Patagonia surf ambassador Mary Osborne just sent word that she’s going to be helping surf legend Robert August and Free Wheelchair Mission distribute 10,000 wheelchairs in Costa Rica. The project will be documented in a series of short videos narrated by Mary, Robert and Robert’s son, Sam August. We’ll try and wrangle a firsthand report…
Our challenge from the Spring 2006 catalog has been answered. Becca from Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City proved us wrong by climbing Sundance (5.10a) in her Morning Glory Dress. You rock Becca! This really made our day. When your travels take you to the Lake Tahoe area, be sure and say hi to the crew…
Hopefully you’ve all received your Spring 2007 catalog by now. I believe it’s one of our finest catalogs to date, thanks in part to Glen Denny and his stunning black and white photos from the 1960’s. Check out a slideshow of Glen’s photos from his new book Yosemite in the Sixties (or limited edition) and…
While parts of the West have been enjoying some of the best snow in decades, Winter ’06-’07 in the Sierra has been among the worst many can remember. Recent storms close to our Patagonia Distribution Center here in Reno have been a balm to our wounded winter spirits, but we’re still a far cry from…
Steve House just contacted us from Iceland. He wanted to share his opinion regarding the future of the Piolet d’Or and how it might better reflect the values of hard alpinism. Marko Prezelj initiated this discussion by declining to accept the award at this year’s ceremony. Those in the know can skip straight to Steve’s…
This past Monday evening surfing great Shaun Tomson gave a slideshow presentation to a packed house at our Ventura retail store, Great Pacific Iron Works. Brett from the GPIW staff sent over some pictures from the event and a short writeup (more photos after the jump). Patagonia once again outdoes itself by bringing in a…
Joern Zeller of Patagonia’s Pro Sales Dept. in Europe shows off a true French ski bum during arecent visit to the High Sierra. Joern’s part of a unique international community of skiers who call themselves Telemarkzone. They’ve made it their mission to travel the globe demonstrating skiing as one of the most natural ways to…
I love sport. I love to sweat. I am addicted to endorphins. And the easiest way to get my fix is to run. I heard once that it takes 30 days to form a habit. So finally after all of my bemoaning I have got myself a running habit. It works out well, all you…
You don’t hear those terms used together very often, if ever. But when former Patagonia sales rep turned filmmaker, Hansi Johnson, got the call to produce a video for the band Low, he drew on two of his passions to make a very strong point about the state of the environment. Hansi decided to focus…
April 1996: We had a hundred acres to plant – Ponderosa Pine, Doug Fir, and Blue Spruce – but the nursery kept claiming that the seedlings were buried underneath persistent snow. I was cooling my heels in LaGrande, Oregon, waiting for the work to begin when the call came. It was Joe Josephson, inviting me…
by Jeff Johnson Editor's note: We're stoked to introduce a new feature on The Cleanest Line from Bend to Baja author/photographer Jeff Johnson. Jeff's work has appeared in The Surfer’s Journal, Surfer’s Path, Alpinist, Surfing, Surfer and the Patagonia catalog. When we don't have him chained to a desk at Pat. HQ in Ventura, Jeff…
You’re truly committed once you buy the plane ticket. And Friday (5/18) I bought my ticket for this summer’s expedition to K6 in north-eastern Pakistan and my mental state instantly changed. Commitment always precipitates realizations. I have a lot of things I want to do before I go; not the least of which is to…
After foraging through several hundred grant proposals, including some stunning 3D applications, we’re ready to announce the winners of this year’s Dirtbag Grant. There are two winners. Each will receive $3,000 to use towards their trip. The first Dirtbag Grant goes to a team of women from the southeast, Rachel Babkirk and Lucia Robinson, who…
Ventura, California Departure: June 8, 2007 Let me introduce myself. My name is Jeff though sometimes people call me Tofu. Yes, I am employed by Patagonia. I work as a photographer, writer, and assist in the testing and production of Patagonia products. I am hitting the road in my van for an undetermined amount of time, simply to…
A few months back we posted an update from Mary Osborne on her involvement with Robert August’s Free Wheelchair Mission down in Costa Rica. Mary put together a short video of her trip to Central America, including some sweet footage of her surfing and some pics from her time volunteering at the wheelchair event. [Music…
Visit Patagonia.com for more on Brittany Griffith and to read Jonathan Thesenga's field report about climbing in Stolby.
