On today’s episode of the firn line, we’ll get to know legendary rock climber and big wall ace, Paul Gagner.  Growing up in southern California in the late 60’s and early 70’s – Paul had a keen sense for adventure. This was fueled by summertime camping trips with his family, and a string of visits to National Parks.  In fact, it was a fateful trip to Grand Teton National Park in his teens, that would give Paul his first taste for climbing. His appetite for the vertical world whetted, Paul started making trips to Yosemite and climbed his first big wall in 1979.  

Since that time, Paul has continued to be a force and consistent presence in the climbing world.  A prolific all-arounder, Paul has made impressive ascents all around the globe, from the Haston-Scott on the south face of Denali, to the SE Ridge of Cerro Torre (both done in 1987), to a monumental ascent and survival situation on Baffin Island in 1995, and a more recent ascent of Sea Of Dreams on El Cap in 2015.

I recently had the chance to speak with Paul about his extraordinary career in the mountains.  We talked about some of his highlight trips and memories, as well as some of the lasting and important partnerships he’s shared with others.  All that and more, on this episode of The Firn Line.

Links:

www.Victorinox.com
www.alaskarockgym.com/
www.hoardingmarmot.com/

Evan Phillips (music)

Patreon

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On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll dive into the final segment of a two-part series with Canadian Rockies legend, Barry Blanchard.

In the first episode, we heard Barry tell stories of his early years in the Canadian Rockies, as well as some of the formative partnerships he developed during that time. We heard about iconic routes like The Andromeda Strain, The North Pillar of North Twin, and the east face of Mount Fay to name a few.

But there was one mountain – a mountain that is central to my own climbing career – that I wanted to spend a little more time talking with Barry about. And that majestic peak is Mount Robson.

Rising over 10,000 feet from the Fraser River Valley, Robson is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. It’s also one of the most recognizable mountains in North America, if not the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, hoping to catch a glimpse of it’s frosty summit.

But to mountaineers, Robson is much more than a photo opportunity. Rather, it is a sacred destination. I place to test one’s self. All the mountain’s aspects feature classic routes – and some walls, like the Emperor Face – harbor some of the biggest and most challenging lines in North America.

One of these lines is called Infinite Patience – a route Barry established up the right side of the Emperor Face in 2002 with partners Eric Dumerac and Phillipe Pellet.

I asked Barry to talk about his years long obsession with Robson, why the mountain is meaningful to him, and what it took to finally make it up Infinite Patience after years of attempts.

Links

Barry Blanchard

The Calling

Evan Phillips

Patreon

The post Rockies Wisdom: Barry Blanchard (Part 2) appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll delve into the first of a two-part series with Canadian Rockies legend, Barry Blanchard.

Barry’s name is synonymous with some of the most iconic lines in the Canadian Rockies – and his first ascents on these mythical walls are many: from the Andromeda Strain – to the north pillar of North Twin – to a gutsy climb on Mount Cephran called The Wild Thing – and a visionary line of beauty up mount Robson’s emperor face.

But like many alpinists, Barry’s career has been defined just as much by strong partnerships and friendships he’s forged, than by the mountains themselves – and this was especially evident during a recent conversation we had.

We talked about everything, from his early experiences in the Rockies, to a string of ascents in the early to mid 80’s with Dave Cheesmond, and much much more.

Links

Barry Blanchard

The Calling

Evan Phillips

Patreon

The post Rockies Wisdom: Barry Blanchard (Part 1) appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know songwriter, and mountain traveller, Jason Tyler Burton.  

Growing up in a working class family on the outskirts of Lexington, KY – Burton was raised hearing the stories of his grandfather, who like many Kentuckians of times past, worked hard to make a living in the nearby coal mines of Harlan County.  Although Burton would take a much different career path, one thing he’s carried with him throughout his life, is an appreciation for the history, culture, and simplicity of his Kentucky roots.

This influence can be heard throughout Burton’s new album, aptly titled Kentuckian.  Spanning the genres of folk, alt-country and bluegrass, Kentuckian is a musical commentary on the past, present and future of rural life in Kentucky.  Americana-UK writes, “Kentuckian is a straight down the middle Americana roots album full of all the delights of the genre. Some stirring playing, acoustic rhythms and rhymes, some keening harmonies, strong blue-collar songwriting all topped off by Tyler Burton’s authentic voice.”

I recently got a chance to sit down with Jason, to talk about his new album, the ups and downs of being a working musician, as well as his love for the mountains, and living simply.  All that today, on The Firn Line.

