Hardwear Sessions

By Ed Douglas, The Observer

Straight up. Just add ice! Ed Douglas goes the wrong way up an Alpine waterfall with a mountain guide called Mr Cool.

Kenton Cool ice climbing near Chamonix. Photo by PR.

Kenton Cool is fooling around for the camera, hoisting up imaginary breasts and pouting. "How's this?" I take a step back to fit him in the frame. And because we're on a narrow snow-covered ledge 50 or 60ft above the ground, I do this carefully. Best not to trip up. Continue reading the Guardian article on www.guardian.co.uk. Click here to view Kenton Cool's Mountain Hardwear Athlete Profile.

By Mountain Hardwear Athlete, Micah Dash

Jonny and I leave for Asia in just ten days and our spring training is in full effect. Since breaking my heel last summer, and spending three months on crutches followed by another three months walking at an ants pace, I wasn't sure how to get back into shape. Keeping up with Jonny in the mountains is no easy feat. He is a cardio machine and since our objective in Asia will be more of a mixed alpine route than a big wall rock climb I decided I needed to train a bit differently.

Time for some spring training! Photo Credit Micah Dash

Thanks to Connie Sciolino and the Mountain Athlete program www.mtnathlete.com from Jackson Hole, but now also in Boulder, I found just what I was looking for. Mountain Athlete, similar to Cross Fit, is a hardcore, ass kicking one hour workout session. Its leg crushing, heart pumping, back burning, barf on the floor marathon.

This kind of training won't necessarily make you a better climber, you need to climb to do that, but what it will do is make you hard to kill in the alpine. Mountain Machines like Bean Bowers, Stephen Koch, Ben Gilmore, and Kevin Mahoney have been this training method for some time. In combination with climbing fulltime I think it will be a huge asset to climbing in the Himalaya this spring. If nothing else, I feel like it is bringing me closer to where I was prior to getting injured.

If you find yourself in Boulder and cranking on the rocks doesn't seem to be doing the trick, stop in and check it out. You can contact Connie at sciolino@q.com.

By Pat Deavoll, Mountain Hardwear Athlete

Organising this expedition, a recipient of the Mountain Hardwear Expedition Grant, has been an organic process- more so than any other trip I've put together. The problem seems to be the country! Pakistan is in the news more often than some climbers feel comfortable with; that plus the fact the New Zealand Batura Glacier Expedition intends to travel, and climb, within a stones throw of the Afghan border.

Kampire Dior Photo by Bruce Norman

Having climbed in Pakistan in 2007 and 2008, I'm not that worried. I figure what I'm there to do, climb a 7000m peak, puts me at greater risk than being caught up in any Al Quaeda activity. I figure if we make our stay in Islamabad short and keep our heads down travelling through Swat (on the way up the Karakoram Highway) once we get to liberal, tourist-orientated Hunza, we'll be fine. And no self-respecting member of the Taliban is going to want to trek 65km up the Batura Glacier to check us out.

But six weeks out from leaving New Zealand, two of the team are wavering, un-nerved by the latest bombing that killed 19 people at a popular Islamabad mosque last weekend. And a rumour has come through from our outfitter that some parts of the NW may be put off limits to climbers, including the Upper Batura Glacier. Choose another objective, they say.

What to do?

Erik Weihenmayer 's memoir, Touch the Top of the World, was made into a feature film and recently released on DVD. For an indepth look at the film go to A&ETV.

Blindsight follows six Tibetan teenagers who set out to climb the 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri on the north side of Mount Everest. A dangerous journey soon becomes a seemingly impossible challenge made all the more remarkable by the fact that the teenagers are blind.

"Just because you lose your sight, doesn't mean you lose your vision."
- Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer

Read Erik Weihenmayer 's Athlete bio on MountainHardwear.com

By Jon Bowermaster, Mountain Hardwear Adventure Journalist

The last time I was in the island nation of the Maldives - nearly 400,000 people scattered among 1,200 tiny islands running south for a thousand miles off the tips of Sri Lanka and India - the place was on edge. It was early in 2005 and the tsunami waves had rushed over the islands just a few weeks before. Fortunately for the Maldives a combination of deep channels running between islands and the sizable coral reefs that surround many of them prevented the giant wave from sweeping its entire population into the sea. Only about 100 people were killed, far fewer than drowned on the coast of Somalia hundreds of miles further west.

Photo Credit: Jon Bowermaster

I came to report on the post-tsunami impacts for the New York Times and as I wandered among the homes badly cracked by the wave and saw decades-old garbage dumps swept into the sea by waters that rushed over the islands - which rise less than six feet above sea level - everyone was talking about the possibility of another such incident. "What can we do to prevent the next wave from taking us all," was the collective concern. "What if there is a second wave coming?"

Photo Credit: Jon Bowermaster

Today I'm back for a couple weeks of scouting - we'll shoot a documentary film here later in the year - and the subject has changed. No one is talking about tsunami waves, but everyone is talking about rising sea levels. Both are obviously legitimate concerns in a place where all of life lives just a couple feet above the sea. Talk is heightened by a variety of recent reports that sea level rise around the globe is now anticipated to come faster, reach higher ... and the fact that the Maldives new president, Mohamed Nasheen, is talking louder than any elected official in the world about the need to do anything we can to slow the seas from rising. He obviously has a vested interest.

CNN.com follows climber Ben Clark, a Mountain Hardwear Athlete, and friends on their adventure across the globe to ski down the Himalayas. CNN interviews will be posted to the blog at www.skithehimalayas.com.

Mountain Hardwear Headquarters, located at historic Ford Point
Photo Credit: Billy Hustace Photography

Mountain Hardwear today was named to Outside magazine's (www.outsideonline.com) second annual "Best Places to Work" list. Mountain Hardwear was ranked No. 19 out of 30 selected companies. The full list and related story will be published in the May issue of Outside magazine, available on newsstands April 14, 2009.

Mountain Hardwear, a leading manufacturer of outdoor equipment and apparel, is honored to be among the few to receive this great distinction. "Mountain Hardwear's commitment to making top-end products has employees getting outside and testing gear in real mountains," say Outside Magazine executive editor Michael Roberts. "Plus, their solar-powered headquarters in Richmond has loaner bikes so the staff can roll to lunch spots and it will soon offer a kayak launch into the San Francisco Bay. It's an ideal environment for balancing hard work with a fun, active lifestyle."

"I think we have to give Mike Wallenfels a lot of credit. Many companies may try to mandate a company culture, but if the top of the pyramid isn't participating, it's meaningless - employees are hesitant. But Mike is leading by example. He's the cornerstone to the culture here. Some days he has his dogs in his office and he's almost always up for a lunchtime mountain bike ride," says Ted Ganio, Director of Merchandising.

By Marc Hoffmeister, Team Leader, Operation Denali

Sponsorship through Mountain Hardwear's Expedition Sponsorship Program is a dream come true for a group of guys who didn't think climbing Denali was even possible a few years ago. The mission of Operation Denali is to enable four warriors wounded in the Global War on Terror to overcome our devastating combat injuries and successfully summit 20,320 ft Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The climb symbolizes the strength of our Nation and those who defend it. Specific details about the climb are online at VeteransCoalition.org.

I've always loved the outdoors. I used to spend all of my free time climbing in the back country or dreaming about climbing the big peaks. I stopped dreaming the day the enemy got lucky and I earned a purple heart. In 2007, while conducting combat operations in Iraq, a roadside bomb ripped through my HMMWV. The explosively formed penetrator tore through all of us in the truck. We survived because the rest of my men did everything right, but I lost effective use of my left arm and hand to my injuries. Despite our survival, life has changed for us all, in both mind and body. We became casualties of war. I bear this title proudly. I have no regrets and I have no anger at the enemy or frustration with the war. I know we've made a difference and I accept my sacrifices.

Marc Hoffmeister earned a Purple Heart.
Photo Courtesy of Marc Hoffmeister

*Gift with Purchase: The gift offer is valid only on single in-store purchase at the Mountain Hardwear store in Portland. Limit one gift per person per day while supplies last. Offers may not be applied to prior purchases or gift certificates, combined with any other offer or discount, or redeemed by store employees. Mountain Hardwear reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time. Le Hoody Royale valid only on 4/9/2009 - 4/11/2009. ©2009 Mountain Hardwear, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bridal Veil Falls is the highest cascade waterfall in Colorado with water falling 365 feet. For the first time in decades, the falls opened this winter for expert only ice climbing this winter. Mountain Hardwear athlete, Ben Clark couldn't be stopped from making the climb. Check it out on Plumtv.com.

View more Mountain Hardwear athlete videos here.

By Dawn Glanc

My ice-climbing season in Colorado was just about over for the year. The ice in Ouray had begun to melt. The days were growing longer and the daytime temperatures continually soared well above freezing. The ice was starting to fall down or become very sun affected and turning to a snow cone. I however, was not ready to have my season end. So, I set my sights to far off lands that were still frozen. I looked toward Norway.

Rjukan Ice Climbing

I connected with good friends who live in Oslo. Seth Hobby and Maren Bistrup welcomed me to come over and climb. Seth said the conditions were great and that he would have two weeks time to climb with me. He also mentioned that he had a sweet four wheel drive van, so that I would not have to rent a car. It all seemed to fall into place naturally. I bought a cheap ticket and flew over to the frozen lands a week later. The trip quickly came together, with all the elements of a great trip in line. I was more than elated to go and explore and have a crazy Norwegian adventure.

When I arrived In Oslo, the weather was grey and cloudy. Naturally I wanted a bluebird forecast, but the cold weather and overcast skies were much more conducive for our ice climbing objectives. I spent one night in Oslo at Seth and Maren's apartment to settle in, and to recover from the long hours of travel. The following morning after a proper Norwegian breakfast, Seth and I made our game plan for the days to come.

By Micah Dash

When the R.P.G. rocket impacted Captain D.J. Skelton while on combat operations in Fallujah the farthest thing from his mind was climbing. But for D.J., and many of us, climbing is in our blood. With his glass eye, titanium arm, and numerous scars across his body he modifies equipment and techniques to climb both ice and rock. Since our first meeting in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky nearly two years ago D.J. has become a regular climbing partner of mine. He along with Timmy O Neil created Paradox sports.

Paradox Sports was created with a common desire to integrate the physically disabled into the outdoor community by providing inspiration, opportunities, and the adaptive equipment needed to participate in human-powered outdoor sports. " The common bond of loving the outdoors and wanting to share it with others, regardless of physical limitations, is what brought them together." Says executive director Malcom Daily.

The New Kid in Town by Rowan Jimenez

Since indoor climbing came to be the sport it has exposed an incredible array of people to climbing that otherwise would have never given it a chance. Due to its convenience and accessibility it also has been producing some gnarly and powerful contenders for the sport. A form of recreational activity and a sport in its own right climbing puts you on the edge, no matter what form you practice. Since the early 90's I've been one of those people who took on and stuck with it. I have made climbing my sport, my form of adventure and my community. I have worked in climbing from different angles, as a climbing instructor, as a course setter (City Rock and Touchstone about 8 yrs combined) which led me to my current job working for one the most cutting edge companies in the outdoor industry - Mountain Hardwear.

