Stephen Koch

I saw Cory Richard’s short film, COLD, on Saturday at the Adventure Film Festival’s Jackson stop. The rawness and honesty of the writing moved me. I liked how Cory narrated it and told it like it was. This past February 2, 2011, Simone Moro, Cory Richards, and Denis Urubko experienced brutal COLD as they completed [...]

[Read more →]

I did not snowboard the north face of the Aiguille du Midi while I lived in Chamonix in 1990, although I wanted to. I did make some turns along the north side of the ridge traversing to the glacier on my way to ride the Gervasutti Couloir on Mont Blanc du Tacul. The “Gervasutti,” as [...]

[Read more →]

ABOVE: Stephen in the gym. VIGILANCE by Stephen Koch Vigilance is alert watchfulness. And as a climber it is paramount to be vigilant, not only for my own safety, but for the safety of my partner. Through the act of belaying, or protecting a partner with the rope, is when I am most watchful. My [...]

[Read more →]

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 [...]

[Read more →]