Renan Ozturk on Meru. Photo: Jimmy Chin

Since the 5Point Film Festival first launched five years ago, the event has welcomed and honored some of the world’s most celebrated adventurers. Founded as a community that aims to stoke the fire of adventure through film, art and live performances, the festival has always been a place to gather around the proverbial fire and tell stories of adventures and journeys past and those on the horizon.

This year, 5Point is proud to welcome Piolets d’Or nominated climbers Renan Ozturk and Jimmy Chin, Hayden Kennedy, paddlers and National Geographic Adventurers of the Year, Erik Boomer and Jon Turk, and skateboard legend Tony Alva to the festival. Pushing their limits in their own lives and in their respective communities, this year’s special guests are changing their sport and the world, one adventure at a time.

RENAN OZTURK AND JIMMY CHIN: last fall, Conrad Anker, Renan Ozurk and Jimmy Chin tackled an historic first ascent of the Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru in the Garwhal Himalaya.

“Meru was the most challenging climb of my life. Not once, but twice! It’s an honor and privilege to be asked to share our story with the 5Point community, many of whom have supported us throughout our careers as climbers and creatives. We hope to give something special back to the tribe that has given us so much,” Jimmy Chin said.

The three-person climbing team had attempted and suffered on the alpine wall in 2008 and Meru has long been the objective just out of reach for 30 years of climbers and is steeped in lore as it is considered the center of the universe in the Hindu cosmology and is the source of the Ganges River.

“I’m super excited to present the Meru story with Jimmy at 5point this year! It will be the first time that we will tell the FULL story, complete with never before seen video from our experience. Beyond the nitty gritty of the climb, we hope the convey what is was like to pick ourselves back up for a second try after the most serious and humbling failure of our lives,” Ozturk said. “I couldn’t image a better community to share it with, hope to see you there!”

Ozturk and Chin will share their experience in a special presentation on Saturday, April 28.

Jon Turk and Erik Boomer on Ellesmere Island. Photo: Erik Boomer

ERIK BOOMER AND JON TURK: Arctic explorer Jon Turk and pro kayaker Erik Boomer completed the first 1,485-mile circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island, Canada. The journey around the world’s tenth largest island took 104 days on skis, in kayaks and on foot. Polar experts considered this to be the last great, unattempted polar expedition, so daunting due to its remoteness and dangerous ice conditions — no one had attempted it before last summer. Turk and Boomer will be on hand for a special presentation on Friday, April 27.

“The opportunity to travel in such a remote and dynamic environment for so long was exactly the type of challenge and experience I spend my life seeking,” Boomer said. “I am stoked to talk about our experience with the 5Point community because sharing our experience around Ellesmere island gives us the chance to revisit the hardships, emotions and incredible lessons that we learned and felt on our 104-day journey — except we don’t have to deal with the polar bears, walrus, crushing ice and below freezing cold water.”

Hayden Kennedy and Jason Kruk on Cerro Torre. Photo: Jason Kruk

HAYDEN KENNEDY: many consider Cerro Torre the most beautiful and compelling mountains in the world — a postcard for the ideal that is alpinism. In January 2012, Carbondale local Hayden Kennedy and Canadian Jason Kruk became the first climbers to summit the Southeast Ridge of Cerro Torre by fair means. Kennedy will give a presentation about his historic ascent at 5Point on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

“The more I go climbing and the more I alpine climb, I think of [climbing] more like an art form than an actual activity. For me, climbing is the art of freedom. It’s an art form that people can interpret any way they wish,” Kennedy said.

Tony Alva. Photo: Bine Zalohar

TONY ALVA: Considered to be one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, Tony Alva, an original Z-Boy, hit rock bottom five years ago battling drug addiction and alcoholism. There, at his lowest point, his reliance on successes and ego came into perspective for the first time. Tony’s fight for sobriety and truth has lead him to a new perspective on life moving forward. Dedicated to giving back, Tony now sees passing the bucket as the only way out.

“I’m extremely excited about this year’s festival. 5Point, to me, represents one of the best places for this community to come together to celebrate and motivate one another. This year we have an incredible lineup of films and adventurers from National Geographic explorers Jon Turk and Erik Boomer to Piolets d’Or nominees Renan Ozturk and Jimmy Chin to ground-breaking alpinist Hayden Kennedy and skate boarding legend Tony Alva — all speaking to the individual freedom and artistic flow that defines this community,” 5Point executive director, Justin Clifton, said. “The level of storytelling at this year’s festival is phenomenal — the audience is in for quite a ride.”