Photo by Jim Thornburg

My fascination with climbing leaned towards bouldering. All forms of climbing you can say has its own group of dedicated followers. Bouldering is one of those specialties that through the years have become a sport within the sport itself. From really hard, powerful and short to super technical and scary tall, bouldering gets your adrenaline up and going. Doing it outdoors definitely gets you pumped and embodies the freedom that climbing over all provides.

What about doing it indoors? What about a place in which you can hone your skills to tackle not only the hard but also the tall with a full top out experience just like if you were climbing as high as the classic Great White Rastafarian in Joshua Tree or Ghetto Blaster in Hueco tanks. I clearly remember daydreaming with all my climbing buddies and always skimming plans. "We should open up a pure and only bouldering gym some day guys, wouldn't that be awesome?" We all wanted that little Oasis where only chalk and shoes was all we needed.

Click here to read the full story behind the opening of Bridges Rock Gym.

Photo by Jim Thornburg

Bridges Rock Gym 5635 San Diego St. El Cerrito CA 94530.
For more information check out BridgesRockGym.com or call 510.525.5635.

Read about this episode on: TVSquad.com

Amazing Race's Jen and Kisha are wearing the cold weather climbing and mountaineering Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero Jacket.

By Cynthia Houng Visit Cynthia's website.

Several readers have asked me to post pictures of my garden. March 15 was "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day," and I thought I would share some flowers from my garden.

Climb into Mountain Hardwear's Virtual World!

The thrill of expeditions is now online! Mountain Hardwear invites you to explore our new 3D virtual world where mountain adventures come alive. Join a community of athletes and enthusiasts - where we gather to celebrate what we all love - the drive to the summit. The Expedition Republic offers:

	A Giant Gear Giveaway Expedition videos Downloadable content An entire social network focused on expeditions and mountaineering
Connect with other climbers and explore the Expedition Republic.

By Freddie Wilkinson. View his profile on MountainHardwear.com.

When it comes to documenting alpine climbs, I am no Ken Burns. Most of the time I'm too tired, too scared, too uncomfortable, or I'm just having way too much fun to worry about recording it for posterity. Nevertheless, thanks to modern technology, even the most basic point- and-shoots can take short video clips. Sometimes, its just too easy not to turn on my Canon SD 800 and press play. So, here are a few clips from the archives -- nothing smooth or polished, just raw reality, as funny or stupid, inspiring or embarrassing as it seems. Enjoy!

El Sacraficio Del Raton, Cerro Poincinot, Patagonia:
This shot was taken during the first ascent of a route I climbed on the South Face of Poincinot with Dave Sharratt in January 2007. The route took two days; we bivied with no stove or sleeping bag on a small ledge two-thirds up the face. Note the changes in my demeanor: in the first video I am psyched; in the second video, taken right before we were benighted, I'm a bit apprehensive; and in the third video, taken on the descent after we summited, I'm just plain worked. You may notice that through it all, "the Monster" keeps his cool.

Freddie Wilkinson and Dave Sharratt psyched to be climbing
the South Face of Poincino.

Grab your Mountain Hardwear Gear Girls and attend a Clinic!
Brought to you by Chicks with Picks and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.

Location: Red Rocks, Nevada Dates: April 9-13, 2009
Photo by Farmerfoto

For ten years Chicks with Picks has been kicking axe with our women's ice climbing clinics. We've decided to shed our soft shells and don our favorite tank tops...we're going to the desert! Come join our expert Girly Guides in Red Rocks, NV this April for our rock climbing pilot program!

We welcome beginner to advanced rock climbers with 5 different levels you can choose from. This three-day clinic offers a 4-to-1 ratio followed by an optional multi-pitch day with a 2-to-1 ratio.

Chicks has become well known for more than just climbing - our Chicks become solid climbers, and they learn self-reliance and confidence that funnels into everyday life. We not only climb hard all day, we also gather at night for dinners, discussions and slideshows.

Prices:

Option 1: Chicks Rock 3 day weekend
April 10 - 12th (4-to-1 ratio) = $780
Option 2: Chicks Rock 3 day weekend April 10 - 12th plus the
Multi Pitch day
(2-to-1 ratio) April 13th = $1230

For more detailed information email us: info@chickswithpicks.net
Tel: 970.626.4424

By Kenton Cool, IFMGA Mountain Guide. View his profile on MountainHardwear.com.

Neil Brodie at the Stollenloch window on the Eiger, the scene
of much history. Photo by Kenton Cool

It was planned for a while but things in the mountains are never that easy. As Neil and I drove to the Eiger on Thursday we weren't too hopeful about climbing the N Face for the BBC. The crew all met in the eve and we travelled on the train to Kleine Schidegg and a hotel that simply oozed history....its where Clint Eastwood stayed while filming the Eiger Sanction. All day Friday its snowed and we didn't even see the face, not great for climbing.

By Dawn Glanc, Check out her profile on MountainHardwear.com

Years ago, a friend gave me a guidebook for Colorado ice climbing. I accepted the gift, but viewed it at the time as a coffee table book. This friend marked the page for Bridal Veil Falls and said, "This is the one you should climb". I smiled and agreed with an unconvincing "sure." The book sat for years on the shelf. Every now and again during the Black Hills ice season, I would look at that guide book and day dream about bigger days and gnarly climbs like Bridal Veil Falls.

Dawn climbing Bridal Veil, one of the most difficult ice climbs in Colorado.
Photo Courtesy of Dawn Glanc

By Sean McDevitt, Mountain Hardwear Tent Developer

The idea of racing my mountain bike for 24 hours straight used to scare the hell out of me. The fact that going into my 4th 24 Solo I love it even more, scares me. They are mostly unsanctioned, un-televised races that barely get a blurb on the bike news websites. It is terribly expensive, time consuming and rarely involves prizes more than T shirts and chain lube samples. It is so hard that it takes a month to recover and even the most elite of riders can only do 2-3 races per year. Countless stories of courage, hope and tenacity are never told. Over the past few years I have seen so many racers pedal their hearts out in the middle of the night. Some race out of love of cycling, broken hearts or the competitive challenge to race for 24 hours.

24 hours straight!

This afternoon, when I went to check my mailbox, I found an unexpected gift -- a plain brown paper envelope with a "Royal Mail" postmark on it. Inside, I found this video from Neil Gresham.

By Will Meinen

After the third winter of efforts, it's finally done. The Jimmy Skid Rig has been climbed. I still can't believe it as I sit here and try to figure out how to sum it up for a 'blog'.

What is the Jimmy Skid Rig?

The name was born from the Hilti drill used on the route. With a fiberglass patch job holding the body together and a hundred foot extension cord running from the drill to the three motorcycle batteries duct taped together in the bottom of a haul bag, it was a sketchy setup at best, but it was all we could afford. After inspecting the setup, a friend laughed out loud and called Brandon and I a 'Jimmy Skid Rig' outfit, and with very little confidence he wished us luck on the mission. And with that the name stuck. We definitely weren't conventional mixed climbers, and our plan wasn't very polished. We were just a couple guys with a get 'er done sort of attitude.

The Jimmy Skid Rig was born early December two winters ago when Brandon Pullan and I negotiated the 'adventure-race course' that guards the base of the route. As we stood at the base of the route and looked up at the ice, we became obsessed with an idea. Our idea was to find a way to climb the overhanging mixed terrain to the daggers of frozen water that had dripped down the exposed ice-curtain that loomed above us.

The Jimmy Skid Rig

At the time, I didn't know how we would do it, or how long it would take, but we knew that, somehow, we were going to get 'er done. When you have an idea, or a dream that you believe in, it's important that you follow it through because dreams are the stuff that the good life is made of. We quickly returned with enough gear to climb the Trango Tower. Tents, stoves, static ropes, dynamic ropes, bolts, pins, beaks, power drill, ice tools, hammers, ascenders, cams, nuts, and a bottle of whiskey. After the first season of effort we reached a high point about half way up.

By Will Meinen

"I think I'm getting heat stroke. Does anyone have anymore water?"

I looked at my thermometer again to confirm my half delusional state of mind; twenty-three degrees Celsius. As messed up as it was, I wasn't going to fight it. Rather, I was going to soak up the good rays of vitamin D and appreciated the once in a life time experience. I was half way up Forbidden Corner on Mt. Yamnuska, enjoying the warm sun, a stellar view, and the fine company of Brandon Pullan and Julia Niles.

Julia Niles enjoying some winter sun on Forbidden Corner

Watch a larger version of this video on our YouTube channel.

Mountain Hardwear athlete Kenton Cool and crew tackle the Colton-MacIntyre Route

By Dawn Glanc

In December I returned to Ouray Colorado for another season of ice and mixed climbing. This would be my fourth winter in Ouray and my third year competing in the ice festival. This year I was more committed than ever to try to win the Ouray Ice Festival. I began to train for this goal on December 2. My training routine was very intense this year. I went out mixed climbing all day, 6 days a week. I hit the gym immediately after climbing 4 nights a week. I did yoga every morning for at least 30 minutes and did what I could to have a good healthy high protein diet. I adopted new training partners this year as well, which I believe was the true key to success. Andres Marin, Paul "Pablo" Stein and Geoff Unger held my string day after day. These guys gave me the encouragement and "shit talking" that I needed to help me excel. It was a grueling regimen that I strictly followed for six weeks.

After a rigorous and intense six weeks, the festival arrived. The town of Ouray awoke from its winter slumber as 1000 ice climbers flooded the town. The town began to bustle. Vendor booths cluttered the ice park and eager climbers were everywhere. The energy was high and people were psyched.

The day we had been preparing for arrived. Saturday was a beautiful blue bird day, the kind that we have grown to love here in Ouray. It was warm and sunny, and I could not contain my excitement. Andres and I headed to the park to get warmed up. We were both really stoked for our turn to compete. It seemed like an eternity passed as we waited our turn to climb the route.

Dawn Glance climbing at the Ouray Ice Fest

Finally my number was called.

"It doesn't get easier; you just go faster" - Greg Lemond

Ego
As climbed up the fire road pre-riding the 9 mile loop race course of 12 hours of Temecula, I reflected on a long season of endurance Mountain bike racing. 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, Boggs 8 hour, Cool 24 Hour Race against Cancer, Grasshopper @ Lake Sonoma, 12 hours of Weaverville... I figured I about seen it all... Wrong!

Course
The fire road climb was unrelenting with pitches approaching 20% with loose sandy rutty sections with baby head rocks strewn about generously. Rocky drop offs led to switch back descents, mixed with inches of dust and sand covering loose rocks. Every lap had about 4 hair razing loose rutty chutes covered with sand. Either you let go of the brakes and hoped everything worked out or you got off your bike and did the walk of shame. I opted for the former.

Race
So at 9am 130 solos and other racers made a parade loop through the camp ground and began was to be a very long hot day. Super steep exposed fire road climbs in 96F, with loose technical single track descent. I stayed with the big dogs from the factory pro teams for the first 2 laps then started to cramp a bit so I took it back a notch to pace myself for the full 12 hours. After about 6 hours of racing other solos started asking me what lap I was on. After 8 hours they were asking me how many laps I planned to do. I told one racer, "I don't know man, I just pedal till someone says I can stop. The cumulative affect of the hot weather, steep climbs and nerve racking descents, felt like it was taking years off my life.

