Welcome to the team week.... Matt Gerdes

This week were introducing 5 new athletes to our Pro Partner Team. First off we'd like to welcome Matt Gerdes. 

American born, Matt has completed 20 seasons of full time backcountry skiing, with the past 12 of them in the European Alps. He has nabbed first descents and classic lines in the Alps, Caucasus, Baffin Island, and Alaska. Although not highly competitive by nature, Matt claims to be the undisputed world champion of “Having fun in the mountains” since 1980.

Matt on the Aiguilles Rouge, Chamonix Photo Adam Gorrill

In addition to freeride skiing, Matt is an accomplished speed flyer, speed-wing test pilot, and ski-BASE jumper. He is also widely recognized as one of the world’s leading wingsuit BASE jumpers and is the author of The Great Book of BASE. Matt’s life as a freerider has taken him all over the world but he feels most at home in the Alps, where there is an unparalleled amount of easily-accessed high quality big-mountain terrain. He also loves puppies, long walks on the beach, and is a beginning big wall climber.

Heres one of Matt's breath taking videos from a recent BASE trip to China

 

You can check out more about Matt and keep up to date with all his latest exploits at his website here  www.matttg.com

Dave MacLeod: Sunday Mail

Just had this scan in from Dave of a great article from the Sunday Mail newspaper based around the BBC's First Great Climb documentary which aired a few weeks ago.

Click image to enlarge   

Jens: Patagonia Update

I recieved this email in from Jens in the early hours of this morning with a quick update of what he's been up to down in Patagonia.

 

"Hope life is well in the UK...just firing you a quick note to let you know that I am here in Patagonia with all the right kit thanks to you and the great folks at ME! So far the weather has been challenging, which has not allowed us to try our main objectives, but never the less we have been giving it our best.

Joel Kauffman and I tried a new route on Pier Giorgio, a large formation that has only seen a few ascents. Rapidly warming temps difficult conditions made for a dangerous outing and we left the route before even really getting started...we were bummed out to say the least, but managed to make due with a repeat of a nice classic route on a beautiful, but smaller formation called Aguja Guillomet. Most importantly, we stayed alive!

Tomorrow we are heading into the Torre Valley to stash the ice gear for the main event. We have about 36 hours of decent weather ahead which we hope to use to get our gear in position. When the real weather window appears we will be ready to strike!

I've attached a photo of a climb up Guillomet to give you an idea of how beautiful the climbing is here! Once again, thanks so much, look for a blog post soon, and take care

Jens"


All Photos: Joel Kauffman collection, check Planet Kauffman in the coming days for more photos and more stories 

Plas y Brenin Kit AW11

Winter is finally in the air here in the UK which means its time for Plas y Brenin Op's manager Rob Spencer to begin the task of distributing this seasons Mountain Equipment kit delivery to centre staff.

Rob taking a look at the New Concordia Jacket

Mountain Equipment have been working with Plas y Brenin - The National Mountain Centre now for the past 8 years and their team of guides and instructors play a vital role in our continous product testing programme putting many Mountain Equipment styles too the test - in all conditions - 365 days a year.

This Winters Pyb kit list includes:

Shell -
Kamkatcha/ Valdez Jacket
Changabang / Ama Dablam Pant

Insulation - 
Citadel Jacket

Softshell - 
Astron Hooded/Astral Hooded Jacket
G2 Ultimate Mountain Pant

Thermal -
Concordia/Hispar Jacket
Micro/Orca Jacket
LS Crux/ LS Divinty T
  

ME Pro partner and Pyb Guide Stu McAleese gets to grips with his kit for the winter season

For more information about Plas y Brenin and the courses they run head to their website here

Nick Bullock: Breaking Out Interview

The January 2012 copy of Climber Magazine has just arrived at ME HQ. Make sure you go out and grab a copy, as it features a great interview with ME Pro partner Nick Bullock (words and photos by Ray Wood).

Photo: Ray Wood

Andy Turner at Manchester Climbing Centre

Andy Turner spent half the day early this week slapping up a vast number of holds onto the bouldering wall at Manchester Climbing Centre.

Andy.....

"The first thing they are going to be used for is some dry-tooling sessions with the boys from Manchester Grammar School. But then I'm hoping to get some hours in on my own tools climbing around in circles and remembering what exactly I'm supposed to do with them. So far I've been lucky enough that winter has not arrived but I think I ought to start putting some tool time in, instead of just training and climbing."

You can check out more details/photos at Andy's blog here

and check out all the latest from the Manchester Climbing Centre here

The Long Hope: Trailer

St John's head on the Island of Hoy is a wild and remote 1150 foot sea cliff. It was first climbed in 1970 by climber and poet Ed Drummond together with Oliver Hill. They took 7 days to climb the cliff, sleeping on ledges and in hammocks along the way. Now, 40 years later, Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner set out to climb the cliff in a single day, finishing with a new desperately hard final pitch up the headwall.

This historic new climb, The Longhope Route Direct (E11), is captured close-up with the latest HD cameras and contrasted with the challenges of Drummond and Hills first ascent through interviews and archive material. The film also follows Drummond, now in his late sixties and suffering from Parkinson's disease, as he makes a pilgrimage back to St John's Head to look upon the route one last time.

The Long Hope is available on DVD or via HD download at the Hot aches website here