The Cleanest Line

Greenland Vertical Sailing: The Devil’s Brew

“Impossible mais possible après tout.” (Impossible but possible after all.)

“I’ve been looking at that wall for twelve years, but I’ve never found any team good enough” –Bob Shepton winner of the 2009 Tilman Medal.

Editor's note: When last we left the crew of Dodo's Delight, they teased the start of a new multi-day climb, on yet another virgin big wall in the fjords of Greenland. Today we're happy to report congratulations are in order as Nico Favresse, Sean Villanueva, Ben Ditto and Olivier Favresse successfully free climbed the Impossible Wall.

On July 12 we committed to “the impossible wall.” After eight days we found ourselves on the summit, on July 22. So how is it possible that we passed 11 days in only eight you might be asking yourself? The answer my friend lies in the burning midnight sun and 30-hour days or nights or whatever you want to call it. Our efforts on the wall and on our musical instruments yielded probably the most adventurous route we have ever done.

[(Above) The team on the summit! Bob Shepton was also an undeniable team member and we shared this moment with him through the radio. Photo: Ben Ditto]

Dirtbag Diaries: Go West

You see, in this world there are two kinds of people, my friend. Those who've never heard of the Dirtbag Diaries, and those who listen. You listen. Here's Fitz Cahall to tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly in today's podcast:

"There aren't so many real cowboys left in America, just a lot of folks who dress like them," writes Brendan Leonard. Maybe the cowboy is gone, but the tradition of going West to reinvent oneself has remained a part of our culture. Where does that desire come from? Is it a part of the American Psyche? In Brendan's case, it came from his father's passion for the West. In small-town Iowa, the only way Brendan and his dad, Joe, could foster the dream of red rock and sage was by watching westerns. Lots of westerns. Today, Brendan presents a story about mountain people and the dreams parents instill in their children. Go West.

Listen to "Go West"
(mp3 - right-click to download - contains some expletives)

For more on this podcast, visit the Dirtbag Diaries. You can subscribe to the show via iTunes and RSS, or connect with like-minded listeners on Facebook and Twitter. 

Fitz and his partner Brian are also helping us with a new video series, Tracing the Edge, which profiles three Patagonia ambassadors: Gerry Lopez, Krissy Moehl and Colin Haley. To see the trailer and the first three episodes, step into the Tin Shed.

Mary Osborne: The Gulf Through My Eyes

Every minute passing means more beaches are covered in brown oily tar balls. Weather and winds fluctuate in all directions, pushing crude oil into new areas of fresh white sand beaches, covering sea animals, rivers and marshes. Fish are dying; crabs are now toxic, and mammals slowly are being poisoned. Three days ago today, the beach that I spent watching beautiful fireworks explode into the sky, is now spotted with tar, endless miles of boom and BP scouring the beach. The same beach I listened to families cheering and kids running around happily in celebration of our country's independence is the mirror opposite of the evening of July 4, 2010. The feeling of independence in the southern states has now vanished.

Editor's note: Today's post comes from Patagonia surf ambassador Mary Osborne who visited oil-soaked regions of the Gulf in early July. Mary joined Eco-Warrior James Pribram, champion stand-up paddler Chuck Patterson and actor Richard Burgi as part of the Stand Up - Gulf Alert 2010 team organized by Project Save Our Surf. This post originally appeared on Mary's blog. [Photo: Pat Heidingsfelder]

I don't even live in the Gulf and my mind was consumed minute after minute with mind-boggling questions. What is completely unsettling is one beach remains wide open with people swimming, while 100 feet away another beach is closed. Is this not the same ocean water? Isn't it the same air we are breathing from one beach to another so close by? Who is in charge down here? What is our government doing to stop this?

Witness for Wildlife Trip Produces Photo of First Live Ocelot in Arizona

Witness for Wildlife is a new program where folks like you can become citizen naturalists and help make the mission of Freedom to Roam a reality. Who knows? You might just score a rare photo like Michael Quigley did on his Witness for Wildlife trip. [The ocelot recently photographed in Cochise County, Arizona. Photo: ©2009 Sky Island Alliance.]

With an Ocelot: Mystery, Integrity, and Hope Remain
By Michael E. Quigley

It was a beautiful autumn day in southern Arizona and I was hiking a canyon in a sky island mountain range with my friends and colleagues Bart Koehler and Kate Mackay as part of the Freedom to Roam and Witness for Wildlife efforts -- local people advocating for the importance and protection of wildlife connectivity corridors. Thanks to generous assistance from Patagonia, I had two remote cameras in my pack and we were looking for good places to set them.

DIY Wetsuit Repair

It's happened to all of us. You're out surfing and you keep noticing how cold the water is. You try to write it off but when you finally get out of the water and pull your wetsuit off, you see it: the dreaded neoprene tear. Fear not, as the guys at Korduroy.tv show you how to patch up your suit with a bit of dental floss and some neoprene cement.

Greenland Vertical Sailing: Big Wall Island

Earlier we told you about Patagonia ambassadors Nicolas Favresse and Sean Villanueva, and their current climbing trip: Greenland Vertical Sailing 2010. Nico and Sean, along with Olivier Favresse and Ben Ditto have stowed aboard Captain Bob Shepton's boat to sail the west coast of Greenland looking for virgin big walls to explore. We thought their last trip to Baffin Island was wild (check out the DVD) but this one is already off the hook. So far it seems like part Liz Clark Voyage and part 180° South, with plenty of boat hijinks and surprises along the way. Let's get you caught up on their trip. [Ben Ditto getting started out of the boat on "Seagulls Garden." Photo: Nico Favresse]

June 26 - Bob & Dodo’s Delight
We finally met our reverend captain Bob! He’s the perfect man for the job: he seems even less organized than us. He’s 75 years old, not 65 like we communicated earlier, and in great form. In all his years of experience he only sank one boat! He used to be a fanatic rock climber before he was sailor.

