Author: Jason Albert

Who Owns the Cirque? On Localism in the Backcountry

Who Owns the Cirque? On Localism in the Backcountry

Written by | Oct 9, 2023

Some thoughts on localism and who owns the clique — managing through kindness our scarcity of powder.

Who, if anyone, gets to police local spots? Who gets to “protect” our scarce resource, powder, for select locals? Is it the best local free skier who has lived here for less than a decade? Is it sponsored athletes at all? Is the true local who has been yo-yoing for 20 years and feels entitled to park their sled beyond the wilderness boundary the enforcer? Should localism even be a concern?

Read More
Bruchez, Socié, and Aurélien Make 2nd Descent of the Whillans Ramp on Aguja Poincenot

Bruchez, Socié, and Aurélien Make 2nd Descent of the Whillans Ramp on Aguja Poincenot

Written by | Oct 5, 2023

One aspect of the route, the Whillans Ramp, is a long, exposed, and steep thread of snow bisecting the mountain’s eastern wall. Aside from the ramp and hanging snowfield below, this is a big wall theater visited more by alpinists than ski-mountaineers. 

The line was first skied in 2012 by legendary skier Andreas Fransson. (You can read about Fransson’s thoughts on the line here. It is an excellent read.) He considered the one of his most, if not the most, technical descent he had skied. This is of note considering his legacy of steep skiing, including Denali’s South Face. 

Bruchez, Jules Socié, and Aurélien Lardy completed the second descent of the ramp on the 21st, while the following day, they opened new adjacent ski terrain, calling it the “Mini-Whillans. 

Read More
A Nepalese Ski Descent of Manaslu

A Nepalese Ski Descent of Manaslu

Written by | Oct 2, 2023

As the autumn waxes and wanes in the Himalayan high country, we hear some interesting news of the positive persuasion. As reported in the Himalayan Times and Nepal News, 45-year-old Tshering Pande Bhote skied from the summit of Manaslu on September 21. At 8,163m/26,781ft, Manaslu is the world’s eighth-highest peak. 

Read More
BD’s Cirque 22 Ski Vest Reviewed

BD’s Cirque 22 Ski Vest Reviewed

Written by | Sep 29, 2023

Your typical running vest lacks a waist belt, has some built-in storage resting on your back for some bulkier extra layers, built-in pockets on the shoulder straps (or vest front) to hold 500ml soft flasks and easy-to-grab calories, and a relatively lighter, airy feel compared to an equally sized backpack. The Cirque 22 Ski Vest sports all these features. The ski vest, available since 2020 from BD, isn’t new; it’s just one of those pieces of gear that still shines.

Read More