323 Search Results for "ice"

• Sending It with Sage: Postcard Sending It with Sage: Postcards from Fantasy Camp

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    After returning home from his annual pilgrimage to AK, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa gave us a glimpse inside Fantasy Camp. Located deep within the Neacola Mountains, Fantasy Camp served as TGR’s staging ground this spring. Whether nailing first descents or documenting them, the TGR crew kept busy filming for Way of Life. As we gear up for the film’s release, we’ll be filling you in on what went down in Alaska.

    Words and Images by Sage Cattabriga-Alosa

    

    Todd Ligar and Ian Mac look down on a nice little spine wall we dubbed NHL. The wall earned this name because lurking just under a thin dust of snow was a solid sheet of ice that stretched from wall to wall. It made for some exciting attempts at hanging on—and some hockey stops. 

    

    Ariel views like this allow for quickly spotting multiple zones. I often go back through my photos, looking for areas where lines and zones might have been hiding on the first look. 

    

    The Land of Ice—seeing glacial caps and massive glacial fields is quite a sight. It’s cool to see mountains being formed right before your eyes.

    

    The ol' Look down.

    

    Ian Mac speeds out of a massive line in an icy world. The challenge on lines like this is dealing with an exit plan. Large bergshrunds littered the bottom of this wall and the snow was firm underneath the top layer. Needless to say, control—and a plan—was critical to getting out safely.

    

    House-size chunks of ice and snow make up this peeling glacier.

    

    This looks like a calm perch, but the area below is loaded with spince walls that branch out in almost all directions. Here, Ian enjoys a moment of calm before the storm.

    

    Tim Durtschi launches into a 360 off this natural spine flank. This was his first film line of the trip, and he came out of the gate hot!

    

    Mountain views for days.

    

    The glow of the sun reflects off the ocean in the distance. 

    

    Wind can be your enemy out in the alpine, turning glory pow into sastrugi moguls. Luckily, we found protected zones that held good snow through the end of our trip. 

    

    Tempting fruit. 

    

    A razorback. 

    

    Doug Brewer, a bush pilot, was the key to our success at Fantasy Camp. He flew us, our gear, our camp supplies, and fuel out in many different flights. In this photo, he is headed home after taking us on a recon flight in his Bush Hawk.

    

    GPS helps, but helicopters are fly-by-sight aircrafts.

    

    This is how we measure our time out in the helicopter. It keeps track of the amount of hours that we are pulling power, and how long we can fly. 

    

    Sammy Carlson flies out of the bottom of a fun line.

    

    The production team hard at work. Dutch Simpson shoots third angle, picking up the action, and reaction as we roll up to the group at the end of each run. And Tim D, who mostly shoots his Sony Action Cam helps out. 

    

    Dana Flahr lays some smooth tracks while killing time before our next set up.

    
     

    A zone that got away... always tons of options out there. And it feels good to have goals for the future. It looks like you could have a bit of fun with this one.

     

    Ice . . . 

    

    Ice . . .

     Baby.

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• TGR Joins Exum Mountain Guides TGR Joins Exum Mountain Guides in the Apocalypse Couloir - Almost Live Season 5 Episode 9

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    In episode 9 of "Almost Live" Season 5, Exum Mountain Guide Zahan Billimoria teams up with Jackson Hole athletes, Griffin Post and Max Hammer, to take on the Apocalypse Couloir in Grand Teton National Park. Get an intimate glimpse inside the effort it takes to ski the remote, steep couloir. The team makes a series of repels, commiting them to the dangerous line. The boys then drop into the 3000 foot line, which is as steep as 50 degrees in some areas. They are faced with falling ice and unstable snow which add to their thrilling pursuit.  

     

    Music:

    Artist: BOCrew

    Track: The Pursure of a Dream

    http://ccmixter.org/people/BOCrew

     

    Sponsors:

    http://www.exumguides.com/

    http://www.jacksonhole.com/

     

    Shop TGR Merchandise as seen in this episode of Almost Live here: 

    https://shop.tetongravity.com

  • 2 weeks ago
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• Through the Lens: Jason Thomps Through the Lens: Jason Thompson

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:
    Words by Kim Havell and Jason Thompson
    Images by Jason Thompson
    
    
    Upon graduating from Montana State University in 2004, photographer Jason Thompson joined Big Sky’s Ski Patrol and also worked as a mountain guide in Washington and Alaska, steadily building a career in adventure photography. His focus is on creating skiing and climbing imagery that captures the essence of action adventure.
    
    
    With a style that Thompson describes as “raw and unposed”, he strives for simplicity. His images are the product of his lifestyle, telling stories inspired by nature, adventure, and the human experience. At twelve years of age, Thompson decided to pursue photography with an old-school Olympus camera. He took photography classes in high school while shooting action photos of skiing, backpacking, and soccer.
    
    
    
    
    
    Thompson is currently on an expedition to University Peak in Alaska with friend and ski partner, Forrest Coots. When asked about Thompson, Coots shares, “JT has a strong skill set built from years of guiding. He is comfortable climbing and skiing big lines, while also shooting, which allows him to capture that raw-feeling. His images reflect his travels through the mountains via ice climbing and ski mountaineering in iconic locations around the world.” 
    
    
    
    
    The Start—Insights from Jason
    As a kid, I was drawn to the mountains and loved the winter months. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I was exposed to some of the finest mountain terrain in the lower 48. The Olympic Mountains served as my launching point for adventuring as well as capturing the escapades with my camera. The Washington experience extended from childhood through high school. 
    
    
    A high school friend gave me a flyer for Montana State University. That was the first time I realized the power of marketing; there was a skier on the front page of the flyer. I was sold. I had also seen many of Kris Erickson's pictures and read many of Hans Saari's words. It was an easy move to a place where two creative adventurers that I had looked up to had made their home base. In the fall of 1999, I moved to Bozeman, without ever having been there, two days before classes started. Five years later I graduated with a degree in photography. The community in Bozeman welcomed me and it’s been home ever since. 
    
    
    
    
    Breaking Through
    For me, the photography process has more been a series of ups and downs with a continual ebb and flow. There have also been great moments that have provided me with bigger surges. 
    
    
    In 2008, Tyler Jones, Seth Waterfall, and I received a Hans Saari Ski Exploration grant for a trip to Mount Shkhara in the Republic of Georgia, located in the Svaneti Region. I had to plan a major trip from a climbing/skiing perspective as well as from a photography perspective. It was a great learning exercise. The expedition was powerful for the three of us, visiting a place that we knew little about. It left a mark on me in my young photography career.
    
    
    In issue #36 of Alpinist Magazine I had a double page spread. The article, written by Joe Josephson, was about ice climbing in Hyalite Canyon here in Bozeman, Montana. I was humbled and thrilled at this incredible opportunity to be involved.
    
    
    
    
    
    Inspiration
    During my junior year of university, Kris Erickson came in and gave a talk to my photography business class. It was groundbreaking for me. I remember being blown away by the images he was showing, the adventures he had been on, and the people and places he had seen. It was an inspiring forty minutes for me. I remember thinking that, yep, I could do that for work. 
    
    
    Since then I have had a chance to get to know Kris better. The insight he provided that day and since then has motivated me to follow suit in many ways and has helped me to carefully evaluate how I mold and shape my photography and my brand.  I have heard Kris mention so many nuggets of wisdom over the years. When I used to shoot slides, I built myself a light table, made of out of cheap plywood and plexiglass. I would write quotes or ideas that I had heard which inspired me or had caused me to take pause. Some of my favorite nuggets written on that light table were from Kris. I wish I had kept that light table—somewhere during the many moves I lost it.
    
    
    
    
    Safety
    I have always wanted to be a photographer and that has always been my number one goal. But, I tactically decided early on to pursue ski patrolling and guiding in order to give me a solid foundation of management, in particular from a safety standpoint. I heard Will Gadd explain his philosophy and outlook on life as a “positive, negative outlook.” Meaning, the universe is out to kill us. As Will put it, if you get hit with that piece of ice that is your fault. No one else can be blamed for that. He preached personal responsibility. I agree.
    
    
    
    
    
    As a ski patroller at Big Sky Ski Resort, I learned a lot over the years about avalanches and helping others with medical incidents and avalanche mitigation. I also started mountain guiding, spending time in the Alaska Range and on Mt Rainier.
    
    
    
    
    I have a very open dialogue with athletes with whom I am shooting. Safety is number one. Just because there is a camera does not mean that you have to accept a risk that you wouldn't normally take. The industry trend is to make everything look very sexy. Often times the careful calculations are not shown or exposed. That is one of the things I want to bring to the table as a photographer. Showing the process of how the hazard is being evaluated and what steps are being taken in order to minimize “our” exposure to that risk or hazard. 
    
    
    
    
    
    The Creative Process
    The creative visual process has only begun to take shape in the vertical terrain. I think that we have just seen the beginning. As a visual adventure artist I try and pre-visualize how an athlete will ski a certain line or climb a certain line. I use the athlete as my brush stroke on a blank canvas to generate the exclamation point to the already stunning landscape. 
    
    
    Hans Saari stated this idea beautifully: “ The vibrancy of the line means everything. Like a cello, there is no sound until the string is taut. The more you struggle, the tighter the string, the greater the music.” 
    
    
    
    The Business
    With the current status of the industry, it takes creativity to approach the visual side of things and to see things from new angles. If I use a business model that my mentors used previously, chances are that I probably will not last too long in this industry. 
    
