The Blue Ice Backstory with Riley Willetts

Jack Beighle is our guest on Episode 5 of The Gear Shed Podcast. For those who don't know Jack, here's some background. He's a CU Boulder grad, bumped to Jackson for some post-college living focused around mountains and skiing. He then left Jackson and bumped black to Boulder, where he began working for Backcountry Access. Currently, Jack is the Brand and Community Manager at Ombraz Glasses. More than that, Jack wrote a manifesto. His thoughts and words are a message declaring heavier touring gear is better touring gear. Published in VOL. 1 of the TGR Journal, The Heavyweight Manifesto is razor sharp. Jack makes three suggestions for those obsessed with grams and carbon and minimalist skis better suited for the Lycra set.1. try kale2. do a single squat before starting the winter3. stop complainingNo matter where you stand on issues of gear weight, doing any of the three life-affirming pieces of advice Jack lays down is a good start. (Editor's note: roast the kale with some olive oil and salt—so good.)The interesting thing about the species is we learn and evolve. Maybe the gear you hauled up when you were 22 and spry and fresh off of watching some ski stoke film where the crew reaches a high point with a heli-assist isn't the gear you want when you're a bit older and going deep into the mountain's to drink quietude and find good turns. As he nears 30 years old, Jack is reconsidering his manifesto's hard stance—and he's seeking Gavin and Slator's input for figuring out where he can cut some weight but still enjoy himself on the ups and downs. We also get insight into how Slator and Gavin have evolved their gear preferences. True folks, they are enjoying heavier gear, but not too heavy. In short, the podcast is a lively discussion about how three skiers, two from the light side and one from the heavy side, find some common gear ground in the middle. You can find us at the-high-route.com: Yeah, there are two hyphens for redundancy, which is a good policy in the mountains. And according to Barry Wicks, don't-fear-the-hyphens®.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to begin with.

Come one and come all for the center ring of what is definitely not a circus. In this episode, we get a front-row seat for a chat between two friends who have a problem—a gear problem. But it’s the good kind of problem where two individuals develop a way of conversing about what they like and don’t like regarding gear. In other words, our Gear Editor, Gavin Hess, and go-to tester/reviewer, Slator Aplin, discuss the finer points of the highly developed language they use to ponder some of the backcountry goods we’ll be on this winter.As Gavin and Slator build out the assortment of skis, boots, and bindings to review this year, they zero in on some of the early season arrivals we’ve already posted first looks about. Gavin and Slator discuss skis, boots, and an interesting set of bindings from Slatnar. (Oh my!)You can find us at the-high-route.com: Yeah, there are two hyphens for redundancy, which is a good policy in the mountains. And according to Barry Wicks, don't-fear-the-hyphens®.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to begin with. 

We get a few clues about the ski objective in episode 3 of the podcast. We know Adam Fabrikant and Billy Haas will head to South America. We know it’s going to be windy at times. And we know a specific post-expedition empanada stand where the two plan to offset their expected calorie deficit. The Southern Hemi’s Spring Equinox fell late last month. And by the time this podcast drops, the packing will be near complete for what Fabrikant and Haas expect to be a several-week expedition to ski a new line in the Andes. The two will haul heavy loads, likely over 60 pounds, for 4-5 days on the approach. And as they do, they’ll ascend some technical ground to access the line, and, if all things align, like the weather, health, and snowpack, plan to do what they do, which is to ski a first descent. Before all that, there’s the less glamorous side of expedition life: winnowing the gear to an acceptable load to haul and packing it all up for the trans-hemisphere flight. Like any of us before a big trip, there are discussions about how spare one can go, how hungry, and what creature comforts one is willing to forgo—all in the spirit of finding that perfect balance of carrying just enough and nothing in excess.Historically, on their trips, Fabrikant and Haas are mindful of their battery and energy harnessing systems: they limit themselves to a single song per night in the event expedition entertainment is in order. (On this trip, it sounds like maybe—and a very tentative maybe—they’ll be bringing a lightweight solar panel system.)From the skis (think the red Freebird from Black Crows), the boots, and bindings, and even what sounds like a very spare diet of couscous and seasoning, we get the “what to pack” low down for a lean and keep-it-bare-bones human-powered ski expedition.Thanks for listening, and if you have a specific question for Gavin, Billy, or Adam, for the time being, you can email [email protected] or leave a comment on our website.You can find us at the-high-route.com: Yeah, there are two hyphens for redundancy, which is a good policy in the mountains. And according to Barry Wicks, don't-fear-the-hyphens®.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to begin with.  

