“In an epic snow year, five friends leave their daily lives behind to hike California’s historic John Muir Trail, a 211-mile stretch from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the contiguous U.S.). Their goal — complete the journey in 25 days while capturing the amazing sights & sounds they encounter along the way. Inspired by their bond, humor, artistry & dedication, the group continues to grow: to include other artists, musicians & adventure seekers. Before they all reach the summit, hikers and viewers alike affirm the old adage — it’s about the journey, not the destination. Mile… Mile & A Half is the feature-length documentary of that journey…”

Can’t wait to see Mile, Mile & a Half? We’re with you. And you’re in luck; the MMAAH crew is arranging screenings of the film in select locations around the country. Check out the list below and follow the links for ticket purchasing.

June 14th / 6pm / Emeryville, CA / ClifBar HQ
Opus Orange performing an acoustic set
Buy tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/381524

June 15th / 1pm / Sacramento, CA / The Guild Theater
Opus Orange performing an acoustic set
Buy Tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/374729

June 26th / 7pm / Santa Fe, NM / The Screen (JUST ADDED)
Tickets Will Be Available Here: http://thescreensf.com/

June 27th / 7pm / Durango, CO / The Gaslight Theater
Osprey Giveaways
Buy Tickets here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/392378

June 29th/7pm/ Washington D.C./ Greenberg Theater, American University in Washington D.C.
Buy Tickets here: http://american.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=583477

July 18/7:30pm/DeLand, FL/The Athens Theater

Buy Tickets here: https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=6bef24530cd077ff08ee04aa7ed35621

August 1/6:15pm/Seatlle, WA/The Mountaineers Program Center

Buy Tickets Here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/403822

August 9/6:30pm/West LA/Adventure 16
Buy Tickets Here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/402961

August 23/6:30pm/San Diego/Adventure 16
Buy Tickets Here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/402968

September 6/8:30pm/Cascade Locks/Pacific Crest Trail Days
Event Details Here: http://www.pcta.org/about-us/events/pct-days/

Check The Muir Project Event site for additional event info and details.

Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, adventure, film festivals, video film, hike, John Muir, Mile Mile and a Half, PCT, The Muir Project

The Mountain Games will be returning to Vail, Colorado this weekend from June 6th through June 9th, 2013, when professional and amateur athletes from around the world will come to Vail to participate in the nation’s largest celebration of adventure sports, art and music. The athletes will compete in nine sports events and 25 disciplines for more than $100,000 in prize money.

There will be sporting events ranging from various kayak competitions, rafting, mountain, road and slopestyle biking, world cup bouldering, fly fishing, stand-up paddling, slack lining, trail, mud and long distance running. If that isn’t enough to choose from, there will also be a big air competition for canines, as they compete for the longest measured distance into the pool.

While you’re there, don’t forget to check out Gear Town, where Osprey will be posted up with incredible 20 percent off sales in celebration of the Go Pro Mountain games! The packs will range from technical daypacks, to our revamped hydration line and stylish line of active everyday packs to fit your specific pack needs. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at the Gear Town location then head over to our retailer store, Ptarmigan Sports, located in Edwards to receive the same killer deal on our larger pack line.

Visit the Osprey booth at the Bouldering World Cup to check out all that is new for 2013, score some free daily giveaways and cheer on your favorite athlete with the Osprey crew! Speaking of giveaways, Osprey has teamed up with Ruffwear and will be doing a Day Pack for You and Your K-9 Companion! Come by either the Osprey or Ruffwear booth to enter.

On Saturday, Osprey will also have an in-booth poster signing session with Osprey athlete and Pro Mountain Biker Macky Franklin from 4-5 PM in the Gear Town booth location.

So whether you’re competing, spectating or dancing to the live music, be sure to stop by our booth to check out the various sales and giveaways going on all weekend!

Events, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, Product, Southwest Colorado, adventure, video art, deals, festival, games, GoPro, Macky Franklin, Mountain Games, music, Packs

Today marks the online release of a film that showcases an incredible story of courage, passion and action for change. Produced by RED REEL and very well-received at its world premiere at Mountainfilm, the fourth MoveShake series presents ‘Gregg Treinish, A MoveShake Story’, which takes us on Gregg’s journey as the founder of the non-profit Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation (ASC).

At its core, ASC bases everything on the natural connection between adventure and science. It operates by asking adventure athletes who are traveling the globe to collect scientific data, which is then collected and presented to researchers. In essence, ASC uses the adventurer as the middle man, who willingly performs the task of, as ASC puts it on their website, “getting expensive, time consuming, and difficult to reach information from the remote corners of the globe.”

As this MoveShake film so readily presents, Gregg has dedicated himself to this organization that’s experiencing rapid growth and support. But the film delves deeper, revealing “the reality of day to day life.” From the Vimeo film description:

“In this story we hear how Gregg struggles to balance the responsibility he feels toward the environment with the relationship he holds dear. We’ll follow Gregg during one difficult expedition where he realizes that relationships are what give us the courage to make change in the first place.”

