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­Unraveling the Mystery Our gear holds our lives in our hands, and our rope sits at the heart of that web of safety. With such a crucial piece of gear, being inundated with fancy terminology, a range of applications, tables, data, and countless brands, it can quickly become overwhelming. --“What rope do I buy?” -- Whether this is your first rope or your tenth rope, I seek to guide you through many of the ins and outs of finalizing that purchase. I’ll give my take on what data is important, and provide some knowledge to evaluate a rope yourself. Unfortunately,...

  The American Alpine Institute is pleased to announce the 2021 Guides Choice Award Winners! The Guides Choice has been a highly valued award for over 20 years and long coveted by manufacturers and industry insiders. A core group of AAI guides thoroughly test products in a variety of demanding conditions across 6 states and 16 countries. This year four winners have been selected.   Hilleberg Niak Tent   Guides need something that is reliable, since they go out constantly and not always in the best conditions. So when you are selling a lot of one item to Guides unprompted,...

This has been a wild year in the backcountry, no matter how you look at it. We've seen a surge in users, record avalanche deaths, and multiple persistent week layers span from the Rockies to the Cascades. Now more than ever, is a great time to evaluate your touring practices and partners, so that you can continue to have fun in the backcountry for decades to come! In the past year, I have toured with over 30 different partners, and would like to pass along the 5 Things I've Learned Touring. Hopefully these tips will help you dial in your crew, stay safe, and have...

Clothing systems should be built around the weather and conditions expected on the trip. My clothing system on Denali needs to protect me from the wind, the sun, and really cold temperatures. While doing this it needs to breathe (particularly on the lower mountain), not hinder my dexterity or visibility, be easy to use, and be light. Every climber will find a different clothing system that works for them; I’m sure some of my more experienced peers will balk at some of my picks, as I would at theirs.  With that in mind, here’s a bit about my experience and...

The American Alpine Institute is excited to announce the Guides Choice award winners for 2020! The Guides Choice has been a highly valued award for over 20 years, and truly represents the pinnacle of industry leading outdoor gear. While based in the Cascade range of Washington, testing takes place all over North and South America, from Cotopaxi and Aconcagua to Red Rocks and the Sierra, and all the way up to Denali. While these products represent innovation and engineering at it's finest, they have also stood up to heavy use, with days-on-end in the field.    Mammut Barryvox S  The...