    
    The digital age has shifted many things. But, I believe that relationships propel us forward. It’s the human connection. As a viewer of images, you are drawn to the content that captures that soul. One of the quotes that I had written on my plywood light table twelve years ago was from Kris Erickson—“It’s about the relationships.“ 
    
    
    
    
    
    Just like any business that is starting out, a plan of action has to be put into place. Still, taking that first step into the unknown is still probably one of the biggest adventures upon which I have embarked. But just like climbing or skiing a big objective, after the first few pitches your nerves calm down. I have been able to realize that “yeah, I can do this.” It’s something that you have to commit to. It’s a lifestyle. Creative artists pour their lives into doing what makes them passionate. 
    
    
    
    
    Partnerships
    Time spent with friends exploring and adventuring inspires me the most. I've found a greater personal joy in the expedition style shooting versus the one-day shoots. It is a chance to get to know my subjects in greater detail and see more of their personalities shine.
    
    
    
    
    
    There are several folks with whom I really love working:
    
    
    - Ice climber Andres Marin has been a great friend of mine for a very long time. His energy is contagious. Andres has a drive for perfection and professionalism that is very admirable.
    
    
    - Forrest Coots and I met for the first time while in Chile during the fall of 2011 on a ski trip. We meshed right away. I enjoy Forrest's desire to take trips to places that require some thoughtful planning. Forrest and I have sat in our tents during storms and shoot texts back and forth dreaming about trips and different ideas that spark our passions for skiing in the mountains.
    
    
    - Tyler Jones and I met in 2005 while we were guiding for the same company. Tyler has since gone on to finish his AMGA guiding certifications as the youngest American to complete the process. His meticulous attention to detail is somewhat astonishing. Tyler is one of my best friends. From the Republic of Georgia, Montana, Alaska and La Grave, our mountain time has played a huge role in our friendship. I've learned a ton from Tyler in regards to hazard mitigation.
    
    
    - I was recently on a shoot with Conrad Anker. His vision, dedication and outlook on life is inspiring. He would prefer to talk about his new route the “Nutcracker” than talk about his last summit on Everest without oxygen. His psych for climbing is contagious, his energy transcends generations, his talents are inspiring to watch, and his mentorship helps many. Conrad never stops learning and he is a proponent for adaptation. That’s just rad. 
    
    
    
    
    The Future of the Industry
    I believe the future involves a lot of creative collaboration. Sharing ideas and collaborating can be very rewarding. It will most likely evolve and morph on a much larger scale. I know of some climbing projects that are in the works based on wide scale submissions from climbers willing to submit content from a whole season’s worth of footage from one location. So instead of one or even five filmers being involved, there will be fifty contributing work. 
    
    
    
    Career Highlights
    - Every year I make a little more money than the previous year as a photographer.
    
    
    - Having my first image published in a Patagonia catalog and then having them re-license it for a store display in the Seattle store—that was a goal of mine that year and it felt really good to nail it. 
    
    
    - Being awarded the Hans Saari Ski Exploration Grant for a Ski trip to Mt Shkhara in the Republic of Georgia. 
    
    
    - Double page spread in Alpinist Magazine #36
    
    
    - The moment I realized that I actually had an audience that was listening to me and actively following my work. It was a moment that shifted my mindset and challenged me to work even harder. It wasn't just my mom who was looking at my pictures anymore. 
    
    
    - Being asked to give a talk at Montana State University in the same business photography class in which I had heard Kris Erickson give his talk. 
    
    
    - The friends I have made and the many interesting people that I have been fortunate to meet over the years because of photography. 
    
    
    - Being invited on the Cerro Castillo ski trip in Patagonia with Drew Stoecklein, Chuck “The Pit Viper King” Mumford and Forrest Coots to work on and create the short film “Take The Ride.”
    
    
    To view more of Jason's work, drop into http://www.jthompsonphotography.com
    
    
    
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• Line Choice with Drew Tabke - Line Choice with Drew Tabke - Pro Tips

  • From: freerideworldtour
  • Description:

    No other than Freeride World Champion Drew Tabke gives advice on choosing a freeride contest line on a face.
    
    Watch Freeride World Tour Videos

     

  • 1 month ago
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• Jackson Hole PowWow Jackson Hole PowWow

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    Rob Kingwill, Teton Gravity Research and the JHPowWow crew assembled some of the most dedicated and solid riders on the planet to test powder and freeride boards over 3 days at the beginning of March here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
    
    We tested over 60 amazing freeride and pow boards, threw some super fun parties, and shredded our faces off at Jackson Hole in deep snow everyday.
    
    For More Information

    Watch More TGR Videos

     

  • 2 months ago
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• Tiny House Tour Episode 3 - Ou Tiny House Tour Episode 3 - Outdoor Research

  • From: outdoorresearch102344
  • Description:

    Every moment in the mountains lends an opportunity to learn. A lifetime education awaits those willing to explore, watch, and listen. And sometimes we meet purveyors of the knowledge, people who have made it their intention to understand the intricacies of the snow, and share what they've learned about the many varieties of a snowflake. These snow aficionados are our greatest educators, devoted to dissecting the element that brings skiers life and death simultaneously.
    
    The tiny house arrived in Utah at the beginning of a storm cycle that would invigorate the mountain community with pow turns, while burying a weak layer in the snowpack that would require trepidation in the backcountry. In the two weeks the tiny house lived in Utah, many slides were seen and experienced by skiers and snowboarders across the Wasatch. Instead of playing their usual roles in this act, they became the audience and learned from a friend of the Utah Avalanche Center, Trent Meisenheimer, a passionate snow safety ambassador who grew up at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
    
    Following Trent and his father Bruce (a man who should be put in the Ski-Loving Father Hall of Fame) into the special ski stashes of the Cottonwoods (yes, they still exist), the OR team investigated their own capacity to learn and re-learn what they already thought they knew. You're never too experienced in the backcountry. And there is always something new to digest.
    
    “Education is the process of living, not preparation for the future.”
    
    Watch More Outdoor Research Videos Here

     

  • 2 months ago
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• Why You Should Ski In Afghanis Why You Should Ski In Afghanistan

  • From: kausarhussain
  • Description:

    

    Afghanistan.
    
    Just the mention of the word sends images into the mind. Military units driving through deserts, windswept mud brick villages and broken arid urban landscapes. When I mention the possibility of going skiing in Afghanistan it can get some strange responses. Forget about the risk, the first question is, “Is there any snow?”
    
    Whilst it is true that much of Afghanistan is desert or semi-desert and that it hardly ever rains, it does snow. In the mountains it snows a lot. The snow is the lifeblood of Afghanistan. As it melts, it flows through the rivers that fill the canals that irrigate the fields.  A good snowfall ensures that the people of small rural communities will have a good harvest and can feed their families and livestock. A poor snowfall often leads to a drought and a famine. However, the snow in Afghanistan is both a blessing and a curse. Heavy snow cuts off villages in the mountain and every winter people freeze to death or are crushed by avalanches.
    
    Families wait for the snow to melt hoping to survive the winter until they can reap the reward that the snow will bring in the summer. For thousands of years there has been nothing for the people to do in the winter except wait for the Spring....until now.
    
    This winter young men from the villages of Kushkak, Jawzari, Ali Baig, and of the valleys of Qazan and Dukani and Foladi will pull on home made skis, crafted from wooden planks, with edges made from flattened tin cans and with poles snapped from a nearby tree. Some will be selected for training to represent their valley in a competition to see which valley can produce the best skier. They will be given modern ski gear to use. They’ll be taught how to ski, and they’ll receive basic training in first aid and avalanche awareness — skills they can take back to their village and potentially use to save lives.
    
    A handful of young men from Bamian, in Central Afghanistan have already begun guiding foreign skiers - both ex-pats from Kabul and visitors from around the world who are trickling into the region to try out Afghan skiing first hand.
    
    
    
    So how did this happen?
    
    At the beginning of the winter of 2010 almost no-one had skied in the province of Bamian. The valley's chief claim to fame had been the giant Buddha statues carved into the cliffs overlooking the town of Bamian. Tragically the two statues – which were about 1400 years old – were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 robbing the world of two of its most important ancient Buddhist relics, and robbing the people of Bamian of one of their key sources of tourist income. For Afghans, Bamian province was also well known for the lakes of Band e Amir  – a series of five lakes formed by natural travertine dams, that appear like a mirage in this high, arid landscape. In the summer Kabuli families come here to picnic and to escape the dust and heat.
    
    Bamian is also home to the Hazara people. The Hazaras are recognisable by their Mongoloid features. They’re Shia Muslims, unlike most Afghans, who are Sunni. In popular tradition they are reputed to be the remnants of the Mongol armies who came to the region with Genghis Khan. Historically they have been looked down upon by the ethnic Pushtuns and Tajiks who make up most of Afghanistan’s population. Some radical Sunnis — such as the Taliban — have seen them as heretics because of their Shia faith. Modern Afghanistan has always been ruled by Pushtun kings or Pushtun dominated governments who have tended to overlook the Hazaras. However, there have been important changes in Bamian since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. It is no Shangri-La —  there is little electricity, the province is one of the poorest in the country and by any standard it ranks as one of the least developed places on the planet. However, for the first time in decades there are signs of progress and positive change.
    
    Ten years ago, Bamian province had never had a hospital, a paved road, or a university. Now these all exist. There are still many problems, of course, but the Bamian valley is relatively secure and there is none of the anti-government fighting that plagues large parts of the rest of Afghanistan.
    
