THE CONSTANT OF ADVENTURE
The Canadian Coast Range has long held a powerful allure for mountaineers from the Pacific Northwest. One reason is its character as an icy, glaciated range with massive vertical relief that rises directly and aesthetically from saltwater fjords. Another is the legend of massive snowfalls and fierce coastal storms that has enticed many from departure points such as Seattle and Vancouver to test their toughness against harsh and unforgiving conditions. Yet the one element that has made it more than a geographic upthrust that rises dramatically from the coast is that this rugged, isolated land of logging camps and difficult access represents a true wilderness experience in the timeless spirit of Northwest adventure.
Mt. Waddington is the tallest peak in the Coast Range, and beginning in the 1920s, it has lured pioneering Northwest climbers and acted as a birthplace of Northwest ski mountaineering. Don and Phyllis Munday were first, utilizing a single-push, bushwhacking style to discover the peak they nicknamed “The Mystery Mountain” for the fact that it remained a huge blank spot on maps of the day. This husband-and-wife team pioneered brutal approaches into the Waddington Range, summiting peaks in a shrouded zone that had long remained unexplored and unmapped. A climbing partnership of spouses was extremely rare in an era where men climbed and women stayed home. But since the twenties, our brand has backed this outdoor spirit across genders, evidenced by our founder Eddie Bauer and his wife Stine. Eddie called Stine “my wilderness companion” and said she had more stamina than he did in the rugged backcountry where they spent so much of their time.
EXPEDITION: THE MYSTERY OF WADDINGTON
But the highlight for the Waterfalls was their own married ascent of Mt. Munday. “Mt. Munday was definitely a highlight for me,” Seth Waterfall says. “The climbing was pretty complex, involving a lot of transitions from skins into crampon climbing. The descent was heads-up too. It started to get really, really warm for us. So we were worried about avalanches on the sunnier slopes, we were worried about sluffs on the north-facing slopes, and we were managing the risk plus negotiating huge crevassing. It was pretty intense.”
“I only get to do trips like that once or twice a year, if I’m lucky,” Waterfall summarizes. “Just having the freedom to move at our own pace and just having fun with the people I love, that was the best. It was a pretty unique trip.”
SLAYING THE NINES
First Ascent athlete and splitboard hero Kyle Miller is no stranger to challenging objectives, but the completion of his current project clearly elevates his standing in the history of Northwest, self-ascent, big-mountain riding. Miller, in partnership with pro ski photographer Jason Hummel, became the first two ever to tick off the highest rideable lines on all of Washington’s 9,000-foot, non-volcanic peaks. The three-year, hush-hush project pushed forward in spring 2012 with a productive return to Holden Village, where Miller bagged Mt. Maude and Seven Fingered Jack, then culminated in a 30-mile round-trip to slay Mt. Logan, the final remaining peak on Miller and Hummel’s hit list of the Washington Nines.
The stats alone are impressive with 30 days, 80,000 vertical and 170 miles of arduous approach and descent devoted to the effort. But for out-of-state residents unfamiliar with slide alder, devil’s club, raging creek crossings and near-sea-level starts, the sheer scale of this accomplishment in such remote, technical, exposed and heavily glaciated mountains is hard to describe, even without referencing the notoriously coastal weather in the North Cascades. Like much of Washington’s classically rugged ski mountaineering, this mission was not for the faint of heart. Miller and Hummel braved technical, exposed climbing; one very cold, unplanned bivy; and numerous other challenges, both physical and mental, to set a very high bar for achievement. The only remaining question is: What peaks will this pair target next?
Washington State’s Mount Rainier has served as a training ground for both Himalayan climbers and high-altitude gear since Jim Whittaker, Barry Bishop and the Eddie Bauer-outfitted American Mount Everest Expedition completed their famous shakedown climb in 1962 and documented it for National Geographic Magazine. The expedition team went on to place the first Americans on the roof of the world, but since then the glaciated coastal peak has served as a launching pad for pioneering high-altitude climbers, from the Whittaker twins, Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld to John Roskelley, Jim Wickwire and Ed Viesturs, who honed his mountaineering skills guiding on Rainier before becoming the first American to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen.
TOM WAYES INTERVIEW
It’s great because often companies will build a great product but rely on their designers, but those guys aren’t in the fi eld every day. When you listen to people who are in the fi eld every day, those are the people who are in the front lines. Those people are the ones who are going to give you the no-shitter and hopefully the truth of what they like or don’t like.
