Epic Sierra and American River Conservancy

For generations, inspiring and enabling children and young adults to get outside and experience nature has been important to Royal Robbins (the company).  Royal Robbins (the man) started his outdoor legacy in the Sierras and attributes his passion for the outdoors starting as a Boy Scout. Now to continue with his philanthropy vision we are contributing to several non-profits that focus on building an understanding and appreciation for the outdoors in the hearts of children. We believe that instilling these passions in our youth will ensure the preservation of our outdoor areas for generations to come.  So, with that said it would be my pleasure to familiarize you with two non-profits, the American River Conservancy and Epic Sierra.

The American River Conservancy inspires the care of natural landscapes for future generations through environmental education and recreation. Founded in 1989, and located in the central Sierra foothills, their mission, “to use the best available science, volunteers and partnerships to preserve rivers, land and the life they support.” To date they have achieved over 11,000 acres of conservation success through environmental education and outdoor recreation programs for adults and youth alike, and by promoting habitat restorations, trail building and maintenance projects with volunteers.

Epic Sierra, the newest educational program from The American River Conservancy, is geared toward high school aged youth, age’s 14-graduates. It combines environmental education, adventure travel and service projects into a 2-week long journey through the Sierra Nevada and foothills. Along with exploration, every youth will participate in a number of conservation service projects such as trail building, habitat restoration and invasive species removal. Education is the key centerpiece of their program. The goal is to educate participants on the value of land conservation, watershed health, and resource stewardship.  This goal is accomplished by integrating interpretive lessons into all the recreational activities.  While rafting with Mother Lode River Center, youth learn about river ecology, hydrology and how dams impact riparian habitats.  Youth explore a number of diverse ecosystems on the journey, exploring public lands, national forests and National Parks in the Sierra Nevada.  Participants hear about fire ecology in the Tahoe Basin National Forest, explore Tufa mounds and brackish ecosystems of Mono Lake and learn about the geology of the Sierras on a backpacking adventure through Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.  In addition, every participant completes 15 hours of service with non-profit conservation organizations.   While in Lake Tahoe, they work with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District on invasive mussel inspections and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association on a trail maintenance project.  They also canoe around Mono Lake with the Mono Lake Committee and work on habitat restoration projects in the Inyo National Forest with Friends of the Inyo.  ARC and Royal Robbins agree it is important to share the value of giving back to the land and the communities visited, creating positive experiences in the outdoors, and influencing youth to become recreationists for years to come.

To show our support for the American River Conservancy’s outdoor adventure program for kids, Royal Robbins is giving away one trip to the winner of our essay contest (transportation included). The contest will be on www.royalrobbins.com, and www.epicsierra.org during the month of April. We believe through the Epic Sierra adventure, activities and service projects, the kids will have a real understanding of not only the beauty of the outdoors but also the importance to preserve it. If you know of a child with a passion for the outdoors, let them know about our awesome essay contest. Also please visit www.epicsierra.org to learn more about the trip and the incredible difference Epic Sierra is making in the lives of young adults encouraging them to love and respect the great outdoors. 

Ireland in Spring - By Alan Eighmey

This last spring I went on a trip to Ireland with my wife and brother in law.  The people of Ireland are fantastic.  They are friendly, outgoing and fun.  The landscape is gorgeous and the history rich.  Every Irishman (and woman) is willing to share some craic (Irish for conversation) or song about their history.

Going to Dublin during Easter is especially interesting as it is not only a religious holiday but also the commemoration of the Easter Rising (Eiri Amach na Casca).  The Easter Rising was a start in the war for Irish independence.  Every pub in town is alive with song telling the story of the fight for independence.

The best thing about the weather in Ireland, especially in the spring, is if you don’t like it just give it an hour and it will change.  A cold and blustery morning will change to a sunny warm afternoon, just to lull you into thinking it will be a great day, to be followed by a cold rain. 

  

Packing for a two week trip with such changing weather conditions is never fun.  That is why I love my traveler pants so much.  They keep you warm in the cold, block out the wind and wick the rain.  When the sun comes out they are still cool and comfortable. 

Best of all you look good all day long.  From viewing the sights in the morning, hiking the Wicklow Mountains in the afternoon to signing Irish ballads at night in the Pub (with the help of a few pints of Guinness of course) you stay comfortable, dry and fashionable.  I can also say from experience that the wicking action of the pants works not only for water but Guinness as well.

