Black Diamond and our founder/CEO Peter Metcalf have a long history of advocating not only for conservation of natural spaces and resources, but also for outdoor companies to band together in these efforts to achieve a greater good. It's no surprise then that The Conservation Alliance is a group we support. We caught up with Serena Bishop Gordon, a Conservation Alliance program associate, to find out more about the organization and its roots.

The Alliance was founded in 1989 by industry leaders REI, Patagonia, The North Face and Kelty. They shared the goal of increasing outdoor industry support for conservation efforts. We now have more than 185 member companies, and plan to disperse $1.5 million in 2013.

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed close to $12 million to grassroots conservation groups throughout North America. The results of our funding have been remarkable. Alliance funding has helped save more than 42 million acres of wildlands, protected 2,748 miles of rivers, stopped or removed 25 dams, designated five marine reserves and purchased nine climbing areas. We follow a rigorous grant proposal review process that ensures our grants go to organizations that can succeed given the necessary financial resources.

Our mission to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for habitat and recreation values has been constant and laser-focused since the beginning. Over the years, we have worked to expand our membership-now including more than 185 outdoor industry companies-and increase our advocacy efforts on behalf of the campaigns that we fund.

We are constantly working to build our membership, in order to increase our grant fund. Membership dues are 100 percent pass through: additional membership equates to additional funding. By 2014, our goal is to grant at least $2 million annually to organizations working to protect wild places in North America.

In 2013 we have already notched four important sucesses:

Black Diamond has been a Conservation Alliance member since 2005, contributing annual membership to The Conservation Alliance grant fund and helping to support the efforts of our grantees through sign-on letters, trips to Washington, D.C., and speaking up and acting as model for conservation within the Outdoor Industry. Black Diamond also hosts fundraising events at the Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow and has been instrumental to the success of the Backyard Collective Project Events hosted in Salt Lake City.

The support The Conservation Alliance receives from Black Diamond is invaluable; and it isn't just the check that is sent our way each year. Black Diamond walks the talk, they stand up for what they believe in, and they stand strong on their position even when it is the hard thing to do. Black Diamond has stood up against the development and sale of public lands in Utah and continues to do so; because it is good for outdoor enthusiasts, it is good for the environment, and it is good for business.

For more information on the Conservation Alliance or to see their list of grantees, click here.

[Ines Papert during the first ascent of Finnmannen (M9+ WI7, 400m) together with Bent Vidar Eilertsen on the island of Senja, Norway Photo by visualimpact.ch | Thomas Senf]

A trip to Norway is a must for any self-respecting ice climber and after visiting the Romsdalen region last year, this season Ines Papert decided to travel even further north, namely 350km above the polar circle to Senja, Norway's second-largest island. Papert made the journey together with Thomas Senf, Nina and Christian Schlesener to find out more about the island's untapped potential and, in particular, to climb a stunning 400m mixed line she had seen on a photo to the right of the classic WI6 ice climb Finnkona.

[Ines Papert during the first ascent of Finnmannen (M9+ WI7, 400m) together with Bent Vidar Eilertsen on the island of Senja, Norway Photo by visualimpact.ch | Thomas Senf]

Papert teamed up with local Bent Vidar Eilertsen and after kayaking towards the base, the pair proceeded on their first attempt at forging a direct line which proved impossible due to the lack of holds. A tricky 20m rightwards slab traverse was the answer but after running out of gear at the end of this, they decided to retreat. The duo returned the next day and managed to climb the entire line in an impressive 19-hour push, with Papert leading and redpointing all the pitches past difficulties up to M9+ WI7.

[Ines Papert during the first ascent of Finnmannen (M9+ WI7, 400m) together with Bent Vidar Eilertsen on the island of Senja, Norway Photo by visualimpact.ch | Thomas Senf]

The route is protected with trad gear and a handful of pegs only and while Eilertsen commented that their Finnmannen "is a route for real men", Papert explained "it's a pretty serious outing, in particular the finish which involved a 10m runout. Falling from this point would certainly have been not that great."
The team made the most of their 10-day stay to climb a series of other routes nearby which include the first ascent of Aurorabuttress M7/WI6+ 250m (Ines Papert, Thomas Senf) and a repeat of Great Corner M7+ 300m (Christian Schlesener, Thomas Senf).

