Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Hi everyone my name is Randy Schultz and I am writing to tell of an amazing adventure I have recently been on.

Two months ago a dream of mine came true. I was invited to join a team of elite athletes to go north of the Arctic Circle to spend 28 days living in tents on ice and climbing mountains to reach the summits so that we could jump off!

I am a Canadian BASE jumper and this wonderful area was not only one of my highest priority destinations but also a very rare opportunity to explore a northern region of my incredible home, Canada.

The trip by no means was easy or very comfortable, but more than anything it was completely amazing and fulfilling.

The trip started as such, Kamloops to Ottawa then private charter to Iqaluit and onto Clyde River, one of the last most northern habitations in Baffin Island. We spent a quick night there setting up tents on the frozen tundra, with a slap in the face realization of where we were. Two tents with bags in them lifted off the ground and flew a couple hundred feet away twirling like leaves in the wind. This wonderful place is truly rugged.

With an early rise and some boiled snow and dehydrated food we were on the snowmobiles and Kamoteks (special Inuit sleighs). A five to six hour ride across the tundra and ice fields guided at this point by wise Inuit guides. We stop for an excellent lunch of Arctic Char and Bannock right beside my first iceberg, beautiful and blue looming thirty feet out of the frozen ocean.

A couple hours later we arrived, mind blown, as the land had gone from flat to five thousand foot shear walls of glorious proportion. I have lived in the mountains most my life and travel to mountainous regions often but I have never seen such a display of our ice age, smooth paths carved into the mountains straight to the ocean. And not just a few – as far as you can see all around you. I was in a living piece of my own heaven.

We joined up with the other half of our team who had arrived the day before due to the amount of gear and size of group. We set up our tents and the team shut down, we all know tomorrow is jump day.

Our camp is situated right below some amazing 3500 foot cliffs with summits not far off, just a few hours to reach. As I lay going to sleep I realize how truly stoked I am to have geared myself the way I did, the wind blowing, the freezing cold setting in, and me comfy in my tent warm and safe from the elements.

For this I need to thank Icebreaker for my base layers, as well Taiga for my outer layers and sleeping bag, and Hillsound crampons for grip on ice later in the trip (so necessary for safety), and all my friends and family that helped me so much to make this trip a possibility. Thank you all for believing in your friends and sons dream.

In total – I climbed 18 mountains, 70000 vertical with 17 flights! This trip brought me so much, I am extremely grateful for my safe experience of this truly amazing rarely touched piece of our country and world…..YAHOO FREEDOM!

Below I have attached a link to our groups slide show compilation of our trip, put together by a fellow jumper and personal friend Douggs, it gives a view of our adventures, experiences, friendships, hikes, flights and camp site.

I hope it finds you all entertainment.

Baffin Island Photo slideshow 2010 from douggs on Vimeo.

-Randy Schultz, Canadian BASE Jumper and Icebreaker fan

One of the best things about Icebreaker is our relationships with our merino wool growers.  Last weekend I was lucky enough to get invited to spend  some time at Cluden Station with Anna (our New Zealand Corporate Account Manager) and her partner Sam.  We started off by having dinner with some farmers from a neighbouring station.  Incredible company, a  great roast meal and some wine made for a fun night.

Although it rained the entire time I was there, when we made it up to the high country (via a very bumpy and exciting ride in a ute), I saw one of the most incredible sights ever.  It was snowing all around me and when I looked down the mountain it was completely green.  For many people who live near or experience the mountains on a regular basis, this may not be a big deal, but for a “townie” like me it was pretty special.

Lucky for me my IcebreakerGT Base Layer 200 Crew paired with a Superfine LS Hood and topped off with Real Fleece kept me toasty warm in the snow at the top of the mountain.  Sam was kind enough to stop the ute a few times so I could take photos.  I was totally a tourist and very much appreciated the patience of my hosts.

In the high country, the merino sheep were a bit difficult to spot, but thanks to some very skilled and lovable dogs, I was able to see two merino running down the mountain.  It was awesome to see the source of the merino that was keeping me warm in all that snow.

Overall it was a great trip where I learned heaps about what life in the country is like here in New Zealand, and  I was lucky enough to experience some spectacular scenery and hospitality.

- Swave Szymczyk, Global In-Store Marketing Manager

Adventure seekers love Icebreaker, and Icebreaker loves adventure seekers.  For that reason we were ecstatic to get involved when Anthony Bonello and his team at b4apres got in touch with us about their backcountry ski film that was being shot in the Himalayas.  To be exact they are based out of the Gulmarg Ski Resort in Kashmir.  Spending a good portion of the winter season in the cold and snow, these film makers are creating a documentary showcasing the beauty and culture of Kashmir in hopes to dispel the stigma that this is a dangerous place to travel.

Icebreaker could not think of a better way to help these extreme skiers and artists out than to provide them with some Icebreaker Merino socks, leggings and tops to keep the warm while hiking the mountains, packing film gear, scoping fresh powder lines and interviewing the locals.  Their film promises to impress and the team here at Icebreaker wish them all the best.

Here is a synopsis from Anthony on the film and their project:

b4apres Media’s debut film is a cultural documentary as seen through the eyes of skiers. We will travel into the mountains surrounding the Gulmarg Ski Resort, Kashmir in order to capture the aesthetic beauty of the landscape and the livelihoods of a people eager to dispel the stigma that Kashmir is a dangerous place to travel.

We intend to single out the colorful and iconic local characters within the skiing culture of Gulmarg and convey their passion for the mountains. By allowing the Kashmiri people to show where they are from and significantly, where they are going, the essence of what Kashmir means to its people and what it can mean to the rest of world will be articulated. As foreigners with relatively little experience or understanding of Kashmir, we believe expressing the temperament of post-war Kashmir is best left to the locals.

With its fertile valleys and glaciated mountains, that form the very beginning of the Great Himalaya Mountain Range, the region has a distinct allure for skiers/snowboarders and travelers. With the world’s highest gondola rising to 3980m above sea level, the skiing potential is boundless. We intend to explore the mountains surrounding Gulmarg in search of the ultimate ski run.

To follow the trials and tribulations of making a film in India that is largely dependent on mother nature, check out b4apres.com

Watch the Gulmarg Ski Teaser video here