The North Face

Feb 01 | Max Lowe shares his experience on being the son of two extreme TNF mountaineers

By Athlete Parents

Growing up as the son of two of the world’s most renowned alpine and high altitude mountaineers has been no ordinary childhood. Since I was a small boy, my father Alex Lowe was off in the mountains for more of my life than he was around me. On October 4^th 1990, 7 days before my second birthday Alex became the 40^th American to successfully reach the summit of the famed Mount Everest. I flew as a toddler to Thailand with my mother to meet my returning father, making my first intercontinental travel as a two year old. Since that first trip to meet up with Alex,  I have ventured with my family to many other wild places in this world along with Alex and later Conrad. 

 

I have gotten used to meeting people and having them ask “Lowe like Alex Lowe the climber?” As I move through life, I am continually amazed by the people I cross paths with who truly knew my father and looked up to him as a hero, not only for his prowess as a climber but for his integrity, compassion and life loving nature as a person. I was first exposed to the magnetic effect that Alex had on people after he died in 1999. An avalanche on Shishapangma, a peak high in the Tibetan Himalaya took his life. Over the next few months, my family received hundreds of consoling letters from friends, coworkers and even people who had never met Alex, sharing how he had influenced or impacted their life. To me he had always just been my dad. Of course he was my hero, but I didn’t know him through his accomplishments as a professional athlete, but through every day life. Early mornings, ski days, practicing violin together and post cards and trinkets I received from far reaches of the globe. I am continually building on who my father was as I meet people he befriended from all over the world. In this sense, as well as just being my dad, he will remain an inspiration for me throughout my life. 

           

In April 2001 my mother Jennifer Lowe married one of Alex’s best friends and climbing partners Conrad Anker. Interestingly enough, Conrad holds a very similar position in the climbing community. He is an esteemed and highly respected alpinist in the climbing community, owning a large number of first accents and difficult successful summit bids. It had actually been Conrad who secured Alex a position with The North Face all those years back. Having Conrad fill the father position in my life over the last 11 years of my life has been spectacular. We have continued traveling the globe as a family, following Conrad to places his adventures led him. Conrad has played an integral part in my development into the young man I have become. From encouraging me through school to college graduation, to helping me develop myself as a photographer he has become my hero and mentor in many senses. 

I also have to give credit to my wonderful mother who through all the expeditions and months of travel my fathers and stepfathers jobs demanded was able to raise my two brothers and myself into the young men we have become. Jennifer has remained home as the backbone of the family structure that has remained even through all of the chaos of living in a family of professional mountaineers. 

Growing up in the shadow of these two amazing individuals, Conrad Anker and Alex Lowe, has been a trip and a blessing. Definitely different from your average upbringing in the US, but I would have it no other way. My fathers and mother have showed me the door into my passion for the outdoors, and the insight to explore the world for more than what meets the eye, and for that I thank them. 

 

Jan 30 | TNF Sustainability ambassador james balog on the continued success of feature film chasing ice

By The North Face

Whew! The wild ride continues. “Chasing Ice” continues to show to sellout crowds and standing ovations. The insight into climate change provided by the film has been inspiring and uplifting for the audience—and for those of us in the field and creative teams, seeing our handiwork on the big screen is FANTASTIC!

As of today, the film has shown seven times, with one more screening tomorrow. New friends, passionate about the cause and the art, grow out of every presentation. At one special screening for 350 high students, a poll showed that essentially ALL of them left the auditorium with a profound understanding of how real climate change is.

Hollywood Reporter gave us a terrific, thoughtful, well-written  review: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/chasing-ice-sundance-film-review-284913.

 

Team members left to right: Adam LeWinter, Dr. Tad Pfeffer, James Balog (with one of our time-lapse camera boxes), film director Jeff Orlowski, Svavar Jonatonsson.

To learn more about The North Face's sustainability efforts and ambassador James Balog please visit http://expeditionsustainability.com/

Jan 25 | James Balog :: "it looks like the world is hungry for a clear and compelling story about climate change"

By The North Face

 

It looks like the world is hungry for a clear and compelling story about climate change. 

 

"Chasing Ice," a 75-minute documentary about the Extreme Ice Survey, had its world premiere Monday night here at the Sundance Film Festival. The film reveals the immortal beauty of icy landscapes in Greenland, Alaska and Iceland at the same time it shows how fast they're being altered by climate change. 

 

27-year-old, first-time feature director Jeff Orlowski created the film. He is one incredibly tenacious, persevering guy--a truly extraordinary individual.

