Krissy Moehl and the Run Around the Roof of Africa

In October 2012, professional ultrarunner, female champion of the 100-mile Ultra Trail Mt. Fuji 2013, and Julbo athlete, Krissy Moehl, embarked on an ultrarun that was like nothing she’d ever done. Invited by mountain guide, ultrarunner, and Tanzanian native, Simon Mtuy, Krissy travel to Tanzania for the “Run Around the Roof of Africa” – an eight-day, 161-mile stage run around Mount Kilimanjaro. Filmmaker Andrew King documented the journey in a film called “Mountain of Greatness.”

Krissy and Simon present a screening of "Mountain of Greatness" in Boulder, Colo.

Krissy running past villagers in Tanzania.

The crew runs over uneven trails on the south side of Kilimanjaro.

Simon and Krissy pump up the crowd at their Boulder screening.

Unlike other ultras, the goal of this run wasn’t time or distance. The goal was to experience the sites, sounds, and culture along the way. “It wasn’t about how fast you run the course but what you soak in along the way,” said Krissy. “It was the most connected I’ve felt to anything I’ve done.”

Living and training near Kilimanjaro his entire life, Simon had a lifelong dream of creating a stage race that went around the mountain, not to the summit and back. Wanting to expose others to the beauty and culture Tanzania offers, Simon spent four years mapping and planning the course.

Krissy and the crew started from Simon’s cottage averaging 20 miles per day for eight days. They passed about 35 villages along the way where they created relationships, stopped to talk with villagers, experience their culture, and share stories. “It was nice to unplug for eight days and instead live in the present,” says Krissy.

Large elevation gains, uneven trails, changing climates, and technical terrain made for a difficult run. “You have to be flexible and roll with what comes at you because you don’t know what’s coming next,” says Krissy. ”You have to get after whatever the day brings.”

Deforestation has become a big issue in the Tanzania as nearly 90 percent of the villages use firewood for fuel. “People continue to take and take instead of giving back,” Simon said. To combat the issue, Simon and other runners partake in a ceremonial tree planting exercise every time they leave for multiday runs. Simon encourages visitors and villagers to plant as many trees as possible. So of course, before Krissy, Simon, and the rest of the crew took off to run around the roof of Africa, they planted a few trees near Simon’s cottage.

Other than the people they met, landscapes they explored, and visions they shared, the most rewarding part for the crew was ending the eight-day journey by jumping in the giant waterfall pool near Simon’s village.

Plans for the second annual “Kilimanjaro State Run” are set for October 19-29, 2013. Plans are also in the works for a 100-mile run and possible hiking trips.

As for Krissy, she recently moved to Boulder, Colorado where she’ll explore and train in the area this summer. She’s also competing in the Squamish 50 Mile this August.

Click here for more info on the Kilimanjaro Stage.

Click here for more info on Krissy Moehl.

Watch "Mountain of Greatness" below.

Mountain of Greatness from D4 PRODUCTIONS | Andrew King on Vimeo.

Julbo mountain biker Erica Tingey holding strong on Pro Cross Country Tour

Julbo athlete Erica Tingey is killing it so far on the national Pro XCT (Pro Cross Country Tour), staying on track with her goal of being ranked Top 5 in the Tour. Since we last caught up with Erica a year ago, she’s changed cities, come back strong after a major crash, and helped her 4-year-old son graduate from a Strider bike to a pedal bike (future racer in the making?).

The Utah native was recently featured in Breathe Magazine in its “Women of Endurance” series and was named Female Mountain Bike Racer of the Year for 2011 and 2012 by Cycling Utah magazine. Erica updates us on her season so far and what it was like to get back in the saddle post-injury...

Why the move to Salt Lake City?

Erica Tingey: We’d been looking for an opportunity to move to Utah and my husband found a great work situation in Park City. We moved here at the beginning of winter, which was quite an adjustment from the mild climate in Las Vegas. With summer arriving, however, I am super excited to get out and ride some of my favorite trails – the mountain biking is second-to-none here! Since 2010 I’ve been spending my summers here in order to have easier access to racing and to babysitters. The move was a natural transition for our family since my husband and I both have family here and in Park City, where we’ll eventually move to from Salt Lake.

How is your season going so far?