    An international development agency, the Aga Khan Foundation, saw the potential of promoting tourism in Bamian as a way of giving the people of the province an additional source of income. The Foundation has helped to develop guest houses, organise cultural festivals and provide information about the places of interest in and around Bamian.
    
    That’s fine in the summer when tourists come to the valley, but what about the winter, when guest houses lie empty? Well, the people of Bamian fall back on their timeless winter pastime of just surviving and waiting until the Spring.
    
    
    
    But taking their cue from other mountainous developing countries it was clear that any winter income was better than none so the Aga Khan Foundation began the Ski Bamian programme. With no infrastructure or lifts, the idea was to make the Koh-e-Baba mountains a new destination for ski-touring.
    
    In 2010 two American skiers were employed for the winter to map out potential routes. They brought only their own equipment so the Afghans had to get creative if they too wanted to ski along with them. Anyone with a small knowledge of Afghan military history will tell you that not having state of the art equipment never stopped the Afghans with competing with foreign powers.  Skiing with no ski equipment was not an insurmountable problem. Strips of wood with battered oil tins for edges were formed - - so, the bazaar ski was born.
    
    It quickly became clear that the mountains of Bamian were perfect for skiing and in 2011 a foreign ski trainer arrived to train the first batch of Afghan ski guides. It was early in 2011 that Ali Shah met Nando the Italian ski trainer at his village of Khushkak. Ali Shah was fit, young and spoke good English. Nando asked him what he wanted to be?
    
    “An engineer” said Ali Shah.
    
    “Why you wanna be an engineer? In Kabul there are a thousand engineers. You shoulda be a mountain guide. It's the best job in the world. You spend your whole life in the mountains with beautiful women.”
    
    It may not have been a textbook interview but Ali Shah is now Afghanistan’s best ski guide and Nando's singular teaching style set the basis for the success of the project.
    
    
    
    During 2011 and 2012 the annual Afghan Ski Challenge race (Rule number one — no weapons) was organised by a Swiss journalist and has became a focal point for the ski season (www.afghanskichallenge.com). With most Afghan Challengers having only one month’s ski training the Swiss organisers thought it an unfair challenge. They divided the race into Afghan and non-Afghan categories. The challenge is a classic ski touring route which includes skinning up as well as skiing down. They were right to divide the competition as most of the Afghans had finished before the foreigners had even got to the top.
    
    With donations from western organisations like gear4guides (www.gear4guides.com) there is now a well equipped ski rental shop in Bamian serving the local community and the ex-pat and international skiers that trickle in.
    
    My connection with skiing in Afghanistan began in 2009 when I bumped into a Scottish lad who worked for an Afghan aid agency. Ken was hiking with his girlfriend in the Wakhan region of Afghanistan in the far North East and I was leading a group of trekkers. The Wakhan region is the only other part of Afghanistan safe enough to consider these types of outdoor trips.
    
    He told me of a group of British and French skiers working in Afghanistan who regularly skied near Kabul in the winter and if I was serious about being an Afghan tour operator then I should be offering ski trips to Afghanistan. I said I'd join him on a trip that winter.
    
    On the first trip I made we took one of our regular drivers, Ali. For someone who has never skied it is quite hard to explain what we planned to do. Once we loaded up the poles and skis he had a rough idea of what we were up to and wanted to help. At the bottom of the Salang Pass, which crosses the spine of the Hindu Kush, Ali stopped at a small teahouse and ordered food for all of us. As any Afghan will tell you the best thing for breakfast if you are going to spend all day in the snow is Cow’s Foot. Boiled for hours, this gelatinous lump of bone, fat and gristle is never appealing to non Afghans and the French skiers particularly do not like it. We made a quick note that for the commercial trips, we wouldn’t let the drivers choose the dining options.
    
    But it was then that I saw how skiing was something that really appealed to all the Afghans who saw it. Standing next to Ali as we watched Ken fly down the slopes, he was awestruck. “He is a Djinn,” was Ali's response. Hazaras believe there are mountain spirits and clearly Ken was one.
    
    In the tea house where we stopped on the way back, Ali regaled the owners with the tale of Ken's exploits. Ken was described as a Djinn and I as a Boz (a goat). I hoped it was a way to describe my sure footedness in the mountains but I think it was more to do with my erratic skiing style.
    
    In keeping with Afghan tradition, the story was heavily exaggerated but it started a long discussion about skiing, mountains, snow conditions, avalanches and Afghanistan’s future.
    
    It was not only Ali who became a convert. I realised that, Cow’s Foot aside, this was an awesome way to experience Afghanistan in the winter. Skiing was something that was very foreign but the snow and the mountains was a common factor that could bring people together as it had done in that tea house. I also thought Bamian could be the perfect place for skiing.
    
    
    
    It has not always been smooth. A few elders in one or two villages are suspicious about the skiing fuss. They worry the young men will hurt themselves – preventing them from doing the hard farming work - or that skiing will be the thin end of the wedge and they'll get caught up in other foreign un-Islamic ways. This generally does not stop the young boys from hiking up the hills and skiing. “The only say it is bad because they don't know how to ski,” said one boy from Jawzari village.
    
    All the trailheads start from the villages and we have a code of conduct to help ensure that skiers behave properly. The Aga Khan programme representatives have discussed the skiing idea with all the local villages. We pay our respects to the village leaders and maybe take a cup of tea. There are many ways in which thoughtless skiers can cause offence, generally to do with women. In a country where the majority of people are illiterate and there is very limited access to the media, in these isolated rural communities, rumour is often taken as fact. If someone tells a man that the foreigners took a photo of his wife and put it on display in Kabul he will probably believe it. So Rule Number One is – Don’t take pictures of the women. Ever.
    
    Cultural sensitivity is key to the future of skiing in Afghanistan.
     
    When guiding a group of snowboarders last winter we spent a good hour discussing with the headman of one village what we wanted to do in their valley. The snowboarders were professional and were heading to a steep area that had not been ridden, so the villagers were suspicious. It took a great deal of persuasion until he agreed and let us pass around his village.
    
    As we walked around the village we were watched closely by the men on the rooftops, with no smiles or handshakes. We travelled far up the valley and soon the snowboarders were making jumps from the top of large cliffs. On the second attempt one of them failed to make his landing and crashed in a huge cloud of snow. Suddenly huge cheers rang out from the village below. All the village stood watching on the house rooftops. They liked all the action, but they liked the crashes best of all.
    
    On the way back down there was still staring and silence but we knew the ice had been broken.
    
    We went back to that area for three days and by the end we were inside drinking tea and joking with the local people.
    
    The key to a successful trip is that the Afghan villagers have  a positive experience as well as the visiting skiers.
    
    
    
    Afghanistan has always presented a contrast of lifestyles. An abiding memory of my first visit back after years away was of an old man and a young boy herding sheep down an unmade road. With his turban and billowing shalwar-kameez — a long, loose shirt and trousers, the man looked almost Biblical. A closer inspection revealed that his son was wearing a Megadeath t-shirt (presumably a charitable donation). The road they were walking along had a traffic calming feature – a half buried tank caterpillar track to stop cars speeding through the village. Introducing skiing to a small valley in the Hindu Kush seems to build on such contrasts.
    
    A typical night is spent in rooms heated by wood fire stoves called Bukharis. These are very efficient heaters. You fill them to the maximum before bedtime. It might be -25C outside but we would be sitting in our rooms in shorts and a t-shirt. As the night passes and the fire burns out the temperature plummets in the room and at dawn we'll be inside sleeping bags and the glass of water by the bed will have a layer of ice.
    
    Breakfast could be eggs or pancakes. Where we stay, the cook was trained at a US agency guesthouse. He knows exactly what hungry Westerners like to eat. Recently married, he returned to Bamian from working in Helmand province. The wages are much lower in Bamian but it is safer. In Helmand he always had to carry his ID card to get into the compound. However, if the Taliban stopped him and found this ID card he would be killed.
    
    On a very cold night the diesel will freeze in the vehicles used to take us to the mountains. We'll drink tea whilst a fire is built under the engine to defrost it, and perhaps watch the daily UN helicopter coming in to land at the Bamian military base, managed by the New Zealand army.
     
    Once in the villages at the top of the valleys, when we start to skin up we'll be invited in for tea by the village elders. Depending on the weather we'll either accept or continue uphill to make the most of the snow. I'll remind people that they should always remove their shoes when entering a house, never speak directly to the women -– and above all, no matter how serious their latest case of Kabul Belly, NEVER to fart in a room with their Afghan hosts. This is perhaps the greatest social faux pas of all.
    
    Often we'll be joined for all or part of the day by the local youths on their home-made skis. Making light work of skinning up and paying little or no attention to our avalanche warnings. they just laugh – “Inshallah” – if God wills it
    
    There is not much to do in the evenings. Alcohol is forbidden, but there is plenty of hearty traditional Afghan food and drink - kebabs, rice and hot drinks. With alcohol forbidden, we like to call this the Apres- tea scene.
    
    Skiing will not solve all the problems in Afghanistan. It won't solve the problems of Bamian but in a few small valleys in the Hindu Kush they are making a small positive impact to a handful of people and that is something worthwhile.
    
    Interested in traveling to Afghanistan, be smart and read up first.  Amazon.com has some grea books on travel and history throughout Afghanistan.
    