If people stand up and say what they need and they don’t sugarcoat it, I think you can end up with a tremendously better product. It can evolve and if they don’t evolve you can get stagnant, and I think a lot of companies have gotten stagnant. But by listening to the riders and guides, you can make great products and be on the forefront, and it’s always better to be setting trends than following them.
Toughness is essential in the mountain professions. From abrasive environments to constant wear, men and women who earn their living from jobs in remote locations— who are constantly exposed to rough surfaces and sharp edges—need fabrics that can take a beating. In the First Ascent world, the occupations that demand the highest level of toughness range from ski guides and base camp managers to heli pilots, logistical teams and professional mountaineers, which is why we’ve partnered with the suppliers of CORDURA® , one of the world’s toughest textiles, to maximize the durability of our mountain workwear collection.
CORDURA was developed in 1977 as a 1000-denier, air-jet-textured nylon yarn, designed to add durability to backpacks. During the next three decades, the highly resistant fabric evolved into an entire class of tough textiles, utilized for everything from luggage, boots, and apparel to military and tactical applications. CORDURA has become an internationally respected brand recognized for long-lasting durability, abrasion resistance and scuff-proofing.
ARCTIC OUTFLOW
THE KAYAK TEAM HEADS FOR GREENLAND
Most kayakers pick destinations with warm temps and easy access. But for First Ascent athletes Chris Korbulic and Ben Stookesberry, the promise of first kayak descents in amazing locations was the only enticement needed to pack their bags and head for the chilling Arctic flows of Norway and Greenland. In partnership with Pedro Oliva, the expedition trio stopped first in the northern whitewater capital of Voss, then braved frigid 37-degree waters, massive mosquitoes, and even a few polar bears to descend extreme rivers that run from glacier to sea in locations such as the Svalbard Archipelago and Southern Greenland. Shooting and filming along the way, the full story of kayaking the Arctic whitewater will run during the fourth season of Kaiak, their Brazilian reality television series. We can’t wait to see the final edit.
GEAR OF THE YEAR
ALCHEMIST AND KATABATIC EARN THEIR RECOGNITION
THE ALCHEMIST 40
An alpine pack for big objectives, the Alchemist 40 is a 40-liter climber that sizes up easily to 55 liters when hauling heavy loads or cleaning camps after a summit push. Adjustable lifters stabilize heavy loads of varying sizes, and the entire pack cinches down small on summit day. Intuitive design with integrated, removable bivy pad, quick-access tool release function, and exterior gear organizer. 4 lbs with removable back pad; 3.4 lbs without pad. (See eddiebauer.com for details on the non-expandable Alchemist 30, which is shown on page 11.) Limeade, Blue.
THE KATABATIC 3
Guide-built and guide-tested on First Ascent expeditions to the world’s highest peaks. Two-plus person, four-season expedition tent with ample room for mountaineering gear and essentials. Double-D door design for easy entry/exit/access to vestibule storage areas. Exclusive Y-fly design sheds more snow and adds load strength. Smaller overall footprint means less work prepping the pitch site. Two-vestibule design provides extra space and storage. Double-wall construction for condensation control. Steep walls maximize livable space. Six-pocket interior organizer. Storage sack and stakes included. Color-coded DAC aluminum poles. 40D ripstop nylon wall; 20D polyester mesh; 75D coated ripstop polyester flysheet; 70D coated nylon taffeta floor. Spot clean. Imported. 90"L x 85"W x 48"H. Interior: 49.5 sq. ft. Vestibule: 18 sq. ft. Limeade.
ADAPTIVE ATHLETES GET RAD IN SUN VALLEY
Experiencing the outdoors is a privilege that many of us couldn’t imagine losing. But for an entire community of teens, adults and veterans with disabilities, access to sports such as biking, hiking, rafting and skiing is limited. But in Sun Valley, a community organization has resolved to bridge that divide with an innovative and sustainable approach, as well as a community-based model, to adaptive outdoor sports.
INSIDE LINE: REGGIE CRIST
The master of spines picks his five favorite ways to experience Haines when the bird is grounded due to thick coastal weather.
[1] PULLING CRAB POTS BY BOAT
The best wilderness experience in Haines plus fresh seafood.
[2] SHOOTING GUNS
From bear pistols to heavy weaponry at the local gun club.
[3] RIDING SLEDS
The right day and a strong team present a chance to get after it with two strokes.
[4] CREVASSE RESCUE PRACTICE
FA and AMGA guide Kent McBride takes the instructional lead on this local guides ropes course.
[5] DISC GOLF
Beer in hand, the Haines course is a great way to release the competitive spirit during epic 18-hole guide battles.
Staying active during down days on the southeast alaska coast takes creative charge.
