Moving Mountains Magazine

Girls Education International could win a $25,000 grant if you vote now

2008-12-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

Heidi climbing during HERA Climb4Life, SLC, 2007, photo by John Evans

December 1, 2008—Heidi Wirtz, professional climber and The North Face Athlete, up to win the $25,000 Inspiring Soles Award

The North Face athlete and professional climber Heidi Wirtz, co-founder of the nonprofit Girls Education International (Girls Ed), was notified in October that she was one of five semifinalists for the Inspiring Soles Award. Votes are now being collected to choose the finalist at the Inspiring Soles Website. Wirtz is the only climber in the group of athletes nominated for the award. Previous climbers who have won the award include Timmy O’Neill, who works with the disabled.

Heidi building a roof on a Moroccan House. Photo by Kris Erickson

Created by Crocs Inc. and Outside Magazine, the Inspiring Soles Award celebrates athletes who have dedicated their lives to shattering boundaries and raising awareness for meaningful causes. Wirtz has worked tirelessly for the past two years on fundraising and implementing projects for Girls Ed, and over the years she has regularly volunteered for HERA Climb4Life events, the Khumbu Climbing School and the dZi Foundation.

As a semifinalist, Wirtz received $5,000 to donate to the charity of her choice plus $500 worth of Crocs merchandise.

“It was fantastic to win $5000,” said Wirtz of the award. “It will pay for our Liberia Scholarship Program (LSP) through spring of 2010.” Implemented as Girls Ed’s first major project, the LSP provides $71 per year, per child to 47 girls in the mountainous regions of Liberia so they can pay their school fees.

As a finalist, Wirtz would win an additional $25,000, a Crocs shopping spree, a trip to Santa Monica, a full-page profile in Outside Magazine and a PSA ad for Girls Education International.

“If we win the $25,000, we could also pay for the viability assessment we need to do in a remote village in the Hushe Valley of Pakistan where we want to renovate a girls’ school,” Wirtz added, enthusiastically.

Girls Education International seeks to raise awareness and funds to help educate women and girls in impoverished areas in the mountainous regions of the world. For more information, please visit: www.girlsed.org or write to girlsed@gmail.com.

Heidi in Morocco, photo by Kris Erickson

Heidi in Morocco, photo by Kris Erickson

Climber-Run Nonprofit to Hold Benefit Dance Party at the B Side Lounge in Boulder, CO

2008-10-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Girls Education International, a nonprofit organization founded by The North Face athlete Heidi Wirtz and Rock & Ice senior contributing editor Lizzy Scully, will be hosting a late-night dance party fundraiser at the hippest new club on the Front Range, the b Side Lounge Restaurant in Boulder, Colo., 13th street between Pearl and Spruce, on Thursday, October 9, from 9:30 p.m. to 1:45 a.m.
The fundraiser includes goodie bags for the first 25 people through the door, a wine tasting provided by Redwood Creek Winery, FREE beer and hors d’oeuvres until 10:15 p.m., $5 Grey Goose Cosmos all night, and a tiered raffle for everything from artwork to quality outdoor goods. Live VJs will keep the beat going until 1:45 a.m. Music by: Jayce, Dirt Monkey, 1KONOKL4ST, Super Tuesday, along with a performance by the Kaivalya Hoopers. All proceeds will benefit GEI’s projects in Nepal, Liberia and Pakistan.
Because GEI is staffed entirely by volunteers, it is able to give 90% of its funding directly to the girls and schools it supports. Money goes for school renovation assessments, scholarships, books and uniforms.
Girls Education International seeks to raise awareness and funds to help educate women and girls in impoverished areas throughout the world, and will particularly support an ongoing girls scholarship program in Liberia and a new project in northern Pakistan. For more information, please visit: www.girlsed.org.

Marilyn Price Founded Trips for Kids

2008-08-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Shelah Moody, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, August 17, 2008

Longtime environmentalist and bicycle enthusiast Marilyn Price uses her passions to improve the lives of poor children. In 1986, Price founded Trips for Kids, a Marin County nonprofit that provides job training and outdoor activities for young people.

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"We take about 1,300 to 1,500 kids a year on daylong mountain bike rides, through Marin County, state and national parks," she said.

While she once aspired to become a social worker, she found that organizing mountain bike adventures was the perfect outlet for her to help young people. Price got the idea more than 20 years ago when she was biking on Mount Tamalpais.

"I was looking across the city; I used to volunteer at St. Anthony Dining Room, and I was remembering that area and the kids that used to live there," she said. "I thought it would be nice to bring them on a mountain bike ride to Mount Tam."

Since it incorporated as a nonprofit in 1988, Trips for Kids has benefited 14,520 children from more than 300 Bay Area schools and youth-service agencies. In 1999, it became a national program; it now has 64 chapters in the United States and Canada.

"For seasoned bicyclists, the day trips don't seem difficult, but for the children, it's a new experience, being out on a mountain bike, and going for several hours at a time," Price said. "It's a real challenge. ... They learn that if they just stick with it, they can make it. They get the encouragement of volunteers and the other kids."

In 1994, Price and the Trips for Kids staff opened the Re-Cyclery at 610 Fourth St. in San Rafael, which Price says is the largest bicycle thrift shop in the country.

"We also get donations from bicycle manufacturers around the country," she said. "(Re-Cyclery) helps provide affordable transportation for people and funds more than 50 percent of Trips for Kids."

The Earn a Bike Program, which was set up primarily for children in San Rafael's low-income Canal district, is a major component of Trips for Kids. The program teaches kids how to fix bikes so they can earn points toward bikes of their own.

As executive director of Trips for Kids, Price rode on biking trips for 10 years. Now she works 70 hours a week in the office. Price, 67, who has two adult children and four grandchildren, also spends 45 minutes a day riding her mountain bike to stay in shape. She said her goal is for Trips for Kids to become as prominent as the Boys and Girls Club of America.

"We are very proud to have started this idea in Marin and to have it take hold across the country," Price said. "It's a testimonial to what we're doing and to just how much people love the mountain bike."

For more information, go to www.tripsforkids.org

SmartWool Receives Local Philanthropic Award for Business Practices

2008-07-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Steamboat Springs, CO, July 31st, 2008 — SmartWool, Inc. was recently recognized as “Business Philanthropist of the Year” by the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. The award was accepted at the 11th Annual Celebration of Philanthropy Dinner ceremony honoring local individual, youth and business philanthropists for their vision, contribution and broad impact on the community.

“We are honored to receive this distinction from the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. It’s wonderful to be a part of a community that is home to so many fantastic non-profit organizations that really do make a difference in people’s lives,” states Mark Bryden, SmartWool President. “With so many opportunities, the giving part is easy and it feels good.”

SmartWool is committed to leaving “a smart footprint” on the planet for future generations. An example of this commitment is the company’s policy to provide 40 hours of paid leave per year for each full-time employee to volunteer their time for a nonprofit organization. In 2007, SmartWool employees volunteered 1,000 hours in their community. In addition, once a year the office is closed for a community service clean-up day, which was recently held at Hinman Campground in North Routt.

“We are proud to recognize and honor SmartWool, a company that actually lives the philosophy they promote to effect positive change in the world. They generously contribute funds, products, as well as the valuable time of their employees to help nonprofits and worthy causes in our community and beyond,” states Betsey Jay, Executive Director of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation. “They really ‘walk the talk’, which is pretty cool for a company that makes socks and so much more.”

In addition to product donations, SmartWool also contributes ten percent of every website order to the Advocacy Fund. The advocacy program is comprised of two separate funds and financed by separate revenue sources. The SmartWool Advocacy Program is funded by a percentage of net sales of SmartWool® products sold on www.smartwool.com. Additionally, a percentage of net sales from SmartWool “Pink Ribbon” socks go to the SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund. Since its inception four years ago, the SmartWool Advocacy Program has donated monetary as well as products in-kind to deserving non-profit organizations. A group comprised of SmartWool employees makes the final decisions on which worthy causes receive donations.

A Bicycle Changed My Life

2008-07-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

HIGH BRIDGE, New Jersey (CNN) -- "The thought that I can reach out and permanently improve someone's life for the better is addictive," says Dave Schweidenback.

Several times a year, the 55-year-old can be found prepping large shipments of used bicycles bound for a developing country. For Schweidenback, gathering and breaking down these bikes is a labor of love -- one that is helping to keep the bikes out of landfills and give them new life.

"Used bicycles can transform the economic and social condition of families," says Schweidenback. "[They] give people access to jobs, health care and education that is too distant for walking."

Since 1991, Schweidenback's nonprofit Pedals for Progress has collected and shipped more than 115,000 used bicycles to 32 developing countries worldwide, where they are sold at a low cost to local residents like Don Roberto Garcia.

"A used woman's mountain bicycle changed my life," says Garcia, 54, a house cleaning supplies salesman in Nicaragua who works six days a week to support his six children and buy medicine for his wife, who suffers from cancer.

For 20 years, Garcia walked six to seven hours a day, hauling his merchandise in a wheelbarrow along a 6 mile route. This earned him $2-$3 a day.

"More than anything, I would always return home so tired from the walk," Garcia recalls.

Little by little, Garcia saved his money and was able to buy a used bicycle six years ago from a Pedals for Progress partner agency in Jinotepe, Nicaragua.

"Because of a bicycle, I now earn about $4 a day," says Garcia. "I sell more and I do my rounds quicker. I tell everyone to go buy a bicycle."

The seeds for Schweidenback's Pedals for Progress were planted years ago while he was volunteering for the Peace Corps from 1977-80 in Ecuador, near the Amazon Basin.
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"Besides the bus that comes through town and one guy that owned a pickup truck, everybody walked everywhere all the time," he recalls.

"My landlord was the exception because he owned the only bike in a 500-mile radius. He was the most successful man in the region because he could access a job and get wherever he needed to go."

Years later, Schweidenback noticed used bicycles at garage sales and in garbage cans throughout his New Jersey community.

"I remembered how [the need] in developing countries was so great, that I couldn't stop thinking about it," he says.

Knowing the bikes could be put to better use, Schweidenback asked members of his community to donate 12 used bicycles; he planned to send them to Ecuador. The community brought him 140. Within a year, Schweidenback had created Pedals for Progress and shipped roughly 500 bicycles to developing countries.

Today, Schweidenback organizes 140 used bike drives each year and, on average, collects 90 bicycles in three hours. Donors are asked to pay a $10 fee per bike to help cover shipping costs and reduce the cost of the bicycle when it's sold overseas. Each bike is sold for about $15.

"There's a bike that's unloved in every garage in this country. Rather than put these old bikes in landfills for no reason, we can use them as economic stimulus to aid our neighbors," Schweidenback says.

"This is the transfer of wealth between nations because these have great value overseas. And they give people the ability to hold a job or a child the ability to go to school."

Pedals for Progress bicycles have been sent to countries in Central America, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. For Schweidenback, knowing he's making an impact keeps him going.

"You can change someone's life with your bike."

Chaco Proudly Sponsors National Geographic Adventure Lecture Series with the Green Living Project™

2008-07-21T09:41:00.001-07:00

Paonia, COLO, July 14th, 2008 — Chaco, the maker of the finest quality adventure footwear, is teaming up with the Green Living Project™ this summer to help promote its lecture series taking place at various R.E.I., LL Bean, and Eastern Mountain Sports locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Presented by National Geographic Adventure, the nationwide Green Living Project™ Lecture Series is a must-see, multi-media event for any Africa enthusiast, adventure traveler or sustainability advocate. The lecture will revolve around an expedition led by the Green Living Project™ that documented sustainability projects across Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in March 2008. Also the series will include valuable tips about responsible adventure travel including the latest new eco-lodges, wildlife conservation, alternative energy, community projects, and volunteer opportunities throughout East Africa.

“Chaco is thrilled to be part of this great opportunity with the Green Living Project,” said Brian Scranton, Director of Marketing at Chaco, “We are passionate advocates of alternative forms of education. Rob and his team are providing an incredible venue for developing nations to learn about ways to jump over the industrial age and go right to a sustainable way to live”.

Chaco will be onsite giving away two pairs of shoes at each event. Below is a listing of the date and locations of the lecture series. All lectures start at 7:00pm.

GLP Lecture Series:
June 16 Rancho Cucamonga, CA REI
June 17 Arcadia, CA REI
June 26 Seattle, WA REI
July 2 Santa Monica, CA REI
July 16 San Diego, CA REI
July 17 Santa Ana, CA REI
July 21 Fort Collins, CO REI
July 22 Denver, CO REI
July 23 Colorado Springs, CO REI
July 24 Boulder, CO REI
July 29 Berkeley, CA REI
July 30 Corte Madera, CA REI
July 31 Saratoga, CA REI
August 12 Portland, OR REI
August 18 Framingham, MA REI
August 19 Newton, MA EMS
August 20 Boston, MA REI
September 17 Sacramento, CA REI
December 6-7 Freeport, ME L.L. Bean

Green Living Project (GLP) is a media production, marketing and entertainment company that showcases sustainable initiatives around the globe. Through photojournalism and video, GLP aims to educate, inspire and entertain while encouraging individuals and communities to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

Since 1989, Chaco has been designing and producing the finest and best fitting footwear available. For more information on Chaco products or philanthropy, contact Kristen Zemeitus, Carmichael Lynch Spong, kristen.zemeitus@clynch.com, or 781.544.3674.

Rock/Creek & Chaco Invite You to Take a Step Against Poverty

2008-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

Chattanooga, TN, July 18th, 2008 — Take a step against poverty. Trade in your old but usable clean shoes for a 20% discount on a new pair of Chaco footwear. Your trade becomes a donation as Rock/Creek and Chaco will send the shoes to third-world communities in need. The shoes can be donated online or in any of Rock/Creek's Chattanooga, TN stores. Customers can donate any brand or model of shoe, as long as it is a clean, usable, and well constructed piece of footwear. Online instructions for donation can be found on Rock/Creek's Chaco Donation page: http://www.rockcreek.com/chaco/recycle/

The program begins today, July 18th, and continues until August 2nd.

This year marks the forth consecutive year of Chaco's recycling campaign. Since the start of the program in 2004, Chaco and the company's recycling program partners have distributed nearly 15,000 pairs of sandals to poverty stricken areas of the globe. Rock/Creek joined the recycling partnership in 2005 and since then the store's loyal customers have donated more than 320 pairs of old shoes. This support makes Rock/Creek one of Chaco's top donating partners.

"We're pleased that Rock/Creek will again apply their passion and commitment to our recycled shoe promotion. Our joint effort to provide shoes to those in need can and has made a difference to thousands of people." said Ann Ellinger, Sr. Marketing Coordinator for Chaco.

SHOES SAVE LIVES

Footwear donated from the 2008 campaign will support the elimination of Hookworm anemia in Sub-Saharan African villages. It has been estimated that as many as 1 in 3 people in Sub-Saharan Africa are affected by Hookworm anemia. The hookworm, a soil-born parasite, enters through bare feet and resides in the small intestine of its host. If the parasitic condition is left untreated, severe anemia and malnutrition will result. The condition will slowly advance until a blood transfusion becomes necessary for the infective individual's survival. In developing nations the cost of transfusion is often prohibitive and risky. Prevention, through the use of protective footwear, has been proven to prevent hookworm anemia. Through the 2007 Chaco recycling program an entire village in Uganda was outfitted with shoes--a simple solution that completely eliminated hookworm anemia in the village.

In previous years the program has supported communities in India and Nepal. Chaco's program has also impacted communities closer to home. After Hurricane Rita devastated the Gulf Coast region in September 2005, Chaco and participating retailers collected over 400 pairs of footwear and distributed them to displaced hurricane victims in affected areas of Louisiana.

"Sustainability typically is defined as the long term balance between the environment, the economy and the needs of society. By offering customers the ability to recycle old footwear through donations to developing countries, and purchase a new pair of Chaco shoes at a discounted price, the program touches on all three corners of sustainability. This is certainly a model program for all companies considering sustainability initiatives," said Brad McAllister, Sustainability Adviser for Rock/Creek.

Rock/Creek and Chaco have partnered several times in the past on business oriented sustainability initiatives. In April, Rock/Creek was approached by Chaco and the Arbor Day Foundation to run a special tree planting campaign. During National Arbor Day weekend, a tree was donated for every pair of Chaco sandals purchased at Rock/Creek. Over 300 trees were planted through the partnership. The promotion, dubbed "Buy One, Get One Tree," ultimately supported the planting of over 800 trees.

Additionally, Rock/Creek and Chaco are currently offering limited edition Chaco Z2 sandals. $20 from the purchase of each pair of Chacos goes to support low impact, responsible climbing access through donation to the Southeastern Climbers Coalition (SCC). To date, the sandal purchase program has raised over $20,000 for climbing access, including a $10,000 donation to the SCC in 2007. The limited edition sandals can be purchased at any one of Rock/Creek's Chattanooga stores or online. More information on the limited edition Chaco sandals can be found online at http://www.rockcreek.com/chacos/limited-edition.asp

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, travel, and everyday living. Rock/Creek is committed to fostering positive change. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

Pete Takeda to Raise Funds for Girls Education International in Estes Park, June 26

2008-06-22T08:04:00.001-07:00

Photo by Jonny Copp. Nanda Devi

On Thursday, June 26, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Hangar Restaurant in Estes Park is hosting a benefit for Girls Education International, a nonprofit organization founded by North Face athlete Heidi Wirtz and Rock & Ice Senior Contributing Editor Lizzy Scully. The fundraiser will feature tunes by local musician Justin Faye and a slide show by author and mountaineer Pete Takeda. The $35 ticket includes a BBQ, unlimited New Belgium Brewery beer, and raffle tickets for dozens of items. There will also be a silent auction.

Takeda recently published a book entitled, “An Eye at the Top of the World: The Terrifying Legacy of the Cold War’s Most Daring CIA Operation.” In the early 1980s, the CIA decided to put a nuclear-powered spy device on the top of Nanda Devi—one of the Himalayas’ most remote and forbidding peaks. The goal was to gather information on Chinese troop movements. Some time later, the apparatus stopped sending signals; it was as though it had completely disappeared. The device was never recovered, and now, nearly four pounds of plutonium, locked in the glacier beneath the mountain are moving ever closer to the source of the Ganges River.

“That’s enough manmade poison to kill every human on earth, or to produce a bomb capable of flattening a city,” explained Takeda.

For this book, Takeda not only interviewed surviving members of the original expedition—during which the climbers huddled around the spy device for warmth given off by the decay of radioactive elements—he retraced their steps to the peak itself. While en route, Takeda has his own harrowing experience with the violent forces of the mountain, and was almost swept away in an avalanche. To learn more, come to the Hangar Restaurant and check out Takeda’s exciting show. (For more information, please visit www.petetakeda.com).

Girls Education International (GEI) is a 501(c)3 operating under the umbrella of The Mountain Fund. GEI currently has two operational programs and two additional programs that they hope to launch by 2009. The profits from this fundraiser will go toward their Liberia Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to 42 girls in the mountainous regions of Liberia, and also to one of their Nepal scholarship programs, which provides scholarships to two girls in Kathmandu. For more information, please visit: www.girlsed.org, or call Lizzy Scully at 303-903-2768.

All donations, including the $35 dinner ticket, are tax deductible. Raffle and silent auction items provided by: Redwood Winery, Glassworks of Estes, The Meadow Mountain Café, Evolv shoes, The North Face, SkirtSports, La Sportiva shoes, jewelry by Suspended Stone Design, photography by Topher Donahue, Majka Burhardt’s book, “Vertical Ethiopia,” signed copies of Takeda’s book, and many other items.

Climbers Set Out to Conquer Highest Peaks Across America to Help Children with AIDS

2008-06-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2008 — Harrisburg, PA (June 18, 2008) – Conquering the 50 highest peaks in the Unites States, climbers, hikers and walkers alike will participate in this year’s Summer Summit Challenge to raise awareness and funds for pediatric AIDS. The Climb-a-Thon encourages individuals and teams raise pledges by climbing hills or mountains of their choice across the country, from the majestic peak of Alaska’s Mt. Denali to lesser know high-points in every state.

Hosted by the American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) as part of its Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up program, this year’s fundraiser will be held June 27 to July 6, 2008. Funds raised will be used to purchase medicine and supplies for children living with AIDS in Africa.

This year’s grand prize for the individual winner is a trip for two to the top of Kilimanjaro, a generous donation from Summit Expeditions and Nomadic Experience. Grand prize for the top team is a safari for two to Namibia, thanks to the generosity of CrissCross Namibia Safaris. Other top fundraisers will win gifts from the outdoor industry, including backpacks, climbing chalk, magazine subscriptions, shoes, Larabars, and a luxurious hotel weekend stay for two in DC, among other things.

“This event allows people to take action no matter where they live, and turn their passion for the outdoors into tangible help for kids that need hope, help and attention,” says Tanya Weaver, executive director of AFCA. “Hikers, climbers and the outdoor industry have seen the positive impact they can make in the lives of children living with AIDS by getting out and taking on this great challenge.”

In 2007, a Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up global event saw hikers, climbers, bikers and staircase-climbers reach the tops of peaks of their own choosing and raise over $14,500 for AFCA and its work with children with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

To participate in the fundraiser, individuals raise a minimum of $115 and teams raise $5,000; AFCA provides many tips and pointers on fundraising for the Challenge.

To register, please visit www.ClimbUpSoKidsCanGrowUp.com.

About the American Foundation for Children with AIDS American Foundation for Children with AIDS is an independent international humanitarian aid organization established in 2004. AFCA is recognized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Kansas, USA. The mission of AFCA is to improve the lives of children and youth struggling with the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We provide cost-effective relief, services, medical and social support, education and advocacy to help these individuals achieve their full life potential. For more information visit www.helpchildrenwithaids.org.

About Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up
Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up is a growing partnership between outdoor recreation enthusiasts and American Foundation for Children with AIDS. Together with our sponsors, we invite “climbers” everywhere to bring awareness to the pediatric AIDS pandemic and to raise funds so AFCA can continue to send life saving anti-retroviral (ARV) medication to children affected by HIV/AIDS. For more information visit www.ClimbUpSoKidsCanGrowUp.com.

“Celebrate good times, c’mon”!

2008-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake City, UT, June 9th, 2008 — Grab your Aquanet hairspray; feather your hair and “Do the Hustle” in your best bell bottoms with The Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition and title Sponsor Fox River. Join us August 9, 2008 and “Turn the Beat Around” at this Disco themed event benefiting the OIWC Education Foundation. “Boogie, Oogie, Oogie,” 7:00 PM at Pierpont Place in Salt Lake City, UT. Limited tickets available- get yours now at http://www.oiwc.org/event/pollyesther, $25 for members, $30 for non members and $500 for the exclusive VIP tickets.

“Dance to the Music” and “Shake Your Groove Thing” to live music, including a Neil Diamond cover band, “Diamond Experience.” The appropriate “Boogie Shoes” will be available at the OIWC Thrift Store where donations are also accepted.

