The Season Returns!

Last year The Season was a break-out success amongst outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. It was an incredibly well done series of videos created by Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith, that succeeded in capturing the essence of adventure in its many forms and delivering it to an eager audience.

Now, the show returns with 22 all-new episodes and five new athletes to profile. It launched with the first episode of season 2 last week and the second episode is already available as well. Episode 2.1 kicks things off with a preview of The Season ahead, giving us a tantalizing glimpse of where the show will be going in the weeks ahead. The second episode introduces us to Kevin Landry and Jeremy Norris, two mountain bikers who share a passion for building trails as much as riding them.

Excellent videos and a welcome return for this great web series.




It begins...The Season 2.1 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.


The Season 2 Episode 2.2 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

The Reel Rock Film Tour 2011

The Reel Rock Film Tour officially gets underway on Thursday in, where else, Boulder, Colorado. From there, the show will spread out across the U.S. and Canada, bringing some of the best outdoor/adventure films from the past year along with it. You can check the tour calendar to see when it is coming to your area and watch the teaser trailer below. The video gives you a nice glimpse of some of the films that will be shown, but you'll find a complete list by clicking here.

Video: Speed Climbing In The Alps With Ueli Steck

Swiss climber Ueli Steck never ceases to amaze. He is a fantastic athlete who focuses on climbing big, challenging peaks, often solo and as fast as possible. The video below is of Ueli making a solo, speed attempt on la Ginat, a 13,123-foot peak on the Mount Blanc massif not far from Chamonix, France.

For the record, Ueli sprinted up the mountain in just 2 hours and 8 minutes, and while the video is a year old, if you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth a watch.

Thanks to the Adventure Journal for sharing!

Ueli Steck Speed Soloing the Ginat on the Droites from Jonathan Griffith on Vimeo.

Climbing Ireland With Ricky Bell

The Adventure Journal posted an excellent video of climber Ricky Bell taking on a tough route in his home country of Ireland. The video, which I posted below, is actually a trailer for a climbing film called The Frontier Club, which will be coming out soon. The film will introduce us to some of the great climbing opportunities in Ireland. The video is a nice introduction, with some great climbing as well.


The Frontier Club Trailer from Image Impossible on Vimeo.

New Route Opened On Mount Blanc

Three North Face sponsored climbers opened a new route on one of Europe's most iconic mountains earlier this month. The team, which, consists of Italian Hervé Barmasse and Spaniards Iker and Eneko Pou, free climbed the southern Italian face of Mount Blanc, naming their new route La Classica Moderna as an homage to Walter Bonatti, who pioneered many routes in the Alps in the 50's and 60's.

Carrying only essential gear, the three men attempted a true alpine style ascent. Their approach to the mountain was hampered by knee-deep snow, but once on the face they were able to make steady progress, despite cold weather. The team worked the new route for three days, finally completing it on August 1st, after a 3300 meter (10,826 ft) vertical gain. Upon reaching the summit, the men descended on the French side of the mountain, eventually arriving in the classic mountain-town of Chamonix.

At 4808 meters (15,774 ft) in height, Mount Blanc is the tallest peak in Western Europe. The peak has been a popular climbing destination for more than 200 year, and has long been a proving grounds for alpine climbers. In fact, the mountain was first summited in 1786, which many climbing historians point to as the genesis of modern mountaineering, and it remains a formidable challenge to this day.

This newest route on Mount Blanc was completed as part of the Exploring The Alps expedition, which looks to be a trilogy of great climbs in the region. Back in April, Barmasse opened a new solo route on the Matterhorn (4478 meters/14,691 ft), and next the team will set its sights on Mount Rosa, the highest peak in Switzerland at 4634 meters (15,203 feet).

Top Ten Songs For Walking, Climbing, and Running

My good friends over at CheapTents.com put together a fun little blog post a few weeks back that is sure to create some discussion. The post, which can be found by clicking here, is their selection of the ten best songs for walking, climbing or running.

Now, reading their headline and included text, I thought these would be the best songs to get you motivated and keep you moving while you're outside, doing your favorite activity. It is actually more like a list of ten songs that are about walking, climbing, or running. So, without further ado, here are their selections for the best songs in this category:

1. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross


2. River Deep Mountain High – Ike and Tina Turner


3. Move On Up – Curtis Mayfield


4. Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh


5. Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden


6. Ramblin’ Man – Lemon Jelly


7. Walking In My Shoes – Depeche Mode


8. Walk of Life – Dire Straights


9. Step On – Happy Mondays


10. Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and The Waves

So? What do you think? What did they miss? I'm thinking 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. What would you add?

