Climbing

Climbing, Diversity, Environmental Protection, Expedition Denali / 09.08.2012

Just barely recovered from the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City I'm heading back in to field with the National Outdoor Leadership School. As part of training for Expedition Denali in 2013 our team of African-American climbers is getting another opportunity to build skills and camaraderie while traversing the glaciers of Mt. Baker in the state of Washington. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful part of the country. And as we prepare to embark upon another great adventure I can't help but recognize how lucky we are....

5Point, 5Point to MountainFilm Tour, Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Film Review, Interview, National Geographic, Photography / 24.07.2012

  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="649"] From left: Renan Ozturk, Jimmy Chin, and Conrad Anker; Photograph by Jimmy Chin[/caption] Adventure movie fans fortunate enough to attend 5Point or Mountainfilm festivals in 2012 got a sneak peek of an amazing film project in progress. House of Cards from Camp 4 Productions details the three-year journey of climbers Jimmy Chin, Renan Ozturk, and Conrad Anker as they make an epic first ascent of the  Shark’s Fin on the 20,700-foot (6,309-meter) Meru Massif in the Garhwal Himalaya of India. With footage from two expeditions—and...

Adventure Activism, Climbing, Commentary, Diversity, Expedition Denali / 16.07.2012

This is going to sound really odd. But there's something comforting in the taste of wet wool. Just back from two weeks of glacier training with the National Outdoor Leadership School in Alaska I'm struck by this enduring memory. Each day while carrying a 60-pound pack sweat poured off my forehead in a briny stream so thick and salty it might have been blood. Despite the bitter cold and a frigid wind it didn't freeze. Hot and wet it flowed down my face and into my mouth. Only...

Adventure Activism, Climbing, Expedition Denali, Outdoor Recreation / 01.07.2012

Anchorage, Alaska 3:55 AM July 1, 2012 The Alaska Backpackers Inn I usually find it tough to sleep on days like this. Here where the sun just barely sets light seeps in through the thick curtains and it never truly gets dark. I'm up early to pack a bag that's not as heavy as it looks. The Alaska Backpackers Inn is a newly refurbished apartment complex in downtown Anchorage made to resemble a hotel poorly. The though clean, secure and a good value for the buck, the noxious smell of new paint and chemical antiseptics makes it tough to take a full breath. Traffic noise from the open window drones on through the night of the midnight sun. There's no air conditioning, so it's hot. And with all these distractions what lies in the days ahead has me juggling emotions mixed with both excitement and dread. Enough though my whole life has led up to this moment it seems that once again I've discovered my destiny on the road I took to avoid it.
5Point to MountainFilm Tour, Climbing, Diversity / 21.05.2012

[caption id="attachment_7352" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Narinda (left) and Diana"][/caption] Over the past several weeks I've had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people. On the road across the west on the 5Point to Mountainfilm tour my travels have taken me to a few of the premiere climbing spots in the nation. Along the way I've shared a bit about my personal life in adventure. Through the course of that exploration in particular I've connected with several people who each continually struggle with their identity in the wild world as a...

5Point to MountainFilm Tour, Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Expedition Denali, Interview, National Parks, NPR, Public Radio / 18.05.2012

Just a few minutes ago I came in off the trail from the rim of the Grand Canyon. Settling into a wireless hot spot and a cold Corona at the Yavapai Lodge I fired up the laptop to find a message on Facebook from my old friend Menno van Wyk. He was my boss at Montrail since before it was called One Sport. So we go way back. It was of course great to hear from him, but his post to my time line filled me with dread. "James...