By Will Meinen

Brandon on the Mad House

The Mad House: WI 4+ 300M -- View More Photos from Will's route on Flickr

He had gone up about three years prior, and spotted a gem that needed to be climbed. He snapped a photo, and tried to entice friends to return to climb the route. Nobody took the bait, until me. Call me a lucky bastard, or just call me up for anything cause I'll never say no.

THE MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR STORE GRAND OPENING 12/5/08

• Hear blind climber and mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer speak Saturday December 6th at 2 p.m. Get a free copy of either his book "Touch The Top of the World" or a DVD of his award winning documentary "Farther Than the Eye Can See" with a $100 retail purchase*.
• Ski mountaineer Andrew McLean speaks Thursday, December 11th at 6 p.m. Get a free copy of the DVD "Steep" with $100 retail purchase*.
• The first 50 people who purchase at least $100 of Mountain Hardwear gear on December 5th will get 1 Sentinel Jr. messenger bag*.
• 5% of your purchases during the first week, a minimum of $5,000, will be donated to provide outdoor experiences to disadvantaged youth through HARK, a local Seattle non-profit.
• Meet climber Ethan Pringle on Tuesday, December 9th at 6 p.m.
• Come listen to Montrail athlete, endurance runner and coach Matt Hart during his talk on Saturday, December 13th at 2 p.m.

*Gifts with Purchases: Each gift offer is valid only on single in-store purchase at the Mountain Hardwear store in Seattle. Limit one gift per person per day while supplies last. Offers may not be applied to prior purchases or gift certificates, combined with any other offer or discount, or redeemed by store employees. Mountain Hardwear reserves the right to modify or cancel these offers at any time. Sentinel Jr. messenger bag valid only on 12/5/2008. Touch The Top of the World book or Farther DVD offer valid only on 12/6/2008. Steep DVD offer valid only on 12/11/2008. ©2008 Mountain Hardwear, Inc. All rights reserved.

Donation: 5% of the pre-tax purchase price of every purchase (excluding purchases of gift cards, gift certificates, prize and employee purchases) December 5 - December 11, 2008 at the Mountain Hardwear store in Seattle, Washington, a minimum of $5,000 will be donated to HARK, 3671 Redwing Trail NW, Bremerton WA 98312, to fund outdoor experiences for disadvantaged youth. ©2008 Mountain Hardwear Inc. All rights reserved.

By Freddie Wilkinson

Blog junkies, internet addicts, and virtual alpinists everywhere should take note of my friend and neighbor Kevin Mahoney's newly revised internet site, www.NewHampshireIceclimbing.com. The site is the home-page to Kevin's guide service, Mahoney Alpine Adventures. But it's also home to a whole lot more: photo galleries, condition reports, and a running blog detailing the MANhoney's exploits. New England-based climbers should definitely look at the photos... This is the best collection of shots of hard New England winter climbs anywhere. With a long winter just around the corner, this site is just the thing to get ready and psyched!

Read a Men's Vogue profile of Mountain Hardwear athlete Jon Bowermaster.

Listen to Jon's interview with Scientific American, about climate change's impact upon Antarctica and its creatures.

Through the month of November, visit http://weathertheweather.mountainhardwear.com for your chance to win some great Mountain Hardwear gear.

Try your luck now!

This month, we're focusing on outdoor aerobic activities -- so if you're a runner, hiker, or just enjoy long approaches, our November prize packages will make you happy.

Mountain Hardwear, Montrail and friends are sponsoring two upcoming fundraisers to help cover the uninsured costs of Rowan Jimenez's recent lung transplant, a valued employee at Mountain Hardwear and Montrail since 2001. In addition to being a rock star and musician, Rowan plays an integral role in the Warranty Department handling all international warranty claims, orders and situations.

Rowan was diagnosed in 2003 with Scleroderma, an autoimmune condition that began to manifest in his lungs in the Spring of 2007. In 2008, it became clear that a lung transplant would be inevitable. Rowan underwent the $800K procedure in September. After a very successful operation, he is now recovering nicely. For more of his personal story, please visit his blog at: www.rowanjimenez.com.

To help offset the uninsured transplant-related costs, friends of Rowan are hosting two bay-area fundraising events to help him and his family.

Full Lung Capacity Benefit Bouldering Comp

Saturday, November 1st at Berkeley Iron Works
800 Potter St. in Berkeley
6-10pm
$25-$100 donation for climbing comp, acro-yoga, DJ, good food and drinks

For more info go to: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106208?recruiter_id=5382932

Rowan Is Rising! Recycle Life Fundraiser

Sunday, December 7th at Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph in Oakland
5-10pm

Silent auction, great food, open bar and live music by the Venezuelan Music Ensemble w/ Jackie Rago and Rootsy Bluegrass with Heller Highwater

$125 at the door or $100 in advance

Micah Dash now has a blog! Keep up with Micah at Micahdash.com

In Kalymnos, September 23rd, 14 year old Kitty Wallace from London became the youngest British female to redpoint a confirmed 8a on rock, with an ascent of Daniboy.

The hardest redpoint from a British junior prior to this was Leah Crane's ascent of Orion, also in Kalymnos. This was originally graded 8a, but was subsequently downgraded to 7c+, which nonetheless was still the hardest to date. There is no chance of Daniboy being downgraded and it is widely regarded as being a very hard 8a.

The route is 20 metres high and overhangs continuously. The climbing style is powerful moves between reasonable but widely spaced handholds. Kitty worked it over 2 days and did it first redpoint on her third day.

Mountain Hardwear's photo contest ends on October 31, so you have 2 more weeks to submit your climbing photographs and win prizes.

"Do people really win?" you ask.

Why yes.

Blake Harrington won First Prize last week. Blake took home a Splitter pack. We're giving out three more First Prizes and a Grand Prize.

By Cynthia Houng

Driving home from the mountains last night, we crossed over the hill's brow and saw Angel Island outlined in flame.

Photo by SFist reader Jay Rodriguez, taken from neighboring Yerba Buena Island. See more of Jay's photographs on SFist

The fire shimmered on the Bay, a dark coppery red. From our vantage point in the East Bay hills, the red flames resembled molten lava.

Later, on the news, we watched helicopters circle over head, white flames gathering where land meets water. The weekend was dry and hot, and strong winds fanned the flames. The Angel Island spread from 5 acres to ten, growing exponentially by the hour.

By Janet Bergman

I am writing with scabs on the backs of my hands and legs still sore, so the short of it is, yes, we did get to climb! As luck has it, I do not have to get into all the nitty gritty details of the account, because Pat already did, for the backcountry.com blog (who supplied us with oodles of freeze dried dinners and gu's!):

Did you read it? OK, here are my comments to add:

Our all-out-light-and-fast-town-to-town style of ascent (vs our original plan of establishing porter-supported camps along the way) was quite the adventure, and one of the most challenging physical undertakings I've ever had. Our choice to go ultra light (e.g. single set of cams per team) limited the lines we could choose, meaning easier climbing, but less optimal rock conditions (e.g. snowy, icy, wet, loose) and protection options. Freddie was, excuse my language, like a pig in shit on this type of terrain, while I was, at one point, squealing that I wanted to go wee wee all the way home.Too many seasons on good Cathedral, Yosemite and Patagonia granite I guess. It was my first time participating in this type of first ascent, and I remain in awe at the amount of experience Freddie (and Ben and Pat for that matter) has accumulated on every conceivable type of alpine terrain.

This weekend, we drove up to Yosemite National Park to meet some friends from out of town. We spent the day in Tuolumne Meadows, then met our friends at Curry Village for dinner. The high-summer crowds were out in full force. Curry Village felt like an amusement park, festive and a little claustrophobic. As we stood in line for our buffet dinner, I picked up a flyer with an intriguing headline.

"Park Planning Underway Now!" read the flyer. "Get involved."

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the flyer was an invitation to participate in the planning process for the Tuolumne and Merced River Plans, the management plans that guide the National Park Service's day-to-day operations along the Tuolumne and Merced River corridors. Both the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers are protected under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, and the Park Service is required to preserve the rivers' Wild & Scenic character, while providing park visitors with adequate services and amenities.

The NPS is currently creating comprehensive management plans for the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers, which both run through Yosemite National Park. As part of the process, the NPS must solicit public comment on its proposed management plans.

The flyer invited park visitors to read planning documents on the NPS website, and then submit comments for the public record.

Producing these management plans is no cakewalk. Planners must balance multiple agencies (from federal agencies, like the Bureau of Land Management, to local agencies), often with conflicting interests, and comply with federal legislation. The planning documents are arcane and difficult to understand, and the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) are even worse.

This may all seem like a tedious bureaucratic exercise, but the resulting Tuolumne River Plan/Tuolume Meadow Plan and New Merced River Plan will both have a significant impact upon our experience of Yosemite National Park. These plans will guide future development within Yosemite, and may change or even limit visitor access to certain areas of the park.

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

I guess 16 state highpoints in one calendar year isn't too bad for a couple of dads that hold down full-time jobs. Last week my buddy Brian and I were able to summit Gannett Peak in Wyoming for state #16 (Others we've done: OR, WA, ID, ME, NH, VT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, WV, DE, CT, MA and RI). Depending on who you talk to, Gannett Peak is ranked #2 or #3 amongst the state highpoints in difficulty, either ahead or behind Mt. Rainier, with Mt. McKinley easily holding down the #1 spot. My opinion...Gannett is a lot more work than Rainier, but has a much more rewarding approach. The Titcomb Basin of the Wind River Range could possibly be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

View More Photographs from Ryan's Trip

Gannett Peak sits at 13,804' and requires about 40-50 miles of backpacking and 11,000 ft of elevation gain round trip. The trailhead starts at 9300', so if you do the math that equals a lot of up and down. It should be said that there are so many lakes in the basin that this trip could be divided up a million different ways. Also, I think we were the only people we saw in the basin that didn't have a fly rod with them. The fishing is spectacular...from what I saw and heard. We decided to do the trip in four days.

By Alex Baires, Mountain Hardwear Design Team

Thanks in part to the Mountain Hardwear Gives Back program we continued our partnership with REI Berkeley (San Francisco and Corte Madera stores also joined in) and Clif Bar & Company on June 18, 2008 with a project on Angel Island. REI Berkeley's Amber Hoffmann (Outreach Specialist) as well as Clif Bar & Company's Patrick Bush and Amy Guittard were responsible for organizing and making this project a success. The night before the project, several volunteers camped on Angel Island and we spent an absolutely beautiful night on the island before getting down and dirty with the service project the following day.

When it was all said and done, Mountain Hardwear had 22% of our entire staff volunteering on this project with nearly every department being represented. Even our executive team got in the act with 4 out of 5 executives joining in and getting their hands (and everything else) dirty.

View photographs from our Angel Island event.

