Ski Mountaineer
What MH gear are you wearing now?
Monkey Man jacket (cinnamon red/brown)
What is your favorite pre-outing "pump-up" music?
Something rowdy but not angry. Could be anything from classic Butt-rock to edgy new age.
What are you listening to on your iPod right now?
Radioparadise.com streaming internet music.
What’s your favorite meal in the outdoors?
Curry paste, dried coconut milk, dehydrated veggies, beef TVP, instant rice – Cook the rice, add the coconut milk. Mix up the veggies, TVP and whatever else you have. Dump it all together. Eat it. Pass out.
What meal do you look forward to when you get home?
Burgers & beer, made by someone else.
Best Halloween Costume?
Papau New Guinea warrior (naked except for a spear and penis gourd)
Is there one thing you always take with you during your adventures?
A Rite-in-the-Rain #393 Spiral Bound notebook. It makes an excellent substitute for a horrible memory and impaired brain.
How did you first get started with skiing? How old were you?
I started skiing when I was four years old, climbing in my early twenties and then mixing the two activities into Ski Mountaineering when I was about 30.
Who/What is your inspiration?
My main inspiration is that I’ve had so many excellent days in the mountains with great people that it keeps me coming back for more. I love the environment, challenge, scenery and camaraderie.
Favorite Quote?
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
Recent Activities?
Recently climbed and skied 40,000’ of vertical in 24 hours. I have skied first descents on all seven continents.
Personal Highlights:
Sailing across the Pacific Ocean with my Dad, having a baby girl, getting married (the second time…), surviving decades of skiing adventures.
Career Highlights:
First ski descents on all seven continents. Skiing off the top of Denali with Mark Holbrook. Kite-skiing and couloir crushing in Baffin Island. Designing the first wiregate climbing carabiner and the Whippet Self Arrest Pole. Climbing a new route on the Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Sailing the Drake Passage in full conditions. Climbing five routes on El Cap. Authoring “The Chuting Gallery – A Guide to Steep Skiing in the Wasatch Mountains.”
Bio:
Andrew McLean has been pursuing steep skiing challenges in remote locations for over two decades and has accumulated over 100 first descents. In 2007 he completed a long term quest to capture first descents on all seven continents when he traveled to Morocco to ski in the High Atlas Mountains. McLean’s specialty is ski mountaineering, which involves climbing up peaks before skiing down them. This process allows him to ski mountains where motorized access is forbidden or impractical. His passion for this sport has led to him being voted as one of the “Greatest Skiers of Our Time” by Powder Magazine and a featured segment in the Sony Classic Pictures 2007 film entitled “Steep.”
Outside of skiing, McLean’s interests include design, writing and photography. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, he worked at Black Diamond Equipment for thirteen years, creating products such as the Camalot, wire gate carabiners, Whippet, Peckers and Talon rock hook. His writings and photography have appeared in Skiing, Powder, Backcountry Magazine and numerous outdoor gear catalogs. He lives in Park City, Utah with his wife Polly who holds the world record for the greatest amount of vertical climbed and skied in 24 hours. They have a daughter named Mira, one good dog and one bad dog.