Patagonia closeouts - something to live for

 This past Monday was one of emotional tribulation, upheaval, revelation, perseverance, and in the end, one of triumph. Allow me to explain.

I was the first one at the shop, as usual. I was happily crushing box, and singing Prince’s “When Doves Cry” to myself at the top of my lungs. Our fearless leader walked in just as I reached the climax of the song and scared the living ba-geebus out of me. I blushed and greeted him awkwardly. But rather than receiving the good-natured ridicule and vocal critique that I expected, he just mumbled a half hearted, “Morning, Sam,” and moped into his office, closing the door behind him.

He was clearly upset about something.

I continued toiling and cursed myself for being caught singing so candidly again. It was almost as embarrassing as the time when Lisa walked in and saw me in front of the changing room mirror singing the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses” into a pair of trekking poles. I was even incorporating all my best Jagger moves and everything – I couldn’t look her in the eye for a month.  

I came to a stopping point and paused for a moment. I heard the faint sound of weeping coming from Don’s office. Part of my job description is providing patient and compassionate emotional support for out fearless leader. So I dropped everything at once, went and barged into his office, and made the first Big Lebowski reference I could think of. His tears subsided momentarily, I saw a smile starting to form, but then the agony returned to his face and he started balling even more violently than before.

I would have to employ more extreme measures.

“What’s the matter pumpkin?” I asked kindly.
“It’s just, I wish… I just feel like I have nothing to live for” Don replied introspectively.
“What do you think would make you feel better?” I asked.
“Well, maybe if that #$##@&^ Patagonia closeout order would get here already” Don replied, clearly resentful about having to wait for what his heart desired most.
“I see” I replied, “Well you just hang tight, muffin. I’m gonna make it all better. Promise!”
“Thanks, Sam” re replied, blowing his nose.

I called up Patagonia and demanded that the pallet of high-end closeout apparel be delivered at once… or else!! Most of the in house people at Patagonia are completely terrified of me because of something that happened at a Lo-Do sports bar a few years ago – so I was confident that my demands would be appeased.

About 2 minutes later a frantic FedEx driver ran in the front door apologizing profusely and begging for forgiveness. I threw a gang-sign in the drivers face and signed for the pallet. I went and told Don the good news and he hugged me in a way that I had never been hugged before.
I spent the rest of the day pricing all the Patagonia action at 30% below retail and being very satisfied that I had so effectively relieved our fearless leader’s emotional demons.

Here is a link to about 30% of the 30% off Patagonia action that we got. The other 69% is awaiting copywriting. The other 1% was absorbed by our staff.

The end.

Q:I need a new tent? A:Sierra Designs closeouts!

Hey you!! Ya you, Mr.(Mrs.) sad-face-boo-boo-whiny-whiny poo-poo. Why have you been sitting at home every weekend eating Ben & Jerrry’s and spending all of your energy keeping up with the Kardashians?
Wouldn’t you rather be out with all your friends camping out in some natural wonderland, eating s'mores and telling ghost stories?
 
Oh, is it because you still have that supper crappy, easily penetrable, sad little piece of cloth with random assortment of poles and two rolls of duct tape that you call a tent?
 
Yeah, that would be embarrassing – not to mention wet, uncomfortable, breezy, and potentially life threatening…

Not as life threatening as bear attacks…
But still.

Well, fear not. Your troubles are over – all of them. That’s right, the WildyX just scored an absurd amount of closeout Sierra Designs tents. Sierra Designs tents are some of the highest quality, most bomber, and downright functional on the market. And we are selling them at prices that eliminate any/all potential for an excuse to get one.

These two in particular:
           
Sierra Designs Zeta 2    Sierra Designs Zeta 3

Despite the fact that we have an absurd surplus of those two bad boys at the moment, chances are they will be gone about 2.5 seconds after this blog is posted. Again, fear not.

There will still be plenty of deals of high quality Kelty tents. Kelty and Sierra Designs are actually about as cozy as you and the lucky guy/girl/dog/teddy bear/sheep that is going to be sharing your new tent with you (meaning they’re sort of the same company). That means all that much of the awesomeness intrinsic to SD tents totally spills over in to the Kelty models.

