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Patagonia Knifeblade and Northwall Lines: Winter Clothing made from Polartech Powerstretch Pro Fabric
Polartech Powerstretch Pro is a new highly breathable and water resistant fabric from the folks at Malden Mills. Patagonia incorporated it into two different lines of clothing, the Knifeblade and Northwall lines, which are blurring the lines between softshells and hardshells. The Knifeblade line is uninsulated, and the Northwall line has a light gridded fleece […]
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Backcountry Skiing in the Tetons at the Baldy Knoll Yurt
For the past three years, me and a group of friends have done a backcountry ski tour together. Last year, we did a Sierra tour, and the year before, we did a tour in the Tetons. This year, we got back together, but rather than do a point to point traverse, we decided to rent […]
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Desert Ice Climbing: Hidden Haven Falls
Hidden Haven is a red rock canyon in southern Utah. It’s not far from Parowan, on the road to Brian Head ski resort. In winter, the falls at the top of this narrow canyon freezes up, providing one of the most aesthetic ice climbs I’ve ever experienced. I’m used to climbing frozen waterfalls, but climbing […]
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Skyward Mountaineering: Winter Alpine Climbing Intensive Workshop
Skyward Mountaineering is a guide service operated by alpinists Steve House and Vince Anderson. In addition to offering guided climbs both locally and internationally, they also teach instructional workshops focusing on various aspects of climbing. I was lucky enough to participate in their three day Winter Alpine Climbing Intensive Workshop. The workshop took place in […]
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Training for the New Alpinism by Steve House and Scott Johnston (Book Review)
This is a new book on training for alpine climbing, by uber-alpinist Steve House and elite sports trainer Scott Johnston. There are tons of books on the market that deal with getting in shape for various sports, (including rock climbing) but to my knowledge, this is the first and only book that focuses on training […]
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Cassin Bladerunner Crampons
The Cassin Bladrunner crampons are a new modular design that is supposed to provide both maximum versatility and excellent performance. The design allows the crampons to be set up with either horizontal or vertical front points, (or, I suppose, one of each,) and there’s a great deal of choice on how the front points are […]
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Patagonia Ascensionist 25L Pack
15.8 ounces (with add-on shock cord compression straps.) The Patagonia Ascensionist pack line is Patagonia’s new foray into making backpacks. The 25 liter pack is the smallest of the line-up, suited for day trips and traditional alpine climbs from huts. The Ascensionist 25L pack is stripped down to the bare essentials. The suspension is […]
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Rab Boreas Pull-On
The Rab Boreas Pull-On is a strange soft shell. It’s not very wind resistant. It’s not very water resistant. Currently, outdoor clothing companies all seem to be making their softshell clothing more and more weather resistant, blurring the line between hard and soft shells. The Boreas goes the other direction. It’s a softshell that provides […]
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Backcountry Skiing in the Sierras (Mammoth to Tioga Pass)
The last week in March, me and 3 friends skied from Mammoth Lakes to Tioga Pass. We started skiing Tuesday morning, and reached the car Saturday, early afternoon. We passed through some truly spectacular country. Here are some details of our trip. We drove to Lee Vining, and left our car at a parking […]
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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo II Shelter
1 pound, 12.5 ounces (tarp, inner tent, beak, and stuff sack.) 5.5 ounces (12 aluminum stakes and small stuff sack.) Total packed weight of full tent with 12 stakes: 34 ounces (2 pounds, 2 ounces) The Echo II from Hyperlite Mountain Gear is my latest backcountry shelter. It’s a hybrid tarp/tent made mostly from lighweight […]