    
    •    Kausar Hussain is a guide and operations manager for Untamed Borders and arranges ski trips to Bamian every year. http://www.untamedborders.com www.facebook.com/untamedborders
    
    
    

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• Chris Bangs, Human Powered Mou Chris Bangs, Human Powered Mountaineers, Cleo’s Hyalite Canyon, Photo: Patrick Clayton

  • From: patclayton
  • Description:
    Chris Bangs, Human Powered Mountaineers, Cleo’s Hyalite Canyon, Photo: Patrick Clayton
  • 3 months ago
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• Tiny House Tour - Episode 2 - Tiny House Tour - Episode 2 - Outdoor Research

  • From: outdoorresearch102344
  • Description:

    All of us have mountains and lines that beckon to us every day, every season, every turn—Giants that loom in the periphery of our memory and thoughts. These monoliths sleep in our wildest dreams. And sometimes they creep slowly, after years of hoping and wanting, into our reality. These lines turn into days of our life that we’ll never forget. They trump weddings, graduations, and other celebrations because they represent an achievement that others can’t understand unless they spent that day with you, saw you make those turns, and felt what it was like to be in those places. These mountains and lines are officiators of greatness, if only in our own psyche. But they signify greatness that you’ll never forget (and may never surpass) because being invited into the wild by a mountain is like heaven’s doors opening for your welcome.
    
    This December the OR team was called into the living room of one of our favorite peaks, a mansion that stoops over their existence every day they've ever skied in Washington’s North Cascades. Each time they've ventured into the threshold of this esteemed range, they've cautiously dusted off our shoes at the door hesitantly asking, “Are you sure?” But the mountain has been a gracious host. Polite and accommodating, serving up everything they'd hoped for as an intimidated guest.
    
    On our 15-hour mission in December, the gates opened with an honest certainty. Snow stability and freshness we’re expected as they climbed the nearly 7,000 vertical feet to the summit. After skiing that same distance in warm sunlight, but cold crystallized powder, back down to the valley floor, they were only half way done with the mission. They still had to go home. They still had to get back to the tiny house two drainages and another climb away. Their day and night we’re not over.
    
    Invitations can be just like that. You can’t make assumptions based on your R.S.V.P. The party might go on for longer than you’d hoped. And mountains are surprising hosts, often temperamental. But, sometimes they let you slip out the back door, going unnoticed, like the quiet guest who sat in the corner, barely uttering a sound, but soaking in all the glorious sounds, smells, and sights, of people enjoying the time that they are alive.
    
    Watch More Outdoor Research Videos

     

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• Tiny House Tour - Episode 1 - Tiny House Tour - Episode 1 - Outdoor Research

  • From: outdoorresearch102344
  • Description:

    Everyone wants to be the all-sacrificing powder hound, vagabonding from storm to storm, with no possessions, a bank devoid of money, but full of powder turns. In some places, we know true ski bums. People who don’t have cars, jobs, friends on powder days, or houses (or at least houses that don’t live in trees).
    
    Meet Ben Price.
    
    A true specimen, and maybe one of the last of his kind, Ben lives deep, deep in the Cascade Mountains, living out of his tree house, a map of the peaks engrained in his mind, and more of a dedication to making turns and finding adventure than anyone you’ll meet in the mountains these days. And he does it because of one reason…wait for it…because he wants to.
    
    Before the days of the glory and fame of the vibrant, mowhaked professional skier of the 90’s to the energy drinking XGames youth of today, there were local heroes, people who skied because of the freedom and counter-culture found in the mountains. There was some risk involved in this—giving up everything to find solace in the powder. Comforts were gone, but enlightenment was found by the skiers living in the parking lot on the periphery of what was normal.
    
    As a snow loving community we’ve come full circle and today we’re all looking for that kind of hero. We need to draw inspiration from something unfamiliar, someone not constructed in the minds of a marketing team, but from a genuine icon—a legendary ski bum. We’re looking for Ben Price.
    
    The Outdoor Research team found him in Washington this December and parked their tiny house in his kingdom, following this splitboarding cowboy to the last frontier. Unexplored mountains and unknown pillow lines were found. And they also discovered that in the world of ski bums there’s everyone else and then there’s Ben Price (a true snow loving freak who would hate us if he knew we put him on the Internet).
    
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• Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Sk Eye Catchers: 10 Noteworthy Ski Products From SIA 2013

  • From: gregfitzsimmons
  • Description:

    The SIA Snow Show rolled through Denver last weekend like a carnival—it popped up quickly, took over for a few days, and disappeared overnight. There was some serious shoptalk and geeking-out that went down during the four-day ski and snowboard trade show. We were on the floor throughout, scouring the booths, talking with brands, and checking out the gear that’s on-tap for next season. There’s a lot for skiers to get excited about next year, from bindings and backpacks to skis and jackets. Here are ten pieces of gear that we were introduced to at SIA and think you need to know about.
    
    
    
    Kastle FX Skin
    
    Kastle has come up with the answer for the age-old problem of getting shit stuck to the glue of your climbing skins: make a skin without using glue. Like an octopus, the FX Skin uses thousands of tiny suction cups to stick to the ski, which means dirt, water, and dog hair are no longer a worry when slapping your skins on for the climb. For now, the FX Skin is only available cut to fit the Kastle FX line of skis, which are worth checking out, too.
    
    
    
    Völkl One & Two
    
    The One (blue) and Two (red) skis by Völkl are the perfect ski for jibbers looking “to take it the backcountry.” With “early” taper in the tip and tail and full rocker, this line will be the go-to quiver for guys looking to spin and stomp, get pitted and arc pow turns—like Dash and Dylan. A multi-layered wood core promises a poppy feel, the vertical sidewalls mean bomber quality, and the playful tail will allow for skiers to get creative in deep snow.
    
    
    
    
    
    K2 Shax
    
    We’re always psyched when we can consolidate gear and cut down on the equipment we have to schlep in packs during backcountry missions. So, people were talking at SIA when K2 unfurled their new “shax”—a combination of an ice ax and rescue shovel. This thing has many functions: rescue shovel, hoe, deadman anchor, flat surface for cooking, and, now, a removable handle with an interchangeable ice axe head. It all packs down into the size and weight of a normal shovel. The Shax is the go-to tool for booting up the couloir, building booters, and rescue situations.   
    
    
    
    Rossignol Soul 7
    
    The hype surrounding the Soul 7 (and Soul Series) is loud right now, and rightly so. The Soul 7 is 106mm underfoot with “Powder Turn Rocker” and boasts a new ultra‐lightweight core and new Air Tip technology that has reduced the ski weight by 20%. “At 106 underfoot, the Soul 7 is the new do‐it‐all, go‐to ski,” said Rossi pro Matty Richard. This ski is the bridge between backcountry, freeride, and freestyle; it’s super light for going uphill and spinning of features, but doesn’t compromise an ounce of performance when you’re clicked in. This one’s a blaster.
    
    
    
    Dalbello Krypton Lupo (Sean Pettit Pro Model) Boot
    
    Dalbello’s KR2 Series is building on the momentum it’s seen over the last few years, and unveiling a new pro model called the Lupo S.P. that looks and feels burly. Sean Pettit’s 98mm last pro model boot is geared for big mountain charging, and keeps the hiking and skinning in mind, too. With an ultra-burly cuff, high-traction mid sole rubber, and replaceable toe and heel, this 130 flex, three-buckle boot is legit.
    
    
    
    Smith Inspired Designs Helmet and Goggles
    
    The new Smith I/D Project has created a series integrated—as always with Smith—goggles and helmets based on colors and graphics that the athletes are clamoring for and inspired by. The end products are sweet. Sage’s Chakana I/O goggle and Vantage helmet boast a matte purple look and incorporates Incan mythology that Sage believes in and Bobby Brown’s Digital I/O goggle and Maze helmet are inspired by the London tube map when he was in the UK at the Olympics.
    
    
    
    Patagonia PowSlayer and Untracked
    
    The Patagonia PowSlayer kit has garnered a devout following in its first year on the market for its lightweight and durable design and freeride fit. The second iteration of PowSlayer is only getting better! With an articulated fit made for charging skiers, thoughtful design that allows for backpack straps, high-back bib with belt loops for après, and sick colors, the PowSlayer is a must-have kit. And, the Untracked pant and jacket blends a hardshell’s waterproofness with the breathability of a softshell. Look for awesome color combos like Yvonn’s favorite, army green with purple.
    
    
    
    Mammut Pro Protection Airbag Backpack
    
    Mammut has recently acquired Snowpulse which means that the airbag in all Mammut snow packs will be geared 100 percent toward snowsports. The new Pro Protection Airbag pack is the perfect example of an avalanche airbag pack that is designed for the serious skier. 35 liters of volume means there’s a ton of room for overnight hut trips, the back entry makes it easy to get into the pack’s main compartment, and the shape of the Snowpulse airbag aims at helping combat trauma in an avalanche in addition to helping flotation. Mammut is also working on a canister rental program with retailers to make sure that when you travel to BC or Europe from North America you don’t have to stress about your canister.
    
    
    
    
    BCA Tracker3 Beacon and BC Link Walkie
    
    The Tracker has been a go-to beacon for backcountry skiers for a long time because of the ease of use, and now the Tracker 3 comes in a smaller package. The T3 still boasts the industry’s fastest and most precise pinpointing with an instantaneous display, but it’s now 20% smaller and lighter than the Tracker2 and has three antennas. The BC Link walkie means that backcountry travel and communication aren’t mutually exclusive. Going one-at-a-time doesn’t have to compromise communication anymore. The real-time communication system is easy to use with gloves on and designed to be worn with all backpacks.
    
