I spent three and a half weeks this spring in Premana, Italy, a small village at the end of the Valvarone Valley. It’s nestled in the Prealps just east of Lake Como, and is home to CAMP, a generations old family-run Italian climbing and technical adventure gear company that you may have seen in some of my other posts. It is also home to great traditions and wonderful people, a place where it is awe-inspiring to wander the streets cobblestone streets and mountain paths in the sunshine and rain.
Hueco Tanks Bouldering in Texas
Hueco Tanks, TX is one of the best bouldering areas in the country. It’s a great winter destination for climbing, with sunny desert weather. Here are a few shots I took of the Cassin Domino bouldering crash pad, along with some of the local scenery.
2012 ISMF North American Ski Mountaineering Championship
Here are a few highlights from the grueling 2012 ISMF North American Ski Mountaineering Championships, held in Crested Butte, CO this year. C.A.M.P. was a sponsor of this randonee ski race, where the athletes use skins to go uphill, plus alpine ski downhill. This year, the race added a new component, mountaineering, on a ridge line overlooking Crested Butte. The event was held over a two-day period, with a sprint race the first day and endurance race the second. These athletes are incredible, hiking 5000+ vertical feet on their skis, plus tackling the technical mountaineering on the ridge line in ski boots and effortlessly descending icey double blacks. The first place winner completed the second day’s endurance course in under 2 and a half hours!