                                                     

We all had a great time.  I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful county.  If you enjoy hiking as much as we do you will love hiking the many national parks.  It is also a plus that there seems to be a great pub at the end of each hike.  I do want to warn you, bring a good camera and be prepared for changing weather.


By Alan Eighmey

Royal Robbins & The California Wilderness Coalition

Introduction to CWC:

Hello, Michelle the Royal Robbins Ambassador stopping by to tell you of my next adventure. April 1-3 I will be heading to the Soda Mountains/Mojave Desert Wilderness Study Area with the California Wilderness Coalition and the California Native Plant Society to conduct a rare plant survey of the area. Before I get into the trip details let me first tell you about the CWC and how Royal Robbins is affiliated with them.

The California Wilderness Coalition’s mission “The California Wilderness Coalition protects the natural landscapes that make California unique, providing clean air and water, a home to wildlife, and a place for recreation and spiritual renewal. CWC is the only organization dedicated to protecting and restoring California's wild places and native biodiversity on a statewide level. Since 1976, we have empowered local communities and conservationists to be the voice for wild California.”

Royal Robbins®, who depends on wilderness access for our customers, agrees with the mission of the CWC. This year we’ve included their cause in our philanthropy yearly plan. Our goal together is to protect our wild places and educate adults and children of the importance of these valuable wilderness areas. As the Royal Robbins Ambassador I’ve been invited to explore the Soda Mountains in the Mojave Desert with the CWC and the California Native Plant Society. For three days and two nights I will be camping in the backcountry of the Soda Mountains and Cronese Lakes Basin conducting a rare plant survey during wildflower season in the Mojave Desert proposed wilderness area.

The Soda Mountains are the largest Wilderness Study Area left in the Mojave Desert. The mountains are a scenic, horseshoe shaped range and include the terminus of the great Mojave River – at the Cronese Lakes most recently, and Silver Lake in the not too distant past. Known plants include Creosote, Barrel Cacti, Cholla Yuccas, and the Crucifixion Thorn. The southern portion of the Soda Mountains contains critical habitat for the federally and state threatened desert tortoise. Although the Soda Mountains have been a Wilderness Study Area since 1994, surprisingly little information is available about plant life in the area. Our trip seeks to survey three distinct areas within the Wilderness Study Area to find out what plants exist there. We will learn to identify plants species, collect specimens, and record our findings. We will be venturing into unstudied, wild desert. So here I go, out into the wilderness to explore and study rare plant life. The weather is warming up for us and the forecast says lows in the 50’s highs in the 90’s. Phenomenal spring camping conditions! I will check back in to blog about my adventure and share some pictures when I return. 

UPF Rating Explained

What is UPF and what are the benefits?

You may notice throughout the Royal Robbins website that many of our products are UPF rated This UPF rating varies from 20+ to 50+ and is applied to pants, shirts, sweaters and even tank tops. So what is all the hype? Why would you want to check out a UPF product versus a non-UPF rated product?

Let’s stick with the basics.

The sun warms us up, but it also emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This radiation can cause early signs of aging, sunburn, and sometimes even cancer. The best way to protect yourself from these harmful rays is to ensure you have covered your skin with clothing and sunscreen lotion.

Unrated fabric can protect you from UV rays, however, the better the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) the more protection your skin has against UV rays.

So how does a fabric protect against UV rays?

There are three ways to achieve UPF ratings. The first way (our way) is by utilizing tightly woven fabrics. The tighter the weave on the fabric the stronger the protection from UV rays. You may think that a tighter woven fabric may be heavy but that is not the case. In fact, cotton can carry an excellent UPF rating and still be light and comfortable to wear. For example our Women’s Kick Back 1x1 Rib Cotton shirt carries a rating of UPF 50+.

The second way is by a chemical wash over the fabric. This chemical can protect you from the sun, but often washes out of the fabric, leaving you exposed to harmful UV rays.

A third way to protect from UV rays is through treated yarn. Yarn can be treated with UPF protection and therefore the fabric created by the yarn will be permanently protected from UV rays. This will not wash off like a topical chemical. We use this process with our Discovery Lite Stretch Nylon fabric. You will see this form of UPF protection being used this fall in our Discovery stretch and Discovery plaid fabrics.

Decoding the Rating:

While we always recommend pairing UPF rated clothing with a sunscreen for added protection against rays, we would still like to let you in on how to decipher what piece of clothing is best for you.