Amber Hoffman, of REI Berkeley, contributed the following write-up:

By Jessica Riquetti, Mountain Hardwear Design Team

Three days is what it takes. Three days is what it takes to convert us, the Mountain Hardwear Product Team, into enthusiastic ice climbers. In February, the six of us left our desks in Richmond, California and journeyed to Ouray, Colorado for the all women's ice climbing event called "Chicks with Picks." Tracey and Stephanie had ice climbed before but for the rest of us the idea of clinging to a wall of ice seemed a bit overwhelming and the concept somewhat like "stepping into a massive freezer." It turns out all we needed to bring was a good attitude and good warm gear.

Once we arrived we were taken under the wing of extraordinary women who spend their days guiding ice climbing trips around the world. First things first, and we were introduced to the plethora of spikes and straps this sport seems to involve. Once we got the harnesses on right side up and the crampons fitted to our boots, we were off to the ice walls of Ouray.

By Dawn Glanc

The Bugaboos, located in British Columbia, have been a place that I have read and heard about for years. Every time I saw a photo of the splitter granite spires, I would dream of climbing them. The place seemed magical and very alluring. The alpine climbing seemed perfect. On July 20, my dream of going to the Bugaboos became a reality. I received this guiding assignment with a giant smile.

I began the long drive from Bellingham Washington on that sunny Sunday morning with my new partner for the next 12 days, Michael Lowery. During the drive Michael and I got to know one another. We also discussed what we planned to climb. We had a long hit list of routes. The day went on with the pedal to the medal. By the days end we arrived in the town of Radium to enjoy our last dinner at the local pub.

In the morning we made the long drive into the Provincial Park. We did the last minute gear shuffle as quick as possible, while getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes. We then barricaded the van from the porcupines, who are rumored to enjoy eating brake lines and other important hoses. When the van was secure, I turned on my I-pod, hit shuffle, and began the 3 hour hike into the alpine playground.

View Photographs from Dawn's trip to the Bugaboos

Join us in Salt Lake City for this year's Wasatch Wobble fun run. Sign up at the Montrail booth at OR (#26013). We will donate your $10 entry fee to the Conservation Alliance. Show up in front of the Salt Palace at 6 am sharp on Sunday, August 10th, to catch the shuttle bus to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

Space is limited -- we have slots for only 300 participants, so sign up early!

View our flyer for the Wasatch Wobble.

Sponsored by Montrail, TrailRunner, Nuun, Jetboil, Adventure Medical Kits, Nathan, Mountain Hardwear, and Allterrain Co.

Jessa Goebel and her crew tear it up in Wyoming!

All photographs by Jessa Goebel, Kevin Wilkinson, and Alli Rainey.

View more photographs of Kevin, Jessa, and Alli on Flickr

Mountain Hardwear athlete Andrew McLean appears in this little video about Mountain Unicycling.

View Neil's photographs from the Outer Hebrides

By Neil Gresham

'THE MAD MINGULAYANS'

...or so we were called by Patrick, our skipper, whose unenviable task was to sail us to the island of Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides in June 08. My regular climbing partner Mark Garthwaite had been trying to get a team to Mingulay for the last four years, but every year we made our excuses. The amount of effort involved seemed disproportionate to the rewards. We had heard tales of teams who were stranded in their tents for a fortnight having managed no climbing whatsoever. But with Garth's persuasion we finally agreed to take our chances on what the Climbers Club website describes as 'the best sea cliff in the UK'. We can put up with a few days of rain with a claim like that.

We set sail from Ardfern and took turns to help Patrick sail throughout the night. Our main tasks were to make him tea and keep watch for lobster pots which might tangle with the propeller - God forbid that he would trust a bunch of sleep deprived climbers with anything more serious. My shift came at 4am as we turned passed Mull and headed out into the open water and I was awe struck as the sun turned the ocean turned crimson beneath the etched silhouettes of Rhum and Col.

This spring, I learned how to make jam. For years I'd stayed away from making jam, convinced that the process was somehow arduous. It turns out that jam-making is simpler than it seems. There are only 2 potentially tricky stages in jam-making:

(1) Getting the jam to set, or gell, properly.

Pectin, a natural substance found in most fruits, causes jam to "set," or harden. We made our jams with the help of store-bought pectin, but there are pectin-free recipes out there that rely solely on the fruit's natural pectin. Different fruits contain different amounts of pectin. Learning the proper combination of sugar, lemon, and pectin can be tricky. Certain stone fruits (like plums) take longer to set. The jam appears watery. And then, suddenly, it's solid.

(2) Getting the jam jar to seal.

If the jar doesn't look like it's going to seal all on its own, pop it into a boiling water bath. Pad the bottom of the pot with a little dishtowel, so the jars don't bounce around and break.

If they still refuse to seal, keep the jam in the fridge!

View Will's photographs from Mixed Meister

By William Meinen

Cutting your Teeth on Alpine Rock: Mixed Meister 5.10d 2400'

With the weather slowly shaping up for alpine rock routes in the Rockies, I was looking for something to kick off the season.

Although some find his style of routes setting controversial, Andy Genereux has established more high quality multi-pitch routes in the Bow Valley than anyone else I can think of. Mostly done ground up while bolting on lead (using natural gear whenever possible), Andy Genereux has a natural eye for classic lines.

In 2007, along with a handful of other great first ascents, Genereux (with help from Urs Kallen) pushed a very direct line up the tallest aspect of Goat Slabs and called the creation Mixed Meister. I have climbed several of Andy's routes and had a great time on all of them. I read a review posted by someone who attempted Mixed Meister and he accused Andy of not actually climbing the route, but suggested he rapped down and placed some bolts on the last several pitches and called it a route. He then advised fellow climbers not to climb the route due to loose rock, difficult route finding, and run-out nature. If you ask me it sounded like the perfect way to train for the alpine!

View more Photographs from Will's trip

By Will Meinen

On the west coast of Canada, just north of Vancouver, you can find one of the best climbing destinations that the country has to offer.

With a slow start to the alpine rock season here in the Rockies, I've been doing a lot of road tripping to less wintery destinations, such as Red Rocks and Zion, trying to get my fix of long rock routes. On a whim, I booked some tickets to Squamish. It had been several years since my last visit there, and I figured it was time for a return visit.

This morning, Freddie Wilkinson revealed that he's recently began writing for the Huffington Post's "Green" page. He has a nice opinion piece on China's "Olympic" summit, and another on "Yard Sale economics."

These pieces show a different side of Freddie. if you've enjoyed Freddie's pieces on climbing, you'll like these pieces.

For the first time in its history, the Western States 100 has been cancelled. (Montrail, Mountain Hardwear's sister company, sponsors the Western State 100.) The organizers cancelled the race for 3 reasons: "1. Proximity of the fire to the race course...2. Air quality deterioration...3. Safety of our runners."

This photograph, by Kari Niles, a Western States 100 volunteer, gives us some idea of the air quality in Auburn, California. You can't see the smoke here, just haze, but you can see that the particulates have shifted the light, transforming the sun into a reddish disk.

View Mat's photos on Flickr

By Mat Peterson, Mountain Hardwear Planning Team

My wife and I made the quick drive up to Lake Tahoe to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and renew our vows at the top of Mount Tallac. In my mind Tallac is the by far the most majestic of peaks shooting up of the base of Lake Tahoe.

After working out the early morning kinks from our previous days Mountain bike ride on North Shores Spooner Rim trail we got started on our journey up Tallac, an absolutely stunning peak that shoots up off the lake about 3,800 feet and peaks out around 9,800 feet. It was a perfect day for hiking, 79 degrees and balmy. The plan was to get to the top, renew our vows, eat lunch, hang out for a bit, and make our way back. Little did we know there was bit of adventure in store. About half way up just after we passed of the ridge over looking beautiful Falling Leaf Lake we met Frank.

This weekend, dry lightning ignited a swarm of wildfires in Northern California. By Monday morning, Cal Fire (the California agency responsible for tracking and fighting wildfires) counted approximately 90 small fires in Mendocino county, and another 75 in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. (View Calfire's map of current, active wildfires.)

Fires burned closer to home, in Napa County, in Santa Cruz (the third devastating wildfire in recent weeks), and in Brisbane, a small city south of San Francisco.

Last night, we drove up into the Berkeley hills and sat near the top of Grizzly Peak, "just because." (We were also out on a hunt for banana cream pie, but that's irrelevant.) From Grizzly Peak, we could see an enormous plume of smoke rising from the peninsula. It was the smoke from the Brisbane fire.

By Monday morning, the Brisbane fire had been contained, and firefighters reported that their containment efforts, aided by cooler weather (and the return of the Bay Area's usual summer fog), were beginning to rein in the Napa and Santa Cruz fires.

As of this moment, the air is still hazy with smoke, a reminder of fire's undeniable place in the California landscape. It is not a pleasant experience. The particulates cloud the air, sting the eyes, and settle in the throat. As global warming continues and Northern California's climate grows hotter and drier, scientists expect more wildfires in our region.

View Julia's photographs from Alaska

By Julia Niles

There is something about Alaska that is magical. Alaska is a warm, gooey amoeba that envelops you sucking you in to great times and good people. Strangers are unreasonably friendly and friends show up in the unlikeliest of places. This trip to Alaska proved the theory.

By Will Meinen

It pretty much rained the entire month of May here in the Rockies, so I headed South to Utah with my buddy Brent for a relaxing trip up some classic Zion big walls.

It's still snowing in the Canadian Rockies. I'm headed to Squamish, BC for some sunshine and granite cracks on the Chief.

Enjoy the video.

Summer's here and we're ready to hit the road. Call us old-fashioned, but we like to tuck a few books into our luggage, for those in-between moments in the airport, or the quiet hours after dark, when we're safe in our tents. We like everything from high literature to noir, with a little classic mountaineering literature thrown into the mix. What are you reading this summer?

Sam Magro, Alpinist/Climber

Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates--by Tom Robbins

If you expect to be spending some time in a tent I would suggest some of the wild fiction by Tom Robbins. This particular novel takes place all over the world from the jungles of Peru, to the deserts of Syria, and even passes through the Vatican in Rome. After reading this book during on a road trip I later named some new rock routes after the title as I had just returned to Montana after some hot climbing in California.....enjoy.

Freddie Wilkinson, Alpinist/Climber

Solo Faces - James Salter

I know, I know: climbing fiction is hokey, no doubt about it. But this tale, loosely based on the life of the beatnik alpinist Gary Hemming, defies the typically underwhelming standards of the genre. The reason probably has to do with Salter's mastery of language -- he's a writer, not a climber. Yet alpine climbing is a pursuit that dovetails nicely with the post-modern themes prevalent in Salter's other works: the moral void that fosters excessive risk-taking, self-loathing, suicide, and lots of steamy, meaningless sex. His is a world where individuals wander through life alone, strangers to themselves as much as the alien world around them. Set primarily on the cold, grey north faces of the Alps, this is simply the best book ever written about the darker side of alpinism.

Andrew McLean, Ski Mountaineer

A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin

The adventure book to end all adventure books! If you think being stuck in a small tent in Antarctica is a wild adventure, try strapping yourself to the top of a 300' tall tower of explosives and getting blasted into space where rescue isn't an option. This book reminded me of a 2,000 person expedition to the wildest location possible with the astronauts acting as a summit team with a huge basecamp support crew which included some of the most brilliant visionary minds of the time.

