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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, April 27-30, 2019 B-7 The Park Record For blind adventurer, no difference from mountaineering to cubicles Weihenmayer tackles difficult Aspen bowl SCOTT CONDON Aspen Times ASPEN, Colo. – A visiting skier from Golden hoofed it up Highland Bowl in about 40 minutes on a partly cloudy April afternoon, took a breather at the 12,393-foot summit, clicked into his skis and then carefully picked his way down the steep slope. Nothing about the hike or descent was remarkable — until you factor in that the skier is blind. Erik Weihenmayer is world-renowned for his adventures. Tackling the Bowl is far from his most audacious feat. He captured international attention in May 2001 when he became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. He has an impressive climbing resume including the Seven Summits. He has solo kayaked the Grand Canyon, an accomplishment depicted in the documentary “The Weight of Water,” screening at 5Point Adventure Film Festival in Carbondale on April 28. “People think that because I do things and I’m blind, I’m a daredevil and I’m really not,” Weihenmayer said. “I’m not a daredevil at all.” For many people he is an inspiration, whether they have sight or not. There weren’t a lot of people hiking the Bowl when Weihenmayer tackled it April 9. But when they realized they were passing a blind dude, nearly all of them spoke words of encouragement or praise, took a photo with their smartphones or both. Weihenmayer, who lost his vision to retinoschisis as a teenager, is an avid skier at Colorado resorts. He first hiked and skied the Bowl about five years ago at the suggestion — insistence really — of his friend and guide Rob Leavitt of Basalt. Leavitt has been an instructor for Aspen Skiing Co. for 30 years and guides regularly for Challenge Aspen, which works to get handicapped people on the slopes and into the out- doors. The two men were paired 20-some years ago at Snowmass through a Challenge Aspen program and have skied together ever since. Leavitt said he used to be wiped out by their skiing sessions because guiding a blind person can be extremely stressful. “But now we work fairly well together so it’s really more of a normal ski day for me rather than a grueling work day with the blind guy,” Leavitt said. “We’ve gotten into a really nice rhythm.” As Weihenmayer tells it, Leavitt suddenly and surprisingly decided five seasons ago it was time they tackled the Bowl. “He said, ‘I think you’re ready.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m ready, let’s talk about this more.’ And (Rob) was like, ‘No, you’re ready.’” The hike features a 782-foot vertical rise with nearly constant exposure on steep ski slopes to the hiker’s left and a couple of sheer drop-offs to out-of-bounds terrain to the right. Skiers and snowboarders take off their boards, attach them to packs or slings and trudge their way up the slope. Footholds are typically kicked into the ridge’s snow for all but the trailblazers to utilize. Imagine finding those footholds and not straying off course with your eyes closed. It’s a frightening prospect. Then consider reaching the summit in a very respectable 40 minutes while doing so. “I was cautious because it’s so narrow there,” Weihenmayer said, referring to nearly all of the ascent terrain. “It’s good to know the consequences. On the left, I kept tapping my pole to know where the edge is. “I wouldn’t say I was nervous but a fall would be a bad consequence there, I keep hearing.” A reporter along for the trip was recruited into service as “Tinkerbell” — strapping a bear bell around a hand and constantly shaking it so Weihenmayer knew which direction he was headed. Weihenmayer was second in line. Leavitt was behind, providing guidance such as, “You really want to avoid the left side right now.” Skyler Williams, the business manager for Touch the Top, Weihenmayer’s business venture, shot video of the journey along with Aspen Times photographer Anna Stonehouse. Weihenmayer shaved about 5 minutes off his Bowl hike time compared with the previous day. “Yesterday I was huffing a little bit — a lot, actually,” he said. Acclimating for a day and night worked wonders. Once at the summit, Weihenmayer soaked in the experience almost like a sighted person — feeling the wind in his hair, feeling the sunlight hit his face, shooting the breeze with others at the summit. After a quick breather, it was time to ski down. “He’s climbed Everest so I knew hiking up wasn’t going to be a problem, so my job is to get him down,” Leavitt said. They have skied enough together that Leavitt doesn’t have to worry so much about Erik spilling and sliding down the wickedly steep slope. They can focus on making his style look “pretty and efficient,” Leavitt said. They have developed a unique system. Most visually impaired skiers are guided from behind. That way, the guide can keep an eye on the student and the terrain ahead. Leavitt, however, stays ahead of Weihenmayer. “By guiding from the front, the skier is skiing toward the voice,” Leavitt explained. “It just puts them in a more forward, athletic position better for skiing.” It’s also more challenging for the guide because they must swivel their head, constantly looking at the terrain in front, the skier behind and approaching skiers. The nice thing about the Bowl, Leavitt said, is there are no trees and relatively few other skiers. Leavitt has a microphone with a speaker in a pack around his waist. He constantly provides commands so Weihenmayer knows where he is and knows what to do. Erik links several turns at a time until they take a breather. Weihenmayer