ET: I am focusing on just cross country races and specifically the Pro XCT again this season. They expanded the tour to include nine races and we’ve completed four so far. My goal for 2013 was to be ranked Top 5 in the tour and right now I am in 5th place! I placed Top 10 at the first three and hit the podium in 5th place in Fontana, California – my first podium at a national race. Needless to say I was stoked!

The field at the Sea Otter Classic (the 4th race on the tour) was the largest women’s pro field I’d seen in my career, with an amazing front row of National and World Champions. I placed 16th overall and was the 8th American. After Sea Otter, the majority of the U.S. women as well as a couple of international racers headed to Prescott, Arizona for the Whiskey 50. The race is literally double in distance and time to what I’m used to racing, but I still had a very respectable result of 7th place. During the race, I spent almost 30 minutes climbing next to Georgia Gould (Silver Medalist at the Olympics and current U.S. National Champion)! 

The rest of the summer holds a lot of travel to complete the Pro XCT series, as well as National Championships and the World Cup in Quebec. The last few years I’ve finished off the season with one endurance event (Park City Point to Point) and will do so again this year. I’ve also enjoyed another training cycle to prepare for Iceman Cometh in Michigan in November the past couple of years, so that will most likely be on my calendar again, too.

What happened with your injury last season? 

ET: Right after I won the Utah State Championship, I traveled to Colorado Springs for a Pro XCT race. There was a crazy rain storm that turned the course to mud. I slipped and hit a rock with my rib cage, breaking a few ribs, puncturing and collapsing my lung. It was the most acute pain I’d ever experienced! As a result, I spent four days in the hospital. The recovery and lost fitness was also more than expected. I didn’t fully regain my fitness until Iceman Cometh five months later! It was really hard to sit on the sidelines for half the season, but it gave me drive to train harder, race smarter and enjoy every healthy day I get to rally on my bike! I’m completely healed; there were no lingering effects of the crash (other than lost fitness) after eight weeks. So now that I’ve had my one big crash I’m done – no more the rest of my career!

What else is new this season?

ET: Many of the Pro XCTs are considered Triple Crown Events this year. That means there are three races in a weekend: the main Cross Country event, Short Track and Super D. Short Track is exactly what its name implies: a short race on mountain bikes around a small course. Typically it lasts right around 20 minutes and laps are two to three minutes long. It is a very spectator-friendly race because you come around so many times and it's extremely intense and a lot of fun! Super D is downhill racing on cross country mountain bikes. There are no crazy jumps, but there are some pretty fast descents. They are usually raced on a time-trial format, one person at a time. The first time I tried it I came in 5th place and was hooked!  

How is your family? Do they get to travel with you to races?

ET: My family is doing well. My son, Kirkham, was on a Strider bike (two wheels and no pedals) for about a year and a half. He transitioned to a pedal bike in February with just one push – no training wheels. I’m a huge fan of those Strider-type balance bikes for kids. In literally less than an hour, Kirkham was pedaling a bike all by himself. 

My family doesn’t get the opportunity to travel with me very often. The logistics and expense of getting the three of us to and from an out-of-state race are prohibitive. They are, however, able to come and support me at the local events and at some of the events that are within driving distance. It’s always great to have them there, especially when I can hear them cheering for me.

Ultra runner and Julbo athlete Ian Sharman prepares for upcoming Grand Slam of Ultras

Ian Sharman: ultrarunner and Julbo USA athlete

Since 2005, Ian Sharman has run over 170 ultras and marathons in over 30 countries. Needless to say, the 32-year-old Northampton, U.K. native loves running, whether it’s multi-day races, road marathons or trail ultras. This summer he’s going for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, started in 1986 to combine four of the oldest 100-milers in the country: the Western States, Vermont, Leadville and Wasatch Front ultras.

Also an ultra running coach, Sharman helps clients get further along the steep learning curve of the longer races. He does have hobbies outside of running, believe it or not: “I love traveling, so that fits in perfectly with racing in exotic locations,” says Ian. “I’ve raced in over 30 countries so far, and my list of places I want to see only seems to get longer.

“I also love most of the traditional sports back in the U.K. – soccer, cricket, rugby etc. I enjoy watching these even though I get less of a chance to play them anymore. I’m also partial to the odd beer or two, loving Belgian-style ales the most.”

