Hardwear Sessions

Intro to experienced courses. If you have always wanted to experience climbing a frozen waterfall but you have never even tied into a rope before or you have only rock climbed this is the course for you. Intro to Ice Climbing will teach you everything you need to know to get started. Learn more about Mahoney Alpine Adventures

Our Antarctic expedition was the final in the ten-year-long, National Geographic-supported OCEANS 8 project which took us literally around the world by sea kayak, introducing us to thousands of coastal people and the environmental issues that link them. Each expedition was a great adventure and turned into great films. The boxed set of eight DVDs is just out, too.

Mountain Hardwear Big Mountain Skier, Jenn Berg | Photo Courtesy of Jenn Berg
[Similar MH Jackets: Women's Carina Jacket , Ascent MCZ Jacket, Dauphine Jacket]

More info here: www.snowbird.com

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort and the Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) are partnering to offer the first annual Freeride Avalanche Summit, Dec. 17-18. The two-day clinic targets advance and expert skiers and riders who want practical and professional instruction on avalanche awareness, safety and rescue.

The Freeride Avalanche Summit will include a unique blend of instruction that combines the expertise of industry leading avalanche forecasters with the experience and influence of local, professional athletes. Expected participants include:

Members of the UAC and Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Snowbird Ski Patrol and Snow Safety
Jim Conway, Lead Guide for Teton Gravity Research
Jeremy Nobis, Professional Skier
Gordy Peifer, Professional Skier
Jenn Berg, Professional Skier
Brant Moles, Professional Skier
Wasatch Powderbird Guides

And more to be announced!

A traditional winter jacket that's been keeping the snow loving men warm for decades and is apparently still styling! Check out Olympic athlete, Todd Lodwick in a similar jacket. -- we like ours better!

Hit the slopes in this warm down parka. Waterproof shell fabric stands up to snow, and superlight 650-fill goosedown minimizes your need for layers. Mountain Hardwear Downhill Parka. (For the Ladies)

Mountain Hardwear's Pasilla Glove is designed to fit smaller hands. A versatile insulated snowsports glove, with OutDry® Waterproof Technology for exceptional protection. We bond the waterproof, breathable OutDry® membrane to a tough Taslan nylon shell, sealing out water, wind, and cold. Pigskin leather fingers and palm resist abrasion. Features include:

Thermic Micro™ insulation at back of hand
• Durable water-resistant pigskin palm and fingers
• Nose wipe patch on thumb
• 1000D Cordura® inset at palm for durability
• Full coverage gauntlet with SimpleCinch one-handed closures for quick adjustments
• Brushed polyester fleece lining adds warmth and wicks moisture

Check it out here.

Mountain Hardwear's technical ski jacket, the Kramer Jacket

Visit www.MensJournal.com to view the reviews and other Mountain Hardwear products mentioned.

Stage winner, Francisco Mancebo and his teammates from Rock Racing kept dry in Mountain Hardwear's Stimulus Jacket during the Tour of California.

Rock Racing team riding in Stimulus Jackets. | Both photos by Chris Matthews of Specialized

Check out the Mountain Hardwear Stimulus Jacket.

Mountain Hardwear Climber/Mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer

Huffingtonpost wrote:

Next time you can't quite get yourself off the couch, remember this guy: Erik Weihenmayer lost his sight at age 13. Then he started climbing.

In a video drumming up support for the Access Fund, Weihenmayer takes on the Naked Edge. The Eldorado Canyon climb is rated a 5.11b. Translated into the lingo of non climbers, that means it's a serious climb and a "sobering challenge."

Pretty inspiring, considering Weihenmayer latches onto the smallest of handholds by feel. If that wasn't enough, he's also the only blind man in history to have climbed the tallest peak on all seven continents (the "seven summits"), including Mount Everest.