On Assignment In Yosemite With Jimmy Chin

I came across this fantastic video this morning while reading Backcountry.com's The Goat Blog. Created by the talented folks over at the Camp 4 Collective, the video follows professional photographer Jimmy Chin around Yosemite as he documents the climbing culture there for National Geographic. Chin, who is one of the most accomplished adventure photographers working today, narrates the film, which gives more insight into his experiences there.



On Assignment from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Jake Norton Launches Challenge21 Project

Mountaineer Jake Norton has just begun an ambitious new project that combines his love of climbing with a burning desire to have a lasting impact on the world. He is calling his project Challenge21, and over the next four years, he hopes to climb the three highest peaks on each of the seven continents, while raising awareness of the need for safe drinking water for people all over the world.

The expedition is officially underway right now, as Jake is currently in Kigali, Rwanda where he is preparing to travel to the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda to begin his first climb. First up on the list is Mount Stanley's Margherita Peak, the third highest mountain in Africa at 5109 meters (16,763 ft). It will be the first of many challenges on the way to not only topping out on all 21 mountains, but also raising a proposed $2.1 million for Water For People, an organization dedicated to finding safe drinking water solutions for developing nations.

You'll be able to follow along with Jake's progress on the Challenge21 Blog, where he is already posting updates. There is also an official Challenge21 Facebook page and Twitter Feed as well. You can also learn more about Jake's plans in the video below, which outlines what Challenge21 is all about.

So what mountains will Jake be climbing? You can checkout the entire list by clicking here. We're all familiar with the Seven Summits of course, all of which are obviously on this list. There are also quite a few lesser known peaks as well, which should make this an interesting challenge to say the least. The toughest challenge will obviously come in Asia, where he'll not only take on Everest (A mountain Jake is quite familiar with!) but also K2 and Kangchenjunga as well. Those three alone are enough to keep most mountaineers up late at night wondering how they're going to scale them.

This should be a fantastic adventure to follow along. Good luck to Jake on this amazing, and very worthwhile, endeavor.

Tackling The Tooth Traverse

I'm kicking things off this morning with another beautiful video from Renan Ozturk, who traveled to Alaska with friends Freddie Wilkinson and Zack Smith during a time of mourning and healing after the loss of friends Jonny Copp and Micah Dash, who died while climbing in China back in 2009. The trio took on what they call the "Tooth Traverse" in Ruth Gorge in what looks to be a pretty amazing project.

The video serves as a trailer for a bigger film project to come, which looks to be quite intriquing. Check it out below and then read Renan's thoughts on the subject on the North Face Never Stop Exploring Blog.


The Tooth Traverse from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

Peakery.com Launches Summer Kickoff Contest

Way back in March I shared a link to a new website called Peakery.com, which was striving to become a social network for climbers, who could connect, share experiences, research climbs, and mark the summits they had bagged. At launch, it was a little rough around the edges, but the developers have been continuing to add features and update their database, and as of now the site now has more than 338,000 peaks across the globe in its records.

Fast forward a few months, and the site has now launched the Peakery Summer Kickoff Contest.  To enter, you simply need to be a member of Peakery.com and during the month of July, simply post a summit log to your profile, including a summit photo. It can be from any climb you've completed in your life, but it must include a photo. Members will receive an entry into the contest for each summit log they add to their profile throughout the month.

At the end of July, the Peakery staff will randomly pick winners, and award the prizes. First prize is a GoLite Peak backpack, second prize is a GearPods Backcountry Multi-kit, and third is a Black Diamond Half-Dome Helmet.

All of that is great gear for your next outdoor adventure. Head over to Peakery.com now and sign-up, or update your profile, and get in on the fun.