    
    
    Dynafit Beast Binding
    
    If you’ve been on a month-long hut trip or haven’t paid your internet bill for awhile, you might not know that Dynafit is unfurling The Beast. The 16 DIN binder has created a frenzy among charging backcountry skiers and for good reason. The Dynafit Beast 16 DIN binding is serious. The frameless touring binding is looking to change the entire binding category, blurring the once definitive line between an alpine binding and a touring setup.
    
    A Few Other Products to Note:
    
    Tyrolia, Elan, and Fischer will be producing a 16 DIN alpine binding called the Adrenaline that looks to be a solid competitor to the Jester, Driver, and others on the market. It’s lighweight design, low profile tow piece, and tight mounting pattern make it a binding to check out if you’re looking for a bomber alpine binder.
    
    Line will be unveiling the Sick Day Series of skis that athletes like Colter Hinchliffe, Andrew Whiteford, and Max Hammer had a major role in the development of the three-ski line—with widths of 125mm, 110mm, and 95mm underfoot. Line’s Sick Day Series are surfy, stable, and fun.
    
    Chris Davenport recently joined forces with Scarpa to create the Freedom SL Freeride Boot. It’s lightweight (3 pounds, 15 ounces per boot), durable (Pebax and carbon-fiber construction), strong (120 flex), and comes stock with an Intuition FR Speed liner.

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• The Loonies - LINE Traveling The Loonies - LINE Traveling Circus 5.4

  • From: line_skis
  • Description:

    Andy Parry finds a magical roadmap leading to the Pacific Northwest; The TC van treks across black ice, packs of angry dogs, and gas station pizza to meet up with Cole Drexler and Max Hill before returning to the legendary Rail Gardens of Salt Lake City.
    
    Watch More LINE Videos

     

  • 4 months ago
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• First Look: Black Diamond Equi First Look: Black Diamond Equipment’s Fall 2013 Freeride Skis And Boots

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    From Left to right, Black Diamond's 2013-14 Megawatt, Verdict, AMPerage, Convert, and Zealot skis.

    Sure, you may have just bought new skis, but they’re already obsolete. Sorry, next year’s boards have already been invented. Later this month, at the Outdoor Retailer and SIA trade shows, all of the winter 2013-14 skis will begin to be promoted, starting the annual cycle of ski-stoke and anticipation all over again. It’s just how it works. Everyone likes shiny new plastic toys, especially when they allow you have more fun on the snow than the year before. And that’s the point, to have more fun.
    
    Last week, Teton Gravity Research office jockeys had the pleasure of testing out some of Black Diamond Equipment’s 2013-14 freeride skis and boots. These are the stiffer boots and fatter skis in the BD ski line. Black Diamond ski category director Thomas Laakso (who absolutely rips, by the way) brought up big mountain, all mountain, and freetour boards from Utah to the TGR offices in Teton Village, Wyoming. TGR staff went nuts skiing the new sticks at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and in the Jackson Hole backcountry.
    
    In all we were able to test:
    
    Big Mountain Series Skis
    Megawatt - 188
    AMPerage - 185, 195
    
    All Mountain Series Skis
    Zealot - 182   
    Verdict - 180
    
    Freetour Series
    Carbon Megawatt - 188
    Convert - 180
    
    Boots
    Factor Mx 130 - Men’s
    
    
    
    Ski testing is tricky business. What may be the best pair of sticks for one person could be the worst pair of planks for the next person – and that was the case a couple times here. Also, there were times when just one person got out on a pair of skis, so you only have their opinion to go on. There are so many factors: conditions, group dynamic, length of ski, what type of ski the “tester” is used to, type of skier, how much time they had on them, etc.
    
    So, consider this a first look at BD’s 2013-14 freeride line.
    
    We have listed exact dimensions, weights, and prices, then our thoughts. Many of these skis are already out on the market, but for 2013-14, many of the skis weigh less due to BD using pre-preg technology in their new factory in China that they say is eco-friendly.
    
    If you don’t feel like reading this whole thing, here’s the take away: Everyone loved the 185 AMPerage and considered it a “one quiver” ski. Also, everyone loved the Megawatt in powder and thought is was “surfy.”
    
    Other results varied and not everyone was able to get out on all the skis.
    
    Anyway, here we go.
    
    
    Megawatt ($899)
    178cm:  150-125-131  9lb 1oz
    188cm:  151-125-131  10lb 9oz
    
    Two testers total on the 188
    
    Stoke Level: 8/10
    
    “It was really fun,” said TGR’s Than Volk, who is 25 years old, 5’10” and 150 lbs. “ I got one run of them, but that was all I needed. We skied [a fucking sick 3000-verical foot powder run in the Jackson Hole backcountry]. It was untracked with 12” to 18” of recent snow and the Megawatts were the perfect ski to be on. The width and rocker provided plenty of float to make really enjoyable big swooping, surfy powder turns. They reminded me a lot of my K2 Pon2oons, but are probably a little more versatile outside of untracked powder.”
    
    TGR’s Sam Petri, who is 31 years old 5’10” and considerably fatter at 190 lbs, also found them to be “surfy.”
    
    “The Black Diamond Megawatt was snappy on the hardpack and surfy in the pow," Sam said. "These are definately powder slayers and were best in even the slightest bit of fresh snow. On hardpack, if you tried to lay a carve down, they snapped you into each turn. It was a little weird on hardpack, like many skis that are 125 mm underfoot. If you carved a little less hard and “scrubbed” your turns, it was more enjoyable on hardpack. But they are not for hardpack, they are for powder, and in powder, you could straight-up charge and do anything.”
    
    So, who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “This is a quiver ski for deep power,” Than Volk said.
    
    “This is a powder ski for the deepest days,” said Sam Petri.
    
    
    
    AMPerage  ($799)
    165cm:  139-115-123  8lb 10oz
    175cm:  141-115-123  9lb 1oz
    185cm:  142-115-124  9lb 8oz
    195cm:  143-115-125  10lb 
    
    Four testers total on the 185, one on the 195
    
    Stoke Level: 8.5/10
    
    “The AMPerage 185 is the ski I most looked forward to testing,” said Danny Holland, who is 29, 5’9”, 180 pounds, and rips decent, considering he is from Colorado. “A similar shape to my Atomic Automatics and Rossignol S7s, I was curious how they would compare. We stepped into the side country and found a magic run to really give these a test. The 185 AMPerage skied amazingly. It had plenty of float due to the 115mm width underfoot and carved exceptionally from top to bottom. This year’s model is also lighter by over 100 grams making the traverse out slightly less painful. Overall I would consider this a great one-quiver ski.
    
    
    Danny Holland enjoys the 2013-14 Black Diamond 185 AMPerage in the Jackson Hole backcountry.
    
    “I’ve always wanted to get on a pair of AMPerages,” Than Volk said. “I rode them on a warm bluebird day with about 6” of new wind-affected snow. We hit both off-piste runs (Rendezvous Bowl early, Headwall and The Crags) and groomers in between. What impressed me most about the skis were their versatility. In both conditions the ski was a charger. It’s fast, aggressive and agile. It reminds me most of my Atomic Automatic but is also categorically similar to my Hybrid DPS Wailer 112RPs (a less aggressive ski with more sidecut and less stiffness). This is a ski I’d definitely buy for myself and recommend to others.”
    
    
    
    “The BD Amperage was a pleasant surprise in the versatility department,” said Brian Wulf, who is 25, 5’ 10” and weights 170 lbs. “We all dream of the days of endless resort pow and empty chairlifts, but that’s rarely the reality. Instead, we end up bumping around on hardpack searching for the goods and compromising in fun. We either find a sick all mountain ski that blasts through the crud or surfs in the deep stuff, but never both. The Amperage may make reality fun again. Initiating a turn on hard park wasn’t effortless, but never did it induce fatigue. And then comes the deep stuff. So easy to pivot, the ski was playful and poppy. I would however like the ski mounted a bit more forward.”
    
    
    
    “I went out on a marginally deep, ‘dust on crust’ day with the AMPerage in a 185,” Sam Petri said. “What I found to be impressive was its ability to manage these variable conditions with ease. Whether I was floating in powder or navigating ice bumps, these skis were there for me. While 115 mm under foot may be fat for some people, I consider this one of the truest ‘one quiver’ skis I’ve been on in a while. Seems like you could put touring bindings on them or resort bindings and be equally happy.”
    
    Who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “This ski is perfect for your big mountain skier,” Danny Holland said. “It’s for someone who wants something that performs well on various conditions and is a joy to ski when things are soft.”
    
    “It’s a great all mountain powder ski for a resort like Jackson Hole,” Than Volk said. “It’s got the flotation and width for powder while maintaining the stiffness for crud and groomers once it’s tracked out.”
    
    “The ski is versatile from trees, to crud, to pow,” Brian Wulf said. “But the shape certainly lends itself to the skier that likes a more fun and playful stick.
    
    “This ski is for everyone,” Sam Petri said. “Again, I was so impressed by its versatility. I would be confused if someone were to ski this one and come back disappointed. I’ve never been on the Armada JJ, but all my friends have it and rave about it. I have to think this skis directly competes with it.”
    
    

    
    Zealot  ($849)
    182cm:  135-110-123  10lb 2oz
    192cm:  136-110-125  10lb 13oz
    
    Two Testers on the 182
    
    Stoke Level: Hard to say. Results are a little inconclusive on this one. Only two testers took this ski out. Danny was stoked, giving them a 9/10. Than, not so much, giving them a 5/10.
    