Wikipedia provided this fantastic chart to understand what percentage of UV rays are blocked by UPF clothing.

Here are the UPF Ratings and Protection Categories

UPF Rating	Protection Category	% UV radiation Blocked
UPF 15 - 24	Good	93.3 - 95.9
UPF 25 - 39	Very Good	96.0 - 97.4
UPF 40 - 49	Excellent	97.5 or more
UPF50+	Considered the Ultimate in UV Sun Protection

Wikipedia, Sun protective clothing, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_protective_clothing as of Mar. 16, 2011.

With so many different skin types in the world, it is important to know how to protect yourself best. The American Association of Dermatology (AAD) recommends that a "broad spectrum" sun block with an SPF of at least 15 is applied daily to all sun exposed areas, then reapplied every two hours. *

*UCSF, School of medicine; Dermatology, http://www.dermatology.ucsf.edu/skincancer/General/prevention/Sunscreen.aspx, as of March 16, 2011

To check out what UPF items we have to offer click through the following link:

Royal Robbins Men’s UPF
Royal Robbins Women’s UPF

Another excellent more in-depth resource to read at REI’s Blog

Fabric Favorites – Royal Robbins Billy Goat® Cotton Canvas

Royal Robbins has a bevy of important and well-loved fabrics that have stayed with us season after season. I would love to highlight some of our customer favorites over the next few weeks as well as talk about the evolution of the fabrics you have grown to love.

We kick off this series of blogs with none other than the fabric that started it all, the Billy Goat® Cotton Canvas. What began a desire to fill a market need for practical climbing shorts evolved into what is now Royal Robbins Clothing. Royal and Liz Robbins were avid climbers and outdoorsmen. However they were unsuccessful in finding a practical climbing and outdoor active short that would aid them in all they set out to achieve. Liz decided to create her own style and the Billy Goat® Short was born. This short, still our number one selling short, was built to last. Through the years it has not only evolved itself but created the inspiration for other styles that are durable as well as functional and great fitting.

This season marks the beginning of something a little different; our Billy Goat® Nylon Canvas. This canvas is named after our original Billy Coat® Cotton Canvas which is known for its great durability. This nylon canvas is quick to dry, extremely durable and features a 50+ UPF rating.

Something must be said about look and feel. When one thinks of cotton canvas they think of a thick heavy weight durable material with a rough feel that softens through wear and use. The Billy Goat® Nylon Canvas feels as though it has already made it past the wear portion of that assessment. It feels light and relaxed to the touch, with a distinctive canvas quality. You can feel the durable nylon canvas weave and can’t help but notice that the fabric in your hand is not wrinkling, but laying flat against your hand. It looks and feels like a fabric that will be perfect out on the trail. The Billy Goat®  Mountain Performance Pant will dry quickly and protect your legs through back country brush.

You should try out our newest styles in the Billy Goat® Nylon Canvas;

Billy Goat® Mountain Performance Short - New

Billy Goat® Mountain Performance Hauler Short - New

Billy Goat® Mountain Performance Pant

And don’t forget our favorite Billy Goat® Cotton Canvas items;

Billy Goat® Cargo Short

Billy Goat® Cargo Pant

Blue Water Short

Join the conversation, tell us what you think!

Spring is in the air

You might be wondering what has been added to the royalrobbins.com website. Tons of cute prints and awesome plaids! I’ve picked out ten items I think you might enjoy as much as I did. 



New for Women:

•Adalya Cap Sleeve, this little gem is made from organic cotton and the print is reminiscent of giant wild sunflowers.
•Jasmine Tank, Let out a healthy fully deserved organic "om" for our green and natural Organic
Cotton Jersey
•Tadmor Cap Sleeve, stylishly and comfortably organic.
•Paseo Departures Skirt, whether you’re zipping to Zanzibar or passing through Patagonia, the Paseo Departures Skirt has you covered.
•Dancing Diamond V-Neck Dress, its Stretch Jersey fabric moves with you, from shop to show.

New for Men:

•Impala Plaid, if you’re a fan of Modal Rayon, then you will love the fit and comfort of this shirt.
•Billy Goat Cargo Short, you know the name and you'll love this new cargo short.
•Mosaic Short Sleeve, a comfy-casual all-cotton short-sleeve shirt.
•Billy Goat Mountain Performance Hauler Short, this nylon canvas hauler short is tough-as-nails and ready to get you to where you need to go!
•Piru Plaid, a sand-washed finish, ultraviolet protection and much more!

