Utah it seems, has become the center of the outdoor recreation universe, and as a result, a lot of amazing adventurers choose to live here. We’re lucky to be the cultural hub of outdoorsyness, as stories of high adventure are shared by world travelers who bring their incredible stories back home. The Utah Adventure Journal is teaming up with Snowbird to bring you the Utah Adventure Journal Speaker Series, where you can hear some of these stories presented by Wasatch locals who found high adventure abroad and returned home safely to tell about it.
The Utah Adventure Journal Speaker Series is a casual get together that takes place on six different Thursday nights this winter. The Wildflower Lounge at Snowbird’s Iron Blosam Lodge is the venue, where in addition to the entertainment, there will be beer and appetizers throughout the show. Presentations begins at 7pm.
The first event, titled, “Ama Dablam: A Climb in the Khumbu” features Tyson Bradley, the senior guide and director of Utah Mountain Adventures and author of Backcountry Skiing Utah. He will speak about his recent trip to the Khumbu region of Nepal and his attempt at climbing Ama Dablam, a giant peak in the Himalayas. The presentation is on December 22, 2011 at 7pm.
Future presentations are as follows:
1/12 – Dean Cardinale presents, “World Wide Trekking and the Human Outreach Project.” Join Mr. Cardinale as he brings an inspiring show about his work around the world like climbing in Indonesia, exploring Africa, or mountaineering on the earth’s highest peaks, all while helping out those in need.
1/26 – Kyle Dempster presents, “Mountain of Motivation.” Kyle is one of the leading alpinists in the world and has recently returned from biking and climbing across Kyrgyzstan, China and Pakistan. He even ticked off a few first ascents while there. Join him as he takes you along for the ride.
2/9 – Jennifer Jordan presents, “Last Man on the Mountain.” Jennifer discovered the remains of Dudley Wolfe, the first man who died on K2, in 1939. She found the body while living at the base of the notorious peak, and will recount not only her own story, but the heroic attempts of Wolfe, Fritz Wiessner and Pasang Lama to conquer the mountain.
2/23 – TBA
3/8 – Winslow Passey presents, “Climbing, Guiding and Surviving in Antarctica.” Winslow is an AMGA certified Ski Mountaineering Guide who has been at it for nine years, taking clients all over the world in places like Nepal, Mongolia, South America Alaska and Antarctica. In this presentation, she’ll spin tales of her adventures on the frozen continent.
Admission to the Utah Adventure Journal is free, but a $5 donation to the Utah Avalanche Center gets you three tickets to a drawing with awesome swag from gear sponsors such as Black Diamond, Gregory, Kuhl, Patagonia, Voile, and others. You must be 21 and over to attend.
So if you’re looking for motivation to find outdoor adventure of your own, or just need a warm place to chill with a beer, hear great stories and mingle with your brothers and sisters of the Wasatch, then be sure to check out one, or all of the Utah Adventure Journal Speaker Series presentations.
Full disclosure: Jared Hargrave is a Contributing Editor for the Utah Adventure Journal.