Hardwear Sessions

By Dawn Glanc | Read Dawn's Mountain Hardwear Athlete Bio.

Dawn Glanc climbing in Southern Utah.

One of my favorite places to climb is Indian Creek, in Southern Utah. There is something about that area that calls to me after a long season of ice climbing. To me it is a little bit of paradise. The landscape is surreal. The rock formations in the creek and the canyon lands are something out of a fantasy story. Each year I find myself there in the spring to lose myself in the desert and soak up the warm sun.

I try to plan this desert experience around my birthday, which is in early May. I love to celebrate my birthday climbing with my friends. This year friends came from all distances to help me celebrate. Old friends and new friends came together to drink PBR and enjoy the campfire. I even had two birthday cakes with candles, accompanied each by a jolly happy birthday song. The party was a great way to welcome my advancement in age.

Each year, as a birthday present to myself, I try to send a climb. I typically pick a route that will be memorable. I try to pick a route that will challenge me, and one that will leave an impression on me. Since I had a crappy birthday last year, I wanted this year to be a big day of climbing and celebrating. I felt I had to make up for last year. This year I wanted to climb something fat for my big day, so I chose Big Baby.

Visit: www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2009/0609_Operation_Denali/

The Mountain Hardwear Sponsorship Program was founded to encourage people to explore the outdoors and to push our products to perform in physically demanding environment. Currently Mountain Hardwear is sponsoring Operation Denali, a monumental challenge for four wounded veterans, their two mentors and one guide, as they move from the base of North America's highest peak in Alaska's Denali National Park to the mountain's base camp at an elevation of 6,850 feet.

Operation Denali is continuing to raise funds during the climb. All funds raised will go to enable other warrior's to achieve similar dreams. Please, donate and support the future dreams of warriors.

Follow the expedition timeline on the Operation Denali home page at:
theveteranscoalition.org/operation_denali/

Also www.defenselink.mil is publishing a special feature that tracks our climb and provides some profiles of the climbers. Click here to visit the site.

Climb on!

By Ueli Steck, Mountain Hardwear Athlete

Just back from the United States where my wife Nicole and I climbed in beautiful and warm weather. It's time to say goodbye to the summer and head back to get used to cold temperatures and snow.

Our trip to the States was gorgeous. I could - except to one pitch - redpoint on sight the route "Golden Gate" on the legendary El Capitan in the Yosemite National Parc. El Capitan is 1000 meter high and the highest free standing monolith of granite in the world. The difficulty of the route is 5.13b (US-scale), which corresponds to an 8a. This is motivation enough for the upcoming expedition to Gasherbrum II.

Read more on Climbing.com

Gasherbrum is a remote group of high peaks in the Karakorum, located at the northeast end of the 36-mile Baltoro glacier. The group forms a semi-circle around its own South Gasherbrum Glacier. The highest peak is Gasherbrum I. Three of the Gasherbrum massif's high peaks are over 8,000 meters. Gasherburm I is the world's eleventh highest peak, Broad Peak is the twelfth highest, and Gasherbrum II is the thirteenth highest. They do not lie - like Everest, Lohtse, Makalu or Ama Dablam - in Nepal, but in the sister mountain range of the Himalaja, in Karakorum Pakistan.

The Mountain Hardwear family is deeply saddened by the loss of Jonny Copp and Wade Johnson - two amazing men who will continue to inspire many of us. Their bodies have been found in avalanche debris at 4,000 meters on Mount Edgar, China. Our most heartfelt condolences go out to their families and loved ones. Currently, the search continues for Micah Dash, the third climber in their group and our beloved friend and fellow employee. We continue to hope for the best and thank everyone for their tireless efforts and support during this difficult time.

• Please consider making a donation to the Search Fund.
• For up-to-date information on the search in China visit adventurefilm.org
• Share a thought or memory here: Facebook Page

Go to Adventurefilm.org/blog and watch the video put together by friends and family of Jonny, Micah and Wade. Just a two minute introduction into the lives of these three amazing humans. There is audio narration, so make sure your volume is up.

Fredrick Wilkinson's blog

In Memory of Wade, Micah, and Jonny

Friends, family, and climbers around the world are mourning the loss of Micah Dash, Wade Johnson, and Jonny Copp. The trio were last seen alive when they left their basecamp in the Gongga (Minya Konka) Range of the Eastern Himalaya in Seuchuan Province, China, on May 20th. Jonny and Wade's bodies have been positively identified by search parties. It is likely all three perished in an avalanche.

In their home city of Boulder, Colorado, friends mobilized as soon as it was discovered they had missed their flight home. Some immediately flew to China, while others stayed awake for days on end to coordinate information, procure travel visas, collect donations, write press-releases, and provide comfort within the close-nit adventuring community. The outpouring of love and support on their blog has been staggering.

