Adam Riser

Adam Riser has been a climber for 11 years, guided 18 parties to the top of Mt. Rainier, and made expeditions as far north as the Northwest Territories and as far south as Peru's Cordillera Blanca. When not climbing, Adam spreads his time between downhill bike racing and backcountry skiing. He's also pretty good at ping pong.

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The Cutting Edge: Dempster and Normand Climb Mt Edgar

By: Adam Riser | March 22nd, 2011
1 Comment »

Local SLC badass, full-time alpine climber, and part-time coffee slinger Kyle Dempster recently joined up with Bruce Normand to climb China’s West Face of Mt Grosvenor and the East Face of Mt Edgar. (In 2009, Mt Edgar’s East face tragically took the lives of Jonny Copp, Micah Dash, and Wade Johnson.)

On this successful ascent, Kyle found the objective hazard to be far higher than he would have liked. After running up the 3000-vertical-foot approach in only an hour, he and Bruce watched as a serac broke off and wiped out the entire valley where they had just been.

Their ascent of Edgar’s East Face earned Kyle and Bruce a Piolet d’Or nomination for the second year in a row. They won the 2010 award for the first ascent of the Great White Jade Heist on Xuelian West in China.

Below is Black Diamond‘s two-part interview with Kyle in which he talks openly about how he was affected by being on such a dangerous route. Read More …

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Posted in Athletes, Interviews, Outdoor Articles |

Monday Q&A: Marker, BD, & More

By: Adam Riser | March 14th, 2011
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Here’s our latest heap of Monday gear questions and answers. It may resolve some burning questions that were occupying your mind, or it may just fend off the Monday-brain for a few minutes. Either way, we hope it serves you well.

MSR Evo Ascent Snowshoe

Q: Suggestions on packing these for BC snowboarding? I’m looking for a durable, comfortable backpack that I can stow these in while snowboarding. Any recommendations appreciated.

By: Bryan P
March 7, 2011

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Posted in Gear Guide |

Re Wikstrom Interview

By: Adam Riser | March 9th, 2011
3 Comments »

The lady behind the lens.

A few years ago, I’d occasionally open a ski magazine, see a photo of some girl going huge, check out the credit, and say, “Hey, I know the girl who took that.” Today, it’s rare to open a ski magazine without seeing a few Re Wikstrom photos inside, or even one on the cover. As Re’s career has blown up, she has seen her work printed in Powder Magazine, The Ski Journal, Freeskier, Backcountry Magazine (including two covers), several catalogs, and multiple pages around the interwebs. She even scored a several-page spread all to herself in The Ski Journal Photobook.

What sets Re apart from the pack (you know, besides unwavering dedication to her craft, a great eye for composition, and just being an incredibly nice person) is that she focuses primarily on female freeskiers. Outraged because no one could seem to take a photo of a women on skis unless it was a cheesy outtake or someone wearing a bikini, Re decided that instead of complaining about the state of ski photography, she would do her part to change it. After years of working with a crew of ladies who will ski you into the ground, it’s safe to say that she’s accomplished (and continues to accomplish) her mission.

Winter is a hard time to nail Re down for more than two minutes, but I get ahold of her during a quick stop in Bellingham between trips to Canada and ask her a few questions.

Read More …

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Posted in Interviews |

Monday QA

By: Adam Riser | March 7th, 2011
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Thule Prologue Pack Bike Mount

Q: Will this rack work with a thru axle design on the front forks?

By: W.Ward
4 days ago

A: Unfortunately, this rack will only work with standard drop-out designs. Since you’re like I am and you run a through-axle fork, your only option is to either get a different rack or buy a through-axle fork adapter. Yakima and Thule both make them, and you can get them in any size out there. It’s not as easy as using a rack like the Thule Sidearm, which is designed to work without forcing you to remove the front wheel at all, but it will do. It’s also handy to have one of these adapters when you’re shuttling with friends, since your pals’ racks may not fit your bike. Read More …

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Posted in Featured, Gear Guide, How To, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

Ode to the Office Job

By: Adam Riser | February 23rd, 2011
9 Comments »

Drying gear and working hard (or at least appearing to) after a morning of face shots.

I have an office job. I sit in a cubicle and spend most of my day typing on a computer and looking at spreadsheets. It wasn’t always like this; I used to be a river guide. I worked rivers all over Washington and Oregon while living in my truck. I climbed 200 days during my first year as a river guide. Then I became a climbing guide on Mt. Rainier. What could be better? I got paid to climb and climbed all day. Well, in theory anyway. Really, I got paid to carry a big pack and walk slowly in dangerous places while tied to clients who were seemingly trying to kill themselves (and, by extension, me). When I did finally have a day off, climbing was the last thing I wanted to do. Eventually, and entirely by accident, I landed a “real” job. I hear a lot of people blaming their office jobs for their failure to get out and get after it. However, I find that my desk job hasn’t killed my climbing; it’s actually given me the freedom (and rest) to do more.

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Posted in How To, Newsletter, Outdoor Articles, Skiing |

Monday Q&A

By: Adam Riser | February 21st, 2011
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With seemingly endless snow pounding the Wasatch right now, everyone’s minds are pretty much stuck in powder mode. So, on that note, I’ll start this Monday Q&A with a question about my very favorite ski, the Black Diamond Megawatt.

