Flying South, Shifting Gear
Flying South
The main activity around the world continues to be in South America. Lot's of activity on Aconcagua with multiple summits reported. Vinson has some activity as does the latest trend of skiing the last degree to the South Pole. Borge Ousland has been leading trips on the last degree to the North Pole for years but now it has caught on in Antarctica. Finally, there was the sad news of three climbers killed by a rock slide at 17,300' on Kilimanjaro. They were headed up a gully when they heard a crash and a wall of rocks falling on top of the team of 14.
Shifting Gears
I thought I would take a moment and mention some companies for climbing gear beyond the well known types. The Norwegian brand Norrona has some outstanding cold weather gear. If you are interested in what they use in Iceland, take a look at 66North. There is some interesting merino wool products from Icebreaker out of New Zealand. WildThings is a popular New England company with an interesting item in their half bag concept combined with a down jacket to reduce sleeping weight. If you are as obsessive as I am about weight, visit ProLite Gear where they focus on a variety of gear that is the some of the lightest in the industry. Finally, an old favorite is Feathered Friends but check out their online outlet for some great deals on down jackets. So much gear, so little money ...
