The MountainWorld™ Blog

Outside in Aspen - a participatory adventure weekend

This coming weekend, June 11-13, 2010, I'll be joining a handful of other professional athletes for a few days of fun and exercise in beautiful Aspen, Colorado, for the Outside in Aspen event. (It's been a great spring here in Colorado, with lots of moisture, making for some stunning scenery - snow capped peaks dropping from blue skies into lush, green valleys. Not bad!)

At the event, I'll be joined by fellow First Ascent athletes Melissa Arnot - just back from her third summit of Everest - and kayaker Jesse Coombs. Additionally, my classmates from Holderness School, extreme skier Chris Davenport and cyclist Tyler Hamilton, will be there. We'll all participate in an athlete symposium / panel discussion as well as participate in various adventure events from rock climbing to trail running, cycling to kayaking. 

It should be a great weekend, with lots of extracurricular events going on as well in the always-fun town of Aspen. 

Check out the full agenda, and sign up for events at the Outside in Aspen website today! See you this weekend!

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Palindromic Inspiration

Many of you have probably already seen this...In fact, by last count on YouTube, nearly 9.2 million people have enjoyed it thus far!

But, it was new to me, arriving in my inbox this morning from a friend.

Take a moment to watch the whole video; it's only 1:44 long, so time is not an issue. The video, created by a 20 year old for the AARP U@50 contest, is poignant and inspiring.

Enjoy!

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Thursday Thought: Haiti, Giving, and Carpe Diem

As I was ice climbing today, I couldn't help but think about the incomprehensible suffering of millions in Haiti, the tragedy of their plight, and how trivial my everyday struggles are in comparison.

So, today's Thursday Thought will be simple, short, yet hopefully profound in some way.

First, seize the day. Carpe diem. Our lives are short, and our time precious. We shouldn't need horrors like earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, death and destruction to remind of this reality, but often we do.

Remember what Sogyal Rinpoche said:

Living with the immediacy of death helps us sort out our priorities in life. 

And, of course, Marcus Aurelius in Meditations:

Live as on a mountain.

In other words, again, seize the day. Let the trivialities of life be just that...trivial. Focus on family, on passion, on living every day with purpose and meaning. For, like it or not, tomorrow you, me, any of us might be gone.

And, finally, if you have the ability, give. Give to Haiti, whether financially, physically, or simply mentally by sending positive thoughts however you do it. But, please, give, give as much as you can, and remember these encouraging thoughts:

The love of one's country is a natural thing. But why should love stop at the border?
- Pablo Casals

Help your neighbor's boat across, and lo! your own has reached the shore.
- Hindu proverb

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
- John Wesley 

Even in the absence of mutual gains, even without indirect advantages to offset tangible costs, some decisions require a transcending of self-interest, whether personal or organizational.
- Roy Vagelos

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.
- Thomas Merton

Mitakuye oyasin...
- Lakota Sioux prayer meaning "We are all related, we are all one."

Namaste...The spirit in my salutes the spirit which dwells within each and every one of you.

- Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Nagqu Airport: Higher Than Any Peak in the Lower 48!

China recently announced plans to finish construction on Nagqu Dagring Airport. At  4,436 meters, or 14,553 feet, Nagqu Dagring with take over the title of the world's highest airport, and its runways will be higher than anything in the continental USA. Wow.

As with all the recent development and infrastructure improvements in Tibet, however, this will certainly be a mixed blessing. Like the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, completed in 2006, the Nagqu airport will certainly bring more commerce, trade, and development to the largely impoverished Tibetan Plateau. But, it will also bring an added influx of ethnic Han Chinese immigrants, diluting the culture of Tibet and further cementing Beijing's grip on the region.

It's always a mixed feeling for me when I see this development in Tibet. On the one hand, I am excited to see the lives of everyday Tibetans potentially bettered by such improvements. But, having actually seen and traveled in much of Tibet, I also know that little of the development manages to trickle down to the local population.

What are your thoughts...Are these improvements good, bad, or indifferent for Tibet and Tibetans? 

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival

Most of us, understandably, think of Nepal as a place where films are shot, not really where films are watched.

But, starting back in 2000, the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF) changed all that. A truly world-class festival, KIMFF each year shows some of the best films from the world of mountains.