[Ines Papert during the first ascent of Finnmannen (M9+ WI7, 400m) together with Bent Vidar Eilertsen on the island of Senja, Norway Photo by visualimpact.ch | Thomas Senf]

I have had many significant changes in my life recently. The end of school turned my life and climbing into completely different perspective. Loads of time, total freedom to travel wherever I want is something I had been dreaming about for years. Finally I have the time to travel abroad along with a drill and create something inspiring enough to put a massive effort into. To find the first proof of this change, instead of heading south as always when we go climbing, we headed north instead. Change is life.
Norway. This country had always been a bit mysterious when I was reading about it. I knew I would visit the country one day even though I didn't even know about the possibility of sport climbing or bouldering up there. When the photos of Flatanger struck my eyes two years ago, it was decided. Summer 2012. The enormous cave of Flatanger definitely didn't let me down despite high expectation when I first saw it. I could stare forever into endless sea of brown and orange granitic gneiss, trying to find some line to bolt. I felt like a kid having a sand playground in front of him, tempted to create something as kids like building castles out of sand. My eyes were lost in this playground, confusingly scanning the features of the rock again and again, trying to find the perfect line. I climbed a couple of days on established routes and then finally made the decision of bolting.

After two days of bolting, the route was ready to climb. I couldn't wait to check out the moves, to find out whether the holds, which seemed good enough while hanging in the rope, are good enough in reality. Though I was sure that it was incredibly hard, it seemed climbable. Absolutely ridiculous bouldery sequence at the beginning, athletic middle and pumpfest to the top, it included all my requests for the great project. A true testpiece of various climbing abilities. It was like my baby, I was looking forward to every single try. With this attitude, I made pretty fast progress. After 5 days of working the route, I managed to climb the first pitch (20m) up to the no-hands rest. It was an incredible fight, I couldn't climb more on my limit. I was very happy, I felt that the success was close as I managed to recover quite well in the rest and continued a bit. I thought the route couldn't be more than 9b, as the first pitch felt like 9a+ and the rest is so good.

But after many days on it in summer, despite feeling much stronger in the lower boulder problem, I didn't manage to climb through the first pitch any more. A good attitude to project and the joy of trying, turned into a different story. Pressure, nervousness, loss of self-confidence. After three weeks of trying, I had to give up, admitting that I lost my shape and training for the World Championship in Paris was a better thing to do. And a return with full power afterwards.
Well, but not everything goes according to plans. I returned stronger indeed, but it had been raining three weeks before our arrival and the route was seeping. I tried anyway, but climbing at my limit with humid holds, that takes the whole thing beyond my current limits. After the temps improved a bit, I crushed the first pitch easily. I started climbing through the second pitch, but my sore legs from the no-hands rest couldn't squeeze two compression heel-hooks and popped off. Damn! Despite two wet holds above, where I would probably fall anyway, I gained self confidence again. After two humid days and falling again in the first pitch, my self confidence was low again. After failing two times more in the first pitch with improved conditions, my self confidence was close to point zero. It seemed I was out of shape, getting pumped after a couple of moves, the belief and faith despite making all the effort to not lose it, was disappering. I needed some kick, something to raise my self confidence and belief that I could do it. In the end, it was nothing more than horrendous wind behind the windows during the restday. I could see the temps would be awesome the next day.

The wind gave me the hope, but didn't blow the pressure away. I couldn't fall asleep, having the nightmare moves in my mind played again. Morning was just as random as always. Every day had started with hope and ended up with no or mininal success by that time. The wind has almost stopped, clouds were down, I wasn't too sure about good conditions. Paradoxically, that blew the pressure a bit away. Having driven 5 kilometres, having hiked 15 minutes to the cave, I stood underneath again. I could see the conditions had improved. I warmed up and I set off. The pressure was away, until I was up in the crux of the first pitch again. Despite feeling strong as hell, a little mistake almost cost me a unique chance, but I stabbed two fingers into the pocket somehow and continued. A no-hands rest and I am getting through the most difficult part from the psychological point of view - switching into the fighting mode, forget the pressure, forget the doubts, just flow. And flow is exactly what I manage. The higher I climb, the more pumped I get, but without a single mistake.

