so little Alaska experience, the biggest challenge for me was determining whether or not I had the skills to actually ski Corrugated. Spine skiing is technical, and with no previous experience it was important to me to really respect the mountain and make sure I was mentally and physically ready to ski it. There was no option of falling and that was definitely a concern.
What makes skiing a spine so different? How did you eventually decide that you did have the skills to tackle your first spine?
Spines looks awesome but man are they technical. The sides are so steep and so you're constantly fighting gravity to stay on top. If you get sucked off the top of the spine it becomes nearly impossible to recover and you get dangerously close the rock-hard runnels. When I first saw the spine wall, I really didn't think it would be safe for me to ride it. I went up that morning with the intention of just helping the guys out. But after they came around for the second lap and were able to give me more of an idea of the skiing, I committed to giving it a try. It also looked way too good not to ski, especially after hearing the hoots and hollers from Ralph and Sam.
Can you talk a bit about how you managed fear and uncertainty on this trip?
There were so many unknowns with this trip. There was a ton of anxiety from everyone rotating around just getting to the base of Corrugated. My career before skiing required tons of planning and it's been a huge shift to operate in a less controlled environment. The biggest lesson I've learned is to focus only on elements I can affect and go with the flow for everything else. The details were critical for everything to work out, but nothing could be forced. As a team, we all talked about making sure we went slowly and only made moves when we felt confident. Having such a strong team was crucial to successfully skiing Corrugated.
Do you see yourself tackling more remote objectives like this in the future?
I'm a huge fan of those days where you can lap the chairlifts. With that being said, the obsession with bigger mountains has definitely set in. It was so inspirational to watch Sam and how he interacts with the mountains. It's at such a high level of knowledge and respect. For me, I’m interested in devoting the next few years to learning the skills needed to ski dream lines that require a mountaineering skill set.
What are some things you learned on the trip?
What didn't I learn on this trip... From the technicalities of cornice management, to how to double on a snowmobile (with someone twice your size jokingly trying to knock you off), to the mental practice needed to go from sitting at basecamp to being on the top of a committed line within minutes. It was a really fun realization to know how much more I had to learn in the sport.
Can you elaborate on how you wrapped your head around the quick transition from the base of the mountain to dropping in?
It was a bit of an adventure getting to the top of Corrugated, but compared to some other lines it was a relatively short approach from base camp to the top. It was long enough that you could easily let your mind wander too far into the fear zone, but short enough that you might not have enough time to feel fully prepared. The mental games we play in our heads can hugely affect our skiing and it's something that is a constant battle. For me, keeping some humor involved always helps. Before I drop, I take some time to soak in the view, appreciate the opportunity, and remind myself that I've done the work and just need to trust myself. [TNF]
Click here to watch the first part of ‘Tsirku’, a three-part series by Sherpas Cinema
The North Face presents the first episode of Tsirku: No Man’s Land by Sherpa Cinemas. The three part series stars Sam Anthamatten , Hadley Hammer, and Ralph Backstrom as they head to the epic Tsirku Glacier zone tucked into the wilds of Alaska/BC/Yukon.
In episode one, the team arrives at Haines Pass and takes a heli out to scope the terrain and tag first descents. Then they begin to plan their…
