“The Polartec Challenge encourages the spirit and practice of outdoor adventure,” states Polartec North American Marketing Manager, Allon Cohne. “The 2012 Polartec Challenge Grant recipients exemplify Polartec’s commitment to expanding our perception of what’s possible, and we’re proud to help them.”

Hayden Kennedy

1. Malcolm Bass, Paul Figg, Simon Yearsley and Rachel Antill will attempt to make the first ascent of the southwest face of Rimo III. The Rimo group is a remote and rarely visited area in the Indian Karakorum, and Rimo III’s face is considered by many to be one of the last great challenges.

2. Kyle Dempster and Hayden Kennedy will attempt a Pakistani double header. They plan to complete their 2011 attempt on the east face of K7 and attempt the first ascent of the north face of the Ogre 2 on the Choktoi glacier. The Choktoi glacier has a rich climbing history, containing some of the most impressive mountains in the world, and has a zero percent success rate.

Nick Devore

3. Polartec Athlete Advisory Board member Nick Devore, Will Cardamone, Jake Sakson and Andy Jacobsen will attempt to climb and ski the unskied northwest face of Mt. Seattle in Alaska. The group plans to kayak from Yakutat to the Hubbard Glacier, where they will begin the glacial traverse to Mt. Seattle. Andy Jacobsen will shoot the trip for a segment in PowderWhore Productions’ new film next year.

4. Peter Doucette and Silas Rossi will attempt a new route on the southeast face of Mt. Bradley in Alaska. On their proposted route, the two-man team expects to find significant mixed climbing for the duration of the 4,500′ ascent.

Peter Ducette

5. John Frieh, Dave Burdick and Zac West will attempt the first ascent of Middle Peak in the St. Elias range in Alaska. Middle Peak’s 5,000′+ wall offers a unique opportunity for the team in a very remote region.

6. Freddie Wilkinson and Mike Libecki will travel to an area in Antarctica previously unexplored by climbers to climb first ascents on the Earth’s southernmost and most remote spires and big walls. Wilkinson and Libecki will take advantage of the continuous daylight during the winter solstice and attempt first ascents of as many spires as possible during the expedition. Libecki also recieved a Polartec Challenge Grant in 2011 for a climbing expedition to Franz Josef Land in Russia, which has been extended to 2012.
In addition to the grant money, all of this year’s Polartec® Challenge winners will be fully outfitted with Polartec® garments, designed to keep them warm, comfortable and dry in the harshest of climates.

About the Polartec® Challenge Grant
The annual Polartec® Challenge Grant seeks to assist frugal, low impact teams who respect the local culture and environment and serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their vision, commitment and credibility. Past recipients of the Polartec® Challenge Grant include outdoor pioneers and adventurers such as Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Steve House, Jon Turk, Marko Prezelj, Andrew McLean and John Shipton.

A big shout out to goes to our Athlete Advisory Board member, Sari Anderson, on her victory last Saturday at the U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Championships!

The annual race in Jackson Hole, WY is one of the longest-running randonee races in the country, celebrating its 12th year last weekend. Using ultralight skis and boots with nylon skins that affix to the bottom of their skis to go uphill, racers climbed and descended over 8,000 vertical feet on and off-piste at the Jackson Holes ski area. Polartec Advisory Board member and mother of two, Sari Anderson, finished second in the National Champs last year after some equipment issues so she was back for redemption this year. Facing the most competitive field of women ever assembled on US soil snow, Sari had a flawless race this year and claimed the national championships in three hours and four minutes, a commanding eight-minute victory over the next woman.

Read more about her race here.

Sari and men's national champion, Luke Nelson

Courtesy of Kirsten Kremer

Kirsten Kremer, Emilie Drinkwater and Janet Bergman, supported by a Polartec Challenge Grant, traveled to the Eastern Indian Karakoram in July and August. Their objective was an unclimbed 6,135 meter peak that alpinist Mark Richey had previously photographed. The south facing aspect with several beautiful looking rock buttresses appealed to the women for alpine rock climbing.

