Last winter Mons Royale worked with Teton Gravity Research and one of our skiers, Colter Hinchliffe on a project which has just been released by Teton Gravity Research.

Instead of exploring Alaska, British Columbia, or Japan, Colter Hinchliffe found himself in another outdoor paradise: Moab, Utah. Few would think of the sandstone paradise — better known for climbing and mountain biking — as a place to push one’s ability as a skier. However, Colter and Tim Durtschi were inspired by the terrain and took skis and sleds to explore the peaks of the La Sal mountain range.

Together the two accomplished a myriad of objectives including abseiling into couloirs, finding deep untracked powder, and climbing Tim’s first red rock tower. Taking in a diverse range of environments, from the desert to high peaks, powder snow to red rock, this trip was the perfect proving ground for Colter’s Mons Royale merino gear.

It’s both humbling and inspiring to see skiers push themselves well outside their comfort zones. We all have reservations about trying something that makes us nervous or uncomfortable, and these two show us how we can all pick up something new and that the reward is well worth it.