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By Sam Collentine, Meteorologist Posted 4 years ago December 26, 2019

WATCH: The FIFTY - Mt. Rainier

Mt Rainier is known as the North American training ground of mountaineering. This is why professional big wave surfer, Ian Walsh, joins Cody on Mt. Rainier in an attempt to prepare for his goal of climbing and riding Denali, the highest mountain in North America.

Rainier brings a bevy of lessons to the inexperienced Walsh and experienced Townsend as they navigate whiteouts, crevasses, altitude and the decision making on whether to continue and risk it all for a line or to turn around and call it a day.


'The FIFTY' is a project to climb and ski all 50 lines chronicled in the book, "The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America". Over the next three years, Cody Townsend will be chronicling the adventures, challenges, and travels as he takes on a collection of the most aesthetic, spectacular, and hardest lines in North America.

Line #1: Messner Couloir

Line #2: Mt. Superior

Line #3: Terminal Cancer

Line #4: Hypodermic Needle

Line #5: Mt. Currie

Line #6: Aemmer Couloir

Line #7: Joffre Peak

Line #8: The Sphinx

Line #9: Pontoon Peak

Line #10: Spearhead Traverse

Line #11: Giant Steps Couloir

Line #12: Grand Teton

Line #13: Landry Line

Line #14: Middle Teton

Line #15-16: North Maroon & Holy Cross Couloir

Line #17: Mt. Tukuhnikivatz

Line #18: Wilson Peak

Line #19: Meteorite Mountain

Line #20: Watson Traverse

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About The Author

Sam Collentine

Meteorologist

Sam Collentine is the Chief Operating Officer of OpenSnow and lives in Basalt, Colorado. Before joining OpenSnow, he studied Atmospheric Science at the University of Colorado, spent time at Channel 7 News in Denver, and at the National Weather Service in Boulder.

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