Jan Ullrich has earned an easy retirement. After winning the ’97 Tour de France at age 23 he became a German national-hero. For the next five years he battled Lance Armstrong earning a record five second-place finishes, too bad for him but it sure made for great racing. This year it was revealed that DNA…
The other day while wandering around Camp 4 in Yosemite I ran into Patagonia ambassador Timmy O’Neill. He was hanging around the SARS site with his brother Sean and some guy named Aron. Timmy asked me if I wanted to climb the Manure Pile with him and Aron. “Sure,” I said. Walking to the parking…
Talk all you want about so-called “advancements in fly fishing” — ozone hole-depleting fluorocarbon leaders, boron rods with price tags equivalent to your monthly mortgage, and now waders with front zippers so you can relieve yourself while never having to vacate your coveted spot on the river… Forget the fancy gear! What you really need…
Editor’s note: We’re honored to bring Patagonia ambassador Lynn Hill on-board as a contributor to The Cleanest Line. Lynn is no stranger to blogging. For a glimpse into the past 2+ years of her life jump on over to Lynn Hill Blogs. I was a bit surprised to read the following article about osteoarthritis in…
After speaking with my friends, Mike Lechlinski and Mari Gingery about their experiences in Yosemite and climbing on El Capitan this summer, I learned that many climbers are not doing their part in keeping the big walls clean. Apparently many people “accidentally” or even intentionally drop their garbage and poop off El Capitan and don’t…
The elusive Corbina are running close to shore this time of the year near Ventura and a few of us are surfcasting countless times trying, hoping, and wishing to land this ghost of the ocean. Yesterday, Mark, one of our buyers at Patagonia and good friend, was on a mission to catch a Bean near…
by Jeff Johnson Sometimes you forget about your own backyard. While passing through Ventura the other day I had heard about a building south swell. So I hooked up with Patagonia Surf ambassadors Mary Osborne and Chris Malloy and headed south. We ended up posting up all afternoon at a spot north of Malibu. The…
Despite intermittent rain, the bouldering excursion to Redcliff was fun and well worth the trip. This collection of boulders is located about twenty-minutes west of Vail in a fairy-tale like setting amongst pine and aspen trees. I went with my friend, Jay Droeger, and his Hungarian friend, Lorent. About ten years ago, Jay discovered this…
On June 15th, we announced the winners of this year’s two Dirtbag Grants. One went to Rachel Babkirk and Lucia Robinson, for their "Down for the Down and Out" trip to climb, camp and collect used gear to distribute to the homeless. The second award went to Australian Simon Clissold, "an overqualified dirtbag" and slow-living…
I received this voicemail late Thursday night from Steve House. The call came via sat phone from basecamp in Pakistan where Steve, Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj are in the first stages of attempting to climb K6. In this first update, you can listen to Steve talk about traveling in Pakistan, the weather situation so…
Global warming may be a mainstream issue now, but it’s far from being cut and dry. Some people think it’s a myth (read the comments), some think it’s the end of the world and the rest see it as something in between. The scope and complexity of the problem naturally raises more questions than answers.…
I’ve changed the title of this series because in this week’s sat phone update Steve House clarifies that he, Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj are actually gunning for new routes on both K6 & K7. Steve also talks about finishing up the acclimatization process, the two new routes they’ve climbed already, and surprisingly he brings…
Patagonia wordsmith and former ultrarunner, Craig Holloway recently interviewed Patagonia ambassador, Krissy Moehl about her win at this year’s Hardrock 100 in Silverton, Colorado. Krissy is considered one of the top female ultramarathon runners in the country. Craig: Congratulations on setting the women’s course record (29:24) at the 2007 Hardrock 100. You were the first…
The last few days with my Italian friends have been fun! Yesterday I drove them to the airport and they are probably about to land on their home turf as I write these words. One lives in Rome where I lived for a year and a half, and the other lives in Arco, the historic…
