We are sorry to announce that this presentation has been cancelled. We will re-schedule Lena as soon as possible.

Lena Haug – The Mongol Derby, The World’s Longest and Toughest Horse Race

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Lena Haug was born and raised in Sonoma County and is a professional equestrian, pilot and outdoor enthusiast. Lena competed in the world’s longest and toughest horse race this past July 2022 named the Mogol Derby. The race covers over a 1000km across rural central Mongolia on 29 different feral horses in under 10 days. Each leg has its own wild and unique story that Lena will share with us.

Lena’s website and blog is https://www.lenahaug.com/derby-blog

photos: Shari Thompson

January 3: Jim Thornburg – The Choss Revolution

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, January 3, 2023 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour, bowling and free beer for members at 6:00)

Jim Thornburg is a well known climbing photographer and Bay Area climbing guidebook author who is also an active route developer. There has been nothing short of a revolution in the Bay Area of many dedicated route developers who are finding and developing new crags, primarily in the north bay area. Why have these crags been overlooked by past generation? Well, the answer is most likely that these crags were initially chossy and very scrappy. But with lots of love and cleaning, these newer crags are enticing climbers old and new to search out these new areas. We are lucky to have Jim documenting these areas and providing exceptional guidebooks for these areas.

Jim will share his involvement with this surge of new development, his newest Bay Area guidebooks along with stunning photos.

Also, we encourage everyone to come as early as 6:00 to eat, meet friends and bowl in the private bowling lanes.

December 6: Richard Bothwell – Know Before You Go Avalanche Awareness

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date and Time: Tuesday, December 6, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Snow is on the way to the mountains! Before you go to the mountains you need to be aware of the risks of avalanches. Know Before You Go is an avalanche awareness program that isn’t overloaded with science, it doesn’t tell you that you have to stay out of the mountains, and there are no formulas to memorize. In this presentation by Richard Bothwell, a ski/splitboard guide and AIARE avalanche educator, you will see the destructive power of avalanches, understand when and why they happen, and the steps you can take to have fun in the mountains and avoid avalanches. No former avalanche education is necessary to attend. For those with more experience and training, Richard will be able to answer your questions during the Q and A session.

Richard Bothwell has been riding and guiding in Lassen Volcanic National Park since 1996. He guides for his company, the Outdoor Adventure Club, as well as teaching avalanche classes for Feather River College, Lake Tahoe Community College and Tahoe Mountain Sports.

November 1: Kevin Deweese: Yosemite Bigwall First Ascents in the Age of Beaks

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date and Time: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Kevin Deweese is a climber based in Oakland, CA who has been a familiar face in Yosemite Valley for years. He is best known for his bigwall first ascents in the valley. Kevin will give a presentation on putting up some of his more recent bigwall first ascents, many of which with Steve Bosque, a veteran of Yosemite bigwall first ascents from over the last half century. Kevin will focus on the “new era” that exists due to the use of beaks and how they have made lines that once were shied away from because they would be A4/A5 with normal pitons but are now A2/A3 by using beaks. He will also share photos from Bosque’s old ascents in comparison to current ascents to show the differences in gear and techniques as well as new techniques discovered through pushing beaks as far as they can go on Yosemite granite.

October 4 – Floyd Hayes: Classic Moderate Alpine Climbs

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date and Time: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Floyd Hayes, a professor of biology at Pacific Union College in Napa Valley, will discuss his journey of seeking out classic moderate alpine climbs, including many of the fabled “Fifty Classic Climbs of North America,” throughout western North America (British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Colorado, California) and in Switzerland. Although many of these climbs require long approaches with a backpack, overnight camping, and a long day of multipitch climbing, sometimes on a mixture of snow and rock, the moderate difficulty of these routes means they can be enjoyed by climbers of all ages and skill levels. Many of his climbs were achieved with an older partner, Roy Benton, who is now 73 years old and just completed two long, committing routes in the Canadian Rockies. The two climbers have produced a series of videos of their climbing adventures, which are posted on YouTube.