Other groovy events throughout the night include; a sideburn contest (sponsored by SNEWS), costume contest, and “If you Want to Dance with Somebody,” a dance off brought to you by Fox River. “Ain’t No Stopping us Now,” hula hoops, hustle lessons, prom photos (brought to you by JanSport), a black/white photo booth (brought to you by The North Face), and look out for the Roller Girls (brought to you by KPS|3).

Proceeds benefit the OIWC Education Foundation, launching summer 2008, to support OIWC’s professional development and educational programs. For more information, to buy tickets or to sign up for some fun visit us at: http://www.oiwc.org/event/pollyesther

About OIWC
OIWC is a non-profit corporation focused on the mission of equipping women to achieve their success. OIWC is sponsored at these levels: Gold Plus: EMS, Fox River, REI, Keen, and W.L. Gore & Associates. Gold: JanSport, Mountain Hardwear, and The North Face. Silver: Camelbak, Burton, GearTrends/SNEWS, Giant Bicycles, Hi-Tec, Interbike, Marmot, Outdoor Industry Association, Outdoor Retailer, SIA, Timberland, Tubbs Snowshoes, Twenty Four-Seven, and Yakima. Bronze: Backpacker, Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, Bikes Belong, Black Diamond, CGPR, Cascade Designs, Chaco, Columbia, Contourwear, ExOfficio, Filson, Fuji, GoLite, Guyot Designs, Kokatat, Nuun Active Hydration, Osprey, Outdoor Research, Plum, Primaloft, QBP, Schoeller, Sierra Magazine, Specialized, Terramar, Thule, and Turtle Fur. Friends: Chaos, EarMitts, Earth Creations, Kiss My Face, Wallaroo Hat Company, Aloe Up and the Trade Association of Paddlesports

BIG CITY MOUNTAINEERS

2008-06-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

By Karen Hamlin

Why do climbers climb? It can be very difficult, dangerous and exhausting carrying twenty pounds or more on your back. Is it fun? Not exactly. Can it change your life? Absolutely.

Big City Mountaineers (BMC) is a 501 non-profit dedicated to providing wilderness expeditions under team mentors to at-risk urban teens. The setting and the adults who volunteer are the crux of the learning experience. With a 5:5 ratio of volunteer mentors to teens, the kids have positive role models to emulate plus the wilderness environment is often their first experience outside of the inner city. Both conditions are novel to the kids, forcing them to readjust to the situation.After eight days in the mountains, the teens overcome obstacles they never expected, buoying their spirit, pride and confidence.

"I'll always remember this trip when I want to give up…I'm not giving up! Said Robert from Christopher House in Chicago.

Youth agencies are targeted by BCM to partner in their selection of kids fourteen to seventeen to participate in the trips as a reward and an opportunity. After each trip, qualitative and quantitative feedback is gathered from the participating teens to determine the impact and significance of the experience. This information is used to adjust the program to make it more effective and secure grant funding. BCM has grown an impressive seventy per cent since 2006 attracting corporate sponsorship such as Timberland, Polartec, Geartrend and many more.

BCM has created a very successful program called "Summit for Someone", requiring volunteer climbers to raise money for the program which can range from $2500 up to $7500 depending on the location of the climb itself. DennisPinto has been participating for the past three years and has raised $10,000 by contacting over 200 companies, his friends, family and local businesses. Some donors have touch his heart such as Curtis Shoch, from Atlanta, who, when asked to contribute, responded with a $1000 donation even though they had only met once. Dennis considers the fundraising the difficult part; the climbing is easy. However, some companies have been exceptionally generous. Exofficio makes adventure clothing and has donated several items to Dennis, whileTracme has gifted personal locator beacons for his climbs. Earth River Expedition's president Eric Hertz has been instrumental in procuring donations for this charity in addition to bestowing substantial contributions himself.

Having climbed Mt. Rainier (14,410 ft) and Mt. Whitney (14,495 ft) in previous years, this year he will attempt the Grand Tetons (13,700 ft) in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A big reason Dennis loves to climb is the people he meets who become life long friends, a brotherhood of climbers. On his first attempt with BCM, a fellow climber had difficulty remaining awake. The head guide placed him in a sleeping bag and anchored him to the side of Mt. Rainer at 13,000 feet where he dangled and slept through a gorgeous orange sunrise until the team picked him up on their descent.

After climbing Mt. Whitney for two hours, Dennis began coughing strenuously until he collapsed. Lying in his tent for the next fifteen hours, he was miserable, alternately freezing and sweating, vomiting and laying awake all night. In the morning, Debbie (a guide on the Whitney attempt), carried his forty-five pound pack along with her own down the mountain and settled Dennis into a hotel room to recuperate from pneumonia. Debbie returned to the group to climb up the mountain again, but later had to retreat due to severe storms. Kathy Haack (volunteer climber) was a great comfort to him recommending medications and suggesting
solutions to his predicament. They are hoping to meet again for the Mt.
McKinley summit attempt. Even though Kathy had difficulty raising the required amount for the climb, she proffered her own money to Dennis assisting him to meet his goal. “That’s the kind of people you meet on these climbs, one’s with big hearts".

Scott Wareham, a Texan, became a fast friend after meeting Dennis on the Mt. Rainer climb and pushing him up the mountain when Dennis became sluggish. They were a good team and reunited again for the Mt. Whitney climb. Scott when on to volunteer with guiding a group of teens last season for BCM and still raises money for the Summit program.

It is the unselfish gestures and generosity of all of the people Dennis has encountered through Big City Mountaineers that touches his heart. Why does he do it? "I love the challenge of climbing: The physical and mental part of it is very demanding. You must stay focused and be in top-notch shape in order to make your climb rewarding. But when you stop somewhere, maybe at the trail head, a summit or an overhang at 13,000 feet and realize why you are doing this, it's the smiles on the kids' faces that make it all worthwhile".

Rock/Creek & Patagonia Announce $3100 Grant for Lula Lake Land Trust

2008-06-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

In a continued commitment to provide local, low impact access to the outdoors, Rock/Creek, in conjunction with Patagonia, announces a $3,100 donation to the Lula Lake Land Trust. The grant money awarded supports a growing trail network aimed at linking the Land Trust’s protected land with Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Adelaide Bratcher, Development Head for the Lula Lake Land Trust, commented on the partnership: "The Lula Lake Land Trust is fortunate to work with Patagonia and Rock/Creek because of the dedication shown by these two businesses to this organization. Without the help of Patagonia and Rock/Creek, new trails, accessibility to the public, and events like this upcoming trail run would be impossible. We at Lula Lake, cannot thank Patagonia and Rock/Creek enough."
To date, Rock/Creek and Patagonia have donated $9,225 to the Lula Lake Land Trust’s efforts. The most recent donation goes to the development of the High Point trail. On December 20th the newly created High Point trail will be the venue for Chattanooga’s longest trail run. The inaugural run of the historic Lookout Mountain 100k trail race will be presented by Rock/Creek, and Vasque, and will benefit The Wilderness Trail Running Association (The Boonies). In addition to the 100k main event, the day will also feature a 10K race for those interested in participating in a shorter run. More information about the Lookout Mountain 100k Trail Race can be found on the event website: http://www.rockcreek.com/lookout/

Grant awards are not the only method by which Rock/Creek supports the Land Trust. Rock/Creek further assists the non-profit organization by working directly on the trail system. Members from The Boonies and Rock/Creek employees take weekly trail building trips to the area. Once completed, the High Point and Cloudland Canyon Connector trails will open up 1000 acres of pristine public land to low impact recreational uses. The protected area is in the heart of the ancient Appalachian mountains and encompasses one of America's most diverse ecosystems. Users of the trail will be blessed with an intimate experience within a unique system of flora and fauna.

Lula Lake Land Trust was established in 1994 by the will of Mr. Robert M. Davenport. Since the Trust's inception, it has focused on preserving the natural beauty of the rock creek watershed through education, research and conservation. The trust protects species such as the threatened Virginia Spiraea, a flowering shrub that is classified in the rose family. Virginia Spiraea was previously known to exist in only one other area of North Georgia. Rock/Creek has a long history of supporting Lula Lake Land Trust through financial assistance and grassroots support. Dawson Wheeler, co-owner of Rock/Creek, shares his enthusiasm for the project: "Lula Lake Land Trust has a long history of land conservation on Lookout Mountain. We're proud to be involved with their visionary project linking the front of Lookout with Cloudland Canyon. This corridor links two key wilderness areas and opens access for hiking, trail running, and other low-impact uses."

Please see Rock/Creek Outfitters' environmental statement for more details on the company's commitment to responsible outdoor recreation. http://www.rockcreek.com/customer_service/environmental.asp

For photos from Lula Lake Land Trust, see Rock/Creek's flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockcreek/sets/72157594240850537/

Information on the efforts of Lula Lake Land Trust's effort can be found at http://www.lulalake.com

About Rock/Creek:

Rock/Creek, member of the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, is an independent specialty outdoor retailer with over two decades of experience in the Southeast. Along with its online shops, RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com, Rock/Creek provides quality outdoor clothing and gear for a host of activities including kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, trail running, and adventure racing. Rock/Creek is committed to making a positive impact on the environment. For this reason, it uses outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship and to improve public access to the backcountry. Rock/Creek supports worthy nonprofits such as the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition and the Wilderness Trail Running Association.

Coleman Donates 1,000 Tents to Chinese Earthquake Relief

2008-05-30T16:33:00.001-07:00

Wichita, Kan.— The Coleman Company, Inc., a unit of Jarden Outdoor Solutions, recently donated 1,000 Coleman® tents for aid to people displaced by the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China.

“On hearing news about the earthquake, we knew immediately that we wanted to reach out to our friends in China and help shelter literally thousands of people,” said Sam Solomon, president and CEO of Coleman. “We were fortunate to have this volume of large tents (17-by-10 feet) ready to be shipped quickly to people in need.”

Representatives from the Coleman China office delivered the tents on May 22 to the distribution site designated by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government Guangzhou Branch.The tents were delivered to earthquake victims on May 24, along with other commodities. The tragedy struck close to home as among those receiving the tents was one of Coleman’s own employees whose family had lost its home during the earthquake.

The Sichuan government awarded an official Certificate of Recognition for the gift to Coleman Company representatives at the distribution site, and expressed appreciation for the Coleman’s swift response to the victims.

In addition, Jarden Corporation, Coleman’s parent company, has made a contribution and is encouraging its employees worldwide, including those in Coleman China, to contribute directly to the Chinese Red Cross.

“Coleman China employees are pleased to be able to help the quake survivors in a meaningful way and proud of the responsiveness of our parent company to this tragedy,” said Daisy Du, Coleman’s senior sourcing manager.

Osprey’s Headquarters Now Operates On 100-Percent Renewable Energy

2008-05-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Cortez, Colo., May 28th, 2008 — Osprey Packs, Inc., an independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, is proud to have achieved 100-percent renewable energy efficiency at its headquarters a full two years ahead of schedule.

“We just bumped our headquarters energy use up to 100-percent green energy blocks with Empire Electric,” said Gareth Martins, director of Marketing for Osprey. “Empire Electric sources the power we use from existing renewable sources like wind and small hydro.”

Osprey expanded their office headquarters in Cortez, Colo. in 2007 with environmental performance playing a major role. Some of the notable features of their energy-efficient headquarters include innovations from waterless urinals in men’s rooms to recycled carpets; they even have ceiling tiles and insulation constructed of recycled blue jeans. Also used in the expansion were energy-saving, rotating skylights, reducing electricity usage in half.

The project is part and parcel with Osprey’s most recent achievement of reducing energy use and meeting 100 percent of their energy needs with renewable sources two years earlier than originally planned. Last year, the company fulfilled 70 percent of its energy needs with alternative energies such as wind, biomass conversion and small hydro.

Osprey Packs’ environmental and social responsibility practices run deep into the company’s culture and, in addition to being a leader in making high-quality backcountry, urban and travel packs, serve as a foremost defining characteristic of the brand. Osprey’s approach to environmental integrity is multi-faceted and includes many other elements, from sustainable travel initiatives to their ReSource series of recycled packs.

Please read more about their corporate social responsibility efforts on the web at: http://ospreypacks.com/OspreyLifestyle/Sustainability/.

About Osprey Packs

From its humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to its current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Their mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and a devotion to the outdoors and the environment. Osprey defines success when it meets the demanding expectation of its most discerning customers. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-five years of pack-making experience.

$100,000 Grant from The Outdoor Foundation Expands Teens Outside Program

2008-05-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Boulder, CO, May 29th, 2008 — The Outdoor Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to expand Teens Outside to 29 communities in 2008 including eight new agencies in California. The grant will inspire and grow future generations of outdoor enthusiasts in America by creating outdoor adventure programs in park and recreation departments around the country.

The funding will allow NRPA to manage and grow the program within its vast network of public agencies. NRPA has identified the program - which introduces youth to close-to-home outdoor recreation with sustained, season-long experiences in activities such as hiking, camping, climbing, biking, paddling – as a priority.

During 2007, more than 3,560 teens across the country and 250 mentors were involved in the Teens Outside program. Geographically, it spanned 21 communities in 15 states. Success of the program will mean impacting the lives of more than 50,000 teens and their families over the next five years.

Grant making is part of The Outdoor Foundation’s three-pronged approach to connecting youth with the outdoors.

The Foundation is working to:
•Provide multi-year funding for organizations and programs that build capacity, are increasingly self-sufficient, connect key players and have significant return on investment. The Outdoor Foundation will work with organizations that have a strong long-term strategic and financial commitment to the relevant program.
•Establish an annual Youth Summit to organize stakeholders, encourage collaboration, and foster communication.
•Invest, expand, and communicate active lifestyle research.

The purpose of The Outdoor Foundation’s grant making arm is to support programs that have a solid track record of increasing youth participation in outdoor activities. The Outdoor Foundation is proud of Teens Outside’s success. The Foundation’s grant to NRPA will impact significant numbers of youth, and make a real difference in the inactivity crisis plaguing this generation of children.

The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 established by Outdoor Industry Association to inspire and grow future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. The Foundation introduces youth to outdoor recreation through nationwide youth programming and produces high-quality, groundbreaking research that quantifies the extent and quality of participation in outdoor recreation as well as its economic impact on the U.S.

For additional information visit www.outdoorfoundation.org or call 303.444.3353.

Fox River gives to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

2008-05-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Fox River donated $4,100 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF). BCRF, www.bcrfcure.org, was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. Fox River, based in Osage, Iowa, has been making high-performance socks for more than 100 years. www.foxsox.com.

BCRF supports scientists at leading medical centers worldwide whose research is focused on achieving prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime and has raised more than $215 million to date. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for all women (after lung cancer), and the leading overall cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55. One in eight women will develop breast cancer during her life.

“It is an honor for us to partner with BCRF and to support the fight against breast cancer through sales of our women’s sock collection,” says Joel Anderson, Fox River branded division president. “We’ve been donating 5% of the profits on sales to support breast cancer research for since the inception of our Fox River women’s line in 2000.”

Fox River continues to lead the sport-specific sock industry in technical advancements including its new Good Earth Collection of organic merino socks, and Bio-Fiber™ (made from corn, a 100% annually renewable resource) socks for both men and women.
For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org or www.foxsox.com.

Solstice Partners with the Conservation Alliance

2008-05-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Portland, OR, May 20th, 2008 — Solstice Outdoor, Inc. has partnered with The Conservation Alliance, a non-profit organization, this May. The partnership will allow Solstice to participate in the contribution and distribution of grants that protect and conserve wild habitat.

Solstice is an active member in the local and outdoor community contributing to the YWCA of Greater Portland, WaterWatch of Oregon, Betties 360, National Ski Patrol and more.

About Solstice Outdoor, Inc. – Solstice is a technical outdoor apparel company based out of Portland, Oregon. Under a new owner and management team the brand is re-launching its design and label for Fall 2008. For additional information visit www.solsticeoutdoor.com.

Sierra Club Sends Military Families to Camp

2008-05-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

San Francisco, CA--The Military Family Outdoor (MFO) Initiative, a joint project of the Sierra Club and The Sierra Club Foundation, today announced a three-year grant of up to $23 million, provided by generous donors to support three organizations that provide returning veterans and their families with healing, life-affirming outdoor experiences in the natural world.

"We are proud to serve military families thanks to the support of donors to The Sierra Club Foundation who are profoundly motivated to ensure that those protecting our country get to enjoy its natural wonders," stated Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. "This project will connect a new generation of American servicemen and women and their children to the mental and physical benefits of our natural heritage."

The Military Family Outdoor Initiative is building on the success of a partnership the Sierra Club began last year with support to the National Military Family Association (NMFA) to provide week-long summer camp experiences to military children. NMFA's Operation Purple Camps engage kids in outdoor experiences and activities while teaching coping skills to help them deal with the deployment of one or both of their parents.

"Together with the Sierra Club we can make a difference in the lives of our nation's youngest heroes," said Nancy Alsheimer, Chairman of the NMFA Board of Governors. "Drawing on the healing and connecting experiences of the outdoors, Operation Purple Camps empower military children and provide a much needed respite from worries about their deployed parents."

The Sierra Club believes that every child has a right to have a special place in nature. In a 2005 study mandated by the California Legislature, the American Institute of Research found that children gain self-esteem and personal responsibility from outdoor experiences. In fact, students demonstrated a 27 percent increase in science test scores after a week-long outdoor experience. The Military Family Outdoor program will provide these experiences for military children during a crucial time in their lives.

This year, the Sierra Club has greatly expanded its work with NMFA and has added outdoor programs for returning veterans, as well as camping programs for the entire military family to experience together. Sierra Club's Military Family Outdoor Initiative has partnered with the Armed Services YMCA to provide additional family camps near military installations across the country and joined with Outward Bound to sponsor returning veterans in outdoor wilderness adventure courses.

"Outward Bound is grateful to the Military Family Outdoor Initiative Project for its support serving America's veterans through our proven outdoor wilderness adventure courses," said John Read, Outward Bound's President and Chief Executive Officer.

"The Sierra Club Foundation grant provides a rewarding outdoor camping experience for hundreds of military kids as well as military families. They'll have an opportunity to learn more about nature and most importantly, take time away from the stress of deployment," said Armed Services YMCA National Executive Director Frank Gallo, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.). "The ASYMCA is proud to have the Sierra Club as a partner in our mission to support America's military families."

About Sierra Club:
The Sierra Club's members and supporters are more than 1.3 million of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Our mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet.

www.sierraclub.org/youth/events/operation_purple.asp
www.nmfa.org/
www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html
www.asymca.org/

Revenge-seeking student climbers headed to Russia in friend’s memory

2008-05-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

By Brian Fontenot

What began as a way for two college students to strike back at Mother Nature for Hurricane Katrina by climbing the highest mountains on each of the seven continents has evolved into a charity event.

Brendan Batt, 22, a LSU pre-veterinary senior, and Andrew Hillery, 23, a University of Alabama graduate, are now supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Orleans and have created their own non-profit, Climb for New Orleans.

“It’s all about raising awareness through climbing,” Hillery said.

“It just kind troubles me when I think about what if I didn’t even have the option to [climb],” Batt said. “It’s the least we can do to spread awareness about muscular dystrophy.”

The pair was inspired to support the MDA after the death of their lifelong friend, Nick Ferran, who passed away in January.

In memory of their friend, their summit flags will include his name. If they are successful, they will have put their friend’s name on the Seven Summits.

“It’s going to be a complete tribute to him. He will be with us every step of the way,” Hillery said.

And that’s the ultimate goal – climb the Seven Summits.

The pair planned to climb Denali (Mt. McKinley) this summer, but decided the venture was going to be too expensive and too difficult for the time being.

Batt said Denali has the highest vertical rise of any mountain in the world, shooting from about 2,000 feet to a little over 20,000 feet. Everest, while higher than Denali, only has a vertical rise of about 12,000 feet, with its base at 17,000 feet and its summit at nearly 9,000.

Of the Seven Summits, Denali is second only to Everest when it comes to difficulty and required expertise, Batt said.

“It just seemed like the wiser thing to do first,” Batt said. “We decided it would be better to get [Elbrus] out of the way.”

Located in the Caucasus Mountains, Elbrus’ west summit towers 18,510 feet – the highest in all of Europe. Batt and Hillery will be departing from its base camp at 12,000 feet to make the climb, making for a 6,000 foot climb.

Elbrus offers the chance to experience climbing above 15,000 feet, where the amount of oxygen in the air is cut in half, Batt said, adding it will give them a better idea of what climbing Denali will be like.

“I’m pretty glad we decided to do this one as the first of the seven,” Hillery said.

Batt and Hillery should be physically over-prepared to tackle Elbrus. They have been training to climb Denali for a year, where one has to be in peak physical condition to even have a chance of reaching the summit.

“We were training for Denali the whole time,” Hillery said. “This mountain up in Russia is going to be pretty sweet.”

Batt does a lot of running, going for four miles twice a week and six miles every 10 days, and weight lifting, hitting the gym five days a week.

But to toughen himself up for a climb, he marches up and down the levee in Baton Rouge, carrying 115 pounds of extra weight. His older brother, David, has also been helping him train, especially in the weight room where a spotter becomes necessary.

Hillery currently lives in Los Angeles and has developed his own training regimen-running barefoot.

After finishing the 26-mile-long Los Angeles Marathon, Hillery wasn’t satisfied with the workout he was getting by just running. So, he shirked his shoes and hit the soft sands of California’s beaches and its rough roads.

He regularly treks 10 to 20 miles every few days barefoot, now, and said the whole experience has made his legs so much stronger.

“It’s so much better, especially for glacier climbing. Every move you have to press down on the ice,” he said. “When I strap on shoes now, it’s like a joyride.”

The climb to the Elbrus’ summit will take 12 to 15 days and a Russian not known for taking Americans on climbs will be their guide.

“It’s going to be quite an adventure with this guy. He doesn’t take Americans often,” Hillery said, adding the guide has a reputation of being a good climber and snowboarder.

While reaching the summit is an accomplishment, Hillery said the way back down is usually the most dangerous part. People get careless.

Fortunately, the way down Elbrus isn’t nearly as fraught with danger as other mountains. The duo and their guide intend to snowboard back to base camp.

“We’re going to the top to strap on a snowboard and hammer down,” Hillery said.

The pair hopes to climb four of the Seven Summits over the next year, moving from Elbrus to Aconcagua in South America to Denali next summer followed by Kilimanjaro in Africa.

“It’s way more impressive now, really,” Batt said. “Last year it was kind of an idea. Now, it’s a part of my life. Every day I’m thinking about it.”

They are flying out of Los Angeles on June 20. The price tag for their climb, which includes the flight and the guide, but not their gear, is $9,000.