Mountain Hardwear Summer Expeditions

Earlier in the week, Mountain Hardwear announced a host of expeditions for the summer, with a number of climbers heading off to the Karakoram to take on some of the big peaks there. The gear company has some excellent sponsored athletes under its banner, and has always been ready to help them go after some big goals. Here's a few of the things they have planned in the weeks ahead:

Saser Kangri II: Freddie Wilkinson, along with Mark Richey and Steve Swenson, will make an attempt on the second tallest unclimbed peak in the world – Saser Kangri II. The peak, which is located in northern India, is 7513 meters (24,648 feet) in height and remains one of the last major challenges in the Himalaya. Richey and Swenson attempted to climb the mountain back in 2009, and return for another go. The team is hoping to make history.

K7 West: Climbers Pat Goodman, Will Meinen, and Matt McCormick have set out for Pakistan where they'll be attempting to make the first ascent of the 6200 meter (20,341 foot) southwest pillar of K7 West. The team will go light and fast, alpine style, up the new route, and hopefully reach the summit in just four days.

First Ascent In India: Mountaineers Janet Bergman, Emilie Drinkwater and Kirsten Kremer will attempt a first ascent of an unnamed peak along the borders of India and Pakistan. The ladies also hope to make the climb in an alpine style, making a single push to the summit.

Exploring The Russian Arctic and Climbing in Afghanistan: Moving away from the Karakoram,  Mike Libecki will begin his summer with a journey to the remote island of Franz Josef Land, where he plans to climb several big walls. He'll travel to his destination by sailboat, then explore by ski and kayak to find some major climbing challenges.

When he's done in the Arctic, Mike will then travel to Afghanistan where he'll attempt to climb the Ibex Horn, a 3000-foot tall tower that he discovered while scouting the Koh-e-Baba Mountain Range in the Bamyan province last year. If successful, this will be the first ascent of that rock pillar as well.

Good luck to all of these expeditions. It seems like its going to be a very busy and adventurous summer.

Karakoram 2011: Big Walls Conquered, Summit Bids Stymied

Yesterday I mentioned that news out of the Karakoram has been a bit slow so far this year, but that teams were arriving in Base Camps and that things would pick-up soon. Turns out that was a prophetic, if obvious, thing to say, as we have news today of a major success in the mountain range, as well as an early summit bid that was turned back.

First, the British Mountaineering Council is reporting that four Russians have claimed the first ascent of the West Face of Latok III. The team, which includes Evgeny Dmitrienko, Ivan Dozhdev, Alex Lonchinsky and Alexander Odintsov, spent 15 days on the wall, from June 10th to the 25th, before successfully topping out. Latok III is a 6949 meter (22,798 foot) peak located in Pakistan, and the West Face is a 5580 foot big wall that is considered one of the most challenge climbs in the world. Reaching the top puts an end to an 11-year quest, led by Odintsov, to finish a route that was first explored by an Italian team back in 1988. (Tip of the hat to Outside Online for sharing this story)

Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, an audacious young French climber by the name of Sophie Denis attempted to nab the summit quickly this season, but was turned back by high winds at Camp 3. Sophie is climbing with Lakpa Sherpa and only had arrived in Base Camp a few days before their alpine style ascent. The fixed lines are only up to Camp 2 at this stage, but the two climbers were hoping to take advantage of the acclimatization from the Himalaya this past spring, during which Lakpa summited Everest, and Sophie knocked off Cho Oyu and Lhotse within two weeks of one another.

Now back in BC, they'll wait for a better opportunity to climb the mountain. Reading the report on their attempt however, you can't help but wonder what the rush was. Do they have designs on another peak this summer, say maybe K2? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Lots of teams are expected to begin reporting in soon as Base Camps start to fill up. Expect more regular reports in the days ahead.

Video Profile Of Alex Honnold

Black Diamond Equipment has shared a video profile of rock climber Alex Honnold, who just happens to be one of their sponsored athletes. In the video, we get to watch Alex do his thing on a couple of routes in Squamish, British Columbia, while talking about his love for food, how much he enjoys living out of a van, and his unquenchable thirst to climb just about anything. After watching this video, I think it is safe to say that Honnold has an all consuming passion for climbing.

Thanks to The Goat for sharing!


VIDEO PROFILE: Alex Honnold climbing 5.13+ in Squamish, British Columbia from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Alex Honnold Solos Another Tough Route In Yosemite

Rock climber Alex Honnold is once again pushing the boundaries of rock climbing in Yosemite National Park, a place that has become his own personal playground over the past few years. According to Climbing.com, Honnold made a solo, ropeless ascent of The Phoenix, knocking off a route that is rated as a 5.13a. He reportedly went on to free climb Chouinard-Herbert a 5.11+ route the next day as well. Both climbs were captured on film.