I never had the opportunity to meet Wade. But I can imagine the excitement he must have felt to be going into the mountains with Micah and Jonny, who I knew through years of haphazard encounters while traveling and climbing. I would bump into Jonny in Alaska or Micah in Yosemite Valley, share an evening of revelry, and then not see them for another nine months or a year. I am grateful for the few chances I had to tie into a rope with them at the crags, and saddened I never shared a true mountain adventure with either of them.

2003: Some friends and I were slumming it at Kahiltna International Airport when Kelly Cordes and Jonny arrived. Most of the West Buttress expeditions had been keeping a dignified distance from our slushy hovel, but Jonny and Kelly came right over to say hello and socialize. We watched them blaze up to the third-ice band on Depravation on Mount Hunter, then they headed to the East Fork of the Kahiltna for something a little more remote. That was so Jonny: he seemed like he'd rather go see what was around the next corner, instead of wasting all his time on the obvious, popular objectives like Hunter. I remember watching as they skied back into BC several days later in swirling grey clouds. They'd found adventure, all right. After FA-ing a 4,000 mixed route, Kelly had gone into a crevasse while skiing down in a white out. After hauling his partner out, Jonny found their tiny bivy tent. They crawled inside to brew up, and, though they were out of food, Jonny reached into a stuff sack to present Kelly with... a can of beer. That was also Jonny. You knew he was capable not only of leading the crux pitch or haulling your arse out a crevasse but he also had the class to produce a malted beverage in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

The first time I met Micah was in Indian Creek, back in the early 2000-s... Somebody had fallen near the top of a hard, tricky to protect finger crack, and they asked Micah if he wanted to go up to finish the lead...

F*** I hate this s***. I know a lot of you have lost close friends and relatives in your lives as have I and I'm sure you can attest to this. It never gets any easier and it shouldn't. Friendship and love are some of the hardest things to find but when we do it's everything and when it disappears it hurts like fucking nothing else.

After finding out that they called off the search, I didn't know what to think. I was sad to hear that they had and I also knew that conditions were dangerous enough as to put others at great risk. I can't imagine how hard that decision must have been.

People like Micah and Jonny don't come around that often. I've actually never met Wade but from what I've heard and read, he fit right in. All three had already accomplished so much with their lives with much more waiting in the wings. They were forces behind a community and helped to guide it by envisioning its future, being creative and moving it forward in a positive direction, and growing it by inviting others to experience it through their creations and relentless positive attitude.

Micah was as passionate as they come and his enthusiasm drove you to be as motivated and focused on whatever you were passionate about. It didn't matter what it was: climbing, surfing, work, film, art...whatever. He was genuinely interested in your stoke and would often follow your thoughts with "Wow, that's cool Man!"

I started to get to know Micah only after we began working together a little over two years ago. I didn't know much about him before but it didn't take too long to realize how lucky all of us here at Mountain Hardwear were to be a part of his life. He filled our heads with ideas, crazy schemes, and new ways of looking at things and he filled our hearts with laughter and well....heart.

Walking that line of being a manager and being a friend has always been difficult for me. I don't think there is a line really. It's just a vast blurry something or other. But after numerous phone calls, emails, tradeshows and other outings and events, I'm honored to have been a friend of Micah Dash. He had a huge heart, a great perspective on things and like many of you have said, he was able to make light of some of the most serious situations.

I sometimes wished I'd had a tape recorder around when Micah was in the room. I don't know how many one-liners, crazy stories, impersonations, or jokes I've heard come from Micah, but I think I spent most of my time around him laughing my ass off and just being drawn into his world. This was a touch he had with everyone whether he was guiding, presenting to an audience, talking on the phone or at the bar, or through his writings. I will truly miss him.

By Jon Bowermaster, Mountain Hardwear Athlete

We screened our new, big, fun, informative, high-def film - TERRA ANTARCTICA, Rediscovering the Seventh Continent - this past weekend for the very first time, at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Savannah, Georgia, and came away with some great review. Out of more than 200 films entered TERRA ANTARCTICA - about our 2008 exploration of the Antarctic Peninsula by sea kayak, foot and small plane - was one of six chosen to compete for the "Best of Festival" prize and was ultimately named the best "Ocean Issues" film.

Given my interest in and commitment to exploring the world's ocean and bringing back stories from it we couldn't ask for a better honor than to be regarded as the film "that most effectively raises awareness and increases understanding about environmental and sustainability issues facing the oceans and its inhabitants." That is exactly our goal. WATCH TRAILER.

KEEP UP WITH JON AT HIS BLOG, NOTES FROM SEA LEVEL AND AT JONBOWERMASTER.COM

One of summer's quiet pleasures is the chance to escape with a good book for some relaxed reading. Most book stores stock to the brim with paperback romance novels and fantasy fiction for the beach-going crowd - but what's on the shelves for the would-be adventurer, facing the daunting challenge of a placid vacation with the family instead? There are plenty of new best-seller titles to choose from, but recently I've been getting the most pleasure by re-discovering old classics. Visit Fredrick Wilkinson's Blog to view three of his all-time favorites.

