Losing Weight with CAMP and Dynafit

by Rob Coppolillo May 20, 2013

Spring has (sorta) sprung, so it’s time to ski some steeps and think about alpine climbing. Bigger objectives mean shedding some tonnage, so I’m stoked to dust out the superlight gear and get some vert. There are two brands every ski-mountaineer knows–CAMP and Dynafit, purveyors of the ultralight and ubercool. Luckily for us Coloradans, CAMP’s [...]

Liz Oakes-Smart, a Bum Knee, and Steep Skiing Camps

by Rob Coppolillo May 18, 2013

It’s been a wild year, with crazy avalanches here in Colorado, an all-time winter in the Alps, and a rash of knee injuries, too. Seems like several of my friends have had various tweaks, the latest being Liz Oakes-Smart, guide and co-owner of Steep Skiing Camps with her husband, Miles. Liz (31) grew up in [...]

Dynafit’s Cho Oyu and TLT 6 (Start Saving)

by Rob Coppolillo May 10, 2013

Take two. Huh, you ask? Well, I just lost draft one of this thing due to Satan having written the code for WordPress…so there you have it. The point? The long story short? Dynafit’s TLT 6, the updated version of the TLT 5, and their new ski weapon, the Cho Oyu, are both fantastic. Here’s [...]

Gregory’s “Alpinisto 35″–Pretty Darn Good

by Rob Coppolillo May 6, 2013

I’m a bigot. My longstanding prejudices sometime get the better of me, so I owe Gregory an apology. I’ve always thought of Gregory as a “backpacking” brand, rather than a maker of technical packs. After several months climbing and skiing with a Gregory “Alpinisto 35″ ($199; 3 lb. 11 oz. stock, 2 lb. 10 oz. [...]

Deuter Guide Lite 32–Near Perfect

by Rob Coppolillo April 29, 2013

Light, simple, comfortable, versatile–for $150 you get all the above in a backpack that’ll last you years. The Deuter Guide Lite 32 will do just about anything you want it to, rock or ice cragging, get off the ground for some multipitch, ski-mountaineering, but out an overnight if you really have to. The Guide Lite [...]

Sheep Creek–the CAIC Report and Press Release

Sheep Creek–the CAIC Report and Press Release

by Rob Coppolillo April 24, 2013

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) released its full-length report on the Sheep Creek avalanche accident today, April 24. Eagerly awaited by the media and backcountry enthusiasts, it’s a detailed description of the terrain, weather, and snowpack, as well as the human events leading up to the slide. Six backcountry travelers were caught and five [...]