The North Face

Jan 27 | Climbing and Filmmaking, a Life of Passion.

By Cedar Wright

When I went on a climbing trip to Brazil in 2009, with Renan Ozturk, I had just bought a video camera and loaded Final Cut Pro onto my rickety laptop.  A month later, I was loving Brazil so much, I ended up staying an extra two months, and shot and climbed the entire time.  When I came home I had SO much footage, and decided I should try to put together a short film to enter into film festivals.  This was the beginning of what has become a career within a career.  I've been lucky to shoot short films in Australia, Malaysia, all around the western united states since then!  Here is Pra Caramba!

 

Now three years later, I am still passionate about climbing and filmmaking.  I sometimes struggle with finding the balance between these two passions but in the end they are complimentary, and whether I am hanging off the side of a cliff filming or climbing, I feel like I'm living my own personal version of the DREAM!!!  Here is my most recent work, that features fellow TNF athlete Sam Elias defying gravity.

 

Oct 12 | MERU EXPEDITION 2011 - DISPATCH 5

By Jimmy Chin

After twelve days on the route, we summited the Sharks Fin at 140pm on October 2nd.

Often starting at night, we would climb through the day and back into the night, lost between light and darkness. Time and existence blurred. Always fighting upwards. Always pushing the line. We were momentarily confused when there was finally no place further left to go. Exhaustion and joy canceled each other out on the summit. We were numb for the descent. Another battle. Cold. Survival. After making it back down to our bivy in the sky, we spent a final night at over 20,000ft before we embarked on another 20 hour odyssey of endless rappels. Beefy anchors slowly waned through the day and night until eventually we were all anchoring in and rapping off single pieces. We would all stare, will the single piece of gear to hold as the first person would begin rappelling. "Don't rap off the end of the rope" became the mantra.

The sharp awareness of the void below began to dull as we dumped more and more elevation with each release of the brakehand on our rap devices, jolting ourselves down the ropes. Just like we wondered if there was a top to this thing, we began to wonder if there was a bottom. Down and down we went, through the day, through the night with wet semi frozen gloves. Exhaustion was setting in. Until, finally, we reached the lower snow slopes. As the angle eased off a bit, we down climbed. Slowly at first, facing in, kicking each step as carefully as possible, knowing we were getting sloppy and careless. Then, eventually facing out, stumbling, and soon, running downward towards freedom. We tripped, slid and fell shamelessly down the slope. Twelve days in our harnesses. We finally crossed the final bergshrund dropped the harnesses on the ground. We tossed packs, gear slings, cams, ice axes, screws, everything onto the snow. We were back in the horizontal world and finally free of the Sharks Fin.

Low point: Falling through the portaledge when it snapped in half on the fourth day at 19,000+ ft.

High point: Now

We're back in Delhi a few pounds lighter literally and figuratively. And, we have a few new stories. We're looking forward to sharing some of them when we return.

Starting the travel sequence home tonight.

Thanks for following. Here are a few more pics to chew on.

Oct 11 | MERU EXPEDITION 2011 - DISPATCH 4

By Conrad Anker

Posted on behalf of Chris Figenshau, Tapovan Base Camp Manager

October 2nd, 2011. 3p.m.. (The climbers rest before their summit push.)

“You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.”
Bob Dylan said that.  He must have been at sea level.  In the Himalaya, it seems, only Shiva can say for sure.

Upon receiving the predictions of no precipitation for the next five days, I decided to pack up my most Spartan overnight kit, with camera gear, and head up to a vantage point near the base of Shivling’s West flank.   From here one can see the NE Ridge of the Shark’s Fin from base to summit.  After a three-hour hike through Teton like talus,( minus the trail part), I reached the advanced base camp of a group of British climbers led by Simon Yates.  They are intent on climbing Shivling.  Tea with the “Poms(sp?)” is a proper tea experience,  and after being slightly ‘knackered’ from the hike, a very welcome one.  (Thanks again Simon.)

As the sky grew dark I made my way to my bivy spot.  Carrying two cameras, a beefy tripod and all the big glass we brought to India, I was set to crush, kill, and slay the coverage of a much anticipated summit day.  

But wait.  What is this white stuff?  Falling light at first, then steady.  SNOW.

I scavenged a ratty blue tarp from an abandoned camp/trash pile and dug in.  Wrapped in a snow-covered burrito at 17,000 feet I radioed the team.  It was snowing on them too.
“It’ll blow out of here,” I said, trying to impart confidence in the unknown.

