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Written by The Editors
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Wednesday, 31 January 2007 |
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Page 5 of 7
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Chris Gallardo
California
Home: Rescue, California
Range: Tahoe, Eastern and Southern Sierras
Tool of choice: Splitboard
Age: 33
Weight: 155
Height: 5’ 7”
Backcountry Days: 50
Resort Days: 3
Ideal Group Size: 4-5
Powder or Corn: Powder
Big-Day Breakfast: “Depends where I’m headed, most days I’ll just grab something quick and easy from home like coffee, bananas and some oatmeal. Other days I’ll stop at the local coffee house or greasy spoon for a big breakfast.”
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Last Season’s Best Day: “My friend Drew Haas came out west from the Adirondacks (NY) and only had one free day to spend in the Tahoe backcountry. An unusually cold storm came through and dumped 18–24 inches of light powder overnight. The storm also blew out quickly and the sky was bluebird by the morning. After a great skin up the mountain and a check of the avalanche conditions, we got first tracks in the bowl. We met up with Joe Stewart at the bottom of the run and headed back up for a look down one of the steep and tight couloirs on the east face. Joe and I had been eyeing this somewhat infamous line all season and it was finally the day to give her a go. At end of the day, we logged 6,000 vertical feet of perfect powder.”
Body Climate: “I’m pretty average. It s all about proper layering and setting a pace your body is comfortable with.”
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Prescription:
The mid-weight R1 Superfly Pants from Patagonia (patagonia.com) and Burton’s Lightweight Shirt (burton.com) will provide Chris with a solid foundation to build his layering system.
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Patagonia's R1 Superfly Pants
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Burton’s Lightweight Shirt
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Mountain Climate: “Our typical winter daytime temperatures range in the mid to upper 30s, but in the mornings or during a storm it can be much colder—20 degrees and single digits are not uncommon. I definitely carry an insulation layer like a down jacket in my pack, but weight and simplicity are huge for me. I need a system that works together, whether I wear the pieces individually or together. I don’t need a windproof mid-layer if I have a windproof shell.”
Prescription:
Mountain Hardwear’s Alchemy Jacket (mountainhardwear.com) and 66º North’s Glymur Jacket (66north.com), are two simple, no-brainer ingredients for Chris. Marmot’s compressible Tarn Down Sweater (marmot.com) stows away well in his pack, but remains a bastion of security and warmth should he need it. And Burton’s Pinnacle XCR Glove (burton.com) is a good fit so Chris can keep his hands warm on the cold mornings.
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66º North’s Glymur Jacket
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Mountain Hardwear’s Alchemy Jacket
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Burton’s Pinnacle XCR Glove
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Marmot’s Tarn Down Sweater
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