Courtesy of Kirsten Kremer

The team met in Delhi on July 3, along with Mark Richey, Steve Swenson and Freddie Wilkinson, who were attempting a first ascent of nearby Saser Kangri II, and with whom they shared base camp and climbing permits. The team flew from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh, and drove over the Khardung La, the “highest motorable pass in the world”, to the Nubra Valley where they commenced the three day trek to base camp, a grassy meadow at 5,000 meters. From there the two teams split up, with advanced camps and objective peaks on separate glaciers.

“Kirsten, Emilie and I made two attempts on ‘6135’,” said Bergman. “The walls were good quality crack climbing, but the melted-out ledges and the summit ridgeline were constantly bombarding us with rock and ice whenever the sun was out”.

The team made the decision that the conditions were too dangerous to attempt it again. “That mountain really illustrated the paradox of alpine rock climbing,” Bergman said. “We wanted it to be warm and sunny enough to use tight rock climbing shoes and bare fingers instead of boots, crampons and ice tools, but some mountains, like this one, can start to ‘come unglued’ and become very unsafe in conditions like that. I think we made a good call.”

Courtesy of Emilie Drinkwater

Fortunately, the area around Saser Kangri II where the guys had their advanced camp had several promising looking unclimbed peaks so, with the help of their Indian Sherpa staff, the women were able to clean out their advanced camp at ‘6135’ and move over to the Saser Kangri II camp for the remainder of their time.

“As seems to often be the case, all of our activity happened in the final week of the trip,” continued Bergman.

On August 5-6, Kirsten and Emilie (Janet was in the throes of a violent 24-hour stomach bug) climbed Pumo Kangri, PD/AD 6440 meters, a striking ice and snow peak just outside of camp,soloing all but the final pitches, and rappelling through the night with a single rope

Saser Linga and Pumo Kangri- Courtesy of Janet Bergman

(they’d anticipated more snow than ice and got just the opposite). Freddie and Janet high-fived with them on their final rappels the next morning as they climbed the same initial ice slope to approach Saser Linga, IV 5.9+ ~6,200 meters, a beautiful 7 pitch rock pinnacle. Finally, on August 8-9, the four of them plus Mark Richey skied across the glacier to a high bivy and simul-climbed Stegosaurus, PD/AD 6,640 meters, a dinosaur-esque peak with a 150 meter corniced ridge traverse to the summit.

“I don’t have too much to say regarding my Polartec pieces because they performed exactly how they should,” said Drinkwater (The team was outfitted with a variety of Polartec fabrics by different manufacturers for the expedition).

Stegosaurus- Courtesy of Janet Bergman

“The obvious advantages of the Polartec fabrics are how light, soft, and comfortable they are, in addition to being durable.”

Emilie did have one clear favorite piece of clothing though. “I wore that pink Patagonia jacket every day for six weeks. I also used it as a pillow and, on one occasion, as a blanket to wrap around my very cold feet. This was my favorite piece because, aside from being pink and comfortable, it worked well under a large variety of temperatures. I would have worn it on the plane ride home but it was starting to smell gross.”

The team extends sincere gratitude to Polartec for providing the Polartec Challenge Grant program that makes this and so many other great adventures possible.

Courtesy Janet Bergman

For the 11 world-class climbers, skiers, mountaineers, runners, explorers and adventure racers on the Polartec Athlete Advisory Board, there’s perhaps nothing as painful as sitting under the fluorescent bulbs of a conference room for an eight-hour meeting. But, if that meeting will result in warmer, drier and lighter fabrics that help them perform faster, longer and more efficiently, they’re happy to put in the time. Of course, it doesn’t hurt if that meeting takes place in the international capital of mountain sports – Chamonix, France.

This past week, the Polartec Advisory Board members traveled from around the world to Chamonix, carrying stacks of prototype baselayers, insulating layers and weather protection jackets they’ve been testing for past 6-12 months. The athletes joined a team of Polartec product developers and company leaders, including Polartec president Andy Vecchione and VP Jon Adelman, for a marathon meeting to discuss the latest in fabric technologies.