More Photos from Will & Cory's big adventure

By Will Meinen

When a couple of New England athletes came to the Rockies for a Mountain Hardwear Photo Shoot, photographer Cory Richards asked me if I would rope gun for a day and help him set up his riggings. Although it's more glamorous to be the subject in photos, someone also has to be the behind-the-scenes man to help prep the stage (so to speak).

Over some pints Cory and I discussed different climbs in hopes of finding something worthy of Freddie and company. We eventually decided on Hydrophobia. It's long, sustained, remote, dramatic, and exposed. It had all the ingredients we were looking for.

"Do you want me to drive?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it," Cory said. "We'll take my truck."

I always end up driving into the ghost because most of my partners don't have suitable vehicles so I figured it would be a nice change to be the passenger for once.

View Jessa's Photographs from Red Rocks

By Jessa Goebel

Winters in Boone can be grim. Every year as soon as spring hits and the weather is warmer off the mountain it is time to make an exodus to the warmer sunnier Western US. The spring is usually means it is time to go out west and climb something 'big'. This year I was lucky enough to be able to go to Red Rocks outside Las Vegas, NV. For years I have had friends tell me how great the climbing in Red Rocks was, this year I would go see what it was about.

We make tents. So, in the wake of the terrible earthquake in Sichuan, China, it's only natural that we should send tents to help house those left homeless by the quake. On June 2nd, 2008, 628 two- and three-person tents arrived in China. The UPS Foundation paid for the shipment. In total, the UPS Foundation moved 125,216 pounds of donated supplies.

Tents and other relief supplies, exiting the hold

View more photographs

By Sean McDevitt, MHW Tent Designer

In the days leading up to the Coolest 24 Hour Race Against Cancer, I thought about my love for racing my mountain bike for 24 hours. I am no young up and coming racer, I have a full time career designing and developing tents and bivies for Mountain Hardwear. As a life long athlete, I have never been good with moderation. I am either full in or not. When I ran, I ran marathons and ultra marathons, when I climbed, I free-climbed El Capitan or Lost Arrow Spire. But in regards to my love of 24 solo bike racing, I am reminded of a quote from Steve Prefontaine:

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."
- Steve Prefontaine

At noon on May 3rd I rolled out in the back of the pack of 24 solo riders as the race began. It was my third 24 solo bike race since September. I had improved at every race; I was hoping to better my 16th place at Old Pueblo. I took my time as I slowly reeled rider after rider in. Half way through the lap the top teams relay riders caught me and passed me. I was just trying ride within myself. I finished the lap with my buddy Pat who was racing 8 hour duo and doubling with Jonas as my pit crew.

Lap after lap I tried not to think about going 24 hours. I had learned to turn my brain off; 24 hours was just too much to bear psychologically. After 3 or 4 hours of racing in 90F weather the fresh legs gave way to a two pronged attack of nausea and cramping legs. After the 5th time I gagged trying to swallow Endurolyte pills I started chewing them. After chewing maybe 20 pills I rolled into my pit to try some crackers to settle my stomach. It was a bad sign that I had trouble swallowing; but a good sign that I had done 78 miles of mountain biking in roughly 7 hours.

Around 8pm I rolled into camp for a quick dinner; change of kit and to put on lights. As I shoveled tortellini, I heard over a speaker "And in first place 8 hour duo, my grandma rules." Grinning from ear to ear, medals in hand, Pat and Jonas strolled into camp then quickly got me rolling with fresh bottles and lights. At midnight I rolled into camp and changed batteries and forced down more tortellini and bread. As I rolled out for more Jonas mentioned that they were crashing for the night. They had prepped all my bottles, food and batteries for the remainder of the night. It was up to me; all I had to do was to pedal.

A few weeks ago, three guys from Vertical Solutions showed up at our headquarters to build us a bouldering wall. Al Liu photographed the process, and we'd like to share Al's photos with you.

Click here to view the photo set

Ethan Pringle joined the Mountain Hardwear team in February. Rather than put words in his mouth, I'll just let Ethan introduce himself.

By Ethan Pringle

Born and raised in the Mission district of San Francisco, I was introduced to the wonders of nature before I could walk. My parents -- semi professional windsurfers and outdoor enthusiasts -- brought me everywhere. As an infant, I was in a backpack on hikes and on the back of my mom's bicycle on coastal rides. They took me on their adventure trips in the Sierras, on the wild California coast, and abroad. By the time I was five I'd been to Canada, Mexico, Australia and several Caribbean islands, places that most people don't get to visit in their entire lives. As a toddler, I scrambled over crags at Donner Pass and over rocky shores accessible only at low tide. I loved watching wildlife and enjoying the beauty of undeveloped land. My parents taught me to ski at age three. At six, I taught myself to snowboard on an oversize board and Sorrels - back then the sport was so new that child-sized equipment was unavailable. I became fond of being high off the ground, flying through the air over table-top jumps in Tahoe freestyle parks and even entered competitions - grommet division. At seven, I fell in love with Roller hockey. I played center on a championship team and was a complete 'rink' rat, spending every minute I could on my skates.

Then I discovered climbing. I first set foot in Mission Cliffs at age eight. Mission cliffs was and still is one of the premier climbing gyms in the country and happens to be only Four blocks from my home. We stopped in there out of curiosity on my way home from hockey practice. I was instantly hooked. To me climbing made perfect sense. I got my first pair of climbing shoes (5.10 Diamonds -- woman's shoes), and harness (Petzl Hirundos, pink). Soon afterward, climbing eclipsed everything else and Mission Cliffs became my second home. I still snowboarded, but my hockey skates got dusty and were forgotten.

The Outnback crew goes canyoneering in Escalante...with a little help from Mountain Hardwear.

After recently moving up the waterfront to a new office building, we realized that we now had plenty of space - the kind of space that you want to use for good times and recreating. We'd been mulling over the idea of installing a climbing wall for quite some time, and our new building has allowed that plan to finally take shape.

We were insanely fortunate to acquire the services of Vertical Solutions. To say these guys know how to build a wall is an understatement. They can work wood like it's nobody's business but their own. The custom designs they create are based on simple, elegant curves. Lots of heart, sweat, thought and focus go into each wall they design and build. Ours is certainly no exception. Many of us here are almost reluctant to climb on it - being something akin to scrambling over a public statue. This reluctance will last a good two seconds once the holds go up though.

We want to extend a HUGE thanks to John and his crew at Vertical Solutions. They drove all the way out from Salt Lake City, braving sub-par hotels, long hours, and overpriced lumber yards to create for us a lasting statement to our brand and a sport we love. We want to thank Dustin at 3DVO for putting up with us and getting this project moving. A dedication to good service and a good, unique product is a hallmark trait for these guys.

Now enjoy a few pictures of a wall being born! We'll show you the finished wall once some routes are set!

Andrew treats us to a little something from the weekend. Enjoy!

View More Photos

Cardboard boxes. Construction dust. Loud noises generated by heavy machinery. These can only mean one thing -- we've finally moved into our new offices.

Moving is always a logistical nightmare. What do you do when you are moving large numbers of people and equipment? Answer: You shut down your operations for one day. But what do you do with all those people?

Some of us took the time off. Others, like myself, decided to take advantage of Mountain Hardwear's generous Gives Back program, and volunteer our services for one day.

Five of us--Valerie, Caitlin, Sean, Adrian, and myself--signed up to work with the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association. The BPWA is a grassroots organized dedicated to preserving and maintaining Berkeley's footpaths.

Click here to view more photographs from the Portland store

We're hanging out our own shingle--and opening our first store in Portland, Oregon. Join us for a series of special events!

Mike Wallenfels, our company president, will lead the ribbon cutting on April 11th, 2008. Portland's own KNRK will broadcast from the Portland store from noon until 2 pm. On April 12th, catch a slideshow by Mike Libecki. On April 13th, listen to Montrail athlete Matt Hart talk about his experiences. From April 11th through 13th, the first 25 customers through the door will receive a Defender day pack. From April 14th through 17th, the first 25 customers through the door will receive a Rugger day pack. Plus, we will donate 10% of our sales for the entire month of April to Multnomah County's Friends of Outdoor School, a local organization that sends 6th graders to science camp.*

Find our new store at 722 SW Taylor in downtown Portland.

Here are some conceptual sketches, to whet your appetite. Check back for photographs.

Welcome to our new store

Click Image to Enlarge

An elevation view of our store

Click Image to Enlarge

By Sean McDevitt

The Return

At noon on Saturday February 15th, outside of Tucson, Arizona, I ran down a dirt road with a thousand other bike racers. I was racing in the worlds largest 24 hour mountain bike race solo; 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. Can a product developer/designer be competitive with world class athletes? Prepared with months of structured training, seasoned with a year of 24 hour racing, I had come with the confidence that I could do more than survive riding my mountain bike for 24 hours; I was aiming for a top 10 finish.

The Preparation

I am not a full time pro-mountain biker; I have a full time day job as a product developer/designer at Mountain Hardwear. I have fallen into the pattern of doing 3-4 24 solo mountain bike races per year. My training consists of riding 30 minutes to work, riding at lunch for a hour, 30 minutes home then a 2 hour night ride on my mountain bike. I ride 6 days a week, about 20 hours, come rain, sleet or snow. The weeks of rain and abnormally low temperatures have definitely put up the question "How bad do you want it?" As I pedaled my S08 Cannondale Carbon Scalped through patches of ice and snow on the closed road of Mt Abel the day after Christmas, I guess I wanted it bad.

View More Pictures of MHW's new Headquarters

By B. James Bottoms, Mountain Hardwear Director of Operations

On March 17, 2008 Mountain Hardwear is moving our headquarters to the Ford Assembly Plant in Richmond, California.

The Ford Plant is located directly on the San Francisco Bay and is connected to the San Francisco Bay Trail. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will host the visitor/education center and bookstore for the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.

The Ford Assembly Plant was designed by the renowned architect Albert Kahn in 1930. It is a quarter of a mile long and contains 560,000 square feet. Kahn included features that would be considered sustainable today such as the saw tooth roof design with large northern skylights which provide incredible natural light and hinged windows along the western and northern walls which draw in the cool bay breeze. The Ford Motor Company built automobiles in the plant from 1931 to 1955 except for the three years from 1942 to 1945 when the plant was converted to war-time production. The building is an icon of design and fortitude. To learn more about the building and its history, please visit Rosietheriveter.org's Ford Assembly Plant History page.

By re-appropriating some of open factory space, the original suite of managers' offices and the former product showroom, all of which had been practically abandoned for more than 25 years, we were able to design and build our space with a focus on sustainability.

More Pictures

Julia Niles and Andrew McLean bravely set off for a mid-winter MHW photoshoot. Andrew sent some great photographs and this short note:

The first day started off with very discouraging weather as it was flat, cloudy light and crusty snow down low. But, in the time it took us to make the first climb, the upper elevation clouds burned off and created a very cool lighting scenario with clouds on one side of the ridge and clear, sunny slopes on the other. We ended up on the summit of Mt. Superior which is one of the more classic peaks in the Wasatch, and much to my surprise, the skiing down the backside was excellent. I was expecting crusty, wind-jacked snow, but it was silky smooth old powder.