said he listens to the sound Leavitt’s skis make to get a feel for the terrain. “I can hear him kind of drop off into space and go, oh, he’s in a steep spot,” Weihenmayer said. Speaking of space, skiing the steep slopes of the Bowl gives Weihenmayer a celestial sensation. “On groomers, you don’t get that feeling of dropping into space on every turn,” he said. “So for me, I’d say it’s a pretty unique experience. That’s kind of a hard thing as a blind guy, that when you let go into space, you’re going to come around, ya know?” Weihenmayer tackled the steep part of the Bowl like the true athlete he is. Leavitt guided him down the ridge to the North Woods then curled into the terrain at the G4 and G5 paths in Highland Bowl. The steepest pitch in that terrain is 40 degrees. The average pitches are 36 to 37 degrees. The snow texture was delightfully chalky on the steep slopes, more slushy down below. The mogul fields on the runout to the Deep Temerity chairlift provided more of a challenge because of their unpredictable peaks and troughs. Weihenmayer had a couple of minor spills. The only time he had any physical contact with a guide on the hike or descent was when he was locating his skis at the summit. It was an awe-inspiring accomplishment to witness. Weihenmayer has an interesting perspective on his quests for adventure. “Look, life’s about what you choose to pursue,” he said. “This is what I choose to pursue. I have friends that are blind and they’re head of procurement for Sam’s Club. I look at that and say, ‘How in the world do you do that? How do you look at a spreadsheet when you’re blind?’ “It’s just sort of what you commit to and what you spend a lot of your time pursuing.” Weihenmayer isn’t solely an adrenaline junkie. He is an author, co-producer of films, and a highly sought motivational speaker. He also is a husband and a father to two children. His income from his speaking engagements and other business ventures goes to No Barriers, a nonprofit he co-founded in 2005. No Barriers works with people with physical and emo- Some of the petS at NuzzleS & Co. lookiNg for love These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located in the Tanger Outlets in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. Carlotta Mimi Roman Squeak Carlotta is a 6-year-old cattle dog mix. This sweet girl has just learned how to walk on a leash and is excited to go exploring! She is very sweet and loves to play with toys. Carlotta does well around cats and other dogs. Come and meet this sweet gal today! This lovely lady is Mimi, a gorgeous brindle pocket pittie who is about 4 years old. Mimi is a young, active girl who is looking for someone to connect with and go on adventures. She’s got a playful spirit and loves people and would be a great activity partner and companion! Meet Roman, a 6-year-old German Shepherd. He loves to go for walks and hang out with his people. Roman needs to be an only pet – he prefers to have the attention all to himself! Roman also loves to go swimming and would make the perfect buddy to take on adventures. Squeak is a teeny tiny Chihuahua puppy who is about 11 weeks old. She is a shy but sweet girl who is looking for a loving home where she can grow up surrounded by unconditional love! Squeak may be small, but she’s got oodles of love and snuggles to share! Biggs Fred Hector Kitty Biggs is a big, handsome cat and an even bigger sweetheart! He’s about 5 years old. Before coming to Nuzzles, Biggs was a well-socialized outdoor kitty, but now he’s looking for a loving home where he can spend the rest of his life enjoying the comforts of a well-loved and slightly-spoiled housecat! Fred is a handsome gentleman with a shiny black coat. He’s about 12 years old, and while he may be considered a senior, he’s got lots of life and love left in him! Fred is a mellow and relaxed cat who is looking for a loving forever home to call his own. Hector is a playful and silly 1-year-old Domestic Shorthair with a soft grey tabby and white coat. He is an outgoing cat who loves to chase toys and play with people and other cats. Hector will bring lots of love, fun, and snuggles to his forever home! Kitty is a 9-year-old Domestic Shorthair with a beautiful tortoiseshell coat. She can be shy at first, but with some TLC and time, she opens up and welcomes affection. Kitty would prefer to be the only pet in a peaceful and quiet forever home where she can relax and feel safe. WaNted: voluNteerS These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words Applegate Home Care & Hospice Applegate Home Care & Hospice is welcoming volunteers to join its team of caring professionals who dedicate their lives to helping others. The hospice volunteer offers service, compassion, and a listening ear to clients and their families. If you would like to volunteer or want to learn more about volunteering with Applegate, please contact the hospice volunteer coordinator at 800-871-0102 or visit applegatehomecare.com. back by assisting artists and facilitators with after-school programs in Park City and surrounding areas or in the Arts-Kids office on Bonanza Drive. Programs run for two-and-a-half hours weekly during parts of the fall and spring semesters, so your time commitment can be small, but the benefit to the kids will be great. Please visit Arts-Kids.org or call 435-615-7878 to learn more. Arts-Kids Help kids release their creativity and enjoy some terrific feed- For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/ volunteers BUY 1 BREAKFAST GET ANO OFF! ½ pr 0 THER M–Th only through A il 2 19 Open Everyday 7am–1pm www.breakfastatdanas.com Call for a To-Go Order! 435-658-0233 8178 Gorgoza Pines Rd (just off Jeremy Ranch exit) |