Columbia is Looking for New Directors of Toughness

Last year, gear manufacturer Columbia set the Internet ablaze when the went in search of two "Directors of Toughness." The position promised to be adventurous, sending the two people selected off to remote areas to test gear in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. It also offered a base salary of $39,000 plus benefits for nine months of work that involved lots of long days in the field. In exchange, the directors would blog about their experiences, video their adventures, and generally serve as online ambassadors for the Columbia brand. Sound like a dream job? If so, I've got good news for you. Columbia is hiring once again!

If you're interested in potentially becoming a Director of Toughness, you'll first need to register online to take part in a potential interview. Currently interviews are scheduled to take place on Mt. Hood in the state of Oregon, but future sites include somewhere on the East Coast of the U.S., as well as in Canada and the U.K. Exact locations will be announced at a future time. Follow Columbia on Instagram at @Columbia1938 for more details as to when those interviews will take place.

For more information about the Director of Toughness position visit the Application Page here. And to get a sense of what the job is all about, check out the video below.

Seems like a great opportunity for the right person. Good luck to everyone who applies!

Mexican Castaway's Story Supported By Officials Back Home

Yesterday I posted the compelling story of Jose Salvador Alvarenga, the El Salvadorian man who lived in Mexico and claims to have been adrift at sea for more than a year, living off fish, small birds, and turtles, while capturing rainwater to drink. That story was accompanied by a healthy dose of skepticism by many, who said that he looked far too fit and healthy to have spent more than 13 months at sea. Now, there is some evidence being presented from his home country that is helping to corroborate the castaway's story.

Some of the speculation against the story came about not just because of the relative health of Alvarenga, but also because his story continued to change as he told the tale. It was also noted that there wasn't any fishing gear aboard his boat when he washed ashore, calling into question his ability to actually catch fish to eat. But doctors have said after so long at sea, his mind wasn't as focused and sharp as it would normally be, which helped to create the inconsistencies in his story. It is also possible that he lost his fishing gear somewhere along the way due to storms or other circumstances.

Back home, there are now reports surfacing about a small boat that went missing in a storm back in November of 2012, which is about the time that Alvarenga says he set out on his ill-timed fishing trip. His name was mentioned in regards to the incident, although the boat belonged to his boss, who originally alerted authorities.

The storm forced the small 24-foot boat out to sea, where the Pacific currents carried it away from shore. With no navigation equipment onboard, there was no way for him, or his teenage companion, to know how to get back home. The boy that was with him reportedly died a month into the ordeal, leaving Alvarenga to drift more than 6000 miles on his own.

Adding more credence to the story, Alvarenga's family says that they were alerted to the fact that he had gone missing, and they had given him up for dead. They were relieved and overjoyed to see his photos from the Marshall Islands in the newspaper, and are looking forward to a long overdue reunion. Jose hasn't seen his parents in more than eight years.

The castaway is due to be released from the hospital today and will soon make his way back to Mexico, before eventually going home to El Salvador. He is said to be suffering from swollen ankles, but other than that, there is little indication of the long journey across the ocean that he endured. That is leaving some still questioning the story, although there hasn't been any other plausible way to explain him turning up on the far side of the Pacific months after he disappeared.

Colorado Adventures: Fly Fishing in Crested Butte

Earlier in the week I shared a post on my recent trip to Crested Butte, Colorado where I had an amazing time exploring the mountain biking trails there. If you read that piece, you already know that CB is considered one of the birth places of mountain biking, and as such there are plenty of trails to ride. In fact, there are more than 750 miles of trail, spread out over 150 different routes. That's enough to keep even the most dedicated rider busy for awhile.

But, Crested Butte isn't just a great mountain biking destination, as it has a lot to offer other visitors too. For instance, in the winter it has excellent skiing both at the Crested Butte Mountain Resort and backcountry options for the more adventurous. There is also plenty of great snowshoeing and nordic skiing too, if you prefer your winter adventures with a bit less adrenaline-fueled downhill action. During the warmer months, the hiking and trail running routes are spectacular, and the most of the mountain bike trails can be done on horseback too. This being Colorado, there also plenty of options for camping, climbing, and paddling as well, with even some good whitewater to run.

While I didn't have the chance to try each of those activities while I was in town, I did get the chance to do a little fly fishing. And while I'm mostly a beginner at that sport, I found it to be a relaxing, yet still engaging, way to explore the local culture.

For my fly-fishing experience we drove about 20 minutes outside of Crested Butte to reach the Three Rivers Resort, located in the small town of Almont. Three Rivers not only has a some wonderful rooms, cabins, and houses for visitors to rent, it also offers some active day-trips for those looking for some adventure. In addition to guiding rafting and kayaking excursions, travelers can also book stand-up paddleboard sessions, and skiing and snowboarding outings during the winter months. They also have a knowledgable and friendly staff in a well-stocked tackle shop for local and visiting anglers, as well a guide service that can get you out on the water and reeling in fish in no time.