After skiing, we went down to Lone Star Taqueria, which is the Mexi-food place of choice for skiers and boarders. Once we got there, Julia all of a sudden goes, "Shit! I left that entire bag of samples in the parking lot!" We drove back to the Big Cottonwood Park & Ride, and there, half an hour later, was the bag of MHW samples sitting untouched right in the middle of the lot! Julia was psyched, to say the least.

The next day we ate more Mexi-food, cruised around downtown SLC and then went back up into Little Cottonwood Canyon. The weather service had issued a Winter Storm warning to start at 2:00pm and it arrived almost to the minute. We set up some tents near the LCC stream and it proceed to dump at a rate of about 2" per hour, so we also got some good bad weather photos.

Andrew decides to ski without a helmet. Watch the results.

By William Meinen

With a new year came many new challenges. My first challenge was learning to walk again. My second challenge was learning to climb again. The physio was going well, and I was starting to hobble around sans crutches. Bob (my physiotherapist) was impressed with my progress. I asked him if it would be alright for me to start climbing again.

"Whoa there tiger. I wouldn't push things too quickly." Bob replied. "You'll want to ease yourself back into things very slowly."

"Can I go skiing?" I asked, knowing very well what he would say.

"That's even worse. Try swimming some laps at the pool first."

"What about some XC skiing?" I was getting desperate.

"Hmm. I suppose you could try it and see how it goes."

My partner Brandon Pullan always has something up his sleeve. When I told him of my physical status, he quickly set a plan in motion for the weekend. His web savvy skills helped him find a new area with supposed 'great potential for mixed climbing'. The report also said the approach was a bit on the long side but do-able via skis.

"Let's just ski in and take a look to see if it's worth while. It'll be good for you to get some exercise." Brandon said convincingly. He also convinced a mutual friend, Danny, to join us. With our bags packed with some ice climbing gear (just in case) we headed into the Evan Thomas Creek area.

I've been on several scouting missions with Brandon before. Most of the time they just end up in a wild goose chase that results in nothing but a frustrating bushwhack. Every once in a while we stumble across a magical area.

by Victor Ichioka

Tent designer Martin Zemitis says, "I love the mountains, and backpacking is the best way to explore the High Sierras." He recalls signing up for a Sierra Club backpacking trip when he was 11. That trip to the backcountry of Kings Canyon National Park planted the seed of a love for wilderness that grew exponentially in the following years. At the age of 14, Martin was taken by neighbors on a rafting trip down the San Juan River in Utah. On that adventure, the feeling of remoteness, the beauty of the surroundings, the sense of exploration, all nourished his growing connection to the outdoors. By the time he was 16, Martin was working summers for a river-running company. He has been rafting, kayaking, backpacking, and flyfishing ever since.

In high school, with a couple of friends, he started an outdoor equipment company, Sierra Mountaineering, building backpacking accessories and small day packs. "We rented an industrial sewing machine and taught ourselves to sew," says Zemitis. The impetus for this enterprise was the desire to have gear that met their needs. On their forays into the backcountry, he and his friends realized they needed pieces of equipment that were not available on the market. Their solution? Make the gear themselves.

By Cynthia Houng

Food in a can--one of camping's greatest culinary pleasures! Who can resist such classic recipes as "spam on a stick" or "spam and eggs with onion"? I had a friend who was quite proud of his Spam and Velveeta recipe.

But why limit yourself to Spam? My friend Eric came across Gizmodo's review of a new German product, "Cheeseburger in a can" ("Cheeseburger in der Dose"). You may laugh at the "cheeseburger in a can" concept now, as you're cozy behind a computer screen, but I guarantee that after a day-long trek, you'll be happy to sit down and ingest your share of sodium-laden processed meat.

"Cheeseburger in a Can" comes to us from Germany, a land that not only approves of canned meats, but sells canned meat products in every possible iteration. Canned weiners, canned ham, canned herring, canned goulash--it was only a matter of time before German food technology evolved to create canned cheeseburgers. Just think of it this way--it's a cheeseburger that will never go bad. In the event of a nuclear war, you can curl up under your fleece blankets, share a canned cheeseburger with the roaches, and settle back to watch the stars.

Find yourself moved to acquire this product? "Cheeseburger in der Dose" can be yours for just 3.50...euros. (That's like five dollars, but can you really put a price on convenience?)

What is your favorite canned meat product?

Comedy Central seems to like our athletes. Last night, Andrew McLean appeared on "The Colbert Report." We always enjoy watching Andrew do his thing, and we like Stephen, too, so we thought we'd share a short segment from last night's show.

By Victor Ichioka

Sean McDevitt is part of our tent design team, the self-described "detail guy" of the group. He is also a mad cyclist. He generally makes a two-wheel commute to and from work and is often part of the lunch-hour ride that some of the folks at Mountain Hardwear have instituted. In addition, Sean is currently in training for his second 24-hour mountain-bike race (he described his first one on this blog earlier in the year / "24 Hours in Old Pueblo").

Sean first got interested in cycling while in the US Army. While stationed in Germany in 1990, when a bike manufacturer was offering great deals to soldiers, Sean picked up a road machine to tool around the Bavarian country roads. He ended up on a long road trip through Germany and Austria to Switzerland. And he recounts that he took the train back to the base.

Jessa on Boldfingers.

View More Photos from Rumbling Bald.

By Jessa Goebel

Finally winter is here. Temperatures are in the 20s and 30s during the day and it's wet, snowy, and windy. It's either time to get motivated and train in the gym and migrate to warmer more ideal conditions, or sit on the couch and practice sport drinking. Since the Triple Crown has been over, all I have wanted to do is get back into route shape. So, that is all that I have been doing; training in the gym and roping up outside.

Rumbling Bald, NC is the winter spot for many Boonies. The Bald just so happens to have some of the very best single pitch mixed and trad climbs around, with the occasional classic sport route to fill in the gaps. Oh, and there is the boulder field below the cliff, packed with dozens of five star problems.

Recently a few routes there have caught my attention. The route Boldfingers is one route that has been in the back of my mind since the first time on it a year ago. Boldfingers is notorious for being hard right off the ground and having a committing crux with hard technical moves far out from gear. Even though the fall is nothing but air, if one were to come off the rock, the result would be a huge fall. Needless to say, many climbers have a hard time committing and have to back off the route.

View Ryan's Photographs from Kauai

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

Being the pale skinned walking sunblock ad that I am, I do my best to avoid the sun. I also have a hard time sitting still for too long when there are places to see and things to do. So, on our recent family trip to Kauai over the holidays I needed something other then baking in the sun to keep me busy. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to hike down the Napali Coast, which ended up being one of the most unique hiking experiences I have ever had.

View More Photographs of our Intrepid Young Explorer

By Joy Gray

The days were getting shorter and nights colder. The calendar was getting close to the end and there were only a few days left before the Christmas Fantasy would be gone.

If young Benjamin didn't go now, he would have to wait it out for another 12 months. He carefully put on his gear-- his Mountain Hardwear baby suit, custom made for this epic adventure by the production team at Mountain Hardwear, and his fuzzy gorilla hat and mittens. He assembled his team of sherpas, Mom and Dad, and made sure they were equally equipped in their Mountain Hardwear insulated outerwear.

Complete with diaper bag and faithful scout Bogey, they ventured out into the Berkeley Hills in search of the Christmas Fantasy. After many minutes of harrowing twists and turns through the narrow switchbacks of Kensington, the group crested a hill and saw the lights in the distance. They had arrived! The full spectacle of the Christmas Fantasy was reveled and within minutes, they were whirling through the brisk winter air atop carousel stallions. As little Benjamin clung to the ride for dear life, he wondered if he would make it back alive.

Luckily the arctic resident known as Santa Claus came to the rescue. Benjamin was warmed and reassured that he would make it home safely. The return trip was much less eventful as the group took the longer route, via noodle-bowl peak and Bev-mo falls. Thanks to Mountain Hardwear and their tremendously warm jackets, the team arrived back at base camp is good spirits with many pictures and stories to tell.

A Pale Pink Camellia sasanqua Blossom

View More Plants on Cynthia's Flickr Site.

By Cynthia Houng

We live in a small ranch house in the East Bay Hills. I've lived here for about three years, and it took me that long to tackle our front yard. (We must be very popular with our neighbors!) Rank with weeds, it is one of the ugliest yards on our block. This summer, after we returned from a long trip to the Sierras, I began to crave something more aesthetic in my immediate environment. Since our jobs are located in the Bay Area, we can't actually live in the mountains 365 days a year. We need some other way to integrate nature into our lives.

A typical suburban neighborhood, our area features blocks upon blocks of single-family homes, plopped onto skimpy lots. For such an artificial environment, our neighborhood is surprisingly rich with wildlife. Hummingbirds nest in both the front and back yards, and there are squirrels, chickadees, hawks, even deer.

During my first flush of enthusiasm, I bought a copy of Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook's Designing California Native Gardens. I became obsessed with the idea of "restoring" habitat, or at least transforming our postage stamp lot into something wilder, more native, and potentially more inviting to native birds, bees, and other wildlife.

Like so many new gardeners, I picked my plants without much regard for planting schemes--or my local climate. I simply went to the local nursery and let my eye wander. I couldn't make up my mind and choose a garden theme. I wanted to grow the tropical plants that reminded me of home. I found myself admiring manicured Japanese gardens, with their tableaux. I also wanted a cutting garden filled with herbs and flowers. Before long, I'd abandoned my scheme to "go native," and purchased a truckload of exotics.

Our offices sit right on the edge of the San Francisco Bay. When a winter storm comes in, we know it. This morning, I woke to strong, steady winds and constant rain. I stood in my living room and watched the rain dance in sheets across Richmond, so thick that I could barely see Mt. Tamalpais, located barely 15 miles across the Bay. This morning, the wind is so strong that I can feel our building bow under strong gusts. (The SF Chronicle reports 70 mph "gale force winds.") Not a good day to be running around outside, but we're excited to see the storm, because California has been suffering from drought. We hope the storm will dump snow on the Sierra and produce a good, solid snowpack for the next season.

All that snow will make our ski trips a lot more fun. In the meantime, we try to stay off the roads and stay dry. The last weather report predicted that snow levels will drop almost to sea level this weekend, which means that it will probably snow (if we're lucky) in the Bay Area, and I won't have to drive far to see a winter wonderland.

Our friends in the Sierra won't be so lucky. The city of Mammoth left emergency messages for city residents, advising them to load up on supplies and hunker down. The weather reports predict gusty winds over 130 mph over the Sierra crestline, and up to 25 feet of snow at 8000 feet! Our snow season has been slow, so we're happy to suffer through the storm.

By Andrew McLean

At long last, the Wasatch Mountains are open for backcountry skiing! The high country has had traces of snow for a while, but without the snowpack filling in down low (to 7,500') it means very limited options and lots of rocks. We finally got a couple of big storms in the last few weeks which filled in the mid elevations and made skiing less of a base-ripping, edge tearing experience and much more fun. The storms came in with a lot of wind and moisture, which meant that the powder isn't quite as fluffy as desired, but it will pack out to a good base.

