We recently learned about 3 Peaks 3 Weeks, an annual all-female climbing event that raises money and awareness for key issues facing Africa, and we were immediately intrigued. Bringing women from around the world together to summit Mt. Kenya, Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro, 3 Peaks 3 Weeks is certainly a combination of adventure, inspiration and positive change. We caught up with one of the participants, Chris Kassar (who’s also part of our favorite Rios Libres) to learn more about this woman-powered initiative and how it’s bringing real change to Africa.

Tell us a little bit about 3 Peaks 3 Weeks

In January 2011 (which is fast approaching!), I will join a team of 11 ordinary women from around the world as we attempt to summit 3 of Africa’s highest peaks (Mt. Kenya, Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro) in just 3 weeks! Our aim is to raise money and awareness to address 3 peak issues currently threatening Africa: environment, education and health. In between each climb we’ll spend time with the African organizations that 3 Peaks 3 Weeks supports so we can see where each dollar we have raised is already helping to make a difference.

How have you been training for the event?

I haven’t had to change much in my life to train since I’ve always spent a majority of my free time running around outside. However, I’m aware that this is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done so I’m definitely ramping up my usual efforts.

Ironically, I was in the middle of trekking in the Himalaya when I found out that I was chosen to be part of the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks team for 201. I had just been to Everest Base Camp that very day. So…I guess my training was already well under way since I spent the majority of 2 months in Nepal hiking with a heavy pack over rough terrain at pretty high altitude.

At home here in Flagstaff, I get out into the mountains as much as I can and however I can – skis, snowshoes, running shoes, mountain bike, hiking boots. I am also currently spending a lot of time on a road bike and in the water since I am training for my first triathlon. I’m really new to swimming and biking so this is a good challenge. My success on these climbs is going to be just as dependent on my mental fitness as my physical fitness so yoga, meditation and visualization are an important part of preparing for Africa, as well. Breathing at altitude can be so hard, but yoga and meditation have made this a lot easier for me.

To get some real life climbing practice and altitude exposure, my friend Julie and I are going to do a “3 Peaks 3 Days Challenge.” So, next week we are heading to Colorado for 5 or 6 days of backpacking during which we will summit three 14ers (peaks above 14,000 feet) in 3 days.

Why do you think going on an all-women expedition is so powerful?

With each passing year, I have come to value the brilliant, passionate, tough, sweet, bold women in my life more and more. Sisterhood (both genetic and chosen) is one of the most powerful bonds that I have ever encountered. It’s hard to explain in words, but something happens when “sisters” tackle a challenge together – things get done, fun is had, passion oozes and confidence grows. Our power on this expedition will come from the fact that we are united around a common goal. Our ability to support each other, work as a team and rise to the challenge is critical if we are to accomplish what we have set out to achieve.

Aside from its impact on those of us participating, I think part of the power of an all-women expedition comes when others witness it. Even though it is 2010, I still think it is imperative for the rest of the world to see women demonstrating their strength, courage, bravery and determination.

The goal of the expedition is to raise awareness of three peak issues facing Africa: Environment, education and health. How do the three go hand in hand and how does supporting one support the others?

These are the largest issues affecting East Africa today and I believe that addressing all 3 of them is critical for the future of the people and lands of Africa because doing so is key to reducing the impacts of poverty. Simply put, providing someone with basic healthcare and education can provide them with an entire future. And because East African communities are typically incredibly dependent on their surrounding environment, it is also imperative to conserve wildlands while benefiting the surrounding communities.

Halting environmental degradation, providing education for more children and improving health care are going to become more and more important as populations continue to rise and development progresses. These are tangible and hopeful issues to focus on because individuals and groups can have a concrete impact on them; with some dedication and effort a person can create positive change in these arenas by taking action and accountability, whereas other issues – i.e., corruption – would be more difficult to target directly.

There are a lot of groups that have launched in the past few years that focus solely on women’s issues. In a place like Africa, what do you think are the benefits of this?

Actually, all 3 organizations we support do not only focus on women or women’s issues. In some cases there are certain projects that do, but overall these organizations serve a broad range of people who need help. Nonetheless, those groups that focus solely on women’s issues are extremely important. Because of the central role that women hold within communities, they are often the key to helping families and villages out of poverty.

All of the money that you raise goes straight to Africa, while you’re responsible for your expedition costs (~$10,000). That’s a lot of money. Why do you feel strongly about putting that amount of your personal money into this kind of travel?

