Kim Havell On the Slopes and Sheer Faces

Suunto athlete Kim Havell continues her worldwide adventure lifestyle. She has skied on all seven continents and has adventured in more than 50 countries. She's climbed and skied the Himalaya and the Karakorum, the highest mountains in the US, and has first descents in the US and abroad, including the Arctic and Antarctic.

In between, she "occasionally" finds time to explore some more familiar territory. Here's a video she made with fellow sponsor, Osprey of her adventures skiing and climbing in the Telluride region.

Go for it, Kim!

Suunto Athlete Kim Havell Representing in New Winter Film

Suunto athlete and mountaineering ripper Kim Havell stars in Solitaire, a new backcountry ski, snowboard and telemark film. Solitaire tells the story of a team of earn-your-turns backcountry buffs who find themselves among (and sliding down) some of the most intense peaks in South America.

SOLITAIRE: A Backcountry Skiing, Snowboarding, and Telemark Film from Sweetgrass Productions on Vimeo.

Kim Havell Update From Tibet

As we reported earlier, Suunto athlete Kim Havell, a top alpine skier and mountaineer, and a team of nine others are attempting to climb the North Face of Shishapangma in Tibet followed by the First decent of the Swiss/Polish route. Here is an update from Kim and the rest of the team from their blog:

The lingering Monsoon has kept us in Kathmandu for an extra day. We are hoping the bulldozers are busy clearing the alleged 5 landslides between here and our first stop in Zhangmu (just across the border into Tibet).

We are all getting eager to leave Kathmandu, though the additional day will hopefully provide time to sort out the Yak weight negotions (like the Monsoon our personal Yak weight allotments have been a bit shifty). With the Yaks all set the remainder of the day will be spent finalizing details, getting some "epic temple shots", eating, and more than likely some adventure in Kathmandu transportation (uncertain at this point if it will be motorized or human powered).

Overall, all is well... The team is healthy, happy, and typically a bit sweaty.

Before they left Kim described some of the logistics of the trip:

Our food for on the mountain above advanced base camp (“ABC”- 19,200ft) will be high altitude meals provided by Mountain House, supplemented by Clif products. We will also have staples such as chocolate bars, energy mixes, soup packets and more. When at BC, we will eat local food like Dal Bhat (rice and lentils), occasionally mixed with pieces of goat, along with more standard fare like pasta.

Moving on to the gear category, expeditions that involve ski-mountaineering, which is climbing mountains and then skiing down them, demand different gear choices then other types of trips. Since skis add an extra load carry to the process, weight and efficiency become top priorities in the system.

The specifics are lengthy but generally speaking we bring two light axes/ice tools/and or a whippet (axe attachment made for a ski pole), light bindings with spare parts, light crampons- two sets, and light tents. We also bring two sleeping bags each, one for our ABC, and one that travels up with us on the mountain. There are as many variations on gear and equipment as there are cows in India, but hopefully this lends some perspective on the general process and the gear that we will use.

Playing further into the equation, our clothing choices are extremely important. We use merino wool for base layers, and down and gore-tex for outer/upper layers. Since we will be attempting to ski, we will climb in ski boots, which are not as warm and beefy as your typical mountaineering boot. So, in this case, we will bring “overboots” which are neoprene zip-on booties that allow you to attach crampons to the boot but keep your feet warm in the colder environments up higher on the mountain. We also bring more high density down jackets (800+ fill) for warmth and flexibility, as our clothing cannot inhibit our ability to move in ski descent.

When we arrive to BC (16,400ft), we will settle in for a day or two and then will slowly move our operation to base out of ABC (17,700ft). From ABC, our plan is to climb up whatever route/s we plan to ski down so as to understand the snow and the terrain. We will work our way up the mountain carefully, acclimatizing and accessing conditions and options each step of the way. We will adhere to the alpinist adage, “climb high, sleep low” and we will hope that the weather and conditions cooperate.

Good luck to Kim and the rest of the team!

For more on Kim Havell visit her website.

You can also track Kim’s adventure on Outside TV and at www.fashisha.blogspot.com

Kim Havell Heads to Tibet

We are very excited about the upcoming trip to Tibet for Suunto althlete Kim Havell. Kim is an experienced mountaineer and alpine skier based out of Telluride, CO. Armed with her trusty Suunto Lumi altimeter, barometer compass, she along with nine others will be attempting to climb the North face of Shishapangma followed by an attempt of the First Decent of the Swiss/Polish route. More information from the statement by Kim's team:

As the 14th highest mountain in the world, Shishapangma soars above the grassy plains of far Eastern Tibet, within the Chinese territory. Our ultimate objective, the Swiss- Polish route, has been sought out once before as a ski descent by a highly accomplished team sponsored by The North Face in 1999. This was an expedition that resulted in the tragic death of two of its members- Alex Lowe and David Bridges when an avalanche ripped down the 2,200 meter couloir. Since that time, no skier or snowboader has attempted to descend the intimidating South face of Shishapangma.

Though Shishapangma has been dubbed as one of the “easy” 8,000 meter peaks, along with Cho-Oyu and Gasherbrum II, there is nothing easy about climbing and skiing any mountain 8000 meters above sea level. Since Shishapangma’s first ascent by a Chinese team in 1964, twenty two people have perished on its slopes. Further statistics show, the numbers of mountaineers that are turned away each year from a successful summit bid are staggering. As both climbers and skiers, our group will deal with continuous obstacles in the form of altitude, weather, possible sickness, teamwork, decision making, transporting the many extra loads and coordinating logistics in order to get the entire team, and our ski gear, to the top of this mountain..twice!

Our team is unique in its strength as individuals. Each member of this team has spent years guiding, climbing and training. It has been a journey of learning about the beauty, the perils, and the soul behind the heights and challenges that call our names. As each of our resumes reflect, we are all mountaineers who have a deep passion for skiing and climbing, a passion that has taken us around the world to confront and accomplish or goals. Together as a team we are comprised of males and female, skiers and snowboarder, photographer, writers and videographers, guides, instructors, and SAR volunteers. We in our deepest essence exist for the rare opportunity for the true pursuit of the unknown as we test ourselves within untouched realms of possibility.

In our objective, we have chosen to acclimatize during a climb and ski of the normal“Northern” route, enabling us to assess conditions, track weather patterns and prepare forthe goal; To make an alpine style ascent of the Swiss/Polish couloir route on Shishapangma’s Southwest face followed by a first descent of the same route. Thistechnically demanding descent on a 50-degree slope, following one of the most aestheticlines imaginable. The Swiss/Polish route, in the words of the great Alex Lowe “is the most aesthetic line of any 8,000 meter peak”

With a rare combination of skill in climbing and skiing, rescue training and guiding, medical and rigging training, all within the nature of our professional make-up, we will present insight and personal perspective into the critical elements behind this exhilarating and dangerous journey. This ambitious mountain endeavor will reveal a story or our backgrounds, relationships, and cultural interactions. This story of personal exploration and world’s first will take our readers down the long road we shall have traveled to be the first to ski/snowboard this most alluring ski line at the extreme heights of our planet.

You can follow Kim as she makes her way to Tibet on her website here. She will also be contributing to the Outside Television and Elevation Outdoors blogs.

Greg Hill: The Two Million Mark Man

Adventure skier Greg Hill is on a mission to tour and ski two million feet within a calendar year. He is accompanied by his trusty Suunto X6HRM to calculate his total ascent. He has so far hit his halfway mark and well on his way to his goal of two million. You can follow his exploits as he documents his journey from mountain peaks all around the world through his website.