The reply depends upon the context. I specialise in mountain operating and extremely distances – my job revolves round operating, but additionally across the mountains and being an envoy for the mountains. I’m an athlete, author, photographer. I create content material, I’m concerned in product design and improvement. I set up occasions and work for nonprofits. I additionally do talking engagements, and clinics.
For the uninitiated, what distinguishes mountain operating from path operating?
The distinction is highlighted within the names. Path is on a set path and might get fairly technical. Mountain operating is all encompassing. It’s associated to the mountain atmosphere, being on path, but additionally means off-trail. It sometimes has extra technical implications, like some scrambling concerned – issues that may not essentially appear like operating. It’s a bit like cross nation operating however with extra important elevation.
On the finish of a solo journey in 2016 was after I first got here on to the Black Diamond workforce. I’ve been lucky to work with Black Diamond on quite a few issues, from content material creation, to storytelling, to completely different tasks like making movies, writing items, doing talks. I’m additionally concerned in design and product improvement.
The design philosophy comes from working from the core first: supporting the athletes of their actions, then seeing how that product can have a extra common use.They don’t simply give me a fundamental product I’ve to adapt to the issues I’m doing – they ask what I have to create the perfect product.
Within the product improvement part, I get to check issues in actual time. It’s a terrific relationship with a lot of collaboration and concept trade. I’m lucky to work with actually good designers the place I’ll say, “this didn’t work” and so they’ll come again with one thing I hadn’t considered.
I’m working on a brand new route within the San Juan mountains, the mountain vary in southern Colorado the place I reside. It’s a 400 mile tour that I’ll be doing as a fastpack. I don’t know precisely how lengthy it would take, however most likely 8 to 10 days of fastpacking. The objective is to create a route to supply to the neighborhood, highlighting the fantastic thing about the vary. I began engaged on it final summer time, and I hope to fastpack it round July, when the snow melts. I’ll be engaged on a movie with Black Diamond on that mission and piecing all of it collectively.