According to the Climbing.com story, The Phoenix took just eight minutes to complete, while Chouinard-Herbert required two hours on a surface that was reportedly wet at the time. Honnold says that it wasn't two hours of climbing however, as he had to stop at times and wait for the film crew to move into proper position. That climb was being recorded by 60 Minutes, presumably for an upcoming profile of some kind.

Last summer, Honnold did back-to-back climbs on the Northwest Face route on Half Dome and the Nose on El Capitan, completing both routes in just eight hours. That feat established him as one of the top rock climbers in the world, and he has since gone on to tackle other impressive routes, including some spectacular towers in the country of Chad. He has also been climbing a lot of tough routes in California's Jailhouse Rock and is preparing to travel to Newfoundland on a major trip later this summer as well.

I never cease to be amazed at the things that Alex is up to. It seems that we're hearing about him tackling some incredibly tough new routes, usually solo, every few months. At this point, I think he practically owns everything in Yosemite!

The Eighth Parallel Examines Women's Adventure Sports In Indonesia

The Eighth Parallel is a fantastic short film created by Darcy Turenne, who traveled to Bali and Java in  Indonesia to interview a group of young women who are pursuing their passion for adventure sports. Amongst them are rock climbers, mountain bikers, surfers, and more, with each of them expressing what drew them to their particular sport and the obstacles they had to overcome to pursue these activities in a culture that doesn't see many women in that light.

The Adventure Journal has an interview with Turenne, in which she talks about making the film and shares insights into what she learned along the way. You can read that interview here, and it is definitely worth a glance before watching the video below. The short film is over 27 minutes in length, so settle back and enjoy.




The Eighth Parallel from Darcy Turenne on Vimeo.

Steve House On Repentance and Remission

In 2010, rock climber Steve House did back-to-back ropeless solo climbs on two of the top climbing routes in New Hampshire, if not the entire Eastern United States. The Alpinist posted reports on the the climbs, and today they posted video (Courtesy of Patagonia!) showing House doing what he does best, namely scaling big rock walls.

The two routes are both at Cathedral Ledge and are named Repentance and Remission. They are rated as a III WI5, 3 pitches and a  IV WI5+ 5.7, 3 pitches respectively. Both are a mix of ice and rock, although climbing in February, the ice was more prevalent.

Update: Unfortunately, I've been asked to remove this video, as the original owner didn't give permission to Patagonia to share it in an embedded format. You can still catch it over on Vimeo however. Click here to watch.

Climbing Volcanoes In The Atacama Desert

A third story about my travels in the Atacama Desert went live this morning on Gadling.com. This one is about my climb of El Toco, a 5650 meter (18,645 foot) volcano that falls along the borders of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina.

The climb was non-technical in nature, and a simple walk-up, with altitude being the only real challenge. As I note in the story however, I was feeling quite under the weather the day before and I wasn't sure if I should even attempt to go up to such an altitude when not feeling well. Fortunately, I recovered quite nicely, and while I wasn't completely recovered, I felt strong enough to give it a go.

El Toco is about an hour and a half drive away from San Pedro, the largest town in the region. Most of that drive is spent climbing upwards. San Pedro sits on the floor of the Atacama at a respectable altitude of 2450 meters (8035 feet), but the trail that would take us to the summit of Toco began at 4800 meters (16,500 feet). That's quite a gain in elevation before you ever begin to exert any effort.

Fortunately, I had been in the Atacama several days at that point, and had acclimatized somewhat to the altitude. But when we arrived at the trailhead, my guide asked if I wanted to take the longer or shorter roue to the top. Thinking that the shorter route would probably have a steeper approach, I elected to take the longer route instead, just to be on the safe side. Later, I would learn that the shorter route wasn't steeper at all, it just started higher on the mountain and we would have driven to a different point. I was glad that I chosen the longer route when I heard that bit of news.

Gustavo, my guide, has been on Toco many times in the past, so he knew the route well. Before setting off, he said that it would take somewhere between 2-2.5 hours to reach the summit, and he advised me to breathe deeply, go slowly, and control my motions. Knowing that I hadn't been feeling well the day before, he also told me that I should let him know if I started to feel light headed or wanted to turn back.

