Quality. In Life.
Gregory would like to give a Big Shout Out to one of our ambassadors, Joe Kinder, for his latest accomplishment of landing the cover of Climbing Magazine’s current issue: the 2010 Photo Annual. Joe has always gone above and beyond for Gregory Mountain Products and this is just one of the many reasons why we’re so proud to have Joe ‘kind kid’ Kinder a part of the Gregory crew.
Congrats, Joe!
We’re back in the office in Sacramento after after an exceptional weekend at the Red Rock Rendezvous. The weather was perfect this year, no high winds or hail storms to deal with as in the past, and everyone was psyched to be there. Tons of sponsors came out to support the event, and with product, trip, and other donations from each of these companies, we were able to raise $10,000 for the Access Fund! In one night, in one auction! Proper.
If the RRR were around when I was a young climber, I would have made it my annual event. I think my parents would have supported the endeavor and paid for it! It’s such a positive gathering with so much to offer to any climber out there. I think the one thing that draws people and what would have drawn me in are the clinics. They aren’t boring hands-on clinics on better footwork or techniques for low angle stone. No! Trust me! It is geared toward the person who wants to learn from the best and most famous climbers like Tommy 
Caldwell, Cedar Wright, Conrad Anker, Alex Honnold and even ME!!!! The clinics are from the best and delivered to you right at the cliff for the entire day. Think about it…how many events do this sort of thing with THAT may professional and very knowledgeable climbers? NONE!!! Absolutely none. This is the time of the yaer where us professional climbers share what we know best for an entire weekend. For the person interested in “Fast and Light Multi-Pitch Climbing”…there is a clinic for it. There are clinics for women who want to climb like women!!! Whatever that means!! Chris Lindner offers a course in taking big falls. He sets you up in the air and you do nothing except take HUGE falls all day…Totally safe of course. There is the “Photog Course” which teaches climbing photography tactics. There are SO many options it’s overwhelming. In fact most people have to return the next year just so they can catch that one clinic they didn’t take because they were in another one…HA!
There is entertainment such as slideshows, music, a party, a HUGE DINNER!!! Aw man…it is all in the sun, all in a beautiful place and all withour community of climbers. I am pretty psyched for this year’s event and I will see you there I hope!!! It’s going to be a blast!
This Thursday, George, Molly and myself will be leaving SacTown on a jet plane. Destination…Vegas.
I know what you’re thinking. Vegas??? Why put yourselves through that?? Well luckily we’ll get to the airport and high-tail it directly west. Out of the city, away from the hustle and bustle (there may be a quarter or two lost in some slots on the way out of the airport) and straight to Red Rock National Conservation Area for this year’s Red Rock Rendezvous.
The Red Rock Rendezvous is one of our favorite events, and we’re psyched to be a sponsor again this year. It’s a climbing festival centered around teaching and clinics for all levels. Some of the world’s best climbers are on hand to teach newbies the basics and help more advanced climbers master specific skills. There are a ton of clinics to choose from and after you register and buy your ticket in, you’re able to select one full day clinic for either Saturday or Sunday and then as many other 2 hour clinics as you can handle on the other day. Climbing not really your thing? There are also clinics offered for mountain biking, yoga, backpacking, wilderness first aid, trail running, trail cooking, photography, and the list doesn’t stop there. There are slideshows every night, a dinner for ALL attendees on Saturday, and plenty of music, revelry, yoga, comps, and service projects to keep you busy all weekend. You can view the entire festival schedule HERE.
So what’s our part in all of climbing fun and madness? We’ll be on site in the vendor area showing off some of our brand new product - namely the Fusion LTS line of packs that our ambassador, climber Joe Kinder, helped design. Stop by the booth to get fit for a Gregory Pack and learn why they are the most comfortable packs on earth (and maybe even beyond). Joe’s going to be at the event all weekend as well, he’ll be running clinics on Redpointing, both on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have tons of Gregory goodies to give away, including some packs, so you best be there. George will be there to answer all of your technical pack questions and get you fit for a pack. We also sponsor the service project for trail maintenance and to help clean up during the event so we leave the gorgeous Red Rock area just as pristine as when we got there.
