Saturday, December 20, 2014

Below Zero: Where There's a Will...



For years the icy flanks of Helmcken Falls has been a proving ground for some of the most extreme mixed climbing in the world.  Located in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, this easily accessible falls is 463 feet tall and in the winter the deep cavern of over hanging rock freezes with slick layers of ice.  It doesn't get more treacherous than that.

Back in February, Will Gadd and his teammates made a first ascent of the falls, a route called Wolverine, a WI 11, which he'd been planning for over six years.  Red Bull sponsored the climb and produced a film documenting the adventure culminating in this epic snapshot into how difficult this route truly is.  Will Gadd is a current nominee for National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year for his paragliding escapades! Check it out:




Friday, December 19, 2014

Below Zero: Days of My Youth


So the film Days of My Youth was recently released just in time to get us stoked for winter. And let me tell you, it's incredible!  The skiing, the story, the cinematography.  Everything I'd ever hope for in a winter adventure film.  Sponsored by Red Bull, this film delves into the core of our true purpose for adventure: pure fun.  Days of My Youth might focus on skiing, but its message really touches all types of adventure sports. We venture out to seek something simple: an experience so filled with joy that everything else seems inconsequential.  And that's just what this film delivers.  Just listening and watching these athletes have the time of their lives, only deepens the itch to get outside and live those experiences yourself. It's a fever!  And it's contagious.  But don't be scared; it's the only disease you want to catch!  The film is now available to purchase or rent through various media outlets and it's worth it!  If you need the push to rediscover the child-like wonder of pure adventure, then this film will speaks directly to you.

1. The Cinematography:  First off, the visuals (as seen by the screenshots in this post) are incredible.  The drone and helicopter flyovers are stunning and truly give scope to the expanse of the landscape that is awe inspiring.  It's hardly possible to contain the vocal gasps and ahhhs when a 6,000 meter peak sprouts up with a time lapse of clouds wisping around its craggy powdered tips.  When the athletes achieve great feats of ability, whether tricks or the lines skied, I want to grab my gear and run to the hills (literally). Just see for yourself.  You're in for a visually stunning treat, that never gets old (no matter how many times you watch it, trust me).  From Peru to Utah, British Columbia to Alaska, this film should have been in IMAX.



2. The Skiing:  It wouldn't be an appropriate review without mentioning the incredible talent of these wonderful athletes.  The cast and crew that put together this wonderful film are pure geniuses of their crafts.  And while most people are calling Cody Townsend the "MVP" of the film (probably for his crazy chute that's being called the "Sickest Line Ever"), I'm always partial to the female athletes.  I guess I can relate to them better, plus the more empowered women I see in these epic adventure films, the more I have faith that we are becoming more of a presence in this scene.  So my personal MVP?  Michelle Parker, aka the Black Panther.  She's spunky, quirky, and full of energy.  Everything you want in a backcountry idol.  Your daughter wants to be a snow bunny?  Show her clips of Parker and send her to the slopes (though hopefully with an adult and some lessons...).  Think you have to be like these athletes to experience this?  Wrong!  Get some avalanche safety training, go with a few friends who also know their stuff, and start skinning.  Whatever is holding you back is just an excuse and it's limiting you.  Be bold. Get inspired.



3.  The Story:  Alan Watts, a philosopher who passed away in 1973, is the "narrator" of this film.  An "Eastern philosopher in a Western world", Watts' many inspiring, deep, and meaningful lectures have become the backdrop of this wild film.  And each segment is just as powerful as the next.  He makes you question your life and life in general.  His words reach deep into your core and pull out the most wholesome version of yourself.  These mantras of living life with purpose and not wasting a single moment are the perfect words to fit the goals of Days of My Youth.  Here's just a sampling:

Now the child, as a child, doesn't know how to play the adults game, which is a power game.  And so has to be educated to learn the values of the power game, to learn what's what, and what is important.  But when he has mastered that game, he realizes it has no rewards.  But all the things the adults thought they were gaining by their power game, are after all, not worth having.  That's why you couldn't be rich and miserable.  So that having learned and having seen through the adult power game, you come back to the point of the child.  From the child's point of view, the things which the adult considers irrelevant to survival are perfectly important.  Now you see, that that situation is what's called life.  To be wise, you have to, you have to become again as a child.  To become as a child means you do things which adults consider unimportant.  Wisdom doesn’t come from above down, it comes from below up. 
 What do you desire? What makes you itch? How would you really enjoy spending your life?  What would you like to do with money with no object? If you say that getting money is the most important, you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You'll be doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living that is to go on doing things you don't like doing.  Which is stupid.  Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing, than a long life spent in a miserable way.  It's so important to consider this question: What do I desire?
It doesn't have to be skiing.  If you're into rock climbing, or hiking, or just traveling, get out there and do it.  Life is too short to make excuses and impose ludicrous limitations on ourselves. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen.  Period.  Now pick a dreary evening, get some cocoa and a blanket and settle down for an hour of pure joy.



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Below Zero: A Little Refresher

Need a little break from the 9-5?  The catchy beat of BrokeMC's song "Every Damn Day People" seems to create a burning desire to get out and live.  Even though it's only some raw footage, sometimes that's all you need.