Black Diamond Megawatt Ski

Black Diamond Megawatt Skis

Q: I would consider myself to be somewhat close to an expert skier. I demolished a pair of 2009 BD stigmas last year, skied a few days on a pair of BD ethics this year and was unsatisfied in the pow. I just ordered some 188 mega’s, I do a lot of backcountry skiing but Im more into the boot packing than skinning. I live in Colorado and it seems that every day I want to go backcountry the avie conditions are bad so I end up going on piste and boot packing past the ropes. What would be a good binding to drive this ski knowing that I really dont need the AT setup. Thanks!

By: Brian Sims
January 25, 2011

A: First off, good choice on the Megawatt. Given the pow-specific size of this ski, the situation you explain occurs a lot. You want a binding that will let you skin if you absolutely have to, but usually, you’re riding lifts or just booting up a ridge and want something as close to a standard step-in binding as you can get. My suggestion is to go with either the Marker F12 or the Fritschi Diamir Freeride Pro. Both give you a healthy 12-DIN maximum setting if you need it and provide the ability to release the heel if it’s necessary. Most skiers could argue all day about which one is better, but I’ll leave that to them. Just make sure you get brakes wide enough to clear the 125mm underfoot dimensions of your skis.

Read More …

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Posted in Gear Guide, Newsletter, Skiing |

Dressing for Ice Climbing

By: Adam Riser | February 16th, 2011
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Dress light to keep from sweating. Rick Vance on a warm day in Maple Canyon.

Very few people would quibble over whether ice climbing is a really cold sport. It has to be; you need ice to do it. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be cold. The difference between someone who shivers all day long and someone who stays warm has little to do with genetics; the difference is a matter of preparation. Learn what to wear and when to wear it, and you can be nice and toasty even when you’re on a frozen waterfall or belaying your partner while he spends two hours battling the steep ice above you.

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Posted in Gear Guide, How To |

Slackcountry to Backcountry

By: Adam Riser | January 25th, 2011
5 Comments »

How to step away from the lifts and come back in one piece

No one is looking out for you here. Learn to make your own decisions.

Let’s face it: if you ski enough, you’ll eventually reach the point where the resort just won’t satisfy your powder jones anymore. Even on the deepest days, runs get tracked out too fast, and you find yourself venturing into the slackcountry. You duck the rope, traverse for 15 minutes, drop in on the 400 feet of untracked snow that you find, and then traverse back at the bottom. So, what do you do when those few hundred feet of fresh are no longer enough? You leave the lifts and crowds behind and get into the backcountry.

The backcountry is not the resort or even the terrain on the other side of the boundary ropes. No one has tested these slopes or determined if they’re safe. You need different gear and a different skill set to avoid trouble and move efficiently. This is a quick-and-dirty guide on the basics to get you from the sidecountry to the backcountry without gambling your life on avalanche conditions. Read More …

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Posted in Newsletter |

Monday Q&A

By: Adam Riser | January 10th, 2011
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I’ve been doing nothing but ice climbing and backcountry skiing all winter, so I decided to answer a few crampon, boot, and binding questions for my Monday Q&A. Compatibility is a common theme with FAQ’s on ice climbing and touring gear, and these questions follow that track. Unlike rock climbing where any carabiner works with any sling or alpine skiing where all boots fit all bindings, you have to make sure all your gear works with anything that it attaches to directly. When you get your new gear in the mail, take some time and make sure it all snaps together right before you head into the mountains. Now, onto the questions.

Cassin C14 Crampon

Q: Has anyone ever put these on tele boots for vertical ice climbing?

Has anyone ever put these on tele boots for vertical ice climbing? – Randomintelligentguy – Jan. 7, 2011

A: Well, the short answer is maybe. Regular crampon toe bails (with a few rare exceptions) don’t fit over the wide duck bill on the front of telemark boots. Some companies like Petzl make replacement toe bails designed specifically for telemark boots, but I can’t find any indication that Cassin makes a similar attachment. However, nearly all toe bails attach the same way, so you may be able to get away with using the Petzl bails on these crampons, but I’m not positive. Anyone? To address the vertical ice part of the questions—You won’t get the same performance as you would with actual climbing boots, or even close. Putting crampons on tele boots is generally a ski mountaineering move. The problem is that the duck bill will cover part of the front points and you won’t get very good penetration no matter how hard you kick into the ice. You can definitely climb this way, but if you want to get serious about ice climbing, just get some ice climbing boots.

Have a better answer? Post it here

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Posted in Gear Guide |

Merry Christmas

By: Adam Riser | December 23rd, 2010
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May your Christmas consist of endless face shots and so much snow that you can’t even find your own car in the parking lot.

A little something for the grinches (and my personal favorite of the three). A montage of Santas crashing into each other while exiting chairlifts:

And here’s a little something for the snowboarders out there:
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Posted in Humor |

Fat Skis: A Story of Lust

By: Adam Riser | December 17th, 2010
2 Comments »

Making out with the twins at the end of our first date.

It was my friend Kevin who first hooked us up. “Come on, you’re going to love them. You three will get along so well. They’ll change your life.”

“Yeah man, I hear ya, but they’re way too tall for me, and… how can I put this delicately? They’re really fat!”

Hey, they may have some extra girth at the waist, but they’re really curvy, and that makes a huge difference. Just take them out for an afternoon, have yourself a quickie, and you’ll understand.”

Kevin spent a little more time convincing me, and eventually I gave in. I agreed to take the Megawatts out for a date. I wasn’t sure if Kevin was right, but I’m a pretty open-minded guy and willing to try (almost) anything once.

Read More …

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Posted in Gear Guide |

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