Climber and skier Jason Torlano has called Yosemite home since childhood. And he’s in it for the long haul, noting that it has allowed him to see and interpret his natural surroundings in creative ways. Recently, he decided to attempt a rarely skiable line called the Super Couloir that is a section of the bigger line, Slipping into the Void. And because Torlano keeps an eye on home conditions, he was able to take advantage of the snow-filled line.
The Avy Report: Late February brings variable snow conditions
Earlier this year, we reported on a trend across the western United States of a depth hoar layer that, for many regions and avalanche forecasting centers, was a cause for concern. A month later, the primary concern for avalanches has shifted to a focus on ones of the wetter variety in many locations.
Patagonia releases book: Tools for Grassroots Activists
FEBRUARY 16. Patagonia has announced the release of a new book, Patagonia’s Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement, marketed as a written counterpart to Patagonia’s Tools Conference. The Tools Conference is an event activists have attended since 1994 to learn how to apply advocacy techniques for environmental issues with the same savvy for-profit organizations, such as Patagonia, use to market clothes to consumers.
Backstory: Crossroads of a Skier
It’s late morning in October 1993, and I’m sitting in my VW Jetta, a coffee in one hand, a cigarette in the other. I don’t smoke. Don’t drink much coffee, either. But this moment, this place, begs for both. I’m somewhere north of Great Falls, Montana. Maybe Cut Bank, maybe Shelby, maybe Conrad. It doesn’t matter. There is a gas station and a diner and that’s all, and that’s all I need.
Hybrid Travel: The upward trend in heli-assisted touring
The benefits of human-powered backcountry travel are undeniable—you skin, you sweat, you burn off that Philly Cheesesteak from last night and delight in earning every inch of covered ground. But sometimes, you just want to catch a ride to the top, and for that, heli-bump touring balances exploration on foot with the efficiency of speedy access to secluded landscapes.
Boardroom: Franco Snowshapes gets quantum with snowboard design
Mikey Franco has lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for 26 years. He started teaching snowboarding the first year he moved to town, and has been a guide for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for 16 years. Franco recently took on a second job, snowboard manufacturing. He wanted to take the knowledge he had collected from years of guiding and teaching—watching people ride and listening to their terrain and conditions preferences—and integrate it into boards that were custom made for the rider.
The Dark Side of Brilliance: Donny Roth Balances Emotion and Reason in the Backcountry
AMGA Guide Donny Roth spends most of his time in the mountains, whether in Chile, Colorado or far-flung destinations. And as the owner and lead guide of Chile Powder Adventures, ski guide for Irwin Guides, an athlete and human-powered advocate, he’s logged countless hours evaluating both mountain conditions and his own passion for pursuing the sport.
Vertfest 2016: Alpental ski area
It is February, and the ninth annual Vertfest event hosted by the Northwest Avalanche Center has begun. Last weekend brought Vertfest to Mt. Bachelor, and this coming weekend, more festivities will be held at Alpental ski area. The list of events for February 13 and 14 includes an uphill-downhill randonee race, avalanche awareness, steep […]
Skiing on a high avy danger day
Until last week, Associate Editor Lucy Higgins and I had never traveled in the backcountry on a high avalanche danger day. It was not something I wanted to check off my bucket list, and neither of us dared to self-guide during conditions like those seen last Tuesday in Crested Butte, Colorado. But on that day, as part of a Dynafit press trip, Lucy and I were scheduled to head into the surrounding backcountry with Donny Roth of Irwin Guides.
Five killed in avalanche in the Austrian Alps
WATTENTAL VALLEY, AUSTRIA. This past Saturday, February 6, 20 skiers from the Czech Republic were caught in an avalanche in the western region of Tyrol. Five suffered fatal injuries, reports The Guardian.
