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Starting ‘em young!

July 30th, 2010

My good friend and Exum Guide, Zahan Billimoria and I took our sons, Leo and Alyosha climbing last week at Teton Village. The route was an easy multi-pitch climb perfect for 5 year olds getting used to wearing their harnesses and helmets as well as learning rope commands, climbing and being on belay.

Rich, Leo, Alyosha and Zahan ready to board the gondola

Approaching the climb

For kid sized climbing gear check out Black Diamond for harnesses, La Sportiva for shoes and Petzl for helmets.

Alyosha and Leo resting between pitches

Leo climbing with Zahan on top

Leo with his BD Alpine Bod

We finished the climb with cool beverages and dinner at Couloir where the wives (Kathy and Kim) met us with the next generation of climbers, Jack and Gemma.

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Spring travels to the Eastern Sierra

May 27th, 2010

This spring I swaggered out the van with a Thule Ascent box and Revolver bike rack and hit the road with the family for corn skiing, climbing and camping in the Eastern Sierra of California. As it rained and snowed in Teton Valley, we had a little respite from mud season with sunny California weather in the 70s.

I spent a few days guiding with my old friend Tim Villanueva from the Bardini Foundation, which was founded in the memory of my good friend Allan Bard who died while guiding the Grand. For over 15 years I’ve spend my spring in the Eastern Sierra. By far, it has the best spring corn skiing in the west and excellent apres skiing on Tim’s back porch.

We spent some time bouldering and climbing in the Buttermilks. Check out Leo’s moves. He loved the Black Diamond Wiz Kid harness that he can grow in to. We also cruised down to Mt. Whitney and camped for a few days. We tried our Mountain Hardware Habitat 5 which was spacious enough for the four of us and the kids’ ability to sleep perpendicular. It was also bomber enough to withstand some super wind gusts. The kids stayed nice and warm in their Mountain Goat sleeping bags.Finally, we ended our trip with a steam engine ride on the historic Northern Nevada Railway in Ely, NV.

When we got back to Teton Valley, I took advantage of the cool spring with powder skiing. Chris Lander and I had some sweet turns at GT, check it out.

Rich