“It just started snowing harder when you said that,” replied a dour Jimmy Chin.  He was probably mired in an unpleasant flashback to the storm that thwarted their previous attempt.

“We’ll just wake up at midnight and see…” Jimmy said.  “Wall Team clear."

The scratching of new snow against stiff, frozen plastic set the cadence for what was to be a comfortable, but sleepless night.  An inch of snow on my blue burrito, ten feet of visibility, and the pitter patter of new snow getting louder.  

OhmmmmmmmmmmmmmnamaaaaaaaaaaaaaShiva!  Not now.


October 2, 2011.  Midnight.

“The path to light often begins in darkness.”

-Unknown quote from The River Why.  

One star, two stars, twenty stars, a million.  The clouds part and settle low in the vast canyon between Shivling and Meru.  The high beam of a lone headlamp tears through the night sky across from me.  The team is awake and moving.

By 2 a.m. three lamps are spread evenly across the snow ramp leading up from Camp 3 heading towards the fixed line on the ‘Montana Ice Pitch’.  It is clear, but cold.  In the pre-dawn light I can see something I cannot feel.  Wind from the Northwest is carrying snow off of the ridge.

The first radio transmission of the day is from Conrad who is now at the anchor above the ice pitch.

“This wind is eating me alive!”

His tone is startling.  

“What do you want to do?” asks Jimmy.

Given their utterly exposed position, the possibility that wind chill could shut this climb down seems very real.

“Send up my down Jacket., says Conrad.  

The team’s progress stops momentarily to weigh their circumstances.  Then the sun hits.  

A newly invigorated Conrad leads the first pitch of the day and ends it with a shovel in hand, trenching his way through the cornice that separates the team from the summit ridge.  Blocks of snow whiz by Jimmy and Renan at the belay as Conrad burrows his way to ridge.  Within an hour the team reaches the highpoint of their previous expedition.  In the warmth of the sun they regroup and contemplate the overhanging knifeblade pitch above them.  The Gargoyle.  It would be up to Jimmy to unlock these final pitches to the summit at over 21,000 feet.

I couldn’t see the Gargoyle pitch from my vantage, but it didn’t take Jimmy long to lead it.  When he reached the top Conrad let me know that:

“Jimmy left a big groove in it where he dragged his big steel balls.”  

Nice.

October 2, 2011.  1:40 p.m.

The team disappears from my view for several hours and I get a headache from squinting through the eyepiece of an underpowered lens in an effort to find them.  While the team fights on, I take a nap in the now perfect temperature.

The radio ‘bleeps’ and wakes me.  And then I hear something human from afar.  A distant voice cuts across the calm air of the yawning canyon.

“Whooooooooooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
Then the radio cracks to life.  It’s Conrad.

“Jimmy’s on the summit,” he says with a military like matter of fact.  “Summit time: 1:40.  October, 2nd, 2011.”  There is confidence in his voice.

I look though the camera and I can see something on the summit now.  It looks like a backlit hair follicle with arms.  It’s Jimmy.  The clouds swirl behind him, his arms raised before them.  Twenty minutes later he is joined by Conrad and Renan.  Now it’s official:  The team has reached the summit!

A new route is now complete.  Old business finished.  Success, significance and a sigh of relief are all in this moment.  Conrad makes coffee as the team rests for 2 hours at the apex of their journey.  

Now all they have to do is get down……….

-  Chris Figenshau.  Psyched to have been there, Topovan Base Camp.  Clear.

 

Oct 04 | UPDATE ON MERU SHARK'S FIN EXPEDITION 2011

By The North Face

Congratulations to The North Face athletes Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk! 

On Sunday October 2nd, the team reached the summit of the previously unclimbed Shark's Fin route on the NW face of Meru (20,700ft).  In the game of high-altitude, big wall mountaineering, the Shark's Fin lies right on the boundary of what is possible.  This win didn't come easily - it was Jimmy and Renan's 2nd and Conrad's 3rd trip to the remote Garhwal Himalaya of India to attempt this route. 

 

Read more about this extraordinary journey at http://www.neverstopexploring.com/blog/contributors/Conrad%20Anker/

Sep 29 | MERU EXPEDITION 2011 - DISPATCH 3

By Conrad Anker

Posted on behalf of Chris Figenshau, Tapovan Base Camp Manager:

September 28th 2011, 9AM

Gazing up from Tapovan Base Camp, I can see a solitary pinhole of light piercing the dark hulking midsection of Mt Meru. The team is safe. Dangling at Camp 2 at 19,000 feet.