Big City Mountaineers Launches the Change a Life Campaign

2008-05-08T00:07:00.001-07:00

Denver, Colo., May 7th, 2008 — Big City Mountaineers, the nation's leading volunteer organization devoted to mentoring urban teens during wilderness trips, launches the 2008 Change a Life Campaign designed to motivate fundraising among volunteers.

Volunteers for the summer BCM programs pay a $100 fee to help cover administrative costs. Through the Change a Life Campaign, volunteers have an opportunity to earn back their fee as well as raising more funds for the BCM program. To add incentive for extra fundraising, volunteers and donors can earn and win prizes from sponsors.

Volunteer Incentives:
• Raise $50: Receive a BCM keychain
• Raise $100: Receive a BCM performance t-shirt and be entered to win 1 of 5 Timbuk2 Messenger bags
• Raise $200: Receive $100 volunteer fee back and your choice of either 1) an original signed print by outdoor adventurer Andy Skurka or 2) an autographed copy of "The Hippie Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder" by Skip Yowell.
• Raise $300: Receive a framed National Geographic map of your course area and a Camelbak water bottle
• Raise $400: Receive and a Primus stove and be entered to win a free alpine Summit for Someone climb spot for 2009
• Top Fundraiser wins a Mountain Hardwear Phantom bag and Mountain Hardwear UL Kiva. A $600 value
• Second through sixth place will receive a gift card for a free pair of KEEN footwear

Donor Incentives:
• Donors contributing $50 or more will be entered to win a Jansport luggage set. Value at $500+

Thanks to Keen, Primus, Jansport, Andy Skurka, National Geographic, Timbuktu, Camelbak and Howard Schwartz for making this campaign possible.

About Big City Mountaineers
Big City Mountaineers, Inc. is a 501c(3) tax exempt corporation based in Denver, Colo., with the mission of providing urban teenage youth in need of positive adult mentoring with challenging and safe wilderness experiences led by qualified adult volunteer guides. BCM is the largest non-profit in the country devoted to working exclusively with at-risk teens using the outdoors as a transformational element in their lives. Learn more at www.bigcitymountaineers.org.

Health Clinic and Porter Program Updates from Nepal

2008-04-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

With the support of the Mountain Fund there are now two clinics where once no medical services were available. Over 10,000 families have access to primary health care.
Mountain Fund has returned to Kathmandu following two weeks in the
Rasuwa District of Nepal. Located a few kilometers from the border
with Tibet the Rasuwa District is home to dozens of small Tamang
Villages. The Tamang are believed to have migrated from Mongolia via
Tibet hundreds of years ago and settled in this remote mountain area. Life
in many Tamang Villages carries on much as it has for centuries. For many
of the villages subsistence farming is their way of life and these rugged,
inventive people have learned how to survive on the steep hillsides of the
northern Rasuwa District.
Click here to read the full article in The Mountain Fund April newsletter

SmartWool Announces Spring 2008 Advocacy Recipients

2008-04-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

Steamboat Springs, CO, April 25th, 2008 —
SmartWool Corporation, a leading outdoor performance brand offering Merino wool-based apparel, socks and accessories, today announced the recipients of the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund which includes 32 organizations ranging in size and subjects from protecting the outdoors, engaging children and breast cancer support. Awarded semi-annually, this round of gifting represented over $72,000 to non-profit organizations around the country. This brings the total amount of Advocacy Fund contributions given by SmartWool since 2004 to $390,000.

"The SmartWool Advocacy Program is one part of the broader employee-driven SmartPrint® corporate social responsibility platform which brings to life Smart Wool's philosophy to affect positive change in the world within which our employees and customers live, play and do business," states Mark Bryden, president of SmartWool. "Through our support and contributions, we see these collaborations and partnerships as key to SmartWool's continued success as an industry leader and hope to inspire other companies to follow suit."

The advocacy program is comprised of two separate funds and financed by separate revenue sources. The SmartWool Advocacy Program is funded by a percentage of net sales of SmartWool® products sold on www.smartwool.com. Additionally, a percentage of net sales from SmartWool "Pink Ribbon" socks go to the SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund. Since its inception four years ago, the SmartWool Advocacy Program has donated monetary as well as products in-kind to deserving non-profit organizations, including these 2008 recipients:

City Kids Wilderness Project Adaptive Sports Center of Crested Butte, Inc.
Appalachian Mountain Club Family Means
Women's Wilderness Institute Rails to Trails
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps Colorado RangeRider Youth Cops
Outdoor Outreach Higher Ground Youth Challenge
Colorado Fouteeners SOS Outreach
City Wild Splore
Humble Ranch Net Results Junior Tennis
Trust for a Mountain Classroom Kids Plus - Cook County
KIPP: Sunshine Peak Academy Boys and Girls Club of Craig
Big City Mountaineers Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club
Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association Elizabeth Stone House
Rocky Mountain Nature Association Northern California Cancer Center
Breast Cancer Fund The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center
Casting for Recovery Clinica Tepeyac
Living Beyond Breast Cancer Cancer Survivor Center for Health & Wellbeing

Recipients of the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund are selected from approximately 60 applications by the SmartWool Advocacy Board. This board is comprised solely of SmartWool employees elected by their peers as part of the larger SmartPrint® platform.

The SmartWool Corporation is comprised of passionate and healthy-minded employees who prescribe to the belief that a balanced life is a rich life. This belief is the foundation upon which the Leave My SmartPrint™ program was built. The program allows each full-time SmartWool employee to be paid for up to 40 hours of volunteer work at a local non-profit charity of their choice. In 2007, SmartWool employees donated nearly 1,000 volunteer hours to non-profit organizations in their hometown communities.

Applications are currently being accepted for the fall grants. To learn more about the SmartWool Advocacy Fund and SmartWool Breast Cancer Fund or to apply for a grant, please visit www. Smartwool.com. Applications for the fall grants must be received by September 1, 2008.

ABOUT SMARTWOOL: SmartWool® is a leading performance brand offering wool-based apparel, socks and accessories. Nothing can compare to SmartWool® products for the ultimate in performance, comfort and easy care. SmartWool® fiber is superior at vaporizing moisture, controlling temperature and order and is guaranteed not to shrink. It's also a renewable resource that illustrates the design genius of evolution. For information on the full range of SmartWool® products or to find a dealer near you, please log onto SmartWool's award winning website: www.SmartWool.com. SmartWool Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Timberland Company.

Climbers Help At-Risk Teens Reach New Heights

2008-04-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

By WES SMALLING
Star-Tribune staff writer

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Like many visitors to Grand Teton National Park, Alex Wolf gazed up at the majestic chiseled summits of the Grand Teton Range last spring and couldn't help but wonder what it's like to climb them.

The 31-year-old New Yorker is a recovering alcoholic. He had quit drinking months earlier and that spring the outdoors became a sanctuary for him, an escape from the pressures of city life and the temptations that every alcoholic battles each day.

After his Wyoming trip he returned home to New York and began rock climbing, ice climbing and backpacking every chance he got. Those activities, his love of the outdoors and support from friends are helping him overcome his addiction and get the most out of life.

This summer he's returning to Wyoming to climb the 13,760-foot summit of Grand Teton. But the adventure isn't just for himself. It's also for someone else, someone he's never met.

Wolf is one of more than 300 mountain climbers participating in Backpacker Magazine's Summit for Someone program this year. The annual series of climbs is a fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers, a nonprofit organization that provides wilderness mentoring trips for at-risk urban youths.

"Living in Manhattan I'm in this fast-paced life every day," Wolf said. "Climbing and backpacking are a way to get out of that and to get away from all the drinking and partying and get into nature. It's had a tremendous impact on me both physically and spiritually. So when I learned about the Summit for Someone program I started thinking about these kids who had underprivileged backgrounds, who don't have a chance to do these things. The outdoors has had an amazing impact on my life and I saw how it could have an amazing impact on someone else's life."

To go on a Summit for Someone trip each climber raises $2,900 to $7,500 in pledges, depending on the type of expedition. Each climb raises enough funds to fully sponsor five teens and a youth agency leader for a summer outdoor youth mentoring program with Denver-based Big City Mountaineers.

Big City Mountaineers takes urban teens on challenging but safe guided wilderness expeditions. They are city kids who may otherwise never have the opportunity to experience the outdoors. On each trip, teens are matched with mentoring adults who teach them about nature and provide them opportunities to achieve success by drawing on resources they might never know they had.

For many of the teens, it's a life-changing event, said Big City Mountaineers spokeswoman Hillary Harding.

"Some of them fall in love with the wilderness. Some of them say, 'I never want to pee in the woods again.' But they almost all find something out about themselves, something inspiring," she said.

Summit for Someone climbs can also be life-changing, inspiring events for the climbers who raise money for the youth program.

Dennis Pinto, a retired police officer from New Jersey, is climbing in the Summit for Someone program this summer for his third year in a row. Previously he's climbed Washington's Mount Rainier and California's Mount Whitney. This year he'll be tackling the summit of the Grand Teton. He said the trips are a way for him to reach out and help kids in need, which is something he felt compelled to do during his many years as a police officer.

"I've definitely experienced more than my fair share of seeing troubled kids and wanting to help them and sometimes not being able to," he said. "I've been involved in some charities over the years -- Special Olympics, helping kids and adults with alcoholism. With the passion I have for climbing and the outdoors, naturally I read Backpacker magazine and they had a story about (Summit for Someone). I said to myself, 'What a great cause. I can actually help kids who are at-risk and do something I love.' So the combination draws me every year."

All the Wyoming climbs and one in Montana are being led by Jackson Hole Mountain Guides -- trips to the summits of Grand Teton, Middle Teton, Mount Moran and Buck Mountain in the Teton Range, Gannett Peak in the Wind River Range, and Granite Peak in Montana.

Other climbs around the West include Mount Rainier, Mount Baker and Mount Olympus in Washington, Long's Peak in Colorado, Mount Hood in Oregon, Mount Shasta in California and a five-day expedition on Alaska's Denali (Mount McKinley).

Slots are still available on many trips for climbers who want to participate in the Summit for Someone program. And many climbers, including Pinto and Wolf, are still working on raising pledges.

"To be honest, the fundraising is tougher than the climb itself," Pinto said.

Eco Everest Expedition 2008 launches from Everest Base Camp

2008-04-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Climate change is affecting people around the globe, and this is especially evident at the top of the world, around Mount Everest and other great peaks of the Himalayas. Glaciers are shrinking leaving behind glacial lakes with massive amounts of water threatening people and land downstream. The loss of ice and snow heralds water problems for the 1.45 billion people living in the great water basins of the Himalayan rivers. This is the message given by the 11 member climbing team of the Eco Everest Expedition 2008 when they met at Everest Base Camp on 18th April to mark the start of their climb with a traditional Buddhist religious ceremony, called puja. Dr Schild, Director General of ICIMOD, handed over the ICIMOD Silver Jubilee flag to Dawa Steven Sherpa, the leader of the climbing team, to take to the top of the world. A premier of a photo exhibition, 50 Years of Change – Glaciers, Landscapes, People and Resilience in the Mount Everest Region, Nepal is taking place at Base Camp at the same time. The exhibition includes a unique collection of repeat panoramas of mountains, valleys and glaciers taken in the 1950s, and retaken in the past few years. These photographs demonstrate the changes in the climatic, cultural and physical landscape of the Khumbu over the past half century. The exhibition will be unveiled at Everest Base Camp and will then tour several European countries.

The Eco Everest expedition is the brainchild of Dawa Steven Sherpa of Asian Trekking, shocked by his own experience of ice collapse in the Khumbu ice fall, and the realization of the impacts of climate change. Dawa Steven and Asian Trekking have joined with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development – ICIMOD – and the United Nations Environment Program – UNEP – in a plan to use the climb to draw the world's attention to the problems resulting from climate change and the need to help the people of the region, and the world. ICIMOD has been working for 25 years for the mountains and people of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, 2008 marks its 'Silver Jubilee'. The Expedition is one of a number of events being held to celebrate this milestone. The expedition will also field test an eco-friendly approach to climbing, including a ten-point plan that could be used as a basis for international certification for environmentally friendly climbing expeditions. The expedition plans to bring down garbage left by other groups, and will encourage others to do the same. The climbing team is being supported by the renowned Japanese conservationist Ken Noguchi, who is expected to visit the Everest Base Camp. The expedition is endorsed by world renowned mountaineers including Reinhold Messner, Conrad Anker, and Peter Habelar, and is also supported by the Nepal Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Tourism Board, and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and numerous local, regional, and international organizations.

Parallel to the climbing expedition, scientific research is being carried out to monitor glaciers and glacial lakes in the region and gather information to help communities and develop early warning systems. A six-member research team led by Basanta Shrestha of ICIMOD is already in Khumbu to start the work. A pilot early warning system will be implemented for Imja lake, one of the fastest growing lakes in the region, in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Keio University of Japan. The scientists have already carried out investigations to assess the status of Dig Tsho glacial lake, which had a devastating impact when it burst in 1985.
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A Trust Fund has been set up to support development of early warning systems, scientific investigations to help assess risks, monitoring of the melting glaciers, and removal and disposal of waste in eco-friendly ways. Every climber on the expedition has contributed to the fund and contributions are now being solicited from interested individuals and organizations.

ICIMOD's new strategy focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change, and finding ways to strengthen people's resilience and support adaptation. Says Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of ICIMOD: "The changes taking place currently are alarming, and the time to act is now." While climate change is mostly caused by the highly industrialized parts of the world, the effects are already taking their toll in the sensitive mountain areas. Climate change needs global measures of mitigation, regionally focused measures of adaptation, and targeted measures to strengthen the resilience of the mountain people. "We want to build up a system of early warning of risks from glacial lake outbursts. We want to discuss and prepare measures to strengthen the resilience and adaptation of people to climate change. This means livelihoods, conservation of biodiversity, and maintenance of the landscape as a global heritage. Conservation and management of water has the highest priority," concludes Dr Schild.

Best wishes,

Ang Tshering Sherpa

Join ECO EVEREST EXPEDITION at www.ecoeverest.net.np

Editors Note: Ang Tshering Sherpa is the President of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, a non-governmental, non-profit and non-political organization working to promote mountain tourism, climbing sports, protection of mountain environments and preservation of the cultural heritage of Nepal and the Himalaya.

Working for the Himalayan Rescue Association in Nepal

2008-04-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

About the writer. Dr Kirstie Nichol is a G.P. with a keen interest in expeditions and the medical issues or remote locations. She has attended the Expedition and Wilderness Medicine course in Keswick and the Polar Medicine training course in Alta, Northern Norway and worked as an expedition medic for Across the Divide Expeditions in locations as diverse as Kilimanjaro and Peru.

In 2007 I left ‘normal’ working life as a GP in Haddington behind for a while to work for the Himalayan Rescue Association in a high altitude clinic in Nepal.

The HRA is a Nepalese voluntary non-profit organisation formed in 1973 with an objective to reduce casualties in the Nepal Himalayas, especially in view of the increasing number of Nepalese and foreigners who trek up into the remote wilderness. Nepal alone now receives more than one hundred thousand trekkers from around the world every year. It can be easy to under-estimate the dangers of altitude illness; deaths from these conditions are all the more tragic because they are entirely preventable. Working at the clinic involves a mix of primary health care for local people including home visits, providing an emergency medical service for trekkers and the provision of daily lectures for trekkers emphasising the prevention, recognition and treatment of altitude illnesses. Because rescue is difficult in Nepal, prevention is a key part of the role.

Thus, the HRA increases the safety of the trekkers encouraging tourism, which boosts the Nepalese economy, and also uses the donations and charges to the foreigners attending the clinic to provide much-needed free health care to the local people. The Manang clinic where I worked is in a very remote part of northern Nepal situated at 3570m in a small mountain village surrounded by the 8000m peaks of the Annapurna mountain range. It is an incredibly beautiful and peaceful place. It takes seven days of trekking to reach it from the nearest road and the clinic is the only source of western medical care for the people there. The staff consisted of myself and another volunteer doctor and two Nepali staff who helped with day to day running of the clinic and translation. The clinic is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the two main trekking seasons. Manang is a mainly Buddhist area and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy is evident all around and added a very interesting aspect to our care of the local people.

Life at the clinic is basic but rejuvenating. I slept in a tent for the best part of four months, there is no hot water and no heating and the food consists of daal bhaat every day- a Nepali staple of rice and lentils. The clinic itself has a reasonable range of medications to cover most situations and an oxygen concentrator which is the life line.

This comes with its own problems though due to difficulty maintaining it and getting it adequately serviced. Also the only power supply is by solar panels which charge a battery and therefore if the weather is bad it is necessary to conserve power for the concentrator and conduct all business by torchlight and candles! It is difficult to get re- supplies in a hurry as they require to be sent from Kathmandu and take at least eight days to reach the clinic by mountain porters. Therefore an ability to do your best with what is available and be innovative is required. It can be refreshing to get back to the basics of medicine, relying on your clinical judgement with no back up from labs etc.

The commonest presentations among the local population were respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea, joint pains and gastritis but we also dealt with emergencies such as acute abdomen, myocardial infarction, and stroke and one night I was called to my most feared situation of an obstetric emergency. Thankfully, eventually, a healthy baby was delivered, with a combination of assistance to the mum from the limited obstetric medical supplies we had available and the blessings from the lama. Nature is an incredible thing!
As mentioned the locals did not pay for their health care at the clinic but the clinic did not provide evacuation costs for them if they required hospitalisation. It therefore very much depended on their position within the community what was possible for them. For instance one local man who was the owner of the roksi (local brew) shop and therefore well known in the community, required emergency surgery and was an ‘in-patient’ with us for a few days whilst his family gathered a loan from prosperous teahouse owners and village elders, enabling him to be evacuated by helicopter to Kathmandu. However life is much more difficult for others and I treated a young fifteen year old mule herder with life threatening pneumonia whose only means of evacuation was to be carried in a basket on the back of a porter; a journey which took five days for him to reach a basic hospital.

The commonest presentations in the trekkers were diarrhoea and acute mountain sickness. We treated several cases of life threatening high altitude pulmonary oedema and arranged helicopter evacuations where needed.

The helicopter can only fly to this altitude during settled weather in daylight hours and even in an emergency often takes more than eight hours to come. Other means of evacuation are by horse or being carried by porters. Often these means are quicker and can be life saving at altitudes above Manang rather than waiting on a response from the helicopter. During our time we also ran a pilot study of a small clinic at Thorung Phedi 4500m, a teahouse stop where trekkers on the Annapurna circuit stay for the night before they attempt the Thorung La Pass 5416m. There is plenty exposure to high altitude medicine here!

It is amazing the range of people that come to trek in these mountainous areas, many with no or limited previous experience of mountain environments and of course others with a wealth of experience. Some of the life threatening cases we saw among the trekker population were related to people with pre- existing medical conditions that were compromised by being at altitude.

They either hadn’t been provided with adequate information about the risks of altitude or had failed to accept that the information they were given really did apply to them.

There is an important role in pre travel health consultations to educate travellers to high altitude areas about the risks, taking into account their past medical history. I carried out a questionnaire based study among the trekkers with the aim to establish whether advice about altitude illnesses was given at their pre-travel health consultation (i.e. when attending for vaccinations); what this advice consisted of; where they received it; whether they were advised to take or given a prescription for acetazolamide and if so at what dosage and when they were advised to start it; and whether they sought information about altitude illnesses from other sources e.g. internet, guidebooks. I am currently processing the results of this study but from the initial data survey it looks like we certainly could improve the information we give to travellers to high altitude areas to reduce their risks of these life threatening altitude illnesses. There will be more on that to follow once I have completed the data analysis.

My sincere thanks go to my partners for permitting me this period of unpaid leave and to the Alastair Short Memorial Award which provided me with financial support for this work and study project.

Access Fund Announces 2008’s First Round Grant Recipients

2008-04-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

April 18, 2008, Boulder, CO—The Access Fund continues its support of grassroots climbing advocacy and conservation projects by awarding four grants totaling $11,750 in 2008's first round of Climbing Preservation Grants. Presented three times annually, these grants provide financial assistance for local climber activism and protection of the climbing environment in the United States.

The Access Fund awarded grants to the Mid-Atlantic Climbers, Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition, The Mohonk Preserve, NY, and Carolina Climbers Coalition.

Mid-Atlantic Climbers (MAC) will use its grant award to help offset the cost of graffiti removal equipment needed for its Adopt-a-Crag at the Northwest Branch climbing area. While the Northwest Branch is a smaller climbing area, it provides quality climbing convenient to the DC Metro area. MAC will remove graffiti (not climber related) that covers boulders and the base of climbs at the Northwest Branch. For more information about MAC or the Northwest Branch Adopt-a-Crag, visit www.dcmetroclimbing.org.

Northern Colorado Climbers Coalition’s (NCCC) grant award will help this new Local Climbing Organization with formation and start-up costs, including its 501(C)(3) filing fee and web-hosting costs. NCCC is one of the Access Fund’s newest affiliates and is off to a great start. For more information about NCCC contact, Cameron Cross at horsetoothhang@yahoo.com.

Grant funds awarded to the Mohonk Preserve, NY will help fund a two-seat, solar-vented toilet at the Preserve’s West Trapps trailhead. The Preserve is home to the world famous “Gunks” climbing area, and the West Trapps trailhead provides access to many of the area’s finest climbs.

The Carolina Climbers Coalition (CCC) will use its grant award to pay off remaining bridge loans and interest for its Laurel Knob, NC acquisition. In 2006, the CCC purchased the 50 acre tract that included Laurel Knob, one of the tallest cliffs in the East.

June 15, 2008 is the second-round grants deadline. Please review the grants requirements at www.accessfund.org/cons/guidelines.php and send your completed application to Ellen@accessfund.org.

The Outdoor Foundation Seeks Gear Support for Teens Outside 2008/09 Program

2008-04-17T15:46:00.001-07:00

Boulder, Colorado, April 14th, 2008 — The Outdoor Foundation Teens Outside program partners youth with mentors across the country and introduces them to close-to-home recreation and outdoor activities. Utilizing existing high-quality youth-oriented programs, Teens Outside connects hard-to-reach teens with outdoor recreation through sustained, season-long experiences in hiking, camping, climbing, biking, paddling and other activities.

Replicability and sustainability are core strengths of the Teens Outside program. The program's goal is to expand Teens Outside each year for the next three years. By 2011, the program is projected to reach approximately 50,000 youth nationwide. Success of the program will mean impacting the lives of tens of thousands of teens and their families around the country in the next five years.

In order for participants to fully experience the outdoor activities provided by Teens Outside and ensure the program's success, the kids need access to high-quality gear and equipment communities can use season after season, year after year.

The Outdoor Foundation is currently searching for industry business partners to provide that important gear for these programs. Companies will receive significant recognition for their participation, and have the opportunity to impact the future of these participants and, indeed, the industry's future for years to come.

Support for 2008 Teens Outside can be in the form of gear donations to the 20 existing programs and eight new California programs (locations TBD) or adoption of a local park and recreation department and provision of gear and/or mentors.