Want to support ASC? The organization is currently raising money to support adventure science expeditions for young students. Donate to the cause and contribute to the experience of a lifetime for some seriously lucky kids.

Conservation, Osprey Athletes, Osprey Culture, adventure, causes, film festivals, video adventure, Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, Alexandria Bombach, athletes, cause, donate, Gregg Treinish, mountainfilm, MoveShake, organization, Red Reel

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: We first met Allie Bombach when she came to intern with Osprey several years ago and we’ve watched her explode into one hell of a filmmaker. It’s only fitting then that we share Allie’s words on what will be the 35th Anniversary of the incredible Mountainfilm Festival, coming up this Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27, 2013). Here’s what Allie, rockstar filmmaker of Red Reel and the MoveShake series has to say about her time at MountainFilm past and how it’s inspired her to become who she is today.

I went to my first Mountainfilm in 2009. It was during a time where I was uncertain where to go with filmmaking. I had just sold most of my belongings and I was preparing to set out on the road to film my first documentary – 23 feet. It was at a time where I was overwhelmed and discouraged if I could even make a film. I needed support, a community, and MountainFilm gave me that and so much more.

I hitched a ride from Santa Fe, slept on a friend’s floor in town, and out of sheer luck of being in the right place at the right time I was given a pass by a kind Mountainfilm staff member. I was elated, and I spent the entire festival not missing a beat. I listened and absorbed every moment that I could.

I was so inspired by the films I saw and even more so by the discussions afterwards. Being able to meet the filmmakers that still are my mentors today was a life changing experience. They helped me believe in myself and encouraged me to push forward with filmmaking.

After that festival, I knew exactly where I wanted to be every Memorial Day weekend to come. I made it my goal to one day have a film in the festival. I thought maybe ten years down the line I could be a part of it, I had no idea it would be the next year.

The week I spend in Telluride for Mountainfilm is the wind in my sails for the rest of the year. Living on the road, I am constantly moving and trying to keep connected to a borderless community through the virtual world of social media. But, nothing compares to being face-to-face with the community that inspires me to live this life. The conversations had at Mountainfilm inspire new projects, create wonderful collaborations, and fuel the drive that it takes to make these films a reality. It’s such a gift, one I look forward to every spring and I’m so thankful for it.

Looking back, I think who I am and what I am striving to create would be entirely different if I hadn’t gone to Mountainfilm. That sounds cheesy – but, it’s the truth.

Happy 35th Mountainfilm! Thank you so much for the inspiration and community you bring into my life.

Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, adventure, film festivals, travel, video Allie Bombach, community, films, inspiration, Mountainfilm Festival, MoveShake, Red Reel, telluride

Photo: Pete McBride

For more than two decades American Rivers has released its annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers. American Rivers released the 2013 list today, and the river at the top—the most endangered river in the nation—is the mighty Colorado.

As Americans we are lucky to have this river in our proverbial backyard. But our demands on the river’s water now far exceed its supply, leaving the river so over-tapped that it no longer flows to the sea. A century of water management policies and practices promoting wasteful water use have put the river at a critical crossroads.

Take action here.

Read more…

Conservation, Events, Osprey Culture, Outdoor Activities, causes, video action, America's Most Endangered Rivers, american rivers, Colorado, colorado river, environment, fresh water, pete mcbride, water, West

Today, Jailhouse Rock outside of Sonora, California is entering a brand-new era in climbing. But for 20 years, it was nothing more than an open secret with limited access. While climbers like Beth Rodden and Alex Honnold cut their teeth here, access was extremely sensitive because it ran through private property. The landowner was supportive of climbing but equally weary of letting Jailhouse Rock become known. Thanks to the efforts of the Access Fund and local climbers, an easement was negotiated with the landowner — thus opening it up to a whole new world (and era) of climbing.

causes, video Access Fund, Alex Honnold, Beth Rodden, California, climb, jailhouse rock

The annual Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival is an outright celebration of human-powered winter adventure. What’s more, it honors environmental preservation while working to showcase the pure beauty of non-motorized recreation. And to put the cherry on top, the Backcountry Film Festival expressly promotes the work of grassroots filmmakers who tell these inherently awe-inspiring stories.

If you spent the winter months playing in the snow, now’s the time to submit your footage of it because the 9th annual Backcountry Film Festival is now seeking entries! Here’s are the requirements for — as well as process of — submitting your quality footage:

Conservation, Events, Osprey Culture, adventure, causes, film festivals, video backcountry film festival, powder, ski, Snow, winter, winter wildlands alliance, XC

The above clip is the trailer for a film called Streams of Consequence, which has been described as “a solution-based film that addresses the hard questions that remained unanswered in Rios Libres’s first film: “What does an alternative energy model look like?” “How do the Chileans feel about it?” and “Could Chile become a global leader by gaining energy independence via green technology?” Here’s the full scoop on how this film came about:

In summer 2010, photographer James ‘Q’ Martin and conservation biologist Chris Kassar started an organization called Rios Libres. The organization uses multi-media to join the fight to protect the wild lands of Patagonia from proposed dams that threaten two of the most pristine rivers in one of the world’s most spectacular regions. Last April, Q traveled south once again and landed in the thick of some of the largest anti-dam protests the country has ever seen. He captured historic footage of the protests, then spent nine weeks traveling the length of the country talking to gauchos, scientists, activists and the public in search of answers.