Erik Weihenmayer Mountain Hardwear Favorites:
Hooded Compressor	Super Scrambler	Nitrous Jacket	Monkey Man

From the Globe Sports Desk

Berkeley Jr. Bears | Photo Courtesy of Globe Newspapers

The Berkeley Jr. Bears Pop-Warner peewee football team set a record in their division this year with an unprecedented season of 12 wins, 0 losses -- and, no points were scored against them throughout their regular season.

The team of 22 players, four coaches and additional parent chaperones recently returned from Orlando, Fla., where they played in the Division I playoffs at the National Championships.

The Bears won their first Division I game against the Hartford Connecticut Raiders with a score of 34-8; they lost their second Division I game against the Florida City Razorbacks with a score of 28-0.

The Berkeley Jr. Bears Pop-Warner, founded by Michael Hebard in June 2008, is a nonprofit organization that promotes mentorship, education and healthy self-esteem.

Read past articles here:

November 30, 2009: Berkeley Jr. Bears Look Forward to Florida Superbowl
November 18, 2009: ESPN Story, Taking Oakland Kids From the Killing Field to the Football Field

Marquis Perrilliat, son of Mountain Hardwear Employee Mark Perrilliat, is proud to be a part this amazing football team. Congratulations to the Berkeley Jr Bears!

By Dougald MacDonald / The Mountain World & Colorado Mountain Journal

Mountain Hardwear Alpinist/Rock Climber, Kevin Mahoney attempts ski descent of Denali's 8000-foot South Face

Climbing News Link: Dan Corn and Kevin Mahoney attempted to ski the 8,000-foot south face of Denali this past spring. "Ultimately, we had our skis on for about 65 miles and 15,000 vertical feet...but we only skied 1,000 feet of the south face," Mahoney wrote at his blog. Although icy conditions prevented them from getting very far on the route, they came back with superb photos and video. You can read more and see photos from the expedition at the Black Diamond Journal.

Kevin Mahoney's Favorite Mountain Hardwear Gear:
Cohesion	Hooded Compressor	Phantom 15°

Flip-Flop, Flip-Flop; The Sounds of Long Range Models

Ken Clark wrote in his AccuWeather.com Blog Flip-Flop, Flip-Flop; The Sounds of Long Range Models, "It has been a frustrating week trying to make long-range forecasts. Early in the week it looked like by the middle and end of next week the West would go back to a high-level blocking pattern, sending storms farther south again toward the Southwest, but by Wednesday and Thursday that hope had gone by the wayside."

Storm History of the Blizzard of December '09
The memorable Blizzard of December 2009 laid down a swath of snow 1 to 2 feet deep from the southern Appalachians to Long Island and southeastern New England.

Time to do some flips in the snowbanks with Mountain Hardwear's reversible Women's Flip Jacket, updated with a new textured dobby fabric. PrimaLoft® insulation stays warm under damp conditions. Great for layering.

>>Check out Mountain Hardwear's Technical Ski Shells & Advanced Snow Gear.

• Lightweight PrimaLoft® microfiber insulation provides exceptional warmth in damp conditions
• Soft, snug rib knit collar
• Contrasting quilting: abstract quilt pattern reverses to reveal horizontal striations
• Zippered cuffs for easy fit adjustments
• Zip handwarmer pockets

By Mountain Hardwear Climber/Mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer

In November, I finally got the chance to climb Eldorado Canyon's Naked Edge, one of my hardest climbs so far. I teamed up with Brady Robinson, the Executive Director of the Access Fund, who led most of the route. Charley Mace also joined us. He is my longtime climbing partner and Everest teammate who climbed above, shouting directions to vital holds I needed to find with my scanning hands. This spectacular route follows the sharp vertical prow of the 700-foot Redgarden Wall.

The Naked Edge Route | Photo by Kris Gorney

The Naked Edge was first climbed in 1962 by the legendary Layton Kor and Bob Culp--at the time a major achievement in North American climbing. It took nearly a decade for two climbers, Jim Erickson and Duncan Ferguson, to ascend the route completely free (just using the rock). Since then, it has become an icon in the climbing world and the "Edge" remains a test of skill, technique and endurance.