 

It was overwhelming...awe-inspiring...exhilarating...humbling to see and hear the passion in the audience's reaction. We had two standing ovations (Sundance regulars tell me that one standing ovation is rare and two are unprecedented). What a wild night! 

 

To give you a sense of the response, here are the very first press blurbs: 

 

"Chasing Ice is amazing. Definite Oscar contender for docs." Mina Hochberg / Outside Magazine & AM New York

 

“Beautiful and terrifying." Jad Yuan/New York magazine

 

“Amazing.  Wow. I'm so glad I came to this screening so I could hear the q and a.  It is very well done and powerful.” Jesse Hawthorne / San Francisco Bay Guardian

 

“It was really good. The debate about climate change is over.” Greg Reitman / The Environmentalist

 

“The doc really worked for me. It looks terrific and there's a solid character story as well.” Dan Feinberg / Hit Fix

 

“It is incredible.  It is such an important film.  I'm going to tell everyone about it.” Gilda Brasch/IDA

 

“An amazing film.” Kim Voynar/ Movie City News

 

One of Sundance's lead festival programmers told me "This is the climate change film we've all been waiting for."

 

Need I say more??!! 

 

More to follow in another day, as certain VERY interesting details unfold...

 

 

Nature photographer James Balog, left, and director Jeff Orlowski, from the documentary "Chasing Ice," pose for a portrait during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Victoria Will) 

 

Nov 28 | Snow Safety Month :: The Inside Scoop with Protect Our Winters

By The North Face

Living in Colorado, one plague I dread every spring is the threat of dirty snow.

Blowing in from southeastern Utah, dirt poses two problems.

The first is personal danger, as dirt forms a weak layer and poorly bonds with newer snowfall, resulting in a sketchy layer buried in the snowpack as spring tours come into play.  Simply put – dirt equals danger.

Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies 

The second problem dirt causes is irregular melting and accelerated run off. Irregular melting forms sun cups which wreak havoc on spring corn cycles and have spawned an entirely new vocabulary with my friends. What was formerly thought of as buttercakes or reconstituted spring pow turns into frozen ocean and junkyard chunder. Ever had a ski partner go down with a broken rib from a fall on frozen chunder landing on their beacon?  Not pretty, I can tell you.

 Dirt and avalanches

Beyond the selfish context as a backcountry skier, dirt poses a much bigger issue than just personal safety. The Center for Snow Studies based in Silverton, Colorado has been focused on this problem for years, as it tracks to a much larger macro issue  - that of climate change.

 Note to self, ski the clean snow

The dirt that blows in on the front end of Colorado storms in the form of apocalyptic billowing red clouds is at least in part due to the fact that the southwestern US has been under prolonged drought for years now.  Climate models show we're likely to only see this increase as the planet warms, turning the southwest, eventually, into a dust bowl. While dust on snow has multiple causes (grazing, off road vehicle use, drilling impacts, agriculture), drought only exacerbates the impacts.

The kicker here is scientific research that culminated in a story in the Los Angeles Times by Eryn Brown (September 21, 2010), that shows dirt on snow reduces the amount of water flowing in to the Colorado River by a conservative estimate of 5%. What does 5% mean? 5% translates to over 250 billion gallons annually which equates to twice the amount of water a city such as Denver or Las Vegas uses in a year and equal to what Los Angeles consumes in 18 months.

 Independence Pass, CO. Snow to the left goes to the Atlantic, to the right the Pacific

Dirt also reduces snow’s albedo (reflectivity) by 30%, increasing melting by 50%. It’s akin to putting a black’80s concert t-shirt on during your next sunny spring tour. That rapid melt exposes surface vegetation earlier in the spring which consumes the runoff prior to reaching the river. Additionally, the faster decline of the snowpack negates the positive impact that traditional slower melts have in terms of cooling the atmosphere by reflecting heat.

So, next time you consider burning an old pair of rock skis as a tribute to the snow god Ullr add a few good words to keep the dirt away. And be sure to make good decisions, whether schralping pow in the backcountry with friends or in terms of consumption of plastic, energy and gas.

Penn Newhard is a Protect Our Winters Board member, Partner at Backbone Media and aspiring ski tech for his alpine racing kids.