Existing Teens Outside programs are in the following communities: Peoria, Arizona; San Diego, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Littleton, Colorado; Coral Gables, Florida; Frostburg, Maryland; Waterford, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Livingston, Montana; Lebanon, New Hampshire; Newmarket, New Hampshire; Charlotte, North Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; Fremont, Ohio; North Clackamas, Oregon; Houston, Texas; Cedar City, Utah; Radford, Virginia; Bellevue, Washington; Tacoma, Washington and Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

For 2009 expansion, Teens Outside has needs for additional equipment in the following categories:

- Hiking and camping gear, including rain gear, water bottles, and first aid kits.
- Day Use backpacks
- Sleeping bags and tents
- Camp cook sets and stoves
- Rock climbing gear, including shoes, helmets, ropes, and harnesses
- Bicycles and appropriate gear
- Paddling gear, including kayaks, canoes, paddles, and throw ropes

Introducing youth to gateway outdoor activities like camping and hiking is the best predictor of adult participation. Encourage them while they are young, give them the skills to enjoy the outdoors, and they likely will become outdoor enthusiasts for life.

Businesses interested in learning more about gear donations and the benefits of partnering with Teens Outside should contact Bryan Mahler at bmahler@outdoorindustry.org or 303.327.3512.

The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 established by Outdoor Industry Association to inspire and grow future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. The Foundation introduces youth to outdoor recreation through nationwide youth programming and produces high-quality, groundbreaking research that quantifies the extent and quality of participation in outdoor recreation as well as its economic impact on the U.S. For more information visit http://www.outdoorfoundation.org or call 303.444.3353.

Conservation Alliance Awards $450,000 in Grants to 17 Organizations

2008-04-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Bend, Ore., April 15th, 2008 — The Conservation Alliance sent checks totaling $450,000 to 17 organizations working to protect wild places throughout North America. The donations marked the Alliance's first disbursal of funding for 2008, and represent the largest single funding round in the organization's history. This round brings total giving to $6.5 million since the organization's founding in 1989.

By a vote of the group's 155 member companies, The Conservation Alliance made donations to 17 grassroots conservation organizations as follows, by organization, location and amount:

1. American Whitewater (Cullowhee, NC) $25,000

2. Appalachian Mountain Club (Boston, MA)/Trust for PublicLand (Montpelier, VT) $30,000

3. Audubon Alaska (Anchorage, AK) $30,000

4. Campaign to Save the Roan Plateau (Carbondale, CO) $20,000

5. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (Ottawa, ON) $30,000

6. Cascade Land Conservancy (Seattle, WA) $30,000

7. Colorado Mountain Club (Carbondale, CO) $20,000

8. Colorado Wild (Durango, CO) $20,000

9. Conservation Northwest (Bellingham, WA) $25,000

10. Greater Yellowstone Coalition (Bozeman, MT) $30,000

11. Idaho Conservation League (Boise, ID) $20,000

12. Northern Alaska Environmental Center (Fairbanks, AK) $30,000

13. Oregon Natural Desert Association (Bend, OR) $30,000

14. Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (Asheville, NC) $30,000

15. Trout Unlimited/Alaska (Juneau, AK) $30,000

16. WaterWatch of Oregon (Portland, OR) $25,000

17. West Virginia Wilderness Coalition (Morgantown, WV) $25,000

Total $450,000

"We are proud to once again make the largest grant disbursal in our history," said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. "Our member companies continue to recognize that protected wild places are important to the outdoor industry."

This round of grant recipients reflects the geographic distribution of Conservation Alliance members. Conservation Alliance funds will support efforts to: secure new wilderness designations in West Virginia, Tennessee, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon; protect wild rivers in Colorado, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington; halt oil and gas development on public lands in Wyoming and Colorado; protect private forest lands in Maine; and expand park boundaries in Canada.

Each project was first nominated for funding by a Conservation Alliance member company.

"Our members do a terrific job identifying projects for funding," said Sterling.

This is the first grant disbursement The Conservation Alliance has made in 2008. The Alliance plans a second $450,000 funding cycle in October.

"We are on track to contribute $900,000 in 2008," said Sterling. "That's a significant investment in protecting our wild places." (See below for a description of each project.)

About the Conservation Alliance:
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas. Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $6.5 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 38 million acres of wildlands; 26 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 16,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.
For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GRANTS
1. American Whitewater (Cullowhee, NC): Colorado Stewardship Program to protect and restore water flows in streams throughout Colorado.
2. Appalachian Mountain Club/Trust for Public Land•Vermont (Montpelier, VT): Mahoosuc Campaign to protect key natural and recreational areas in the Mahoosuc region of New Hampshire and Maine.
3. Audubon Alaska (Anchorage, AK): Alaska Conservation Program to build support to protect key Alaska wildlands including the Tongass National Forest and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
4. Campaign to Save Roan Plateau (Carbondale, CO): Oil & Gas Development Campaign to protect the public lands on Colorado's Roan Plateau.
5. Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society (Ottawa, ON): Nahanni Forever Campaign to protect the 7•million•acre South Nahanni River Watershed in Canada's Northwest Territories.
6. Cascade Land Conservancy (Seattle, WA): Boulder Falls Acquisition Campaign to protect Boulder Falls on Washington State's Boulder River, a site threatened by a proposed
hydroelectric dam.
7. Colorado Mountain Club (Carbondale, CO): ORV Management Plan Campaign to secure a network of non•motorized recreation designations on public lands throughout Colorado.
8. Colorado Wild (Durango, CO): Wolf Creek Pass Development Campaign to protect key habitat in the Southern Rockies from a proposed development on Wolf Creek Pass.
9. Conservation Northwest (Bellingham, WA): Columbia Highlands Initiative to protect 350,000 acres of wilderness, and restore 300,000 acres of forests in Eastern Washington.
10. Greater Yellowstone Coalition (Bozeman, MT): Wyoming Range Campaign to protect the 1.2- million-acre Wyoming Range from proposed oil and gas development.
11. Idaho Conservation League (Boise, ID): Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness Campaign to protect 320,000 acres of wildlands in central Idaho's Boulder-White Clouds Mountains.
12. Northern Alaska Environmental Center (Fairbanks, AK): Yukon Flats Refuge Campaign to protect three areas in Alaska's Yukon from oil development.
13. Oregon Natural Desert Association (Bend, OR): Badlands Wilderness Campaign to secure Wilderness designation for 30,000 acres of desert wildlands in central Oregon.
14. Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition (Asheville, NC): Tennessee Wilderness Campaign to permanently protect 18,000 acres of public land in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest.
15. Trout Unlimited Alaska Program (Juneau, AK): Pebble Mine Campaign to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from a proposed open-pit gold-copper mine in the bay's headwaters.
16. WaterWatch of Oregon (Portland, OR): Free the Rogue Campaign to remove Savage Rapids Dam and other barriers to fish passage and river recreation on Oregon's Rogue River.
17. West Virginia Wilderness Coalition (Morgantown, WV): Wild Monongahela Wilderness Campaign to protect more than 70,000 acres of public land in the Monongahela National Forest.

Benefit mountain climb the summit of her dreams

2008-04-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

By Victoria Groves

Roslindale - West Roxbury native Laura Vinci, 24, never thought she’d end up being a hiking guide, taking tourists up volcanic mountains in Guatemala. After graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in dance, she took a two-month camping trip on a whim with a friend. Traveling through South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, she realized that she loved nature as much as dancing.

“I fell in love with our national parks and with nature,” said Vinci. “I’ve spent the majority of my life in pink tights, and now my parents can’t believe I’m a volcano guide.”

While hiking in Colorado, Vinci met a fellow climber who told her about an organization called Summit for Someone.

A charity fundraiser run by Backpacker Magazine, participants raise money to benefit Colorado-based Big City Mountaineers. BCM is a nonprofit organization created to provide urban teenage youths with challenging, safe outdoor experiences designed to build self-esteem and positively affect their beliefs about themselves and their relationship with others.

Vinci thought it was a program she could get involved in, especially when she found out where the fundraiser would take her.

“This is a chance for me to climb Mt. Rainier, but for a cause,” she said of the climb she’s always wanted to make. “I’m interested in experiencing a new landscape, and I’ve never used an ice ax before, so it should be interesting.”

Working in Guatemala, Vinci sees the vast contrast between the way that the United States cares for their open spaces — something that makes her want to continue working outdoors, for the environment in the future.

“There are a lot of parts of the world where you see trash and damages to the trails because there aren’t the resources to make those improvements,” said Vinci. “I want to continue working for the outdoors.”

Before Vinci’s three-day summit trip begins in September, she must raise $3,800. That’s enough to send a group of Big City Mountaineer teens on a wilderness trip of its own. “I know the trip I went on four two months changed the course of my life,” she said. “Experiences like this are really important, and it’s great to be able to give back.”

One of the volcanic hikes Vinci takes tourists on now is 13,000 feet high, only slightly shorter than the 14,000-foot high Mt. Rainier. But add snow, ice and rain, and she knows she’s up for a challenge. The daily hiking she does will help with her training, and she hasn’t forgotten about her dancing.

“In Guatemala, there’s a lot of salsa dancing, so I’ve moved my love for dancing to that,” Vinci said. “I’d love to find a way to eventually combine the two passions.”

The Outdoor Foundation Seeks Gear Support for Teens Outside 2008/09 Program

2008-04-14T09:20:00.001-07:00

Osprey Packs Gives Its "Pass On The Passion" Program A Boost

2008-04-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

Cortez, Colo., April 10th, 2008 — Osprey Packs, Inc., an independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, has put some fresh highlights on their Pass on the Passion program, which has been around since 2007.

This program allows Osprey owners to recycle their old packs for a good use. Reusable packs go to various organizations through the support of the Mountain Fund, to help people around the world get a great, used pack. From the Alpine Fund in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to the Climb High Foundation in Uganda, many people from various organizations benefit from the contributions of used packs. As an added bonus, the recycler also gets a 10-percent discount on the purchase of a new Osprey pack.

"We initiated this program with the Mountain Fund to continue our business goals in community outreach and sustainability, and can accomplish both with the Pass on the Passion program," said Gareth Martins, director of Marketing for Osprey. "This program offers a wonderful avenue to essentially 'recycle' your old pack so that it may get many more years of use out of it and help the organizations and the people involved achieve their community goals and ambitions."

The Mountain Fund works for mountain communities bringing health care, human rights, responsible tourism and environmental progress. Many of these programs need your old pack, including outdoor experience education programs for kids in Bishkek and outdoor leadership programs for women in Nepal. Once the donated pack is received and determined in good condition, the customer will receive an email detailing how the old pack is getting used, and how to purchase their new pack at the discounted rate.

To download the form to recycle your old pack and read more about the Mountain Fund and the organization that benefit from this program, please visit http://www.ospreypacks.com/OspreyLifestyle/PassonthePassion/

About Osprey Packs

From its humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to its current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Their mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and a devotion to the outdoors and the environment. Osprey defines success when it meets the demanding expectation of its most discerning customers. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-two years of pack-making experience.

Goddesses on the Rocks

2008-04-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Women's Climbing Weekend

When: April 19-20, 2008
Where: Joshua Tree, CA

Sterling Passes the Hat for HERA!
It is time again for another exciting Sterling Rope Women’s Climbing Weekend, Goddesses on the Rocks! This will be our 2nd Annual event at Joshua Tree, CA, the backdrop for a great weekend of climbing, socializing, and fun. Based upon the tremendous interest shown by women climbers, we are looking forward to a large turnout and an exciting weekend of climbing.

Sterling will pass the hat for HERA at the event and HERA board member Marci Reardon will be on hand to talk to participants about taking control of their health.

Red Rocks Rendevous 2008 Recap

2008-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

On the outskirts of the sin city, climbers from 50 states and 5 countries gathered below Mt Wilson for the 5th annual Red Rock Rendezvous. What began as an informal festival to celebrate climbing and the outdoors has morphed into a massive trade-show-like event with over a thousand festa-farians and pro-climbers in attendance. The basic concept is to have pros to teach climbing clinics about everything from Ivo Ninov’s “learning to speed climb” to Mark Synott’s “fine art of bailing.”! For a small fee you get a weekend of clinics, star mingling, crazy parties (free beers from New Belgium Brewing Co.), and lots of free swag from climbing companies like The North Face and Black Diamond.
Day one was dedicated to beginners and about 150 first timers experienced climbing outdoors in red rocks. Later in the evening the crowd gathered for an eclectic blend of presenters. First Dean Potter kicked off with some impressive and beautifully composed footage from his hair-ball free solos, high-lines and base jumping including some helmet cam sequence from his controversial Delicate Arch solo. Next Micah Dash gave a hilarious recount of his FA of a remote Himalayan big-wall: raging river swims, shiver bivies and summit glory! Finally Miajka Burkhardt talked about her travel to Ethiopia in search of unclimbed towers and cultural immersion.
To read more of this article and see photos visit momentumvm.com

EARN GREENBACKS FOR GIVING BACK TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

2008-04-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, NY, April 3rd, 2008 — Each year, many Americans enjoy spending their time in the great outdoors on activities such as camping, fishing and hiking. In a 2007 study, 93 percent of Americans believe companies have a responsibility to help preserve the environment. To help keep this country's backyard thriving, Redwood Creek Wines of California is inviting environmentally focused nonprofit organizations to share its commitment to preserve, protect and provide access to the great outdoors. Outdoor organizations from across the country are encouraged to have a member or representative apply for the Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors Project, which is committed to providing financial support to organizations that help maintain or improve America's wide-open spaces.

A panel of judges will review applications from individuals representing nonprofits, running the gamut from trail clubs to conservation groups and more. One organization will be awarded a $50,000 grant, and a runner-up will be awarded a $10,000 grant to fund a specific outdoor project. In addition, the winning nonprofit will also be featured in a national advertising campaign that will run in top outdoor magazines in December 2008!

What are you waiting for? Encourage your favorite nonprofit to apply today. Here's how to enter:

1. Visit www.RedwoodCreek.com March 15, 2008 through Thursday, May 15, 2008.
2. Complete the online application including statement of purpose.
3. Provide a detailed budget and timeline for the proposed project, along with photographs.

All project work must be completed by December 2009. Only one application per group will be considered and all submissions must be dedicated to a specific project that strives to preserve, protect and provide access to the great American outdoors. The grant applicant must be 21 or over and a legal U.S. citizen. Only members or representatives of registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the Redwood Creek Wines Greater Outdoors Project grant, such as environmental groups, conservancies, mountain and trail clubs, and outdoor organizations. For complete rules and additional information, visit www.RedwoodCreek.com starting in March.

"The Sierra Nevada mountain snowmelt irrigates our vines and helps give Redwood Creek its flavorful taste of the outdoors," states Cal Dennison, Redwood Creek winemaker and outdoor enthusiast. "We are proud to reward those who take a stand for preserving the environment, and watching over America's wide-open spaces."

Redwood Creek wines embody the adventurous spirit of California. Winemaker Cal Dennison crafted a portfolio of seven food-friendly wines that consistently deliver outstanding quality at an attractive price. Redwood Creek wines are available at retailers nationwide at a suggested retail price ranging from $6.99 to $9.99.

No purchase necessary. Grants Application ends May 15, 2008. Must be a legal resident of one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia and at least 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. See Terms and Conditions at www.RedwoodCreek.com.

Professional Climbing Guides Institute

2008-04-02T09:30:00.001-07:00

MK Ambassador Albert Nugue is the General Manager and Director of guide training for Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides. He was recently named President of the Board of Directors for the new non-profit Professional Climbing Guides Institute.

PCGI is a nationally organized, non-profit, non-membership based institute that develops and implements training curricula and standards solely for the education and assessment of professional and aspiring rock climbing guides.

In a nutshell, the mission of PCGI is to further develop and define the safety standards of guided rock climbing through enhanced standards, education and training. PCGI currently holds several different training courses, including top rope guide, single-pitch guide, multi-pitch guide and more.

This is a new and unique program that was developed based on the need for affordability, opportunity, choice, U.S.A.-specific standards and overall updated assessment methods and standards. Check out the website for more information.

Mountainfilm in Telluride Announces Non-film Events

2008-04-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

Telluride, Colo., March 31st, 2008 — As part of the 30th annual festival this Memorial Day weekend, Mountainfilm in Telluride will spotlight environmental, social and political issues, with both local and global significance. The roster of influential and inspiring speakers will make this a not-to-be-missed event.

After last year's theme of energy, this year the festival will address the troubling questions of water and sustainability with: a Symposium, compelling programs, and several relevant films. Mountainfilm will also pay tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary, gather top foreign policy experts to discuss global stability, and examine the issues of contemporary slavery.

The festival takes place May 23-26, 2008.

- Moving Mountains Symposium on Water (May 23, 2008): The looming global water crisis may be the greatest threat to the health of the planet and its inhabitants. Freshwater and saltwater sources are threatened by overuse, misuse and pollution. The Moving Mountains Symposium will highlight the enormous risks we are taking with our most precious resource, as well as offer solutions on how to best take action. Moderated by noted journalist, Wade Graham, the panel will feature: Peter Gleick, Alexandra Cousteau, Sylvia Earle, Maude Barlow, Azzam Alwash, and Dennis Dimick.

- Drilling Down: Water and the Southwest (time tbd): A special corollary to the Moving Mountains Symposium, this forum will address water issues specific to the arid Southwest United States. Special attendees will be Martin Litton and Katie Lee. Litton is a legendary environmentalist, intrepid Colorado River boatman, and one of its most outspoken advocates. Lee is a musician and longtime activist who has dedicated her life to first preserving and, now restoring, Glen Canyon. Other guests will include geologists, scientists, and activists who understand the complexities of this delicate region.

- Hot Spots Around the World: A Foreign Policy Roundtable (time tbd): This roundtable will gather some of the top names in foreign policy to look at what is happening in countries like Kenya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and of course, Iraq. Award-winning journalist and CNN chief foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour, former Ambassador to the
United Nations Richard Holbrooke, New York Times foreign affairs columnist Roger Cohen, and Samantha Power, senior policy advisor to Barack Obama and author of the new book, "Chasing the Flame," will attend.

- Tribute to the late Sir Edmund Hillary (time tbd): Renowned mountaineer and filmmaker, David Breashears will host a tribute to the eminent "mountaineer's mountaineer" who passed away earlier this year. Guests close to Hillary will attend. Rarely seen films chronicling his life and exploits will be presented.

- Contemporary Slavery (time tbd): Today, 28 million people are enslaved - more than any other time in history. Modern slavery comes in many forms and is not limited to developing nations. Human trafficking follows drug and weapon trafficking in terms of the world's largest criminal industries. Ben Skinner, author of the new book, "A Crime So Monstrous" will join in a forum with freed slaves and the Free the Slaves organization to address this under-reported but dire contemporary issue.

- The Village Green (time tbd): Ashton Hayes is a village of approximately one thousand people in Cheshire, England. In 2006, the town collectively decided to work toward becoming carbon neutral. Residents of Ashton Hayes will be on hand to discuss their challenges and successes and how what they have learned can be applied to Telluride. Also attending will be Laurie Garrett, a resident of Brooklyn who is leading the charge to "green" her seventy-year-old, thirty-story, residential building.

For twenty-nine years, Mountainfilm in Telluride has inspired, educated and entertained audiences with films and firsthand presentations by pioneering adventurers, artists, athletes and activists. The thirtieth season will continue to do just that. This year, Mountainfilm in Telluride continues to evolve itself as an impetus for change and action. Attendees will be part of the conversation and part of the solution this Memorial Day weekend. Early bird tickets are now on sale at http://mountainfilm.org.

About Mountainfilm in Telluride

For 30 years, Mountainfilm has been committed to bringing ever-increasing levels of artistic excellence to its mission of educating and inspiring audiences about critical issues. The festival began as a venue to showcase climbing movies. It has grown to be a major proponent of adventure, awareness and activism. Celebrating the indomitable spirit, Mountainfilm has the power to change lives. To learn more, visit: http://mountainfilm.org. To join the conversation, please visit our blog at http://blog.mountainfilm.org.

66 North Hikes to Raise Awareness of Glacial Melt

2008-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

Gardabae, Iceland, March 31st, 2008 — 66 North and Icelandic Mountain Guides have teamed to offer an extensive training plan for a mass ascent of the Hvannadalshnukur Glacier. Beyond the pursuit of adventure and sport, the goal of the mass ascent is to raise awareness of the marked increase in world glacial melt.

The heritage of 66 North is based on the Icelandic landscape and people. It is for this reason that the company is seeking to raise consciousness of the rapidly melting glaciers of the world. It is not a political statement, as much as it is recognition of a major threat to the stability of the ecosystem.

Dubbed "Reach the Top With 66 North," the training began in early February with an open invitation to the people of Iceland. Nearly 300 people showed up for the first meeting. The workshops continue with physical training goals and regular meetings that address the unique factors of glacier ascents. Under the leadership of the Icelandic Mountain Guides, the goal is for all participants to summit Mt. Hvannadalshnukur on June 7, 2008.

At 6920 feet (2110 meters), Mt. Hvannadalshnukur is the highest summit in Iceland, a southern spur of the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull.

The hope is that through facilitating this mass ascent, 66 North will enable more people to gain a firsthand awareness of the importance of glaciers to environmental balance. Though glacial melt is a serious topic, 66 North also celebrates the joy of activity and human achievement. Follow the progress at: http://www.66north.com/about-us/news-&-events.

About 66 North:
Established in1926, 66 North Iceland makes clothes for the toughest working conditions on the planet. In the past decade, 66 North has leveraged its expertise into a wide selection of outdoor clothing for sports and fashion. Widely recognized for its clean lines, immaculate fit and high quality, 66 North has received numerous awards for its designs and marketing campaigns. For further information, please visit our website, www.66north.com/us.

Believing in Change for the better: Author's quest to build schools compounded readers' interest

2008-03-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

With years of mountain-climbing experience, Greg Mortenson felt he was capable of conquering the Himalayan giant known as K2. Although Mount Everest is higher, the "savage peak" is widely considered a more difficult climb.

That's exactly why the former U.S. Army medic chose it to pay tribute to his deceased sister, Christa, whose necklace he planned to place on its icy peak. He made his attempt in 1993, but the "mountain of mountains" denied him his victory.

The Minnesota-born climber had nearly reached the top of the 28,267 foot-high mountain when clouds moved in and forced him to turn back. Of the more than 50 climbers who have perished on K2, nearly half the deaths have occurred on the way down.

Exhausted and disoriented by a deep sense of failure and the dizzying effect of the thin atmosphere, Mortenson started his descent. Without realizing it he became separated from his climbing partners and soon was lost.