The fifth annual 5Point Film Festival will take place April 26 to 29, 2012 in Carbondale, Colorado, featuring a five-star roster of adventure films, special guests and live performances. All events will take place at the Carbondale Recreation Center and other local hot spots. The complete festival program will be announced in late March at http://5pointfilm.org/.

The 5Point Festival is graciously presented and made possible by sponsors Patagonia, Garfield County, Bethel Party Rentals, Alchemy Concert Systems, Polartec, Timbers Resorts, Alpine Bank, Bighorn Toyota, CLIF BAR, New Belgium Brewery,i3 Graphic Design, Town of Carbondale, Osprey Packs, The Aspen Times & Post Independent.

The 5Point Film Festival is on a mission to inspire adventure of all kinds, to connect generations through shared experience and respect, to engage passion with a conscience, and to educate through film. Proceeds from the 5Point Film Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit, benefit 1% for the Planet and other non-profits throughout the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.

Taking the day off to climb some red rock and soak up some Colorado sunshine at 5Point Film Festival.

I’m thankful everyday for the wonderful group of people I get to work with. It seems that even on the busiest day, someone will pop out of nowhere with a quick email, message or phone call that reminds me to stop, breathe and be incredibly grateful for the work that I’m doing. Over the last month, I’ve teamed up with a few more friends and I’m excited about what we’ve tackled so far and what is yet to come. So big thanks to…

5Point Film Festival. I’d never been to 5Point Film Festival before last year. The road to and from the festival was paved with craziness, but while we were in Carbondale, I remember feeling a sense of community that I’d never felt at a festival before. We weren’t running around, having rushed conversations and trying to eek our way into the films we wanted to see. We had the days off to hang out with good folks, climb up some red rock and soak up some sweet Colorado sun, and then we all gathered into the same room and watched the same films, together. Afterward, we all shared cold brews and talked about what we had seen and experienced. It was awesome. And I was hooked.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all kumbaya and holding hands. There was plenty of debauchery, hot tubs and fireworks to balance it all out. As I’m working with the 5Point team to get ready for this year’s festival, I’m already excited for what’s in store. Justin Clifton, you’re going to kill it. Jake Marty, you better show me those dance moves. Jenny Nichols and Andy Maser, you’re going to Wild Love all over that place. Sarah Kuck, you’re never going to know what hit you.

The White Salmon River erupting through Condit Dam, free for the first time in a century. Photo © Andy Maser

American Rivers. Have I told you how much I love free-flowing rivers? How about explosive dam removal? Oh, and what about bulldozers knocking chunks of concrete out of the river’s way? I started my career with a river nonprofit up in Bellingham, Washington and have spent most of the last decade advocating for free-flowing rivers and wild salmon in one way or another. But I’m not going to lie, I burned out. I burned out big time. I was exhausted from working on a tough campaign and feeling like I was constantly banging my head against the damn concrete dams we were trying to remove on the lower Snake River.

But then something happened. I was in a room with a bunch of rad folks at the Patagonia Tools Conference with a friend from American Whitewater on the weekend that crews cut the first notches into Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River. I felt something. I felt like I was going to scream and shout and start crying. And then a month later while I was packed under a tent with hundreds of people and watched crews blast a hole in the base of Condit Dam. As soon as the White Salmon River erupted through that dam, I lost it. I screamed, I shouted and cried. I hugged everyone in sight. I was no longer burned out. I was fired up. 

Thanks American Rivers. I’m excited to be a part of this incredible fight. Want to fight? Do it here.

Jake Norton, renowned climber, guide and founder of Challenge21: Water For People, One Peak at a Time

Challenge21. I first met Jake Norton and Wende Valentine at Mountainfilm last year. But I first got to know them last August when they opened their home to Andy Maser, Jenny Nichols and me for our very first Wild Love interview. I was amazed by their generosity, their mindfulness and I was completely in awe at their ability to juggle two more than full-time careers, two adorable and very energetic children and still be completely in love with each other.

What’s even more amazing? They had recently kicked off a campaign called Challenge21. Jake, a renowned climber and guide, is aiming to be the first climber to complete the Triple Seven Summits – the three highest peaks on each continent – to help combat the world’s most pressing development needs: water and sanitation. His goal is to raise $2.1 million for the Denver-based non-profit Water For People and engage and impassion 2.1 million people in the global water and sanitation crisis. Wende works with Water For People and she and Jake dreamed this campaign up together. Climbing the Triple Seven Summits sounds impossible and kind of crazy, but the really crazy part is this statistic: unsafe water and sheer lack of sanitation in the developing world kills one child under the age of five every 30 seconds. A fact that drives Jake and Wende to tackle this problem each and every day.