 

 

Nov 14 | Snow Safety Month :: The Inside Scoop with SOS Outreach

By The North Face

Anyone who participates in snowsports knows that the enjoyment we get from playing in the snow comes with certain inherent and inevitable risks. Obviously these risks can not be eliminated, but they can be avoided by building awareness and practicing safe skiing and riding. While many veterans of resort skiing may see the Mountain Safety Code as something that is merely printed on napkins for the sake of inexperienced tourists, it contains useful information that can be beneficial to everyone on the mountain regardless of skill level. At SOS Outreach, we make sure all of our students are familiar with the Mountain Safety Code and ride safely and in control at all times. For those of you who may feel too experienced to read the napkin, here is a little refresher on the guidelines of the Mountain Safety Code: 

 

             1. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

             2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

             3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above.

             4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

             5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
             6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

            7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

At SOS, we teach our students that the code is not only about safety, but also consideration for other skiers and riders on the mountain. Snowsports are something people do for enjoyment, and being a courteous and considerate rider will make the mountain experience better for you and everyone around you. We always teach our students to ride respectfully, have compassion for those they share the hill with, and encourage others to do the same.

SOS Outreach is a non-profit that provides value based leadership and character development training for underserved youth through outdoor adventure sports. Operating in 15 states, as well as New Zealand, SOS works to inspire a love of the outdoors in kids who otherwise wouldn’t get the opportunity to participate in the sports we all love so dearly. By exposing kids to new outdoor sports, SOS uses the outdoors as a platform for personal growth of our students. 

Hear what The North Face athletes have to say about Snow Safety:  http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/exploration/know-boundaries/?stop_mobi=yes

Nov 07 | Snow Safety Month :: The Inside Scoop with Ski New Hampshire

By The North Face

As you become a stronger skier/rider inevitably you’ll end up hitting the woods and exploring gladed runs.  Especially on powder days you’ll find aggressive skiers and riders venturing further away from the heart of the ski area.  Often that’s where you’ll still find sweet lines and powder stashes even late in the day.  It’s easy to let the adrenaline take over and just charge down terrain that you dream of without thinking.  Times like that are when you need to take account of things.
 



First and foremost, if you’re getting off the beaten path don’t do it alone.  Ideally you want a group of three.  If someone takes a bad spill and is banged up you then have one friend to go get help while the other friend stays to give aid to the injured skier/rider, especially in case they lose consciousness.

As simple as it sounds, don’t explore terrain you aren’t familiar with.  There’s no explanation for the feeling of hitting the end of a run and realizing you are in a totally foreign location.  Hiking through deep snow is a disaster, especially when disoriented, don’t put yourself in that spot.  Stick with someone who knows exactly where they’re going or ask around to educate yourself.  If you aren’t 100% sure, stick to runs you know.  A cell phone in your pocket is not an excuse to be stupid.

Keep it Safe and Keep it Fun! 

http://www.skinh.com

Hear what The North Face athletes have to say about Snow Safety:  http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/exploration/know-boundaries/?stop_mobi=yes

May 10 | Guest Blog: Taking Action for Healthy Kids

By The North Face

Never Stop Exploring Guest Blog by Deb New, mom and director of communications, Action for Healthy Kids

It’s no secret that we have an obesity epidemic, especially when it comes to our kids. Like The North Face, we here at Action for Healthy Kids are all about helping kids develop healthy habits for a healthy lifestyle. If we don’t help our kids eat right and be active, they’ll be the first generation to live short lives than us – their parents. We cannot let this happen!

The North Face thought you might be interested in knowing a little about us and how you can “Take Action for Healthy Kids”! We’re the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer networking working with schools and families to help kids learn to eat right, be active every day, and be ready to learn. We do this with 20,000 volunteers, a national network of 70+ partner organizations, and generous supporters like The North Face. Last school year, we reached 4.5 million kids in 9,200 schools across the country.

 

We still have a long way to go. However, with the support of leading organizations like The North Face, that recently joined our movement with a $30,000 donation to help more kids get up and get moving, we are making a difference. Thank You, The North Face!

 
Did you see Ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes cross the finish line of the LIVE! with Regis and Kelly Run Across America on Tuesday? We are honored to have been the beneficiary of this unique awareness and fundraising campaign to combat childhood obesity and to inspire more Americans to get moving and live active lifestyles.

You can get a glimpse of our impact in the Click for Kids Facebook contest. Watch a video about Action for Healthy Kids, and when you vote for us, Northwestern Mutual Foundation will donate $10 to us. You can also join our Facebook page to hear stories and learn more.

 
We’re creating change from kindergarten through high school by helping schools create policies and action plans, and then providing fun and engaging programs that work.

If you’re interested in Taking Action for Healthy Kids, here are some easy ways to get started:

Go to www.ActionforHealthyKids.org and sign up to receive valuable information.

Check out our Family Corner.

Find other ways you can get involved or make a donation.