In the past year I spent a good deal of time in Nepal, Southeast Asia and South America. As is always the case while traveling, I was reminded of how lucky I have been throughout my life and how much I have to offer to this world as a result of where I was born and the opportunities I’ve been given.

Traveling reinforced my gratitude for simple things like freedom, health, family, peace, access to education, clean drinking water, financial security and physical safety. These are things I often take for granted, yet each day of my journey I was reminded that there are millions of people throughout the world who do not have the same luxury. And so, the financial challenges are outweighed by my desire to use my talents and tenacity to help this amazing planet and those who don’t have as much as I do.

Besides supporting this expedition, what’s one thing that people can do to have a positive impact on these issues facing Africa?

Great question because it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by big problems in a continent that can feel so far away….It’s a tough one because there is no “quick fix.” Direct handouts may have their place in emergency situations, but supporting those kinds of programs in East Africa is like putting a Band-Aid on a wound that really needs surgery. So, I’d suggest that people learn as much as they can about the situation and support initiatives, programs, groups and individuals that empower people to take control of their own future; those that follow along with this idea: “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”

That’s the amazing thing about 3 Peaks 3 Weeks – all of the money I raise goes to sustainable projects that enable individuals and communities to be accountable for their own success over the long-term.

This trip and cause is pretty inspirational. What inspires you on a daily basis?

Nature – She inspires me because she is simultaneously strong, graceful, beautiful, powerful, loving and humbling.

My family – My mom and dad, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins are each an inspiration in their own way, but they share a common thread which also inspires me: they all sure know how to give love! And even though they may worry about me because of the crazy way I’ve chosen to live my life, they support me and believe in me no matter what.

My 5 year old friend Finley who just had open heart surgery and his parents – They have inspired me to be fearless and to act fearlessly.

People who work to make their dreams a reality regardless of the associated challenges.

The rare beings who are truly honest with themselves and with others.

Chris will be heading to Africa in January. To help support the cause of 3 Peaks 3 Weeks, you can donate by clicking here.

Dawn at Little Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Valley of Idaho. © Neil Ever Osborne

Need a little inspiration this Friday? Here are two stories that are sure to get the job done…

From the Save Our Wild Salmon blog:

Snake River sockeye make an epic migration each year to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Valley, climbing nearly 7,000 feet and swimming more than 900 miles to get there. To get a visual — that’s the distance from Denver to Chicago and higher than five Empire State Buildings stacked one on top of another.

In addition, these red fish tackle an eight-dam gauntlet on the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers. The tenacity and determination of these fish is undeniable and at times unbelievable. It’s no wonder that they are often referred to as the lifeblood of the Northwest’s signature rivers.

Take action to save them here.

From The Cleanest Line:

Editor’s note: Patagonia ambassador Kate Rutherford and Madaleine Sorkin recently spent five days climbing The Freerider (VI 5.12+), a 3,000ft. route on the Southwest face of El Capitan. Kate shares her take on the climb here with photographs by haul bag maestro, Mikey Schaefer.

Five years ago, I thought freeing El Cap was an impossible goal. The huge scale, logistics, and physicality of freeing a big wall seemed beyond me. Over the years climbing started feeling easier, I spent more time on big routes, and Madaleine and I built up our endurance together on long routes like Moonlight and the Northwest Face of Half Dome. Alpine climbing in Patagonia helped me understand huge objectives, and I learned to break down my intimidation by just focusing on one pitch at a time, just doing the task at hand.

Read more…

Salmon and ladies, you rock. Keep it up!

Happy Friday!

Watch this. Laugh. Then check out Colbert’s Twitter feed for how you can help Comedy Central’s Address the Mess campaign. That’s a good use of social media.

Airsick: An Industrial Devolution achieves exactly what it sets out to do: It makes you think, and hopefully inspires you to act. What is clarion in the film is that to stop this threat, as humans, we will have to take a look at ourselves and understand that the actions we take every day have a global effect — and then turn that into positive change.

Thanks to Jenny Nichols of the International League of Conservation Photographers for tuning us in to this film.

From Osprey Packs’ blog:

Osprey’s very own Sarah Harper Burke is taking part in a great endeavor this summer: she’s climbing Mt. Shasta as part of Climbing Against the Odds, an annual mountaineering expedition by the Breast Cancer Fund for breast cancer prevention.

