An Introduction to the Beginning

Season three of The High Route. Let’s call it still in its infancy. We’re beyond toddling, we’ve learned to walk, we’re ready to try new things. One aspect of finding a balance in our coverage and presentation on the site and in print is learning about what it’s like to be a beginner and on the sharp end of an endeavor, such as ski mountaineering. 

At this moment and time, we will spend this season learning from someone relatively new to the sport. (We’ll get more nuanced in a bit about defining what a beginner is.) First, we’ll have an ongoing series exploring the sport from the perspective of someone new-ish to a zone and to the more nuanced aspects of things like independently choosing suitable terrain to ski on any given day, how to train, how to rebound from a scary experience, and more basic functions like how to find good and reliable partners. 

Which is to say that we are introducing you to Oliver Kendall, a 23-year-old recent computer science graduate who now resides in a rustic cabin somewhere near Kelly, Wyoming. Like many who have come before, Oliver has begun piecing together his finances as he enters young adulthood. You might see him serving tables at a local Jackson eatery. Without naming the place, it sounds sorta bougie, which might equate to better tips. You might see him taking care of two kids, the parents of whom seem calm and collected and have trusted them, here and there, in Oliver’s care. They should, after all, Oliver saved my ass a few times in August as we prepared to launch our new site.