View More Photographs from the Bay Trail Clean Up

By Alex Baires, Mat Peterson, Valerie Antaki, Adrian Mateo, Amber Hoffman, James Gordon, and Douglas MacDonald

On the morning of Friday, November 30, 2007 a group of staffers from Mountain Hardwear, REI Berkeley, and Clif Bar & Company joined forces to work on a section of the San Francisco Bay Trail in Berkeley, California. This was the first project of what we hope will be many that the three companies work on as a group and eventually expand to other outdoor companies in the area. The "driving forces" behind this first project were ,Amber Hoffman from REI and Patrick Bush from Clif Bar & Company.

All told, 63 volunteers from the three businesses worked on about a quarter mile section of the Bay Trail for about half a day. Afterward, a group of six Mountain Hardwear staffers headed to Point Isabel (near the current Mountain Hardwear offices) where we cleared about 300 square feet of French Broom. Full day participant Kelly Kam said that "[it] was a lot of fun to have all those industry folks out there! Looking forward to the next project!"

By Mat Peterson:

Great event! Great turnout! Most Mountain Hardwear folks came by bike. A nice crispy cool morning ride was a great way to get started. We came armed with our warm Mountain Hardwear gear and after a lengthy strategy session on how to lock up the bikes we teamed up with REI Berkeley and Clif Bar & Company folks and it quickly turned into a spirited crowd ready to rally. The project consisted of picking up garbage and debris, trimming plants, as well as laying bark down. 60+ people did an amazing amount of work on about a quarter mile of trail. Groups came together beautifully with lots of laughter and zero bickering. Amanda Kawamura won the contest for most interesting find with the upper half of some used dentures. Other notables were a latex glove, a frying pan, and I came home with a coconut (go figure). The city organizer was very impressed with our effort and gave a nice speech telling us how grateful he was and that our group really set the bar. I think he almost shed a tear. Then it was off to a very festive and free lunch at the Clif Bar & Company offices, where we were served some delicious tacos provided by the three companies. A great time and a great cause. Sign me up for the next one.

We asked our volunteers to share their thoughts. Follow the "Continue Reading" link below to learn more about the day's most exciting finds (one man's trash is another's treasure).

View More Photographs from Jodie's Travels on Flickr.

By Jodie Turnell, Columbia Sportswear

This would be a novel as long as War and Peace if I detailed every highlight of our South American adventure, so I'll focus on two of the most exquisite places, which just so happened to be the places we best utilized our Mountain Hardwear bags in Peru... Macchu Picchu and Taquille Island in Lake Titicaca.

October 12, 2007

We hopped the Peru rail to Macchu Picchu.

After three times trying to leave the San Pedro station in Cusco, we were Macchu Picchu bound. We zagged in and about the Andes, thru Urabamba and Ollantaytambo onto the Sacred Valley of the Incas where the Inca Trail begins.

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

After spending two and half days high pointing Maine in the Appalachian Mountains, New Hampshire in White Mountains, Vermont in Green Mountains, and New York in the Adirondacks we headed south to find some BIG mountains. Awe inspiring mountains like Ebright Azimuth in Delaware towering 448 feet above sea level next to a trailer park.

View Ryan's Photos on Flickr.

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

It must be my sensitive side, but I've always wanted to see New England during the fall foliage change. However, my macho side could never justify driving around looking at pretty leaves. I needed something of substance mixed in to defend my "leaf-peeping" desires. Fortunately, there are state highpoints to do and a bunch of them. So, my buddy Brian and I spent a few months formulating a plan that we thought could get us 13 highpoints (w/ Washington DC) on a 4.5 day road trip. It's funny how things turn out.

By Paige Boucher

When Mountain Hardwear announced the Mission Project challenge last January, it was up to me to give it a PR spin. So I challenged my media friends and contacts to state their mission and then complete it by the outdoor industry's August trade show. I am proud of all who stated their goals and especially of those who completed them.

Wanting to be a team player as well as give my self a kick in the butt, in January I announced my mission to ride my first century. My plan was to train for and ride a 100-mile road ride before the August trade show. I've always loved riding. I taught myself how to ride my mom's bike when I was 5-years-old which prompted my parents to buy me a bike more my size -- a blue Huffy. During the summer between fifth and sixth grades my best friend, Kathy and I declared two goals: to ride our bikes to the top of a hill which rose about 1000 feet above Boulder, our hometown, and to try all 31 flavors at Baskin Robbins ice cream. We were successful at the hill climb but the ice cream goal was too expensive for our allowances. Things have not changed that much. It's still not clear whether I eat to ride or ride to eat. I sure enjoy both! Anyway, I rode a lot this summer.

View More Photographs of the 2007 Home Front Run on Flickr.

Mountain Hardwear's headquarters are located in Richmond, California, about 40 minutes northeast of San Francisco. Richmond fronts the San Francisco Bay, and during World War II the city was an important center of industrial production. We are proud to be a part of this community. In September, Mountain Hardwear teamed up with Montrail to co-sponsor the Home Front Run, a benefit for the Richmond Hilltop YMCA. The money raised from this event will go towards the YMCA's outdoor education program for Richmond's youth. Our own Alex Baires assisted Susan Spencer from the YMCA in spearheading the event.

By Alex Baires

It has been over a month since the inaugural YMCA Home Front Run but the success of the event is still resonating. A sincere THANK YOU goes to the one hundred or so participants and over thirty volunteers! The run proved to be a great event for everyone. Participants included various runner levels, from first time racers to ultra runners. And, volunteers went well above and beyond the call of duty to make this a great event.

Thanks to the generous donations from Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, and Lucky, runners were treated to good post-run treats and every finisher received an event Mountain Hardwear Long Sleeve Wicked T. In addition, participants that placed first, second, or third in their respective gender/age groups and overall received great Montrail prizes that included trail runners from the Velocity collection and Molokai/Molokini flip flops from the Slackline collection. It didn’t end there, however. Prizes were also raffled off and included three-month memberships to the Hilltop Family YMCA, Montrail hats and t-shirts, a Mountain Hardwear Lamina 45 sleeping bag, messenger bag, Torch jacket, and more!

Please go to the On Your Mark Events website for 5k and 10k results and photos. Also enjoy the few pictures we took of the event. Thanks everyone!

By Uncle T-Party (better known as Taylor Shoop)

Holy Underwear Batman; Banff rocks

For those who have not been to this jewel of a town, book your ticket now. This was my first time, and driving from Calgary, I was speechless; barring religious, four letter words. Standing in town, looking down Banff Ave. one could not help, nor avoid, being humbled by Cascade Mountain, grinning down at you, like someone who knows something you should. There is no apparent approach to the peaks of this region, it looks like you would just strap on your crampons sitting in the back of your pick-up and tie up. This makes it hard to imagine a finer venue for the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Coupled with the mountains, you will also find yourself surrounded with the warmth of Banff's locals, ready and willing to steer you to one of the fine pubs the town has to offer.

The festival itself is well organized and accommodating. With rooms available at the Banff Center, the location of the film screenings, it is easy to get around on foot and explore.

I have taken the liberty to assume that any mention of the films is frivolous, as they have not disappointed in the 30-odd years that this festival has been around.

And the Editor Adds: For those of you who didn't get a chance to party with Taylor, continue reading for a list of this year's Film and Book Award winners.

See More Photos on Flickr! Wayne Clingingsmith Photosets: Mike Fifield Flickr Site:

By Chris Hilliard, MHW Equipment Production Manager

Paragliders, like all gliders, are always descending through the air. The trick is to find air that is rising faster than the sink rate of the glider, preferably much faster, so that the net result is a climb. Rising air is generally lifted two ways, by wind flowing over hills or mountains, which is called orographic or ridge lift, or by the process of solar heating and then releasing rising parcels of air commonly called thermals. These are bubbles of joy for sickos like me.

There is nothing quite like the feeling you get thermalling a paraglider. When you fly into one, it usually lets you know. The glider pitches up and back, which swings the pilot forward on the 20 foot pedulum of the lines. Then you stabilize, usually slow down and start turning to look for the core, the area of strongest lift. The thermal will usually try to spit you out, sometimes the top or side. The tighter the core, the tighter the turn radius and bank angle. And you keeping turning... making constant adjustment by weight shifting and adjusting the brakes inputs.

Circling like hawks in a thermal with a group of friends, whooping and laughing is a real rush. Since we don't use any power the only sound is the wind through the lines, the beeping of varios (heh! turn that down!) and the occasional nervous giggle. A good thermal will send you skyward at a rate of 500 to 800 feet per minute. Conditions during my flights this year have varied from 'scratching around' on days when 200 feet a minute felt like a rocket to days when we were climbing at 1000 ft a minute with a pucker factor of 11.

The golden rule is... "turn in the lift". Over years of flying I've listened and studied, reading articles and books on techniques and weather, but nothing sums it up at the most basic level like this one simple rule. Sometimes it gets a little tough to tell exactly whether you are going up or down, when you are high above the horizon at cloudbase for instance. So we have some help in the form of an instrument called a variometer, or vario if you are into the whole brevity thing. As the name implies it's basically a very sensitive altimeter that samples multiple times a second and lets you know what's going on. They have a graphic display and an audio tone so you don't have to look at it constantly. When you fly into lift the vario starts beeping. As the rate of climb increases so does the pitch of the beeping (and your heart rate).

View Photographs of Ryan's trip on Flickr.

We've got to stop doing trips this way...it's just not healthy to spend 22 hours in a car over the course of two days. Throw in a little jaunt to 12,662 ft from sea level and it is almost guaranteed to have subtracted a year or two off the back end of life...all in the name of fun.

It was mentioned in a previous blog entry that my buddy Brian and I are attempting to highpoint the US. We are definitely going to give it a go. Neither of us wants to take 25 years to do it either so we are trying to be as consistent as possible. To keep things going we headed out to Idaho and Borah Peak two weeks ago. This time we dragged Brian's brother Trevor along. He found out where we were going as he was loading his gear in the car.

You can get to Borah Peak's trailhead from Portland in 11 hours. If you leave Portland after work at 5:00pm...yes, your math is correct...you can arrive at the trailhead at 5:00am (you lose an hour when you cross the time zone). The idea sounded a lot more fun than the execution turned out to be. We were absolutely exhausted when we pulled up to see other climbers throwing on their headlamps to get an early start. That wasn't going to happen so we threw down our sleeping bags next to the car and tried to sleep for two restless hours. That seemed like more sleep then it felt like when we woke up. We were lucky to wake up to a beautiful Idaho morning or else we might have slept into the evening.

By Rowan Jimenez, MHW Warranty

For the past 3 years since I started fly fishing I have come to realize that, as much as this is a sport that requires good technique and experience, it is also very much a sport where good luck plays a major role. Just like in any other sport you'll have your good day, your bad days, and of course, your epic day... and an epic fishing day is what I had in my latest trip to Aspen Colorado. Again I have to be honest, in only 3 years I've been very lucky to have fished in some amazing places in the US, but Aspen definitely I have to put in the top ten. I began my trip by wading on the Frying Pan near Basalt late in the afternoon upon my arrival, casting a few dry flies with very poor luck. After a couple hours I had only landed a little brown, at about 11". It didn't do much for my Latin ego, saying size matters, this was totally unacceptable.