Steve House called again last night from the Charakusa Valley in Pakistan. As you know, he, Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj have been acclimatizing for first ascents of the west faces of both K6 and K7. It was mostly high-fives and happy times until this report came in. Mother Nature brought some intense weather to…
In this report from the Charakusa Valley, Steve House gives us an excellent description of K7’s features and explains how the team must find a way through the granite buttresses surrounding the base in order to get up on the mountain. Steve also talks about a special lunch they shared with the Colorado and Quebec…
While the rest of us were barbequing, sitting in traffic or off on an adventure of our own, Steve House, Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj successfully climbed the west summit of K7. Check out Steve’s short update from this morning and stay tuned for a more detailed account of the climb coming soon. Listen to…
If you followed the link we posted recently for more information on Steve House’s climbing trip, you might have noticed some changes over at Alpinist Magazine’s Web site, www.alpinist.com. The current issue of the magazine, Alpinist 21, has been redesigned and is printed on 100% recycled paper through an Earth Ink partnership with Patagonia –…
If you’ve been following the sat phone updates from Steve House here on The Cleanest Line you know that he, Vince Anderson and Marko Prezelj recently summited the previously unclimbed West Peak of K7 in Pakistan’s Charakusa Valley. Today we present a complete recap of the climb as told by Steve House. It’s tales like…
As reported on Climbing Magazine's site, Coloradans Jonathan Copp and Micah Dash recently made the first ascent of Shafat Fortress in pure alpine style. Located in Kashmir, India, Shafat Fortress stands 19,200-feet tall; the team's line has been dubbed The Colorado Route (VI, 5.11, M6, A1). Full details of the trip have been scarce since…
As promised, Steve House called in again with a quick update from the Charakusa Valley in Pakistan. It sounds like the weather has been bad enough to put the kibosh on K6 West. On the upside, the team is hoping to get out for a Sierra-style rock climb that Steve describes in this update. Listen…
Today we have a double-shot from Steve House. Apologies for not posting Update 9 sooner. In it Steve share’s Marko’s assessment of the weather, and he describes the Sierra-style climb that was mentioned in the last update, including the surprise they found at the top of it. Listen to Steve House Update 9 (mp3) Then,…
Steve House took the time to make one last call amidst the hustle and bustle of packing up base camp and organizing 30 porters. It’s a little rough around the edges but the sentiment is appreciated. Listen to Steve House Update 11 (mp3) Thanks again to Steve for taking us along for the ride. Previous…
The first snows of the season are forecast for Tahoe! Of course it’s a bit early to think about skiing . . . eh, nevermind. No it’s not. For those of us with snow on the brain, this weekend’s forecast coincides beautifully with Karhu’s launch of their new blog, Where Will You Ski Today? Karhu’s…
Many climbers are familiar with the convenient, high-quality granite available at California’s Donner Summit. Those who have made the trip are no doubt familiar with the sight of The Summit’s Rainbow Bridge, built in 1926. Many come simply for the view available from the bridge’s road-side vista pull out. Those who frequent Donner Summit for…
Steve House is home from Pakistan now, but before getting on his flight in Islamabad he made one last call to close out his trip and introduce us to a special guest. In this last update we get to hear from Mr. Saad Tariq Siddiqi, the Honorable Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. You’ll…
Not too long ago we told you about this year's Dirtbag Grant winners, the second recipients of the award. But who were the first? Today we're happy to share the story of the first Dirtbag Grantees, Vermont residents Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson, and their trip to "Endangered Patagonia." Here's a recap from Brian and…
By Gerry Lopez Inspired by his good friend Don King – who is making a documentary about his son who has autism – Patagonia ambassador Gerry Lopez recently participated in the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance (SEA) Paddle NYC White Water fundraiser to raise money and awareness for autism. The event consisted of the first-ever 28-mile surf…
