Heidi Barrett Speaks with Joseph & Curtis

When it comes to making wine there are those that make wine...and then there are those that make wine! The name Heidi Barrett may or may not ring a bell with you but it should. Heidi is considered the Babe Ruth of the wine making industry. Heidi began attracting praise at the age of 25, when she helped turn around Buehler Vineyards. She then went on to "cult" status when she created "Maya" a California Cab blend for Dalla Valle which received consecutive 100 point scores from Robert Parker. She then became a superstar with her work at Screaming Eagle, which became the biggest cult cab in the world. Her first vintage was 1992 and became a 100 point wine from Mr Parker. A single bottle of Screaming Eagle fetched $500,000 at the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2000. Heidi now makes incredible wines under her own label, La Sirena.

Heidi was kind enough to spend some time with Joseph & Curtis Custom Wine Cellars. Please enjoy getting to know this wine making legend.

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J&C: most kids dream about being a doctor, a fireman, a New York Yankee, etc...was there ever a doubt you would become a winemaker?

Heidi: Sure, I almost became an oceanographer or a marine biologist. I still love all things ocean but get my "fix" with regular scuba trips where I can fish ID my heart out. Plus it's so darn beautiful under there, maybe the most beautiful part of the planet that very few people get to see. La Sirena means "the mermaid" in both italian and spanish so it was a way for me to combine my two passions into the winery name and also reflect the magic element of both.

J&C: being a parent of 2 myself... please tell us about growing up with your parents and how they helped shape your career and passions.

Heidi: Well, with a scientist/winemaker dad and an artist mother it's no wonder I was attracted to winemaking. I spent a lot of time visiting my dad at work in various wineries as a kid. My sister and I both loved being there and we thought it was normal. "Doesn't everyone's dad do this?" We also did a lot of art as kids, something I still do today. My Dad never pushed me into the wine world which I'm thankful for, allowing me to come to it on my own, but we started tasting wine very young, learning flavors and even a bit of chemistry. Winery work became my summer job in high school since who else will hire you when you're a kid except your family? Davis was the obvious choice for college once I had been working in the business and knew I liked it.

J&C: At what age did you find yourself passionate about wine and wine making?

Heidi: Really senior year in High school when I had to buckle down and pick a college was the start but doing internships in both Germany and Australia where I learned so much was very exciting and inspiring. Passion for it builds over time. The more you learn, the better you get, the more fun it is.

J&C: Have you ever worked anywhere else but in/on vineyards?

Heidi: Not really. I was a waitress for a few months doubling up with my cellar crew day job when I first graduated from UCDavis in 1980 and had zero money. We worked 10 hour shifts starting at 6:30AM til 5, then I'd go work at the restaurant til 11.

J&C: Who are your biggest influences?

Heidi: My Dad for sure. I have learned so much from him. I used to talk his ear off to and from work with so many questions when I was working in the cellar. Also Justin Meyer (first hired me out of Davis at Franciscan and Silver Oak), Jerry Luper ( I was his assistant winemaker), and Alfred Hoffmann (Germany-taught me about balance in wine). Also Gustav Dalla Valle- became a close personal friend and a bit of a mentor. I got to help him create his dream and put his brand on the map at the time.

J&C: I happen to know you graduated from UC Davis...memories of that experience?

Heidi: It was a great time of life. Some pretty amazing winemakers came out of my class. I remember Randall Graham always asking a ton of questions. We all made wine in 5 gallon demi-johns in the basement of the wine dept. At that time there was no pilot winery like what they have now. Working in Ann Noble's sensory lab was fun. We all loved Ralph Kunkee for microbiology.

J&C: Do you think its more important (for wine making) school experience or real world hands on experience?

Heidi: I think it's about 50/50. You need the foundation of education but there's nothing like working hands on to get the picture.

J&C: Please tell us about some of the vineyards you have worked for?