Still not convinced this event is for you? Stay tuned for Joe’s perspective on the event, from the eyes of a climber. We’re sure he’ll get you psyched and inspired. If you can’t make it out to Vegas this week, mark Red Rock Rendezvous on your calendars for next year. It is always at the end of March and is a yearly event. Once you go, you’ll never miss one again. We haven’t.
Gregory Ambassador, Joe Kinder, just checked in with us here at the office with an update of what he’s been getting into….
“Part of my living is exposure. Whether it is a video online, or a simple quote in a periodical it is part of my game. I am happy to show off my latest and greatest pieces of media!!! The first one I would like to present is my advertisement with my best friend (my Bosch drill) for the Toolnut. Toolnut is a distributor of hardware products. They contacted me via my good friend Andrew Bisharat, from Rock and Ice Magazine. Thanks hommie!! Colette, my girlfriend and I made these photos in our house here with our Canon G11. Not bad for a point and shoot camera I must say. Colette took the shots and we did a variety of styles for them to choose from. I am very happy with the end product and have to say this is my favorite ad that I have been in. And not to brag, but I have been in lots! The timing for this ad could not have been better as well…I am very excited about bolting routes AND it is running in the Rock and Ice Gear Guide which runs for 12 months!!! YAYUUUH!!!
My second piece of media to show off is a feature in the late Deadpoint Magazine, which you can visit HERE. All of the photos shot in this article (flip to page 30) were Colette’s and mine. The concept was a simple layout with our photos
At Gregory, we put our packs through rigorous testing, and with our new Fusion LTS line, it was no different. We claim that these are the ‘go anywhere, do everything’ packs, and so we had to test them as such. Well the reviews are in, they’re glowing, and we couldn’t be more psyched for you all to give these packs a try yourselves.
So who were these ‘testers’? We gave Gregory Ambassador Joe Kinder a Torre 33 nine months ago, and had one of our female employees, Molly, test two of the women’s specific models over the past 4 months. Both of them LOVE the mountains (obvs), so these were the perfect packs for them to put through the ringer, through a multitude of activities, with each of their very different packing styles. Here’s what they had to say:
Name: Joe Kinder
Pack Tested: Torre 33
Activities: Climbing, Approach, Bolting Routes
The Review: “I’ve been using the Torre 33L for the past 9 months. My objective was to put this joint to use and try to kick its ass, use it in every situation, and then provide feedback. So far…to this day…I haven’t been able to damage it in the slightest. No rips, no holes, nothing. The zipper is still intact, the material is completely fine.
The harness system is amazing. It is a mold that offers total support and comfort. I pack this thing with bolts, draws, my drill, a rope, harness, shoes, water, and food. NO problem. The access to the interior is SO easy with the opening design. I am in love with this pack.”
Name: Molly Maguire
Packs Tested: Inyo 45 & Cirque 30
Activities: Backpacking/Climbing Yosemite, XC Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Climbing
The Review: “I used the Inyo 45 for an overnight backpacking trip in Yosemite with some newbies and was amazed at how much I loved it. I usually use a 60-80L pack and have been known to use that 80L for overnighters with new hikers to carry as many creature comforts for them, as possible. I fit everything I wanted to, everything was able to be organized, all the pockets are in good places, and there’s more than enough of them. And after everything was stuffed inside, it was super easy to get to it, this pack’s access is awesome. The approaches when climbing were easy b/c of the narrower waistbelt, so I could be wearing my harness and still take big, scrambly steps. The smaller packs in this line are great for a sport rack, the larger accommodate a trad rack, and with 3 volume sizes, you can do any length climbing/hiking trip.