Editor’s note: Welcome to The Cleanest Lynn. Besides being one of the most accomplished climbers on the planet Lynn Hill is also one heck of a blogger. So we’ve handed over the keys to Lynn for a week’s worth of her insight. Enjoy. Many people ask me how I train for climbing. My first answer…
My last post addressed the mental aspect of endurance training. The following post will address the basics elements of the physical side of endurance training. Free climbing involves a combination of both power and endurance. Some people are better suited to one type of climbing or the other. I like all types of climbing but…
The other day while having coffee at Vics, the neighborhood café, a few people came up to me and said they liked the cover shot of Outside Magazine this month. This month’s gate-cover photo shows Lance Armstrong, Ben Harper, Amanda Beard, and Kelly Slater on the front page, and on the foldout page you see…
The Petzl RocTrip event in the Red River Gorge this past weekend was certainly “eventful”. This year Petzl joined forces with the RRGCC (Red River Gorge Climbers Coalition) annual fundraiser called, Roctober Fest to help raise money to buy a large section of cliffs in the Red River Gorge area. With contributions from Petzl, generous…
Over the last several years, many forms of yoga and eastern practices have been adopted into our culture. There is much more awareness about the benefits of meditation, maintaining good posture, and conscious breathing in our practice. Breathing is one of the few bodily functions that can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously. Conscious attention…
Overuse injuries in climbing are prevalent these days, especially for ambitious newcomers and people who simply have a hard time listening to their bodies. I know that most athletes are aware of the basic principles of preventative medicine but sometimes we tend to disregard them at the most crucial times. The following post is mostly…
I’ve found that the process of setting goals and the accompanying list of tasks “to do” in order to accomplish the goal, is essential in reinforcing my intents and purposes. Virtually every motivation guidebook includes at least one chapter about the proper organization of one’s tasks and goals. It is usually suggested that it is…
I was recently asked a series of questions on the topic of motivation. There are many ways to interpret the word, but by any definition, I don’t think I lack it. What I lack most of all is time. I often have obligations that get in the way of being able to get out to…
This story comes from Shawn Kelly, a friend of Patagonia who works for the California Coastal Conservancy’s Wetlands Recovery Project. He is a husband, father of two boys and an avid fly-fisherman. The Escape The van climbs through the warm night, away from the sun-baked, Central Valley leaving behind the traffic, the strip malls, and…
The fall begins to bring grey weather, and we endorphin junkies and fresh-air addicts begin to get itchy. Trapped indoors as the rock gets desperately cold on the finger tips, the sun begins to hibernate, and there is not enough snow to strap toys to our feet. So we start pulling on plastic or hanging…
I just arrived home from a brief but pleasant trip to Yosemite Valley, where I was invited to give a presentation at the AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) annual meeting. The fall colors were splendid and the climbing temperatures ideal. It was a coming home of sorts, I met up with my old friends, Mari…
Rare to see YC holding a fish out of water for even a second but this 26 pound Zolotaya River chromer required closer inspection. This Russian beauty had been caught on the nearby Rynda two summers ago and blue-tagged to identify it as a product of Rynda waters — proof of salmo salar’s wandering capabilities,…
Continuing with our impromptu theme of employees traversing long distances on foot, today’s post comes from Chuck Journey one of Patagonia’s I.T. wizards in Ventura: Brian looks at me: "You better be ready." He isn’t joking. We are at the Shortcut Saddle Aid Station, mile 59 of the annual Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run,…
The weather in Boulder this fall has been exceptionally warm. I have been enjoying the warm weather to engage in activities such as a small video shoot on a boulder problem in Eldorado Canyon. Normally I don’t allow myself to get sucked into other people’s idea of what they want me to climb for their…