Heidi: There have been so many over the years and some interesting winery owners in the mix too. One of my favorite jobs was working with Gustav Dalla Valla, a larger than life character with an amazing zest for life. I'd be at the winery doing routine labwork and he'd stand over my shoulder telling me all these incredible stories of his life. He started the company Scuba Pro, and was a contemporary and competitor of Jaques Cousteau. He had so many adventures , I can't even begin to list them all here. He died in 1995 and I sure miss him. Screaming Eagle was another interesting chapter for me. I was fortunate to be winemaker there from day one in 1992 until it was sold 14 years later in 2006. It was a wild ride to create something like that that was so successful right out of the chute. The hard part was that I set my own bar so high and created the expectation of greatness each year. To keep that quality year after year no matter what the vintage dished out was alot of pressure and certainly a challenge. One of those things where you rise to the challenge being pushed like that with everyone watching for the slightest bobble. When you are at the top, you find out who your true friends are. The sale came as a complete shock to me. So many changes have occured there, it's just not the same little jewel it once was. There are so many stories to share , not sure how much space you have!

J&C: Is there one special quality one needs to be a world class wine maker?

Heidi: Versalility, patience, experience, and attention to detail.

J&C: Since your cult wine "Maya" received 2 100 point scores from robert parker (the 92 and 93) as well record breaking bids at the Napa Valley Wine Auction...as well as a bottle of your 6 liter 92 screaming eagle which sold for $500,000 how do you top that?!

Heidi: I've actually had 5 100's so far and made a number of other wines that I thought had

the potential for that score. It's really one man's opinion on any given day so not something we can control or expect as winemakers. I really try not to focus on the scores, it's certainly nice when you get a good one, but it can also be a big distraction from the task at hand- making the best wine you can, every year. Now I'm working on that same quality with my own La Sirena and a similar blend for the Cab that I used to make for SE.

J&C: Please tell us about La Sirena.

Heidi: La Sirena is my own little winery where I make just the wines that I personally love, Cabernet Sauvignon, of course, Syrah, a fun red blend of 7 varieties called Pirate TreasuRed, and a dry Muscat Canelli called Moscato Azul. I work hard at making the best wines I can each year in small quantities. These are all wines of great depth, purity, personality, and balance made with finesse and alot of experience. We grow some of our own grapes, Cabernet and Syrah and contract the Muscat Canelli from our neighbors vineyard. We work with a few other growers as well who farm specifically for La Sirena to our standards. The winery was founded in 1994

with 200 cases produced the first year. We now make about 2000 a year divided between all the wines, usually making no more than 400-500 cases of each. So, small production wines with a winemaker with a 30 year proven track record equals the real deal, wines of pedigree.

J&C: What does La Sirena mean?

Heidi: The mermaid in Italiian and Spanish.

J&C: Please tell our readers what the average day for Heidi Barrett is like.

Heidi: My days really vary and usually involve many different things all in the same day. Of course it depends on the time of year but right now I do alot of tasting going winery to winery, troubleshooting, working on blends, sometimes doing local wine deliveries, and warehouse which usually involves driving the forklift. Other days are office related, selling wine, working with distribution and setting up wine events, ordering bottling supplies, doing cork sensory trials, my tasting group, bottling, meetings with clients, etc. And this is supposed to be the slow season!

During crush there are almost daily vineyard visits between all my clients, tasting alot of grapes and juices, tasting all fermentors and making adjustments daily, crushing, pressing, filling barrels, some labwork, records, you name it and it's seven days a week then. With each season there are different things going on in the winery so it really varies week to week what I work on. Plus I try to fit in a bit of exercise and my other interests when I can. I haven't watched television in years! I don't think I could fit it in although I do love watching the Olympics so will go to a neighbors house to watch some of that.

J&C: Any passions outside of the wine and vineyard?

Heidi: Many- skiing, scuba diving, art- painting, making jewelry, ceramics, gardening,

flying helicopters (I'm close to getting my license) kayaking, fly fishing, travel.

J&C: Favorite places to travel?

Heidi: Anywhere tropical.

J&C: What is the most pressing issue facing the wine industry?

Heidi: Protecting our appellations. So when it says Napa Valley it IS Napa Valley. And now

we can say Calistoga on the label which is very exciting with the new Callistoga AVA

being accepted.

J&C: Favorite foods?