The post Red River Roots: Jason Tyler Burton appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of The Firn line, we’ll get to know Pacific Northwest-based alpinist Mallorie Estenson.  Growing up in the shadows of the North Cascades, Mallorie participated in athletics as a kid, with an inclination toward the more adventurous side of life.  Eventually, this led to an interest in climbing, and for the last three years, she’s been working as a mountain guide. But Mallorie’s interest in climbing goes much deeper than the guiding life.  In fact, it’s not a stretch to call her a straight up “Dirtbag” climber. And in Mallorie’s world – that’s a good thing.

I recently got a chance to talk to Mallorie about her progression as an alpinist, how that led to a recent life-changing experience in the Picket Range, as well as her future professional and personal goals in the mountains. (All photos: Tim Black)

Links

Mallorie Estenson

Steph Abegg

Evan Phillips

Support The Firn Line on Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

The post Alpine Progression: Mallorie Estenson appeared first on The Firn Line.

I first heard about Steve House in 1995 – when I was living at my family’s cabin on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.  I was 20 years old, working as a park rangers assistant and besides work – there wasn’t much to do that summer,  but chop wood, go for mind-numbing afternoon runs, and fish murky waters for salmon. Unfortunately for me, the mountains were hours away.  But one thing I looked forward to was my monthly subscription to Climbing Magazine. I cherished each magazine like a prized possession, and poured over each story again and again, dreaming of the far off ranges that captured my imagination.

It was during this time that I read about Steve House’s climb of Denali’s Father and Sons Wall – completed in a light and fast alpine style that was coming more and more into vogue in the U.S.  Soon after, I started hearing more about Steve’s adventures in Alaska and beyond – and as the years passed, I watched him transform into one of the most accomplished, and visionary alpinists of our time. 

Steve’s life and alpine climbing career were documented thoroughly in his excellent book, Beyond The Mountain. But in the last few years, House has become equally known for his work with Uphill Athlete.  And that’s how I got to connect with Steve last month, when we sat down to chat for an hour about his new book, Training For The Uphill Athlete, which he co-authored with Scott Johnston and Kilian Jornet.

But before we got into the guts of the book, I wanted to take some time to talk about about Steve’s early years as a budding alpinist in Slovenia – and how those experiences helped shape his career as an alpinist – and eventually his work with Uphill Athlete.

Links

Uphill Athlete

Steve House

Evan Phillips

Support The Firn Line on Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

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Training for the mountains has come a long way – even from when I started out in the early 90’s.  Back then, the mantra was that actual climbing was the best training for climbing. While this is still true in a lot of ways – thinking has progressed – and a lot of that has to do with the emergence of UphillAthlete.com 

Founded by Scott Johnston and Steve House, Uphill Athlete has become a name synonymous with all things mountain sports, from trail running, mountaineering – to skimo racing.

In 2014 – the duo published Training For The New Alpinism – a manual to help alpinists translate training theory into practice to achieve any mountaineering goal.  Building on the success of that book, the team expanded their horizons, and earlier this year, along with world-renowned mountain athlete Kilian Jornet, they published “Training For the Uphill Athlete: A manual for mountain runners and ski mountaineers.” 

I recently got a chance to speak with both Scott Johnston and Steve House, to talk about their respective careers in the mountains, how the two forged an enduring friendship and partnership through training, and what it means to share their knowledge with the mountain community.

My first conversation was with Scott, and like a lot of my interviews, we started out by discussing Scott’s inspirations as a kid, and how that led to a life immersed in the mountains, fitness and training.

Links

Uphill Athlete

Scott Johnston

Evan Phillips

Support The Firn Line on Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

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Have you ever been on a path, where it seemed like everything was lining up the way it should be – things were going smooth, your life felt perfect – and then one day, seemingly out of the blue, something happened, and everything changed?  What once felt comfortable, suddenly felt unstable. What once felt like solid ground, now felt like falling through space.  

As climbers and outdoorsy folks in general,  we pride ourselves on being strong – both physically and mentally.  We’re high achievers that see in mountain faces and blank walls, problems that need to be solved.

But at the end of the day, we’re all human beings.  Not every problem can be solved – and sometimes, what’s most important is being able to look in the mirror and say, today is the day to make some changes.