Cool. Feel better now? Of course you do.

You're welcome,

Sam Benedict
Shipping/Receiving Manager
Wilderness Exchange Unlimited
2401 15th st Suite 100 Denver, CO 80202
303 477 0881sam@wildernessexchangeunlimited.com

Sanuk - Bro out with yer toes out

Sup Bro!!! You psyched for summer?!?! Are you just hella-amped to hit the beach, go camping, check out some concerts and just generally chillax your face off all summer long? 

Hellz to the yeah kid!! You got the board shorts, the sweet faded (but not too faded) visor and a few new polo shirts with pre-popped collars. Your ear gauges have doubled since last summer. That tattoo you got over spring break actually isn’t half as regrettable as you were concerned it might be when you discovered it the next morning. And best of all, you practiced all winter and those Jack Johnson and Avett Brothers covers are starting to sound pretty decent (at least your mom thinks so)….. but something’s missing – something small, incidental. You can’t put your finger on it but it’s really harshing your mellow….

You Broseph, maybe it’s your footwear! I don’t care how dialed your Bubblefeet cover is, the honeys will NOT be feeling it if you’re wearing those Eddie Bauer flip flops your parents got you freshmen year.    

Maybe a new pair of steezy Sanuks would complete your ensemble, fill that missing piece of your soul, and prevent any further harshing of your hard earned mellow.

For the Bros:  

Sanuk DONNY                           

Sanuk PICK POCKET

Sanuk BEER COZY                       

Sanuk TIKI
Sanuk FRAID SO                        

Sanuk FRAID NOT 

For the Broettes (female Bros)

Sanuk LAUREL                        

Sanuk DONNA

Sanuk YOGA MAT            

Sanuk FRAIDY CAT

  

Cool. Glad we could help ya figure that one out. Now all you got to do is go snag some Sanuks and commence to chillaxin’.

Here’s to the best summer ever!!

SB

Trip Report: Big Adventure on Big Rock

“Hi everyone, my name is Jason and I am a boulderer.”

This phrase is exactly how I’ve been feeling as a climber for the past few years. When I first started climbing, I was all into big walls and traditional climbs, looking at bouldering as ‘below me’ somehow, and now that’s all I really do. Well, in an effort to help my bouldering monotony, my good friend Dane and I got the idea to do some South Platte climbing. The South Platte is a mystical climbing area, full of adventure and wonder… Oh, and awesome rocks like this one:

We didn’t want to climb just any South Platte formation, we wanted to climb the grand-daddy of all South Platte formations; Big Rock Candy Mountain. This seldom-climbed chunk of stone is one of Colorado’s biggest (outside of the park) and packs a full day of adventure. The route we had chosen is called Childhood’s End 5.12- R, an amazing route characterized by long runouts on steep slabs. The route was established by Ken Trout, Eric Winkelman, and Brian Hansen in ground up, lead bolting style, a true testament to the abilities of the first ascentionists and the South Platte climbing ethic.

Our day started at 5:00 in the morning, when Dane shows up at my house. Now, there are two ways to approach this enormous monstrosity; one approaches from the West (the formation faces west and the South Platte River runs along the base), and the other from the East (Turkey Rocks area). So, you either need to take a gnarly 4X4 road from the East, or drive around and hike down and cross the river. Since it’s June and we’ve had record snowfall this year, we opted not to cross the river, so we approached from Turkey Rocks. The road is pretty harsh on a vehicle, but will provide you with exactly what you need, if you are attentive enough to notice. We had planned on bringing ‘victory beers’ to enjoy at the car after summiting, but with all the hustle and bustle of getting ready, we somehow forgot them. On the way in, we get out to inspect a gnarly part of the road before we continue, and what do we find laying in the sand??? An unopened bottle of Moosehead Lager! We hit the jackpot. Further down the road, we had to get out once again to check the terrain, and guess what else we find in the sand… A second unopened bottle of Moosehead Lager! We have victory beer! We also found a couple pairs of goggles on the way in… Score!