The athlete group, which was instrumental in the development of both Polartec Power Shield Pro and Polartec NeoShell fabrics, has been testing a wide variety of exciting new (and top-secret) Polartec innovations. The group has put those fabrics through the proverbial ringer, evaluating them for warmth, breathability, waterproofness and overall comfort. The athletes shared their opinions on their test garments and talked about what they would like to see in the next iteration of prototypes.

We can’t share exactly what innovations are coming from Polartec in the future, but based upon the enthusiasm at the end of the Athlete Advisory Board meeting, we can assure you that there are some really exciting, ground-breaking fabrics in the pipeline.

This month, Sari appears in Outside magazine as one of the “Mutants Next Door”- real people with families and jobs competing at the elite level and (trying to) make it all work.

The article, on newsstands now with Stephen Colbert on the cover, goes on to say that Sari “has a knack for finding her way to the podium. In January, Sari placed second in the Ski Mountaineering U.S National Championships. She also won the coed duo category of the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race in 2010 and mopped up a field of pros at the 2008 Mountain Bike Marathon. She also won the 2009 Teva Mountain Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge and the 2008 XTerra World Championship. Thats all the more impressive considering the 32 year old juggles her training and part time office job with a full-time job raising 2 kids with her husband, Ian.”

Check out Sari’s blog post discussing the interview, photo shoot and how it feels to be called a mutant.

Nick, with his mutant tele skills, decided to climb Colorado’s Pyramid Peak (14,018ft) this weekend, and posted some pictures of the epic ascent. Not a bad Saturday morning.

Sari and her race partner Pete Gaston happy to be home in Aspen

The Elk Mountains Grand Traverse is a 40-mile backcountry ski race that starts at midnight in Crested Butte and finishes in Aspen, CO. When it comes to fabrics and layering, there’s no better test for warmth, weather protection and breathabilty. Every year racers invariably have to contend with sub-freezing temperatures, howling winds and whiteout snow conditions, combined with brutally long, sweaty climbs followed by bone-chilling descents.

This past weekend, Polartec Athlete Advisory Board member, Sari Anderson made history at the race, finishing as one of two women on the podium for the first time in the event’s 14-year history. Sari is a professional adventure racer, mountain biker and ski mountaineer and this year’s race put all her skills to the test. You can read her full race recap here, but the condensed version is that she raced super-strong – breaking trail through over a foot of fresh snow for the lead teams for miles on end. She and her partner finished in third place overall, in just over nine hours.

One thing Sari didn’t have to worry about at this year’s race was her layering system. Here’s an excerpt from her race report:

Sari breaking trail along Richmond Ridge

Overall, my set-up performed beautifully, but there were a couple of standouts. First of all, I wore an awesome new jacket from Patagonia called the Knifeblade. It’s a minimalistic, anorak-style jacket made from Polartec Power Shield Pro – essentially a lightweight pullover softshell. While I watched almost everyone in the race shed layers on the climbs and then layer up for the descents, I never took the Knifeblade off. It kept me warm and completely dry while it snowed for the first few hours of the race, but breathed well enough so I didn’t overheat once the sun finally came out. Full disclosure – I’m on the Polartec Athlete Advisory Board – but this truly was the best aerobic outerlayer I’ve ever tried.

Another truly impressive bit of gear for this race were my gloves. My friend Doug Heinrich, the glove product director at Black Diamond, sent me a pair of Impulse gloves (made from Polartec Power Shield) to try and they were awesome. I wore them the entire race and my hands never got too hot nor cold.

Congratulations to Sari!

The Patagonia Knifeblade jacket, available in August 2011.

Sari with her daughter at the finish line.

(from L to R) Andy Vecchione (Polartec President), Janet Bergman, Tyler Bradt, Mike Libecki

Polartec is pleased to announce the recipients of its 20th annual Polartec Challenge Grant. Four separate expeditions will receive funding and support from Polartec to 2011: a solo climbing exploration in the remote northern Russian Arctic, a first-time circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island, a women’s climbing first ascent attempt in the Indian Karakoram and a two-man first ascent attempt in the Charakusa Valley of Pakistan.

