Category: Gear

Top-10 Gear Misconceptions

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Misconceptions about climbing gear can leave you wandering in the woods. In this article, we’ll look at the top-10 most common gear-related misconceptions for those newer to mountaineering, and offer some quick comments in answer. This piece was originally published in 2017, but it’s proved so helpful that we pulled it from the archives and […]

Gear Review: Fozzils Bowls

Capture

By Mike Hawkins It has been a long day – one of the most demanding climbing days you have ever experienced. Your legs are wrecked. Your back is sore and you have small bruises on your hips from your hipbelt. You have sunscreen caked into every nook and cranny, but even that didn’t keep you […]

Gear Review: The North Face Phantom 50 pack

Selecting A Crampon

By Mike Hawkins “Man, this is a really great pack…” I said it over and over for months until my wife had finally had enough of it. She had to get one for herself.  While 50 liters is a little small for most multi-day mountaineering and winter ski tours, the small size is plenty versatile […]

Kick Cold to the Curb: Keep Your Hands and Feet Warm on Your Climb

Kick Cold To The Curb: Keep Your Hands And Feet Warm On Your Climb

By Val Peckarsky Regardless of past matrimonial experiences, we have all experienced cold feet at one point or another. As mountaineers, with our penchant for traveling willingly into extreme conditions at high altitudes, we frequently find ourselves on the frontlines of the battle against allowing our extremities to become too cold. Cold-related injuries vary greatly […]

Gear Tips: Midlayers

Chopicalqui Glacier And Rope Teams

By Marc Simonpietri You probably have more midlayers in your closet than you realize. That still-fitting fleece jacket from summer camp? It could work. A light, puffy jacket that never seems warm enough for actual cold weather? That could work too. Truth be told, midlayers are a very adaptable layer that can come in many […]

Selecting a Crampon

Blue Glacier

Above: crampons are required equipment on almost every mountaineering trip, like Mount Olympus’ Blue glacier, pictured. Words: Mike Hawkins In the beginning there were crampons, and they were not so good Have a look here for a fun, brief history of crampons in mountaineering.  Crampons have been around for a very long time, and for […]

Backcountry Cooking: Joys and Sorrows

I am deeply passionate about good backcountry food. While quick missions have me eating ramen and oatmeal packets, I typically stick to “real food” in the backcountry. Cooking is creative, interesting, and just plain fun. Little beats the satisfaction of feeding backcountry partners (and myself!) well, and little beats the peace of watching a wilderness […]

Backpacks for Mountaineering and Other Activities

Backpacks for Mountaineering and Other Activities

Hiking deep into the North Cascades. Photo by Marc Simonpietri.   Long gone are the days of heavy canvas and external frame packs with more tie-down points outside than space on the inside. While these packs were used for decades on on early ascents around the world, backpack technology has progressed at a steady clip. […]

Insulated Pants and Why You (Might) Need Them

Insulated Pants And Why You (might) Need Them

Guide Brooke Warren in prime insulated pant conditions on the summit of Mt. Rainier. Photo by Patrick Chu. Insulated Pants can seem like a burden (will my legs really be that cold??), but they can be a critical piece of clothing in mountaineering, and can make a cold night at camp much more pleasant.  Why […]

Selecting Snowshoes for Expeditions

Selecting Snowshoes For Expeditions

If you are preparing to embark on a Denali Prep course or a Denali expedition with Alpine Ascents, you are also about to enter into the wonderful world of snowshoe travel. There are several reasons for our unilateral use of snowshoes over skis on these trips. First, the learning curve for snowshoeing is far less […]

Rainier Denali Preparation Course BLOG

  • Denali Prep Course: Lessons Learned

    by Ciara Sampaio I went over the Denali Prep Gear List a million times and checked everything off.   I was ready to go!   Was I really ready to go?   Eventually, I just had to go.  Checking off the carabiners and gloves was the easy part.  I found assembling 8 days worth of food to be […]

  • Creating Your Denali Prep Course Menu

    The signs are all there. Flakes are accumulating in the Cascades, the sun sets on Seattle at 4:18 PM, and egg nog lattes have made their inglorious return to Starbucks. Winter is coming! To kick off this most excellent of seasons, our first 8-Day Denali Prep Course is slated to snowshoe off into the very […]

  • Selecting Snowshoes for Expeditions

    If you are preparing to embark on a Denali Prep course or a Denali expedition with Alpine Ascents, you are also about to enter into the wonderful world of snowshoe travel. There are several reasons for our unilateral use of snowshoes over skis on these trips. First, the learning curve for snowshoeing is far less […]

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