Cheers to Ian’s Grand Slam attempt! Julbo USA wishes you the best of luck.

Julbo: What prompted you to do the Grand Slam of ultras?

Ian Sharman: There’s a long history of people taking on this challenge, usually with the main goal of finishing rather than caring too much about the time. Western States is incredibly hard to get into with a lottery that has very low odds. There are a few ways to qualify automatically, which I’ve been able to do for the past three years [Ian’s finished in the Top 10 the last three years], but I can’t guarantee I’ll keep getting a place, so I wanted to give the Grand Slam a shot now that I’ve become more familiar with Western States and have been doing 100-milers for a few years.

How many people have completed the Grand Slam?

IS: There are 266 finishers of the Grand Slam before the 2013 season, with around 30 people attempting it each year. However, the real appeal for me is to chase the record for the combined time, held by Neal Gorman from 2010: 74:54:16. That’s a tough target and means that all four races need to go well – with even one bad day, the record is off.

Which race do you think will be the most challenging and why?

IS: The last – Wasatch Front. It’s the toughest course with the most climbing and descending (around 26,000 feet each), plus I’ll already have run three 100-mile races in the previous two months so there could be injuries, tight muscles or fatigue at the least, which will make it even tougher. I’m trying not to think too much about that yet and take it one at a time because the entire summer put together is fairly overwhelming.

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about the upcoming Western States?

IS: I love the competitive atmosphere each year because this is the main event of the season for most people and we all want to bring our A games. There’s a real buzz about the event, both before and after, and many of us spend months anticipating race day.

My least favorite things are probably the final couple of downhills because by that point the quads, calves and almost every single leg muscle feels like it can’t take anymore. Last year I was grunting with the impact of each step because it hurt so much.

How do you prepare for these races?

IS: It’s important to get a lot of variety in my training so I can deal with all types of terrains and conditions. The key thing is to replicate race conditions in a lot of the training runs. For example, before Western States I’ll be summiting Mt Diablo as much as I can. It’s got a 4,000-foot climb in about eight miles with some extreme temperatures, so it’s great preparation for the canyons and heat of the trail to Auburn.

Which Julbo’s do you wear while racing and why?

IS: 99% of the time I use the blue Dust shades as I love the way they look, and I find the Zebra lenses work well on trails by switching the amount of light it lets in immediately when I run from sun to shade.

Tell us something else we don’t know about you.

IS: I moved to the U.S. to get married to my American wife, Amy, back in 2009 and now can’t imagine living anywhere other than the West Coast of the U.S. Both Oregon and California are very close to my heart.

The Julbo Glen University Session 2013 Video

This winter we selected two aspiring ski mountaineers to partake in the Julbo Glen University Session (JGUS). The two lucky winners – Tom Runcie of Crested Butte, Colo. and CJ Carter of Bozeman, Mont. – jetted to Julbo's homeland, Chamonix, France to climb and ski with none other than living legend and Julbo athlete, Glen Plake.

For seven days, Glen, Tom, CJ, and Julbo athlete, Samuel Anthamatten, explored the peaks, couloirs, and routes of the Chamonix Valley. Tom and CJ left the birthplace of extreme skiing with a new appreciation of its history and improved mountaineering skills.

Watch the JGUS teaser below and check back in September for the full length edit.

Julbo Wave Sunglass Earns 2013 Gear of the Year Honors from Outside Magazine's Buyer's Guide

Outside Magazine's Buyer's Guide awards the Julbo Wave Sunglass with 2013 Gear of the Year Honors:
"The swimming pro in Pasadena thought it was weird to pickup sunglasses floating in the pool. But then he put them and went, "Whoa." The goggles-ish Waves are rapture for river runners, stand-up paddlers, and the rest of the watersports set. Julbo's polarized polycarbonate lenses handle light conditions from low to noontime bright and mitigate the glare that makes open water an optical hell. Soft, detachable frame skirting - the goggles like feature - fends off side spray, while a water shedding coating on the lenses sends the rest off in beads. Sunscreen wipes off smudge-free, too. Boating shades never really cut it for watery athletic recreation, but they were pretty much all we had - until now."