Once we started moving however, I was feeling great, and the crisp, cool air and vigorous workout helped my mood immensely. We soon fell into a rhythm and were making good progress up the mountain, stopping from time to time to take in the view, while Gustavo pointed out local landmarks, like a nearby copper mine and an observatory that was under construction on a neighboring peak. As we climbed, the views got all the more spectacular, and the wind picked up to remind us that we were still on a very tall mountain.

But almost before I knew it, we were approaching the summit. Glancing at my watch, I saw that we had knocked off the longer, 2+ hour route, in just an hour and fifteen minutes. We had made great time indeed and that meant we could relax and spend a bit more time at the summit as well. Gustavo and I took shelter behind a rock, as by that point the wind was howling and rather cold. But in our little shelter, we were warm and comfortable, and enjoyed a cup of tea and compared notes on our favorite outdoor gear for more than a half-hour.

Eventually, we turned back down the mountain and had a mostly easy descent, with just a little snow and ice to keep us on our toes. We were back in the truck and on the way home to San Pedro in just 20 minutes time, with Gustavo pointing out all the other great climbs in the region along the way.

That was one of the surprising elements of the Atacama. While I expected the desert to be beautiful and amazing to visit, I had no idea there were so many great peaks to climb in the area as well. For a climber looking for a new challenge, the northern part of Chile should be on your list of "must visit" destinations. Sure, there are several easy walk-up mountains, but even El Toco had an alternative approach that offers a very different, and significant, challenge for the experienced mountaineer.

For the typical adventure traveler, the mountains that ring the Atacama are just one more reason why it is such an amazing place to visit. If you'd like to get a taste of high altitude, it offers plenty of that as well, without having to spend days in a tent or missing out on the creature comforts. Perhaps that taste will spark an interest in other climbs, but this is a perfect place to try it out.

Can you tell I loved the Atacama?

Outside Has Seven Questions For Conrad Anker

The Outside Blog has posted an excellent little interview with Conrad Anker, one of the best known climber/mountaineers in the U.S. Anker, as you probably recall, was part of the team that discovered George Mallory's body on Everest back in 1999, and he shared a lot about that story in the wonderful documentary The Wildest Dream.

Outside took the opportunity to chat with Anker, quizzing him with seven questions that range from how he got started as a professional adventurer, what it was like discovering Mallory's remains, and how we can still find adventure, even in the 21st century. It's a an excellent read, and definitely worth your time on a slow Friday.

I had a chance to meet Anker back in 2008 while I was in Bozeman, Montana for Primal Quest. He is an interesting guy who is very approachable and humble about his accomplishments. Definitely one of the most down to Earth people you'll ever meet.

Trailer For Vertical Sailing

A few weeks back climber Sean Villanueva and Nicolas and Olivier Favressse collected a Piolets d’Or award for their epic expedition to Greenland, during which they sailed the west and south coasts of the country looking for big walls to climb. They certainly found their share of those, putting up nine new routes on some gnarly rock. The boys have turned their adventure into a film, which you can watch the trailer for below, and then checkout their five part web series on the expedition by clicking here.

(Warning: Naked man and silly singing are contained in the video!)

Thanks to LouPhi for sharing this fun video.

New Speed Record Set On The Eiger North Face

According to the Mammut Blog, one of their sponsored athletes, Dani Arnold, has set a new speed record on the North Face of the Eiger, speed up the iconic face in just 2 hours, 28 minutes. The 27-year old Swiss climber shaved 20 minutes off the previous record, set by Ueli Steck back in 2008.

Arnold climbed the Heckmair route solo, passing other teams along the way. Setting out just after 9 AM, he was on top of the mountain by 11:33 AM.  Unlike Ueli's ascent from a few years back, he didn't free climb the Hinterstoisser traverse however, as by spring, the route isn't safe for that kind of approach.

The Eiger is one of the most well known and popular climbing destinations in the entire world. Standing 3970 meters (13,025 ft) in height, the mountain was first climbed back in 1858, although the North Face wasn't conquered until 1938. It took the better part of two days to complete that climb, which makes it all the more amazing that modern climbers are topping out in just 2.5 hours.

No word yet on if Ueli will attempt to reclaim the record. After all, he is a bit busy in the Himalaya at the moment.