    “I have been the type of skier that has traditionally ridden on wider and softer skis such as the Rossignol S7 and recently Atomic Automatics,” Danny Holland said. “My mind was completely blow away after getting on a stiffer hard charging ski like the Zealot. It was amazing to drop in and pick up speed, put in a turn and feel completely in control. It was like skiing on rails.”
    
    Than Volk, not quite as amped, but would like to try them again.
    
    “The day before I rode them had gotten pretty warm,” Than Volk said. “While we got 3” - 4” overnight, we were mostly riding off-piste and it was pretty much “dust on crust” conditions that would have been tough on any pair of skis. I have a pair of Volkl Kanatas and hoped they would perform similarly, but didn’t feel like I got a great chance to test that out.”
    
    Who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “This is really a perfect big mountain ski,” Danny Holland said. “It is ideal on those days where the thicker sticks really are not needed and you want to rip tram laps as fast as humanly possible.”
    
    “If it’s anything like a Katana it should be a great front side ski that also holds its own in powder,” Than Volk said.
    
    Teton Gravity Research Advertising Guru - Than Volk
    
    Verdict  ($799)
    164cm:  130-100-118  8lb 10oz
    172cm:  131-100-118  9lb 1oz
    180cm:  132-100-119  9lb 8oz
    188cm:  133-100-119  10lb
    
    One Tester on the 180
    
    Stoke Level: 7
    
    “The Black Diamond Verdict is a great ski but for the conditions that we had today I would have probably want something a little heavier and stiffer,” Said Johanna Murphy, who is 26, 5’5” and 135 lbs. “I would have loved to try these out in lighter snow because I think that’s where these skis would have shined. I felt somewhat sloppy because hitting any hard packed snow they almost flew away from my body making balancing challenging. In the hobacks where the snow was a little softer due to being in the sun these skies performed well. I was in control and smoothly going over the bumpy terrain.”
    
    “My best moment on them was in the Hobacks – The Hobacks were pretty soft when we skied on them and the Verdicts were great handling that light slightly cruddy snow,” Johanna said. “The worst moment was on groomers – I didn’t feel like there was enough edge to catch on the icy groomers that we hit. I felt like the skis were chattering.”
    
    So, who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “This ski is for an all mountain skier that has lots of snow to play with. If you are a hard charging skier with a hardpacked mountain to ski on, these probably are not for you,” Johanna said.
    
    

    
    Carbon Megawatt ($999)
    178cm:  145-120-127  7lb 1oz
    188cm:  147-120-127  8lb
    
    One Tester on the 188
    
    Stoke Level: 8.5
    
    “For such a fat ski, I can’t believe how light these boards are,” Sam Petri said. “I skied these on Teton Pass and they were mounted with tech bindings. It was a true pleasure to hike with such fat skis that didn’t weigh so much. On the way down, it was mostly powder and I felt these performed similarly to the non-carbon version in powder – which is awesome.  You can make both large and small turns and you can do that new school thing where you throw them sideways at high spped to make a giant powder plume. I would not ski these at the resort, though, as I think skiing an all carbon ski in resort conditions often leads to a ‘tinny’ feel.”
    
    Who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “This ski is for the dedicated backcountry skier who has a quiver of skis and wants this one for the deepest days of the year and general powder crushing,” Sam Petri said.
    
    
    
    
    Convert  ($799)
    164cm:  131-105-116  6lb 6oz
    172cm:  132-105-116  7lb
    180cm:  133-105-117  7lb 4oz
    188cm:  134-105-117  7lb 11oz
    
    One tester on the 180
    
    Stoke level: 8.5
    
    “There is no question that these Black Diamond Covert skis are meant for the pow,” said Joni McGregor, who is 23, 5’7” and 120 lbs. “They were super fun and fast in the wide open powder fields.  They gave me confidence that I don’t get from my own skis in the deep snow.  When we started hitting groomers and going through the trees, these skis were not as ideal. It was more difficult to make good turns on these runs.  Overall, I had a great time on the Covert and it would be the perfect ski for the really deep days.”
    
    Who is this ski for? What type of skier would benefit from this ski?
    
    “An expert skier that likes to tour to find the pow.”
    
    
    
    
    
    A few of us got to get out on the new Factor Mx 130 Ski Boot.
    
    Black Diamond’s Factor Mx 130 boots offer an impressively alpine-boot like feel with an equally impressive walk mode. While everyone’s foot is different, these boots are a solid choice for those that want to ski hard and tour hard. We charged in and out of bounds in them. Below are some specs and some thoughts from BD ski category director Thomas Laakso.
    
    Available in sizes 24.5-30.5
    Weight: 4 kg (8 lb 3 oz) [size 27.5].
     
    ·      Mx Direct Connect technology for unmatched lateral stiffness and Flex 130 fore/aft stiffness
    ·      Mx Direct Connect Alpine and AT Sole Blocks (tech binding compatible) included, integrated heel shock absorber
    ·      Resistance-free walk mode offers 40 degrees of touring freedom
    ·      30% lower profile buckles than previous Factor boots
    ·      Performance 100 mm V-shaped last with 100% thermoformable Direct Connect liner
    
    
    
    “Did you catch Johnny Collinson's run up at Revelstoke?” BD ski category director Thomas Laakso asked in an email. “I'm kind of biased but sort of think that was one of the sickest airs of the comp, along with a super technical line of which he got ROBBED…  But anyways, of relevance, I think it was the first time anyone's really competed on a freeride boot like that.  Stock Factor Mx boots and slaying a line like that!  Along with the new Amperage as well which surely helped him stomp that 3 like a man.   But it is pretty cool that he's competing in it, filming in it, touring in it, and slaying it.  Same with Angel.  Same with Callum Pettit who's not competing, but touring, filming and just monkeying around all in that one boot.  And same with Samuel Antematten in Europe who's competing on it next week in Courmayer.  There hasn't been a boot that you can do all that with yet.  Who knew that a walk mode boot with 40 degrees of touring could also compete at the highest level where they were using plug race boots just last year!”
    
    

    Thanks again to Black Diamond for letting us have the first look at the 2013-14 freeride line! Much appreciated!

    Shop for Black Diamond skis, boots, poles and more at Backcountry.com while helping support TGR!

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• Through The Lens Of Jim Harris Through The Lens Of Jim Harris

  • From: kimhavell
  • Description:

    Chris Davenport skis a chute in Antarctica. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    “Through The Lens” is a regular column on TetonGravity.com that highlights the work of a photographer in the ski and snowboard industries. The series exists to celebrate the photographers who bring us extraordinary imagery, to get to know who they are, and to understand their process.
    
    Jim Harris is a TGR success story. An athlete with an artistic eye and a photographer of great strength and perseverance, Jim hit the big time from an unlikely start. Through honest and thoughtful posts on the TGR web forums, Jim unwittingly developed a huge following and grabbed the attention of industry players. Proving himself time and time again in the field and at the computer, Jim has photographs, stories, and drawings featured across varied media spots, print and online, in the world of adventure sport. He is humble, adventurous, and bright, and gets things done.
    
    Jim has been behind the lens for Sweetgrass Productions, Powderwhore Productions, Camp4Collective, First Ascent, Powder Magazine and more. From scaling 20,000-foot peaks in Bolivia to descending steep couloirs in Antarctica to negotiating a pack raft down Alaskan rivers, this motivated talent keeps at it as he proves that with heart and hard work, success will be a reality.
    
    Jim’s sincere and straight-up approach resonates with his audiences. Follow his creative journeys as “GnarWhale” on TGR and as Perpetual Weekend online at his Blog, Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter sites. www.perpetualweekend.com
    
    Forrest McCarthy melts water at a ridge line campsite as a storm rolls in. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Start.
    
    I was first interested in photography when I was a kid playing with this all-metal Nikormat that my dad had brought back from Japan a decade or two before I was born. I didn’t develop a twitchy shutter button finger until I was around 16 and started documenting the graffiti scene where I grew up. Looking back at those boxes of prints, I was pretty much just mechanically recording ephemeral art. A few years later I extracted myself from that scene by moving to Montana where I enrolled in Wildlife Biology and Fine Art courses. The blend of planning, creativity, daring, and community that made the street art scene compelling also runs through mountain culture. It didn’t take but a few weeks in Montana before I began pointing my camera at people on mountains.
    
    Studying Wildlife Biology seemed like a good route to finding a job that combined adventure with critical thinking, plus I was good at plant and animal identification. An empirical science education has proved to be a good framework for learning about the world, even though I never took up wearing one of those flat-brim Smokey hats. The fine art courses were just for kicks, but I regret missing the memo that my university had a Photo Journalism school.
    
    Andrew McLean skis the Chugach Mountains in Alaska. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    TGR.
    
    While I’d been registered on TetonGravity.com’s message board for years, I rarely visited until I moved to the Wasatch Mountains in 2007 and discovered it offered a way to meet backcountry touring partners. Then I began posting photos of ski tours and that led to invites on more missions. One of those photo essays prompted Gordy Peifer to offer me a spot on one of his Straightline Advenutures Ski Camps, and another trip report garnered an invite to shoot with Powderewhore Productions in Alaska. That AK trip, in turn, resulted in my first print-published words and photos (Powder Magazine 40.1 “Beast out of the Earth”). Then I won a TGR and Smith Optics photo contest where the prize was an Ice Axe Expeditions ski cruise to Antarctica.
    
    I was sharing just for the sake of sharing and that idealism struck a chord with people. If I suddenly couldn’t sell photos and stories about the sort of trips I like to take, I’d be okay going right back to doing them just for the intrinsic rewards.
    