We dropped by one morning to find out what fish were biting (trout and salmon it turns out!) and to hire one of the guides to take us out on the Taylor River. His name was Patrick, and he brought years of experience and excellent knowledge not only about the best places to fish in the area, but the different ways of setting up your pole to try to land a few big ones. As someone who has fly fished before, but is still relatively new to the sport, he proved to be an invaluable asset out on the water.

For those who have never fly fished, there is a bit of skill involved with learning to cast, letting your line drift, setting the hook, and bringing a fish to shore. All that can be picked up fairly quickly however, and after a brief refresher course, I soon found myself casting relatively efficiently. Patrick provided good tips on how and where to cast our lines, and he gave plenty of encouragement as we stood hip-deep in the refreshingly cool river.

It is often said that fly fishing is a bit of a zen-inducing activity, and after spending a couple of hours out on the water, I began to understand why. There is certainly a skill to getting the casting motion down, and the patience required to lure in a fish requires a sense of calm. Add in a dramatically beautiful back drop like the ones found in Gunnison County, and you have all the ingredients for a great day. Standing in the middle of that river, watching salmon swimming upstream around you, while learning to cast efficiently was an amazing experience, and even though we didn't end up landing any fish that day, it was still a terrific way to spend the morning.

That isn't to say we didn't have several bites. On more than one occasion our lures were stuck hard by a salmon or trout, and just like that we found ourselves with fight on our hands. On some occasions, the fish would leap clear out of the water in an effort to free themselves from the line, while others escaped just before we could get them into the net. Considering this was a catch-and-release stream, we didn't end up minding too much, and half the fun was just getting them to strike our lures in the first place.

One sure sign that you're having a great time on any outdoor adventure is when you look at your watch and are shocked to see how much time has passed. That was exactly the case during our fly fishing excursion. Before I knew it, several hours had gone by and it was time to move on to another activity. But, after even that brief time in the water, I think it's safe to say I'm hooked (ha!) and I'm already looking forward to my next opportunity to give it a go again. It will be tough to match the landscape I was immersed in while visiting Crested Butte though, as the surrounding mountains looming overhead were exactly what you'd expect for a fantastic fishing trip.

If you're headed to CB and you're looking to take a break from mountain biking or hiking, or you're simply looking to go fly fishing while you're in the area, the Three Rivers Resort will certainly do a great job of helping you land some fish. Even if you don't hire one of their guides to lead you out on the water, drop by their tackles shop to pick up any items you might need, and get some hints and tips on where to go and what is biting. They'll be more than happy to help you out. Check out the resorts website here.

After my all-too-brief fly-fishing experience, it was time to move on to more mountain biking. Obviously that was not something that I would object to, but the next time I visited Crested Butte, you can bet that fishing will be back on the agenda. If you're headed that direction, it should be on yours too.

Winter Climbs 2016: Playing the Waiting Game on Nanga Parbat

The winter season has arrived in full force on Nanga Parbat, where a handful of teams are still hoping to complete the first winter ascent of that mountain. Unfortunately, their chances don't look good over the next few days, as a massive storm has arrived in the region bringing high winds, extremely cold temperatures, and plenty of snow with it. So for now, the climbers are all stuck in Base Camp, waiting for a weather window open. That isn't expected to happen for another few days at the earliest, but after that another summit push could potentially begin.

Perhaps the biggest news from the mountain is that the Polish Justice For All team has left the Rupal Face and are heading for home. The squad was the first to arrive on Nanga this winter, and had been making steady progress, even reaching as high as 7500 meters (24,606 ft). But upon descending, they team realized that they were running low on essential supplies, and that their time was getting short. With bad weather in the forecast, they knew they wouldn't get another chance, so they elected to leave BC last week.

The Rupal Face hasn't been completely abandoned however, as just as the Poles were departing, another climber arrived. Brazil-born, U.S. citizen Cleo Weidlich reached Base Camp late last week, bringing three Nepali Sherpas along with her. She's hoping to become the first to stand on the summit of Nanga Parbat in winter, but will be doing so in a light and fast fashion. Reportedly, she acclimatized in Nepal before heading to Pakistan, but her late arrival puts the potential for success in question.

Over on the Kinshofer Route, two strong teams have now officially joined forces. A five-person group consisting of Alex Txikon, Daniele Nardi, Ali Sadpara, Simone Moro, and Tamara Lunger are cooperating with one another in an attempt to reach the top. For now though, they are all huddled together in BC, waiting for the weather to clear. Alex, Daniele, and Ali are acclimated and ready to go, although Simone and Tamara may need a bit more time at altitude before they are ready.