”Polartec is proud to have supported adventures and exploration around the globe for 20 years now,” states Global Director of Marketing, Nate Simmons. “The 2011 Challenge Grant recipients epitomize all the trips we have supported over the years and exemplify Polartec’s commitment to innovation and expanding our perception of what’s possible.”

Mike Libecki

The first Polartec Challenge Grant recipient is solo expedition specialist Mike Libecki. Libecki, who has explored many of the last remaining corners of virgin Earth to climb dozens of first ascents, will this time travel to a remote and restricted corner of northern Russia above the Arctic Circle to climb walls that have never been explored before. Libecki will be dropped off by a Russian icebreaker and then have to ski and paddle over 50 miles of sea ice and open ocean on a homemade rig to reach his climbing destination. The trip will be the culmination of over six years of planning and reconnaissance.

Jon Turk

The next grant recipient is the team of Jon Turk, Tyler Bradt and Erik Boomer that will together attempt the first complete circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island, one of the closest points of land to the North Pole. The expedition will travel over 1,400 miles across treacherous moving sea ice, glaciers and rocky coastline using kayaks, skis and sleds to complete the journey.

Janet Bergman

The third Polartec Challenge Grant recipient is a first ascent attempt of a 6,135-meter unnamed peak deep within the Indian Karakoram by an all-star team of female climbers. The team consists of pro climber and Polartec Athlete Advisory Board member Janet Bergman, Chamonix-based mountain guide Zoe Hart and Alaskan guide Kirsten Kremer. The unnamed peak is located on the eastern edge of the ‘Line of Control’ between India and Pakistan and the team plans an alpine style ascent to the summit in one light, fast, free push.

The final grant recipient, Kelly Cordes, actually received the award last year, but had to postpone his expedition because of an injury. Cordes, who is also a member of Polartec’s Athlete Advisory Board, and his climbing partner Kyle Dempster will travel to Pakistan’s Charakusa Valley, home to massive technical peaks including K6 and K7, along with scores of unclimbed rock and ice objectives, to attempt the first ascent of an unnamed rock spire. The 6,200-meter spire, near K7, has been attempted several times and its virgin summit remains an objective that requires the rare combination of high-end rock skills, tenacity and high-altitude mixed-climbing.

In addition to the grant money, all of this year’s Polartec® Challenge winners will be fully outfitted with Polartec® garments, designed to keep them warm, comfortable and dry in the harshest of climates.

About the Polartec® Challenge Grant
The annual Polartec® Challenge Grant seeks to assist frugal, low impact teams who respect the local culture and environment and serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their vision, commitment and credibility. Past recipients of the Polartec® Challenge Grant include outdoor pioneers and adventurers such as Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Steve House, Marko Prezelj, Andrew McLean and John Shipton.

Check out Michael’s YouTube Channel for all of his videos. Here is a quick clip of him hiking near Mont Blanc.

The route, which circles Mont Blanc, begins in Chamonix, passes by Aiguille de Bionnassay and will cross the Col du Bonhomme. In the early morning, racers will cross Col de la Seigne into Italy and the Val Veni overlooked by Noire du Peuterey and the glaciers descending Mont Blanc. Later they will reach the Val Ferret, guarded by Dent du Géant and Grandes Jorasses before finally turning into Switzerland. They will then climb over Bovine and Les Tseppes. Then, with Aiguille Verte in front of them, under the vertical heights of the Drus and with Mont Blanc before them, they will dive down towards the finishing line in the heart of Chamonix. Alongside the UTMB, is the CCC, a 100km race in the same region. Polartec’s own David Gatti should be mid-way through this route right now, we wish him the best of luck.

You can see the virtual course here on the North Face website, and you can also follow the racers on this Live Trail site by typing in their bib number. Polartec’s David Gatti is #7276.

Check out this awesome footage of the starting line yesterday morning.