The North Face

May 31 | Anker: Audio Dispatch, you’re not done till you’re done

By Conrad Anker

Click play above to listen to an audio message from Conrad Anker who was surveying a glacier after summiting Mount Everest.

Well, they say you’re not done till you’re done and, this is Conrad here. I’m at the 5,700 meter elevation. I’m in Nare glacier on the south face of Ama Dablam and I’m here with Subhash, Hey Subhash.

Subhash: Hello

Conrad: Have you been walking?

Subhash: Long time walking

Conrad: Oh yeah, long time walking. We started out this morning walking at 3 a.m. and we gained 2,000 meters of elevation in probably 20km distance. This is the fifth of the Extreme Ice Survey cameras that we’re switching the cards out and doing maintenance on. Everyone else is headed to Kathmandu and I’m enjoying one last moment down in the mountains. There’s nothing like walking slowly after summiting Everest without supplemental oxygen to feel the effects.

We’re happy, it looks like the card came out ok, the battery and computer are all working well and the glacier looks a little anemic from here. It’s one that we are studying and we’ve got two years of data on it now. Yeah, you’re not done till you’re done, we definitely had work left, we saved the best things for last. So, this is Conrad calling in from the Nare glacier, in the Khumbu valley, and take care!

 

May 30 | Role Models :: TNF Athlete Kit Deslauriers tips for the active parent

By Athlete Parents

Visit www.thenorthface.com/rolemodels to find a Role Models clinic near you!

#1         Keep them comfortable

 The saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing is true but in this case the responsibility falls on the parent for ensuring their children are dressed properly.  This especially goes for the little ones who don’t have the communication skills to let you know exactly what is happening.  For instance, when our 3.5 year old wanted to go home after two ski runs she was being generally fussy but couldn’t say why she didn’t want to ski (as much as she usually wants to ski). Once home with her boots off she told me that the skin on her feet was “crinkled”.  I took at closer look at how quickly her feet grown recently and we went right out to find bigger ski boots.  Then to keep the momentum, we got back out on the mountain for two more runs before the lifts closed so we could test her new gear and make sure we had solved the problem.

 

#2         Take breaks:         This is the time for hot cocoa!

Kids need a lot of snacks to keep their energy up when they are out there and while I believe that sweets should be used in absolute moderation, it’s not the end of the world to take breaks for things like hot chocolate because the child can get the quick rest and re-warm that they might need while boosting their blood sugar.  Maybe pull that PB&J out of your pocket and insist the child eats it while they wait for their yummy drink to cool down.

 

#3         Stay creative

It’s amazing to give birth to our own best teachers and one of my favorite parts of being a parent is the way that our kids constantly fire up my own creativity.  Does your girl want to wear a tutu over her one-piece ski suit? Why not?  Ski fast away from a monster?  Have a dinosaur hunt through the trees?  For sure!

#4         Involve Community

 Kids love to play with their friends so find ways to involve other young people in your snow sports and the fun factor will likely ramp way up.  As adults we often find inspiration in ‘getting out there’ by making plans to meet up with our friends.  It’s the same for kids.  If you are going to a resort where your usual friends are not also visiting, you can look for local snow sculpture castles or other places in the community where children gather and can meet one another like the playgrounds we all frequent in the sunny summer months.

 

#5         Offer Options

 We parents walk a fine line between doing things the way we want them done (i.e. “You are going to ski school today. Period.”) vs. allowing our children to decide what they want to do with their time.  Of course we are talking about an ages old parenting style discussion yet if we remember what our goals are (which in this case are to foster a love for the outdoors in winter) then consider presenting some choices to reach your goal.  If a child, for instance, doesn’t want to ski or snowboard that day they still may want to get outside by making a snowman, throwing snowballs at a safe target, making angels in the snow, playing a game of tracking animals in the snow or creating a delicious treat of clean snow and honey or maple

May 29 | Q&A: Emily Harrington on Reaching the Summit of Everest

By The North Face

Emily Harrington has a new notch to add to her belt this week: reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

On Friday, May 25, Harrington reached the top of the world. After firing off a now widely-circulated self-portrait from the top of Everest she made her way back down past Camps 4, 3 and 2, through the Khumbu Ice Fall for one last time, and then she perched herself atop a rock to rest, and fill us in on the details of what this journey was like for her.