The boat is floating ... barely. With 600 kg of food and rock climbing gear, and 400L of water, we never thought everything would fit in. However, with some stuffing we managed to push everything into the boat and there is just about enough space left for four and a half humans.

The boat has a few technical issues we are trying to solve before we launch into the wild.

Dan Malloy visits Patagonia Cardiff for "Castles in the Sky" Screening

[Video: Patagonia Cardiff Event- Castles in the Sky by www.KORDUROY.tv.]

Take a walk around Cardiff with Dan Malloy and watch some excerpts from Taylor Steele's new surf film, Castles in the Sky. Dan hopped the train down to Patagonia Cardiff where he introduced the film on a summer evening to about 550 folks. A trip Dan took to Iceland was featured in the film.

Thanks to store manager Devon Howard and the crew at Patagonia Cardiff for hosting another great event behind the store. Thanks to Taylor Steele for accompanying Dan on stage, and Cyrus Sutton of Korduroy.tv for making the above video. Stay tuned to all the groovy events at Patagonia Cardiff by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

Dirtbag Diaries: Dirtbag Resume

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of our Patagonia Jobs page. There are some very good opportunities up there right now. Vice President of Global Sales? You know you want it. If so, consider today's Dirtbag Diaries, and the accompanying photo, tips for applying. Here's, Fitz Cahall, host of the show, with some background on today's podcast:

The M.O. was familiar -- work hard at a series of bizarre jobs, make money and then hit the road to travel. During his twenties, writer and Diaries contributor Ryan Nickum went around the world and drifted across the Pacific Northwest. When it came time to settle down after returning from a Peace Corps stint, the economy tanked. Once Ryan finally wanted a steady job, it seemed impossible to get one.  He authored standard resume after standard resume. The results were disheartening. Ryan pieced together whatever work he could -- data entry, process server and ditch digging. He began to question whether his youthful wanderlust now impeded a more adult life. In a moment of frustration, Ryan decided to create his curriculum vitae on his own terms -- Nickum style.

 Listen to "The Shorts - Dirtbag Resume"
(mp3 - right-click to download)

In between full-length episodes of The Dirtbag Diaries, listeners like you have the chance to narrate your own story on the show -- these are the Shorts. To submit your story for consideration, visit The Dirtbag Diaries and look for the Story Suggestions? link in the sidebar. You'll also find downloads for the music from today's episode.

[This "Please recycle me." Capilene Zip-T is one example of the many creative cover letters we've received. See that label? Old school. A clear sign of experience. We take our work very seriously but we also like creativity and a good laugh. How will you differentiate your resume from the 11,000 we receive each year? Photos: Free] 

Alaska 2010 with Colin Haley: Dracula and Cassin Simul-Solo

Bjørn-Eivind Årtun and I have just come out from a 37-day trip to Denali and Mt. Foraker, which was partially funded by a Mugs Stump Award and the Norwegian Alpine Club (NTK). Here is a report of what we did. [Bjørn-Eivind high in the Messner Couloir on our first visit of the expedition to Denali's summit. Photo by Colin Haley]

Editor's note: Patagonia ambassador Colin Haley takes the mic today for a recap of his recent trip to Alaska. Colin and Bjørn-Eivind Årtun won a Mugs Stump Award grant for the climb they would attempt on this trip: A single-push first ascent on the southeast side of Alaska’s second-highest peak, Mt. Foraker, one of the biggest unclimbed faces in the central Alaska Range. How did it go? Pull up a chair, grab your beverage of choice and enjoy a great read from one of America's premiere alpinists.

We flew onto the Kahiltna Glacier on May 13, and immediately started up Denali’s West Buttress route to acclimatize. We soon established a basecamp at the 14,200 ft. camp on the West Buttress to stay for a while. On May 21 we attempted to climb and ski the Orient Express route, but turned around and skied from 17,500 ft. in the face of dangerous wind slabs. On May 25 we climbed to the summit of Denali via the Messner Couloir and returned to the 14,200 ft. camp in 9:15 roundtrip. On May 29 we climbed to the summit of Denali again via the West Buttress route in 8:10 roundtrip.

Your Rad Dad Stories - Just Like Your Father

Editor's note: For Fathers' Day 2010, we asked readers to Tell Us About Your Rad Dad. We received lots of great photos and short stories about dads who have done all kinds of cool things with their kids. George Gess's story caught us by surprise. The third in our series of submissions (the first two posts are available here: 1 and 2), George's story invited us to have another think on what makes a dad truly rad. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Here's George:

I have always thought of my dad as "rad." Not really because of what he did, but just because he was my dad. The Man. The guy that made what I wanted to do while I was growing up possible. Be it little league baseball, soccer, basketball camp or backpacking trips, he was the one that made it happen. He was always there for me; always on the sidelines, always in the crowd, always a postcard away. I had a lot of great times growing up, and I have him to thank.

My dad was an attorney in northwest Ohio. His name is Tom Gess. A few years after making partner in the law firm that he was with, he began doing pro-bono legal work for a land trust called the Black Swamp Conservancy. The goal of the conservancy was to protect the land in the Black Swamp from deterioration and development, thus preserving the natural habitat for local wildlife. Shortly after providing legal counsel for the BSC, he became board-member and President of the entire outfit. When he was home at night, he was spending time with the family. When he wasn't  at home, he was giving his time to the environment. Not for profit, but because he loved it. That's pretty Rad.

[George and Tom Gess. Photo courtesy George Gess]