In some ways, this is what my recent conversation with climber, skier and musician Kjersti Gedde was about.  We talked about her recent decision to walk away from a stable career in the outdoor industry, how music and songwriting helped her navigate through overwhelming grief, and what it means to give yourself permission to simply be who you are. 

Links

Evan Phillips

Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

The post New Routes: Kjersti Gedde appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know Alaskan-based wilderness adventurer, woodworker, potter and teacher, Tony Perelli.

Tony grew up in the farm country of Wisconsin, playing sports as a kid, but also developing a passion for the outdoors, fishing and canoeing with his family and grandparents. After college, Tony found himself in Alaska, working as a teacher for the Anchorage School District, and also meeting a group of friends that would introduce him to mountaineering and packrafting. These formative experiences would shape his life, and instill a deeper sense of love and respect, for the wilderness.

Since that time, Tony has continued refining his life, stripping away the excesses, and focusing instead on living simply, working with his hands, and sharing unique life experiences and connections with others.

Last winter, I got to sit down with Tony, to talk about his life in the mountains and wilderness, as well as the creative endeavors he chooses to pursue, and share with others. Like many conversations on The Firn Line, we started by talking about Tony’s inspirations as a kid – and later, how a random encounter after college, would lead him to Alaska.

Links

Tony Perelli

Evan Phillips

Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

The post The Creative Path: Tony Perelli appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know alpinist and author, Simon McCartney. Back in the late 70’s – the norms of mountaineering were transforming – moving away from the heavy siege style tactics of the past, to the light and fast “alpine style” path of the future. Although forward-thinking alpinists had been employing these tactics in the mountains for years, only a small group of climbers were climbing alpine style in Alaska – and two of these climbers were Jack Roberts and Simon McCartney.

Beginning in 1978, this confident and brash duo made the first (and only) ascent of the exceedingly dangerous north face of Mount Huntington. Then, in 1980 – the team upped the ante when they climbed the enormous 8,000 foot southwest face of Denali. Although the pair readily handled the technical difficulties on the face, it was the insidious onset of cerebral edema that nearly killed Simon high on the peak. Although Simon made it off the mountain after a harrowing descent of the Cassin Ridge – the experience affected him deeply, and he never climbed again. 

But the friendship Simon formed with his partner Jack Roberts never left him – and after 35 years, in a full-circle chain of events – Simon would write a book about the two life-changing climbs he’d shared with Jack. The book, titled “The Bond”, was published in 2017, and was an instant mountaineering classic, winning the esteemed Boardman-Tasker award.

A few months ago, I was fortunate to have a long conversation with Simon. We talked at length about the climbs up Huntington and Denali, the importance of his relationship with Jack, and what it meant for him to write “The Bond”.

Links

The Bond

Evan Phillips

Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

The post The Bond: Simon McCartney appeared first on The Firn Line.

On today’s episode of the firn line, we’ll get to know author, biologist and wilderness adventurer, Caroline Van Hemert.

Caroline has an impressive life resume: She’s a mother of two boys, holds a Ph.D in wildlife biology (as well as an m.a. In creative writing), and, she just published her first book titled, The Sun Is A Compass.  The book, which recently released to critical acclaim, chronicles she and her husband’s 4,000 mile, human-powered expedition from the pacific northwest rainforest, all the way to the Arctic Coast of Alaska.

I recently got a chance to talk with Caroline about this journey; about the literal, ups and downs, the life-lessons she learned along the way, as well as her process of writing about it.

Written, produced with original music by Evan Phillips

Links

The Sun Is A Compass

Caroline Van Hemert

Evan Phillips

Support The Firn Line on Patreon

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym

The Hoarding Marmot

The post A Conversation With Caroline Van Hemert appeared first on The Firn Line.

In April, 2019, alpinists Alan Rousseau and Jackson Marvell flew into the Ruth Gorge, intent on repeating “Blood From The Stone”, arguably one of the most difficult routes in the Alaska Range. But when the duo found poor conditions on the face, they re-directed their efforts, eventually succeeding on a new route between “Blood From The Stone” and “The Wine Bottle”.

The pair were harassed by a group of ravenous ravens, and endured a pummeling at their second bivy. But the suffering was balanced out by incredible climbing, which followed a series of vertical, razor cut, ice-tubes splitting the granite walls. On the third day, the team topped out on Mount Dickey, establishing an instant Alaska Range classic in the process.

Music

Evan Phillips

Links

Patreon

Alan Rousseau

Jackson Marvell

The post Ruth Gorge Grinder appeared first on The Firn Line.