August 2: Brandon Albin – A Look at Spanish Climbing and Culture

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 2, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Brandon Albin recently took a trip to Spain and emersed himself in the culture, cuisine and climbing in Barcelona, Madrid and the Baerlic Island of Mallorca.

Brandon will share pictures and videos of climbing in the Patones north of Madrid and Deep water soloing the Calas of Mallorca. He will be showing his drone videos of the Mallorcan and Spanish landscape and will talk about the local culture and cuisine that he experienced along his journey.

July 5 – Jeff Vargen: My Deliberate and Accidental Life in Climbing and Film

Location: Victory House, Room 200 at the Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, July 5, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Jeff Vargen discusses his life in climbing, filmmaking and podcasting and how opportunity is all about desire and doing. Jeff’s approach to his documentary subjects mimic solo climbing. It’s risky and you do it because you believe in your ability to succeed regardless of what others say about your choices. Jeff discuses his passion for climbing and merging that passion into his passion for story telling. Jeff will discuss his approach to climbing and adventure documentaries and how that differs from the “high profile” films that dominate the outdoor media landscape. During this presentation Jeff will show clips from his films and will premier his new film, Muse: The Love Stories. Muse features Photographer Dean Fidelman sharing the stories behind some of his iconic photographs.

Jeff’s other works include films/series: Assault on El Capitan about Ammon McNeely’s second ascent of Wings of Steel, El Cap Bridge: The Series, High Gear with Andy Torbet and West To The Sea which follows Dave Chamberlains’ unsupported run across Canada. His audiobook Everest Alone: Maurice Wilson’s 19345 Journey To Be The First To Stand on the Summit, was released last Spring. Jeff currently produces High Adventure Podcast and the YouTube series Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Party with Grammy Nominate and Blues Award winner and legendary blues harmonica player Mark Hummel.

For more information on Jeff, his website is: www.accidentalproductions.net

June 7: Giovanni Traversi – Everything is Karate

Location: Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Follow Giovanni Traversi’s journey as he tells the story of how he jumped from a 5.13 sport climber to a near 5.15 sport climber in 365 days while only trying one single sequence over and over until he finally sent the route perfectly, in better style than most of the pros. “Everything is Karate” is a climb in Pine Creek Canyon near Bishop and it revolves around an intense move off of a mono-finger lock, which really hugs the barriers of your typical sport climb. Giovanni recounts the climb – “The rock is so sharp and new that often I would be left with no skin on both sides of my middle finger and completely flapped on both sides, while gushing blood.” Giovanni sent the climb on October 18, 2018, making it the 5th known ascent of the route.

He is now on a different path with plans to complete one of his other main projects, “Too Big to Flail” in the Buttermilk country near Bishop. He has decided the best way he can climb the boulder is completely free, with no ropes or pads and no one around. This climb is a notoriously highball/free solo, but no one has ever climbed it without the use of crash pads as a safety net and always with many people around. Giovanni’s aim is to make the first “free solo” ascent of Too Big to Flail.

May 3: Chris Summit – Sonoma County First Ascent Bouldering

Location: Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

Chris Summit has undoubtedly put up more bouldering first ascents in Sonoma County than anyone. His psyche for finding new boulders and nabbing first ascents is contagious and has spawned several new eras of boulder hunting and development from many strong local climbers. Chris will most likely give up a few “Topo Secrets” and will highlight several climbers that are throwing down in Sonoma County and beyond.

May 3: Jim Thornburg – The Choss Revolution

Location: Epicenter, 3125 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa

Time & Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2022 @ 7:30 PM (Social hour and free beer for members at 6:30)

We will re-schedule Jim Thornburg for another month.

Jim Thornburg is a well known climbing photographer and Bay Area climbing guidebook author who is also an active route developer. There has been nothing short of a revolution in the Bay Area of many dedicated route developers who are finding and developing new crags, primarily in the north bay area. Why have these crags been overlooked by past generation? Well, the answer is most likely that these crags were initially chossy and very scrappy. But with lots of love and cleaning, these newer crags are enticing climbers old and new to search out these new areas. We are lucky to have Jim documenting these areas and providing exceptional guidebooks for these areas.

Jim will share his involvement with this surge of new development, his newest Bay Area guidebooks along with stunning photos.