TNF: How do you feel? You just summited Mount Everest!

EH: I feel really, really tired, actually. I just sat down. I’m not even to camp yet at Base Camp. And I just sat down to rest as I’m struggling to get back.

It was a marathon of climbing and it was a lot mentally and physically. I don’t think I’ve slept in three days.

TNF: Would you say that this was one of the more challenging things that you’ve done?

EH: Yeah. It was one of the more challenging things I have done. Not necessarily physically, even though it was super physically challenging. But more than anything it was really mentally challenging. It was just hard not knowing what to expect, being here for so long, trying to stay motivated and having all kinds of things happen. There were accidents up there and that can be disheartening and worrisome. It’s just a lot.

I went from 9:30 last night to 6:30 this morning to the summit and then back down, which is another four hours, and then I went all the way down to Camp 2 yesterday. And then I came down to Base Camp today. It’s been a lot. Climbing an 8,000-meter peak is not easy, no matter what anyone says.

TNF: What was it like on the summit?

EH: It was a little frustrating for me because I got stuck behind a group of people that were slower than me and I couldn’t do anything about it. So Kris and Hilaree summited before me and I saw them on the way down. I ended up summiting by myself. The reason they were coming down is that it was brutally cold and windy up there. If you took anything off you’d get frostbite.

But it was awesome. I mean, there is a 360 degree view of the Himalaya and you could see over into Tibet, all of Nepal and the mountains. It was amazing just being able to stand up there and experience that made the whole thing worth it.

TNF: So, you made it to top and achieved some goals that some who set out to summit Everest never achieve. What is that like to know that?

EH: It’s been a really long journey mentally and emotionally just being here and experiencing what it’s like to be within this realm of climbing, which is something different than even the mountaineering world. It’s Everest, which is a whole different animal in itself. The whole experience has been eye opening. There are a lot of negative aspects of it, but there’s also a lot of positive things about it and I am just really grateful that Conrad thought of me for this trip and thought that I was strong enough to be on it. It’s the experience of a lifetime. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it and I’m super thankful that I was able to be here and do this.

TNF: Now that you’ve accomplished what Conrad thought you could, do you see in yourself what he initially saw?

EH: Yes, totally. I started out this trip and I was super sick and I didn’t have a lot of confidence and towards the end of the trip it was like gaining altitude. I felt stronger, better and more confident in my abilities. I utilized a lot of my experience from climbing while I was in the mountains and I feel like I’ve been able to really open my mind and be open, accepting and listening to those who have more experience than myself, like Kris, Hilaree and Conrad. I’ve learned a lot and I think that maybe what Conrad saw in me hadn’t yet manifested itself, but now it has.

TNF: You really did have the A Team, so to speak, of mountaineers to learn from and be mentored by up there. How was the process?

EH: I learned a ton from them. They climbed with us all the time. They were the people that I looked to whenever I had a question or any sort of concern. I trust them more than I trusted anyone on the trip. It turned out great. They advised me and they gave us guidance, but they didn’t hold our hands in any way, shape or form. I think they had enough trust and confidence in our abilities as climbers to just let us trial and error it and experience it in our way, but with safety and guidance in mind. It was super cool. They were just there and it was comforting.

TNF: Well, that begs the question: Will you ever go back, or could you see yourself having the desire to?