After two weeks of traveling, organizing, trekking and humping loads to advanced base camp, Jimmy, Renan and Conrad have managed to scorch their way up the bottom part of this route in a 6 day push. The bottom snow and technical ice pitches were climbed in two days to Camp 1, ‘The Balcony’, which lies below several sections of alpine rock and ice. From there the team climbed, hauled and jugged their way up to Camp 2, a hanging bivy situated below the formidably overhanging Indian Ocean Wall. In the past two days the team has managed to climb, (send), the steepest and most dangerous A4 sections of the wall culminating at the ‘Crystal Pitch’, an overhanging prow of aid climbing in outer space. 

“Ahhhh the Crystal Pitch,” says Jimmy. “It’s out there.” 

Yeah. It sure as hell is.

Tonight the team is preparing to move camp above the 20,000 foot mark. Once at Camp 3, the team plans to make a three or four day push for the summit.   

Having benefitted from their experience on this wall three years ago, the team is moving much faster. Levels are high, and the weather has been exceptional thus far with little to no moisture. . (‘Exceptional’ is a relative term that is not intended to imply comfort.) The team has been fortunate with morning sunshine on the route, but by noon the entire wall is shaded and cold due to its Northeast exposure. So far, good progress has been made each day with no days lost to weather or fatigue. With an abyss of steep, overhanging rock behind them, the team now prepares for the final sections of aid and mixed climbing on their way to the summit. 

Fingers crossed, positive wavelength, incense burning. 

Figenshau clear.

Chris Figenshau, Tapovan Base Camp Manager

Sep 26 | MERU EXPEDITION 2011 - DISPATCH 2

By Conrad Anker

After spending a two days building basecamp and sorting through mountains of  gear, we carried loads up to our ABC below our route on Meru. The clouds and mist parted along the 6 hour trek up to our ABC and we scanned familiar reference points on the route, the filter pitches of steep snow and ice, the alpine ridge, the traverse pitches with the tricky hauling, the overhanging headwall, the House of Cards pitch and others. The route and all its challenges were coming back to us. It was exciting to see the icy blade of granite again after 3 years and our anticipation began to build for what would be in store for us in the days ahead.

We took two rest days at basecamp and are headed up to ABC in the morning. If the weather holds, we should be on the route in a couple of days. 

Sep 19 | MERU EXPEDITION 2011 - DISPATCH 1

By Conrad Anker

Ten years to a child seems like eternity. A decade in the chapter of an adult is one chapter in life. On the timeline of humanity, it is inconsequential. In a cosmic and geologic timeframe it is a period of time so small it is unrecognizable. For Jimmy and I, it is a decade of sharing adventures around the world. One peak, Meru, in the Garhwal Himal, is an adventure we are drawn to.

In 2008, Renan, Jimmy and I battled a 5 day storm, intense cold and difficult climbing to be turned back 100 meters from the summit. After 19 days of toil, we tossed in the towel and retreated. Three years later, we are back to give the line we started another go.

Unfinished business. We all have something that keeps us motivated. These aspirational goals are vital to the human condition. We have the drive to finish something once started.

We departed Colorado, Montana and Idaho as summer was slowly giving way to crisp mornings and the change of color. With the miracle of jet travel, we were pretty much on the opposite side of the globe in a 24 hour window.

Delhi, home to 24 million people is one of the world’s most populous cities. The daily surge of humanity and controlled chaos is always eye opening to the three of us, accustomed to wide open spaces.

As on cue, the monsoon focused its intensity the morning we departed Delhi. The underpasses were flooded while the overpasses provided shelter to the stranded commuters. The heavy rains, while welcome for the people of India, also create difficult travel conditions on the high mountain roads.

The plains of northern India abruptly meet the Himalayas at Rishekesh. The Ganges River exits the youngest and tallest ranges of mountains at this holy city.  Rishekesh was made famous in the eyes of westerners when the Beatles chilled out seeking musical and spiritual enlightenment.

The next leg of the journey is to Utterkashi, a mere 160 km away. We had heard the roads were impassable but tried our luck. We encountered several massive landslides. Most of them had barely been cleared. We bumped along through the chaotic debris with tires inches away from the edge of several thousand foot drops down to the raging rivers. We finally hit an active landslide with trees and boulders rushing by which blocked the tenuous road.

