Stephen Koch

When I first saw the Opedix S1 Ski and Board Tights, as a sufferer of knee pain for the past several years, I was intrigued enough to call Opedix to inquire. The owner, Kim Gustafson, called me back and we spoke for a while. He was telling me all the technical reasons why his tights work. [...]

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On February 6, 2007, Hans Johnstone and I completed a new route on the north face of the Grand Teton, Squeeze Box (IV M7, A0, 1,000′). The line lies between Shea’s Chute and the Alex Lowe Memorial Route and ascends a weakness up a beautiful granite buttress. I had spotted the line during a flurry [...]

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In the late Fall of 2008, with Tristen “Trippy” Sieleman, an extremely funny and good looking (might come in handy for spooning on a bivouac) man who I met through his girlfriend, Carrie Dagher, one of the funnest, most loving and positive people I know (and sexy as hell to boot), I returned to the [...]

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This story was first published in the 2002 edition of The American Alpine Journal. Five. That is the number of times that I have stopped. Stopped during the coldest, darkest and most painful time on this journey. Stopped to kick the life back into my dying toes. It feels like I am lifetimes away from [...]

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Stephen Koch This was first published in Alpinist Magazine in June, 2004. On January 17 at 4:45 a.m. Mark Newcomb and I began the Grand Traverse, a route that comprises ten peaks (in order: Teewinot, Owen, Grand Teton, Middle Teton, South Teton, Ice Cream Cone, Spalding, Gilkey’s Tower, Cloudveil Dome and Nez Perce) in Grand [...]

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The Raven Crack, across from the Snaz Buttress in Death Canyon, Grand Teton National Park, WY, was finally climbed this winter by Sam Magro, a strong and genial 27 year old from Bozeman, MT, and me last Wednesday. It was my fourth attempt on the route. The line is a thing of beauty and had [...]

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Below is a short video of me training at Mountain Athlete. This workout, called Birdbrain and written out below, was very intense. One of my coaches, Dan Corn (a.k.a. Coach Junior) describes his intentions with it. I felt very pumped going without resting through the laps and sled push. I was able to rest while [...]

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What a great experience it was to be on the Conan O’Brien Show before heading to Everest in summer 2003. I was burning the midnight oil by leaving a fundraiser at the Snake River Brewery in Jackson, WY at eleven or so, being driven to SLC for a 6 a.m. flight and arriving with not [...]

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This short video is from a climbing trip to the Canadian Rockies that I did last winter. It was a great trip that culminated in a winter ascent of the Andromeda Strain on Mount Andromeda. In this video, my partner, Jack Jefferies is climbing up to the belay with only one ice axe (not easy!), [...]

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Last week I took the longest (roped) fall of my 20 year  climbing career. It was a 45 foot “whipper” that happened while mixed climbing in Granite Canyon, WY, not far from Bondurant, WY. Two ominous things happened that morning. There was miscommunication on my part which led to the ice screws being left behind [...]

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