As I reach a good rest, I can hardly breathe, but it is still about 8b+ to go. This wasn't supposed to be big deal, but it is clear to me that this is not going to be easy. I fight, I can't get the lactid acid away, but hold on. After 26 minutes of fighting, I clip the chains and can't really believe if it is true. A stream of emotions are present, slowly filling my empty mind, tongue is sticking to my gums, I am extremely thirsty.
Even a couple of days after the ascent, it is hard to stop smiling. I have never had such rewarding feeling after having done a climb, probably it is because it was a first ascent. The name of the route symbolizes the changes of my recent life, a step into new level of climbing (after thinking about it, I conviced myself to go for 9b+), changing of various styles in the route itself and definitely the change of the Flatanger climbing area which is a world-class area. I need personal change as well. Move on. Find a new challenge. But definitely it is not the last time in this beautiful country.

-Adam

Black Diamond, and our CEO Peter Metcalf, have a long history of taking a stand for environmental preservation and conservation. It only makes sense that we would support initiatives to better the environment and living conditions in the beautiful state we call home, Utah. One important group we support is Utah Clean Energy (UCE). We caught up with their communications and program coordinator, Brandy Smith, to find out more about what they've been doing in Utah.

How did UCE come to be?

In 2001, Utah Clean Energy's Executive Director and Founder, Sarah Wright left a 15-year career as an environmental consultant to follow her passion to work towards creating a more sustainable, more livable planet. Shortly thereafter, she founded UCE, a solution-based organization committed to creating a future where Utahns significantly decrease our carbon-based energy consumption through energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy.

Have the goals or focus of UCE evolved over time?

The overall vision of UCE has remained the same throughout the years. We are committed to creating a future that ensures healthy, thriving communities for all, empowered and sustained by clean energy. The goals we focus on still revolve around obtaining that future.

Has UCE notched any key successes in the recent past?

Yes, UCE has achieved several key successes recently that we are very proud of:

How does Black Diamond support UCE? How important is that support?

Black Diamond is a member of UCE's Sustainers Circle. As a member of the Sustainers Circle, Black Diamond is taking a leading role in preserving our quality of life for future generations through the advancement of clean energy solutions. Through your support, UCE has been able to continue to drive responsible and innovative policies and initiatives that are stopping energy waste and making clean energies like solar and wind more affordable and accessible. Through your financial support and engagement in clean energy issues, UCE and Black Diamond are building a new clean energy future.

For more information on Utah Clean Energy, or to get involved, click here.

14th annual Kandersteg Ice Festival from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Compared to Europe's long and storied history, North America is still relatively in its infancy with regards to alpinism and climbing. Where professional associations of mountain guides in places like Switzerland, Austria and Italy have existed for generations, the american equivalent-the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA)-has existed for little more than three decades. We caught up with the AMGA's outreach and advocacy director, Scott Massey, to find out more about it and how it fits into the larger international group of mountain guide associations.

How did the AMGA come to be?

In 1979, several forward-thinking guides, including Yvon Chouinard and Jim Donini, formed the American Professional Mountain Guides Association in Jackson, Wyoming. They saw the need to unify the guiding profession, and increase the level of professionalism by creating consistent and measurable industry standards. In 1986, the AMGA dropped the "P", established a board of directors, and began to develop their training and certification programs. These programs continue to this day, always striving to set the highest standard in the guiding industry.

Have the goals or focus of the AMGA evolved over time?

The core goal of the AMGA has always been, and will continue to be, providing the highest quality guide training and certification. Over the years, the AMGA has become more inclusive; for example, developing programs aimed at climbing instructors. Given the amount of single-pitch terrain utilized by colleges, outdoor clubs, and many guide services, the Certified Single Pitch Instructor now accounts for over 30 percent of the AMGA's membership. We have also begun a more focused advocacy effort; we are the sole organization representing the interests of credentialed mountain professionals with land managers and our representatives in Washington, D.C.

How is the AMGA connected with the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA)?

The AMGA is the sole representative in the United States to the IFMGA. The IFMGA consists of 25 member-countries, and is the international standard-setting organization for mountain guiding. The AMGA was granted membership to the IFMGA in 1997, after many years of program development and observation to ensure that courses and assessments met the international standard. In order for an individual guide to achieve IFMGA Mountain Guide status, they must be certified in the rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering disciplines through the AMGA.

What are some of the current goals of the AMGA?

• Continue to offer the highest quality instruction and training
• Advocate for credential-based access with land managers
• Provide a collective voice for the guiding community
• Serve as a resource to mountain professionals

How does Black Diamond support the AMGA? How important is that support?