Heidi: Wild blackberry pie, watermelon, salmon, chocolate (naturally), fresh blueberries,

and roast wild duck with pomegranate sauce.

J&C: You have seen some amazing changes in Napa...what do you feel is the biggest

change in the last 25 years?

Heidi: There have been so many changes I've seen since living here in the late sixties. My

sister and I used to ride our horses to the vet when there were no fences between the vineyards. We've seen so many new wineries spring up and huge changes in viticultural practices, vine spacing and land use rules. We have alot more upscale restaurants and fancy shops in the towns now. It all used to be pretty casual around here. Land prices have gone through the roof for a good acre of vineyard property in the last 25 years. All in all, it has kept it's amazing beauty and is still a great place to call home.

J&C: What's on the horizon for La Sirena and Heidi Barrett?

Heidi: Hopefully, continuing to make even better wines and bringing more notoriety to La

Sirena as some of the best wine in the world. I love it to become the new Screaming Eagle! The wines are just as good, it's just not as famous yet so it's still affordable.

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We hope you enjoyed getting to know Heidi Barrett, a wine making legend. Please check out La Sirena's website for more information about Heidi and her latest wine creations.

Cheers!

Matt Booth Q & A

Matt Booth is a good friend of Joseph & Curtis and someone we admire very much...he is a man who marches to his own beat and his quality of work is second to none..here is a glimpse into the "Conspiracy"

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"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would do us harm"

J&C: That's my favorite quote...so first things first: Much respect for your service to this GREAT nation...do you have a favorite quote?

I don't do many quotes - one that stuck with me however, is from our man Benjamin Franklin... "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both"

J&C: Tell us about your service to our country as a marine.

I served four years with 3/7 India Company in their Weapons platoon as a machine-gunner 0331 from '96 - 2000. I made some of the best friends of my lifetime, and now several years later several of us work together surrounding Room101.



J&C: How does a marine become a jewelry designer?

That is an interesting question - the short version is....after I got out I moved directly to Hollywood proper to pursue music as a career - and started digging in to the insidious "industry" in general...

I was introduced to this style of crazy silver jewelery here in Hollywood and it took me from simply interested and intrigued - to obsessed and ultimately I am where I am today because of those earlier experiences here in LA.


J&C: Tell us about your feelings about a cause very dear to both our hearts, the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Wounded Warrior Project is an extremely vital program that focuses on raising aid for the guys and girls that are coming home severely injured as well as lobbying for new legislation that will help support those same soldiers and provide them with much needed care for their injuries. It is a cause that I support whole heatedly and I am utilizing the marketing campaign surrounding the launch of the Room101 cigar to help raise awareness for the cause. I urge everyone that has not already to log on to www.woundedwarriorproject.com to learn more.

J&C: Tell us about what Room 101 is and about the Conspiracy.

Room101 is my baby, my brand and my life.



In my opinion (of course I could be somewhat biased) Room101 is the finest, and most fully comprehensive luxury lifestyle collection in existence. We pride ourselves on our jewelry design first and foremost of course - but we have expanded the collection with items ranging from travel accessories to custom instruments, custom vehicle collaborations, custom knives and of course as you may be aware, cigars.... Room101 is something I live and breathe.

The Conspiracy began as my middle finger to the world - to let the nay-sayers know that this brand is for real.Since its inception, the Conspiracy has grown to include other believers and supporters who understand what we are doing, connect with our philosophy on a deeper level, and contribute their own talents to our mission. I like to think of the Conspiracy as our own "by invitation only" club. The momentum has grown to the point where we are now approached by people asking if they can be a part of it.

J&C: Describe your style in four words.

1. I
2. CAME
3. TO
4. PARTY


J&C: What's an average day for Matt Booth?

My days are anything but average. Everything changes on a day to day basis, depending on the needs of the brand. People have a perception that this is all glitz and glamor because they see the final product. However, few people realize the hard work and long hours that go into what I do on a daily basis. Now that we have added the cigar brand, my responsibilities are twice as great and my time is more in demand than ever. Everyday I wake up ready for all of it. I am blessed that I am able to work for myself and the future of the Room101 family.

