(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.

Polartec Challenge Grant winner Greg Hill

Are you the kind of person that thinks climbing and skiing two million vertical feet in one year sounds like fun? How about climbing the Seven Summits, all before you turn the age of 18? What about riding your bike for months on end, along the ancient (and potentially perilous) Silk Road through Asia? If you’ve got a dream for big adventure, Polartec wants to hear about it – and potentially help you make it happen with the annual Polartec Challenge Grant. Since 1991, Polartec has assisted over 100 expeditions around the world.  We builds fabrics to withstand every kind of climate and we want to support adventures that put our products to the test.

16-year-old Jordan Romero on his Seven Summits quest

The deadline for the annual Polartec Challenge Grant is just over a week away (Jan. 15) and we’re still on the hunt for good applications.

“The 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 vision, commitment, educational and cultural value.” Apply for the grant here. Read a press release about the selection process here. Tell your friends!

Check out some shots of Greg’s last few days and the video that his friends put together of his incredible journey to 2 million.

2 Million With Greg Hill from FD Productions on Vimeo.

However, in this month’s issue, VF writer Lenora Jane Estes checks in with Polartec Challenge Grant winner, Greg Hill, as he nears his goal of skiing 2 million vertical feet this year. (He has just over 18,000 to go as of today.) When asked how he would finish out the year, he said “I’ll finish on our local ski hill here in Revelstoke. There are a lot of people who are interested in the goal but aren’t backcountry skiers, so I made it accessible for everyone to witness my last hour. I’m going to hike up and finish on the ski hill so people can share those moments with me. Then I’ll definitely have a little bit of a party and wake up on January 1 feeling quite relaxed.”

To read the entire article-click on this link- www.VanityFair.com

Also check out this awesome video documenting the past year of Greg’s life and hard work and dedication that it took to get here. Good luck in these final few days Greg!

2 Million With Greg Hill from FD Productions on Vimeo.

“He has become the poster goat of the backcountry world: a seemingly uncrackable, unquenchable, undeniable ascender for the ages. His one million vertical feet of self-propelled ascending back in the winter of 2006-2007 put him on the ski mountaineering map, and now, as a sponsored athlete, with his own signature AT setup, and currently eight months into a goal of logging two million vertical feet (5,000 ft a day on average), in a single year, the Revelstoke, B.C., guide and father of two will undoubtably crack the stratosphere as one of the most interestingly committed backcountry skiers of our day…..

“If all the year were playing holidays…to sport would be as tedious as to work,” to quote Shakespeare. So of course, at times, it is tedious but when the tedium ends with a summit and a steep and deep descent, then I have to count myself as one of the lucky ones. Over 60 different mountaintops, many, many adventures, days exploring new terrain. North America, South America, not a lot of boredom doing on. Plus, I have been tree planting for 15 years and learned how to distance myself from the harshness of the situation to find my happy place.”

To read the entire article, pick up this month’s Powder magazine.

Check out a video of Greg hitting his half way point earlier this year. Currently he has skied 1,666, 2204ft.

According to the website, “Climate Change has often been described as a slow-moving catastrophe. It’s the kind of issue that once you begin to feel any large-scale effects, it’s too late to do anything. Though science has been telling us this for 25 years now, this is what makes it a very difficult problem to communicate to the general public.

The Sherpa people are among the first to experience the tangible effects of a warming planet. For them this means living with the uneasy mix of the danger of flooding, from bursting glacial lakes, combined with drought, caused by a continued reduction in rain and snowfall, which is threatening their agricultural base. The likely fate of Himalayan glaciers is hugely important because they are the source for 10 of Asia’s largest rivers. Climate Change is not only causing glaciers to melt, it is also shifting the monsoon. In the short term at least, this looks like having a much bigger effect on river flow than the melting alone.”

Check out the most recent footage from the Himalaya Alert documentary, courtesy of EMS Films.

Karina, Karen, Paul and Jordan at Everest Base Camp

This news is a little old by now, but we’re happy to report that Jordan, Paul and Karen are now safely off the mountain and have arrived back in Kathmandu. After a over a month on Everest, they’re thrilled to have hot showers, telephone and internet access. Sticking to his goal of offering inspiration to other kids, Jordan has already scheduled his first school visit.  From Jordan’s Facebook page:

Jordan at age 9 in front of the mural at his school that started it all

“Stop #1- Rato Bangala School-the ‘harvard’ of middle schools here in Kathmandu, Nepal- 400 students get sneak preview at the new presentation by Jordan. 400 autographs. Need new sharpie.”

We’re incredibly happy for Jordan and proud to have supported him for over two years now. We’re also looking forward to being a part of his upcoming climb of Mt Vinson in Antarctica – the final peak in his Seven Summits quest.  As Jordan continues to be swarmed by the mainstream media we’re happily telling people, “we knew him when.”

For Immediate Release

Two-time Polartec Challenge Grant Recipient Jordan Romero, Age 13, Sets Everest Record

05.28.2010 – (Lawrence, Mass.) On Saturday May 22, at the age of 13, two-time Polartec® Challenge Grant recipient Jordan Romero became the youngest person ever to summit Mt. Everest. Later this year, Romero plans to climb Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, thereby successfully completing his quest to conquer the Seven Summits.

Jordan, who is from Big Bear, California, climbed Everest with his father, his father’s girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. The team arrived safely back at base camp on the Chinese side of the mountain today.