Black Diamond is a Diamond Partner - one of our most major contributors. Their continued support is invaluable to the continuation of our high-quality programming. They are the official sponsors of the Rock Guide Exam, with a portion of their contributions going to offset the cost to participants. Another portion goes towards a full scholarship for one individual in any upper-level course or exam. They also contribute products for our Annual Meeting silent auction and fundraiser.

To find out more about the AMGA, guiding programs or to hire a guide, click here.

Wednesday, December 5th kicked off the 16th annual Bozeman Ice Festival, a four-day fest of instruction, climbing, presentations, competition and all-around community awesomeness that make this event one of the best in the nation. A crew of BD athletes was in attendance, including Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, Dawn Glanc, Sam Elias, Will Gadd and BZN super-locals, Doug Chabot, Whit Magro and Conrad Anker.

The clinics were held just outside of Bozeman in Hyalite Canyon, a world-class ice climbing area. There were a total of seven clinics held, which included all levels from beginner and women’s-only clinics to mixed climbing clinics. Total attendance is still TBA but all clinics were sold out! Attendees to the clinics would are able to demo all of the latest and greatest BD gear—every day we were completely demo’d out of all of our ice tools, harnesses, crampons and helmets.

When the daytime activities came to a close, there was evening entertainment, including slideshows, raffles and group dinners. On Saturday, all the gear companies set up outside, farmer’s-market-style, in downtown Bozeman below the impressive man-made climbing tower, which hosted a speed-climbing competition during the day and a dry-tooling competition at night (which comp-savvy Will Gadd won and Whit Magro finished second).

The Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival is used as a fundraiser for the plowing of the Hyalite Canyon road, so recreational pursuits are not limited in the winter. Thanks to Jo Jo (Joe Josephson), Coop (Mike Cooperstein) and all the volunteers for making this event such a success.

From: Brittany Griffith

Subject:  China trad climbing event

Date: December 1, 2012 11:24:04 AM

Just got back from China a few days ago and have almost shaken off the jetlag. The event at Laojunshan was awesome. It was a huge honor to be able to be a part of the first formal trad climbing event in China. Such an amazing setting and the people—climbers and locals—were so psyched! I had no idea there would be that many people there—at least 300 at the cliff each day and even more at night during the evening’s festivities (dancing and music shows performed by the locals as well as slideshows by Cedar, Mike and Yuji. Oh, and Metcalf was there! Dancing on stage and taking whippers at the crag—it was great to see such a busy guy still be so psyched for climbing.

Even though sport climbing is quite popular in China, trad climbing is still very much in its infancy in China, and most Chinese climbers at the event had never hand jammed before in their life. Crazy! There’s just not that much trad cragging opportunities in China right now, but that is changing—and this event was part of that change. The event was three days long and we spent each day at cliff, teaching our clinic groups the basics of trad climbing from how to place Camalots to crack technique.

The event's organizers recognized the benefits of hosting an event like this for a few reasons. First, they felt that there was a real need for trad instruction in China. Secondly, to demonstrate to the local park officials—who were initially not supportive of climbing because they didn't understand it and were concerned about the general safety of climbing in the park—that climbers are concerned about safety.

This event was not only good for the future of climbing and access in this beautiful park, but also got Chinese climbers stoked on trad climbing. I have been to many climbing events and taught countless clinics and I have to tell you that these climbers were the most stoked participants I have ever experienced! They were mad for it!!! And they were also some of the most appreciative participants I've been with. I made a lot of good friends and hope to go back next year.

— Brittany

The Corner Office #1: BD founder/CEO Peter Metcalf and his office/museum from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

[All photos by Alex Hooks]

The last leg of this year’s Triple Crown Bouldering Series was located at Horse Pens 40 atop Chandler Mountain in central Alabama. Southern bouldering is notoriously known for its nasty, holdless top-outs where mantle skills are a must in order to summit. This leaves many an unseasoned boulderer being either completely thwarted or at best, slithering their way to the top looking more like a beached whale then a rock climber.

In addition to those mantles, slopers are the name of the game at Horse Pens 40 and these horrible holds are the most dominant (non)feature the boulderfield has to offer. There simply aren’t many positive grips. Forget about that gym pass you’ve been using for the past few weeks or the daily campus routine you’ve been doing trying to get ready to tackle these obtuse blobs. Balance, footwork, body positioning, and focus will get you a lot further than brute strength, and without these skills you will simply fail. Good conditions (read: super friggin’ cold) will also work in your favor… it was 70 degrees this year. OUCH!