J&C: Eddie Bauer had the Ford Explorer...I am thinking a Matt Booth F-16?

It's funny you would bring up airplanes...lately I have been itching to Room101 out a private jet interior....now I just need the plane.

J&C: I know you work with a couple chopper builders...do u ride?

I grew up riding dirt bikes - and the Room101 bobber is going to hit the streets of LA 2010.

J&C: What's your favorite place to chill?

To be honest with you - the ability to chill has eluded me for the past few years. I would have to say lately it would be the deck on my pad in Hollywood with a good cigar and my Chihuahua.



J&C: Tell us about the cigar launch...and where can someone buy them AND what makes a good cigar?

From what I hear it's nothing short of a success. The Room101 cigar can be purchased most anywhere fine Camacho products are sold. It's a killer smoke - go out and get you some!

J&C: Would you ever consider lending your Room 101 flavor to a humidor for us or one of our clients?

Of course..It would be my pleasure my man...I am always looking to take on projects that are new and interesting. I'm looking forward to the first Room101 walk in humidor project with Joseph & Curtis.

J&C: Where can our readers learn more about Room 101?

Room101Cigars.com
Room101Silver.com
Room101Executive.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Room-101-Cigars/116701997360

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Needless to say, Matt Booth is the real deal and fights for what he believes in, doesn't let anything get in his way. We all can learn a lesson from Matt and the Room 101 Conspiracy - party hard, work harder!

Room 101 and Camacho sent us 2 boxes of Room 101 cigars that we will review at the Joseph & Curtis Fan Page on Facebook, Become a Fan to keep in touch!

Matt, thanks again for the interview, we wish you NOTHING BUT SUCCESS and look forward to collaborating on some killer projects with Room 101.

Cheers!

Erik Weihenmayer Q & A

Erik Weihenmayer is someone we can all marvel in. It's very easy to be inspired by all of Erik's amazing accomplishments, but what I admired most was his sense of humor, and his work ethic. Everyone might not make it to the top of Everest, but we can all summit our own personal Everest by using adversity as the fuel to our fire.


Erik Weihenmayer climbing in Thailand. (Photo credit: Charley Mace)

Now let's talk with Erik...about wine...about adventure...about dealing with adversity.

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Do you have a favorite wine?

I especially enjoy Shiraz, an Australian red which may be the country's highest profile wine. Someone told me the grape first came to Australia from the Rhone area of France many years ago.



Do wine and skiing mix?

Sure they mix, but only after you're done skiing! And I have a rule: when guiding, no drinking.


Erik skiing in the Alps

You have just returned from Istanbul. What did you do there?

I had two speaking engagements, with Pepsi/Frito Lay and with P&G, but then I climbed Mt. Ararat in eastern Turkey, where Noah's Ark is supposed to be buried. We didn't find it, but we did find the summit. It was much colder than expected for this time of year. Heavy snow had covered the high mountain, and for my team, the climbing was a little treacherous. Luckily, though, trekking in snow is much easier for me. There are few rocks and mini-boulders to avoid, and you simply slog your way to the top. We climbed with three Iranians, mountaineers we have been in contact with for several years. One has translated my book, "Touch the Top of the World," into Farsi, and is now working to get it approved by a special committee which reviews all books and films for the Iranian market, so that it can be published.

Please tell us the Australian champagne story.

Kosciuzsko, the tallest peak in Australia at 7,200 feet, was more a bump than a mountain – by far the easiest of the Seven Summits. The real work of Mt. Everest, as well as my five other continental summits, was behind us. We figured Kosciuzsko was only a ceremonial walk to the finish line to complete my seven-year quest. When I told a local Aussie of our plans, he responded, "Ah! What a lovely stroll. I did it with my dog last summer." We planned interviews over a satellite feed to news programs around the world for the historic moment I finished. We even had a bottle of champagne along with us for a celebratory toast at the top.


Erik (4th to right) and team celebrates on the top of Kosciuszko by popping a champagne cork in a strong wind.

