We've Moved!

Hey Everyone,
Alaska Alpine Adventures blog has moved. You'll be able to find old content on this site, but if you'd like to continue getting great Alaska adventure news, surf on over to our new home on the web.

http://www.alaskaalpineadventures.com/easyblog/latest.html

Best Adventures,

Dan & Aaron

Gear Review - Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover

The other day we received a couple of Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover's in the mail. Purchasing the jackets was a knee jerk reaction to an email that I received from Patagonia, claiming a ridiculous warmth to weight ratio. Why not check it out, as I have loved all of my Patagonia pieces over the years. The verdict: Awesome. The packability, the weight and the warmth all have lived up to their claims. I think my gucci down pullover is getting jealous!

Here are the spec from Patagonia.com

Details

• Versatile 60-gram PrimaLoft® One polyester insulation provides excellent warmth and compressibility
• Ultralight face fabric sheds water and blocks wind
• Deep center-front zipper allows for easy ventilation
• Stuffs into a self-storage left chest pocket
• Elasticized cuff and hem seal out wind and trap warmth
• Shell and lining: 1-oz 15-denier 100% all-recycled polyester with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Insulation: 60-g PrimaLoft® One. Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program
• 266 g (9.4 oz)

Check out this review Backpacker Magazine, it sounds like their testers liked it as much as we do.

The Thinkery - Working hard on our new website!

Here in the Anchorage office of Alaska Alpine Adventures, we are working hard with the great folks at The Thinkery to develop a brand new website. Our goal - to build a website that is easy to navigate and full of amazing hiking, backpacking, rafting, and kayaking images and helpful information - is close to coming to fruition. Stay Tuned and check www.AlaskaAlpineAdventures.com often!

Andrew Skurka - BIG Plans

I've been following Bretwood Higman and Erin McKittrick for some time now, and have always had a HUGE amount of respect for these guys. Their trips are visionary, their motives are pure, and their style is impeccably simple. Andrew Skurka is following their lead as he prepares for an incredible journey in 2010. Believe me, this trip is NUTS, and we will be following Andrew as he attempts this endeavor. To complete a trip like this, one needs a strong will, incredible fitness, and a remarkable ability to truly suffer. Skiing through Alaska's interior in March - Andrew will suffer. And then he needs to complete the rest of the route! Whoa guy...good luck.

Joe Stock Get's a Mention on SkinTrack.com

As many of you know, IFMGA Guide Joe Stock has been doing some pretty amazing ski-mountaineering trips in Alaska over the past 10-years. Here, legendary skier Andrew McLean give's props to Joe and some of the visionary trips he's leading. We're proud to have Joe on the AAA Team!

Check out the interview on SkinTrack.com!

Alaska Photo of the Month - NOVEMBER

©Dan Oberlatz

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Welcome to photo #2 from our June, 2009 adventure into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

On this trip we climbed the highest peak in the Brooks Range - Mt. Chamberlin - and rafted out the Hulahula River to the village of Kaktovik.

This shot was taken even higher than last month's photo above the Hulahula River - on our summit attempt of Mt. Chamberlin. Here, with the false north summit of the mountain dominating the backdrop, our group hikes a shale bound spur of the north ridge at approximately 7000'. We would eventually make it to the north ridge proper, and climb the snowy ramp pictured on the right horizon. It was an incredible day!

The views and vistas in the Arctic are like no where else on earth, and when you combine incredible solitude, 24 hours of summer sunlight, and diverse flora and fauna, it's easy to realize why a hiking and rafting (or even climbing!!!) trip to the Refuge is certainly one to put at the top of the life list!

As you begin to consider your vacation plans for 2010, Alaska is looking like the solid choice!

Click Here to view our feed and past Photo of the Month postings.

Dan Oberlatz
Alaska Alpine Adventures, LLC
1-877-525-2577
www.AlaskaAlpineAdventures.com

PS - We invite you to become an official FAN of ours on FACEBOOK. And you can also follow us on TWITTER.

AAA in Vogue Magazine.

So here you go folks! Get this - Vogue Magazine is featuring Alaska Alpine Adventures in an online article that came out yesterday. While the preponderance of Vogue Magazine readers may not necessarily get a kick out of adventure travel, I'm sure that at least one or two of the nearly 2 million readers might!

I think what's most important about this piece is that they single out the threat to Bristol Bay from future industrial strip mining!

IFMGA Certified - Joe Stock

Joe Stock joined the Alaska Alpine Adventures team in 2008 when he co-led a 14-day ski mountaineering adventure into the Neacola Mountains. Having recently completed the first ski traverse of the Neacolas, it was obvious that Joe's passion for this obscure sub-range of the Aleutian Range was as great as ours.

Joe recently completed the final portion of his American Mountain Guide Association certification, and now is officially IFMGA Certified. Here is the description of IFMGA certified from the AMGA website:

"IFMGA Mountain Guide status is awarded to guides certified as Rock, Alpine, and Ski Mountaineering Guides. IFMGA Mountain Guides can guide on any climbing or skiing terrain without limitation."

We look forward to exploring the Alaska wilderness with Joe, as well as hearing his stories from exploits on mountains all over the world.

Congratulations Joe!

Dan's trip to DC - Save Bristol Bay - Stop the Pebble Mine!

I just returned from my first visit to Capitol Hill as a citizen lobbyist, and was surprised to find that almost everyone we talked with has heard of the Bristol Bay region. Many know that it's home to the largest sockeye salmon fishery on earth, the largest king salmon fishery in Alaska on the Nushagak River, and that you can catch 20+ lb rainbow trout in the Kvichak River. But what was most astonishing is that most of the people on the hill, including members of congress, and various agency heads, had not heard of the proposed Pebble Mine! Considering the magnitude of the threat that this development poses to the Bristol Bay region, it's clear that advocates to SAVE BRISTOL BAY, though galvanized and organized, have a lot of work ahead of us.

Not to suggest that our week wasn't successful - and we actually moved the needle significantly and, in my opinion, convinced some very powerful people that the Bristol Bay is worth saving. Here's Trout Unlimited's press release announcing our trip last week!

Let me know if you have any questions by emailing me at Dan@alaskaalpineadventures.com.

First Ski Descent of Mt. Chamberlain - Powder Magazine

This summer, Alaska Alpine Adventures guide Joe Stock and Anchorage photographer Matt Hage completed the first ski descent of Mt. Chamberlain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the highest peak in the Brooks Range.

Here's a great online article authored by Stock available on Powdermag.com. Well done guys!

Photo: Matt Hage

Hagephoto.com