Do your part to help here.

Thank you, and happy Friday!

This February Live Worldly has teamed up with partners Challenge21 and Water For People to launch Climbing the Mountain to Clean Water Campaign. Over the course of the month Live Worldly will be giving away unique items from Tibet and India to build awareness around the world’s most pressing development needs: water and sanitation and to raise funds to help solve the problem.

“We recognize that the water and sanitation crisis is one of the most alarming issues that is affecting people worldwide and believe in doing something on a larger scale. Live Worldly is proud to support Jake and Challenge21 because the campaign is about taking action to raise awareness and money for this global issue,” said Kael Robinson, Live Worldly founder and Challenge21 partner. “Jake has uniquely combined his passion for climbing with his deep-rooted desire to address this worldwide cause and has set his goals very high. We’re proud to team up with Challenge21 and lend a hand in the fight for clean water. We encourage others to do the same by educating themselves about the global water crisis, sharing that knowledge and offering financial support.”

Donate here.

Challenge21 co-founder and renowned climber, Jake Norton, is aiming to be the first climber to complete the Triple Seven Summits – the three highest peaks on each continent – to help combat the world’s most pressing development needs: water and sanitation. His goal is to raise $2.1 million for the Denver-based non-profit Water for People and engage and impassion 2.1 million people in the global water and sanitation crisis. Having already climbed six of the Challenge21 peaks — Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Everest, Cerro Aconcagua, Mount McKinley, Mount Stanley and Vinson Massif — Jake is preparing for his next endeavor this February: El Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, the third highest peak in North America.

“Climbing the world’s great mountains has a huge amount of embedded drama and visibility… but, at the end of the day, usually the only people really benefitting from a given climb are the climbers themselves. As both a professional climber and a husband and father, I knew I wanted to keep climbing, but also ensure it meant something, and had an impact far beyond myself. In short, I wanted to make sure I have a really good reason for spending months of my life away from my family, in faraway places, putting myself at risk… Challenge21 is the direct result of this desire,” said Jake Norton, mountaineer and Challenge21 co-founder. “Each climb includes a fundraising target, and an opportunity for people to donate funds directly to Water For People via Challenge21. Partners like Live Worldly are enabling people to get involved through their purchases. The protection cords and other products from Live Worldly are not only a powerful symbol of the climbs of Challenge21, but also directly support our work and our goals with Water For People.”

Challenge21 Team: Wende Valentine, Kael Robinson and Jake Norton wearing the Live Worldly protection cords.

Jake and his team will acclimate first on La Malinche, climbing some 4,100 feet to the summit, before heading off to Orizaba to climb another 4,400 feet, for a total of roughly 8,500 feet of climbing over four days. By raising money and awareness, every step along the way brings us one step closer to addressing the world’s problem of clean water and adequate sanitation. Over the month of February Live Worldly will be giving away featured products – Love in India Bracelet,  Live Tibetan Protection Cord, Live Tibetan Prayer Bead Necklace, Live Tibetan Silk Khata, and the grand prize is an assortment of Live Tibetan products in a brand new Live Venezuelan leather bag (a $300 value).

Live Worldly is urging people to donate money to help the team reach their campaign goal of $8,500. Each dollar donated is good for one entry throughout the giveaways ($10 = 10 entries) and represents one foot of the climb to clean water. In addition, Live Worldly is selling featured products — Love in India Bracelet,  Live Tibetan Protection Cord, Live Tibetan Prayer Bead Necklace and Live Tibetan Silk Khata — and donating a portion of the proceeds to Water for People via Challenge21.

“Unsafe water and sheer lack of sanitation in the developing world kills one child under the age of five every 30 seconds. As a mother of two children under the age of five, I imagine myself as one the mothers of the children who make up this staggering statistic and I feel more compelled than ever to break this extreme cycle of poverty that vastly differs from what we experience in the western world,” said Wende Valentine, major gifts officer of Water For People and Challenge21 co-founder. “Due to lack of infrastructure and poor programming over decades, basic human needs are simply not being met. Everyone can be a part of this massive global effort by becoming aware of these geographic disparities and by contributing towards lasting solutions through Water For People. Together we have a chance to make a measurable difference that can ultimately transform entire communities around the world and allow us to truly “live worldly”!