For a downloadable PDF Version check out: Julbo Wave - Gear of the Year

Meet Julbo athlete and mountain runner: Amber Reece-Young

There is a lot about Julbo Team member Amber Reece-Young that’s impressive.

She can run a mile in 4:44.

She holds down a full time job as a public health and school nurse.

And she dominates the international running stage, having been selected as a member of Team USA for NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association) Mountain Running Championships in 2011 and 2012.

           

Julbo: What is your specialty/focus?

Amber Reece-Young: I run mostly on trails but love mountain races, trail races, and participate in some road races.

What are your goals for 2013?

AR: My goals for 2013 are to make Team USA for the World Mountain Running Team, Place in the top 3 at Mount Cranmore (USA Track & Field Mountain Running Championship) and to place in the top 3 at the USA Track & Field National Trail 10k Championship.

What are your long-term goals with running?

AR: My long-term goals with running are to stay healthy and run to the best of my ability, while encouraging others to do their best and to promote the sport of running (trail, mountain and road).

What are your hobbies/interests outside of running?

AR: I love to read, journal, socialize with friends, travel and try new things.

Which Julbo sunglasses do you wear while competing and why?

AR: I love the Treks with Zebra lenses for trail and mountain racing. The lenses are bright, lighting the trail. They fit snug without making my face hot and they don’t fog up. They rock!

How do you have time to be a nurse with all the training you must have to do?  

AR: Ha ha! I can be somewhat regimented at times to fit the training in around work. I am lucky to have a position as a public health nurse/school health nurse. Fitting the training in helps me to focus and remain relaxed during stressful days. The trails are my stress reliever.

Climber Graham Zimmerman heads into Alaska adventure

“Climbing is what I do; I work hard to perpetuate the dreams of personal progression on the mountains and crags of the world with excellent style and ethics,” writes pro climber and Julbo athlete Graham Zimmerman on the opening page of his blog, “Nomadic Wanderings of a gZ.” “My grail lies in the unclimbed terrain of the greater ranges.”

Since high school, 27-year-old Zimmerman has been climbing with an infectious passion for the sport and pushing himself in uncharted territory. When he happens to not be climbing, he enjoys making films and drinking espresso in his home base in Seattle, Washington.

We caught up with Graham as he prepares for his next adventure on Voyager Peak in Alaska.

Julbo: Your video “Revival in the Waddington” is awesome [about Graham’s first trip back from a major injury]. How much of that trip was a mental challenge and how much was physical?

Graham Zimmerman: While the 18-month recovery preceding the trip to the Waddington was often very challenging, the trip itself went beautifully. I was really intimidated right up to the flight onto the glacier, but once we landed, I was filled with a feeling that I had happily returned to a very powerful place from which I derive much calm and comfort. It was an excellent trip with great weather and wonderful friends. Not to mention some really excellent climbing!

When do you leave for your upcoming expedition to Alaska?

GZ: Mark Allen and I’ll be departing from Seattle on the 3rd of May. Weather depending, we’ll be flying onto the glacier on the 4th or 5th. We are mega pumped!

Tell us about the AK mission – where are you going, what do you hope to accomplish there?

GZ: Two years ago Mark and I made the initial explorations in the Western Forks of the Lacuna Glacier. It was another really great trip in which we made the first ascent of Voyager Peak. The exploratory nature of the trip was exhilarating.



There are a number of other objectives that we spied in the Southern reaches of the glacier system. This time we’re going to access the Lacuna from the Yetna Glacier and see what we can do about some of those faces. It’s going to be another exploratory trip with some great potential.

With a month to go, we’re in the final phases of prep and getting very excited. More info on our last trip can be found here.

Why does unclimbed terrain appeal so much to you?

GZ: The mountains are a place where I find profound beauty and challenge.

These elements create an intense draw for me. On unclimbed terrain I can face the fears and doubts of the unknown while moving through intimidating and gorgeous elements. It is simple, yet infinitely complex. And I think it is a lot of fun!

Which Julbos do you wear climbing?

GZ: The Explorer and the Run have been my go-to in the mountains for a number of years now. In town I have been sporting a pair of Tours which are very comfy and look great. Just a few days ago I got some of the new Tensing frames in the mail, and for a lower-pricepoint glacier-glasses option, they seem great! Very light!