I’m currently traveling from Peru to Chamonix, reflecting on a totally unsuccessful three and a half weeks in the Cordillera Blanca. At the end of May I traveled with my special lady friend, Alisa, to Huaraz, the major city in Peru’s Ancash region, situated adjacent to the Cordillera Blanca. Unfortunately, after only about 24 hours … Continue reading Not Sending the Gnar in Peru
Tag: Rob Smith
Cassin Ridge Speed Solo
BACKGROUND I have recently returned to civilization from my eighth expedition to Denali [edit: Not recently anymore! This blog post is finally making it online 3 months after the fact...], the highest mountain in North America. Although the summit of Denali is only 6,155 meters, I think the altitude on the summit of Denali feels … Continue reading Cassin Ridge Speed Solo
Infinite Spur Laps
This blog post is dedicated to my good friend and longtime climbing partner, Mark Westman. I first met Mark in 2001 at Seattle’s Vertical World (the country’s first climbing gym), during Dale Remsberg’s birthday party. I was just a sixteen-year-old highschool kid, but already completely obsessed with alpine climbing, and I had heard stories about … Continue reading Infinite Spur Laps
Hunger Games at Cerro San Lorenzo
After years of climbing exclusively in the Chalten Massif, I have finally exposed myself to another location in the Patagonian Andes. I spent most of November underneath Cerro San Lorenzo, Patagonia’s second-highest peak, with my longtime friend Rob Smith. While El Chalten becomes a bit more like Chamonix every year, the rest of the Patagonian … Continue reading Hunger Games at Cerro San Lorenzo