However, it seems that whenever we finally let up and assume something will be easy, we are presented with a dramatic reminder that life involves suffering. Climbing my Seventh Summit felt like a mini-version of the Odyssey, as if the winds had been unleashed against us. From the moment we arrived at Kosciuzsko during the Australian spring, a series of huge low-pressure systems, half the size of the continent, repeatedly dumped snow over the mountain. The winds near the top roared at eighty miles per hour. After waiting five days for the weather to clear, and with no improvement in sight, we made the decision to go for it. What match would little Kosciuzsko be against hardened mountaineers who had summited the tallest mountains in the world?

Only a half hour out of the parking lot, as the howling wind roared down the slopes and drove hard bullets of ice directly into our faces, I was already questioning the wisdom of continuing. One of my teammates was actually lifted up by the wind and sent sliding 100 yards down the snow slope. When he waved up that he was fine, and we knew he wasn't hurt, we all let out a relieved laugh.

It seemed like the winds had focused their attention on our team, because next I was struck by a tremendous gust. The wind flung me back into Eric Alexander, who was right behind me, and we both went down in a pile. We were a tangled heap of arms and legs as we slid twenty feet down the hard-packed slope before Eric managed to dig his ice axe into the ice and stop us.

As we got above the tree line, we were faced with an indistinct wind-scoured landscape, made even more disorienting by the blizzard. Jeff Evans took the lead and had to navigate with a compass. For three hours, we wandered around through the whiteout looking for the actual summit.

Finally, after trudging up a last snow face, with the wind fighting us at every step, Jeff described to me the truck-sized boulder layered in ice that signified my Seventh Summit. It took four of us holding tightly to our banner to pull it out of my pack and hoist it for a few summit shots as the wind tried to rip it away. Then, sticking stubbornly to our summit celebration, we popped open the bottle of champagne. The cork sailed away, zinging, I assume, past all seven continents on its way down. As I took a drink, the fierce wind tipped the neck of the bottle, caught the liquid, and plastered half the contents across my face and Gore-Tex suit. The irony wasn’t lost on us. This summit, typically host to T-shirt clad tourists, young children, and dogs, was doing its best to blow us off the mountain. In fact, of my Seven Summits, little Kosciuzsko’s brutal winds topped them all. Nothing else was even close.

If I had confronted that kind of adversity on my first summit, it might have sapped my will to even attempt the others. But along the journey, my tolerance for suffering had expanded, and by the time we reached Kosciuzsko’s summit, all we could do was laugh. In fact, we must have all looked like lunatics, covered in frozen champagne and braced together against the hurricane-force gale as we howled with laughter. Lovely Kosciuzsko had done everything in its power to make our experience as memorable as our ascents of far bigger mountains. Instead of a ceremonial stroll to the finish line, we had to work for every inch—and our accomplishment made us proud. (Excerpts from Erik's "The Adversity Advantage.")

Is it easier to be adventurous being blind?

Probably yes, because every day and every experience is an adventure for me. When I walk from my home into town, it can become an adventure. One day, I was going with my guidedog to the local gym. We got to a place in the road where I knew the gym was straight ahead. But Wizard would not budge. Irritated, I commanded him, "Forward," but when I stepped forward it was into a fairly deep pool of water. So, I went home to change my sneakers and then started out again.


Erik on a rock overhanging the sea in Thailand.

As I learned to live as a blind person, I realized that blindness truly makes life a big adventure, and that's how I try to look at it. Sure, there are frustrations, but more often than not, if you take a step back and look at the situation, one should probably just laugh. So, you have a choice. You can either let adversity crush you, as it does many people, or you can use its energy to propel you on the pathway to your dreams.

How amazing was climbing Everest?

Most people focus on me being the only blind person to summit Everest, but the even better story is that 18 of my teammates stood on the top that day as well, which is the most climbers from a single team to summit Everest in a single day. We had no superstars, just good solid climbers, but there was tremendous cohesiveness around the vision of helping a blind person to stand on top of the world.