Donate here.

Chris Kassar taking the time to say a prayer at the proposed dam site of the Baker River. Patagonia, Chile. Photo: James Q Martin

by Chris Kassar via The Cleanest Line

Every time I kneel down next to a river – even if just for a moment – I swear I can hear it speak to me. I know this probably sounds crazy, but I also know I’m not the only one who hears wise murmurs rising from the ripples of wild waters. For many of us, the rhythm of a river can mesmerize our soul, capture our spirit and force us to really stop and listen.

The Baker River, nestled deep in the mountains of Chilean Patagonia, is no different. I spent weeks walking its banks, riding its waves, and crunching through the epic ice fields that feed it. I even floated over the exact spot where its journey as a river ended and it emptied into the sea – a feat in and of itself given that so many rivers, including my very own Colorado, no longer even make it all the way to the ocean. But, this trip from source to sea was much more than just a fun adventure. We – team Rios Libres – immersed ourselves in the landscape so we could arm ourselves with the knowledge needed to join the fight to protect Patagonia’s wildlands and the people who depend on them.

During our excursion, the mighty Baker spoke volumes and gave us a glimpse into what the world used to be like – full of untamed lands, untouched rivers, intact forests and people who depended on the land and each other to survive. Spending a month at the edge of the world was like traveling back in time to an age when things were simpler and nature remained largely unaltered by the trappings of man.

Unfortunately, the experience we had may not be available for future generations unless we raise our voices and speak for the river. Huge walls of concrete threaten to choke the furious turquoise flow of Chile’s most voluminous river, the Baker and its rugged sister, the Pascua. If allowed, big business will ruin pristine old-growth forests, destroy the gaucho culture and silence the beautiful sound of these waters only to replace them with the disheartening din of ‘civilization’ – bulldozers, power lines, reservoirs and dams… all to provide power for the destructive mining industry in the north.

Timmy O'Neill dropping Class V on the Baker River. Photo: James Q Martin

But this doesn’t have to happen. Perhaps, if we could just sit and listen more carefully, we might hear the river speak and fully grasp the idea that it is more important to protect the river’s power than harness it. Chile has the opportunity to learn from mistakes made in the past; they can act as a model for the rest of the world by seeking alternatives that allow them to gain energy independence while still maintaining the character of Patagonia.

We’ve written about this in the past and our team made an award-winning film called Power in the Pristine that documented our source-to-sea adventure and highlighted the various threats to the region.

So why are we writing now? We’re writing because this fight is far from over and we need your help in giving this river and its people a voice once again. A lot has happened over the past year and it seems that the wild character of the entire region – which was once endangered – is now closer to extinction than ever before. The following video will catch you up on the issue. We hope it inspires you to read on and to act. The river speaks and so can you!

***

Synopsis of recent happenings: In May 2011, the government approved the dams. Tens of thousands of Chileans took to the streets in opposition and six weeks later, the Court temporarily halted all construction due to a pending appeal. This was especially significant since the Court was the only Chilean authority to challenge the project since its inception in 2008. However, in October, the Chilean appeals court ruled in favor of the dam project causing the volley to continue as opponents who want to protect this unique environment brought their challenge to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, the project still requires a permit for more than 1,250 miles (2,000-km) of transmission line to carry the 2,750 megawatts generated from deep in southern Patagonia to the capital Santiago. Earlier this week (Dec. 5), HidroAysen – the company behind the dam project – released initial plans for the powerline and the environmental analysis will begin in March 2012.

Clearly, the fight to protect Chile’s pristine rivers and wildlands is not over; protests continue and polls show that over 74% of Chileans oppose the dams. This Saturday, December 10, thousands will return to the streets in Coyahique and other cities in Chile to show the government that they oppose this decision. If you cannot make the event in Chile, please show your solidarity by taking action through these groups:

1. Rios Libres: Join the ‘virtual march’ to keep Patagonia Wild!
2. NRDC: Tell Chile’s President to stop the HidroAysén project from destroying Patagonia (Learn more)
3. International Rivers: Demand Democracy for Chile – NO to HidroAysén!

The river speaks and so can you!

For more info go to: www.rioslibres.com.