Osprey has long been a supporter of the Breast Cancer Fund, and Sarah’s excited to take part in this year’s expedition. We sat down with her to learn a little bit more.

Why did you decide to join the Climb for the Cure?
This was an opportunity presented by Osprey. Osprey has supported the Breast Cancer Fund for years. This was the first time Osprey has taken the next step of support by sponsoring a team member on the climb.

I’m sure you’ve been working hard to train for your climb, what has kept you inspired?
As I continue to learn about the Breast Cancer Fund, I’ve realized how connected their attitude towards prevention is to my everyday experience. I’m inspired to help spread this message throughout my community. Also, I am a complete novice at mountaineering. This physical challenge is like non-other I have experienced. That alone has been a great push.

What impact do you think your climb will have?
Climbing Mt. Shasta is a challenge that I hope will grab people’s attention. This is no small walk in the park. This is a large group of cancer survivors and their families climbing mountains as a way to represent what odds they can overcome. It’s inspiring!

The Breast Cancer Fund is all about studying the environmental causes of breast cancer. Why is that important to you?
I have not been personally affected by breast cancer but am concerned about ways in which I can prevent it. I’m learning about how some cosmetics and plastics can have a serious effect on my body.

With breast cancer affecting so many women, what do you think ordinary people can do every day to raise awareness and support those fighting cancer right now?
Money talks, even in subtle ways. We can all help spread the word of prevention with how we spend our dollars. Make sure you are purchasing BPA free plastics, choose safe cosmetics, buy hormone free meat and dairy. Little changes in the way you spend can send a huge message to manufacturers.

Now comes the exciting part: Sarah’s in the midst of fundraising for the Breast Cancer Fund — she’s trying to raise $7,500, and she’s a little over $3,000 away from her goal — and we want you to take part! By donating money to the cause, you’ll be supporting the BCF’s work to expose and eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer.

We think that’s definitely worth supporting, and just for a little extra, we’re throwing in a little swag. We’ve got 20 Transporter duffles up for grabs for the first 20 people who donate $50+, and to top it off, a big pack prize to the person who puts us over the next $3,000 donated. So hop on over to Sarah’s fundraising page and help the cause and get the chance to score some sweet Osprey gear!

[Photo Via]

How is it the last weekend in May? Somehow spring has managed to fly by us and summer is right around the corner. We’re spending Memorial Day down in the beautiful city of Telluride for Mountainfilm, where we get to meet great people and organizations like Chris Jordan, Tim DeChristopher, 88 Bikes and iLCP. It’s amazing to get so many people that are so passionate about important causes together in one place.

We want to make sure we inspire you to have a great Memorial Day Weekend, be it a weekend full of play, activism or creativity,

Play

“Get outside” … it’s practically the Under Solen mantra. But this time we mean it! I spent the beginning of this week in the backcountry of Utah, and I can assure you that there’s nothing better for you sanity than playing outdoors. And like we wrote about yesterday, it gives us an excellent reminder of why we chose the lifesyles that we do.

What’s your favorite place to play? Take some pictures this weekend, send them in and we’ll feature them on our site!

Get Active

There are so many ways to get active and take part of your local and international community… where do we even begin? Here are just a few things that we’re excited about right now.

• Give a bike — 88Bikes just launched their 88Bikes Villages program, where they’ll be reaching out to children in rural parts of Lesotho, Mongolia, Tanzania, Latin America and the United States, focused on small rural locations where our bikes can have a major impact. We dig that!
• Check out the Global Action Atlas — National Geographic’s new Global Action Atlas is a great resource for learning about causes around the world and enables you to support efforts across the globe to reduce human suffering, protect natural landscapes, and more. There’s everything from saving salmon to providing education opportunities for women.
• Thank Obama for suspending Arctic drilling — Take a moment to thank President Obama for his decision to postpone Arctic offshore drilling until at least 2011. On the heels of the Gulf oil spill, we think that’s a great move, and he deserves our support.