What happened next became the grist for the 2006 best-selling book "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace? One School at a Time." Written by Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, it relates how getting lost in the extremely roughed terrain of Pakistan's Karakoram ultimately led to the building of many schools in rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mortenson will be participating in the 14th annual Virginia Festival of the Book, which opens Wednesday and runs through March 30. In addition to visiting local schools, he will take the stage at the University of Virginia's Culbreth Theatre at 6 p.m. Thursday to talk about his work building schools.

"I think people are really hungry for examples of how individuals can make changes for the better in the world," said Nancy Damon, program director of the festival, which is produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

"I think that's one of the reasons why 'Three Cups of Tea' affects people so strongly. It really shows the positive power a book can have.

"And we're having a panel talking about a book people felt has done a lot of damage. The book is the 1926 publication 'Mongrel Virginians,' which was a disparaging treatise on the Monacan Indians in Amherst County.

"We also have an incredible lineup this year of popular fiction writers, such as Homer Hickam, Adriana Trigiani and Walter Mosley. We have a lot of Virginia history books this year as well, which we're very pleased about."

In addition to the Culbreth Theatre event, Mortenson will be talking about his mountain-climbing experiences at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports on Friday at 4 p.m. He has climbed some of the most challenging mountains in the world, but K2 likely came the closest to taking his life.

After becoming separated from the other climbers, Mortenson wandered for days through the rocky terrain. When he stumbled into the small village of Korphe, he was near collapse from starvation and exhaustion.

Although the people in the village were extremely poor, they took the disheveled foreigner in and nursed him back to health. While recuperating, Mortenson had the opportunity to see how children in the village received their rudimentary education.

Because the villagers couldn't afford to pay a teacher the going rate of a dollar a day, they shared one three times a week with another village. There was no school building in Korphe so the students, nearly 100 of them, sat or knelt on the often frozen ground to learn their lessons.

Math problems were scratched into the ground with sticks or marked onto slate boards with improvised ink made from mud and water. Perhaps what touched Mortenson the most was the determination he saw in the children to learn. Before leaving the people who had saved his life, Mortenson made them a promise. "I will build a school," he told them, and he gave the villagers his word on it.

After returning home to Berkeley, Calif., Mortenson started working to fulfill his promise. He got a job as a nurse in an emergency room, and to save money for the future school he lived out of an aging Buick he called La Bamba.

Mortenson calculated he would need $12,000 to build a five-room schoolhouse. He mailed 580 letters to politicians and celebrities asking for their financial help in his endeavor. The letter-writing campaign generated one check for a $100 from television news anchor Tom Brokaw. Mortenson had trouble convincing adults about the worth of his effort, but young people understood immediately.

Mortenson's mother was the principal of Westside Elementary School in River Falls, Wis. Soon after her son returned to the States, she invited him to the school to talk to the students about what he was trying to do to help students on the other side of the world.

After the talk the Westside students took it upon themselves to start a "Pennies for Pakistan" fundraiser. In a matter of weeks they filled two 40-gallon trashcans with 62,345 pennies. When students at the Village School in Charlottesville heard that Mortenson was going to be attending the book festival, they started a penny drive of their own. Like many people who have read the best-selling book, they were inspired to help.

"My daughter gave me the book 'Three Cups of Tea' for Father's Day last June," said Proal Heartwell, cofounder of the private school for girls in fifth through eighth grades. "As an educator I was very taken with his story.

"When we heard Mr. Mortenson was coming here we initiated this 'Pennies for Peace' campaign. During his visit we're going to give him a nice check on behalf of the kids, their families and the broader community."

At last count the students had collected an estimated 110,000 pennies in the jars they have distributed in businesses around town. The goal is to raise $5,000, which will pay to operate one school in Pakistan for a year.

The students at Westside Elementary School have inspired many other schools to get involved in the Pennies for Peace program. Since it started in 1994 more than 8 million pennies have been collected. More can be learned about this program at www. penniesforpeace.org.

When Mortenson received a check for $623.45 from the kids at Westside, his spirits lifted. Then he received a check for $12,000 to cover the entire cost of constructing the school from wealthy physicist Jean Hoerni.

Today a yellow schoolhouse with red trim stands in Korphe, but it was just the beginning. With Hoerni's help, Mortenson founded the Central Asia Institute, which has the stated mission of promoting and providing "community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia."

In addition to building more than 60 schools so far, the nonprofit organization fully or partially supports more than 560 teachers. Much of the support CAI continues to receive can be directly attributed to the book.

"I think 'Three Cups of Tea' really speaks to how powerful literacy is," said Heartwell, who teaches English at Village School. "Our eighth-graders have been reading the book, and to be honest when we started it they were a bit skeptical about Mortenson's efforts, and they couldn't really understand what was motivating him.

"But as they read along in the book they became really quite taken with his experience and commitment. I think they've really been able to see that one person can make a huge difference.

"And through the book they're learning about a culture and region they know very little about. I think it has also heightened their awareness of extremism, and how promoting literacy and education is a way to combat extremism, and is a blow against terrorism."

Books have also been used to promote extreme agendas or beliefs. "Mongrel Virginians" by Arthur H. Estabrook and Ivan E. McDougle is a disturbing example of this.

What makes the book all the more chilling is that the two men weren't fringe fanatics, but respected scholars. This gave the book a certain amount of legitimacy.

The program, "One Bad Book: The Disturbing Legacy of 'Mongrel Virginians,' " will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday in the City Council Chambers at 605 E. Main St.

Karenne Wood, director of the Virginia Indian Heritage Program, will join Tribal Council members Sharon Bryant and Diane Johns Shields to discuss the book.

"The book was kind of an underpinning of the eugenics movement to promote the idea that racial purity was a good thing," Wood said. "I think the authors absolutely believed in what they were writing.

"In general the book said, 'These people aren't as good as us, and here's the proof.' There was a lot of discrimination against the Monacan Indian community in Amherst County as it was, and this book provided more fodder.

"What the book did was split the community. Those who had cooperated in trust with these researchers were labeled by the others as 'sellouts.' "

Wood said the authors of the book used codes with the intention of preserving the anonymity of the people in the study. But the community wasn't large, and residents easily deciphered the codes. The book wasn't designed with the general reading public in mind, but it became well known within certain circles. Some readers were like Virginia physician Dr. Walter Plecker, an avowed white supremacist and advocate of eugenics, who used the book to promote his views. There were plenty of others who were outraged by the book, and spoke out against it.

"When 'Mongrel Virginians' first came out, the well-known anthropologist Frank Speck reviewed it, and trashed it," Wood said. "But the book still did a lot of damage, and one of the things we're going to be talking about is how books like this can be used as weapons.

"I'm against censorship in general, because it can be detrimental to the freedom of ideas we all cherish. But I also believe researchers have a certain responsibility to their subjects.

"I'm hoping this program will draw attention to aspects of American Indian history in Virginia that are less well known. And we also want to talk about how Virginia has changed.

"The whole American Indian experience is now considered a positive aspect of our history, and people are proud of it."

A full schedule of events for the 14th annual Virginia Festival of the Book, March 26-30, is at www. vabook.org. Those wishing to attend Mortenson's talk at Culbreth Theatre at 6 p.m. Thursday can pick up free tickets at the venue one hour beforehand. No reserved or pre-ordered tickets are available.

Girls Education International to do Fund Raiser in Boulder April 12

2008-03-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Spring Masquerave Dance Party!!!

April 12th @ Cafe Babu
1335 Broadway in BOULDER
on the corner of University and Broadway, next to the Boulder Mountaineering shop!

10pm-6am! Yep all night! So bring your comfy dancing shoes!
Suggested donation $20

Music by:
Jantsen= myspace.com/jantsenmusic
Spindler
Future Simple Project= myspace.com/futuresimpleproject
Alala One= myspace.com/alalaone
Jayce
and special guests!!!!

DU meets with Congressional leadership and Administration officials to discuss conservation

2008-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON – February 13, 2008 – Ducks Unlimited Executive Vice President Don Young was joined by other wildlife conservation organizations today to deliver a strong message on behalf of sportsmen and habitat: protect and expand habitat conservation and opportunities for sportsmen.

Young and DU conservation leader Dr. Tina Yerkes met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), Senators Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), Tom Harkin (Iowa), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Russ Feingold (Wis.) and 11 other Senators to discuss issues relating to hunters and anglers.

In two subsequent meetings, Young and DU Washington staff met with senior White House, Department of Agriculture, and Interior Department leaders to discuss conservation priorities, as well as House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (Minn.) to discuss the state of conservation in the Farm Bill.

“Issues that face hunters and sportsmen affect the entire American population,” Young said. “We exchanged information on wetlands protection, agricultural conservation programs, biofuels and the climate’s effect on waterfowl. It was gratifying to see the interest and knowledge of Congress and the agency leaders about our priorities.”

Young also talked about the importance of protecting geographically isolated wetlands in terms of promoting clean water and protecting waterfowl habitat.

“Geographically isolated wetlands provide numerous benefits for people and wildlife, but the protections for them have been eroded. The Ducks Unlimited-supported Clean Water Restoration Act would restore those protections. Water quality and waterfowl habitat are threatened by loss of Clean Water Act protection,” said Young.

The Clean Water Restoration Act has been introduced in both the House by Rep. Jim Oberstar (Minn.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and in the Senate by Sen. Russ Feingold (Wis.). The legislation would codify protections for geographically isolated wetlands lost in actions resulting from two Supreme Court cases.

“Energy independence and addressing climate change are important goals,” said Young. “Cellulosic ethanol and carbon sequestration using land conservation are important tools towards mitigating climate change. They also have value in the potential to protect habitat. Ducks Unlimited is working in partnership with private landowners and industry to achieve the dual goals of sequestering greenhouse gases and conserving waterfowl and wildlife habitat.”

In a meeting with USDA Under Secretary Mark Rey, Young was joined DU Board member John Tomke to discuss working with the administration to support strong conservation provisions in the Farm Bill. Farm Bill conservation programs are critical to breeding grounds in the Prairie Pothole Region. Seeing these conservation programs secured is one of Ducks Unlimited’s top organizational priorities. More than 2 million ducks are produced annually on Conservation Reserve Program land alone.

Later in the day, Young and DU staff spoke with House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson about the status of popular conservation programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Conservation Reserve Program. Peterson cautioned that the Farm Bill will revert to the original law from 1949, if differences between the Congress and the Bush administration’s requests for the bill are not resolved, which does not include conservation provisions.

“With the Farm Bill being put into its final form right now, it is critical that we maintain open communications with Congress and the administration to ensure strong conservation outcomes,” said Young. “Chairman Harkin, Chairman Peterson, and administration leaders will be instrumental in determining the future of programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program.”

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature’s most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.

Contact: Neil Shader – (202) 347-1530, nshader@ducks.org

For more information, please see www.ducks.org/cwra and www.ducks.org/farmbill

Adventure Cycling Inspires Adults to Get Kids Psyched on Bikes

2008-03-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Missoula, Montana, March 20th, 2008 — Adventure Cycling Association announces a fantastic new educational offering, the Pedal Pioneers Training Course (PPTC). Designed to get kids off the couch and onto a bicycle saddle, this is a leadership course for adults who want to take groups of kids on overnight bicycle adventures. The PPTC distills Adventure Cycling's decades' worth of experience in organizing and leading bicycle tours, and wraps it into a three-day package that will impart a wealth of knowledge and know-how on and off the bike. Continuing education credits are available.

"Our goal is to give adult leaders the tools they will need to take a group of kids on the adventure of a lifetime - whether it is an overnight outing or a month-long tour," says Becky Douglas, Adventure Cycling's outreach and education coordinator. "Three days of demonstrations, role-playing, lectures, and riding will hone participants' leadership skills, and point them down the road to leading successful youth bicycle adventures."

Craig Johnston, a teacher from California, led a weeklong bicycle trip with five kids along the Lewis and Clark Bicycle Trail. "We had a great multi-day bicycle trip! The kids learned so much, and found out what they could accomplish anything if they put their minds to it," said Johnston. "This trip changed the lives of these five students, and of me. We literally could not have done it without [Adventure Cycling's] support."

Douglas adds, "Overnight bike trips provide an great opportunity for youth to combine physical and mental challenges, hone social skills, learn about different regions of the world, gain confidence, and build a sense of self-sufficiency through experiential learning."

Kids are less active today then they were thirty years ago. As a result, youth obesity rates are at an all-time high and many lifestyle-related illnesses such as childhood diabetes are on the rise. The shift to an indoor childhood has accelerated in the past decade, with huge declines in spontaneous outdoor activities such as bike riding, swimming, and touch football, according to separate studies by the National Sporting Goods Association, a trade group, and American Sports Data, a research firm. Bike riding alone is down 31% since 1995.

For more information about Adventure Cycling's Pedal Pioneers Training Course, or to sign up, visit http://www.adventurecycling.org/tours/2008pedalpioneer.cfm.

Adventure Cycling Association is the premier bicycle travel organization in North America with more than 43,000 members. A nonprofit organization, our mission is to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle. We produce routes and maps for cycling in North America, organize more than 40 tours annually, and publish the best bicycle travel information anywhere, including Adventure Cyclist magazine and The Cyclists' Yellow Pages. With 37,210 meticulously mapped miles in our route network, Adventure Cycling gives cyclists the tools and confidence to create their own bike travel adventures. Contact us at (800) 755-BIKE (2453), info@adventurecycling.org, or visit http://www.adventurecycling.org.

New Program Aims to Educate 10,000 Women in Poor Countries

2008-03-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

By Sam Kean

The investment firm Goldman Sachs and 16 universities around the world have announced a plan to spend $100-million providing business education to 10,000 women in developing countries.

The program, called 10,000 Women, hopes to spread good business practices throughout poor regions in Africa and Asia, to help those regions improve local economies. Goldman Sachs says that it views women in developing countries as an underdeveloped resource because very few of them receive any sort of education.

Most women in the program will earn management certificates in courses that range from a little over a month to six months. According to Goldman Sachs, the women will study topics such as “drafting a business plan, accounting, public speaking, marketing, management, and accessing capital” to support larger projects. The program also hopes to establish business networks and mentor programs for women.

In addition, a few women will receive scholarships to travel to universities and study for a bachelor’s degree in business or a master of business administration degree (MBA). Universities in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Tanzania, and other countries are partners in the program. U.S. business schools at places such as Columbia and Harvard Universities will also participate.

Goldman Sachs has pledged $100-million over five years to the program. The money will expand certificate programs that some universities already run, improve teacher training, and help to hire more teachers. Goldman Sachs employees will also consult for the program and contribute time and financial expertise.

Thanks to a Nonprofit Group of Guides, Visually Impaired Skiers Don't Have to Forgo Flights Down the Mountain

2008-03-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jourdan Peters, 14, is a seasoned skier. She likes the speed she can get on intermediate trails, and she's experienced enough to note the differences between her favorite haunts at Breckenridge and Monarch.

Elsa Bailey, 94, is a veteran skier who's been drawn to the mountains for decades. Like Peters, she favors intermediate trails, and if she had her choice, she'd spend all her time at Arapahoe Basin, where on a perfect day she starts "at the top."

Eight decades separate Peters and Bailey, but they share a love of skiing and something else - both are visually impaired.

"You would think that people with problems seeing wouldn't be out on the mountain skiing. You would be wrong," Bailey says.

Bailey and Peters are members of VIBeS (Visually Impaired and Blind Skiers of the Colorado Springs Community), an organization made up of visually impaired people, volunteers and guides.

The nonprofit group was founded in 1974 by the late Hugh Nevins, a legendary Coloradan who's in the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame and was the most decorated glider pilot during World War II. Originally called the Colorado Ski School for the Blind, it was based in Vail. In 1990, a group from the original school trained a group of volunteer guides in Colorado Springs, and VIBeS was born.

For the past two decades, VIBeS has brought together sighted and visually impaired people who love to ski. It's an inclusive group with no membership fees. Its dedicated volunteers help make its trips happen, and support from organizations makes skiing possible for its members. Monarch Ski Area offers free lift tickets, and the SnoJets, a longtime Colorado Springs ski club, sponsors a benefit dual-slalom ski race for the group every winter at Monarch.

At this year's race earlier this month, blizzard conditions made it impossible for anyone to see, but 42 racers gave it a shot anyway. Peters didn't race, but she skied at Monarch that weekend. It was a turning point for her, she says. "I skied both days that weekend and didn't fall once. That was the first time ever."

Peters has a disorder called septo-optic dysplasia. She says she can see objects that are close to her but can't see distances, a valuable skill on a mountain crowded with people and edged with trees. "That's why we have guides," she says, giggling. "Otherwise, we would be careening all over the mountain!"

Peters says her guide's presence doesn't lessen the best things about skiing. "I like the thrill of skiing. I can hear the wind as I move down the mountain and feel whether the snow is powder or packed underneath my skis."

The sensory elements of skiing - the cold air, the bite of the snow kicked up by the wind in your face, the warmth of the sun - are a part of any skier's day on the mountain, whether they're sighted or visually impaired. But visually impaired skier and VIBeS member Marcia Barber says she thinks the joy of flying down the mountain on skis "is even more valuable to me."

"I value it because I haven't had to give it up. We give up a lot of things as we go along. We don't drive. We are dependent on canes and dogs and people's elbows. When you are skiing, a lot of those barriers just go away."

Barber, 52, of Colorado Springs, has a degenerative eye disease that's taking her sight and has been a member of VIBeS since 1993. She and her five siblings learned to ski when they were children and her sight was much better. "Thanks to my parents, we went even though it was cumbersome, with the leather boots with shoelaces and wooden skis with cable bindings. You didn't see a lot of families of eight doing that in the 1960s."

But Barber gave up skiing when she moved to California after college.

As her sight worsened, she thought she'd never ski again. "I felt like a pinball, bouncing off bumps I couldn't see. It wasn't any fun. But then I moved back to Colorado in 1993 and discovered VIBeS," she says.

Barber's condition robs her of her peripheral vision, an important quality for skiers, but having a guide gives her the freedom she craves. "It's nice to just float a little."

Allowing the skier to "float a little" is one of the best parts of guiding, says Leo Bush, 56, a VIBeS guide who lives in Colorado Springs. Bush has been guiding and instructing skiers for VIBeS since the group moved to Colorado Springs in 1990. He had worked as a ski instructor at Monarch, where he realized that teaching visually impaired skiers wouldn't be much different from teaching sighted skiers, he says.

"Skiing is something that is much more body memory and muscle memory, not cognitive memory," he says. "Your body learns to do it. A visually impaired skier's muscles can learn skiing just as easily as a sighted person. . . .

"When we are teaching, we will often ski in front, backward. When we are guiding, we will ski either in front of the visually impaired skier or behind and shout commands - 'left,' 'right' - to guide them down the mountain."

Bush has stayed in VIBeS "simply because I enjoy doing it," he says. "People often say, 'Oh, that's so good of you, helping someone.' But I really do it because I enjoy being outdoors and sharing something I can do with someone else."

The relationship between guide and skier "is one of mutual respect," says Elsa Bailey. "I love the feeling of skiing, of my whole body moving beautifully from turn to turn. But I can't ski by myself anymore. It's just a wonderful thing having a guide."

Programs for the visually impaired and blind

* Adaptive Sports Association; asadurango.org. Sports and recreation programs for people with disabilities. Winter sports include adaptive skiing, blind skiing, cognitive skiing, snowboarding and ski biking.

* Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center; boec.org. Adaptive skiing and snowboarding, wilderness courses, professional challenge courses and an internship program. Upcoming events: Alcon Winter Ski and Snowboard Trip for youths 13 to 17 who have visual impairments or are blind. April 10. For information, call Claire DiCola, 1-800-383-2632.

* Challenge Aspen; challengeaspen.com. Recreational and cultural experiences for people with mental or physical challenges. Programs include adaptive skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, hiking and dog sledding. Also offers recreational veterans programs.

Upcoming events: The 22nd annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, March 30 to April 4. 1-970-923-0578, http://miracles.dav.org

* National Sports Center for the Disabled; nscd.org. One of the largest outdoor therapeutic recreation agencies in the world, based in Winter Park. Winter activities include therapeutic horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, Nordic hut trips, snowshoeing and ski racing. 1-970-726-1540

* Foresight Ski Guides; foresightski guides.org. Guided instruction for visually impaired and blind skiers at Vail Resorts. 1-866-860-0972

* VIBeS; coloradovibes.org. Visually Impaired and Blind Skiers of the Colorado Springs Community, an organization that presents recreational activities for visually impaired and blind people. Winter activities include downhill and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. 1-719-593-1982

Marcia Barber VIBeS member, 56

* Profession: Elementary-school secretary

* Loves skiing because: "It's something I did as a kid and I can still do it. I love the motion and the speed and being outdoors and being with people I like."

Leo Bush VIBeS guide, 52

* Profession: Software engineer for Federal Express

* Loves skiing because: "I guess it's the thrill of motion that keeps me skiing. I learned when I was 16 and I've never stopped."

To become a VIBeS member

* Visually impaired skiers: If you think it's unsafe for you to ski alone because of your vision, you can participate.

* Guides: You should be an intermediate skier with strong skills and "the volunteer spirit," says longtime guide Leo Bush.

* Volunteers: You can help with VIBeS events, and even if you aren't a skier, you can participate in and help with programs in hiking, skiing and other outdoor recreational activities year-round.

* Information: 1-719-593-1982 or coloradovibes.org

Environmental awareness fuels support

2008-03-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Todd Cohen, March 10, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Nature Conservancy in 2007 received $75,000 from Duke Energy and $500,000 from Bank of America that represented savings resulting from requests by investors and customers for electronic versions of the companies' reports and billing statements.

"Corporations are recognizing that their customers are indeed concerned about global environmental issues," says Mike Horak, associate director of philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy.

Buoyed by growing public awareness of issues like global warming and urban sprawl, and their impact on land, air and water, local environmental groups are seeing more interest and support...

To read the complete article, please visit PhilanthropyJournal.org.

Bainbridge Island outdoor learning center seeks to raise $8 million

2008-03-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

When IslandWood School began eight years ago, its founders hoped to create generations of environmental stewards. Those hopes are being realized with each class of fourth- or fifth-graders who complete the four-day stay at the nonprofit educational center, say educators. To read the full article, visit the Seattle Times website.

Osprey’s “ReSources In Jeopardy” Party Helps Six Non-Profits

2008-03-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Cortez, Colo., March 13th, 2008 — Osprey Packs, and independent pack company located in the high desert and mountains of Southwestern Colorado, was founded over 30 years ago with an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.

In 2007, Osprey bridged that commitment into its product line with the ReSource series of packs, made from at least 70-percent recycled materials. The ReSource collection was the result of many years of sourcing research, and was a strong product introduction for the brand. Staying true to its goal of creating positive change through the company and its products, Osprey not only expanded the ReSource line for fall 2008, but also launched it with a successful fundraiser at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, 2008, in Salt Lake City. The Resources in Jeopardy party was based on the fall 2008 ReSource pack colors, which are named after species or ecosystems in jeopardy.

