Friday, March 29, 2013

Yvon Chouinard ... Green biz.com ... Sustainable business conference

CLICK HERE TO READ THE OUTSIDE MAGAZINE ARTICLE.

Brainstorming Future Trips

Larry and I spent a couple hours last night at the fossil cabin yakking about possible future mountain trips. He seemed keen on a hut-to-hut ski mountaineering excursion ... Ortler, Stubai, or a dolomite high level route. Probably not next year as I imagine Lucy will qualify for the Junior Nationals, which will be in Vermont, so the entire family will be there!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Mountain Running

While I continue to get out on snow each day, my mind has started wandering toward some short term and long term mountain running goals. This year running up Squaw and Whiteface, the year after maybe the Gstaad 3000, and after that a circumnavigation of some big peak ... Who knows ...

Great spring skiing on the Olympic ski trails

I went out for a nice late afternoon skate workout ... coverage continues to be excellent.

Hans Gmoser archival project

The Whyte Museum in Banff is doing an archival video about Hans Gmoser.CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER.

Busy Day In Chamonix

Countless parties and countless kick turns up to the Col Crochues.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Still logging some vertical

This afternoon our ski hill was open and we had 15 students out riding the rope tow. I left work early and spent an hour skinning laps on a warm and sunny afternoon. (On a different note, with the warming trend the sap is sure to start running.)

Final 100 meters of the Jamspitze

Tele Turns On The Wolf Jaws Slide

CLICK ON THE WORD "video" to see it in its proper perspective.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Andrew McLean's ski mountaineering gear lists

CLICK HERE TO READ STRAIGHT CHUTER. Andrew McLean is an explorer, extreme skier, and ski mountain guide. Getting ready to head off to Alaska he gives tips on expedition and day tour gear ... Well worth a look.

A big link up in the Argentiere Basin

Les Courtes Les Droites. Les Verte. Solo. In Winter. Almost 5000m of climbing.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Wolfjaws Slide

While we were in Europe, some of my staff took advantage of new snow to ski this post-Irene classic Adirondack slide.

Great spring conditions

We have some of the best late season nordic conditions that we have had in many a year. I skied for an hour this morning at Mount Van Hoevenberg and it was terrific ... mid-season conditions.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

More silvretta peaks and passes

Touring and skiing POW at 3000 meters. My tracks are out of view and decidedly less pretty.

Thoughts on mountain safety

Mr. Wild Snow - Lou Dawson - summarizes a talk given by Peter Lev and John Evans. On mountain safety. Their talk was an attempt to distill a few kernels of wisdom out of a lifetime of mountain adventure. For those do not know (because they are too young) or can not remember (because they are too old) John Evans was a one time CEO of Outward Bound and among other things did the first ascent of the Hummingbird Ridge, while Peter Lev is an Exum guide, avalanche forecaster, and among other things has done the second ascent of Robson North Face.CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Kilian Jornet Profile

As I have mentioned before this guy is the real deal, an endurance phenom, and a mountain man of epic proportions.CLICK HERE TO READ THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE PROFILE.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Heidelberger Hutte

Grenzeck Kopf

Heading to the Jamatal Hut through the Kronenjoch, we got to tag a couple of three-thousand meter peaks.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Final tour in Gstaad

Fresh snow in Gstaad

Today's tour put us over the 20k mark for climbing. A great lunch of pasta and beer, followed by some fresh - although heavy - powder. An excellent last day.

Gstaad ... Charlie's Tea Room

Getting ready to skin up something and then pack for a late afternoon trip to the Zurich airport.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Final Nordic World Cup Races

The final mini-tour of races in Sweden this week will determine the outcome of this three way battle. I believe a mere 15 points separate Cologna, Northug, and Legkov.

Easy skiing in Gstaad

Rented some Nordic gear and went out for some classical laps. The visibility was poor with a strong warm foehn wind blowing. Guillaume's niece (Isabella) and nephew (Oliver) were game.

Travel to the Bernese Oberland

As my other buddies headed to Zurich for flights after their last ski runs at St Anton, Guillaume and I drove to Gstaad. A few easy tours, a couple of good nights sleep in his sister's chalet, and a sampling of the local specialties ... Fondue, raclette, and fondant.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Lunch in St Anton

Last day in the Arlberg

Riding the lifts in St. Anton.

Jamspitze Summit

Friday, March 15, 2013

The Austrian Alps In Oils

A nice painting in our hotel which literally could have been any corner of Austria. Tomorrow we are riding lifts in St. Anton ... Some would say the birthplace of European skiing.

Serious avalanche protection

Having experienced many significant avalanches in Galtur, including the one in 1999 with serious loss of life ... these folks take pretty big steps to protect themselves ... This stone wall is twenty feet high and probably ten feet thick.

More peaks, passes, and powder

Heading out from the Weisbaden Hutte

Wednesday, March 13, 2013