Be Creative

Our social media ninja had her first official art show last night and we’re very proud of her. A great reminder that it’s always good to have many interests. An excellent place to start for some creative inspiration is photographer Chase Jarvis’ blog. Here’s one of our favorite tips, from a very solid list:

Admit to yourself that you don’t know about something you’ve been pretending to know about. Sit down and do the research yourself. Learn it.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

So start now! Today is Endangered Species Day, so celebrate and fight to save our endangered species! Check out the Endangered Species Coalition’s site for more information on events in your area and how to help. If you need some motivation, keep reading and watch these videos…

And if you haven’t already, take a moment to take action to save the West’s iconic Snake River salmon. Just yesterday, the Obama administration decided to adopt a Bush-era plan for the Columbia-Snake Rivers in the Northwest — a plan, that if accepted by a federal judge — will essentially dam (pun intended) these salmon to extinction and lower the bar for protection of endangered species across the country.

Brock Evans, President of the Endangered Species Coalition said “[Today] is Endangered Species Day. We should be celebrating and working to protect America’s endangered species, but instead, for Columbia Basin salmon, we’re mourning. Even so, make no mistake — we’re not done fighting to save species like wild salmon. They are simply irreplaceable.”

Take Action Here!

And if you’re wondering why it’s so important to protect our endangered species for future generations. It’s because we are all connected. Endangered Species Day just happens to fall the day before International Day of Biodiversity. Don’t even get me started on why the U.S. is not participating… Our world is so incredible because it’s rich with a diverse and incredible community of species — it’s called biodiversity.

From Mountainfilm:

What exactly is biodiversity? The International League of Conservation Photographers put together this great multimedia piece that showcases what biodiversity is and why it’s important. Watching it, you’ll quickly realize that biodiversity is something that affects all of us… and that’s why we have a duty to do something to ensure its protection.

So, fight. Fight for our endangered species. Fight for yourself. Fight for our future! And take a tip from our good friend Jude of Epic Wheel Works: make every day count, protect our Earth and live the revolution every day.

Happy Friday!

We love parties, especially parties that benefit awesome causes. At Epic Wheel Works’ Live the Revolution party last week, $950 was raised for Portland’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance. There were a lot of people that came together to make that happen, and they all get big thank yous here.

Want to see just how fun raising money can be? Check out these fun photos and video from the evening.

“It’s time to fight for salmon. It’s time to fight for us. It’s time to fight for our future.”
— John Kitzhaber, former governor of Oregon and currently running for a second term.

Sometimes you have to roll with the punches… And sometimes you’ve got to fight. Wild salmon are fighting to survive right now. They’re doing their part. It’s time to do ours. Fight!

Take Action to Save Wild Salmon!

The Obama administration is poised to make a decision this week that could change the fate of endangered species in this country. On May 20, the Administration will release a federal salmon plan that will do one of two things for endangered wildlife: protect the Endangered Species Act, or weaken it. A decision to weaken the ESA for the West’s iconic Columbia and Snake River salmon could send an ecological ripple across the country — affecting every endangered species in the nation.

© Matt Leidecker

And the situation doesn’t look good. Instead of charting its own path, the administration is working off an illegal Bush administration plan for endangered salmon.

Because they return to the biggest, highest and best-protected habitat in America, endangered Snake River salmon are slated as the West’s best chance to save salmon for future generations in an environment threatened by climate change. These cold, crisp waters of spanning three Western states — Washington, Oregon and Idaho, will remain cold under warming climates, protecting these one-of-a-kind salmon with a one-of-a-kind habitat. Making the wrong decision on these rivers would effectively dam (pun fully intended) these salmon to extinction.

With our roots in the Northwest, it’s hard for us to imagine not having salmon returning home to our rivers each year. But we’re faced with that very possibility right now. We are the last generation who gets to decide if we’re going to save wild salmon for our kids and grandkids. We’re it.

The Columbia-Snake Rivers may not be in your own backyard, but the effects of this decision certainly will be.

Take Action Now!

It’s been nearly 20 years since Patagonia teamed up with Save Our Wild Salmon to take on what seemed like the impossible: remove four dams on the Lower Snake River to clear a path for Idaho’s iconic salmon. Today, we’re closer than ever to making it all happen. And Patagonia has remained an unwavering ally.

So, why these fish? Why these dams? Snake River salmon have the most epic of all migrations — swimming further and climbing higher than any salmon on Earth. And as noted by Steven Hawley in Patagonia’s Environmental Essay — with climate change bearing down, saving these high-elevation fish is the West’s best shot at saving salmon.

