Mark Smiley

Date of Birth:
January 1981

Hometown:
Jackson, WY

What is your primary means of adventure, AKA what gets you most psyched?
Alpine climbing with a ski descent.

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 Describe 5 climbs, trips, or moments that have defined you as a mountain athlete:
Dream adventure would start underwater. I’d have to scuba up through a 20 foot wide lava tube with cool creatures all around. Then I’d hit the surface and jet ski to a tuffa covers cliff and climb up that to the top where I’d then paraglide to the top Mt St Elias. My ski would be waiting for me to click in and I’d ski 18,000 feet of 3-6 feet deep 2% pow all the way to the ocean. Once I’d dip my toe in the Icy Bay I’d be teleported to the base of an unclimbed peak in China and climb this mountain which started as granite, then limestone, then sandstone, then four other types of rock on its way to the summit. Once on top paraglide again down to a hot tub where cold drinks, chips, and salsa await.

Why that? Cause is sounds awesome.

Describe your most memorable night in the mountains:
High camp on Mt. Hunter with my wife. Nearly a liter of water spilled on our thin 20F degree bags by accident. As I shook them out the surface water instantly froze. It was one of the coldest nights of my life.

What has scared or intimidated you as a mountain athlete?
Objectives I want to do but might not be able to in the time allotted, seracs, rockfall, avalanches and double cornices. Pretty much I’d be fearless in a zero gravity world.

What would your adventure partners be most surprised to learn about you from before the time when they met you?
I’m an Eagle Scout. When your dad is the scout master it’s a lot harder to quit once it stops being cool.

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

1. Nano 22 Carabiner
2. X-dream Ice Tools
3. Corsa Nanotech Ice Axe
4. Alp Race Harness
5. Speed 2 Helmet

Why are you a CAMP athlete?
Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t be? They make great gear that keeps my pack light and therefore increases my chances of success.

Tick List

It meant a lot to me when I climbed:

1. Cassin Ridge on Denali with my wife. We tried three times over three years and finally got the weather we needed
2. Really all 46 of the fifty classic climbs of North America I’ve climbed are meaningful
3. First ski descent of a 6000m peak in Peru, Huandoy East
4. First time I climbed the Grand Teton was very meaningful as I had no idea what I was doing.

The adventure, route or race I had to train the hardest for was:
Cassin Ridge on Denali

The adventure, route or race that wrecked me the most was:
New variation on the South Face of Mt Waddington, Coast Range, BC. 36 hour push with lots of loose rock and hanging danger.

I most want an all-expenses-paid trip to:
Go around the world climbing and skiing for 30 years.

My short list of climbing or adventure goals this year:

1. Ski Mt St Elias from the ocean
2. Guide four successful Teton Grand Traverses
3. First ascent in China
4. Get stronger and push my grade rock climbing