Polartec supported Jordan’s Everest climb through its annual Polartec Challenge Grant, which provides financial and product support to expeditions around the world. Jordan and his family were outfitted with a full range of technical Polartec baselayers, insulation and weather protection garments, helping them to stay warm and dry on the Earth’s highest mountain.

“We’re incredibly proud of Jordan and his family and happy to be long-time supporters,“ states Polartec Global Marketing Director Nate Simmons. “As our country faces epidemic levels of childhood obesity and inactivity, role models like Jordan are critically important to both the outdoor industry and the health of our nation.”

Jordan began his quest for the Seven Summits in July 2006, when he successfully climbed 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. In April 2007, Jordan summitted Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, in July he climbed Mt. Elbrus in Russia and in December of the same year, he broke the record as the youngest person to summit Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina.

Last year, Jordan, climbed 20,030-foot Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska and tied the record for the youngest person to summit the highest mountain in North America. Finally, in the summer of 2009, Romero climbed the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia.

Jordan’s sights are now set on Antarctica’s 16,000-foot Vinson Massif.

About Jordan Romero
Jordan Romero is a 13-year-old boy from Big Bear, Calif. with big dreams. Born on July 12, 1996, Jordan hopes to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each continent.

That’s a photo ski mountaineer Greg Hill took of his wrist-watch on March 25th. Why is it significant? Because it means Greg is one-quarter of the way towards his goal of climbing and skiing 2 million vertical feet in 2010. The first quarter of the year is over and clearly he’s pacing himself nicely. Greg is another one of our 2010 Polartec Challenge Grant recipients and while most of us are thinking about springtime running, cycling and hiking, Greg is just warming up on his skis. A resident of Revelstoke, BC, Greg will head to South America this summer to continue his quest. Here’s a great video documenting Greg’s first three months of skiing in 2010.

Many of you have probably seen the recent media coverage of Jordan Romero as he prepares to climb Mt. Everest later this month. For those of you who don’t know, Jordan is a 13-year-old from Big Bear, California, who has already climbed five of the Seven Summits. He’s also a two-time recipient of the annual Polartec® Challenge Grant.

Two years ago, we received Jordan’s first grant application. At the age of 12, he had already climbed Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Aconcagua in Argentina and Denali in Alaska, arguably the most challenging of the Seven Summits. Because of the high costs of travel and permits, Jordan applied for a Polartec® grant to help fund his climb of Mt. Carstenz in Indonesia. At the time, we reviewed Jordan’s application very carefully — certainly his age was both inspiring and a reason for concern. We had the opportunity to spend time with Jordan and his family at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City that year and we were impressed by his maturity and sincerity. We awarded him the grant in 2009 and Jordan bagged the peak.

In his attempt to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, Jordan has become a role model and mentor for other children, speaking at schools about climbing, exercise and the outdoors. In a recent Special Report on Youth, The Outdoor Foundation examined youth participation in outdoor recreation — profiling the extent and quality of participation among ages 6 to 24. The report revealed that in recent decades — amidst changing technological and social landscapes — the American childhood has rapidly moved indoors, leading to epidemic levels of childhood obesity and inactivity. Role models like Jordan Romero are critically important to the outdoor industry and the health of our country.

Thus, when Jordan applied for a Polartec® Challenge Grant to help subsidize his climb of Mt. Everest this year, we again carefully considered his application, but soon agreed that Polartec® should continue to support his quest. After spending time with Jordan and his family we believe they will make prudent decisions in the mountains and will put safety above glory. We all know there are inherent risks in mountaineering — the effects of altitude, weather, gear and even dealing with cantankerous yaks on the trails — many variables that are beyond human control. We believe Jordan and his family have done everything they can to train and prepare for this climb and will do everything possible to mitigate risks on the mountain. Jordan has big dreams, which are inspiring others, and we’re proud to be one of his supporters.

Kate Harris, who is a recipient of a Polartec Challenge Grant this year along with Mel Yule, is one of the four WINGS winners this year.

Kate, at only 27, has an impressive academic resume, combined with a unquenchable thirst for adventure. Her undergraduate degree is from UNC, where she was a Morehead-Cain Scholar in biology. After graduation in 2006, she retraced Marco Polo’s travels along China’s Silk Road. On this trip, she and two friends traversed the Aksai Chin in western Tibet, a contested territory between India and China, and in the process biked near the Siachen glacier on the Indian-Pakistan Line of Control. The notion that these sublime wildernesses were venues for military occupation and violence, because of arbitrary human borders, was shocking. This experience sparked her interest in the geopolitics of transboundary wilderness conservation. After this expedition, Kate went to the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She wrote her Master’s dissertation on the potential for transboundary science and environmental conservation to resolve conflict and cultivate peace between neighboring nations. Her work explored the prospects for establishing a peace park on the Siachen glacier in Kashmir, and drew on historical precedents for science-for-peace initiatives in Antarctica, Outer Space, and transboundary protected areas in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Kate just completed her Master’s degree in geobiology at MIT and is now taking a year off to complete an ambitios project called Cycling Silk, a year-long, all-woman bike journey that will cover more then 10,000 kilometers of the Silk Road between Tibet and Turkey, and study six case studies for cross-border conservation along the way.

Congrats Kate! We’re all looking forward to reading your upcoming updates from the Silk Road!