EH: Um… I think I would maybe come back. I don’t know. I might need a little more time on that. I just came down from the ice fall a half hour ago and it’s kind of sketchy because it’s getting hot up here. I just thought, “Oh thank God I never have to do that again,” so, I don’t know… Lhotse looks like a really cool mountain to do.  I would like to experience more mountaineering and alpine climbing on different, smaller, more technical peaks, I think. Just cut my teeth and experience that aspect of climbing, because climbing Mount Everest is, like I said, totally different than anything.

May 29 | MST Run - What's in Diane's Bag?

By The North Face

Diane Van Deren has been on the Mountains-to- Sea Trail since May 10 in an attempt to run the trail in its entirety and break the current record of 24 days, 3 hours held by Matt Kirk. To train for this epic adventure, Diane has been running 6-7 hours per day, 7 days per week on trails and roads near her home in the Rocky Mountains. The amount of time that Di spends out training has proven to be a testing ground for the gear she will pack for her expedition. The first part of the journey took her through the rugged Blue Ridge mountains, where temperatures and terrain proved to be unpredictable. In order to be prepared, she is carrying more gear than she would take out for a normal afternoon run, with her pack weighing up to 13 lbs. 

What Diane will be wearing day to day?
The North Face (TNF) Double-Track shoes
TNF Better Than Naked short sleeve shirt
TNF Better Than Naked shorts
TNF Better Than Naked sports bra
TNF Better Than Naked hat
Smartwool socks

What is in Di’s pack?

The Essentials:
2 full Nalgene bottles
Water Purifying Tablets
Nutritional bars and other food
Trekking poles (attached to bag)
SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger
Headlamp
Laminated maps of each section and emergency contact info

Layering items:
TNF Impulse Pant
TNF 1/4 Zip Long Sleeve Impulse Top

Waterproof gear:
TNF Venture Pant
TNF Stormy Trail Jacket

Accessories:
TNF Beanie hat
Extra pair of SmartWool socks
TNF Redpoint Gloves
TNF Powerstretch gloves
Extra headlamp
Batteries

Find Diane's running gear at TheNorthFace.com.

Verto 26 Pack for fast and light ascents

Double-Tracks drying out after a few morning river crossings (Via Instagram)

Once Di is out of the mountains, she anticipates that the weight of her pack should decrease to under 10 lbs, as she will no longer need layering pieces and warm accessories, and she is going to switch out the heavier duty raingear for ultra-light waterproof Performance product she will be testing for The North Face. Keep up with Diane’s expedition across the state of North Carolina as we track her progress via the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger on our website!

 

—————

Lisa Burnes is the sports marketing manager in charge of the Performance category for The North Face. Lisa manages the Global Performance Athlete team, as well as the Endurance Challenge Series and any expeditions that fall under the Performance category. Lisa has worked closely with Diane Van Deren for two years and will be cheering her on every step of the way. She wishes that she could fit into Diane’s bag, but realizes that the additional weight could threaten the success of the expedition. The North Face would like to thank the team that worked on this expedition from GOPC, Friends of MST and the First Ascent Agency. Without their dedication, hard work and enthusiasm, this incredible feat would not be possible. GO DI GO!

 

May 27 | Anker: Audio Dispatch, it was time to go and it was game on

By Conrad Anker

Click play above to listen to an audio message from Conrad Anker who was at Base Camp after summiting Mount Everest.

Greetings folks, this is Conrad calling from Everest Base Camp and just back here after descending the Khumbu Ice Fall. On the 26 of May I managed to reach the summit of Everest at five minutes after 10 a.m.

I climbed with myself. I made a decision with about two hours notice in the middle of the night. I wasn’t feeling too well on the 25th so I declined to climb with my other teammates and the weather, the wind died and it was time to go and it was game on and we had fun. So, that was that. It was a trip to Everest.

May 26 | Elias and Anker: Audio Dispatch, sitting in a 2-Meter Dome

By The North Face

Click play above to listen to an audio message from Sam Elias and Conrad Anker who were at Camp 2 after summiting Mount Everest.

