CAMP USA athlete and IFMGA guide Jed Porter has spent hundreds of nights in the mountains, with partners and on solo missions. He recently returned from a solo trip to the rarely skied Dragon Peak in King’s Canyon National Park of California’s Sierra Nevada, and came back with some reflections of his time up high.
Light & Fast Alpinism
Off The Couch Fitness
Alpinism as a discipline requires a unique kind of physical fitness and mental fortitude that typical training cannot deliver. We are not building muscles to see our mass grow and we are not training in adverse conditions so we can have a story to tell our friends at the bar. We do these things because our unique discipline requires them. At the base level of athleticism for alpinism is what I call OFF THE COUCH (OTC) fitness. It is the level we know we are capable of at any moment given our standard level of fitness, prowess and experience.
Packing for Ski Mountaineering
Mark Smiley is an IFMGA-certified mountain guide who has been working on a multi-year project to climb all 50 routes made famous by the book 50 Classic Climbs of North America. Mark has climbed and skied around the world, and he shares his packing and planning wisdom to get you tuned up for ski mountaineering.
Light & Fast Alpinism
Light & Fast Alpinism is a topic near and dear to us. As the manufacturer of the lightest piece of gear in nearly every category we offer, we have a particular kind of insight into the subject. The Light & Fast Alpinism clinics that we teach at events are designed to go deep into the skills, […]