We waited for a day, sitting on the road, and finally decided to take a long questionable detour, costing us a day. After some exciting driving and digging at several other landslides, we reached Utterkashi. Beyond Utterkashi, the roads were impassable by bus, so we switched to the Indian Mahindra jeeps.

We piled into one Jeep and joined the flow of pilgrims headed to Gangotri, the holy gateway village of the Ganges River.  The road seemed to be falling apart around us, but our skilled driver navigated us around seemingly impassable sections of the washed out road. As the sun set, we pulled into Gangotri.

Once in Gangotri, we exploded our gear at our lodge and spent a couple days building porter loads and visiting the temple and some of our old Sadhu friends that we ‘d met in previous years.

One Sadhu, Sunderandan, at 83 years of age, is one of the most devout people in the area. A famed yogi master, in his youth he also took part in several climbing expeditions. During that time he picked up a camera, and along side his yoga practice, Sunderandan pursued a lifetime of photography. We visited him in 2008 and we were happy to spend the afternoon with him again this year. He bestowed upon us a mantra for our expedition and gave us a blessing. It was special to be in the presence of such an enlightened being.

The following morning we shouldered our packs and headed for Topavon, a two day trek away. Along the way we stopped at Galmuk, literally the place where the Ganges spills out of the toe of the Gangotri Glacier. This is the source of India’s most holy river and we encountered several pilgrims and holy men along the way. We paid our respects, and dipped in the ice cold water, knowing the water we touched here would travel and touch many others as it flowed through the rest of India.

After an epic hike above Galmuk and across the glacier with our small army of porters, we arrived at Tapovan. Nestled below Shivling with the Bhagarathis and Meru in the distance, Tapovan would be our basecamp for the next few weeks.

Sep 15 | MERU SHARK'S FIN EXPEDITION 2011

By The North Face

In the game of high-altitude, big-wall mountaineering, the unclimbed Shark’s Fin route on the NW face of Meru (20,700 ft) lies right at the boundary of what is possible. The lower third is classic alpine snow-and-ice climbing; the middle is mixed ice and rock; and the final section is a supremely difficult, overhanging headwall. The Shark’s Fin has drawn many of the world’s top alpinists over the past 30 years, but none of them finished the route.

In 2008, The North Face® global athletes Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk traveled to the incredibly remote Garhwal Himalaya of India to attempt the test piece and nearly succeeded. The team spent 19 grueling days on the wall and encountered some of the most technical high-altitude climbing on earth in unimaginably punishing conditions only to be forced to turn back 100 meters from the summit. Haunted by their unfinished business, the team is returning to Meru in 2011 better prepared and even more determined with one goal in mind. Success on the Shark’s Fin.

Follow their journey!

 

Sep 07 | Cedar Wright on Turning his Passion into Purpose and an upcoming Expedition to Summit for Someone

By The North Face

This year I had the privilege and pleasure of attending several Outdoor Nation events to represent the North Face as a proud advocate of the movement to get more youth outside. I told my story of finding passion and direction through climbing in Yosemite, to hundreds of young people who are committed to turning the tide on the sad reality that at no time in human history have kids spent less time outdoors.

I spoke alongside Juan Martinez who is an Outdoor Participation ambassador for The North Face’s initiative to inspire more people everywhere to explore and push their personal limits in the outdoors.  His story of growing up surrounded by the negativity, gangs, and crime in South Central LA and then having his life changed by getting the opportunity to camp out and see stars for the first time was truly inspirational.  Juan’s journey reinforced what I have always believed; that these programs are invaluable for creating a bridge from the hustle and bustle of urban life to the quiet magic of Mother Nature. 

The North Face works with thousands of bikers, climbers, runners, backpackers, explorers and adventurers who are passionate about the outdoors. From the mail room, to the athlete team, we are PSYCHED on getting out there!  I can attest first hand that The North Face commitment to outdoor participation is sizeable and heart felt.  I am proud to say that each year The North Face Explore Fund gives hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations like the one that transformed Juan’s life path.

Last year one of the recipients of the Explore Fund was Big City Mountaineers an organization that is committed to enhancing the lives of under-resourced teens through transformative outdoor experiences.  Their vision is to achieve a lasting presence in America’s major metro areas.  They help 10,000 kids a year, who would otherwise never receive such a fun and inspiring experience, participate in wilderness expeditions.