    Hi-fives with Andrew McLean after discovering and skiing a rad chute in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Inspiration.
    
    Media-makers who also are high-performance athletes hold a role I admire. Photographers who can climb and ski alongside top athletes are the ones who, most often I think, bring back something insightful to share.
    
    Galen Rowell about tops my list of “photographers I wish had reincarnated as me.”
    
    Christian Pondella has crafted a career shooting photos with skis on his pack, an ice axe in one hand and that shines through in his photos.
    
    The Camp 4 Collective team brings boots-on-the-ledge perspective to their productions and it’s apparent in the art and illustrations of Renan Ozturk, Jeremy Collins and Adam Haynes.
    
    Leslie Anthony writes with legitimacy in his words and Fitz Cahall’s Dirtbag Diaries carry that too.
    
    What all of them have in common is this gonzo journalism approach where, because they can hang athletically, they’re able to convey a first-person narrative that offers candid, humanizing insights into the lives of super-human athletes.
    
    On the business side, I admire the people who help others to create content in our ski media ecosystem. When done well, enabling other peoples’ creativity is good for one’s own income. The TGR Forums empowered me and I hope the web ad revenue more than pays for the server space.
    
    Photographers Adam Barker and Chase Jarvis both open source some of their knowledge via web interviews and tutorials. They’re investing their knowledge in aspirant photographers while legitimizing their expertise at the same time. It’s both altruistic and shrewd.
    
    Sunrise on Illimani, Bolivia, while the city of La Paz still sleeps. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Challenge.
    
    I want to be a really good storyteller. Sometimes when I speak, my thoughts branch into a tangent, then a tangent of that, until I’m caught in a spiraling fractal of storylines and everyone has stopped listening. So it takes some intention for me to spin a story well. Photo essays keep me on point and the narrative jogging along.
    
    At some heady level, wilderness adventure stories like the ones I want to tell are another variant of Joe Campbell’s monomyth: the hero marches off into the wild, conquers something untamable, perhaps then realizes that the real conquest happened inside his or her head, and then returns home to share the new wisdom.
    
    My challenge is that I don’t want to just tell those stories but want to actually watch them unfold too. Going up and down difficult mountains with interesting people carves as close to living that myth as I know how to get.
    
    Alan Schwer hops down a steep ski line at 19,000 feet on Volcan Pomarape, Bolivia. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    The Business.
    
    The business-side of working as a self-employed creative is a murky learning curve. There’s no roadmap to “making it” and even things as dry as sending photos for an editor to review turn out to involve diplomatic maneuvering. Many working photographers will tell you that your photos are only valuable if you keep ‘em squirreled away, unseen by anyone but the editor, right until they appear in print. While I see the wisdom in that approach, the only reason I’m paid to take photos now is because I’ve enjoyed sharing pictures in the past. So, I’ve continued to post photos on TGR, though I’ve become more strategic about sharing.
    
    The ski photo world is a tough one to find recognition in, in part because much of it has fallen prey to this syndrome of collaborative competition where somebody says “Oh! Look at what they’re doing.  We should be doing that too.” Photo buyers, photo makers, and athletes all push one another to converge. One outcome is that photographers face an uphill battle when it comes to creating marketable work that also conveys individual style.
    
    On the other hand, who wants to feel like they’re leaving money on the table because they’re too elitist to take routine photos? Faced with that question, I’m no strict idealist. I’m not exactly shooting decorative cupcakes, but I’ve dug into commercial projects, studio opportunities, and jobs outside the ski industry. Sometimes they feel like art school assignments where students replicate some Old Master’s painting. Even if it’s not an approach that I’m particularly interested in, it’s impossible not to glean something useful. Those Elinchrom-lit sets are great for learning technique but they’re not where my aspirations lie.
    
    Tyler Jones leads a climb in the Waddington Range while Seth and Solveig Waterfall follow. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Being Diverse.
    
    When I was about ten I was way into these Redwall books about mice doing medieval things. My parents took me to a reading by the author, Brian Jacques, at the neighborhood bookstore and he described to us kids around him that he’d worked as a sailor, and a truck driver, and a milkman, and some jobs that I’ve forgotten before he eventually became a writer too. The notion that one could do a lot of things in a lifetime, rather than be stuck with just one profession, took root in my ten-year-old cortex that day.
    
    Photography has been my main focus for the last year or two, but it’s not my only outlet. I still dabble in woodcut printmaking, painting, shooting video, writing, and teaching. If this photo gig stops working out, I’ll always have the latitude to sidestep into one of these other roles.
    
    Solveig Waterfall skiing from the summit of Mt Waddington, BC over a cavernous crevasse. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Expedition Style.
    
    One thing that distinguishes me from the pack is that I like unstaged, one-take, expedition shooting. Long and difficult trips are full of little victories and disappointments and they make for great photographic moments. As a member of an expedition team, I share credit and blame for the ups and downs I’m chronicling. Every bit of the process from planning, traveling, climbing, skiing, cooking, laughing and just surviving together is rewarding.
    
    There are a couple big hurdles to being an expedition shooter. One is keeping one’s gear alive in the cold, wet, sandy, camera-killing places. That takes diligence but isn’t rocket surgery. Another is that one has to learn to suffer with grace. That takes practice and some balanced brain chemistry.
    
    The biggest hurdle, however, is managing the dual loyalties of being both a weight-pulling team member while also caring enough about one’s audience to stop helping your buddies and grab the camera. Jabbing a camera in someone’s face in a cruxy moment can be a bridge-burning move. It takes a pretty keen awareness of the group dynamic plus articulate communication to balance photographic and team needs.
    
    Before leaving for our first trip together, ski mountaineer Andrew McLean told me he was willing to ski for the camera but that he didn’t intend to re-hike anything for a missed shot. If you’ve skied with Andrew, you know that he zips uphill then right back down. Either I had to bully him into slowing down or learn to be quick on the draw, get the shot the first time, and not sulk when I misfired. I went with the second approach and haven’t regretted it.
    
    One-take shooting is an ethos I’ve embraced. Shooting actual skiing down actual lines, as opposed to the ubiquitous one-turn-wonder approach, feels truthy. As a bonus, there’s a lot more skiing involved in a “work” day.
    
    Chris Davenport skiing in Antarctica. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Turning Point.
    
    Three years ago, three friends and I spent a month backpacking and then rafting across Wrangell St Elias National Park. That trip changed my view of what’s achievable by a small, unsponsored team. I felt empowered by our success and humbled by the times I faltered.
    
    Back at home, I tried to summarize the story via a long column of captioned photos. The resulting trip report garnered a lot of attention that I never expected. Something about our mix of ambition, unique route, and amateur status really resonated with people, and not just the outdoorsy ones. Traffic poured in from Digg, Reddit and other link-sharing sites.
    
    Years later, I’m still feeling the reverberations of that trip. I’ve been back to the Wrangells once and have plans for another trip this year. I’m also packing today for a crazy Mexico adventure that I’ve been invited on because a couple of Alaska’s most-audacious wilderness travelers saw my photo essay and thought I’d be a good fit for their team. Looking back, it is comical how many doors have opened for me based on something that I never guessed would have much impact.
    
    Forrest McCarthy midway through a 120 mile traverse of the Abaroka Beartooth Mountains. Photo by Jim Harris.
    
    Future Direction.
    
    There’s been this recent uptick in the ski industry’s acknowledgment that what we do is risky. At a fundamental level, action sports culture pushes the idea that “advancing the sport” or “pushing the envelope” is the loftiest goal an athlete can strive for. I think that presumption deserves some scrutiny because it is steering our risk-taking. We’re not going to revert to blue-square level skiing in movies but it’s worth acknowledging that there are perhaps less death-defying ways to “advance the sport.”
    
    For me, that means looking for trips that are challenging because they’re remote, or because they require an endurance component, or because they offer a quirky perspective on the norm. Both writers and photographers search for unique angles. As someone with a growing grasp of both pursuits, I’m positioned to connect interesting story ideas with smart photos.
    
    Jim Harris' Powder Magazine cover photo. Skier unknown.
    
    Game Changers.
    
    A few years ago, I watched an acquaintance trigger and then swept by an avalanche. It was formative.  It changed how I communicate with partners, how I plan for a tour, and is a continual reminder to make conservative choices.
    
    Soon after that incident, I began teaching avalanche classes. Now that I’ve shifted to proselytizing wilderness skiing for a living, teaching the prophylactic aspect of it feels essential. Not only does it feel like righteous work but teaching avy classes also helps keep my skills honed.
    
    At the other end of the spectrum, one of my photos is running on the cover of the new Powder Magazine Photo Annual. For someone who’s only been making a living as a photographer for just over a year, it’s like putting boots on at 9:30 and somehow still catching first chair. That cover isn’t recognition I’d expected to have so soon in my photo career, but I’m grateful for it.
    
    Want to shoot like Jim, start with some high end DSLR camera gear available at Amazon.com

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• News: Winter Festivals, Night News: Winter Festivals, Night Skiing & Snow Tubing At Ski Banff–Lake Louise–Sunshine, Canada

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

     

     

    

    The mighty Mt. Norquay dominated ski headlines in October as the first resort in Canada to open for the 2012-13 season! Add three months and four meters of snow in the Banff – Lake Louise area and their only just beginning the longest ski season in North America with some of the best ski conditions in the world! With 35cm of snow in the last two days and another 15cm forecasted for today, there is still time to Find Your Wild  in Canada’s Protected Playground.
    