Woke up Sunday feeling great and very juiced up to hit the Roaring Fork. Our guide was going to takes us for a long ride of about 8 to 9 miles that would end up in the Colorado River. After a nice cup of Joe and a nice breakfast sitting next to Kurt Russell (one of the many celebrities that populates this town) I'm feeling right in my element. What can I say? The life of a Rock Star is, you know, Hard! It's about 10:30 am when we get to our launching area and it is looking good! We put all of our stuff in the boat - mainly fishing gear, a dozen pieces of fried chicken from the local store, some cokes, H2O, and, of course, cigars. Blast off.

Ryan Riggs, a dedicated Mountain Hardwear employee, has the ambition to climb 50 peaks in 50 states. Read about his latest adventure, and view his photographs on Flickr.

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

I'm not much for the restaurant scene or the arts, so if I were to make a top ten list of reasons to move to Seattle, my number one would be the North Cascades. In fact, in the last few years I have done very little in and around the Portland area, preferring to spend my time up in Washington in some of the most unique outdoor settings in world. Recently, my buddy Brian and I had the chance to climb Mt. Baker.

It's quite the drive from Portland to Baker, way up there near the Canadian border. We were hoping to summit early Saturday morning to avoid all the weekend warriors. You may not be aware of this important technicality, but if you start on a Friday you don't have to consider yourself a weekend warrior. I might have just made that up, but it sounds good.

Cubicle Fever strikes and the Mountain Hardwear Customer Service crew responds with style.

Click here to see a photo slide show on Youtube.com
Click here to see more photos on Flickr.com

By Ryan Riggs, MHW International

It never ceases to amaze me what people will say and do when a police spot light is pointed at them. In this case a ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park didn't take to kindly to vagrants sleeping in his parking lot, even if they were just trying to sleep as high as they could the night before climbing Rainier to acclimatize a bit. So, as I stood there with my cup of tea in one hand and the other shading my eyes, my buddies Brian and Darren quickly stashing air mattresses behind me, I realized I wasn't going to be able to talk Joe Ranger into fudging the rules a bit. I even thought about confessing to him that it had been less then two weeks since we did a quick trip up Mt. Baker and I had gotten myself sick, throwing up a few feet from the sign-in box, but I'm pretty sure he would have laughed me right out of the Paradise parking lot and called my mom.

We spent the night at Cougar Rock campground around 3000 ft level, getting no substantial benefit from the elevation. Throw in the fact that I spent the night in the back of my 4Runner (yes, I am the only native Oregonian that is afraid of critters), and it could be concluded that the first night was less then optimal.

Click here to see more photos from the climb

By Brett Cassidy, MHW Customer Service

It's 2:50 AM when I wake up on the asphalt between two white lines outlining a parking spot. The alarm on my wristwatch isn't set to go off until 3 AM, but the familiar jingling of 'biners, nuts, and cams wakes me up ten minutes early. I groan, roll over onto my side, flick on my headlamp and see Nathan rifling through the trunk of the car to sort gear. I reluctantly get out of the 3rd Dimension sleeping bag I borrowed from the warranty department and start eating a Clif Bar. With Nathan and I both crinkling wrappers and sorting gear, I hear Josh let out a groan, flick on his headlamp, and sit up in our parking spot. Yup, it's time to climb.

We get on the trail at 3:50 AM after getting dressed and sorting gear and food. Headlamps blazing, we power up the long uphill trail toward Temple Crag, one of the High Sierra's most impressive peaks. At 12,999 feet and a whole half mile wide, Temple Crag is entirely humbling, utterly impressive, and a tad intimidating. Of course, it's completely dark out and I don't know this yet, but I will soon learn. Today our sights are set on the Sunribbon Arete, a long steep arete shooting up Temple Crag's east side rated grade IV, 5.10a. With a steep 7 mile approach, 18 pitches of climbing, and a team of three, we know we're going to need all the daylight we can get to complete this mission car-to-car in a day as planned, which explains why we're out here at such an ungodly hour. After a couple hours of hiking, the sun comes up and the massiveness of Temple Crag reveals itself. As I eye our route I start grinning ear to ear. This climb is enormous. This climb is going to be sick.

Every quarter, Mountain Hardwear throws a BBQ, and this time around we decided to go for a Hawaiian Luau theme. It was a big success. Click here to check out more photos on our Flickr.com account.

By Paige Boucher

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is still a real town. Sure we have a world class ski resort, amazing mountain bike trails and lots of attractions for tourists. But we also have normal families with kids. We love our kids and we want them to have every opportunity and grow up to be healthy, happy and successful just like in your town. I'm the mom of one of those privileged kids.

I'm also gravely concerned about how my community and our society and the world at large are all using way too much fossil fuel. So I joined the mom's Green Team at my kid's school, Strawberry Park Elementary. We're working on changing to green cleaning supplies and reusable lunch trays but the thing that I really wanted to see change is the ridiculously long line of idling cars picking up or dropping off one or two kids before and after school each day.

So we started a contest and we challenged the kids to become Green Commuters during fourth quarter. A Green Commuter rides the bus, walks, rides a bike, or car pools with at least three students or teachers in the car. We solicited all the local kid hot spots and our favorite outdoor gear companies for prizes. Big Agnes gave camping pads, the Steamboat Ski Resort gave passes to the Adventure Zone climbing wall and bungee jump, the Winter Sports Club gave us Howler Alpine Slide tickets, Mountain Hardwear gave day packs (OK, I work for Mountain Hardwear so I had some pull) and many other generous supporters gave us swag or cash for T-shirts. We promised every kid who Green Commuted at least 75% of the time a T-shirt and the top classes would win the prizes. The kids were psyched!

By Victor Ichioka, MHW Creative Services

It was a fine, bay-area-late-spring morning, the sun promising to break through the high fog, when we drove across the Richmond Bridge to Fairfax. The marketing department was on its way to the Sky Oaks office of the Marin Municipal Water District to engage in a day of trail maintenance on the northern slopes of Mount Tamalpais. After assembling and meeting our trail boss, John, we crowded into a shuttle van and rode by Lake Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lake, through a locked gate, and up a fire road for a couple of miles. We unloaded, got a tool-safety lesson, signed the requisite liability forms, packed up our lunches, chose a couple of tools to carry (our choices: lopper, folding hand saw, shovel, McLeod tool—a combination rake-hoe firefighting implement, Pulaski tool—a hybrid axe-mattock) and headed up the trail.

See the rest of these photos on Flickr.com

By Brett Cassidy, MHW Customer Service

Dear Mountain Hardwear Dealers,
Here in Mountain Hardwear's Dealer Services department, we take safety very very seriously. Not only is each Mountain Hardwear employee issued a glow-stick and a 4 ounce packet of water upon employment in case of emergency (what emergency cannot be overcome with a glow-stick and 4 ounces of water?), but we also keep 2 way radios in our cubicles in case we need to get help choppered in. Therefore, it may come as no surprise to our loyal dealers that their dealer service representatives are ALWAYS on belay for each and every phone call. Don't worry, we got you, now all you have to concentrate on is sending this season and flashing some sales. We don't like to think about what would happen if we weren't on belay to receive your phone calls.

See these photos on Flickr.com

By Brett Cassidy, MHW Customer Service

What better way to kick off the summer than with 90 degree heat and 90 degree granite? Honestly, there is none. To celebrate the official start of the long climbing season out here in the Mecca known as California, The Oakdale Rippers, and eclectic group of pagan lunatics who live for rock and snow (none of whom are actually from Oakdale) headed down to Joshua Tree National Park to slaughter some crack.

Friday morning we loaded up five cars with beers, raw meat, cams, chocks, beers, ropes, about a thousand Mountain Hardwear tents, carabineers, grills, beers, crash pads, climbing shoes that smelled like dead whales, a bottle of mescal with no less than two worms marinating in the bottom, and beers (dudes, it gets hot in the desert). After 10 hours of driving and only one ticket (public urination on the off-ramp), our greatest epiphany was that the funniest tattoo one could get would be a portrait of the character Frances from Pee Wee's Big Adventure with a caption reading "I Stole Your Bike". As we entered the park and bombed along Park Boulevard to claim some campsites, the bizarre outlines of Joshua trees popped out of the night like deranged ghosts flying past the car.

By Alex Baires with help from Adrian Mateo, Suzanne Mentz, Mark O'Keefe and other "Nutz"

After months of anticipation, the team stood strong at the start in Calistoga. The camaraderie was so great that all 12 of us decided to run the first of 36 legs together. It started off great but only three miles in, everyone started complaining and with less than a mile to go, everyone gave up so I had to finish the next two miles of leg one by myself and go on to run the second leg. Somehow, I managed to convince enough people to run the next four legs but at the first van exchange, everyone declared that they were finished and would not run any further. Then I woke up. It was the Thursday before race day for The Relay. Our start time was just over two days away — Saturday at 11 a.m.

By Robin Avery
Mountain Hardwear Employee article

The sport of slackline is growing increasingly more popular, however, there are still countless things to be done before the slackline community can consider the sport anywhere near mainstream. I have been slacklining since around May of 2005. I have always been an avid climber since my father introduced me to top roping at the young age of seven. It is easy to make a natural progression from climber to slackliner...of course, it's best to remain a climber and a slackliner and not the other way around.

By Micah Hinton

Hardwear Fans,
Here are some pics and some videos (part 1 and part 2) from our recent Desert Rendezvous in Escalante Utah March 22 - March 25. This event was open to all employees of Mountain Hardwear dealers. If you have never been to this part of the world you need to go now. Escalante is located in Southern Utah surrounded by Capitol Reef, Arches, Zion and Bryce National Parks. It is in the middle of the Grand Staircase National Monument, and some of the most beautiful country anywhere.

We had a great week out in the desert testing our backpacks, sleeping bags and tents in beautiful, rugged terrain. Every day we had groups out canyoneering the incredible slot canyons nearby, mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing and backpacking with the Exodus packs. We had 300 foot rappels, 1000 pound chalkstones, Indian ruins, 16" brown trout, flash floods, and everything else possible.

By Timothy I Metz

It was time for an off-season Southern Hemisphere jaunt and no one has lived until they've strapped on a Mountain Kilt and waded in an ice cold Chilean coastal river in search of wild trout. To make things more exciting, try racing a rapidly approaching high tide that is threatening to drown you and the pool you are working and then you are talking about some fun!

We started the day just trying to find the river itself. It was running out of a wide fjord that was loaded with channels, so trying to pick the right one was shall we say...a challenge. Of course we could have hiked the banks, but bushwhacking through deadfall and boulders in a thick Chilean bamboo forest...with a Mountain Kilt on no less...was a challenge in its own right. At least we were heading in the right direction...upstream and away from the boat that got us there in the first place. That is because my buddy found out the hard way that there is no holding tank to keep things contained when one flushes the onboard toilet! Needless to say, we did not gather any mussels for dinner from the downstream rocks after that little adventure!