It was over a beer when Brady asked me if I wanted to climb it with him. I felt that familiar knot in my stomach from nervous anticipation. The Naked Edge is something I have dreamed about for a long time. It's just up the road from my house and is definitely on the list for any serious climber. There has always been a part of me that has felt I wasn't ready and that I wasn't in good enough shape but some times you have to reach out and take the challenge.

The excitement begins on the first pitch, a classic 5.11a finger crack in a shallow corner. I climbed the lower part without any problem. At the crux, I struggled to find the tricky footholds on the face and finger holds in the crack so I just punched it for the anchors. I almost made it but fell right near the top.

Erik's first pitch, a classic 5.11a finger crack. | Photo by Cedar Wright

The fourth pitch is where things really start to heat up. Almost immediately it requires five or six very technical moves to a challenging "bomb-bay" chimney, which is narrow at the top and widens at the bottom to a huge void. Brady belayed from above and Charley belayed from below to prevent me from swinging into space. As always, I didn't climb it the easiest way. I had to lock off on slopey crimpers with one hand as I urgently scanned for the next hold with my other. I can't see anything above me in order to map out my route, so for me, it's one reach at a time. On a big overhang like this, I only have so much strength. Thus there came a point when I decided to go for it and use whatever I found the quickest. I fell about eight feet before the anchor but surprised myself how far I got.

The fifth pitch strikes fear into the hearts of climbers. It started out with intricate moves traversing directly right. Similar to the last pitch, a fall here would swing me far into space. Stepping around a corner, I was soon faced with an overhanging, slippery, and flaired crack that was a little bigger than my fist. I knew I wasn't finding the small key foot holds so I just jammed my feet and fists in and climbed the crack straight on. I fell a couple times on this section and felt this was definitely the crux of the route.

The fifth pitch strikes fear into the hearts of climbers. | Photo by Cedar Wright

With the hardest climbing out of the way, I took over the "sharp end of the rope" and led the final pitch to the summit. Leading is the most difficult and dangerous part of climbing, where a fall means more serious consequences. As nerve wracking as it is climbing high above your anchors, 700 feet off the ground with a river roaring far below, there is the true sense of adventure that has always excited me.

Erik, Charley Mace and Brady Robinson at the top of the Naked Edge. | Photo by Charley Mace

After the video made by Cedar Wright was posted on the Internet, online forums such as Rockclimbing.com (Click here to add to the climbing discussion) and SuperTopo.com (Click here to add to the climbing discussion) were filled with comments of congratulations. There were even some words of praise from Veteran Naked Edge climbers. Well-known writer Dougald MacDonald labeled the ascent a contender for "Rock Climbing Feat of the Year."

So far, the video has been viewed almost 10,000 times in just a couple of weeks. The story was even picked up by the Huffington Post. Click here to view Mountain Hardwear Facebook discussions.

Check out the fantastic video of the climb:

Equally amazing is the fact that this climb was nearly destroyed only a few years after its first free ascent. In the late 1970's the owners of Eldorado Canyon were on the verge of selling the entire valley to a gravel company that hoped to turn it into a quarry. A community uproar led to the purchase of the land and the creation of Eldorado Canyon State Park.

One goal of my Naked Edge ascent was to bring attention to the Access Fund, a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to preserving climbing areas around the nation. Supported entirely by memberships and donations, they purchase land, build trails, and restore habitat so climbers and nature lovers can continue to enjoy our national treasures. I think it's the responsibility of every climber to become a member. I hope you will watch the dramatic video of the ascent and get inspired to become a member of the Access Fund. This is my challenge to all those who love our open spaces.

View December 18th Hardwear Sessions blog post, Erik Weihenmayer Climbs the Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon, CO, for Erik's favorite Mountain Hardwear gear.