In Ouray, I used the Cirque 30 as a day pack, out xc skiing and snowshoeing, as well as ice climbing. The Wraptor Stabilizer during the skiing and snowshoeing totally pulls the load up into your back, it feels super stable, like I had total freedom to move and the pack stayed still and stable, and didn’t throw me off balance (which can happen when you pack like me and come in at a whopping 5 feet tall :). It fit all of my climbing gear while I was trolling around the festival - crampons, harness, carabiners, belay devices, an extra rack - and still had enough room for my helmet inside too. I didn’t feel scared at all about throwing it down on the ice, the materials are bomber and super abrasion resistant.”
There you have it folks. Man and woman, coming together and agreeing that these All Mountain packs are AWESOME. What do you all think of these packs? Psyched to try them out? If you’re still not sold, check out the video for some more info on the features, Fusion LTS suspension, and what makes these packs so great.
This is a fitting title for this post, since Gregory athlete Joe Kinder is always on the move. Red Rocks, Hueco Tanks, Red River Gorge, City of Rocks, the Gunks … we pretty much expect that Joe will be some place new the next time we hear from him. He did sublet a house near Rifle, CO, for like a month in 2008 …
Anyway, we like to hear periodically from the athletes who we ask to put our gear through the paces on why they like (or don’t like) a
particular product. Joe uses the Z35 R (the roll-top version), a bit of a niche pack within the Gregory line that (you guessed it) enjoys a strong following among climbers.
Since I was 16 years old I’ve always used Gregory Packs, one of the benefits of knowing Erik Mushial (a Gregory Sales Rep who lives in Maine). I’ve used packs of all sorts for my lifestyle, which revolves around rock climbing and traveling. Since I’m basically living out of my bag, I don’t want to waste a lot of time with a less-than-perfect pack.
I use my Z35 roll-top at the cliff, hiking, bolting new routes, and even for my carry-on for the plane. With an enormous main compartment at 35 liters, there is more than enough room for my three pairs of climbing shoes, my harness, chalk bag and extra chalk in the front zippered pocket, an entire rack of draws or gear, an 80 meter 9.2 mm rope AND water.
George and I are back in the office after another awesome year at the Red Rock Rendezvous in fabulous Las Vegas. Mountain Gear puts on a great event every year and we are stoked to be a part of it. For those of you who haven’t heard of it yet, Red Rocks is for climbers - everyone from first timers to those working on nailing down their technique. We had the Gregory booth set up, full line of products on display, schooled attendees on the importance of having a properly fitted pack, and gave a few bags away to some lucky individuals.
Joe Kinder was on hand to give 2 clinics on redpointing - you can check out some pictures from those clinics on his blog. There was a huge dinner on Saturday night for everyone who was attending, and the line was super long, but everyone got fed and hung around for the Access Fund auction and music provided by a solar paneled dj booth. And for your viewing pleasure, here are a few more outtakes from the event - hope to see you there next year.
slacklining clinic
joe!
dyno comp
sunset
some nightime hooping fun
T-minus two weeks till the annual spring gathering that is the Red Rocks Rendezvous, outside of Las Vegas at the Red Rocks Conservation Area 
- so close to Vegas that the all-you-can-eat buffets and evening blackjack are still within easy reach. The festival is March 20-22, Friday through Sunday, this year.
Gregory’s been part of the Rendezvous for many years running. This year, along with our usual booth at the event and packs giveaways, Gregory-sponsored athlete Joe Kinder will be on the scene. He’ll be doing clinics (along with a list of other who’s who athletes from the climbing world) and hanging at the Gregory booth. For anyone who’s never met Joe, you’ll leave thinking it’s possible for you to climb 5.14 too. This guy is more than positive.
Along with climbing and clinics, there are slide shows and movies, parties, a variety of outdoor events along with climbing, and service-oriented projects to give back.
Gregory will, as usual, be giving away some packs, both through the auction that supports the Access Fund and at our booth, and this year we’re bringing some extra-special and unique swag that you’ll just have to stop by to see. We will say that people who get it will be psyched. We’ll also, of course, be doing pack fitting and fielding questions about Gregory.
Stop on by!
