Andrew McLean
Andrew McLean lives in Park City, Utah and is a gear designer, writer, photographer, ski mountaineer, climber and Mountain Unicycle rider. He and Polly Samuels McLean are the parents of two very loud little girls.
Andrew McLean's Latest Posts
Wasatch Citizen Series Gets Geared Up
There may not be enough snow on the ground to ski, but there is more than enough to suffer. The Wasatch Citizen Series is back for another round this year with the first race taking place early Thanksgiving morning, which will give you an excuse to pig-out later that day. The bulk of the Citizen […]
Wasatch BC Conditions – 11/23/2013
Executive Summary: A nice excuse for locals to wander around in the mountains, but hardly worth traveling out-of-state for. Yes, there have been quite a few photos of people bustin’ pow in the Wasatch, but that has more to do with the lens craft of good photographers than reality. It is still very rocky, shallow […]
2013 Ice Axe Expeditions Antarctic Ski Cruise Trip Report
Another fun trip to Antarctica is now history and it did not disappoint. Well, okay, the Drake Passage at only Force 3 was a bit lacking, but it still had some nice waves. And, unlike in times past when you had two wait years between trips, it is being held again next you in November […]
Back to Ushuaia
This was my seventh crossing of the Drake Passage and it was almost a perfect average of conditions – a bit of 40+ knot winds, some rocking & rolling, but then lots of fairly smooth sailing as well. Very few broken dishes or violently sick people. Like all Ice Axe trips, this one was a […]
*&^%(@’ing Ice
Snarg. We’ve had had a lot of sea ice on this trip, which is perhaps what you might expect on a trip to Antarctica, but WTF. Antarctic ice is a very dynamic situation and something that has to be seen to be understood. When in moves in, it is a force to be respected, like […]
Scratch & Sniff in Paradise
Started out the day with an incredibly scenic breakfast while we cruised through Lemaire channel, which we actually got to see twice as we were turned around by sea ice. I’m far from a savvy Antarctic vetran, but this year has had more blocking sea ice than I’ve ever seen which has made Zodiac landings […]
Nansen Island
Hmmmm.. clear, sunny, stable, powder, splitter skin tracks, gorgeous peaks, penguins, a polar plunge into the crystal clear Antarctic water, a barbecue on the back deck, music, icebergs, friends from all over the earth, Zodiac rides, scenery beyond description, a fast group, steep skiing, gourmet ten degree slopes that go on forever, crevasses, corn snow, […]
A Ship of Blue in a Bright White Sea
Much to my disappointment, we had a smooth crossing of the Drake Passage with mild cross winds and 2-3 meter waves. Sigh. Nice and sunny, lots of Albatros, a few whale sightings and not too many seasick people. I’m sharing a room with Rich Meyer and Kris Erickson and last night Kris put on some […]
Mountains of Gear
I’ve seen some piles of gear before, but nothing like the mountain I witnessed this morning. With 118 people and no weight restrictions, it put backcountry.com to shame. The pile must have been 15 x 15 feet wide and a good 10+ feet high – all of being, solid, dense expedition packs, There were some […]
How I Met My Wife
Among skiing married couples, a common question is, “How did you meet your wife?” My history was straight forward. I was coming back from a tour one day when I noticed a cute girl with a La Grave bumpersticker on her car. This led to a discussion about La Grave, in which case it turned […]
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