I love organizations like B.C.M. and am excited to have put together a fundraiser through their awesome “Summit for Someone” program.  Along with an old college friend Bennet Barthelemy, I’ll be attempting a first ascent on the little climbed Dragon’s Horn, one of the largest granite walls in South East Asia.  We’re putting the “fun” in fundraiser!!

This October begins our Journey to Tioman Island, the biggest of 64 islands in a volcanic chain just off of the coast of Malaysia.  The island is filled with armies of voracious biting ants, red giant flying squirrels, binturongs, massive monitor lizards, macaques, slow loris, and the Tioman walking catfish… oh, and 25 species of snakes including king cobras. Tioman is also notorious for insanely fierce thunderstorms and man-eating clouds of super mosquitoes.  It should be a good time!!!   

Our hope is that the climb will not only raise funds and awareness for Big City Mountaineers, but for the greater cause of connecting people to the outdoors.  Climbing and a life spent outdoors, has transformed and improved my life immeasurably and I hope that our wild adventure in Malaysia can help raise awareness and create transformational opportunities for kids that desperately need them.

Every $250 to the B.C.M. sponsors a day of outdoor activities for five teens… Bennett and I will be documenting the adventure through photo/video/words so you can safely and vicariously enjoy the quest summit the Dragons Horn and to help keep kids from suffering wilderness deficit disorder!

Please follow our progress here at neverstopexploring.com, and if you feel the love, Please donate to B.C.M. in the name of our climb at summitforsomeone.org. The North Face is generously donating $4,000 in matching grants.

Thanks and stay tuned for video dispatches of what promises to be a Wild, Beautiful and Arduous Adventure.

Much Love,

Cedar Wright.

 

Aug 23 | UTMB 2011: Pre-Race Interviews

By The North Face

The 103-mile The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc is just days away and our friend Bryon Powell over at iRunFar.com is on the ground in Chamonix, France getting the full scoop. Check back here at the Never Stop Exploring Blog, or at I Run Far all week for race updates. You can also get real-time updates by following @thenorthface or @iRunFar on Twitter.

Today, we're featuring Bryon's pre-race interview with two of the women of The North Face Endurance Athlete Team, Lizzy Hawker and Helen Cospolich. Check out the full post here. You can also read interviews with two members of the men's team, Jez Bragg and Mike Wolfe here.  

 

Many a fast femme will be running the 103-mile The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc this week. Five different ladies have won UTMB in the past. Three of them will face off at this year’s race: Lizzy Hawker (’05, ’08, ’10), Krissy Moehl (’03 & ’09), and Karine Herry (’06). They’ll be joined by the second, third, and fourth place finishers from last year’s race: Nerea Martinez, Agnes Herve, and Fernanda Maciel. Two strong Americans will be joining Moehl in representing the states: Darcy Africa and Helen Cospolich. We caught up with two women’s contenders for the 2011 The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Lizzy Hawker (post-2010 TNF UTMB win video interview) and Helen Cospolich (pre-2010 TNF UTMB video interview).

Lizzy Hawker

iRunFar: You have a lot of experience with UTMB. You won in 2005, 2008, and 2010. In addition, in 2009, you were second to Krissy Moehl. What’s it like returning to race that you know so well? What’s it like returning to a race as a defending champion, knowing that the women’s field is deep with talent?

Lizzy Hawker: The UTMB becomes something that is so much more than just the incredible challenge of the race itself. Every runner, every volunteer and every supporter becomes part of something truly special – the shared passion and dedication make this so much more than just a race – more a shared journey of exploration and endurance within the greater journey of our own life.  I’m just looking forward to the challenge of going deep within myself and making my own journey, while sharing the experience with so many.

iRF: How has your training been going this summer? Have you had any particular training days or trips that were really good or memorable? What kind of training do you do? Lots of days in the mountains? Speedwork? Some of everything?

Hawker: Training during the summer race season inevitably includes something of everything – and is specifically focused towards the races that I am next aiming for.  Thinking towards UTMB then two memorable training stints were a 2-day solo run over the route of the UTMB in June, and a 2-day solo run following the Tour de Monte Rosa just last week.  Each time, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the mountain environment and felt a deep joy in the freedom of being able to move …

iRF: We understand that you’ve raced this summer, most recently winning the 78km Swiss Alpine Davos in late July. For iRunFar’s readers who might not be familiar with this race, can you tell us about it? Can you also tell us about how you felt out there? Did winning that race instill in you some confidence for UTMB?