It’s Sam calling from Camp 2 on Everest and I’m sitting in a 2-Meter Dome with Kris and Hilaree and Conrad. Emily and Mark are already down at Base Camp, doing well and psyched and safe. As for the rest of us, we’re pretty hammered. Today Kris and Hilaree did Lhotse, which is the fourth highest peak in the world and neighbor to Everest. They chained the two in a single push and I think that Hilaree might be the first woman to ever do that. And it’s pretty rare to do, so Kris is pretty psyched, especially after his attempt last year.

And Conrad sent the big Everest without Oxygen in great style today and I’m going to pass the phone over to him to say a few words. He’s super psyched and he’s just chilling and recovering.

Hello.  I hammered myself today. My lungs are hurting but I got it done last minute. I hope everything is going well. We’ll be down to basecamp tomorrow and we’ll have more communications going. Talk to you soon! Bye.

May 26 | National Geographic and The North Face® Expedition to Mount Everest Reaches Summit

By The North Face

Southeast Ridge Team, Focused on Education and Science, Returns From Summit to Camp 2 Following 74 Days of Exploration

 Climb and Team's Summit Push, Including First Photo from the Summit, Covered Online at natgeo.com/oneverest and www.thenorthface.com/everest. Expedition Also Covered in Real-Time in the May and June iPad Editions of National Geographic Magazine.

@emilyaharrington self portrait at the top of the the world - 8848m Mt Everest. What a climb it's been! @thenorthface #oneveres (Photo by Emily Harrington)

WASHINGTON (May 26, 2012)—Taking advantage of what was only this season’s second good weather window, five athletes on a National Geographic and The North Face expedition reached the highest point on Earth, stepping foot atop the summit of Mount Everest at approximately 8 a.m. Nepal time on Friday, May 25.

Renowned mountaineers Hilaree O’Neill and Kris Erickson, along with rock and ice climbers Sam Elias and Emily Harrington — who are all part of The North Face Global Athlete Team — and Mark Jenkins, a climber and writer on assignment for National Geographic magazine, set out from the South Col at approximately 9 p.m. May 24 Nepal time for their summit push. The expedition marked the first Everest summit for the entire team. Upon return to the South Col, O’Neill and Erickson continued to summit Lhotse, accomplishing the two summits in one 24-hour period.

“It was awesome,” Harrington said. “There is a 360-degree view of the Himalaya, and you could see over into Tibet, all of Nepal and the mountains. It was amazing just being able to stand up there, and experiencing that made the whole thing worth it.”

Following the team from the moment they set out, National Geographic and The North Face have given followers the chance to take a front row seat, watching the expedition as it unfolded through use of the photo sharing app Instagram, which was put in the hands of the climbers themselves to share photos of their experiences. On Instagram, @natgeo and @thenorthface followers were the first to know the team had summited, as Harrington posted a self-portrait she took on the summit from Camp 4, as she returned from the top of the mountain.

The expedition got underway March 15 with the team of five accompanied by famed mountaineer Conrad Anker and National Geographic photographer Cory Richards, both of whom are also athletes on The North Face Global Team. The two had planned to summit Everest via its seldom-climbed West Ridge in celebration of the 1963 National Geographic-sponsored American Mount Everest Expedition —the first American ascent to the summit via the West Ridge. However, Richards was evacuated off the mountain on April 28 for unspecified health issues, and Anker, a two-time Everest summiter, determined that due to dangerous conditions on the West Ridge, he would instead accompany the South Col team.

Following a climb from Camp 2 to Camp 4 to unite with the South Col team on May 24, Anker decided to remain at Camp 4 for his team on their descent and to assist with any additional support that should be needed, and the five pushed ahead on what would be a challenging climb. After the team had summited and safely arrived at lower elevations, Anker made a push for the summit himself. He summited without oxygen via the South Col at 10:10 a.m. May 26 and is now reunited with the team at Camp 2. This marked Anker’s third Everest summit, yet his first summit via the Southeast Ridge.