“Contestants had a chance to demonstrate their knowledge of the ReSource endangered species and ecosystems and the fabulous organizations dedicated to saving them,” says Osprey marketing director Gareth Martins. “Thanks to their participation, and our dedication to donating portions of the ReSource series sales to these organizations, we can continue to support and preserve these delicate ecosystems.”

The Resources in Jeopardy party at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market raised $1,200 for six non-profits in just an hour and a half. The donations were split between the six organizations based on the donors’ preferences, and the entire dollar amount raised went to the six charities.

The six outstanding charities associated with the ReSource series color names that Osprey packs supports are:

Glacier (blue): Save Our Snow Foundation
Rainforest (green): Wildlife at Risk
Redwood (orange-red): Save the Redwoods League
Panda (black): Pandas International
Cheetah (yellow): Cheetah Conservation Fund
Wild Salmon (crimson): Save Our Wild Salmon

The expanded ReSource collection now comprises 13 styles of active, everyday packs built from at least 70-precent recycled materials by content. The exact amount of recycled materials for each pack is featured on the pack strap of each respective model. The ReSource collection embodies the Osprey design credo of comfort, adjustability, and durability in a line of versatile urban packs. For more information on the ReSource series of pack, visit:http://ospreypacks.com/Packs/ReSourceSeries/

The expanded ReSource collection is yet another indication of Osprey’s continued dedication to the environment and to the company’s ever-expanding corporate social responsibility platform. You can read more about their efforts by visiting .

About Osprey Packs

From its humble beginnings building custom backpacks and sleeping bags in Santa Cruz California, to its current recognition as an industry leader, Osprey has always flown its own course. Their mission is to create innovative high performance gear that reflects a love of adventure and a devotion to the outdoors and the environment. Osprey defines success when it meets the demanding expectation of its most discerning customers. Based in Cortez, Colorado, Osprey has over thirty-two years of pack-making experience.

HERA Ovarian Cancer Climb for Life Washington DC

2008-03-12T22:04:00.000-07:00

February 29th - March 29th, 2008
Looking for a Challenge?
Rock climb and make a difference in the world!

Register Online

REI, Black Diamond & Metro DC’s great climbing gyms, Earth Treks & Sportrock, have teamed up to fight ovarian cancer with our 3rd annual climbing festival, HERA Ovarian Cancer Climb For Life, Metro DC. The organizers are honored to be working with HERA (Health, Empowerment, Research and Advocacy), a leading non-profit foundation empowering women, the medical industry & communities in their fight against ovarian cancer.

The low-down: For your $30 registration fee, we're going to give you a month of climbing, a few grand parties, a friendly competition, free goodies, raffles, friends, laughter, clinics, and the chance to hang out and learn from some top climbing pros. Yeah, it's a lot for only $30 but we're on a mission. We want to spread awareness of ovarian cancer and help find a cure. Climb4Life is an easy and fun way to help women and their families who are battling this disease. Ovarian cancer is often called a silent killer. It's not. It has symptoms and it's our mission to let everyone - women, girls and the men that love them – know what's at stake.

Want to do More?. You can help save lives by talking to friends, colleagues, and anyone you know about ovarian cancer. We'll arm you with information and useful symptom cards to distribute when you register, and you can find more detailed information and research on this website. Want to do more? You can raise additional funds by asking friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to sponsor you. It's easy. We promise. And for those of you that go the extra mile to bring in donations, we've got a few nice things to thank you with.

Contact: Customer Service REI Fairfax
571-522-6568

La Sportiva Refines Environmental and Social Responsibility Platform

2008-03-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Boulder, Colo. March 7, 2008, March 7th, 2008 — An appreciation and love for the mountain environment has been a part of La Sportiva’s business from the time the company was building rugged footwear for farmers and mountain guides in the Italian Dolomites 80 years ago. In 2006, La Sportiva launched their first Corporate Sustainability Platform. Today, that same feeling of stewardship is prompting La Sportiva to integrate more responsible practices and production processes that respect the environment into each part of their business.

La Sportiva will couple these environmental initiatives with new efforts at transparency so that stakeholders can see where the company is making tangible improvements and where improvements can still be made.

“Our Corporate Sustainability Platform is designed to cover all aspects of our business, from employee welfare to waste reduction. We are taking this holistic approach because we feel strongly that creating a green product is meaningless if it uses unfair labor practices. Likewise, the best fair labor platform is meaningless if the production process pollutes the local ground water,” said Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America.

La Sportiva’s new efforts can be broken down into four main areas of focus, reducing their carbon footprint, waste reduction, fair labor, and social philanthropy. In 2007, the company’s approach to furthering their Corporate Sustainability Platform netted several tangible improvements.

La Sportiva helped offset a portion of its emissions with renewable energy credits (RECs). The company’s total commitment to clean energy, they estimate, was equivalent to not burning 22,665 pounds of coal, not driving 53,568 miles or also planting 202 trees. Additionally, La Sportiva’s Italian factory experienced retrofits that reduce that company’s combined energy use. These efforts helped the company to reduce its overall ecological footprint and helped promote cleaner, renewable energy.

La Sportiva is a community partner with Eco-Cycle Zero Waste of Boulder County, a program that networks and enables communities to reduce waste. The program allows La Sportiva to increase recycling capabilities and further reduce waste by working with community partners. As a further waste-reduction measure, La Sportiva launched a shoe recycling initiative that improves their product’s end-of-life cycle by diverting them from landfills as waste. The program involves participation from customers by accepting shoes, depending on condition, for either recycling or reuse.

In addressing the human element of the manufacturing process, La Sportiva has adopted OIA’s Fair Labor Toolkit. This toolkit presents a code of conduct and a variety of strategies that was developed by pooling the best practices of several outdoor industry companies. It provides a comprehensive system for monitoring labor standards compliance in order to understand if and where there are labor compliance violations in La Sportiva’s supply chain so the company can work to eliminate them. La Sportiva has implemented this in its Italian factory and at its contract factories in the Far East.

La Sportiva is also committed to social causes and improving community relations and development. This commitment is achieved mainly through partnerships with awareness, education and conservation-based organizations. In 2007, La Sportiva partnered with Sierra Magazine to help promote the brand and their company’s commitment to sustainability. In 2008, La Sportiva has signed a deal to expand their partnership with Sierra to include support for Sierra Club’s Inner City Outing (ICO) program. The ICO program is a community outreach initiative that provides low-income, inner-city youth the opportunity for wilderness experiences that may otherwise be unavailable.

In La Sportiva’s efforts to be more transparent to the public, the company has taken several steps, including clearly labeling its products’ country of origin. This year, La Sportiva will partner with the Green Living Project™. Beginning in March of 2008, the project will attempt to document sustainability in an effort to increase exposure for “green living” projects from partner organizations, like La Sportiva.

La Sportiva will be continuing their efforts to improve every aspect of their business through this Corporate Sustainability Platform. The company has plans to continue to support its environmental stewardship programs and improve working conditions throughout its supply chain. For more information on La Sportiva’s efforts in these areas, Download La Sportiva’s Corporate Social Responsibility Report.

ABOUT LA SPORTIVA
Celebrating their 80th anniversary, La Sportiva brings a strong alpine mountaineering and climbing heritage to their line of performance mountain footwear. This core experience enables La Sportiva to offer the most versatile technical climbing, mountaineering, Mountain Running® and hiking shoes on the market. For more information on La Sportiva visit www.sportiva.com.

Kelty sponsors Daren Wendell and his walk around the world

2008-03-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

Boulder, Colo., March 7th, 2008 — Kelty, cornerstone brand for the outdoor world, will be an official gear sponsor for Daren Wendell and his Earth Expedition walk around the world to raise awareness, generate funds, and call people to action regarding the international water crisis.

Starting on March 8, 2008 when Daren takes his first step from North Georgia College and University in Dahlonega, GA, the Earth Expedition will span the course of the next seven years and take Daren over 18,000 miles through 14 countries. Kelty will supply Daren with a Soar 5200 backpack, Corrie 2 tent, and Light Year Down 20º sleeping bag to start, with regular equipment upgrades to follow as seasons change and newer gear is released.

“Without a doubt, this is one of the most ambitious undertakings I’ve ever heard of and we’re excited to be a part of it,” said Christian Mason, marketing manager for Kelty. “I’m looking forward to receiving updates from Daren during his trip and his feedback on how our Kelty gear is performing.”

When it came to selecting gear sponsors, Daren knew exactly the sort of equipment he was after.

“I’m a minimalist,” said Daren of Earth Expedition. “I’m looking for high quality, lightweight gear to meet my under 40 lb pack limit. The Kelty Soar, Corrie, and Light Year will certainly help me attain that goal.”

With 5200 cubic inches of storage space, the Soar is the largest pack Kelty’s Backcountry Light series of packs, tents, and sleeping bags. Weighing in at 4 lbs., 2 oz., the Soar represents the best blend of lightweight and large volume across all of Kelty’s backpack lines.

New for Spring 2008, the Corrie 2 is the lightest two-person tent currently offered in the Kelty line. Tipping the scales at a scant 3 lbs., 10 oz., the three-season Corrie is easy to carry, easy to pitch, and provides ample protection from the elements.

Also new for Spring 2008, Kelty’s Light Year Down 20º sleeping bag will accompany Daren until colder temps demand a warmer bag. Light, comfortable and compact, the mummy-style Light Year Down is a great choice for lightweight, three-season backpacking.

Starting with a hike of the entire Appalachian Trail, Daren will ultimately cover over 18,000 miles during his seven-year trip with time spent walking through a variety of different countries, including Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Russia, and Canada.

Regular updates on Daren’s progress and the Kelty gear he is using can be found at www.Kelty.comin the “How Do You Use Kelty” section as well as in Daren’s blog, located atwww.theearthexpedition.com .

KELTY is based in Boulder, Colorado, and uses the natural backdrop of the Rocky Mountains to test, create and continually innovate within their diverse outdoor product families of Light & Fast, Trail, Basecamp and Travel gear. Kelty combines the best in new technology with a healthy dose of common sense to create exceptionally made, affordably priced outdoor products. For more information on Kelty, please go to www.kelty.com, or call 800.423.2320.

The Light House--Saving Nepali Girls from Slavery

2008-03-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Eastern Mountain Sports Makes Major Commitment to Conservation Alliance Legacy Fund

2008-03-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

Bend, Ore, February 21st, 2008 — Eastern Mountain Sports has committed to contribute $500,000 to The Conservation Alliance Legacy Fund over the course of the next five years. The pledge brings the Alliance closer to its $3.5-million goal for the Legacy Fund.

Eastern Mountain Sports’ commitment comes in the wake of the Alliance’s January announcement that the organization will build the Legacy Fund to ensure a permanent source of funding for current operational expenses. The Conservation Alliance contributes 100 percent of each member’s annual dues to conservation projects, and must raise operational costs separately.

“Eastern Mountain Sports has made a strong investment in the future of The Conservation Alliance,” said John Sterling, executive director. “By pledging $500,000, the company is also pledging that conservation is a core priority for the outdoor industry. It is a gift not only to the Alliance, but also to future outdoor industry customers who value protected wild places.”

The New Hampshire-based retailer is a long-time Conservation Alliance member, joining in 1997. The company has recently increased its involvement in the Alliance. In 2007, Eastern Mountain Sports contributed 1 percent of sales from two 'Upgrade Your Gear' sales to The Conservation Alliance and The Access Fund. Those promotions raised more than $30,000 for the Alliance last year.

“Eastern Mountain Sports is committed to saving wild lands and rivers for future generations,” said CEO Will Manzer. “We intend to make our partnership with The Conservation Alliance the cornerstone of our future conservation initiatives.”

The Conservation Alliance launched the Legacy Fund at the January Outdoor Retailer trade show with significant commitments and contributions from The North Face, REI, Patagonia, Kelty, Merrell, Dansko, CamelBak, The Forest Group, and former board president Menno van Wyk.

“We were already off to a great start, and with the Eastern Mountain Sports pledge we have taken a huge step toward our goal,” said Sterling.

The Conservation Alliance plans to secure contributions and commitments totaling $3.5 million by August 2009, the organization’s 20th Anniversary.

Read more about the Legacy Fund, its donors and how to get involved.
About the Conservation Alliance:

The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.

Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $6 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 38 million acres of wildlands; 26 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 16,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.

The Access Fund Announces a New Program for Youth Climbing Teams

2008-03-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

March 05, 2008 — The Access Fund is pleased to announce the launch of a new program, the boulderProject TeamWorks competition.

With the cooperation of team coaches, indoor youth climbing gym teams will host or participate in Access Fund Adopt-a-Crag events all while amassing points. As a reward for their stewardship efforts in taking care of the places we all play, the top 10 teams will win a cash grant between $250 and $2000 for their youth program.

“In addition to the $2000 top prize, the first place team will also receive the "Golden Toothbrush" award presented by REI and a full page write up in Urban Climber Magazine. Our partners in this project have really stepped up.” says Charlie Boas, the Access Fund’s Grassroots Coordinator who heads the boulderProject TeamWorks and Adopt-a-Crag programs.

boulderProject TeamWorks would not be possible without the generous support of REI, The North Face, USA Climbing, and Skram Media. Additional support provided by CLIF Bar, Nalgene, Leave No Trace, and Routsetter.com

For more information or to sign your team up, visit www.boulderproject.org/teamworks. The TeamWorks resource package includes Adopt-a-Crag information, Access Fund route setting tape, and Access Fund logo posters.

About boulderProject TeamWorks
TeamWorks educates young indoor climbers on the transition from inside to outside environments by focusing on Leave No Trace ethics and responsible rock climbing habits. It instills and fosters a sense of stewardship and pride in caring for our outside climbing environments leading to long term conservation of and access to climbing areas. For more information visit www.boulderproject.org.

About the Access Fund
The Access Fund is the national advocacy organization that keeps U.S. climbing areas open and conserves the climbing environment. Founded in 1991, the Access Fund supports and represents over 1.6 million climbers nationwide in all forms of climbing; rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, and bouldering. Five core programs support the mission on national and local levels: public policy, stewardship & conservation (including grants), grassroots activism, climber education, and land acquisition.

For more information visit www.accessfund.org.

The Tibetan Arts and Literature Initiative

2008-03-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

The Tibetan Arts and Literature Initiative (TALI) supports projects that promote Tibetan culture and language in Tibetan areas within the People’s Republic of China. TALI is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with no political or religious affiliations. Project partners include artists, writers and educators, officials, and local community members, as well as Tibetan cultural associations and other non-governmental organizations. TALI is committed to supporting or implementing projects in the following categories:

* Tibetan-language children’s books;
* Tibetan-language children’s audiovisual materials of educational or entertaining nature;
* Enrichment programming aimed at promoting the early appreciation of Tibetan language, literature and the arts among Tibetan children;
* Short-term training for Tibetan artists, writers and educators; and
* Exchanges and collaboration between Tibetan artists, writers and educators and their counterparts in and outside the People’s Republic of China.

In Summer 2007 TALI published and distributed two originally written Tibetan-language children's books:

* A Little Frog and a Crow, written by Nangsal Tenzin Norbu and Tsering Choedron, illustrated by Dedron. Book design by Tsering Namgyal.

* The Prince and the Yoguin's Daughter, adapted and illustrated by Serdrak Dondrup Tseten, a renown Rebkong thangka painter. Book Design by Tracy Ellen Smith.

Ten thousand copies of the books were successfully distributed in schools and libraries all over Tibetan-populated areas in the People's Republic of China. TALI achieved the successful wide distribution of the books by relying on its network of local volunteers and by partnering with many local and international NGOs and non-profit organizations operating in these areas.

To read more about TALI visit talitibet.org

Mountain Hardwear Moves to Eco-Friendlier Headquarters

2008-03-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

In a recent article written by B. James Bottoms, Mountain Hardwear’s Director of Operations, he reported that the company will be moving its headquarters to the Ford Assembly Plant in Richmond, Calif. The plant, designed by architect Albert Kahn in 1930, is a quarter of a mile long and includes features “that would be considered sustainable today such as the saw tooth roof design with large northern skylights which provide incredible natural light and hinged windows along the western and northern walls which draw in the cool bay breeze.”

Bottoms explains that by “re-appropriating some of open factory space, the original suite of managers' offices and the former product showroom, all of which had been practically abandoned for more than 25 years, we were able to design and build our space with a focus on sustainability.”

To read the full article, please visit their website.

New Belgium Brewery Gives Back 1% to the Planet

2008-03-03T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ft. Collins, CO – January 2008 – New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and other Belgian-inspired beers, today joined One Percent for the Planet (1% FTP), turning a portion of its sales into a pledge to help the planet

The nation’s first brewery to incorporate wind-power for electricity, New Belgium is also the first brewery to join 1% FTP, which connects businesses, consumers and nonprofits through philanthropy. Through 1% FTP, New Belgium Brewing will support nearly 150 sustainability-oriented non-profits in 2008. New Belgium will donate the money directly to the organizations and 1% FTP will serve as the clearing-house that makes sure non-profits use the donations they receive efficiently and responsibly.

“Sustainability is the backbone of everything we do at New Belgium Brewing and it is very important to us that we give back to the organizations working daily to make the planet a better place,” said Jennifer Orgolini, New Belgium’s Sustainability Director.

1% FTP is a global network of environmentally philanthropic members with more than 800 companies and more than 1,500 non-profit organizations. Launched in 2001 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Matthews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies of Bozeman, its members include individuals such as singer Jack Johnson, entrepreneurs and corporations. In 2007, 1% FTP members donated more than $7 million dollars bringing the total to more than $30 million dollars since its inception.
"New Belgium is an exciting addition to the network. They, like our other members, are really walking the walk,” said Strick Walker, Chief Marketing & Development Officer for 1% FTP. “They're using creativity and generosity as tools with which to build an incredible business and a powerful brand - and enabling important environmental work along the way. We're stoked to welcome them to the 1% family."
The collaboration with 1% FTP is in addition to the other philanthropy projects New Belgium supports throughout the year. New Belgium currently donates one dollar to non-profit organizations for every barrel of beer sold in the prior year, as a way to give back to the communities that contribute to New Belgium’s success. In addition, New Belgium hosts Tour de Fat every summer, a philanthropic and sustainable festival that has raised more than $700,000 for bike and environmental advocacy groups, since its inception in 2000.

From the beginning New Belgium has made every effort to minimize resource consumption, maximize energy efficiency and recycle at every opportunity. In fact, New Belgium became the country’s first brewery to subscribe to wind energy after a vote by employee owners to dip into their bonus pool.

“One of the core values at New Belgium is to be an environmental steward and it’s something we believe in 100%,” continued Orgolini. “We are excited to join One Percent for the Planet and to extend our resources to organizations that have a powerful impact.”

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991. Today, the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., New Belgium produces seven year-round beers; Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, 1554 Black Ale, Abbey, Mothership Wit and Trippel, as well as a host of seasonal releases. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model with progressive programs such as employee ownership, open book management and a commitment to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.newbelgium.com.

Cross country equipment donated for disabled skiers

2008-03-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today the Sierra Sun reported that Turning Point, a new Truckee-based nonprofit organization donated two pairs of $5,000 sit-down skis on Thursday to Tahoe Donner Cross Country to expand recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. "The skis were handcrafted by Tahoe Donner resident Michael Byxbe, who sells his designs to disabled outdoor-enthusiasts worldwide."

To read the full article, please visit Sierra Sun's website.

Keen Footwear Foundation Announces New Partners and

2008-02-29T21:20:00.001-08:00

For Immediate Release
Julie Atherton McFadden
JAM Media
julie@jampr.net
615-292-4240

Alameda, CA, February 8th, 2006 — In its ongoing commitment to working with non-profit, social and environmental organizations, Keen is pleased to announce new partners and expanded programs for the Keen Footwear Foundation in 2006.

Entering into its 2nd year, the Keen Footwear Foundation is adding two new non-profit groups to its ever-expanding list of partner organizations: Healing Waters and American Whitewater.

Healing Waters is a non-profit organization (www.hwaters.org), whose mission is to educate, inspire and enrich the lives of men, women and teenagers living with HIV/AIDS. Between 40,000 and 50,000 Americans become infected with HIV every year. Half of them are between the ages of 13 and 24.

Healing Waters’ program Liquid Camp is a river kayaking camp, offering young adults a safe place to learn a new skill, make new friends and develop positive self-esteem and a positive approach to living with HIV/AIDS. With the Keen Footwear Foundation’s support, Healing Waters will be able to increase the number of camps in 2006.

Also for 2006, Keen contributions will aid American Whitewater (www.americanwhitewater.org) in its quest to restore ecological health and recreational opportunities to the Catawba River watershed in North and South Carolina. Efforts will improve the quality of life for residents of the Catawba watershed, while providing restored habitat for many native species of plants and animals and the Keen Foundation grant will help aid them in their efforts.

“The Keen Footwear Foundation is most interested in building relationships with organizations that identify and work on root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change,” said Bobbie Parisi, Vice President of Marketing at Keen. “We’ve enjoyed great success with our current roster of partners and look forward to contributing to the development of these two new programs with Healing Waters and American Whitewater.”

Recently, Keen’s support of Medicines Global, an organization committed to inspiring and educating adventure travelers to give back to the places they visit, changed the lives of five high school students from Watts, California. Through the Outdoor Youth Ambassador Program, the Jordan High School students traveled to refugee camps and hospitals in southwestern Sri Lanka, delivering hundreds of thousands of dollars in medicines and supplies for tsunami relief.

“What an honor to be involved in such an incredible program,” said Janice Belson, Executive Director of Medicines Global. “Keen’s support not only gave students an incredible opportunity to learn about the needs of 3rd world countries first hand from the Minister of Health, the Mayor of Colombo, and directors of regional hospitals; it will also help Medicines Global provide longer-term support and communication in the coming years.”

Keen Footwear encourages its industry partners, customers and retailers to visit www.keenfootwear.com to learn more about the causes it has chosen to support, and how to become more involved—not just with the non-profit organizations that Keen Footwear supports, but in their own local communities and charities that inspire them. “ In addition to Healing Waters, American Whitewater and Medicines Global, the Keen Footwear Foundation currently supports:

• The Conservation Alliance (www.conservationalliance.com) – a coalition of outdoor industry companies whose annual membership dues are donated to grassroots environmental organizations.
• Big City Mountaineers (www.bigcitymountaineers.org) – an organization devoted to providing significant mentoring during wilderness trips for urban teens participating in existing youth development programs
• The Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org) -- a non-profit, grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education
• Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org) – for more than 25 years the mission of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has been to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships.

ABOUT KEEN
Founded in 2003, KEEN Footwear is located in Alameda, California. Since its inception, the brand has exploded in the outdoor and footwear industries by establishing itself as the leader of hybrid performance footwear. Known for its patented toe protection technology, KEEN Footwear can be found in more than 1,300 retail locations nationwide. KEEN Footwear has also established distribution networks in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia as well as Central America, South America and Europe.