Hawker: The 78km Swiss Alpine is a beautiful and challenging race and it was a privilege to return for my third win.  Each race stands alone, but the end of one race is the beginning of the journey to the next (a week later I won a 2-day double mountain marathon). Each and every race is unique with its own challenges and demands – but each gives you something to learn and something to take forward to the next race.  These last two races gave me a deep joy and reminded me that if we dig deep in there to really ‘be in ourselves’ at every moment of the race – then surely we can reach beyond what we believe possible.

iRF: Krissy Moehl is returning to UTMB this year, as you know. Who else do you see as your competition out on the course? Are there any other runners with whom you’re looking forward to racing?

Hawker: It will be a privilege to be part of such a deep and talented women’s field, but for me the important thing is to focus on the race rather than to think about the competition.  I hope just to run the best that I can at each moment of the race, to give ‘all’ that I can, to feel joy in my run, and to share an incredible experience with so many people.

Helen Cospolich

iRunFar: We last saw you when you finished the Western States 100 in 20:44 back in June. After that, you went on to win the Silver Rush 50 in July. Have we missed any other summer races for you?

Helen Cospolich: This year I did most of my racing in the spring as preparation for WS100 in June, so my schedule was intentionally heavy then. I raced Way Too Cool 50K in March, Spring Desert 50 Mile in April, Miwok 100K in May, and then Dirty Thirty 50K in June leading up to Western. Because Western was a focus for me, I spent much of my training time on flat ground working on speed, and I think it paid off in my early season races as I PR’d in all of them.

iRF: How has your training been this summer? We imagine UTMB is a goal race. That said, how have you structured your training to lead up to this race?

Cospolich: UTMB is a goal race for sure, but it’s been an interesting season leading up to it this year. I think I’ve found that racing two 100s in one summer pushes my limit for training. Last year I focused solely on UTMB by running the mountains all summer, starting in June. This summer I was still training for WS100 in June, and there was too much snow up high to run the peaks until mid-July. So I feel a bit like I’ve had to cram my vertical training into a month or two. I’m not sure how it will work out for the race, but I do keep telling myself that the altitude shouldn’t be a problem because I live at about 10,000 feet. I’ve spent the last few weekends running 14ers and ski areas. On the weekdays, since I’m working, I’ve been leaving the house as early as 4:30 a.m. to put in some mountain trail running before work. I’ve seen a ton of bears this summer, too.

iRF: You’ve raced in Europe before, and you placed seventh at the 2010 UTMB. Is course knowledge and experience with the abroad racing culture important? That is, is this an advantage for you?

Cospolich: Yes, absolutely! While we didn’t see all of the course last year with the mudslide and reroute, I got a really good sense of the culture and the “scene” of the race, as well as the trails. I went into it last year expecting a course as technically difficult as the Hardrock 100, and was kindof shocked that it wasn’t at all like that. Yes, there’s a ton of vertical, but the trails are so well-used over hundreds of years that they are easily distinguishable, and pretty runable in most places. Last year I was so intimidated by the whole scene of the race, but this year I’m happy to be returning knowing what it’s like. And I think in some regards it’s easier to run your own race when there are so many people around you. I enjoyed being relatively anonymous last year and hope it will be that way again this year.

iRF: You must have a few goals for the race. Can you let us in on perhaps one of those goals?

Cospolich: Honestly, I haven’t yet pieced together my goals for this year’s race. I’m working on that now and should have a good sense of it after I study the other competitors and the course more. There are a lot of very fast American women running this year, but to my knowledge, few of them have done this event before. I’m actually more concerned about the Americans than the Europeans. I think we will have a great American showing there for both men and women! I came off of Western States a little burnt out, raced the Leadville Silver Rush 50, and then I got the stomach flu and spent a family vacation at the beach. When I returned to Colorado I jammed my leg pretty good on a scree face at 13,000 feet, but I’m feeling pretty good now and trying to enjoy the taper leading up to the race and gain motivation over this time. I figure maybe it’s a good thing that I’ve been really busy with work and getting my daughter ready for school and extracurricular activities, which start the week I’m away. But overall, I’m excited to run in the Alps and really looking forward to racing UTMB again.