Brower on Film

by Erik Olsen on

He is one of the Olympians of the environmental movement. Loathed by some, loved by many,
and unknown to most. But if there were no David Brower, there would likely have been no 1964 Wilderness Act. There
would probably be no Sierra Club. As far fetched as it sounds, there might be no Grand Canyon (as Brower helped
prevent the canyon’s damming). 

So it makes sense, then, that there would be a film about
Brower’s life and accomplishment. The film, called Monumental “documents the golden age of American
environmentalism, when Brower took the Sierra Club from a regional hiking group into a national political force”. Much
of the footage here was shot by Brower himself, who is something of a filmmaker. He, for example, documents his
1956 raft trip down Glen Canyon, before it was dammed.  A must for green-minded folk.

Land of Noah’s Ark

by Erik Olsen on

When someone says “forty days and forty nights” do you think of a)
the Bible b) an old Schoolhouse Rock cartoon or c) a non-stop out of control Las Vegas binge involving vast
quantities of mescal and several never-to-be-repeated stories about things that happened around the hotel
pool? Well, if your answer is a, then
here’s a story for you (for those who
answered “c”, read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and/or get yourself a one-way ticket to Sin City on Jet Blue).

Aside from its ancient towns and the bustle of Yerevan, Armenia is riddled with enough mountains, hills, gorges and
valleys to keep yourself busy; and if you want to pop over to Turkey and make a go for
Mt. Ararat, the (rumored) final landing
place of Noah’s Ark, you ought to do so. It’s supposed to be an excellent climb.

It all makes a very unusual, but fulfilling, destination for the engaged traveler. The Armenians have one of the
oldest living civilizations, and, historically speaking, Armenia is a fascinating place, recently dominated by the
Soviet Union, that is making a comeback as an historical destination and that is quite cheap. Very few guidebooks
mention it, but Armenia is worth as trip if you have the time.

Summit Envy

by Erik Olsen on

An
excellent article in the
LA Times about Ed Viesturs and the climbers seeking to break records and bag peaks for notoriety. And money.
Calling the phenom “serial summit disorder”, the article really captures the climate of craziness in the world of
mountaineering, as well as some of the dangers of potential excess:     

 Adventurers now compete for the title of the youngest, oldest or the first of their nationality to climb the
Seven Summits, which comprise Everest, Aconcagua (South America), Denali (North America), El’brus (Europe),
Kilimanjaro (Africa), Kosciuszko (Australia) and Vinson Massif (Antarctica).

Some veteran climbers say that the growing mania for records and serial peaks has elevated quantity over quality,
with the climbing lost in a stampede for payoffs beyond the summit. They deride the increasing number of woefully
inexperienced wannabes as trophy hunters.

 The article quotes numerous titans in the sport including Viestures,  Pete Athans, and David Breashears,
among them.