So, after taking the gnarly 4X4 road, we head to the base of the formation. You have to understand that there are boulders EVERYWHERE around these parts and I couldn’t help but be mystified by all the possibilities, but we were there for something else. (I’ll be back for the boulders) Dane takes the first lead up the beginning slabs, plugging gear where he can and clipping the VERY sparsely placed bolts. (It gets an R rating for a reason) The first seven pitches were a great warm-up with some spicy spots, but nothing too hairy. So, we arrive at the base of the crux eighth pitch and it’s my turn to lead.

Heading up the crux wasn’t too bad, considering its extremely well bolted, which is highly uncharacteristic of this route and this formation. After reaching the anchor, I belay Dane up the crux and he cruises it. The next pitch is slightly runout (15-20 feet between bolts) and it’s Dane’s turn. Much to our surprise, the wind began to kick up something fierce as Dane begins up the ninth pitch. As he nears the anchors, where the bolts are widely spaced and the climbing is 5.10+ slab, 50-60 mph gusts come racing across the slab face. I am amazed that Dane makes it to the anchor without falling. As I am seconding the ninth pitch, I proceed to get blown off the slab about 3 or 4 times from the insane wind gusts, but I make it to the anchor, petrified and terrified. As I look at Dane’s face, I can see the fear in his eyes, as I’m sure he could see the fear in mine. Why were we so scared? Oh ya, the next pitch, although it’s 5.7, there are NO bolts for nearly 150 feet. I certainly didn’t want to get blown off of 5.7 for a 200+ foot ride down a granite slab, and neither did Dane. We had a decision to make. After 20 minutes of deliberation, I find my balls and say, “Dane, I’m going for it.” Dane says, “Are you sure?” And I begin climbing. Focused and undeterred, I make my way up the slab, fighting the wind and the fear. I pull over a hump in the slab and see the anchor. Calm and collected, I gun for the anchor and clip in. After that pitch, nothing would stop us from summiting. We continue chugging along until we reach the summit.

We made it, we had finally climbed a route that I had been thinking about climbing for nearly 16 years, and it was more than 20 feet tall. Today, I remembered my climbing roots, and that I’m not just a boulderer, I’m a climber.

There are several products that helped Dane and I on this adventure. First of all, we took a Beal Stinger III 9.4mm x 70M dry treated rope. This rope is too legit to quit. Being only a 9.4, it is ideal for longer routes like this where you do a considerable amount of rope flaking, it’s not super heavy, and it handles like a dream. The rock here in the Platte is also tough as nails, and very abrasive and hard on ropes. Beal ropes are extremely well made and can take all the abuse the South Platte can dish out.

The NEW Black Diamond Hoodwire carabiner was extremely important for those ‘thank god’ clips. Getting the draw out fast, and not having its nose snag on your gear loop is extremely important when you’re on the edge, about to slip. It also makes it nice to clean, not snagging on the bolt, not to mention it’s a lightweight wiregate.

I wore the ClimbX Drifter for this climb. Most of my shoes look like talons because they are all so downturned, so I was forced to get some comfortable shoes I could climb slabs all day in. The Drifter performs exceptionally well for the price point. It’ll smear, edge and jam just as well as any other comparable shoe. The ClimbX rubber was surprisingly sticky and it was comfortable enough to wear for six hours straight. Oh, did I mention its only $60!!!

Speaking of shoes, we approached in the La Sportiva Boulder X. I have found very few approach shoes that perform as well and are as comfortable as the Boulder X. They smear on slabs like a dream, so much in fact, that I wore them on the first pitch and crausched it! When the approach requires a good deal of scrambling, you want some sticky rubber between you and the rock, so get some Boulder X!

The Black Diamond BBee was a killer pack to take on any bigger wall. Not too bulky, but enough room to carry everything you could possibly need. (Even the goggles we found on the approach) Comfortable to climb with, you barely even notice you’re wearing it.