    Night Skiing & Tubing

    Mt. Norquay’s incredibly popular and family friendly night skiing and tubing are back for the 2012-13 season! Open Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm till 10pm (9pm for tubing), you can ride Cascade Chair, ski three runs and hit the rails, kickers and boxes in the terrain park. Afterwards, you can warm up in the lodge with a hot beverage before you make your way back into Banff on the dedicated night skiing shuttle.
    
    As well as nighttime access, tubing is also open during the day. A popular activity for kids aged five to ninety-five, snow tubing combines family fun, snowy adrenaline rushes and laughs that will stay with you long after you leave! The tubing park currently features uphill walking access only, with a brand new tubing conveyer coming soon! Tubing is available as part of your tri-area ticket from Ski Banff Lake Louise Sunshine.
    
    Snow Days Return!

    Celebrating everything that is great about the winter season in Banff – Lake Louise, Snow Days features a month-long series of events that include a downtown ski hill, ice carving competitions, street hockey on Banff Avenue and sleigh rides through the snowcapped mountains of Banff. Find Your Wild skiing by day and ice-skating, sleigh riding, hockey playing, ice wall climbing and Getting Your Après On by night!
    
    Find your wild in Canada’s Protected Playground this winter; visit www.SkiBig3.com for vacation specials, ski packages and all the latest updates straight from the resorts.

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• News: Grand Targhee Resort Pre News: Grand Targhee Resort Presents Second Annual Fat Bike Race

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

     

     

    
    The Grand Targhee second annual Fat Bike race is scheduled for Saturday, January 19, 2013.  The Grand Targhee Snow Bike Race 15K one lap / 30K two laps / 45K three laps race on the Nordic track. Snow bike demos will be available before and after the race. Check the start/finish area about renting a snow bike for the race or just to ride around.

    •   Location: Grand Targhee, Lot 3, Sprung Structure

    •   Date: January 19th 2013

    •   Time: 10:00am start

    •   Category: Snow Bike Race

    •   Event Age Restriction: 16+

    •   Registration: Open : Online Registration Athlete 360

    •   Online Entry Fee: Closes 1/17/2013 - $30/45K, $20/30K & 15K races.

    •   Day of / On Site Registration/ bib pick-up: 8:30am - 9:45am – $40/45K, $25/30K & 15K races

    •   Distances: 15K is one lap / 30K is two laps / 45K will be three laps

    •   Awards: 2:00pm at the finish line
    
    

    Grand Targhee Resort is the first ski resort in the United States to embrace and endorse fat bikes aka snow biking on our Nordic trail system. Bikers who purchase a Nordic ticket for $10 per day or a Nordic season pass for $120 will have access to the Grand Targhee Resort Nordic Trail System.
    
    

    The fat 'snow' bike was created to go where standard “all terrain” bikes flounder. The floatation and traction afforded by large-volume, low-pressure tires can get you over and through otherwise unrideable terrain…sand, mud, wet rocks and roots, ice and many kinds of snow. The fat bike is purpose built for snow and sand with wide, high flotation tires that enable travel on a variety of low pressure surfaces. Huge tires make for a comfy ride and distribute weight for float and traction in the snow.

     

     

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• News: 2013 Ouray Ice Festival News: 2013 Ouray Ice Festival This Weekend in Colorado

  • From: mikehardaker
  • Description:

    
    LOWA Boots is planning a very visible and strong presence at the 2013 Ouray Ice Festival that will take place January 10-13 in Ouray, Colorado.  Earlier this fall, LOWA announced their sponsorship of the Hari Berger Speed Climbing Competition to honor the legendary climber who won three Ice Climbing World Championships while wearing LOWA boots.  In addition, four-time World Ice Climbing Champion and LOWA athlete, Ines Papert, will conduct a clinic on moderate-mixed climbing and host a multi-media show entitled “Rock and Ice.”  Amid the festival-like atmosphere will be the LOWA boot tent, stocked with demo product for ice climbers to test drive.
    
    Friday afternoon Ines will host her clinic in the LOWA tent followed by a session on ice.  She will have posters in hand to autograph. Later that evening, Ouray attendees can enjoy her presentation of “Rock and Ice,” a thrilling journey into her world.  Afterwards will be an autograph session of her book by the same name.  The event will be held in the Main Street Theater (630 Main Street) from 8:30 to 10:00PM.  Admission fee: $15
    
    On Sunday she will award the women’s prizes for the Hari Berger Competition. Ines has worked closely with the LOWA design and product testing teams over the years and was instrumental in the design of the Ice Comp IP. A champion of many climbing competitions, including those at the Ouray festival, she will be competing there again this year.
    
    Hari Berger was an all around champion competition ice climber before he lost his life in 2006 in an accident while climbing in Austria…but his legacy lives on.  LOWA’s sponsorship of the event doubles the Festival’s cash prize opportunities. The Competition will be held on Sunday, January 13. There will be individual men’s and women’s classes, each with $2000 in first place prizes, second place of $1000 and $500 for the third place finishers.
    
    Colorado climber and LOWA ambassador, Jim Davidson, will be on hand periodically throughout the festival. Jim’s book, The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier, was a 2011 best seller for adventurists across the country.
    
    In addition, LOWA invites both male and female festival participants to demo their world-class German climbing and mountaineering boots including the Weisshorn GTX, Mountain Expert GTX and Ice Comp IP GTX models. The boot tent team will be led by Chad Gallwitz, LOWA’s experienced sales representative in the Rocky Mountains. Representing the LOWA factory, Rolf Eberhard, a veteran of numerous summits including one on Mt Everest, will be in the tent and on hand to award the men’s Hari Berger Competition prizes. Assisting Chad and Rolf will be Christian McConnell from LOWA’s U.S. office.

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• Ouray Ice Festival Ouray Ice Festival

  • From: mikehardaker
  • Description:
    Ouray Ice Festival
  • 4 months ago
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• The Weak 4 By Ian Compton The Weak 4 By Ian Compton

  • From: line_skis
  • Description:

    It's Tuesday once again...This Weak was filled with glorious times @ Killington for a little ice coast Shred with Dan and then getting to judge Rails to Riches. Good friend and bearded man Lyle Brooks took ahold of the camera while I judged the event. I wish I had more ski footage for you all, so as a result I will give away an Orage flannel Jacket/Axe snowpant along with a very limited addition Weak Hoodie. All you got to do is tell me why you enjoy watching the Weak...Good luck and see you all next Tuesday for the results. - Ian Compton
    
    Watch More Line Videos

     

  • 5 months ago
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• The Dirty Needle - Cherry Pick The Dirty Needle - Cherry Picking The Tordrillo Mountain Lodge

  • From: kimhavell
  • Description:

    Remote, bold, and mostly unknown, some of the dream, big mountain lines lie deep in Alaska's mountains and are accessible only by helicopter. Over the season, we will cherry pick the modern gems of ski descents from one of the greatest places on the planet for big mountain powder skiing: Alaska, The Dream Factory. It will be a display of mind-blowing, inspiring, and intense moments as we ask the heli-guides and owners to cherry pick a run from each of their permit areas. This is a look into what is possible by some of the best operators in the world and their talented guides, clients and athletes.
    
    The Dirty Needle - Cherry Picking No. 1 - Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
    
    Words by Kim Havell
    Photos by Greg Harms
    
    
    
    In February 2012, deep in the Tordrillos of western Alaska, guides Greg Harms, Mike Overcast, and Lel Tone set up clients for the run of a lifetime. The group was based out of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge (TML) and the clients were ex-pro snowboarders from the Czech Republic. With a private heli, stable conditions, filled-in bergschrunds, and strong riders, it was the window of opportunity to drop into some big first descents.
    
    The team was lined up with one of the best periods of operation in Alaska in the last 10 years. Over the week, the crew managed an astounding 118 heli-drops as they worked into more aggressive terrain in deliberate progression.
    
    When the crew reached a target area of possibility, 20 miles from the lodge, it got named, “The Czech Palace.” Some of the biggest lines yet discovered in the Tordrillo range are in the Palace, dropping off of near 10,000-foot peaks with roughly 4,800-foot couloirs. Nearby also sits the “Priority One” sector, with a stack of 3,500-foot spine walls, as seen in a few big mountain ski films.
    
    
    
    Harms, an heli-guide with 18 years of experience, had spotted The Czech Palace five years back, taken some photos, and was waiting patiently for the right time. Joining TML when it opened for winter operations eight years ago, Harms was invited in by Overcast to help map out and establish descents in TML’s 1.2 million acres of permit area. Harms personally recorded 20 first descents in 2012 in Alaska, in addition to another 20 guiding near Valle Nevado, Chile.
    
    “The Dirty Needle” is the most distinct and dramatic run within The Czech Palace with huge relief and incredible views. Besides the natural flow of the line, the views from the top include hanging ice off the steep sides of nearby peaks, including Mt. Gerdine. There is also spectacular rock color and formations unique to the area. David Horváth, 43, of the Czech group, was the first rider down the line. He had tears of joy at the bottom.
    
    
    
    ”The Palace is filled with gold and red granite that has a stunning contrast to the white, cold powder." Overcast said, "There was a line for everyone down different couloirs, with mind-blowing gendarmes, into the common basin below. Everyone got their own first descent.”
    
    TML has put in for additional permits to extend their operating areas. First descents for clients will be the norm for the next twenty years. There is much to explore in the Tordrillos; it is the Wild West of Alaska.
    
    Find Out More About The Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
    
    Compare Heli-Skiing Operations
    
    

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