One of the main purposes of the South Col expedition was for Erickson and O’Neill, who have climbed some of the world’s most challenging mountains, to provide mentorship to Elias and Harrington, whose backgrounds are in rock and ice climbing.

The expedition was also focused on education and seeking to answer scientific questions, with geologists from Montana State University on the Southeast Ridge team, and medical specialists from Mayo Clinic at Base Camp.

Mayo Clinic researchers have been studying the climbers and recording real-time data as part of their research on the impacts of high altitude on human physiology. The Montana State University team re-surveyed the summit of Mount Everest in the hopes of shedding light on the compression between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates that lie beneath the mountain, as well as attempting to obtain a new height measurement for Everest.

The Montana State University team also created an eight-week online science curriculum to accompany the expedition, which focused on geology, glaciology, climate change and other topics, to allow classrooms to mimic the research and observations of the Everest team. Developed with a grant from the National Science Foundation and support from The North Face, National Geographic and other sponsors, the curriculum is targeted at fifth graders, but is available to teachers of any grade.

The team is now at Camp 2 and will likely return to Base Camp within 24 hours, where they will offer additional comment on their experience and prepare for their return to the States. The studies conducted on the mountain are expected to be published in the coming months.

In addition to National Geographic magazine’s current website and iPad coverage, the magazine plans to publish a print article by Jenkins early next year.

 

May 25 | Erickson: Audio Dispatch, Summited This Morning Bright and Early

By Kris Erickson

Click play above to listen to an audio message from Kris Erickson who was at Camp 4 after summiting Mount Everest.

It’s Kris calling from the South Col on Mount Everest. Just wanted to give you an update and let you know that Hilaree, myself, Sam, Emily and Mark Jenkins all summited this morning bright and early.

It was very cold and windy, but rather beautiful at the same time.

We’re all back here at the South Col. Hilaree and I are resting up and we are going for Lhotse at midnight tonight. So, wish us the best. We’ll give you an update from Camp 2 when we get there tomorrow and hopefully we’ll have summited Everest and Lhotse in one 24-hour period.

 

 

May 23 | Role Models :: TNF Athlete Dean Karnazes tips for the active parent

By Athlete Parents

Visit www.thenorthface.com/rolemodels to find a Role Models clinic near you!

 

1.            Start from the ground up making sure everyone has a good pair of shoes.

2.            Try to always keep it fun and upbeat, even when things get tough.

3.            Strive for an amount of time of activity (say 45-minutes) rather than a set distance such as 4-                  miles.

4.            Always remain well hydrated.

5.            In colder weather, layer to help insure proper protection from the elements and comfort.

May 22 | Q&A: Alex Honnold on the Triple Crown

By The North Face

While some reserve the term “Triple Crown” for the world of horse racing, its meaning can transcend sports, much as it does with climbing.

Friday, May 18, Alex Honnold, along with Tommy Caldwell, completed a triple link-up, better known as the Triple Crown, of Yosemite’s El Capitan, Half Dome and Mount Watkins, becoming the first to do so free in under 24 hours.

Alex Honnold and Hazel Findlay, Canada. Photo: Tim Kemple.

We (TNF) caught up with Alex (AH) today to get his take on the feat, and as luck would have it, caught him hiking down from a climb, which he told us he’d been on for around nine miles. And he was starting to get hungry.

TNF: Hi, can you hear me?

AH: I can kind of hear you. I’m sitting on some rocks now…

TNF: I don’t want you to have to stop, you have to make it back.

AH: I made it to the trailhead, now I just have to hitch back into the valley.

TNF: Hitch?... As in, Hitchhike?

AH: Yeah. I hiked out to the highway. But whatever. It’s just a roundabout way down. It should be easy enough in a minute, but I’ll wait till we’re done.

TNF: Ok, well, tell me about completing the Triple Crown. You were the first to do it free?