Erik Weihenmayer and the No Barriers team recently concluded the No Barriers Festival 2009, held at Shake-A-Leg Miami, which showcased some of the most cutting-edge ideas, approaches, techniques and technologies enabling people with challenges to push through their own personal barriers to live more full and adventurous lives. No Barriers shared its mission with participants from as far away as Hawaii and Alaska, Venezuela and Columbia, and Switzerland and Israel. It brought together pioneers, many with disabilities themselves, who are pushing the envelope in a variety of fields, from technology and science, to art and athletics, to adventure and humanitarian causes.

The festival included numerous adaptive clinics, which demonstrated innovative techniques for open water swimming, paddling and scuba diving for amputees and paraplegics. Adaptive yoga classes helped those with severe mobility issues to increase flexibility and reduce pain. A scientist from MIT demonstrated his own pair of prosthetic legs, with computerized ankle joints, controlled by his cell phone. A blind sailor led tours for other blind participants using a talking GPS to navigate. A paraplegic athlete showed off his hand cycle which morphs into a wheelchair, enabling him to instantly rise to the height of a standing person and fit through narrow doorways. Capping the festival off was Molly the Pony, who lost her leg during Katrina and became one of the first ponies to be fitted with a prosthetic leg.

A participant tries out a morphing hand cycle at No Barriers / Andrea Kennedy

In addition to highlighting adaptive technology, No Barriers places a high importance on the human spirit. The goal is to spark in people an attitude which leads them to confront their formidable obstacles head-on, to believe they can solve their own challenges, to become their own advocates, and ultimately to determine their own futures. No Barriers is a universal message, for all of us who, despite our backgrounds, circumstances, or abilities, wish to shatter barriers and pursue our dreams.

Click here to read this outstanding front-page article in the Miami Herald on No Barriers called, Technology has redefined what it means to be `disabled'

By Ueli Steck

On Saturday, June 20 - after a journey of nearly two weeks - we reached Gasherbrum base camp (5100m).

The formalities at the government in Islamabad were quickly settled. Should the political situation in Pakistan get critical, we also applied for a visa for China. So we will be able to fly out from China - just in case.

Because of bad weather we could not fly to Skardu. Bounced around and dead tired we finally reached Skardu on June 11 after a 14 hours bus ride over the really impressive Karakorum Highway. The bus ride the day after to Gilgit lasted just as long. Bus rides will definitively not become one of my favourite hobbies... To my relief on June 14 from Gilgit we continued our journey on foot. On June 16 we reached beautiful Paiju (3785m), where we rested for one day. Since Saturday we are at the BC at 5100 meters.

Posted on Alaska Mountaineering School Blog

Kirby called at about 6:30 pm Alaska Time from the summit of Denali! "The first Wounded Warrior to summit was David Shebib, followed by Marc, followed by Bob" He said it was cold and windy so they were going to take some pictures and move on down. Their "SPOT" tracker is a bit off, but more accurate than we expected - Matt had informed me before they left that maps tend to be off by about 500 meters south and 200 meters east. If you want to follow their Spot Tracker, check out their website: Operation Denali These guys have worked tirelessly to make this climb happen, before they ever arrived in Talkeetna. Job Well Done! Congratulations!

Melis is not far behind them. When we talked to her earlier she said that if it is cold and/or windy they would wait to call us until they get back to camp, and if it was "sunny & warm" they would call from the top. From what Kirby said, I don't expect to hear from Melis until they get back to camp later tonight. We should be able to make an update by morning.

It's cloudy at 14,200 foot camp and it is flyable at Base Camp. Mark Hamill and Greg Vernovage flew in to Base Camp with West Buttress team Porter Draper, Charlie Pasch, Leslie Herje, Fergal O'Donnell, Manev Luthra and Keith Bronstein. They slathered on the sunscreen before they left!

Follow Operation Denali on www.Veteranscoalition.org.

All six Operation Denali team members pose with a guide June 9 at a place named Edge of the World, located near the team's 14,000-foot high campsite.

Operation Denali Edge of the World | Photo Courtesy of Marc Hoffmeister

In some ways climbing Denali was exactly what a team of injured veterans expected - it was an arduous climb riddled with everything from crevasses and couloirs to rocky ridges and sluffing snow. But there were also a few surprises along the way...
Read more on www.alaskastar.com

Follow these links for further coverage on this amazing mission.
www.ktuu.com
www.ktuu.com
www.ktuu.com
www.defenselink.mil
www.purpleheartradio.com

06 June Team, Purple Heart Trail dedication | Photo Courtesy of Marc Hoffmeister

14 June, team climbs Washburns thumb at 16800 ft! | Photo Courtesy of Marc Hoffmeister

16 June 1830 Denali Summit Dave Shebib, Bob Haines, Marc Hoffmeister. | Photo Courtesy of Marc Hoffmeister