Check out these fabulous spring pieces along with the other great new additions at royalrobbins.com

Sights Set Higher by Zach Shull

Sponsored by Royal Robbins, The Shull Brothers, Zach and Jacob, are two brothers learning the climbing ropes and loving every minute of it. They wrote the following excerpt, "Sights Set Higher". You can learn more about them on their website www.theshullbrothers.com

We started climbing in June 2009. Sure, Jake and I had both been on top ropes before hand, but it wasn't until then where we really started climbing consistently. Up until the beginning of this summer, our time was spent in our coastal mountains close to home, perfecting our technique and gaining strength on the few sport climbs and numerous boulder problems around. And occasionally we'd go explore and check out some different areas.

Since that time, we've been pushing ourselves, physically and mentally with this amazing sport. We got to the point where we had climbed almost all of the classics in our local area and it was time to move on. Experience something different.

We went on a bouldering trip to Yosemite and while we were there, we took a class about how to traditional climb. Different than sport climbing, where you clip your rope into carabiners which are secured to bolts, traditional climbing uses pieces of gear or protection that fits itself into. However, climbing in this way poses many more risks that aren't usually there when you are bouldering or sport climbing. In traditional climbing, you have to be knowledgeable in your placements of the gear and aware of how you're climbing and it's a lot more about thinking and mental mixed with your climbing, instead of just remembering a series of moves requiring contact finger strength, power, and difficult sequences of footwork.

Traditional climbing embraces adventure… and as we drove home out of the Valley that trip, we stopped in El Cap Meadow gazing up at the climbers in on El Capitan. We knew that we would be up there someday.

We went home from that trip and started getting psyched. A fire burned within us that we couldn't quench and it's till burning stronger than ever. We used what money we had to purchase some new pieces of gear. We bought a set of stoppers, some hexes and a few cams that we thought would come in handy and we started building our rack or traditional gear.

We slowly gathered more gear and now have pretty much full rack. And we did our first trad leads at a place in Sierra foothills near Yosemite. We picked out this 5.8 crack climb. It looked pretty straightforward. It would be our first trad lead. As Jake flaked out the rope, I got the rack of gear ready for what we thought the climb would need.

Jake finished flaking out the rope, and he said, "Okay, I'll go…"

"Alright", I said as I handed him the rack, "Be careful, have fun!"

My Dad said, "Just stitch it up good."

Jake tied in and we started up the crack. He was fluid and climbing calm and placing good protection. He got about 40 feet up and was about to place a larger cam. But, his foot loosened and popped out of the crack and he took about a 20 foot whipper onto the hex. I caught him no problem, which he thanked me for later and was a little shook up. He wanted to take a break for a bit, so I lowered him and he was okay. No injuries. So my dad took up the belay and I went and climbed it and then cleaned it. When I got to the ground I pulled the hex off the rack and showed Jake. Let's just say he was grateful.

We kept trad climbing from there, but this last summer, we had to get some money and do some work to pay for more gear and more climbing. So, we became painters, and painted the summer away. We were able to get out a few times over the summer to train outdoors, but mainly trained in our garage and stayed in shape. But it wasn't until a month ago where we started got back into our heavy climbing routine.

We got our rack and ropes and headed to Yosemite to do one of the entry level multi-pitches. We started on After Six, one of the most famous climbs and most popular beginner routes in Yosemite. Jake's been digging the Flynn Crew shirt and the Ridgline pants. Royal Robbins clothes are absolutely perfect for the wear and tear of climbing in Yosemite. I've been wearing the Nox Jeans and the Andale plaid shirt and have been super please. Both the jeans and the shirt fit exceptionally well and are super comfortable. They both are super rugged and durable, yet light and flexible especially on Yosemite granite. However, the first pitch was crowded so we started a few climbs to the right on a pitch called C.S. Concerto, which ties right into After Six. We all climbed it and had a great time! It's one of the most amazing summits you can experience, or we have experienced so far. The Valley is more than 600 feet below you and you are there between El Cap and the Three Brothers. It is unreal.

And now, we're going up to the Valley every weekend and getting some more gear. For now, we have our sights set higher. And if all goes as planned, sometime around Thanksgiving, we'll go up and climb the South Face of Washington Column - our first big wall!