Like I mentioned earlier, the wind was kicking up something fierce, making it hard to focus and often making it a little chilly on the belay. I wore a Sierra Designs Hurricane Jacket to battle the wind on this ascent, and it performed like a pro!

A helmet is an extremely important piece of gear on any bigger wall, especially something as runout as Childhood’s End. I was wearing the time-tested classic, Petzl Ecrin Roc Helmet and Dane was sporting the Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet. Both are comfortable and do the job well!

Last, but not least, we have the Platypus Bottle. If you’re like me and you hate drinking your water through a tube, but weight is a factor, look no further. The Play Bottle is the bottle for you. They are collapsible, so that when it’s empty, you don’t have a bulky water bottle still taking up space in your pack.

Well, that’s all, hope you enjoyed the trip report. Go climb something that incorporates a style you aren’t very used to, it will make you a better, more well rounded climber! And don’t forget to maintain… HARD!!!

Jason Baker

Sales Lead/Shipping & Receiving

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited

2401 15th Street, Suite 100

Denver, CO 80202

303-964-0708

Closeout Stanley action

Have you been waking up feeling like this?
It’s probably because you’re dehydrated. Or because you stayed up till’ 3am drinking appletinis and making everyone in the bar hate you because you kept singing the same three Jethro Tull songs over and over.
 But most reputable doctors agree that a healthy person should be able to put back 9-15 appletinis and still be bright and chipper in the morning (so long as they are hydrating properly). So maybe you should get one of these:

 

Stanley Outdoor BPA-Free Water Bottle

 

When Jason first saw these he was like “Dang Bro!! These Stanley water bottles just make me want to pour cool refreshing water all over my body!!!”
 

Jason became more hydrated than ever before and achieved absolute excellence as a result of his actions!!!

 

Or maybe hydration isn’t a problem for you. Maybe your main dilemma in life is finding a way to keep from spilling coffee all over yourself. In that case you probably need one of these:

 

Stanley Nineteen13 SS Travel Mug

Orin got so pumped about the mugs he was like “hey how bout we tourniquet my arm so all my veins pop out and everyone can see how jacked and tanned I am…. and how nice Stanley mugs are!!!! Then we should go out for appletinis and then go back to my house and watch Lady Gaga on Youtube all night!!!”

 

Then there is the good old fashioned Stanley Nineteen13 Vacuum Bottle:

 

Orin thought those were pretty neat too.

Best hydration/caffeination/insulation = best overall quality of life.

 

The End

 

Sam Benedict

Shipping/Receiving Manager

Wilderness Exchange Unlimited

2401 15th st Suite 100 Denver, CO 80202

303 477 0881

sam@wildernessexchangeunlimited.com

An Evening with John Dickey,Adventure Photographer

On Thursday, June 16, at 8:00, John Dickey will be giving a multi-media presentation at WildyX on his career in adventure photography-  the adventures, the friends, how it has evolved over a decade and where things are going now.  It'll include behind the scene stories and tell what it's like and what it takes to bring back the images and all the ridiculous antics of making this work.

 
                                                       click here for the trailer!
And what could possibly be better than a free show by a talented photographer and video artist that will inspire and motivate you to go out and explore the natural world?
FREE BEER!!!
                                                              
That's right, Avery Brewery, Colorado's most-loved craft brewers, will be on hand to lubricate the festivities. So, please come on down this coming Thursday evening and join us !

Skiing No-Namers in the West Elks: Trip Report

Skiing No-Namers in the West Elks: A Short Trip Report

I think its funny how we can have mountains like this one that go unnamed and almost even unnoticed in Colorado. To me, it definitely deserves some recognition, but I think since it’s not a 14er, it simply gets a “13,407 ft” elevation marking on the topos. That’s okay with me though. I’ll still ski it.

The peak lies in the Elk Mountains, almost straight between Aspen and Crested Butte
View 13,407 ft peak in a larger map . The approach was kinda deceiving: long flats, interrupted by steep (but short) boot packs. Here’s my buddy Jesse pushing the long haul:




And damn! Should have brought the rack! Check out the Chimneys of Treasure Mountain to the right...