For now, each of the teams is sitting, waiting, and watching the weather. The forecasts calls for conditions to remain mostly unchanged until the weekend, but after that things are a bit murky. As you can imagine, conditions have to be right to climb Nanga Parbat during the summer, let alone the harsh winter season. And as of right now, it looks like the first winter ascent is as far off as it has ever been.

Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet Cancels Everest Speed Attempt

One of the current Himalayan expeditions that we've been watching closely has come to an end before it ever even had a chance to really get started. It was announced earlier today that Spanish ultrarunner Kilian Jornet has pulled the plug on his attempt at a speed record on Everest due to poor weather on the North Side of the mountain.

In a quote that was sent out via a press release a few hours ago, Jornet says “During the first few weeks we were acclimatising well and the conditions were good. However, when we were getting ready to prepare the attempt the weather began to change. There were some heavy snow storms and a large accumulation of snow. As a result, although we were in good physical shape, there was a high risk of avalanches and in the absence of good safety conditions it was impossible to climb.”

Apparently, the expedition was actually nearing its conclusion when the decision was made to go home instead. There hasn't been a lot of news from Kilian or his team, but it seems acclimatization was going very well, and he was extremely happy with his progress. Unfortunately, heavy snow has been falling on the mountain over the past couple of weeks, and that was making the route much more dangerous. So much so that they made the wise choice of cancelling the summit attempt and going home instead.

Kilian says that he has learned a lot from the experience and will now return to Spain where he'll evaluate how this expedition went, and decide from there how to proceed. He has already indicated that next time around he'll do a few things differently both in preparation and acclimatization once on the mountain. He had spent three weeks training at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) which will give him a better understanding of the Everest environment the next time around.

Honestly, an attempt in the spring would probably provide more stable weather conditions, but Kilian would then have to contend with a lot more people on the mountain. For most of the time that he was there, he had Base Camp all to himself. We do know that Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is also there for a solo bid on the mountain, but he didn't arrive until last week. It is unclear whether or not the heavy snow will impact his attempt to summit Everest, which will be his sixth time trying to accomplish that feat.

For now, we'll have to wait to see how Kilian does on Everest. Remember, he's never climbed an 8000 meter peak before. Hopefully he'll get another crack at it in the future. It will be interesting to see what an athlete of his caliber can accomplish there.

Casting Call: Adventure Capitalists is Looking For Outdoor Entrepreneurs

Do you have a great idea for a product or business that revolves around the outdoors or adventure travel? Are you looking for funding to get that idea off the ground? If so, the Adventure Capitalists want to hear from you. 

If you're not familiar with Adventure Capitalists, it is a television show on CNBC that features three hosts – Jeremy Bloom, Craig Cooper, and Dhani Jones – who also happen to be businessmen who are looking to invest in great ideas that revolve around the outdoors. They bring on potential partners to pitch them on their idea, and if they like what they hear they just might buy in and help get the project funded. The format is similar to ABC's Shark Tank, which has been a popular show for a number of years now. 

As Adventure Capitalists gears up for a new season, the producers have put out a casting call for new guests to have on the show. The team is looking for outdoor entrepreneurs who are looking for investors to help them take their products from a simple idea to reality. If that sounds like you, you can apply to be on the program by clicking here.  (Before applying, you may want to first check out the list of eligibility requirements as well. Those include being over 18 years of age, and a citizen of the U.S. or hold a visa to work within that country)

If you haven't seen the show before, it really is quite interesting. Some of the products that are pitched to the hosts are quite remarkable, while others are bit silly. It is fun to see what kind of ideas are floating around out there, and you might even recognize some of the people who are sharing their ideas. For instance, on one episode the founders of SlingFin tents appeared looking for funding on some new projects that they are working on. 

This is a legitimate opportunity to turn your great idea into a legitimate product. If you think you have what it takes, head on over to the Adventure Capitalists website now and apply for your chance to be on the show. Good luck! 

Video: High Spirits in Nepal - Climbing Lunag Ri with David Lama and Conrad Anker

This past November, David Lama and Conrad Anker – two of the top mountaineers in the world – traveled to Nepal to attempt the first ascent of Lunag Ri, a 6907 meter (22,660 ft) peak found on the border with Tibet. The duo put in a valiant attempt, becoming the first climbers to reach the mountain's headwall, but ultimately they were turned back by high winds and freezing cold temperatures.

In this video, we get a look at that expedition, and what it was like to attempt this big mountain. You'll see two of the best climbers in the world plying their skills on a formidable Himalayan peak, and while they were thwarted this time out, Lama says they already have plans to return and give it another go. Looking at this beautiful and eye-opening video, you can understand why they are inspired by this challenge.