Just like every other TCBS venue, HP40 is located on private property. This amazing plot of land is owned and operated by the Schultz family. However, this property is open year round to the public for a small day use and/or camping fee. We owe them huge thanks for letting us all use their land. If it wasn’t for the Schultz family not only would we not have this great venue for the final TCBS event, but one of the USA’s most premier and unique winter bouldering areas would be behind lock and key, like so many other areas that are off limits. For more info on Horse Pens 40 please visit their website at: www.hp40.com – and when you meet the family, please thank them for letting us enjoy their property.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a wrap for the 2012 Triple Crown Bouldering Series. To all that attended, I hope you had a great time and that we will see you again next year! Until next time…

What was the design goal in creating the Magnetron?

We aimed to create an auto-locking carabiner with an extra degree of lock safety compared to the Twistlock. Through extensive testing of the Twistlock and other rotating sleeve locking mechanisms, we discovered usability issues as well as mechanical issues. The Magnetron locking system addresses these issues in addition to the fully redundant nature of the lock.

What is the advantage of Magnetron Technology over traditional auto-lock or screwgate carabiners?

Many auto-locking carabiners utilize rotating sleeves to provide the lock. These sleeves are driven by a torsion spring. Over time (in some cases a fairly short amount of time), the springs wear out for various reasons (mechanical wear, dirt/water/etc). As the springs wear out, the "feel" of the mechanism degenerates. Magnetron technology eliminates springs. With proper care the feel and function of the locking mechanism will degrade very minimally over the life of the carabiner. Additionally, the Magnetron system offers two full-strength locks where most auto-locking biners offer one full-strength lock and a secondary lock to secure the full-strength lock.

I'm primarily left-handed. Using a rotating sleeve mechanism with your right hand requires a different action than using a rotating sleeve mechanism with your left hand. The Magnetron system is fully symmetric; the action required to unlock the biner will be the same whether you are using your right hand, left hand or your feet in certain cases (this was not tested).

How did the idea to use magnets as a locking mechanism come about?

We carried out an extensive conceptual design phase for this project. At the completion of this phase, we had a number of compelling spring-based designs on hand. Despite all of the work, at that point, we weren't satisfied with any of them. One morning Bill Belcourt walked over to my desk and he said something along the lines of, "Hey! You should use magnets." I thought to myself, "Ha! Magnets. Nice one, Bill. Can I get back to work now?" Initially I was not into it. After a few days of investigation I realized that, through design, magnets can be exploited to provide some very beneficial attributes. Ultimately, through some more concept work we created several interesting magnet-based lock concepts. The Magnetron system is an implementation of our best concept at that time.

What were some of the unique challenges encountered while designing the Magnetron?

There were so many unique challenges that I cannot possibly convey them quickly. As these projects normally go, the serious concerns and issues tend to shift throughout the design/development/testing phase. At first, we were unsure whether magnets were suitable for a product like this. This concern drove a testing phase to discover where the limitations of the magnet would be. Will it crack? Will it de-magnetize under certain conditions? Will the magnetic field magically change polarity? Can I take these on an airplane? Will this carabiner erase my credit card? We did our best to quickly answer these questions as well as others.

Unlike springs, the attraction/repulsion force from a magnet is highly nonlinear. Close to the magnet the force is very high; slightly further away from the magnet the force is much lower. Most of the Magnetron design centers around managing this relationship. Mechanical systems such as this one require extremely high manufacturing precision.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, were the design concerns focused on controlling the scope of the magnetic field. Magnetic fields tend to stray a good distance from the magnet. In a product like this, magnetic field containment is critical in order to minimize particulate pickup, beacon interference, etc. We've taken every step possible to contain the magnetic field to a very small volume around the magnet.

Aside from the magnet-specific design issues, we had to answer the question of, "How do we create a big hole in the nose of the carabiner while maintaining the same level of strength?"

Any issues with the magnets freezing or attracting dirt or other particles?

With regard to freezing, we've designed the mechanical fits between parts to minimize the potential for moisture accumulation. All locking mechanisms are susceptible to freezing; we've done our best to reduce the potential for freezing but this design may freeze under the right conditions. The magnets are not affected by freezing nor are they the culprit.

