Hola amigos!
Today’s sends take us from steep mountains in Wyoming and Norway to California and Arizona granite.
Feed yourself the stories and films that keep you dreaming.
But first, a selfie from the mountain islands in the Colorado Plateau… the La Sals!
The season’s first backcountry mission to check on snowbpack: way too thin, but crispy!
❤️ Nico and friends
⏳ The Central Couloir: A badge of honor
📍 Cody Peak — Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The Central Couloir starts off with an hourglass funnel that leads into a super tight, rocky choke, and then just when it makes you feel welcome, you reach this massive cliff at the bottom.
Veronica Paulson steps into the lore to go down the rabbit hole, with bonus chaos from other Cody Peak lines.
Length: 13 minutes
🧗 Connor Herson: The next generation
📍 Sierra Nevada, California
Raised by climbers and forged on granite, Connor Herson was sending 5.14 by 14 and free climbing The Nose a year later. Calm, precise, and unnervingly comfortable on the wall, this is what the future of climbing looks like at 23.
Length: 15 minutes
Need Connor’s backstory? Start here.
🛶 Paddling the Wairoa
📍 South Island — New Zealand
Big volume, clean lines, and just enough consequence to keep things honest. This is the kind of whitewater that built New Zealand’s reputation—and still humbles paddlers who underestimate it.
Length: 3 minutes
⛷️ Arctic dream lines, Schirmer style
📍 Arctic, Norway
Norway’s Arctic mountains delivered this year—and Nicolai Schirmer takes his telemarking friend out for an early morning mission.
Tune in, cuz Shirmer’s films are always worth it, otherworldly, and aesthetic.
Length: 15 minutes
🏂🏿 Beast Mode on a snowboard
📍 Colorado, USA
Step-in bindings, “cooking mitts,” and the admission that the hardest part is riding the gondola. Marshawn Lynch hooks up with Zeb Powell and, as expected, makes learning look way more fun than it should be.
Length: 13 minutes
⚡ Bonus News
🏔️ Rough start to the Aconcagua season. A Russian climber just died below the summit!
🧗 Climbing the north face of Petit Dru in a day…in winter. A great way to spend New Year’s eve. (photo Bertrand Delaperre)
❄️ Heard of a snow drought? Atmospheric river storms aren’t fixing it. USGS estimates up to 75% of the Western US water supply depends on snowmelt—and that system is stressed.
🦖 Dinosaurs in Europe? Turns out they’ve been there all along.
📚 Long Reads
🧗 49 Days on Trango Tower
A solo first ascent and unsuccessful paragliding mission turns into an epic survival story from 1990 that will mess with your head—in the best way. (Brandon Pullan from Gripped.com)🚵 Ode to Cannondale
Remembering Cannondale’s founder and the legacy he built. (www.pinkbike.com)
🌍 Suffering the FOMO?
(Pssst, this is where you should be right now!)
Granite, Sun, and Consequences
📍 Cochise Stronghold, Arizona
Perfect winter temps, endless desert granite, and solitude at elevation. Known for long, committing multi-pitch routes, expect old-school runouts and route finding that still rewards judgment over gym strength—this is not a clip-and-go destination.
January and February bring reliable conditions and minimal crowds. If you’ve ever wanted to disappear into a maze of domes and spires with nothing but a rack and good decisions, this is the time.
Check it out below in hi-def!
🚵🏽 Shredding the edge of Africa
📍 Western Cape, South Africa (MTB)
World-class trails and summer riding in full swing while the north shivers. Trails around Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Paarl offer high-speed flow and technical rock features, all set against ocean views and vineyard backdrops.
The Mediterranean climate means long daylight hours, dry trails, and consistent conditions, while a deep trail-building culture keeps things dialed. Add in world-class food, post-ride wine, and a strong bike community, and it’s easy to see why riders quietly plan entire trips around this zone—and then don’t stop talking about it when they get home.
Speaking of South Africa… have you seen a penguin on a surfboard lately?
The African Penguin is endangered so check out @african_penguin_noow for more info on how to help.
💥 Stay Stoked. Stay Wild.
HEY!! Before you hit “Next”… Send this newsletter to who loves the gnar as much as you!
See you on the next send!
❤️🔥 The StokedAF fam 🤘