I first went back in 2001, where my friends Pemba Sherpa and Ang Jangbu Sherpa and I were dazzled by great films, like He Dances for his Cormorants, about a cormorant fisherman on the Lijiang River in Yunnan Province, China. Another great film that year was the old - but still fascinating - Honey Hunters of Nepal. A film version of the book by Eric Valli and Diane Summers, it documents the Gurung people's annual hunt for honey from the giant, cliffside hives of Himalayan black bees.

Here's some of the film from YouTube:

This year's KIMFF, scheduled to run December 10-14, 2009, will surely be great as well. The film list sounds very interesting, including Dolpo Tulku (see the main website, in German, here), a film about the return of a young, reincarnate lama returning to his monastery in Dho Tarap. Here's a trailer of this film, too:

If you're fortunate enough to be in Kathmandu now, definitely check out KIMFF...I know you won't be disappointed! And, you just might get inspired for your next adventure!

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Blind and Naked

I've heard, strangely, many people remark about Erik Weihenmayer's 2001 climb of Everest that it really wasn't that remarkable.

Sure, he's blind, people say, but it's only Everest...and he had a ton of guides dragging him up.

Guides or not, the reality is Erik climbed Everest. He crossed ladders in the Khumbu Icefall, scurried up the Lhotse Face, climbed the Hillary Step, and stood on top of the world. Blind or not, Erik's a pretty darn good climber.

But, Everest, schmeverest. That wasn't enough for him. Since 2001 (and before), Erik has done some amazing climbs, like Losar, the 14 pitch stunning ice climb near Namche Bazaar, which he climbed with Rob Raker in 2008.

But, probably his most impressive climb that I know of happened just recently when he did the famed and feared Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon to raise money and awareness for The Access Fund. Filmmaker Cedar Wright was on hand to document it (along with my friend Charley Mace, who said it was a stunning climb, too!)

Check out the video below...and let me know if you still think Erik's accomplishments are trivial!! Oh, a while you're telling me that, write down when you last climbed the Naked Edge...with a blindfold on.

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

National Geographic Adventure...is no more...

Some sad news coming today from Steve Casimiro, West Coast Editor at National  Geographic Adventure. On his blog, The Adventure Life, Steve reports today that National Geographic decided to end Adventure's ten year run as one of the top adventure and outdoor magazines in the world.

According to Steve, it's final issue is the December/January issue, which is on newsstands now.

I've had a great time not only reading, but also contributing to, Adventure over the years, and my heart goes out to Steve, founding Editor John Rasmus, and all the others affected by the closing.

Steve put it quite well at the end of his post:

For those of you who are just passing readers of the magazine, its demise might be a mere curiosity or random note of economic discord. But for those of us who care about good writing, great photography, insight and curiosity and advocacy for an engaged relationship with the world at large, it is a truly remorseful day. The outdoor culture is far emptier for this news. Magazines are, of course, businesses, and some of them are nakedly commercial. But some are built around an idea or a calling, and these, the best of them, can create an emotional bond with their readership based on shared philosophy, common passion, and mutual respect. National Geographic Adventure’s tagline, “Dream It. Plan It. Do It.”, is a powerful call to action. More critically, it puts the focus on the reader, where it should be, to get up, get out, and get going. If past experience is any guide, those of us who have been connected to National Geographic Adventure, either as readers, contributors, or both, will carry fragments of that DNA with us, whether we’re writing, shooting photos, or simply out in the world. The magazine might not have survived this economy, but its ideals will. And for that, we should be thankful.

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Lost on Everest & "Thin Air" at the American Mountaineering Museum

Mallory & Irvine at the North Col, June 6, 1924.

This Thursday, December 3rd, please come on down to the  American Mountaineering Museum to help celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, THIN AIR: An Exhibit on Altitude and Oxygen. 

And, if you're interested, stay after the reception to hear me share Lost on Everest: The Enduring Mystery of Mallory & Irvine.

The reception, opening, and my presentation are free for Friends of the Museum and the American Alpine Club Library, $3.00 for AAC and CMC Members, and $5.00 for non-members.

It'll be a fun evening, so come on down to the Museum!