Looking across the final section of the southeast ridge towards the Hillary Step and the summit of Mt. Everest. (Photo Credit: Didrik Johnck)

I could have been standing there alone. Instead, and much better, was standing with all my teammates who have made this feat possible. Time Magazine called it perhaps the greatest team to ever climb on Everest, which is the ultimate compliment.


Erik on the cover of Time Magazine.

How did you get involved with speaking?

Shortly after my climb of Mt. McKinley in Alaska in 1995, which was the first of my continental summits, we started getting inquiries about movie and book rights, tv shows and magazine articles, and speaking engagements, mostly from non-profits and schools.

My dad was serving as my manager (he still is), and he arranged 8 talks at private schools in one week.


Erik and his dad Ed work together building his speaking business, writing books and producing films embodying his message.

Even the small speaking fees represented huge money to me then, but it was really a tough road, because by the 5th or 6th presentation I honestly couldn't remember whether I had already told them the story I was about to share. From there, it just grew, mostly by referrals and good testimonials. Now I am speaking around the world, occasionally sharing platforms with people like Secretary Colin Powell, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Prime Minister Tony Blair and other heads of state.

Even my corporate talks, though, have had their ups and downs. My very first presentation at a big conference for a Fortune 500 firm was at AT&T. Twelve hundred people were packed into the auditorium. I was given a glowing introduction, and was warming the audience up with a few stories which had them laughing and cheering. I was just ready to plunge into the real message when a loud alarm interrupted my presentation.. I wasn't quite sure what it was, until I heard people getting up from their seats and exiting the room. Then I realized it was a fire alarm drill, and I went outside with the conference head. We didn't begin filing back in for 30 minutes. My momentum was doused. Cold water had been thrown on my flow.

With all of the inspirational people you have been around, do any stories stand out?

When I was 12, I was watching a TV show called That’s Incredible. I could still see a little out of one eye, though I had to crane forward just a few inches away from the set. Being featured that night was an athlete named Terry Fox. Terry had lost a leg to cancer and, when not yet discharged from the hospital, made a decision to run across Canada from east to west. With my nose pressed up against the screen and with tears pouring down my face, I watched Terry run. The miles took a tremendous toll on his amputated leg and its primitive prosthetic. He hobbled along mile after mile, fighting the pain of blisters and raw skin, often using a pair of crutches to propel his body forward.


Erik on the last pitch of his climb of El Capitan's 3000-foot vertical face.

What struck me most was the look on his face. It was a look of extreme contradiction: full of exhaustion, yet radiant with exaltation. In his thin face was the trace flicker of an intense internal light that burned power into his struggling frame. The image filled my sagging spirit and gave me a feeling of utter courage. Many would have retreated from such hardship, but—surprisingly—Terry faced it head-on and literally ran into its midst. It was while staring into Terry's face that I first wondered how we could harness that great storm of adversity swirling around us and use its power to make ourselves stronger and better. (Excerpt from "The Adversity Advantage.")

With all of your accomplishments, what drives you to continue on these adventures?

I love the adventure itself, to be sure, and the pleasure of working with teammates to accomplish stretch goals, but what drives me most is the discovery process, the innovation necessary to do something which the world sees as impossible but which I know in my heart is truly possible. After I began climbing big mountains, I wanted to become a better rock climber. Some said that a blind guy may be able to slog it out on a steep slope, but feeling for holds up a vertical rock face was too difficult, even impossible. But faces are tactile, and using my hands and feet as my eyes, I climbed steep faces such as The Nose of El Capitan, 3000 feet of overhanging rock. But when I thought about ice climbing, critics claimed that ice faces were smooth and you had to discern the good ice and see precisely where to plunge your ice tool...but I learned how to tap the ice with my tool and use the pitch to tell me about the quality of the ice. Later, I climbed Polar Circus, a 3300-foot vertical ice waterfall in the Canadian Rockies, in 11 hours. As in other ventures, I learned that there are many ways to climb a mountain, and that sight is helpful but not indispensable.

Tell us about your work with the school systems?

