Since I first put on the Mountain Hardwear Chockstone Jersey to guide in the Tetons five weeks ago, it hasn’t left my sight. I traveled to Chile last week to heli-ski guide and, amazingly–summer or winter–this jersey was always comfortable and left my core at just the right temperature. And at nine ounces, it’s so light and small that it easily fits into a quart-sized zip-lock bag for easy waterproof storage.
I hate tight rock shoes. Don’t get me wrong–I realize the need for a precise, tight fit, though after nineteen pitches and almost eight hours, I will take comfort over anything else. My partner and I were nearing the top of Mt. Stuart’s classic north ridge when I realized something remarkable: my feet were totally comfortable. While this isn’t inconceivable in rock shoes, I wasn’t used to this kind of comfort in a shoe that climbed so well. I had cranked them down for the two crux gendarme pitches and was able to edge easily on small nubbins. When the climbing backed off again, a quick flick of the Velcro put me back into super-comfy mode.
Watch the ten-minute video that documents the third ascent of the Grand Teton’s Exum Ridge, and read the story of George Waters, the photographer and climber who captured the footage–one of the first video accounts of such a committing peak–in 1931.