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

Thursday Thought: Hegel, MLK, Obama, and the Dalai Lama

I definitely tend toward the left side of the political spectrum, and identify myself more as a Democrat than otherwise. But, I make a conscious effort not to be partisan...I try my best to praise the positive things the "other side" does and accomplishes, and make my voice heard when the leaders I support are, in my estimation, making bad decisions.

This, to me, is the very essence of democracy: The ability - and, in fact, the need - to voice our disagreement with those in power, whether they be friend or foe. As the historian Henry Commager wrote: If our democracy is to flourish, it must have criticism; if our government is to function it must have dissent.

So, it was with dismay that I heard President Obama chose not to meet with the Dalai Lama while he was in Washington to accept the Lantos Human Rights Prize. I'm a supporter of Tibet and it's quest for spiritual autonomy, but, even more so, I feel strongly that, for us to be a leader on the world stage, we must be willing to make a stand, to defend our beliefs and our ethics...regardless of the political capital on the table.

Certainly, President Obama felt that a meeting with the Dalai Lama would create friction in US-China relations. It almost certainly would. But, our ethics and beliefs should transcend our short-term priorities. By meeting with the Dalai Lama - which has been done by all sitting US presidents since George H.W. Bush - Obama would have sent a clear message to China, and to the world, that we as a nation believe what we say, stand up for our core values, and have a true desire to make the world a better place for all people.

Today's Thursday Thought offers a little advice on taking a stand to President Obama, and indeed to all of us, from the great minds of Georg Hegel and Martin Luther King, Jr:

To be independent of public opinion is the first condition of achieving anything great.
- G.W.F. Hegel

Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe?
Expediency asks the question: Is it politic?
Vanity asks the question: Is it popular?
But conscience asks the question: Is it right?
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular,
but one must take it because it is right.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

And, for those who are interested, here is a video of the Dalai Lama accepting the Lantos Prize on Tuesday:

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.

First Ascent launches in 183 stores!!

Ed Viesturs on Everest, May, 2009. Photo by Jake Norton.

As most of you know, I've been working closely with Eddie Bauer and the First Ascent team for about a year now, helping with product development, marketing, and serving as the expedition photographer for our expeditions to Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Aconcagua in Argentina, and to Mount Everest last spring.

Well, the exciting time has come...While the First Ascent product has been online and in a few select stores for some time now, it will officially launch nationwide in 183 Eddie Bauer stores on October 12, 2009! (Read the official press release here.)

Is the gear any good? Well, I think so...I helped design and test it, using it in my backyard here in Colorado and up to the tippy-top of Everest this spring. In my opinion, it is the best gear out there, period.

But, sure, I'm a bit biased. So, check out what some others have said:

• Steve Casimiro puts the Hangfire Hoodie in his "Top Performers" list in National Geographic Adventure.
• Backpacker Magazine gave the Big Tahoma packa thumbs up in their October issue, saying: "This versatile pack is supportive and comfortable enough for a week-long trek, but simple and light enough for tackling big alpine peaks…The (removable) hipbelt never interfered with high-stepping, and two aluminum stays transfer loads up to 40 pounds directly to the hips. And the double ripstop nylon used in the packbag is not only superdurable, it’s highly waterproof.”
• Backpacker also loved the Downlight Sweater, saying: "This ultra-ultralight insulator nails the essentials: high draftproof collar, grapefruit-size packability, roomy zipped pockets, and light rain resistance–without layering on doodads that add weight or bulk." And, their Associate Editor, Shannon Davis, loved the warm and functional Peak XV down jacket for her climb of Rainier.
• And, Outside Magazine's "Gear Girl", Stephanie Pearson, recommends the First Ascent BC-100 for climbs in wet weather, like Kilimanjaro, where you need to stay dry but not carry too much weight. Read her recommendation here.

OK...you're getting the picture. The First Ascent line was built by guides, tested in some of the harshest conditions in the world, and reviewed by some pretty tough critics. And, it came out on top in all situations.

So, on October 12th, waltz into your local Eddie Bauer store and check out the new gear. It's great stuff, and comes with the legendary Eddie Bauer lifetime guarantee...so you just can't go wrong!

Jake Norton is an Everest climber, guide, photographer, writer, and motivational speaker from Colorado.