Brian Smith

Date of Birth:
November 15, 1975

Hometown:
Gunnison, CO

What is your primary means of adventure, AKA what gets you most psyched?

Ski mountaineering, running, mountain biking, off-road triathlon. I love the mult-isport lifestyle and crosstraining.

Invent your dream adventure by combining five places, disciplines, pitches, peaks, environments, etc. and stacking them together into a combination. Why did you pick each part?

Exploring the south island of New Zealand and summiting/skiing Mt. Cook
Compete in the Coast to Coast event from Westport to Christchurch NZ,
Explore the Aleutian islands of Alaska
Run the Appalachian Trail
Compete in a skimountaineering event in Europe. My wife is from New Zealand and I hope at some point to live there. I would like to experience these adventures with my wife and daughter Jade who is nearly 2 years old. The Coast to Coast is an exceptional adventure race that has eluded me for some time but requires boating skills that I need to acquire first. I have competed in ski mountaineering events in the US for nearly 7 years now and want to see firsthand how the biggest and best events are held and meet the world class competitors.

Describe 5 climbs, trips, or moments that have defined you as a mountain athlete:

Finishing 3rd at the XTERRA World Championships in 2007.
Winning the XTERRA Winter World Championships in 2008/2009
Riding to the top of Haleakala on Maui and looking down to the sea from 10,000 feet
Competing in my first Grand Traverse ski race in 2004
Running a 50k night trail run in Brazil on a whim with no preparation.

Describe your most memorable night in the mountains:
Descending Star Pass at 3am under the moonlight during the Grand Traverse. The first year racing I had never made it over the pass and my partner Jon Brown tumbled 2 or 3 times down the hill. As the sun rose approaching Taylor Pass and the Barnard Hut it was magical. Finishing that year was the most rewarding feeling I have had as an adventure athlete.

What has scared or intimidated you as a mountain athlete?
Rappelling 500 feet into a gorge in China in 2010 during the Woolong Mountain Quest. I don’t have much climbing experience and everyone was yelling that everything I was doing was wrong. I looked down, turned white and nearly lost my stomach!

What would your adventure partners be most surprised to learn about you from before the time when they met you?
Nothing, I am constantly mixing things up and pushing the envelope. I feel that most of my partners sense that it me and half expect my sense of adventure.

What are your top 5 all-time favorite pieces of CAMP equipment?

GComp Warm glove (my hands are always cold!)
Flash Anorak (quick, light and extremely versatile)
Rapid Race Pack
Essential Down Jackets/Vests
Speed 2.0 Helmet

Why are you a CAMP athlete?
The products are always reliable, light and practical. I have had exceptional support from the representatives and feel they are always willing to go the extra mile to provide me with whatever needs I may have. I love to promote exceptional products!

Tick List

It meant a lot to me when I climbed:

Uncompaghre Peak, a 14,000’ mountain in Colorado I climbed with my dad in 1995.
Tomichi Dome. This mountain I have looked at since moving to Colorado in 1994 and never climbed it until the summer of 1994.
Grizzly Peak on the continental divide.
Into bed after a hard day of training!

The adventure, route or race I had to train the hardest for was:
The Grand Traverse. Sleep deprivation and racing with a 20-30 pound pack for 42 miles is not my typical adventure.

The adventure, route or race that wrecked me the most was:
The RAAM (Race Across America)2005. Racing on a bike for over 5 and a half days straight.

I most want an all-expenses paid trip to:
Mars!

My short list of climbing or adventure goals this year:

Make the podium at Ski Mountaineering Nationals in the individual event
Win the Grand Traverse for a 5th
Make the podium at XTERRA Nationals
Win the double Run/Bike at the Summer Grand Traverse event time