Tag: travel
Beijing Trip Report
This trip to Beijing reminded me of my first “business trip” in the outdoor industry about 18 years ago. We were going on a ski testing outing to Mammoth, and since we were staying in a hotel, I didn’t bring anything but clothes. Once we got there and all six of us moved into the […]
Hans Saari Ski Exploration Grant – Deadline 03/01
Skiing expeditions have been described as many things, but “cheap” is not usually one of them. A three weeker to Alaska is about $2k per person. Baffin Island might come in at around $3,500. Patagonia might run about $3k, the Himalayas are 6-8k depending on the peak and the granddaddy or them all, Antarctica, could easily […]
The Law of Luggage
The Law of Luggage states: “The amount of gear you carry will expand to fit your luggage.” This is closely related to the idiom that nature abhors a vacuum – if there is extra space in a pack, duffle bag or sled, it will be filled with extra gear whether you need it or not. […]
Airfare Paradox of Choice
One of the most influential books I’ve read in the last five years has been “The Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz. This isn’t to say it is a rip-roaring good read, but I think about it almost every day, especially when faced with the endless morass of choices while trying to find the best […]
Sunday Photo – Baffin Island Iceberg Camp
Editors Note: Sundays are meant for skiing, climbing, riding and almost anything but sitting in front of a computer. Still, the Internet never sleeps and Sunday’s are a good time for ski mountaineering photos and the story behind them. Baffin Island Iceberg Camp – 2002 While watching a Mike Libecki slideshow on Big Wall climbing […]
Love Thy Bases & Bindings
Skis and bindings have a hard enough life without getting sandblasted by road salt, grit, acid rain and polluted snow while riding naked in a roof-top car rack. Ski bases can be cleaned off, but road grime is especially damaging to bindings, and much harder to clean. Transporting your skis inside the vehicle is the […]
Ski Mountaineering in Iceland – Photos
In May of 2006, I joined Matt Turley, Dylan Freed, John Griber, John Armstrong and Rob Raker on a trip to northern Iceland for some ski mountaineering. Matt Turley was the originator of this trip as he had been to Iceland in the summer to shoot photos and thought it might make for some good […]
Death by 1,000 Ounces
It is easier to ruin a trip by having too much gear rather than too little. The issue with too much gear is weight, and too much weight means reduced mobility. As Ray Jardine, the master of ultralight backpacking says “If you need something and you don’t have it, then you don’t need it.” This […]
One for the Road
One of my favorite pieces of travel advice came from a hokey little magazine article about family road trips, but the advice is applicable to ski mountaineering trips or expeditions as well. The basic idea is to force yourself (and your partners) to spend one minute of contemplation before you take off going through a […]
The Last Word on First Aid
First Aid and CPR classes are like classic literature—everyone agrees they are great, wonderful and important, yet few people have actually made it all they way through them. Skiers are optimists and the chances of ever actually having to perform CPR or First Aid are remote, which makes it easy to blow the classes off. […]
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