From “The Idaho Tide” by Steven Hawley:

Late summer’s low flow barely bumped our kayaks down one of the main veins draining the vast wilderness of north-central Idaho, delivering us to the mouth of a place I’ll call Bigfoot Creek. The thin skin of water over rock made the prospect of a 10-mile side canyon hike sans socks seem like a better idea than sticking to some lame compulsion to make miles on the water. Besides, it would be worth the blisters if we got to see chinook salmon finning in a clear, deep pool we knew lay up there. Before we’d even tightened the straps on our sandals, we startled three napping wolves from their creekside beds along the Bigfoot. The looks on their faces gave the impression they were as surprised as we were.

Wolves are thriving in the Idaho woods for the same reason salmon should be – lots of protected, healthy habitat. But it’s the fish whose presence triggers the larger ecological ripple. Salmon tend to wander a bit farther than wolves. In 2003, an Idaho steelhead was caught in the Pacific near the Kuril Islands in northern Japan. Fattening on the bounty of the sea makes salmon the building blocks of forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest and until recently, the region’s rivers were the highways that delivered them to and from the trees. More than a hundred vertebrates, from the tiny Trowbridge’s shrew to wolves to the more cumbersome killer whale depend on the sustenance salmon provide. Decomposing salmon bodies provide ocean-derived nutrients for soils that nurture old-growth forests.

To honor salmon’s vital ecological contribution as well as their uncanny endurance and navigational skills, a 5,000-square-mile swath of Idaho, Oregon and Washington (reserving Hell’s Canyon, all the forks of the Salmon and the Selway Rivers) has been blessed with federal protection. Visionary Idaho senator Frank Church didn’t set aside the Idaho portion of this Connecticut-sized area just for wolves or whitewater junkies. He did it for the salmon, and made sure this rationale was included in the language of his landmark 1968 wilderness bill. It became law, and the effort eventually spawned tribute to its sponsor. The largest piece of this salmon sanctuary is now known as the Frank Church Wilderness. Alas, over the past four decades, too few salmon have made it to the Church on time.

The sin lies not in the wilderness, but in the dammed. Wild Idaho waters feed the Snake, which eventually joins the Columbia. These two rivers have been transformed into a series of eight slackwater impoundments behind as many obstructions in the long, slow ride between Lewiston, Idaho, and Portland, Oregon. For nearly two decades, a growing constituency of fishermen, farmers, business leaders, brave politicians and conservation groups like Save Our Wild Salmon have been backing a modest proposal: Take out half the dams. Just the four smaller ones on the Snake. With the grim prospect of climate change posing an added threat to the myriad Pacific ecosystems, many of which rely on salmon as a keystone species, removing the dams has become a mission that’s moved beyond regional borders.

Ken Balcomb is the director for the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island in Puget Sound. It’s a long way from here to Lewiston, but Balcomb sees the connection. He’s spent most of his time tracking the resident killer whales that cruise the sound in summer. He knows that chinook are whale food. The health of these orcas and that of the chinook population in the nearby ocean neatly track each other. Unfortunately, it’s a track leading toward extinction. Orcas joined Snake River chinook on the Endangered Species list in 2006. “There used to be this huge biomass of chinook in the ocean, produced by all the rivers of the Pacific Coast; the Columbia was the big horse of all those,” Balcomb told me. “We’re down to less than one percent of historic abundance. Climate change doesn’t look good for salmon in the Klamath or the Sacramento. But there’s a lot of intact habitat left on the Snake. It’s our best shot. I think any reasonable biologist will tell you the only way to take advantage of it is to tear out the dams.”

In the pristine water above the dams, predators abound. Back on Bigfoot Creek we watched a black bear sow and her two cubs splashing about, the mama submersing her head in the creek looking for a quick snack. Her behavior made us all the more hopeful a few chinook would be waiting up at the pool. More wild luck: guarded by weathered granite spires, a dozen big kings patrolled blue-green water so clear you could make out the spider-web pattern of cracks in specific boulders at the river bottom. Basking in the last blast of summer heat with all eyes on the water, it was easy to imagine we were 700 miles out in the tropical Pacific rather than that distance from its colder gray shores.

We slaked a considerable thirst from the cold, clean water of the creek, toasting salmon, bears, wolves and whales, then made our way back to the boats. Camped that night beneath cedars on an acre of white sand we had all to ourselves, I swilled the last of that good water, thinking again of all the lives nurtured by the Bigfoot. Racked out with one eye on the rising moon, I succumbed to the sensation I’d drifted off to sleep by the sea, rising and falling on an unleashed Idaho tide.