Osprey is a proud corporate sponsor of the American Alpine Club. Our packs have seen the summits of the world’s great mountains on the back of great mountaineers who write for, are sponsored by or are members of the American Alpine Club. It’s an indispensable resource for those who love to climb. —Gareth Martins, Osprey Packs marketing director

Please join the American Alpine Club (AAC) in celebrating the Hueco Rock Ranch purchase—the latest in a flurry of big pushes that America’s climbing club is making to help us all get out and up.

Earlier this month, the American Alpine Club bought the Ranch on behalf of climbers everywhere. For more than a decade, the Ranch has been the international gathering place for visitors to America’s best bouldering area, Hueco Tanks.

We at the AAC are beyond psyched to play a role in the history of this center of camping and guiding by becoming the steward of this lodging landmark. Our on-site presence will provide a comfortable camping scene just outside the park gates, while strengthening the relationship with the State Park to create the best possible future for climbers and climbing at Hueco Tanks.

We’re also devoting more than $15,000 this year to renovate the Hueco Rock Ranch before opening for the 2012–2013 winter season. But we need your help TODAY!

It is AAC member dues that have made this purchase possible, and only support from more AAC members will continue to sustain this important gathering place. Please consider joining or renewing your membership in the American Alpine Club to make the future for the Hueco Rock Ranch even more legendary.

For today only, the AAC is launching an unprecedented all-hands-on-deck recruitment that is aimed at celebrating these big advances… and sharing them by signing up new climbers as AAC members everywhere. Already a member? Renew your membership today. By supporting AAC, you’re not only doing something good (and that will make you feel good), but you’ll also get access to dozens of benefits and you’ll score the raddest, baddest Rock Ranch t-shirt this side of the Alamo. This limited-edition t-shirt can be snagged only by joining or renewing today, July 26. So, hop to it!

Join here.

PHOTO: American Alpine Club

Conservation, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, causes advocacy, american alpine club, bouldering, Climbing, Conservation, fundraising, Hueco Tanks, membership

When I woke up at 2 a.m., I decided I could afford another hour of snoozing. After all, my gear was packed for the upcoming day, so I figured I could spare another hour…

When I finally rolled out of bed, my first order of buisness was to pack the car, then get gas from the station across from my apartment. Sounds easy enough, but at 3:30am the gas attendant was in a deep sleep, so my brother Andy decided to honk the horn a couple of times. Poor guy launched up and out of his deep sleep, only for Andy to then decide we could drive on empty until we got across the border.

Three hours later we made our first point of Marblemount, and from there it was another hour on the Cascade River road to the start of the trip. Finally at the trailhead, we made a quick gear sort, and by 9 a.m., we were packed and ready to go.

A couple hours of walking on the fireroad brought us to snowline, then 1.5 hours of bushwacking had us back into skinning mode on the glacier. What’s a good summer ski trip without bushwacking right?

Read more…

Osprey Athletes, Outdoor Activities, adventure, travel backcountry, Mt. Sahale, North Cascades, ski, summer, Traslin Brothers

Nothing beats rising early, crunching along the trail, watching the sky get ligher with every step… and gazing at the stars atop a mountain is pretty fabulous as well. Jody Grigg posted this great shot on our Facebook wall earlier this week with the following caption:

Today’s office location took a little getting too… a wake up call of 1:20am on the trail by 1:40am, 5 miles of hiking with over 3,800ft+ of vertical gain, and after 2hr 45mins I had arrived. Nothing spectacular about the sunrise this morning not a cloud in the sky but watching the stars was pretty amazing from 13,281ft from the summit of Mount Lady Washington. Here’s a self portrait sporting my Osprey Pack Talon 44 about an hour after sunrise with Longs Peak 14,255ft as a backdrop.

Here’s to another day at the office. Happy Friday!

Friday Round-up, Outdoor Activities Colorado, hiking, Rocky Mountain National Park

Osprey is proud partner up with Floyd Fest for the first time this year. Floyd Fest is a world music and arts festival that rocks the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia each year, featuring an all-star line-up, including a few of our favorites like, Alison Krauss, Michael Franti, Jackson Browne, MarchFourth Marching Band and many more.

We’ll be on-hand to celebrate with festival goers, give away great gear and play games to support a great cause! Swing by the Osprey booth, say hello and check out some of the great things we’ll have rocking…

• Osprey Pack sales with everything priced at 20% off regular retail price in celebration of Floyd Fest
• Free expert advice, professional pack sizings and fittings all day, everyday
• Full display of all new 2012 Osprey gear
• Daily Osprey Pack giveaways
• Osprey is teaming up with Klean Kanteen for a game of Water Pong with all proceeds benefitting American Rivers

Music Festivals, Outdoor Activities, causes Alison Krauss, american rivers, festival, Floyd Fest, Jackson Browne, Michael Franti, music

We’re proud to support the incredible work of Shannon Galpin and Mountain2Mountain. After four years of working in Afghanistan, Mountain2Mountain will bring it all home—launching it first domestic program, ‘Strength in Numbers’, in the United States, targeting young women at-risk, female military veterans and violence survivors. Utilizing the bike as a vehicle for social justice, beyond traditional bike donations, instead considering mountain biking as a seed for cultural exchange and self-determination abroad and at home.

Read the rest on the Osprey Bike blog…

Bike, Osprey Culture, causes Colorado, education, mountain2mountain, shannon galpin, social justice, women

We love this shot from Zarautz, Pais Vasco, Spain that Facebook user Lo Wren posted on our wall this week. Sun, wide open space and wandering on your own two feet. It just doesn’t get much better than that. Happy Friday!

Friday Round-up, travel hiking, photo, spain, summer, travel

SKIING GRAND TETON

On Saturday, June 16, three of our Backcountry.com team members—Andrew McLean, Chris Davenport, and myself—climbed up the Stettner/Chevy/Ford route of the Grand Teton and skied the East face for a film project with Brainfarm Cinema and The One Eyed Bird.

We each had skied the Grand before, so for this particular adventure the route was familiar ground and we could focus on the film project objectives. The weather was perfect and the conditions were excellent. With a helicopter circling above, we headed up the ice-filled couloir link-up with camera equipment and ropes dangling around us. With the additions of Camp4Collective film pros, Renan Ozturk and Jimmy Chin, and JHMG support from Brian Warren and Chris Figenshau, our team of seven moved up the climb smoothly and carefully.

Reaching the summit before midday, our crew had some time to enjoy the spectacular views and relax in the comradery that comes with sharing time in the mountains. Then, one by one, Andrew, Chris and I each dropped in from the summit block for some June corn snow down the steep, convex ramp of the 13,776ft peak. That afternoon, with the entire team safely down in the Lupine Meadows parking lot, we toasted Coronas, radiating content from a good day in the Tetons. Read more…

Osprey Athletes, Outdoor Activities Alaska, Grand Teton, skiing, summer skiing, tetons, Tordrillos, Wyoming