The Firn Line

Growing up in the suburbs of northern Virginia, Chris Kalman was exposed to academia and team sports from a young age.  But by the time he reached high school, he discovered rock climbing, and was instantly hooked.  Always a deep thinker, the solitary process of combining fitness with problem solving appealed to him.  

If you’re a climber, who consumes climbing related media like writing, video and podcasts - well, chances are, you’ve heard of Kathy Karlo.

Like many young alpinists, my early experiences in and out of the mountains were defined by a succession of monumental highs tempered with desperate lows.  Maybe that’s why Jonathan Waterman’s book, In The Shadow Of Denali - made such an indelible mark on me. The collection of short stories, which is a a mountaineering classic, followed Waterman’s years as an alpinist and mountaineering ranger on Denali in the 1970’s and 80’.  As a neophyte Alaskan climber, just out of high school - it affected me deeply.

The Canadian Rockies are home to some of the most iconic alpine peaks in North America. Mountains like Alberta, Columbia, Edith Cavell and North Twin (to name a few) are synonymous with classic rockies alpine climbing: variable rock quality ranging from total choss, to flint hard quartzite - hanging glaciers and double cornices, veins of pristine alpine and water ice - and the classic sandbag grade of 5.9 A2.

Growing up in the coastal town of Cordova, Alaska - Pryce Brown was exposed to the vast beauty of Alaska from a young age. Whether it was fishing, aviation, or later in his teens, backcountry skiing - Pryce was always drawn to the more adventurous side of life.

On today's episode of The Firn Line, we'll get to know UK-based alpinist, Malcolm Bass.  Over the course of a 30 year alpine career, Malcolm has pushed the limits of exploration of the mind, and the mountains.

If you’ve ever spent time flying over, or travelling thru the pacific northwest, you’ve most-likely been taken by the monolithic glacier-capped volcanoes that dot the horizon line. Giants like Mount Rainier, Hood and Adams hold court over some of the most beautiful terrain in north america - and in doing so - form an inspiring backdrop for hikers, climbers and even artists - like Nikki Frumkin.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know legendary backcountry skier, Noah Howell.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know world-renowned and visionary alpinist, David Lama.

On today’s episode of The Firn Line, we’ll get to know legendary Alaskan outdoorswoman, and wilderness educator, Nancy Pfeiffer. I first heard nancy’s name probably when I was around 17 years old. At the time, I was what you might call a neophyte alpinist, and Nancy was a well-known skier, mountaineer and wilderness instructor in the community, which automatically made her a hero of sorts in my mind. Although we rarely crossed paths in the ensuing years, she was always on my radar, and someone I admired and respected for her skills and expertise in the mountains.