While the conversations Q captured while in Chile last April continue, the hope is that Streams of Consequence will serve to raise awareness and support those conversations here.

The film premiered at the 2013 Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival and will continue to show across the country via Wild and Scenic, other film festivals and grassroots screenings. Check it out here and be sure to let us know what you think!

Thanks to Patagonia’s The Cleanest Line for posting!

Conservation, Osprey Culture, causes, film festivals, video patagonia, rios libres, Streams of Consequence, the cleanest line, Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival

Today, The Conservation Alliance is proud to announce the release of Grand Canyon, the fourth video in its worthWILD series. This film in particular tells the story of the Grand Canyon Trust’s successful effort to convince the Interior Department to impose a 20-year ban on new uranium mining claims on one million acres of land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. This ban now provides long-term protection for this pristine National Park.

Behind it all lies the Grand Canyon Trust, an organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Colorado Plateau. Throughout the process of establishing the protection necessary, the Trust successfully led a coalition of concerned citizens and residents, local and national organizations, and advocates of the National Parks to protect the Grand Canyon from the threats of new uranium mining. The Conservation Alliance funded the Trust’s campaign in 2010, two years into the project.

This film and the Grand Canyon itself depict how these diverse stakeholders’ collaborative efforts resulted in Interior Secretary’s Ken Salazar implementation of a 20-year moratorium on new uranium mining on 1.1 million acres surrounding the Grand Canyon.

“The Trust’s campaign to secure a favorable decision was greatly enhanced through a powerful strategic alliance with national conservation organizations and their members as well as with businesses such as those supporting The Conservation Alliance and Save the Colorado campaign,” said Roger Clark, Grand Canyon Trust Program Director.

“Grand Canyon Trust did a terrific job protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from new uranium mining,” said Conservation Alliance Executive Director John Sterling. “We’re proud to have supported this effort, and are thrilled to tell the story in this short film.”

Produced by Alexandria Bombach’s Red Reel Video, Grand Canyon is the fourth documentary the Conservation Alliance has produced as part of the worthWild series launched in 2012. Four additional films will be made in 2013.

Conservation, Osprey Culture, adventure, causes, video Conservation, grand canyon, Grand Canyon Trust, national park, red reel video, the conservation alliance

Crystal Mountain, Washington is one of those iconic ski areas that many skiers would wish to call home. Its got it all – steeps, trees, airs, accessibility to a big city (Seattle), and best of all for us last weekend – POWDER!

25 KEEN Rippin Chix students and five coaches, including free skiing champions such as Kasha Rigby, Karen Reader, Susan Medville and Molly Baker all converged to Crystal February 9th and 10th for a steeps camp run by founder and Osprey Ambassador Alison Gannett.

Gals attended from all over and ranged in age from 14 to 59. Goals varied from overcoming past tumbles, to building confidence and skills, to learning Alison’s five fun ways to catch air. Four ability groups formed, with the “lower” group working introduction skills for steeps and the upper group charging out the gate demanding to “jump off more stuff.”

The hardest part about running Rippin Chix is always my worry that gals will push it too far and too fast. I have always believed that the best way to jump off a cliff is to learn how to jump a snowball on the groomer. Once the skills are solid, then the terrain can be pushed, and always on stuff with lots of runout room should things not go as planned. Crystal Mtn is perfect for this, with lots of fun north-facing powder bowls and zillions of chutes that fan out into big aprons. Luckily I had nothing to worry about, as these gals were fast learners and keen students.

Big smiles abounded on Sunday as we organized a group introduction and shared what everyone’s favorite skill was from Saturday. While I have adored my PSIA and race coaching training, I’ve never connected with terms like “functional tension,” and instead teach gals things like “squeeze the thong,” get rid of your velcro butt or tyrannosaurus arms and instead focus on “pouring the wine” and smushing the grapes.

Sad to say, we had quite a few flurries and clouds that prevented much video for this particular camp, so I’m going to attach the video from this year’s KEEN Rippin Chix Steeps Camp at Silverton Mtn, Colorado:

Powder Video of KEEN Rippin Chix Steep Camp at Silverton Mtn 2013

Next up on the powder seeking agenda? The Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival located in the heart of the legendary Selkirk Mountains at Whitewater resort near Nelson British Columbia, Canada. See you there?!

Events, Osprey Athletes, Outdoor Activities, Uncategorized, adventure, causes, photos, travel, video KEEN, learn, lesson, mountain, powder, Rippin Chix, Snow