LoTech & Wild

In this final Alaska Edition episode of LoTech & Wild, Michelle speaks with Jennie Milton about Kite Surfing, Snowkiting, travels, love and more. Jennie Milton is a most inspiring human being full of get up and go! She started Adrenaline Sports back in 1992 in Canberra Australia and holds annual snow kiting camps in Valdez Alaska that are not to miss if you love adrenaline and snow sports! Look for her on IG as @adrenajen to see some stunning photos or find her website to learn more, which is adrenajen.com. Although this may be the last of the LoTech stories in cooperation with Valdez Adventure Alliance, LoTech and Wild will go on to cover other adventures in Key West Florida where a new sailing school is getting ready to open with the help of a long time friend and Captain. Please considering becoming a member of VAA, volunteer or donate today! On with the show!

Sean Wisner - Fire Chief, Writer, Plant based triathlete, Father, Bicycle and shoe junkie and all around bad ass dude. Check out his hasthtag and handle on IG - go to #LongRunLeadership or @akwisner to find out more and keep up with his antics!

Local Valdez resident, Climber, Maker. Kory has been a part of the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival since it became an "official" event. We talk about climbing, Valdez Adventure Alliance roots and - of course - ice.

Eric has been a long time resident of Valdez and instructor of the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival for years. He can pretty much teach anything. And, thanks to him, we get a nice warming trailer to protect us from the harsh cold and wind that can happen in the canyon. This year we had two clinics that took refuge there while prepping their students on the skills they were about to put to good use on the ice! This interview took place last Monday at Valdez Brewing where we were lucky enough to have the company of VICF22 Safety Team Lead, Devin Wilson, and a surprise visit from local legend, Brian Teale!

Katie McKinstry is a a climber, instructor, artists living the dream in Bozeman, Montana! She will be joining us for the Valdez Ice Climbing Festival this coming weekend February 18th through the 20th here in Valdez Alaska! You can follow her art by visiting hyalite designs.com where you can see her many retired rope pieces, drawings and photos!

Michelle speaks with CAMP USA athlete, Ryan Vachon, about behavior change, filmography and climate change. Watch Michelle forget the word “busking” while Ryan tells bad science jokes and wonders if Michelle will ever really say good bye! . Camp USA supports athletes and their work by supporting who they are as people and encouraging the good work they are doing for the sport of climbing as well as the planet! . @camp_usa #climbing #iceclimbing#climatechangeawareness#leavenotrace #packinpackout#bekindtooneanother#theworldischanging#getoutsideandplay

Julie and Michelle discuss cycling, fat biking, dry January, and phenomenon of quitting drinking alcohol altogether.

Carlos Buhler is one of America's most accomplished high altitude mountaineers, including a background of 46 international climbing expeditions.  His stories weave a fabric of success and failure on some of the most interesting and challenging routes up the remarkable mountains of the world.  The path he has followed illustrates the fine line between momentous success and excruciating catastrophe; between world class accomplishment and heart wrenching tragedy. His experience leading international climbing teams has given him unique perspectives into the delicate challenges of multicultural communication, leadership development and team dynamics. Since 1984 he has presented to, and consulted for, a wide variety of organizations and businesses in which leadership roles are carefully tuned to create an environment that allows their units to excel.   Carlos’ climbing speciality has been characterized by high altitude, no supplemental oxygen, minimal equipment, small teams and relatively small amounts of funding, whilst accomplishing first ascents on the highest mountains by difficult routes in challenging conditions.  In 1980, Carlos was invited to join the Spanish Aragon Himalayan Expedition where he and his Spanish partners made the first ascent of Baruntse's striking East Ridge and the first American ascent of the mountain (7,129 m / 23,390 ft.).  In 1983 an American team became the first to climb what is considered to be the most difficult and dangerous route up Mount Everest, the Central Rib of the Kangshung Face.  Carlos and his team reached the summit on October 8 and 9 – their route has never been repeated.  During the 1985 Himalayan December season, he and his American partner pioneered, in pure alpine style, the first ascent of the awe-inspiring Northeast Face of Ama Dablam (6812 m / 22,349 ft.). In 1988, Carlos led the first successful American expedition of Kangchenjunga (8586 m/28,169 ft.), the world’s third highest mountain.  Three of the five member international team summited Kangchenjunga and Carlos became the first American to reach the top of this foreboding mountain. In April 1992, Carlos's British climbing partner became sick in Base Camp just before their attempt of Nepal's iconic Dorje Lhakpa (6966 m / 22,854 ft.).  Carlos overcame this setback by climbing the West Ridge alone, making the first ever solo ascent of the mountain.  On his third attempt, in 1996, with a Russian team, Carlos ascended the infamous K2 (at 8611 m / 28,250 ft, earth’s second highest mountain) by the extremely daunting Chinese North Ridge.  In 1998, Carlos led some of his Russian teammates to tackle the sheer, 5,200 foot, North Face of Changabang (6864 m / 22,514 ft.) in the Indian Himalaya.  After living 14 days on the vertical wall, the five-man team reached the summit together.  This ascent established one of the most difficult ‘big wall’ routes achieved in the Himalayan Mountains. He has also made numerous first ascents in the Andes and Alaska.    In 2002 Carlos was ranked ‘Best of the Best’ by Everestnews.com as one of the 4 best high altitude climbers in the world.  In 2004 he was awarded a Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Grant awarded for cutting edge ‘bold first ascents or difficult repeats of most challenging routes’.  In 2007 he was awarded the Robert and Miriam Underhill Award for outstanding mountaineering achievement by the American Alpine Club.    Carlos has developed a great respect for the mountain areas in which he climbs, and in 2001 was awarded the Polartec Challenge Award, for ‘vision, commitment, credibility and respect for the local culture and environment which serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide’.  He takes a personal interest in populations living with difficulty in areas in which he has climbed, particularly in Nepal. He sits on the Advisory Board of the ‘Gorkha Foundation’ (www.gorkhafoundation.org ).  This non-profit is a grassroots organization whose purpose is to support initiatives that reduce poverty and inequality by making sustainable improvements to the living conditions of the poor and marginalized in the Gorkha region of Nepal.  They do this by empowering communities to focus on Healthcare, Primary and Secondary education and income generating activities.     With his deep involvement leading and participating with international climbing teams, Carlos has gained an uncommon understanding of the delicate challenges of multicultural cooperation, leadership pitfalls and subsequent team dysfunction.  Whilst still climbing as a hobby, Carlos is a highly experienced management consultant, meeting facilitator and executive coach.  Today, he applies his leadership experience in mountaineering to help corporations and organisations worldwide open up pathways to high performance, and promoting organizational transformation.  Learn more about Carlos on our athlete page at https://valdezadventurealliance.com/ice-fest-athletes

Cortney Sanders is Senior Manager of State and Policy Analysis on the State Fiscal Policy team at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where she focuses on state fiscal policy through a racial equity lens. Cortney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. We are honored to have Cortney as our guest this week on LoTech & Wild. VAA's very own Michelle LeBlanc is not only a CFO but a League Cycling Instructor and happens to be Cortney's cycling instructor! Cortney loves Alaska and hopes to be able to join the Fat Bike Bash one of these days. Michelle and Cortney discuss the tough topics involving discussing race, humanity, and kindness in contemporary times.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelsey Gray, photographer, writer, adventurer, international traveler, and Alaskan! We talked about the process of writing his guidebooks for climbing, creating a publishing company called “Reinventing the Nomad”, and reflecting on what it means to be an American in a foreign country. To learn more about his work and to check out his climbing guidebooks and photographs, go to climbak.com and kelseygrayphotography.com