uvex USA ambassador Noah Dines is on a quest to climb and ski 3 million vertical feet in 2024. On March 31, Noah hit a major milestone of surpassing 1 million vertical feet so far this year. This comes after he set a new record of climbing and skiing 378,024 vertical feet throughout the month of January.
After spending January in the Stowe area, the Vermont resident spent most of February and March in France and Austria racking up some serious numbers. Noah is now set to return to North America in April to keep climbing.
uvex USA caught up with him before he left Europe to find out how he was feeling with 1 million down and 2 million left.
uvex USA: Did you feel anything that took you by surprise when you hit 1 million vertical feet?
Noah Dines: I was more emotional than I thought I would be for an intermediate goal. The [first] million coinciding with the end of my stay in Europe really had me reflecting on the past three months and the effort it took to begin this project
How's your body holding up so far?
Shockingly well. Everything works as it should and I am not dealing with persistent soreness or pain.
What challenges has the weather presented? We know it's been pretty warm everywhere this winter.
The past two months in Europe have been really really hot. I’ve skied more days in shorts than I have days with fresh snow. Skiing in that heat day in and day out presents tons of issues and has definitely made some days really challenging
What are you looking forward to experiencing while logging the next million feet...and the million after that?
People and places. I am really excited to spend some time with friends in Vermont and then I can’t wait to see who I ski with and what cool stuff I get to ski during the rest of the year.
What are a few of your top concerns for the coming months?
Finding snow and nailing travel. Timing my next east coast departure correctly and not loosing too much time during travel is already stressing me out.
How's your gear treating you?
Really well. My Fischer boots feel good and the skis are holding up better than I could hope considering the volume. Sadly, when sand from the Sahara came with the Föhn wind, it kind of ruined some skins.
What have you been eating lately?
Everything. Pretzels. Haribo. More pocket shnitzels than Steve Nyman could dream of.
What are some things that keep you motivated on extra crappy days?
Imagining my friends sitting at their desks. They would kill to be skiing, so quitting early because conditions aren’t up to par feels pretty lame.
Follow Noah's quest for 3 million on his Strava account.