The surf’s up in Ventura today and even though surface conditions were not perfect this morning, there’s definitely a buzz around the office. If you paddle out today, consider taking part in the following survey after your session. Thanks to Patagoniac Chad Nelsen for this submission: Researchers at UCLA are studying 22 surf spots in…
Amidst the hell of war, Fitz Cahall has discovered a story that will warm your heart: There was nothing exceptional about how Ryan Utz and Micah Helser became friends. After nodding at each other in the office hallways for weeks, they happened to discover that they shared an interest in sustainable building. They got to…
Yannick Clévy of our IT dept. at Patagonia Europe’s offices in Annecy, France just wrote in with this report about the early season conditions they’re seeing across the Atlantic. Regular readers might remember Yannick as the French-speaking, cliff-dropping, steeps schralping author of the earlier "dawn patrol" post Climbing Foot with Backbag. If you’re planning a…
Thanksgiving weekend was not a holiday my Canadian family would miss me for. So having grown up skiing in the hills of Northern British Columbia, and currently living in Southern California it was time to find snow! A friend of mine and I planned on Utah – I was told the snow there was like…
The news reports are right, we finally got a good ol’ fashion Sierra-style pounding this past weekend. Local resorts reported storm totals of 3 – 6 feet, depending on elevation and orientation to the storm track. Here at the Reno Distribution Center we saw some impressive winds, and snowfall rates in excess of 3 inches…
When Dan Malloy came back from Liberia surfers around the office were asking him how the trip was, anxiously hoping to hear about perfect waves. Dan, humble as ever, spoke well of the trip and the waves but you could hear in his voice and see in his eyes that it wasn’t a typical surf…
Ah, spring is in the air . . . images of butterflies, sunshine-soaked afternoons, lambs, and flip-flops dance in the head; perhaps lambs in flip-flops for some. What better time to check out the new swimsuits, boardies, and summer gear at www.patagonia.com? But wait…it’s still cold in a lot of places, including right here at…
I think that Christmas changes lots over time. From the days as a little kid, opening each door of an advent calendar, and leaving chocolate chip cookies (which my mom definitely ate!!) and carrots for Santa and his reindeer to keep him going to each good little boy’s and girl’s house delivering treats, writing Christmas…
On November 10, 2007, Devon Howard and the Patagonia Cardiff staff hosted a very special event at the shop. Here’s Devon to tell you more: Storytelling in any form has always fascinated me. Whether penning a tale, shooting photos, helping make a surf film or just leafing through a good read, I always become completely…
They say it’s bad to surf after a rain. I disagree. I have empirical evidence that shows they are wrong. I don’t get sick. Never have. And I used to live in Venice Beach. They never reported the water quality at my local break better than a D+. I saw it as a challenge. It…
What goes around, comes around. We had it pretty good with the snow here in the Sierra for the month of January. We were feeling our oats and, well, I guess I did a little bragging about it. I sent teasing pictures and links to blog posts to despondent friends who were bemoaning their lack…
Be sure and check out Part 1 if you missed it and keep an eye on the men’s and women’s surf pages at Patagonia.com,or here at The Cleanest Line, for Part 3 coming soon. Also, stay tuned for details on Gerry’s newbook Surf is Where You Find It. If you like surfing and an intimate…
"The odds on very difficult alpine climbs are not in your favor. So there's no excuse to show up unprepared, to show up out of shape." Climber, writer and Patagonia product tester Kelly Cordes takes us through his training strategy for alpine climbing and reflects on disaster style alpinism. If you enjoyed this video, consider…
India was a place I always told myself I wanted to go, but year after year it got pushed around, forced to the back burner by the priorities of life. When my girlfriend came to me and said, I want to study Yoga in Mysore I knew this was our chance. Within days we walked…
