Adventure, Exploration and Education
Hans Saari Memorial Fund
By Alison Grey, 1-11-08
 |
|
 | |
| Hans traversing out to start the Tardivel entrance, Mont Blanc du Tacul, France, 2001. Photo by Kristphopher Erickson. | |
|
World-class mountaineer, Hans Saari, is remembered by his friends as a sensitive intellectual, a young adventurer who cared deeply about the mountains and the people who lived and traveled amongst them. A humble man, Hans realized that expeditions were both physically and intellectually challenging pursuits, and his deep introspection into explorations garnered him a respect and love for both the mountains and the cultures that thrived because of them.
“I saw Hans as sort of the classic understated athlete in Bozeman,” said Drew Seessel, who lived across the street from Saari, a connection which resulted in a friendship with plenty of climbing and skiing adventures. “He under promoted himself but overachieved. His energy was endless. He loved doing it, not being recognized for doing it. I respected that a lot in him.”
A local legend, Saari honed his skills hiking and skiing in the Montana backcountry. Along with friend, and photographer Kristoffer Erickson, Saari explored the Rockies, writing about expeditions, articles they sold to regional publications. Eventually, their work took them on international trips.
In 1998, Saari and Erickson joined world-renowned climbers Conrad Anker, Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges on a trip to Tibet for a first descent of the 8000-meter peak Shishapangma. The expedition turned to tragedy, costing the lives of Lowe and Bridges.
After this accident, that Saari focused more on his writing than high-risk expeditions, with articles featured in Outside, Couloir, Powder and Blue.
It was while writing an article about ski-mountaineer Pierre Tardivel in Chamonix, France, that Hans fell to his death while attempting to descend the Tardivel Entrance to the Gervasutti Couloir near Mont Blanc in 2001.
Created in the image of who Hans was, the Hans Saari Memorial Fund, now one-year-old, is an organization dedicated to the education and exploration of the backcountry.
Its creators, including Seessel, are committed to molding the Fund into being true representation of Saari. It is an organization that is intrigued by the excitement and adventure of exploring unfamiliar places, but with a deep and undying respect to these places, the cultures that thrive there, and placing a priority on safe backcountry travel.
“We wanted to start something that would pay tribute to Hans’ legend,” said Seessel. “With the Fund, we want to create a way for people to get out and explore, because that’s what Hans was all about.”
The Fund offers grants to non-profits that support the education efforts of avalanche safety and backcountry travel, particularly the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center in Bozeman, as well as scholarships to kids and those inexperienced in the backcountry to go on backcountry expeditions with knowledgeable mentors.
While most of the grants and scholarships have been awarded to people and organizations in the Bozeman area, it is Sessel’s hope that the Fund will grow and become a more familiar face throughout the Rockies, expanding to communities like Jackson Hole, Salt Lake City, Missoula and Boulder, bringing together adventurers, and connecting communities, throughout the Rocky Mountain West.
“We are really in start-up mode and are a work in progress,” said Seessel. “But, we would really like to have more breadth and reach into ski communities throughout the Rocky Mountain West. We’d love have kids in Jackson and Salt Lake City meeting up with kids from Bozeman, and going on ski trips together. And, we definitely want to act as a hub for avalanche education, supporting centers in other areas.”
The Fund is also giving out its first Hans Saari Exploration Grant this year, a grant that is specifically and exclusively directed towards ski mountaineers who are interested in documenting and reporting, through various mediums, on innovative, cutting edge mountain expeditions and the local communities they encounter, said Sessel.
“We want professional mountaineering and sponsored athletes,” said Seessel, “but we’re also looking for the guys under the radar, doing cutting edge stuff in the mountains who may not be sponsored by the big names in the outdoor industry. Basically, we want to create a body of work that people can look to for ideas and inspiration for getting out and exploring. ”
The Fund will award up to three grants per year as part of the Exploration Grant, to people who are interested in creatively recording their travels, through writing, photography, cinema or art, placing a priority on those who are interested in trekking to unclimbed and unexplored regions, said Seessel.
Have an idea for a cutting edge expedition? Interested in experiencing the exhilaration of trekking into the backcountry for the first time? The first round of deadlines are due February 26 to apply for grants and scholarships.
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.
Comments
Be the first to comment on this article. Please complete the form below.