Adventures in Ninja Alpinism

Adventurer Doug Shepherd will be the featured speaker at the March meeting of the Los Alamos Mountaineers. Shepherd is simultaneously a sponsored athlete (Mammut, Sterling Ropes, Cilogear Backpacks) and a postdoc in systems biology.

Doug writes: “”Patagonia has always stood out as a far away place that I would never be able to visit, let alone climb in, because of the horrible weather.  In December 2012 I took a chance and went on a 2-week trip, crossing my fingers and hoping we would get to climb instead of sitting around and drinking wine.  Thankfully, we had almost too much good weather, and spent the majority of our trip in the mountains.”

During those two weeks, Shepherd and Jared Vilhauer climbed the Ragni Route on Cerro Torre, traversed the Patagonia Ice Cap, and attempted to climb Cerro Standhardt.  Cerro Torre was one of the highlights of his climbing career, providing an experience unlike anything else he had done.  According to Shepherd, “climbing (and failing) in Patagonia is a unique experience, from the people to the mountains.”

His dual life leads to long days of work and training, interspersed with quick trips to the great ranges to climb the mountains of his dreams.  His trips have been coined "Ninja Alpinism" by some people, because of their suddenness.  By climbing with a close-knit group of friends who share a passion for exploratory alpinism, he has managed multiple major first ascents in Alaska and the continental United States, in addition to repeating and/or soloing significant climbs through the Western Hemisphere.  Supported by sponsors and his wife, Shepherds hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of exploration, particularly at home, where we tend to neglect the natural wonders in our own backyard for the Greater Ranges.

The Wednesday, March 20 meeting will be held in the Great Room of Fuller Lodge. The meeting starts at 7:30 (trip and event announcements, etc.), followed immediately by the program. The public is welcome.