North Face Triology Expedition Underway on Cho Oyu

by Kraig Becker on

In the High Himalaya the Monsoon has moved on at last and the fall climbing season is well underway, with mountaineering teams already taking up position on the world’s highest peaks as they prepare to make their climbs before the frigid winter sets in.

One such expedition, sponsored by gear company The North Face, has set its goals very high. While most are content with reaching the summit on any one of the very tall mountains in the region, which includes Everest, topping out at 29,029 feet. But for the Cho Oyu Trilogy Expedition the summit is just the start of the adventure.

Cho Oyu is the sixth tallest mountain in the world and falls on the border of Nepal and Tibet. It stands 26,906 feet in height, and sits just ten miles to the west of Everest. It is often regarded as the easiest of the fourteen 8000 meter peaks to climb, which may be why the Trilogy team has decided that after they reach the summit, they needed to add a little more excitement to their expedition.

The plan is for climbers Simone Moro, Elizabeth Hawker, Herve Barmasse, and Emilio Prevatali to summit the mountain along two different routes. Upon reaching the top, Prevatali will climb onto his snowboard and attempt to make his descent along Cho Oyu’s north face, while the rest of the team descends on foot.

Once everyone is safely back in base camp, the second phase of the expedition will begin, with Moro and Hawker putting on running shoes and running all the way back to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, while their companions, Barmasse and Prevatali, make that same journey on mountain bikes. That journey is approximately 275 miles in length, with an average elevation above 15,000 feet, ensuring quite the aerobic workout.

Needless to say, this will be an incredible adventure for the team, and along the way they’ll not only pass through some of the most scenic spots on the planet, they’ll also be exposed to Tibetan culture in the form of tea houses, Buddhist temples, and quaint mountain villages.

Girls’ getaway at The Osprey offers more than the norm

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Ladies, give yourselves a break this winter. As you plan your next girls getaway, keep The Osprey at Beaver Creek in mind. This RockResort is the closest hotel to a chairlift in North America, and its post-New Year escape package is sure to put you in a room. From January 6 – 9, 2010, the ReTreat Yourself package combines skiing and snowboarding (guided by pro athletes) and yoga with Beaver Creek instructors – all with the goal of building a little girl power.

So, recharge yourself once the anxiety of the holiday season is behind you with three nights at The Osprey, daily skiing and snowboarding lessons by pros Megan Pischke-Porcheron (snowboarder), Barrett Christy-Cummins (snowboarder) and Kasha Rigby (skier). Then, spend several sessions calming your spirit with Forrest Yoga teacher Amy Baker, balancing the excitement of the slopes with the pursuit of relaxation. Life coach Linda Kennoy is on hand to conduct sessions on Manifesting Your True Personal Power, Fate and Destiny and Energy Fields, Magic and Soul Mates (well, the other stuff sounds pretty cool). The package also includes daily breakfast and lunch, mini spa treatments and a consultation with a skin esthetician.

At $1,428.32, this is a bargain, especially since all resort fees and taxes are included (except lift tickets, which are available at a discounted rate.

University in Virginia opens year-round ski slopes

by Katie Hammel on

It’s always been that, at their most basic, skiing and snowboarding require two things – some sort of skis or a board and of course, snow. And snow usually requires precipitation and a sufficiently cold temperature(this concludes today’s lesson in meteorological science). But as of August 29th, snow – and the weather conditions required to create it – will become unnecessary for American skiers.

That’s the date when the Liberty Mountain SnowFlex Center opens. And it’ll stay open, all year round. How? The complex, on the grounds of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, will be home to a ski slope that utilizes a synthetic material called SnowFlex. SnowFlex aims to be the closest replication of snow. It’s already in use at several European locations and has been used at Olympic training facilities, but this will be the first public ski area in the US to use it.

The Liberty Mountain Center will feature a beginner slope, freestyle rails, and a quarter pipe. Prices are pretty reasonable – actually when compared with the cost of most mountains, they’re downright cheap. Thursday through Sunday rates are $7 an hour. Monday through Wednesday the rate goes down to just $5 an hour.

For die-hard skiers and snowboarders, I doubt this faux snow could ever replace the real thing, but for those looking to get in some more practice time, it’s one cheap way to spend summer on the slopes.

Snowboarder Twitters For Rescue

by Kraig Becker on

The “micro-blogging” phenomenon known as Twitter has captured the attention of many, while confounding others. In a nutshell, the service allows users to send out brief messages to friends, known as “Followers” in twitter-speak, sharing news and information or simply the minutia of your day.

The service came in especially handy for Jason Tavaria recently when he and a companion were snowboarding in the Swiss Alps and became lost in a snow storm. Despite being stranded in a blizzard, Tavaria’s iPhone still had reception, and he simply used his Twitter app to “tweet” his location, which he determined using the phone’s built in GPS. Rescue teams were able to locate Tavaria, who was unharmed and in good condition.

Tavaria’s companion, Rob Williams, was not so lucky. It is believed that while lost, and blinded by the snow, he fell of a 60 foot cliff and died. His body was later recovered from a stream at the foot of the cliff he went over.

The entire search and rescue operation played out over Twitter as well, with friends of the duo sending out messages and updates from the lodge while they waited for word on their rescue. At one point they sent out a request for Williams’ phone number in an attempt to call the young entrepreneur, who had founded the online music equipment site Dolphin Music.

This story is just another example of how connected we’ve all become and how technology is changing the way we communicate.

Laurentian resorts try to stay under the radar

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Quebec‘s Laurentian ski resorts, north of Montreal, are trying to stay low-key. The 14 ski areas dotted along Highway 15 tend to be family owned and operated – translation: reasonably priced.

Mont Saint-Saveur is part of this region’s offering, taking skiers and snowboarders to 38 runs via eight lifts. Ample lighting makes night skiing much easier (Saveur has the most night runs among the Laurentians). A heated floor on the outdoor terrace, and a giant fireplace to go with it, make Saveur a great après-ski spot, as well.

Mont Avila is reputed to have the best terrain park in the region, which includes an Olympic-sized halfpipe. “Snoprk” reflects the handiwork of park designer Patrick Bernier, which I’m sure matters to somebody. If you really prefer to ski alone, consider Le Mont Gabriel (popular with ski racers), Mont Olympia or Belle Neige. Ski Morin Heights is family-oriented with one run cut specifically for kids.

You need choices? Well, now you got ’em. Montreal is 45 minutes from New York by plain, Quebec is about an hour – a little more from Washington, D.C., a little less from Boston. Grab your skis, and trek up to the Laurentians. Put the commercial stuff behind you.

[Via Toronto Sun]