30 Minute Edits: Mount Hood 11-15-14 Trip Report from Jesse Hambley on Vimeo.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

A Video A Day... Inspire a Nation


Ever since Amy and Dave Freeman were selected as one of the candidates for National Geographic's Adventure of the Year, I've been intrigued by their passion and determination of preserving our wild areas.  As founders of the Wilderness Classroom, they've lead educational and adventure trips form canoeing to dog sledding, all the while teaching people about the importance of experiencing and caring for our land.

Their most recent project?  A 2000 mile canoe paddle, sail, and portage from Ely, Minnesota to Washington D.C.  The goal? To bring awareness and support against the introduction of sulfide ore mining on the front porch of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  The mining would contaminant the watershed of this pristine area and destroy potentially all of the natural ecology of the lakes.  As the most highly visited wilderness area in the country, the Freemans knew they needed to take act.

And they did. On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, the Freemans made their final portage to our capitol with their canoe in tow.  And this canoe is amazing.  Along the entire length of their journey, from their big kick-off party, to strolling into DC, Amy and Dave held over 20 events to educate people on this important cause.  And the supporters signed the boat!  Very cool!  They estimate that the boat carries over 2,000 signatures.  they also have over 10,000 electronic signatures on their petition (Sign it Here!).  The canoe's name is Sig and according to a recent interview with National Geographic, Amy and Dave confirmed that the US Forest Service would be displaying the canoe in Washington DC to help raise further awareness for this important cause.

So check out this inspiring documentary about Amy and Dave's amazing adventure to save the Boundary Waters, sign the petition, and maybe, even travel to experience this incredible wilderness area.


Gear Review: FiveTen Guide Tennie




I'm officially announcing my plans to thru-hike the John Muir Trail in 2015!  And I couldn't be more excited! I really want to produce a series of gear videos of what I'm taking on the trail and then gear review videos about my gear's performance on the trail when I get home.  I've always been weary of making videos, I guess because I'm a little self-conscious.  So to get me comfortable with it, I'm going to make a small set of videos about gear that I used in my everyday adventures!


So for my first review, I'd like to talk about the FiveTen Guide Tennie.  This amazing shoe is the pretty much everything rolled into one.  It's a a low top hiker able to tackle an 8 mile Oregon coast trail to a killer lookout.  It's an epic scrambling buddy when you're trying to be a mountain goat.  And it's a pretty kick ass climber, helping you send that fun 5.8 at your local crag.  It's all of these things and that's why it has become my go-to shoe for pretty much everything.


Sizing and Fit   The Guide Tennie is true to size for sure.  I normally wear a women's 10.5, but since they didn't carry that size I purchased the men's 9 instead.  And they fit perfectly.  My toes don't hit the toe box and the lacing enables me to tighten them to my slightly slimmer feet.  The shoe is roomy and comfortable.  The lacing extends the length of the shoe which enables extra fit capabilities.  They are a little stiff out of the box and I would recommend breaking them in.  I might also look into getting insoles for the shoes, since the mid-sole isn't the most suited for extended use.  With that being said, I found they are still extremely comfy and I never had an issues with hot spots, even hiking in the when soaking wet.

Performance   The Guide Tennie is composed of FiveTen's wonderful Stealth C4 Rubber soles and a leather shoe.  The shoe's main uses are scrambling, hiking, climbing, everyday use.  While scrambling alongside crumbling canyon walls in Central Washington and squeezing and climbing through giant cracks getting to the Vantage crag, these shoes kept me confident in the places I was putting my feet.  I've logged over 50 miles in these shoes and I never had any complaints.  I never got any hot spots or blisters.  I hiked in the mud of the Oregon coast trails, hiked ridge trails at Mount Rainier National Park, gotten them completely soaked in the Pacific Ocean (which I washed in a bath tub and they held up their shape perfectly).  I climbed in them at Vantage, leading my first climb and sent a 5.7 and a 5.8 (my first!).  They also worked great working at my school's challenge coarse.  And finally, the Guide Tennie has turned into my everyday shoe. I wear them to school, to the park, to the store.  Pretty much everywhere.  And they've yet to let me down.  The traction is incredible on all rock surfaces and handle any trail condition it's thrown into.

Weatherproofing   I've hiked in most weather conditions and my feet have stayed warm and dry every time.  The leather on the shoes is not overly breathable and they can get a little warm in the summer, but they handle keeping the weather out very well.  When I got them soaked, I was still able to hike five miles in them without getting blisters, but it took two days for them to dry fully.

Pros   They are light, comfortable, with great traction on rocks and most trail conditions, and a great price (still on clearance at fiveten.com).

Cons   They lack great breathability, don't dry quickly, slick on roots and logs, and a bit stiff.

Overall Score   4/5

My Guide Tennies tackling a muddy trail along the Oregon Coast

Monday, December 1, 2014

What I'm Loving Now... November 2014

Product Image
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts

These little balls of goodness have been my go-to everything!  The middle of the hemp seed, hemp hearts are filled with protein, fiber, and omegas 3 and 6.  More vitamins and good stuff than chia seeds and flax seeds combined!  More super energy than caffeine and sugar!  And best of all: they are amazing at curbing hunger.  So that grand plan of turning yourself into a kick-ass super adventure athlete just got easier (Adventure Athlete 101: A How-to Guide)!

I love them in my yogurt, in my cereal, and mostly in my smoothies.  Most mornings I have a yummy banana smoothie chalk full of hemp hearts, chia seeds, flax seeds, and OJ.  It really does do the body good.  And now that I know how amazing it is for you, I plan on eating more of it.  And you should too!