As we started up towards the summit, it quickly got a little too steep for good ol’ plug-along skinning. We decided to start the boot-pack upwards to the ridge but quickly got bogged down in waste deep, hollow slush. Screw that! Head for them rocks Jesse!


We gained the main ridge, which was holding firmer snow, and followed some mountain goat tracks to the summit. We were rewarded with an amazing view. It was a really unique in that you could see the Maroon Bells and Mt. Crested Butte (two familiar places that always seem so far apart from one another) at the same time. This shot is looking South towards the more familiar peaks of the area: Sopris, Capital, and Snowmass. So many lines!




Finally, time for business. Jesse droppin’ ‘er in.




Conditions were great! Two inches of corn on top of firm, stable and consistent snow. Super fun skiing all the way down. The discrepancy between the 5 hour (grueling) ascent and the 2 hour (hell yeah, this is awesome) decent always amazes me...

Finally, back at 9,000 feet, the crux of the whole trip. Log crossing on haggard legs over the raging Crystal River. Should of brought the PFDs.




So that’s it. One of the most memorable trips in awhile. Just because it’s not named on the map doesn’t mean it’s not worth skiing! Get out and charge it!

Need some gear recommendations? This will help you shred for sure! Check it:
Black Diamond NEVE PRO Crampons: Super lightweight crampons that will fit your AT/Tele boots perfectly! No way!

Grivel AIR TECH RACING GA Axe: Need just a little extra security on those 5:00am couliour slogs? Grab this and go! Super lightweight (14.1 oz!) and total full-strength shred!

Black Diamond Whippet Self-Arrest Ski Pole--Lets face it. Skiing can be scary. Get a little boost of confidence knowing you have one of these guys ready to go when you drop in above 200 feet of death.

Patagonia STRETCH ASCENT JACKET--Everyone needs a bomb-proof go-to shell. Well, this is it. Super breathable and also: rain-proof, wind-proof, snow-proof, ice-proof rock-abrasion-proof. Hell, isn’t this thing lightning-proof? That’d be sweet.

Patagonia Men's NANO PUFF JACKET--A really warm, lightweight , compressible, insulating jacket. Literally stuffs down to the size of a grapefruit.

Dale’s Pale Ale (x4)--Great Beer + Can =  Genius! Tell me again why we don’t sell this stuff online?

Shred hard,

Fingers

Synergy - as it applies to outdoor gear

In the natural world, there exists a unique phenomenon known as synergy. This important physical principle describes the outcome of when you add two things together to produce a greater than expected result. In other words, A+B doesn’t just equal C. With synergy, A+B equals C with mega-enhanced, how-the-hell-is-this-so-awesome superpowers.

Scientists often seek out synergistic effects in an effort to do things like maximize the efficiency of cancer therapies or to take full advantage of the structural components of an architectural design. I like to think about synergy when I realize how much better my nachos taste with a 24oz can of cold PBR. 
 

Here at the WildyX, we’ve found some very surprising  and significant examples of synergy in our very own shop and we’ve been super excited to share these ground-breaking findings with the public.

La Sportiva Solution/Lapis Brush Synergy--Bouldering is hard. It can make you cry in frustration, cuss at your best friends, and create a sudden urge to punch yourself in the face. That’s why it’s important to maximize every tiny little advantage you can so that you can increase any leverage on any hold.  And that’s exactly what the Solution/Lapis Synergy does. Solutions shape and support the foot in a way that focuses the foot’s natural power into an explosion of high-energy shred. And Lapis brushes are amazing in how they remove chalk and grime off of nasty slopers without taking off the natural friction and texture of the rock. In the end, our extensive testing here at the shop has revealed a significant effect in the power/awesomeness of this synergy. We definitely reject the null.