Magnets will attract particulate in the right conditions. The Magnetron is not magic in this regard but we've used an extremely small magnet and the magnetic field is contained within various steel pieces placed around the magnet. In testing we were able to clog various rotating sleeve designs prior to clogging the magnetron. In addition, the design is intentionally accessible for cleaning.

With 77 named mountain ranges, all a part of the Rocky Mountains, it's no wonder Montana is a derivative of the Spanish word for "mountain." Montana is also known for wide open places and wilderness that is not crossed by a road for hundreds of miles. Hoping to keep these wild places an asset for people to enjoy for generations to come, the Montana Wilderness Association (MWA) was formed over half a century ago. We recently caught up with Laura Parr, an operations associate for MWA, to find out more about it:

How and why did the MWA come to be?

The MWA is Montana's largest and most effective grassroots wilderness organization. Founded in 1958, MWA works with communities to protect Montana's wilderness heritage, quiet beauty, and outdoor traditions, now and for future generations. From its beginning, MWA has led the fight to win designation of virtually every wilderness area in the state, including the Scapegoat, Anaconda-Pintler, Absaroka-Beartooth, Rattlesnake, Lee Metcalf, Great Bear, and Welcome Creek, as well as Wild and Scenic designations for the Flathead and Missouri Rivers.

Our vision has always been for a Montana where certain pristine public lands are permanently protected as federally designated wilderness, thus ensuring biodiversity, clean headwaters and sustainable economic opportunities for nearby communities that thrive in co-existence with abundant wild places.

What are some of the current goals for the MWA?

MWA is known for building partnerships and collaborating with non-traditional allies to form creative and lasting ways of protecting vital fish and wildlife habitat, important watersheds, and millions of acres of threatened roadless landscapes. MWA is working to educate and organize people to protect Montana's public lands and empower those people to shape and influence policy on conservation issues.

We carry out a wide range of activities in the firm conviction that environmental protections arise from an educated and engaged citizenry. Leadership for the 5,500-member organization is provided by an active state council elected by the membership, a dedicated 13-person staff, six offices, and six local chapters comprised of hundreds of volunteers from across Montana.

How does Black Diamond support the MWA?

Black Diamond supports us by providing quality merchandise for live and silent auctions, door prizes, and volunteer appreciation gifts during our annual membership meeting, Wilderness Walks kickoff events, CDT Montana trail projects, and volunteer appreciation parties. With support from Black Diamond, MWA is able to show our appreciation to our amazing volunteers as well as help raise critical funds to protect Montana's remaining wild places. Because of this unwavering commitment from Peter and Black Diamond, the MWA has established itself as a conservation leader in Montana. Today, we are moving ever closer to bringing new wilderness to Montana and we are boldly setting the stage for additional landscapes to be designated in the future.

I would also like to note that behind every successful effort to prevent off-road vehicles from assaulting the quiet, mountain trails we cherish, behind every effort to shape the final outcome of a forest or travel plan through public comments, and behind every public presentation, one-on-one meeting, door-to-door canvas, mile driven, or minute spent by the staff of the MWA to generate grassroots support for the introduction of wilderness legislation, are incredibly generous members that contribute critical resources MWA needs to accomplish these tasks. In honor of this generous support, the Montana Wilderness Association established a new annual award, the Montana Wilderness Association Philanthropic Recognition Award, in grateful recognition of enduring support and generosity ensuring the vitality and success of the MWA.

In 2011, Peter Metcalf was the very first recipient of this award, which was presented to him at our annual gathering in Gallatin Gateway, Montana.

To find out more about the MWA or how you can become a member, volunteer or make a donation, click here.

Health, Empowerment, Research and Awareness. Aside from being the wife of Zeus and empowering women in Greek mythology, HERA stands for something as equally if not more powerful as an ovarian cancer foundation. Black Diamond proudly hosted the 11th annual HERA Cimb4Life event at our Salt Lake City headquarters in September and as always, it was a huge success.

This year's fundraiser raised over $70K and had 118 climbing participants, as well as many more people attending the workshops and the Saturday night party. New this year was a series of photography workshops for people that wanted to hone in their professional skills. These were focused lectures lead by professional photographers, videographers and trainers including BD's own Sandra Salvas. Another highlight of the event was the keynote speakers during dinner on Saturday. Salt Lake City local, Brenda Price, shared her inspiring life story as a two-time cancer survivor. Dr. Richard Roden from Johns Hopkins also spoke on behalf of ovarian cancer awareness. All around another great success for a very deserving cause.