The origin story of many outdoor clothing and gear companies is somewhat…part myth. There's an emphasis on deriving and marketing that myth, and then, sometimes, comes the well designed and well made gear. Some companies nail the myth and not the products.Les Houches and Salt Lake City based Blue Ice nails the products and happens to have a compelling backstory. Begun in 2008 by Giovanni Rossi in Chamonix, the company set forward on a path of intentional slow growth. By 2011 they released their Choucas harness which arrived at less than 150g, and since has become an alpine climbing/ski-mountainering staple for many. The company has branched into ski specific packs with their Kume series; they have hard goods in ice screws and axes.In this episode of The High Route Gear Shed Podcast, Gavin sits down with Riley Willetts, a Salt Lake-based skier who helps run Blue Ice's North American marketing, sales, and events. As we'll learn from Willetts, Blue Ice's Salt Lake HQ vibe is an all-hands-on-deck scene where it's not uncommon to wear multiple hats after a dawn run, bike, or ski. Blue Ice has evolved from a scrappy upstart to a place where designers and manufacturers craft high-end climbing and ski-specific gear. Still, there remains something core about the brand: you sense you are supporting a low-key company whose values remain very connected to moving through the mountains rather than the boardroom. Willetts sheds some light on the Blue Ice ethos and explains who is behind the brand's design concepts and how the company plans to expand in the coming years. You can find us at the-high-route.com: Yeah, there are two hyphens for redundancy, which is a good policy in the mountains. And according to Barry, don't-fear-the-hyphens®. We are reader and listener supported, so if you enjoy our work, please consider subscribing to The High Route. The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to begin with.

The podcast title, "The Skinny on Ski Mountaineering Ropes," is part play on words and a big part reality for many moving through the mountains in a light and fast manner. You'll hear this on the podcast and see it here; the ropes mentioned require a clear understanding of these skinny ropes' limitations and proper applications. The good folks breaking down these special-use-ropes are part of the team behind The High Route. They are Gavin Hess, Billy Haas, and Adam Fabrikant.Most of the ropes discussed land in the 6mm category, which means one must have working knowledge and in-the-field experience with the ropes' properties relating to friction, durability, and propensity to tangle. Further, we focus on hyperstatic ropes. In other words, ropes with little relative stretch.  You must understand the specific progress capture devices your skinny rope is compatible with. You must understand the specific scenarios when using a hyperstatic line is reasonable and best practice. The podcast and articles on The High Route will help you sort the skinny rope noise and advise when and how to use these ropes, but for fear of going ALL CAPS on anyone out there, know your gear, and if you need proper instruction, please seek out an experienced guide—and practice practice practice before committing to a high-risk environment where you may deploy these skinny ropes.(All that sounds like a disclaimer.) Ok—that's out of the way for the time being. Gavin, Billy, and Adam dive in and provide insight into their experiences with the ropes and how they use them to move more efficiently in technical terrain. For example, the industry standard Petal Rad Line is 22g/m at 6mm diameter. At ~600g for a 30m rope, when a mission calls for a RAD Line, the minimal weight and easy stowing make it a no-brainer to bring along for many ski mountaineers. These skinny-rope-panelists discuss the ropes they prefer and the items they leave out of the pack: it sounds like Adam may have some spare cord to offload. And, to round it all out, there is some back and forth regarding rappel devices and set ups while using these ropes.   On that note, we'll leave you with these words from Adam: "Whether you're getting one of these lighter ropes or the more robust ropes, everything we're chatting about is pretty minimal. But if there's a higher level of uncertainty [on a ski mission], I'm going to go over prepared. And when it's a route that I know, like the back of my hand, that's when I might start going with that more minimalist mentality. So, it's awesome to push ourselves, but we don't want to push anything too far."Thanks for listening, and if you have a specific question for Gavin, Billy, or Adam, for the time being, you can email [email protected] or leave a comment on our website.You can find us at the-high-route.com: Yeah, there are two hyphens for redundancy, which is a good policy in the mountains. And according to Barry Wicks, don't-fear-the-hyphens®.The theme music for The High Route Podcast comes from Storms in the Hill Country and the album The Self Transforming (Thank you, Jens Langsjoen). You can find a link to the album here—there are so many good songs on this album. And if you think you've spotted a UFO in the past or visited the 7th dimension, "Beautiful Alien" is a good tune to begin with.