Kelty Basecamp Pad/Brunton Two Burner Stove Synergy--So you wanna dirtbag it for awhile? Gonna live outside Rifle city limits in the ‘93 Cadillac Deville you got from your grandma for your high school graduation, huh? We don’t blame you. In fact, sounds great to us. Let us impart some knowledge from experience on you first. There will be a time in your dirtbag life when you find you’re too haggard from climbing all day to make any sort of an effort to make dinner (or do anything else except drink warm Black Velvet whiskey). You’ll drink too much, eat a couple Luna bars you stole from that chick who hooked you up with a belay, and pass out in the gravel next to one of those communal port-a-potty things. Trust us, not a good way to go. That’s why we’ve done extensive research on the positive effects of the Basecamp/Brunton Synergy on haggard climbers. What’s more fulfilling after a day of hard climbing than cooking up some delicious chicken fajitas, drinking some scotch (or Black Velvet, whatever you’re in to) and then crashing hard on a plush 2.5 inch-thick Bascamp pad? It’s amazing to see the complementary effects that one product has on the other, isn’t it?

Petzl Gri Gri 2/ Black Diamond Gridlock Synergy--Who would have thought two mega-competitors in the climbing industry could produce a belay system that is so elegantly safe, simple, and perfect in every way? The Gri Gri 2 allows for great auto-locking action when your climber falls while the Gridlock insures that your belay carabiner never cross loads in your belay loop. Combined together, you achieve the ultimate, most-safe belay rig at the crag. Warning though: potential side-effects of this belay setup include going climbing not for the actual climbing but for the absolute pleasure of giving the best belay.

Kelty Grand Mesa 4 Tent/Kelty Lowdown Chair Synergy--Summer’s finally here and that means festival season. Heading down to Telluride this June to listen to some bluegrass, drink beer and camp out creek-side with the crew? What could be better than that? Well, how about some sweet synergy to enhance that already awesome trip? We’ve found, through the rigours of peer-reviewed testing (i.e. drinking), that a Grand Mesa 4, paired with some Lowdown chairs is a perfect setup for what your friend Stu calls “chillaxin.” The Grand Mesa 4 provides ample room for people, dogs, children, other people’s dogs/children, and random “guest appearances” from that hippy kid who swears he personally knows Neil Diamond. What’s great about the Lowdown chair is that it sits low to the ground so you can take it to venues and not block “High-Strung Sue’s” view of Railroad Earth. Best part is, this synergy comes through at “best price” status, which, coincidentally, creates a synergy of stoke between you and your bank account. Sweet!

Shred,

Fingers Anderson
Director and Chair
Department of Maintenance
2401 15th St. Suite 100
Denver, CO 80203

Montrail madness!!!

Hey Fellas!!!! What if you could get in touch with your inner eight-year-old and get a new pair of trail-runners for the low low price of $59.95? You’d do it in a heartbeat wouldn’t you? Of course you would. You’re so predictable. It’s ok though, most men are. All we really want is to look like this:
...and feel like this:
So cancel the appointments with the personal trainer and the therapist, send back the bow-flex and the anti-depressants, and just get a pair of these:

Montrail Men's ROCKRIDGE
Then you can check “become spiritually/emotionally content” off your list, and feel totally guilt free about spending the whole day drinking beer, scratching yourself and watching ESPN.

Hey Ladies!!!! How do you feel about pain?? What’s that you say, “Generally not a big fan except for when it provides that certain satisfaction that we all need from time to time?” Yeah, that’s pretty standard. See that? You’re just as predictable as the dudes. It’s a good thing though! It’s that very predictability that allows Montrail to produce shoes that will keep you freshly pedicured feet comfy and pain free while you’re out there getting that workout that will leave you sore for days (in the good way, of course).

What IS a little unusual is finding such a shoe at a crazy-cheap price (around $65), like these:

Montrail Women's MOUNTAIN MASOCHIST

Deals like that will surely make you the center of conversation the next girl’s night out!!
In summary: best shoes + best price = complete and utter satisfaction, pure happiness, unadulterated sence of contentment and well being.

Maintain,

Sam Benedict
Shipping/Receiving Manager
Wilderness Exchange Unlimited
2401 15th st Suite 100 Denver, CO 80202
303 477 0881sam@wildernessexchangeunlimited.com