A conversation for the Alpine-curious Trail Runner
Mountain athletes Jenny Abegg, Kaytlyn Gerbin, and Kyle McCrohan come together to share their insights on how endurance athletes can transition from trails and go deeper into mountain terrain. Leading with the lens of “curiosity” we’ll explore:
- How can trails runners safely venture into alpine terrain?
- Principles for planning routes off trail?
- What technical skills are necessary to safely scramble through boulder fields, cross glaciers, and navigate off trail?
- How evaluate and manage risk in alpine environments?
Join the Conversation LIVE on Tuesday May 10th at 6pm.
A recording of the discussion will be emailed to all those who RSVP.
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The Athletes
Jenny Abegg is a mountain athlete based out of Leavenworth, WA. An accomplished rock climber with a penchant for obscure alpine adventure, she’s spent the bulk of her outdoor “career” tied into a rope. Amidst early COVID restrictions, she started trail running and soon discovered the joy of moving quickly and unencumbered through the mountains. In the past few years, Jenny’s combined her two passions for a number of fun “running” missions, including Mt. Challenger in the Northern Pickets, the Alpine Lakes Crest Traverse, the Tantalus Traverse in BC, and the Five Peaks Traverse in Oregon’s Central Cascades. She soon discovered the joy of moving quickly and unencumbered through the mountains. In the past few years, Jenny’s combined her two passions for a number of fun “running” missions, including Mt. Challenger in the Northern Pickets, the Alpine Lakes Crest Traverse, the Tantalus Traverse in BC, and the Five Peaks Traverse in Oregon’s Central Cascades
Kyle McCrohan is an adventurous runner, climber, and skier based out of Issaquah, Washington. He has spent time in the most of the ranges of the Western US, but calls the Cascades home. Kyle tries to use his skills in the mountains to express creativity and create unique experiences that inspire others to become more introspective with their goals and motivations.
Kaytlyn Gerbin is a professional trail and ultra runner for The North Face based in Issaquah, Washington. Since her first ultra-distance trail race in 2014, she’s broken onto the running scene and competed against the best athletes in the world, winning and setting records on technical and challenging courses in North America and Europe. When she’s not racing the 50 – 100 mile distance, she’s bringing her endurance skills to the alpine, covering iconic glaciated peaks and traverses. She got her start in trail running after spending years developing skills in the alpine, backcountry ski touring, climbing, and mountaineering. When not in the mountains, she’s worked as a PhD-trained scientist at a nonprofit research institute and volunteers with the Issaquah Alps Trails Club and The Mountaineers, teaching AIARE and Glacier Travel Courses.
Bring a Running and Endurance Orientation into an Intimate Relationship with the Alpine
The “Deeper, Not Further” series introduces the alpine-curious trail runner to the mountain mindset – one that balances the nuanced risk-management required for venturing into high-consequence terrain with the stoke and purity alpine exploration.
Runners approaching mountain running from a track or road background may not have the the alpine skill set to confidently explore alpine terrain. They may also NOT live near mountains to easily develop these skills.
It’s common for ultra-runners to focus on racing further and further distances. 50K to 50 Miler, 100 -200 Miler. While each distance presents its own challenges, heartbreak and glory, Aspire celebrates an approach to mountain running that centers aesthetic mountain movement and exploration in the wild, opening the door to deeper connection and wilder places.