• Anna Brones. You get big high fives for quite a few reasons this week, but especially for becoming my go-to music maven, especially for mashups like this, and this… and this.
• Jenny Nichols. Umm… Wild Love is hitting full steam because of you, hot stuff. So excited to be working with this incredible + creative lady.
• American Rivers. I talk about free-flowing rivers a lot. That’s because I love them, and I get to work with inspiring world changers like the folks at AR.
• Save Our Wild Salmon. Keep on fighting.
• Andy Maser. Thank you.
• ‎”How much of your own heart would you protect?” — Dr. Sylvia Earle when talking about the ocean. Keep up the fabulous work, iLCP.
• Rachel Meyer, Amber Valenti, Molly Downey + Meagan Nuchols. There are no words. You rock.
• Big ups to Gareth, Sam, Courtney, Jeff and the entire Osprey Packs family.
• Justin Clifton. 5Point is going to be amazing. And thank you for posting this video today… gives us all something to aspire to.

Happy Friday!

Just moments after the blast, and after I tackled American Rivers' Amy Souers Kober in excitement. Courtesy Klean Kanteen

There are no words to describe how freaking awesome it was to witness the White Salmon River erupt through Condit Dam on Wednesday, so just watch the video here via Andy Maser and National Geographic and CELEBRATE! Powerful, powerful stuff.

PHOTO via Klean Kanteen’s FB page. Thanks for your support!

PHOTO of Marmot Dam explosion via

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the deconstruction of the dams on the Elwha River. I now have three chunks of concrete sitting on my mantle — two from Elwha Dam and one from Marmot Dam that was destroyed a couple of years ago. You might say I’m becoming a bit obsessed with dam removal… but hey, it’s pretty damn cool to see four dams come down in my lifetime and I’m not even 30 yet.

Our rockstar friend and filmmaker Andy Maser just released his most recent teaser for American Rivers’ Year of the River series celebrating the Elwha and White Salmon river restorations.

“I was so determined that the river run free and that the fish would return. I couldn’t stop. I always believed that Condit Dam would come down someday. What I didn’t think would happen, is that it would be in my lifetime.” — Phillis Clausen, a longtime resident of the White Salmon area and one of the most kick-ass river advocates I’ve ever known.

In less than two weeks, crews will pack the dam full of dynamite and blow it up, freeing the White Salmon almost immediately. They estimate the reservoir will drain in less than 6 hours. While no one can actually be there to see the blast, Andy is setting up several cameras at the site to catch all of the action. So stay tuned… and if you want to see some photos and updates leading up to the blast, visit Andy’s White Salmon Timelapse Project site.

And last, but not least, we want to give a major shout-out to New Belgium Brewery and Klean Kanteen who are supporting this incredible. Check out this great Skinny Dip ad on the White Salmon several years ago. Pretty cool to see it come full circle.

Happy Friday!

October has always been one of my favorite months because fall is such a dynamic season. The leaves are going through the mind-blowing process of changing colors, perspectives are rich as we leave the playful months of summer by preparing emotionally and perhaps physically for winter and the down jackets begin to become a reality once again… which is never a bad thing!

Although there are probably at least ‘one million‘ other events and notable happenings taking place this month, here is one that speaks to us:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month — having lost my mom to this bullshit, I honor and recognize the varied and vast amount of energy and effort that so many people put into not only the awareness but the eradication of this disease. The forces behind finding a cure are unstoppable! So thank you to Osprey Packs who is supporting this energy by selling a special edition pack and donating packs to climbers participating in Climbing for a Cure. Thank you to the individuals who are digging deep for the answers and well done to the survivors who are walking proud and carrying on… you are all true inspirations.

What’s happening for YOU this October… we’d love to hear all about it!

Take care!

Love from under solen

I saw a post from a friend on Facebook as the news spread of Steve Jobs’ death and all that it said was “iSad”.  This simple and clever post made me laugh while the rest of the world was/is mourning the passing of an exceptional thinker. From this laughter came deep gratitude for all of the people that are in our lives and who fill it consistently with smiles, hope and grace.

I will borrow Steve Jobs words and Rihanna’s song (to be played extremely loud — don’t be ashamed) as we raise our glasses to YOU as we venture into another beautiful weekend:

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”  — Steve Jobs

Thank you to the brands who carefully select and build products that truly stand for something and better our world in some small or large way. Cheers to the musicians and filmmakers who bare their soul each and every time a microphone or camera covers their face. Thank you to the non-profits who exist out of pure passion for something that needs to be believed in. Cheers to the silent leaders that fill our world, I trust that your voices will be heard in those times of need.

We honor and send high fives out to you ALL!  HAPPY FRIDAY and we hope that you ROCK OUT HARD THIS WEEKEND!