AH: Yeah, it’s totally cool. The thing is, in a week or two I was planning on doing the solo triple, rope soloing the three of them – not free soloing, but climbing each of the big faces by myself and the Sender guys are supposed to film it for part of a Reel Rock piece that they are doing. So for me it’s super cool to have done this, but it’s also just warming up for the season.

TNF: What do you take away as the most memorable part of that 21 hours?

AH: Probably the most memorable part was in the middle of the night climbing Freerider, which is the route up El Cap, when Tommy climbed one of the harder corners. It’s just a technical corner and he said, “I’m too tired to lieback* it, I’m just going to stem** it,” and then he proceeded to just totally bust it out in this unconventional style. I was just like, I didn’t even think you could do that! It’s the middle of the night and it’s really hard to see the feet because it’s dark and he has a head lamp, and he’s standing on tiny dimes, and he just stemmed it. Later when we were climbing Half Dome, the final route, I got into this little corner where I was like, “I’m tired, I’m just going to stem it” and I did kind of the same thing and it worked. 

TNF: So you enjoyed climbing it with Tommy?

AH: Tommy’s like a technical wizard on that stuff. He’s really, really good on granite and so it was cool seeing just how good he is on some things.

TNF: You said it’s preparation for you for this season, but it had to feel better than just preparation, right?

AH: Today I just soloed the west face of El Cap, which is not a real El Cap route, but it’s still kind of exciting for me. They’re all little things that you do that you’re psyched on, but that aren’t necessarily that big of a deal.

TNF: You mentioned wanting to do this last year. Now that you have done it is there something else you are looking forward to?

AH: This is the culmination of endurance linkups, so I don’t think that… I really doubt that I’ll ever do anything bigger. Just because, one there isn’t anything obvious that comes to mind because there aren’t any faces that make sense to add in. We did what there is to do.

TNF: People would be shocked to hear you say you won’t do anything bigger.

AH: Well, I mean bigger in Yosemite. There just aren’t any bigger faces to climb. But there are certainly harder things to do and there are other things that could be done in a day that would be a bigger challenge. But just in chaining a bunch of faces, climbing multiple routes in a row, there just aren’t more routes to climb.

TNF: I’m sure there’s a giant sigh of relief. People like guessing what’s next with Alex.

AH: Well, there will be something next, but it can’t really get that much bigger than the triple.

TNF: How do you come up with the thought to do these things?

AH: You do one route and you have a lot of time left in the day and you think, “Oh maybe we should have done two.” And eventually you do two with time left over and you say, “maybe we could do three…” and we did three and we didn’t have any time left over so we said, “we’re over it.”

TNF: So you’re challenging yourself?

AH: Yeah, exactly. My first year in Yosemite, just climbing El Cap in a day was a big thing. Now that it isn’t a huge challenge anymore, you just have to come up with bigger ones.

TNF: What was the most challenging part of the climb?

AH: Just doing stuff for 20 hours.

TNF: So the obvious. There was no moment, it was just the endurance involved?

AH: Each of the routes have specific cruxes to them. Each time we got to them we would know it was the hard part and get all stoked, but they were all reasonable. The real thing was it overall – your feet hurt more and more and you get tired. Which in some ways is why I won’t do bigger linkups. They aren’t super fun. Once you hit hour 12 or 14 you aren’t really thinking, “Oh! Great times!” That’s how it is every time. You think it will be cool till it isn’t fun anymore.

TNF: I have a sneaky suspicion you’ll get yourself into another one of those situations.

AH: Yeah, for sure. That’s the beauty of the game. After a couple months you forget about how bad your feet hurt and you think, “Man it sure would be cool to do four in a day!” But I’m going to need a while.

For more on Alex's and Tommy's Triple Crown record, check out Outside Magazine's article at OutsideOnline.com.

 

*lieback: The practice of pulling on the hands while pushing on the feet.

**stem: Using two widely spaced footholds, or using two faces that are less than 180 degrees from each other.