It is important that our young people learn to dream big. They need to get passionate about something, and then work to surmount the obstacles that stand between them and their dreams. So I spend a lot of time in schools and colleges sharing this message, using my own life experiences as a practical example. I love to go to a campus, show one of my films to students, parents, faculty and the community in the evening, then share my story in a formal presentation with videos and slides the next morning. It is rewarding to know the school is abuzz with a message about overcoming adversity. We have held city-wide school programs in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, where thousands of students from tens of schools read my "Touch the Top of the World" and then came together in a central venue to hear my message. I wish we could take this program to more cities and schools across the country. The Touch the Top message needs to reach today's youth.

What is your favorite food and any story about it?

My best and worst are both from Nepal, where I have spent a lot of time climbing. Momos, Nepalese dumplings, are at the top of my list. Fortunately, there are several Nepalese restaurants where I live in Golden, so I can still enjoy them back here at home. At the other end of the spectrum is dhalbot, a bean dish which is a staple for our Sherpa guides in the mountains. Dhalbot has been my nemesis - and my teammate's - in the Himalayas. In fact, every time I think about dhalbot, even now, I get this sick feeling in my stomach.

Anything exciting on the horizon?

There are many mountains still to climb, including the 53 Fourteeners in Colorado (I have summited only 30 of them). I may climb Damavand in Iran with my Iranian friends, if the authorities approve. I am investigating biking across the Salt Flats in Nevada. And I may return to ski the Haute Route, from Mt. Blanc in France to the Matterhorn in Switzerland at elevations above 10,000 feet; last Spring, my team had to make an emergency descent on Day 4 because of a severe snow storm and avalanche dangers, so the Haute Route remains "unfinished business." The north face of the Eiger, a classic in the Alps, is a near-term target.


Erik doing figure 8's on a practice ski.

And next year, I hope to climb the Moose's Tooth near McKinley in Alaska, which is known for its stark vertical walls, elevator-shaft like couloirs and razorblade ridges. There are no "walk-ups" on this mountain.

How can one obtain a copy of any of your books or dvd's?

Go to my website, http://www.touchthetop.com, not only for video clips and articles, but also to order "Touch the Top of the World" or "The Adversity Advantage," or our films in dvd. Teachers and students will want to look at the Education section of the website, which includes a curriculum guide for "Touch the Top of the World" for use in classrooms, plus other educational materials.

How insane was Primal Quest?

In retrospect, very insane. Those who said that my team and I would not get beyond the first day were close to being right. Primal Quest is the most brutal adventure race in the world: for us, 9 days, 467 miles, 60,000 feet of elevation gain, no time outs. We were one of only 42 teams of 80 elite teams from around the globe to finish within the prescribed time, but it was a huge struggle. Our worst enemy was the sleep monsters, because we only got an hour or two of sleep each night. Jeff Evans, my tandem partner, and I took turns falling alseep on our mountain bike. I was a 5th grade teacher at the time, and began hearing my school children cheering me on from the sidelines, before realizing they couldn't be there in the mountains at midnight. Jeff, on the other hand, felt goblins and trolls biting his toes. He had been to 107 Grateful Dead concerts.


Erik and Jeff biking a mountain course on Primal Quest.

Who are the people you credit with getting you where you are?

There are so many: my Braille teacher, Ms. Murin, who insisted, sometimes with a heavy hand, that I learn Braille.... fortunately; the Carroll Center who the Blind, which bravely introduced a bunch of us blind kids to rock climbing; Sam Bridgham, a fellow teacher and climber in Phoenix who challenged me to climb something bigger, which led to McKinley; Jeff Evans, my principal adventure partner who has summited more mountains with me than any other climber, who was prepared to sacrifice his own Everest summit by setting ropes for me on the steep slopes at 28,000 feet; amazingly, he got a second wind and stood with me on the top. But my parents were the broom and dustpan, my dad continually sweeping me out into the world of adventure, working with me to find ways to do things which blind kids didn't do; and my mom who, when I finally crashed, would pick up all the pieces, and put me back together again with TLC, until my dad would sweep me out again.

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In walking away from our interview with Erik Weihenmayer, I find myself wanting to be a better man...and to try just a little harder at everything I do...and above all else...to NEVER take a moment for granted.



Thank you Erik.

Cheers!