Folly Anglers Honored for Giving Back

2008-02-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

By Jenny Peterson (Contact)
The Journal
Thursday, February 28, 2008

Fun, fishing and philanthropy.

The Folly Beach Anglers have it all. Since 1999, the nonprofit social club has met to catch up, catch fish and collect money for families in need on Folly Beach and James Island.

The group's recent donation of $800 and a variety of needed items to the Daniel Joseph Jenkins Institute for Children in North Charleston in December earned the Anglers the city of Folly Beach's Good Samaritan Award.

Anglers President Ken Holland and past President Daniel Culpepper accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

"It was time for them to be recognized," said Wallace Benson, Folly City Council member and founding father of the club.

Benson said the club was deserving of the award after eight years of providing help to those less fortunate. The club's foundation was built on helping others and doing a little fishing on the side. There are similar angler clubs around Charleston.

Benson, who once owned the Village Tackle Shop on Folly Beach, said it all started when a group of fishermen got together to do some good in the community.

"We really are a small group, but we try, and all the money we raise goes back into the community," he said. Benson serves as the club's secretary.

"We do a couple of fundraisers for people who are ill, and we started 'adopting' people," he explained. "We've donated to families, given money to people who are injured; we all chip in money for the organization."

Other efforts include giving needy families gift certificates to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and Wal-Mart, giving out turkeys for Thanksgiving and dispensing free hot dogs and chili at the Folly Beach Halloween party. One of the members recently died, and Benson said the group made a donation in his honor to a local church.

The club is limited to 30 members who pay $15 in annual dues and participate in several fundraisers each year. Benson said there is usually about $1,500 in the group's general fund. Membership is limited because members didn't want the club to become too big, he said.

"The idea was to keep it simple," Benson said. "We didn't want to make this a job."

Holland said the club's biggest fundraising efforts are oyster roasts, the beer-bottle toss at the Sea and Sand Festival, a fish fry, four fishing tournaments and a barbecue. Members also donate their own money to the cause of helping others.

"Ninety percent of it is given out to needy families," said Holland.

The group meets each month, usually at the Folly Beach Crab Shack, to discuss fundraising efforts and plan fishing tournaments.

To keep it fishing-oriented, there's a friendly competition among the members to document the fish they catch. Trophies are given out each year to the member who catches the most fish, as well as the biggest fish, Holland said.

However, he adds, "Most of us don't take the fishing too seriously."

What members are serious about is helping in the community and maintaining good friendships.

"It's what Folly's about. It's another reason to get together with friends," Holland said. "If someone has an idea (for a family in need), they spearhead it."

Holland said many island businesses have donated food and other items to the club.

Folly Councilman Tim Goodwin said he enjoys his membership.

"We have great social times together," he said. "We fish some, and we do a lot of good work for the community."

Those interested in joining the club must be nominated by a current member.

There are four lifetime members: Benson; his father, Cliff Benson; his wife, Linda Benson; and Rick Stringer, a local attorney who helped the organization secure its nonprofit status.

There are currently 28 members of the Folly Beach Anglers. Contact Benson at 588-9147 for more information.

Vertical Express for Multiple Sclerosis

2008-02-29T09:25:00.000-08:00

March 1-2
Squaw Valley USA

Register at www.verticalexpress.org or by calling toll free (800) 376-3101
In its 23rd year, the Vertical Express for MS is a series of on-snow events to benefit The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis — a nonprofit organization that allows people with MS to live full, productive lives.

For the past two decades a dedicated group of enthusiastic skiers have gathered at Squaw Valley USA each winter to ski, raise money for the Heuga Center, and spend a memorable weekend with friends. The 2008 Vertical Express for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), presented by Fred Alger Management EMD Serono, Inc./Pfizer Inc and Rolex Watch USA, hits the slopes of Squaw Valley USA on March 1-2.
Squaw Valley was Jimmie Heuga’s home mountain, the place he trained to win the Bronze medal in the Men’s Downhill in the 1964 Olympics. Today, Jimmie’s enthusiastic spirit and connection to Squaw Valley continues to help motivate participants in the annual Squaw Valley USA Vertical Express.

Teams of three skiers/riders raise a minimum of $1,000 to enter the Vertical Express for MS. The day’s activities include on-snow events, exciting prizes, complimentary lift tickets, food and goodie bags. Those who can’t attend are invited to participate on-line by supporting another team.

Wounded Warriors Hand Bike to San Diego

2008-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

On February 26th, 26 wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan rode hand bikes into San Diego after the week-long Golden State Challenge, a bicycle ride from Palo Alto to Imperial Beach. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune: "The Soldier Ride began in 2004 when physical trainer Chris Carney rode his bicycle from New York to California to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Projechttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gift.

In 2005 and 2006, injured veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars joined the cross-country ride.

For 2007-08, organizers divided the project into seven regional rides.

The Golden State Challenge began Feb. 20 in Palo Alto and ended yesterday in Imperial Beach."

To read the full article, please visit the San Diego Union-Tribune website.

For more information on the Wounded Warrior project, visit their website.

Wide Angle: A Karakoram Confession

2008-02-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

I just thought this was a fantastic piece. I wish I could have written it myself. It's about the bigger picture and why just getting to the top of a mountain isn't the most important thing. How is this relevant to Moving Mountains? This article is about a man who was inspired by the mountains to move mountains.
-Lizzy Scully

By Jeremy Frimer

I’m not the first person to get cold feet upon arrival in the Karakoram. Not only is there cold, exposure to weather and altitude, and falling rock and ice of which to be weary; illness and the notorious gatekeeper that is the Karakoram Highway defend access to the big peaks of the Karakoram. So who wouldn’t be scared?

But now, in the era of George W. Bush, getting to the Karakoram requires passage through a deteriorating political gauntlet—“the world’s most dangerous place” . We arrive in Islamabad the night that Pakistan’s military storms the Red Mosque. Contrary to what our popular media convey, the vast majority of Pakistanis are politically moderate and tolerant of different peoples—91% see suicide bombings as unjustifiable, and this figure is up from 67% in 2002 . Backed by popular support, President Musharraf takes measures to crack down on the schools that breed extremism by requiring all religious schools to register with the government. The Islamabad-based Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) leaders refuse to do so and a stand-off ensues. Just five kilometers from where we sleep that night, negotiations break down, tanks roll in, and the stand-off ends in bloodshed. Mortar sings lullabies; gunfire counts sheep.
Loyalists to the Red Mosque descend upon the Karakoram Highway to vent fury and retaliation. Pakistan has become a major battleground between radical Islam and Western imperialism. Overnight, the world becomes a less tolerant, less peaceful place. But we have important business here (ahem); Good weather allows us to fly over the blockades in a jet plane and continue towards our mountain.

Strangely enough, political, logistical, and mountainous danger has only tangential relevance to my shilly-shallying. This is my 13th expedition in 10 years; I feel ready to contend with whatever lies ahead. But the rush that I once got from discovering something new or doing something that I previously didn’t see as possible has dulled. Somehow, I’ve become one of those commentators that survived the deadly first five years of his climbing career, got away with some stupid decisions, lost some friends that didn’t, and remembers vividly when Nirvana smelled like teen spirit.

I find myself in the Karakoram again—this time, not out of passion, but instead out of habit. I secretly hope that seeing our objective will rekindle a flame for this sport.
Seventy kilometers to the east of K2, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrums are the Latok and Ogre peaks—they form a tight, isolated cluster up to 7300m in height. Tucked under the west face of Latok II is our objective: an unclimbed, unattempted 6500m rocky bastion that we dub “Latok II¾”. Its west face stands 1500m tall, a wall of near-vertical granite. We brashly plan to link the features of least resistance in alpine style. Indeed, audacious plans are my norm: I pick something that I think is just out of my realm of possibility and along the way, become the climber that can pull it off. The process gives me a transcendental taste, the feeling that I am, in some sense, irreversibly transformed for the better in its passage.

Our logistical guide is Little Karim, a “five-foot-nothing” legend and local of the Karakoram. He has climbed with most of the big names in Karakoram climbing, has stood atop K2 nine times, Broad Peak four times, and made another seven ascents of the Gasherbrum peaks. In fact, he has done more Karakoram expeditions than anyone else in history, and only once had a minor headache from altitude. By Reinhold Messner’s standards, he was one of the strongest climbers above 8000m on the planet. And he learned to climb by watching what the white guys were doing on his first K2 expedition with Chris Bonington and Doug Scott. Not only has he no formal alpine climbing training, he never went to any sort of school, and is completely illiterate. He lives under the long shadows of Masherbrum in the type of destitute poverty that is typical in Pakistan—a dirt shack packed with family, chickens, and cattle. In his prime, he could make it home from K2 basecamp in a day. But he has paid a price for his lifestyle: by the age of 56, he has lost some 160 friends to the Karakoram. In 1999, Voytek Kurtyka pleaded him into retirement before the Karakoram called him number 161.
In quitting, he lost the most significant source of meaning in his life. Running this small guiding company, he now struggles to make his life make sense. He’s put on weight. And, months before, as he puffed at the 5000m scarcity of atmosphere of Broad Peak’s basecamp, his normally joking, light-hearted spirit became lost in heavy nostalgia. He sat on a boulder outside of camp and cried.

I struggle to keep up as he hops along the loose rubble that is strewn about the Uzun Brakk Glacier. As we reach its middle, we see Latok II¾ for the first time in three dimensions. After traveling 15,000km and creating some 1700kg of greenhouse gases in reaching its base, I gaze at its snow-plastered flanks and know in my gut that I want no part of it. I can pick the thing apart into achievable chunks, reason a line through each, glue them back together, and narrate a grand strategy. But I know deep down that Latok II¾ isn’t a “go” for me. I fear disappointing my team mates; fortunately, they see its snowy condition and dismiss it as well before I embarrass myself.

Soon enough, we are planning a real objective. My ambivalence to the Karakoram is no longer concealable. Ken, Sam, and Ryan all want the northwest ridge of Latok II. Some 2100m high, the ridge is a massive alpine undertaking. The ridge’s primary challenge is in exposure, altitude, and commitment. It looks like a harder version of some of the ridges that I climbed on Mt. Logan—the East Ridge and the Orion Spur. I feel prepared and able to manage its challenges. Only, I strangely feel no urge to be on its flanks. What’s going on with me? Have I sold out my adventure spirit to the comfort and security of a stable job, a steady girlfriend, and a neurotic cat named Trango?

I reason through my disinterest in Latok II. The danger and commitment that comes with the ridge are what make it nonsensical to me. Given all the recent snowfall, the conditions are ripe for avalanches and cornice drops. The weather has been predominantly unsettled or poor thus far; getting high and committed on a mountain during a brief stable spell feels foolish to me. I secretly know that I could just as easily spin a tale with the opposite conclusion. The motivation behind my explanation remains unclear to me.

I find fancy with a 1200m tall south facing rock buttress on a 5750m peak near Latok II¾. I try to politick one of my expedition mates into joining me while the other two try Latok II’s snowy ridge… to no avail. After a week of frustration, sitting out heavy and steady rain, the sun finally shines. I sit alone in advanced base camp below Latok II, watching my teammates start up the ridge without me. In retrospect, will I see this decision in the same light as Kai’s prophetically last-minute call to not join John and Guy on the Devil’s Thumb, the climb that ended in tragedy? Or will I see this in the same light as Jay’s decision to not join Sam, JC, and me on our first ascent of Trango II’s Severance Ridge—the most rewarding adventure of my life?

Ken develops attitude sickness low on the route, forcing a retreat. The three agree that Sam and Ryan will make a second try. Meanwhile, Ken and I rack up, grab a single sleeping bag, a stove, and a light tarp for shelter, and start up the sunny rock of P5750. Our style is fast-and-light, not out of some desire to impress the purity pundits at Alpinist magazine but instead because it’s the way we like to have fun. The notion of lugging ropes and spending weeks on a mountain-side sounds more like work than play to me.

We set out to piece together the easiest line we can find. Around each blind corner, we find another miraculous crack system. Around each wall is a ramp, a chimney, or a hand crack. We reach a sandy ledge at ⅔ height as night falls, melt ice, lie down, and watch the clouds roll in. By late morning, we reach the base of the final headwall: a steep castle of buttresses, gendarmes, and recesses. We try our usual traversing trick, only to get stumped for the first time. Ken grabs the sharp end, following a line of weakness into unprotectable slab country high above an ankle-crushing ledge. He backs off. We traverse into a snowy recess and I take over the lead, finding a hidden ramp behind an ominous gendarme, which gains us access to the final summit cone. Ken takes over again and leads us to the summit of our new route—The Outside Penguin.

Snow begins to fall. We had scoped two lines of descent beforehand, but each is less accessible than anticipated. We resign ourselves to the arduous task of rappelling over a kilometer back down our route. A blizzard catches us immediately. Snow sticks, melts, and soaks. Still near the summit, we hide under our light tarp, close our eyes (not to be mistaken for sleeping), and wait for dawn.

The descent the next day is slow and deliberate. We stay patient, searching out solid anchors, and make methodical progress as the snow melts to rain. We reach the base, having taken on much water, and leaving behind some 40m of rap slings, many nuts and pins, and the tail end of what will be the final high pressure system of our expedition. I am grateful for our making the most of what the weather allowed, for the opportunity to live out a vivid experience with a friend, and for our safe return. But unlike after past expedition experiences, I feel disappointingly untransformed.
______________________________________________________________

My unraveling began a few weeks before the expedition. My good friend, Vance Culbert, was in town for a visit between jobs. Since the Coast Range ski traverse in 2001, Vance’s focus moved from the Alpine to humanitarian work. Just back from overseeing the basic welfare of one million people who sought refuge from the genocide in Darfur, Vance would soon be en route to negotiations over child soldiers in Uganda. During his visit, we met up for a day on sunny rock in Squamish. On the drive up, he told me about life in Africa and about the stubborn refusal from western nations to provide the small intervention necessary to prevent genocide and end the conflict. It was as if he was speaking about climbing, only the content was altered. Metres above sea level became head counts; crux moves on rotten rock became crux negotiations with corrupt officials; cold became heat; but the threat of harm was unchanged. The difference to me was that the outcome of Vance’s leads meant more than just personal fulfillment or height on a cliff; human lives were hanging in the balance.

Then he listened to my story, to my aspirations, to my confusion with my life. After finishing a degree in Engineering physics, I struggled to spin a story about how an engineering career would have a measurable impact on some of the things about which I cared most. I questioned the urgency of the “need” for stronger, cheaper steel in a world of materialism, pre-emptive war, cultural imperialism, and disease. Feeling an urgency to become a player in real progress, I stepped away from engineering and began grad school in research psychology. I now study how moral motivation develops while keeping an eye out for how my research could influence education and social policy. How climbing now fits into my new life, I was no longer certain. “I don’t see you doing expeditions in five years,” Vance prophesized.

None of this makes any sense. I had always seen “retiring” from climbing as a euphemism for selling out, being on the outside of something awesome. Since those idealistic university days in the Varsity Outdoor Club at UBC, many friends have dropped out of the dirtbag, “purist” lifestyle, and become high-earning, metrosexual yuppies. I swore myself to never fall into the money trap, I swore to remain pure at heart. I was dedicated to my sport, to my lifestyle, and to all that it represented.
And now I drive up to Squamish with Vance and wonder what it really means to be on the outside. What exalts “the climbing life” over the life that is concerned for humanity? By questioning climbing as the be-all-and-end-all of life, am I selling out or am I buying in? Vance and I arrive at one of my favorite climbs, The Great Game. I’ve climbed it a dozen times but when I reach its base, the rock feels different, strange. I lead the first pitch, feeling calm, confident, and in control. But when I reach the crux, I fall off as my concentration flutters towards Africa.

Perplexed, I search for some understanding of what in the hell is going on with me. What has happened to my zeal for climbing? Why does the rock feel different? Why am I distracted by Africa? I am reminded of a taxonomy about which my friend Kelly Cordes told me. His idea is that when we start climbing, we are drawn by the excitement, the movement, the air, the acrobatics, and the athleticism. These are all instances of what Kelly calls “Type I Fun”—the traditional type where it’s actually enjoyable during the act.

As one develops as a climber, he/she ventured into more challenging, colder, and more complex places where suffering begins. Climbing loses its innocence and one has a harder time explaining it to relatives. But afterwards, one would look back at the adventures as if they were fun. This is what Kelly calls “Type II Fun”—fun only in retrospect.

But then ambitions continue to evolve into a place where pulling off something crazy in the Alpine had weight unto itself, and was rewarding even in the absence of enjoyment. One walks away from adventures still terrified by where he/she had been and shudders at the thought of memories of close calls. But climbing is still somehow rewarding. This is what Kelly calls “Type III Fun”—not fun at all. (Kelly’s taxonomy ends at Type III Fun. I propose a “Type IV Fun”—Postmodern Fun—which is, by definition, difficult to describe.)

Thinking about what motivates these types of fun, Type I makes good sense to me. The immediate reward from doing an act serves to reinforce the pursuit. But what leaves me perplexed by Kelly’s taxonomy is why I would ever be compelled to pursue Type II and Type III Fun adventures in the first place. Given that neither of them are rewarding in the simple, pleasurable sense, there must be some other form of reinforcement built in. Reflecting over my past adventures, I sifted past all the pleasure, searching for any other nectar that I sought in the hills. And I noticed that the items of my list fit loosely into four “baskets” of goodness. As I examined these baskets, I began to see where my interest in climbing had gone and why my passions over the Red Mosque and child soldiers had emerged.

What brought me to climbing was an interest in the first basket: The Personal. I think back to that feeling of flow that comes after pulling off something at the edge of what I previously thought was impossible. Personal development is the transformation that comes with pushing myself to my limit. It is freedom, creativity, personal exploration, and self-knowledge. An introspective person by nature, climbing offered me what seemed like opportunity for development without end.

But before long, I felt limited by climbs where I could anticipate what lay ahead. To advance my climbing, I needed to venture into unexplored terrain. New routing became my drug. Grant proposals would ask about the significance of my proposed new route, which struck me odd. I had never thought of a new route as being significant in any real sense. But the folks behind the Mugs Stump Award are authorities; they must know what they are talking about. This led me to identify the second basket of goodness: Conquest. This basket represents venturing into the unknown, the final frontier, and going “where no man has gone before.” Picture Norgay and Hillary on Everest, Mallory’s “because it’s there”, and the Russian Big Wall project sieging the daylights out of Jannu.

Steve House has been a vocal critic of the singular goal of conquest. Cutting through his slander, his main point seems to be that doing something of note not only means climbing a big, unconquered beast, but slaying it with grace. This basket of Purity tells us not so much what to do but how to do it. It tells us what is kosher and why a splitter crack is so beautiful. It helps us tell a red point from a pink point and alpine style from the siege. It tells us that style counts and that less is more: gear is in, bolts are out; fast is in, heavy is out; leashless is in, spurs are out; and it ain’t over until you reach the “tippy-top”. The rules of purity are ever-changing conventions that predefine for us what it means to do something properly, the climber’s subjective experience of the climb aside.

The fourth and perhaps least prevalent of baskets in Alpine climbing is that of Community. Beyond concerns for conquest, purity, and the personal, the ethic of this basket is about the meaning that exists between people. Often, it comes with pleasure enough to qualify as Type I Fun but sometimes connecting with others comes as a sacrifice. Good examples include: showing a friend the ropes; allowing a partner to take an extra lead as Giardia eats away at my insides; or building a school in Pakistan. The point of this basket is that we are each better off if we share our existence, if we empathize with another’s plight, if we function as a unit.

Of course, any single Alpine adventure draws from several baskets. The point of drawing these distinctions is not to figure out which adventure falls into which basket. Rather, the point is to get real about the legitimacy of my motives in Alpine climbing and my life in general.

With a wide angle view, I wonder about what really counts in this world. Regarding my expedition to Pakistan, what statistic measures its purity: the 15kg of gear in my climbing pack on The Outside Penguin or the 3400kg of greenhouse gases that I produced in air travel? Or did I make up for the lack of purity by mightily vanquishing a Karakoram mountain? Beyond my own jollies, what real good does my conquest do for the betterment of humanity, for little animal critters, or for the planet that sustains us? Do conquest and purity make this world a better place in any meaningful sense? With the minor exception of the few (e.g., Sir Edmund Hillary) that inspired the many to pursue their own dreams, conquest and purity seem to be a great distraction from the real deal on planet earth.

The personal and community baskets are where I see the real goodness in Alpine climbing. Personal development builds the essential character that later becomes the foundation for making some good use of myself. Alpine climbing was: the venue for me to explore; the opportunity to discard convention and think for myself; the challenge that demanded that I persevere; and the confusion that drew out creativity. It seems as though Little Karim and I have focused much of our lives on the baskets of the personal and conquest; we now turn to community for future meaning.

As I arrived in Pakistan, my angst came from the emptiness of my basket of community. I look around and see people like Vance—now the country director for Norwegian Refugee Council in Ivory Coast—I see people like Greg Mortenson, founder of the Central Asia Institute (which has created 61 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan), and I see people like Lizzy Scully who put up Bad Hair Day (.12a) in the Bugaboos but has also founded Girls Education International (promoting education of underprivileged girls in places like near Little Karim’s village in the Karakoram). They are each promoting causes that count to me. But I see that these community endeavors are not just a sideshow for them; it’s as if they have become the central axis of their lives. And I think I understand why I arrived in Pakistan wondering what I was doing there.

I would like to thank Mountain Equipment Co-op and the American Alpine Club Lyman Spitzer Award for their generous support.

Summary: The Outside Penguin (V, 5.10, A1, M3, 1200m). F.A. Jeremy Frimer, Ken Glover. July 30–Aug 1, 2007. Peak 5750, Panmah Muztagh, Karakoram, Pakistan

Outdoor Alliance and Others Promote Legislation to Reform 1872 Mining Act

2008-02-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

February 7, 2008

CONTACT:
Tania Maria Rosario, 206.447.9091, M+R Strategic Services
Joe LaTourrette, 360.754.2594, Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining
Mike Petersen, 509.990.5719, The Lands Council
Washington Leaders Urge Senate Action on 1872 Mining Law, Praise Senator Cantwell for Commitment to Real Reform
U.S. Senate considering legislation to modernize Civil War-era statute

Olympia, WA — As the U.S. Senate considers legislation to modernize the nation's 135-year old law that governs mining on western public lands, a broad coalition of state and local officials, conservationists, tribal leaders, and sportsmen called on U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray to develop a genuine reform package that builds on the success of H.R. 2262, the bipartisan measure that passed the House of Representatives in November. Today, Senator Cantwell announced her commitment to meaningful reform of the mining law. The press conference follows similar stakeholder events conducted in the West over the last several weeks.

Last month the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, of which Senator Cantwell is a member, hosted its third hearing on the mining law. The Committee is expected to produce a bill this spring.

Senator Cantwell's office joined the group to share the Senator's commitment to mining reform that protects the economy, the environment, and public safety. "If we don't have meaningful reform, many of America's most treasured places, including roadless areas, will continue to be claimed for mining" said Senator Cantwell. "The time has come to end the preferential treatment that hardrock mining receives under the 1872 Mining Law and to craft mining reform legislation that responsibly balances mineral development and the protection of our national treasures and western waters."

"This year, Washington and the West will take center stage in the effort to reform the 1872 Mining Law," said Joe LaTourrette, based in Olympia with Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining. "We are pleased to have Senator Maria Cantwell playing a lead role in the effort to protect the health of Washington communities, lands, water, and wildlife. We urge Senators Cantwell and Murray to work with their colleagues to craft a modern framework for mining that protects taxpayers and the environment. We all have a stake in their success. Our public lands are the source of some of our best fishing, hunting opportunities and wildlife habitat. We pay user fees to hunt and fish. It's time the industry also paid its own way, and took on the cost of mine cleanup. Sportsmen have a stake in mining reform."

According to Bureau of Land Management data analyzed by the Environmental Working Group, the total number of hardrock mining claims in Washington was 14 percent higher in mid-2007 than in 2003. In 12 western states combined, an 81 percent increase in claims was seen over that time period, with many new claims being staked near natural treasures such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.

"The state of Washington has a stake in federal mining law reform," said Bill LaBorde, Program Director for Environment Washington. "Washington has seen the downsides of poorly managed mining operations — from the heavy metal contamination in the Columbia River and abandoned mines around Lake Roosevelt to the contamination at the old Midnite Mine. Today, more and more claims are being staked on our public lands, so we urgently need a modern mining law to prevent a repeat of past mistakes."

The 1872 Mining Law, signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, offers special status to those filing claims on public lands — without safeguarding watersheds, wildlife, or communities from the messy business of hardrock mining. It also allows mining companies to take minerals from public lands without compensating taxpayers, while oil, gas and coal industries have been paying royalties for decades.

"Our state believes that protecting natural resources and a healthy business climate go hand in hand," said Wallace, Southwest Director of the Department of Ecology. Wallace noted that "Congress has an opportunity to update the 1872 Mining Act in a way that provides a more equitable balance for the use of public lands without diminishing the rights of mining companies to operate in our state." Wallace also read a statement from Governor Christine Gregoire calling for reform of the mining law.

"Local governments also have a stake in mining reform," said Mary Jane Melink, member of the Longview City Council. "Thanks to the mining law, cherished natural resources in our community, including our drinking water supply, could be lost or degraded by mining. And thanks to the mining law, our community's interests have little weight in decisions about the use of public lands. We need a modern mining law that allows us to protect our own communities."

A comprehensive bipartisan package that would modernize the Civil War era statute was passed by the House of Representatives in November. That measure included modern environmental standards for mine operation and cleanup, a prohibition on new mining claims in National Forest roadless areas and other special places, and new authorities for local, state, and tribal governments to protect important public lands from mining. The House bill also placed a royalty on mine production to fund an abandoned mine cleanup program. Seven of nine Washington House members voted for the measure.

"Recreationists and outdoor enthusiasts have a stake in mining reform," said Thomas O'Keefe, speaking on behalf of the Outdoor Alliance. "We're dealing with an antiquated law where all other public land users are given second billing. Recreation opportunities in our state are important to Washingtonians quality of life. Public lands should be managed for the public, not as a giveaway to special interests. We ask Senators Cantwell and Murray to take this opportunity to play a leading role in reform at the federal level."

Today's event included participation from Dick Wallace-Washington Department of Ecology, Charlene Abrahamson-representing The Spokane Tribal Council, Mary Jane Melink-City of Longview, Joe LaTourrette-Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining, Bill LaBorde-Environment Washington, Thomas O' Keefe-Outdoor Alliance, Ted Whitesell-Washington Wilderness Coalition, Terry Turner-Washington Council of Trout Unlimited, and Nate Caminos- office of Senator Maria Cantwell.

# # #

Outdoor Alliance Takes Stand on Roadless Area Protection in CO, ID

2008-02-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Outdoor Alliance Takes Strong Stand on Colorado and Idaho Roadless Area
Protection

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven years ago, citizens from across
the nation flooded the U.S. Forest Service with public comments in support of
protecting at-risk backcountry roadless areas -- the last pristine but
unprotected lands in the Forest System. With new plans for roadless area
management in Colorado and Idaho up for review, a national coalition of
climbers, hikers, paddlers, mountain bikers, and backcountry skiers, is
speaking out for systematic protection of roadless areas as a vital component
of federal public lands policy.
Noting that more than half of our National Forest lands are already open
to industrial activity, representatives from the Outdoor Alliance, a coalition
of six national human-powered recreation groups, say that state and federal
governments should resist the urge to revisit whether these pristine roadless
areas should be opened to industrial special interests. The ancient forests,
peaks and wild rivers in roadless areas contain some of the best outdoor
recreation in the nation, from climbing in Idaho's Selkirk Mountains, hiking
its Centennial Trail, or skiing its Payette River Valley, to mountain bike
rides like Colorado's Rabbit Ears Pass outside Steamboat Springs and paddling
the Animas and its tributaries around Durango.
"These wild areas provide unmatched hiking, climbing, biking, skiing,
paddling and other recreational opportunities for millions of Americans,"
notes Thomas O'Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American
Whitewater and leader of Outdoor Alliance's roadless protection campaign.
"Attempts to open pristine backcountry to industrial development underscore
the need for reliable, nationally consistent protections for all of America's
last roadless areas. These national forests are an important part of the
nation's heritage and way of life."
Outdoor recreation aside, roadless areas provide clean drinking water for
millions of people and contain intact ecosystems where everything from aquatic
insects to grizzly bears thrive in habitats undisturbed by centuries of
western expansion and development.
"The Forest Service heeded overwhelming public opinion seven years ago and
rightly decided to protect pristine lands, intact ecosystems and world-class
human-powered outdoor recreation," explains, Adam Cramer, Outdoor Alliance's
Policy Architect. "Outdoor Alliance is confident that the American people,
particularly those who know these places first-hand, will deliver the same
answer about how to treat our roadless areas in Colorado and Idaho -- leave
them the way they are -- perfect."
Member organizations of the Outdoor Alliance include Access Fund, American
Canoe Association, American Hiking Society, American Whitewater, International
Mountain Bicycling Association and Winter Wildlands Alliance.
SOURCE Outdoor Alliance

Thomas O'Keefe, PhD, of Outdoor Alliance, +1-425-417-9012,
okeefe@amwhitewater.org

Adventure Travel Trade Association to host Adventure Travel World Summits in 2008

2008-02-25T09:05:00.000-08:00

South America, Europe To Host ATTA 2008 Adventure Travel World Summits
Shannon Stowell for ATTA

(SEATTLE) – The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today announced it will host two distinct Adventure Travel World Summits in 2008 on two continents. Each will: improve industry-wide access to networking; increase business-to-business marketplace opportunities; provide world-class learning and address regional business needs along with addressing common, global issues aimed at sustainable growth.

ATTA’s first Adventure Travel World Summit of 2008, the ATWS-South America (2008 ATWS-SA), will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, Sept. 3-6, in conjunction with Brazil’s thriving consumer Adventure Sports Fair – which draws thousands of companies and expects more than 70,000 consumers. The 2008 ATWS-SA will strengthen ties between the South American adventure travel industry and the global marketplace.

Additionally, between October 21-25, the ATTA will hold the Adventure Travel World Summit-Europe (2008 ATWS-E) in Norway. Held aboard Hurtigruten’s MS Midnatsol, an expedition passenger ship, the 2008 ATWS-E will be a voyage from Tromsø through Norway’s fjords to Bergen. Special on-shore opening and closing events will be held in Tromsø and Bergen respectively, and the voyage includes a port-city visit in Trondheim.

ATTA will continue to host multiple regional networking events throughout the U.S. during the year and will investigate potential venues for a North American Summit in 2009 and beyond.
Geographically relocating its Summits in 2008 allows the ATTA to improve marketplace access to influencers throughout the greater adventure travel supply chain and help to call attention to important adventure travel hot spots around the world. As a global trade association, the ATTA is responsible to nearly 500 members: tour operators, destination marketing organizations and tourism boards, agents and other strategic trade association partners based in more than 40 countries worldwide.

For 2008, the two new ATTA Summits will bring North American adventure travel industry professionals to South America and Europe to further strengthen cross-continent connectivity, dialogue and growth. With the rapid year over year growth of the previous Summits, the events are also expected to have a strong draw of top professionals from other parts of the globe as well. The Summits will bring global visibility to the adventure destinations Brazil and Norway, both of which have been multi-year sponsor-partners of the ATTA and its World Summit events.

“Despite record bookings already registered by many of ATTA members for 2008, the industry is in ‘no-nonsense mode’, especially with the mixed economic outlook worldwide,” said ATTA President Mr. Shannon Stowell. “Every organization invested in this sector should attend an ATTA Summit to access cutting edge innovations from within and also outside the travel industry which can be immediately applied to the growth and sustainability of their individual businesses. The Summits also provides an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other key professionals in the marketplace.”

With an emphasis on connecting buyers with suppliers of adventure tourism, each Summit agenda, in addition to multi-disciplinary sessions aimed at sustainable growth, will include a full day of structured marketplace appointments to meet demand for business development needs.

The 2008 ATWS-South America is co-organized by the ATTA and its Association Partner, the Brazil Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (ABETA), with support from The Tourism Ministry of Brazil and Embratur, Brazil’s destination marketing organization.

According to Israel Waligora, ABETA President, “Brazil is very excited to host the Summit! We and our partners are preparing an unforgettable event, showing that Brazil and all of South America is the perfect arena for experiences that can fulfill the hearts and minds of adventure seekers worldwide. Brazil has a strong adventure and nature travel industry with a huge domestic market. Now is the time to show the world the best of what we have. Adventure tourism is a key strategy for conservation of our natural resources as well as involving local communities in the economic gains from tourism. We are proud to be the first country to receive the ATWS outside North America and together with other countries in South America we will strengthen the knowledge, the networking and the business of adventure travel in our continent and worldwide. ATTA is taking the Adventure Travel industry to a new level of connections and knowledge and the Summits are a key factor for that. We look forward to being a part of a spectacular event.”

The inaugural 2008 ATWS-Europe is co-organized by the ATTA and Innovation Norway, the tourism board of Norway, and partners, Tromsø, Bergen and Hurtigruten (formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyage).
“Innovation Norway is very proud and pleased to announce the support of the first European Adventure Travel World Summit,” said Hege Vibeke Barnes, Innovation Norway. “Norway is a natural choice based on its fundamental settings as a destination blessed with natural beauty, clean and unspoiled environment, and a conscious attitude towards sustainable tourism and environmental care. Working with ATTA and the adventure travel community is a very important part of our strategy to bring awareness to adventure travel opportunities and sustainable tourism issues. With the International Polar Year kicking off in Tromsø this past June, the World Heritage Awards granted the Norwegian Fjords, and the Geotourism Charter signed with National Geographic, Innovation Norway and its dedicated partners will do its utmost to make this summit an incredible setting for educational learning and networking, plus a lot of fun-filled great adventures. We welcome the delegates to Norway!”

Each event will focus on business disciplines that improve skills such as building strategic growth plans, operations, marketing, risk management, guide training, consumer relationship management, cash flow, and more. Distinct regional variances will accompany each agenda, including continental differences, audience needs, and matters relating to sustainable tourism.

Major Sponsors of the ATTA and both 2008 Adventure Travel World Summits include ExOfficio travel clothing, Men’s Journal magazine, and W.L. Gore and Associates – makers of Gore-Tex. Key Sponsors include Adventure Central, Alpine Tourist Commission, Best of the Alps, Brazil, Chile, Innovation Norway, and National Geographic Adventure.

Early release Summit information is available at www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com. Delegate registration fees and special transportation and accommodation packages for each Summit will vary distinctly between each event. Additionally, each Summit will offer pre- and post-Summit FAM and press adventure excursions designed to showcase each destination. Pricing and ‘Early Bird’ registration is available February 25, 2008.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA Members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the Adventure Travel World Summits, the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.

Paradox Sports Announces 1st GIMPS on Ice weekend

2008-02-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

Boulder, Colorado – Paradox Sports is pleased to announce the first annual gathering of Gimps On Ice in Ouray Colorado on March 8th and 9th, 2008. Over the weekend 10 disabled athletes will descend on the Uncompahgre Gorge in Ouray Colorado to face the mile of vertical ice in the gorge, learning about the specialized equipment and techniques needed climb vertical waterfalls. Men and women who are missing limbs or eyes or the use of their legs will gather to challenge themselves physically and mentally and, especially to challenge the common perception that an amputee is handicapped or that a paraplegic must, by default, lead a second-rate life. Malcolm Daly, Executive Director and amputee, puts it succinctly: “Ice is the great equalizer. None of us can climb it without adaptive equipment. We just go one step further.”

Paradox Sports was created by an eclectic group of individuals with a common desire to integrate the physically disabled into the outdoor community by providing inspiration, opportunities, and the adaptive equipment needed to participate in human-powered outdoor sports. It is the brainchild of Army Captain DJ Skelton and professional climber Timmy O'Neill. DJ was wounded in Iraq and is still on active duty AND works as an advocate for wounded soldiers returning from Iraq. Timmy travels the world as an entertainer, climber, and ambassador for the outdoor clothing company, Patagonia. The common bond of loving the outdoors and wanting to share it with others, regardless of physical limitations, is what brought them together.

The Ouray Ice Park was opened in 1995 as the world's first park devoted exclusively to the sport of ice climbing. A small band of local volunteers and business owners developed the Park utilizing a unique set of assets found perhaps only in Ouray: a one-hundred-foot-deep, mile-long gorge that descends right into town. Over the past 14 years the park has grown to become the largest ice climbing park in the world and attracts climbers from all over the world.

Gimps On Ice is made possible by the support of the Ouray Victorian Inn, San Juan Mountain Guides, the Outlaw Restaurant and Ouray Mountain Sports.

For more information contact:

Malcolm Daly
Executive Director
303 • 909 • 6067
www.paradoxsports.org
mdaly@paradoxsports.org

Moving Mountains Magazine Issue #0

2008-02-25T08:27:00.001-08:00

AAC's Bradford Washburn Mountaineering Grand Opening February 16

2008-02-06T13:25:00.001-08:00

It's over. The wait. The construction. The dust. The welding. The installation. The anxiety.

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is finally ready to open its doors to the public. And so we would like to extend an invitation for everyone to join us for our weekend-long opening celebration.

What: Grand Opening Weekend
When: February 16, 10am-9pm / February 17, 10am-6pm
Where: At the BWAMM, of course, inside the American Mountaineering Center. 710 10th St., Golden, Colo.

Two temporary exhibits will accompany our grand opening. The first is a selection of Inuit Art entitled "Arctic Survival: Inuit People, Art and Culture," from the collection of Dr. Samuel Wagenfeld. The other exhibit first appeared at Explorer's Hall at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, DC. Now, Jon Waterman is bringing his "Journey Across the Artic Refuge" to the Museum. Both exhibits are free with the price of admission to the museum.

The 16th (10am-9pm)
10am - Ribbon cutting
11am-1pm - Indoor rock climbing for all ages
2pm - Ed Bernbaum--world renowned specialist on mountain culture and sacred mountains--will speak on his subject of expertise
4pm - Jake Norton--photographer, guide, and member of the Mallory and Irvine Research Expeditions--will speak about "Culture and Change in Mountaineering"
7pm - Lynn Hill will speak about "Free Climbing the Nose"
Base Camp, our adventure gift shop, will be open all day.

The 17th (10am-6pm)
11am - Tonya Riggs, member of the Peace Climb 2006, will speak about her expeditions
2pm - Kelly Cordes, strict adherent to light weight alpinism, will speak about "Trying, Falling, and Sometimes Succeeding"

For more information in the coming weeks, visit our new website.

Ski and Bike for Darfur

2008-02-02T15:19:00.001-08:00

In an effort to disseminate all the nonprofit news brought to our attention, Moving Mountains news editor Amee Hinkley and I (Editor) are going to regularly post information about nonprofit events, grants, news, etc, on our new Moving Mountains Magazine Blog. Our hope is to eventually have a comprehensive website where we can publish this stuff in an orderly and easy to archive fashion. For now, however, we will utilize the wonderful and free blog technology offered by Blogger to disseminate information.

I received this email from Canadian climber Jeremy Frimer a few days ago regarding his efforts to raise awareness about the genocide occurring in Darfur, Sudan.

-Lizzy Scully

"I'm worn out from sitting back in my comfortable little life and watching genocide unfold in Darfur. But I won't rant about it. It's time for action! I'd like to invite you---the grassroots Outdoor Community---into a project that I'm organizing, to be part of the solution. The 10c version is up on our Ski And Bike For Darfur Website.

The 2c version goes like this: it's an outdoor adventure relay of 200km, from the top of Whistler Mountain to a rally at the Olympic Clock in downtown Vancouver this April. The goal is to raise awareness and motivate the Canadian government to take a leadership role in ending the conflict. What the association between outdoor adventure sports, the Olympic Clock, and Darfur? What Outdoor Adventure sports? When? You don't get that for 2c. It's all up on the blog.

This project is too big for me to take on alone. My fellow exec members at STAND (Students Take Action Now: Darfur) are helping out in a big way and I've sent letters to just about everyone that has interests in the outdoors or compassion for the victims in Darfur to get involved. But any involvement that you would like to invest would be huge. Express interest and maybe we can brainstorm...

Best,
Jeremy Frimer

Moving Mountains Magazine

2008-02-01T03:20:00.001-08:00

After spending more than a year working with The Mountain Fund, TMF's founder Scott MacLennan and the other folks at TMF and I decided to embark on a new nonprofit media project. We wanted to create an online and print publication that could be the "voice of nonprofits in the outdoor industry." We envision a website that is a repository of information about nonprofits that operate within the outdoor industry. It will include news about all nonprofit activities, volunteer opportunities, grant information, and news about outdoor industry businesses that are working with nonprofit organizations. We also want to publish a glossy, color magazine four times per year that will highlight some of the best and brightest projects and organizations in the nonprofit world.

Over the past two months we put together a small sample issue of the print publication. It's called Moving Mountains: news for the conscientious outdoor lover. The first issue includes a news section and two main feature articles about The Achttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifcess Fund and Paradox Sports.

The Mountain Fund will publish the magazine and maintain the website, and the magazine/website will operate as a partner organization to The Mountain Fund. However, this magazine will represent all nonprofit organizations that operate in conjunction with the outdoor industry. It will not be The Mountain Fund's newsletter.

We are currently applying for grants and looking for sponsorships within the outdoor industry. To learn how you can support Moving Mountains or to suggest news for future issues and/or for posting on this blog, please contact Lizzy Scully at lizzy@mountainfund.org.

We plan on having a website up and running by the end of next year. We also hope to launch Issue #1 late 2008.

Content, Description, Purpose of Magazine

2008-02-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

This is basically our media kit.

Content:
We’re covering anything and everything that happens in the world of nonprofits that operate in mountainous regions of the world. We’ll report on the people and places affected by nonprofit projects, from the individuals working on the ground to the beneficiaries of the projects. We’ll do in-depth interviews with kayakers, hunters, climbers, trekkers, and more, who are giving back to global mountain communities. We’ll write about businesses that have active grant programs and/or who sponsor events or clinics and what happened as a result of their positive activities/sponsorships. And we’ll follow the stories from start to finish, from the time nonprofits received grants, to the implementation of the project, and then to the final results.

Description of Project
Moving Mountains is a glossy 40- to 64-page, quarterly magazine that is both color and black and white. A supplementary website will become a repository of information for volunteer opportunities, available grants, press releases, events, projects, programs, daily news, and anything and everything that relates to nonprofits that operate in mountainous regions of the world.

The Purpose of MM
The purpose of Moving Mountains is to give outdoor enthusiasts the full story about where grant money goes and what volunteer hours do, to how that money and time was utilized, to the long-term results of projects. MM will also provide a platform for outdoor industry businesses to showcase the programs, people, and projects that are being supported by their grants.

Nonprofits have newsletters that discuss their goals and projects, but they don’t get the word out beyond their already-existing member base. Other magazines report on grants given to specific organizations and/or actual events, but they don’t tell the entire story about what happens to the money and/or people after those grants are awarded or the events occur. There isn’t one magazine representing the outdoor industry that tells the whole story; and there’s not one magazine that covers the activities of all nonprofits operating in conjunction with the outdoor industry. Moving Mountains will be that source of information.

Audience
MM’s target audience is the Conscientious Outdoor Lover—i.e. outdoor lovers who are interested in giving back to the global community.

• 90% of Americans participate in outdoor recreational activities and 89% of Americans give (totaling $295 billion per year). Moving Mountains’ potential audience is huge.
• The top two reasons people give are they are asked or presented a giving opportunity and/or they have a compassion for those in need. MM will help match people with the causes they believe in.
• 27% of Americans volunteer (61.2 million people), including 6% who are public lands volunteers. Another 16% of Americans say they would volunteer for public lands if they knew how to get started. MM will offer people the information they need to find out about more volunteer opportunities both with public lands and throughout the world.

Distribution
The magazine will be distributed for free to TMF members and to outdoor retail stores throughout the United States. It will also be distributed at various outdoor adventure events, including (but not limited to) film festivals, the OR Shows, outdoor adventure events (Teva Games, X-Games, etc).

Note to Outdoor Industry businesses
We seek corporate sponsors to partially fund the project. In return for business sponsorships, MM and TMF will offer advertising on the pages of the magazine, the MM website, and TMF website, magazines to distribute at their stores, to their employees, etc. Plus, we will cover any news, people, or events that you sponsor that benefit nonprofits.

Your involvement with nonprofits, including with Moving Mountains, will earn increased trust from your customers. “The 2004 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study shows that eight in 10 Americans say that corporate support of causes wins their trust in that company.” In addition: “An overwhelming majority of Americans (86%) want companies to talk about their efforts, but only four in 10 say companies are doing that well” (http://www.coneinc.com). Moving Mountains can be the vehicle by which you do this.

Corporate Sponsorships
*Our nonprofit status means your sponsorship dollars are tax deductible.

Platinum Sponsorship: $10,000 per year. What you get: Back cover or double page-spread and prime advertising space on all pages of the MM and TMF websites.

Gold Sponsorship: $5000 per year. What you get: Full color page advertisement in magazine and advertising space on all pages of the MM and TMF websites.

Silver Sponsorship: $2500 per year. What you get: Half color page advertisement in magazine and advertising space on some pages of the MM and TMF websites.

Partner Sponsorship: $1000 per year. What you get: Quarter color page advertisement in magazine and advertising space on some pages of the MM and TMF websites.