I had a great workout this morning with Bojan Mitkovski at the house. We did 10 minutes of Burpees (30 on 30 rest…10/10/10/10/10/9/9/9/9/8), a pyramid of pull-ups to 5 (1/2/3/4/5/5/4/3/2/1) followed by one arm hangs, several core specific exercises, a hamstring specific exercise, 1 minute wall sit, 30 jumping lunges, finishing with 50 lunges. A great 35 minute workout utilizing the Burpees as the warm-up.

I was pretty sore today in my triceps and shoulders from Friday’s Burpees. I tend to use my shoulders and arms a lot when doing push-ups due to not having a right pectoral muscle.

The soreness will diminish by the end of the week.

Let me know how your Burpees are going!?

Good work everyone.

In this short video I demonstrate and explain the “Burpee,” a wonderful all around exercise that requires only one thing, YOU! No props, no weights, bands, benches, balls or anything else to give you an excuse to not do them! Check it out…

All you need is a little encouragement and belief that you will be more loved if you do these. You will! You will love yourself for doing this wonderful all around exercise! The Burpee works your legs, core, shoulders, back, chest, hands (clapping), and face (from the inner joy that will emit from your being through your smile because you accomplished something that will benefit you greatly!).

If you can pick something off of the ground you can do a Burpee! In this video I demonstrate an easy version of the Burpee and a more dynamic, or the classic, Burpee.

Don’t be alarmed with the sore muscles you may experience 24 to 48 hours post first Burpee session. This is your body’s way of letting you know that you did a good thing and that you are getting stronger! That being said, go easy to start if you have not been working out.

The beauty of the 30 seconds of Burpees, 30 seconds of rest is that you do as many as YOU are capable of. The key is to just start. Get up off your chair, drop down and DO IT! One. Just do one. Once you are down and realize how simple, fun and easy it is, go ahead and do another, and another and then you realize 30 seconds has passed and it is time to rest. A rest you earned! Then at the top of the minute, drop down and do another 30 second round! The clap at the finish is to celebrate! Go ahead and celebrate! You will be stoked you did! If you are an experienced athlete/person who works out, Burpees are a great warm-up exercise.

Burpees: Total time…10 Minutes a day! 30 seconds of Burpees, 30 seconds rest. Repeat 10 times (go for 5 minutes…2:30 of actual exercise time…to start). Key to do them again when sore in a couple days! The movement and use of the muscles that are sore vitally need to be moved again. You will be less sore after working out again anyway! Drink plenty of water. Water is the medicine.

And most important of all, listen to your body. If you are feeling faint/super fatigued etc. stop. Chill. Walk around the room/house/car/block. Breathe, relax and feel your heart rate drop.

That is enough for now. Now, drop down and do some burpees!

Petzl Tikka 2 Headlamp

Help support StephenKoch.com with a Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp for your no excuses in the dark Burpee session!

Photo: Stephen Koch 2010

While climbing the north face of the Grand Teton earlier this month I took photographs of this beautiful, rare and unusual looking flower which I had never seen before, called Alpine Lantern, at about 11,900 – 12,000 feet, just below the Guano Chimney. After some searching and inquiring about it, this is what Dick Scott, author of The Alpine Flora of the Rocky Mountains: Volume 1, The Middle Rockies, wrote to me about it:
It’s an uncommon plant, often overlooked, of rocky places above timberline. We have it from cirque walls, moraines, fellfields, talus, scree, and other rocky places in many, but not all, alpine ranges of western Wyoming. It has sort of a disjunct distribution pattern, skipping from one range to another in western North America. I’ve seen it and collected it, here and there, from the Wrangells in Alaska to the Uintas in Utah. If you’d like to see a distribution map for the Middle Rockies you might check the Jackson Library for a copy of my book, The Alpine Flora of the Rocky Mountains: Volume 1, The Middle Rockies (I’m still plugging away on the Southern Rockies and the Northern Rockies). – Dick Scott

So it seems like this may be the first sighting and recording of it in the Tetons. Pretty exciting!

Help support StephenKoch.com with a sweet pair of Steiner Binoculars, to view alpine flowers on your next adventure, from Backcountry.com!

I like carrying water off of my harness to lower my center of gravity, especially during steep climbing. If the bottle leaks from my harness, my jacket or sleeping bag don’t get wet! Another reason I like drinking out of a bottle is so that I know how much water is left! It can be frustrating while using a hydration bladder to be half way up a climb thinking I have plenty of water left only to discover I am sucking the last of it down without knowing it.

Climbing the north face of the Grand Teton.

I reuse the bottles several times until they start to get funky or develop a leak, then recycle them. I also like the price of these water bottles and holders!

May you have a safe, fun and successful adventure!

Click on image to enlarge!

Rock climbing up the classic north face of the Grand Teton.

Click on images to enlarge!

Help support StephenKoch.com with a great mountain biking Hydration Pack from Osprey or a Petzl Spirit Carabiner to attach your fresh new water bottle from Backcountry.com!

Check it out here!

Post Lake Michigan Winter Swim

This morning I went for a short run, which I rarely do, with my host in Chicago, Gene Marcowka, seen below in the running photos. What a beautiful morning we had getting out early for the short run and swim. It was quite tricky running with verglas (thin layer of ice) in places. It was reminiscent of being in the mountains after a fall storm, potentially treacherous.

Gene running along the shore of Lake Michigan.

A couple friends, musicians who I know through the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, came over this morning for a workout after my run with Gene (and a warm shower to heat up my toes and fingers!). We did a bunch of Burpees, tele-lunges, wall sits, hamstring exercise, dips, core workout and my favorite, simply jumping up as high as possible from a crouch and repeating 10 x! These and other exercises are available on Mountain Athlete’s website.

Off to Northwestern to give a lecture to music students about keeping your cool under extreme circumstances. For me it was during and after a 2,000 foot fall in an avalanche. For them it will be during auditions!

I am taking a deep, relaxing breath right now, which reminds me to be more conscious of the ever present moment, all that is. And I, and the world, benefit.

Stephen Koch

Thank you for your role in making the ACL Study Group meeting in Jackson the best ever. You were an important “force.” You presented clearly, effectively, with passion and were an inspiration to all. “All” is a big word because we had 165 attendees from more than twenty countries and nearly every continent. All could identify with your message and your commitment. Your presentation was superb in every detail and we wanted to hear more. Thoughtfully you gave us more through the lunch in your honor, and your attendance at our professional and social occasions. We appreciate your professionalism, the interaction with us and the friends made and shared. On behalf of the ACL Study Group and our membership, a heart felt thanks for a very special time together.

- John A. Feagin, MD
Duke University Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Founder and President of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
Commander of Keller Army Hospital at West Point
Team Physician for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team

Your presentation at the ACL-Study Group Meeting in Jackson Hole was both thrilling and inspiring.

- Niklaus F. Friederich, MD
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Head, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery
Kantonsspital, CH-4101 Bruderholz/Basel (Switzerland)

Stephen was able to connect his personal experiences in managing the obvious risks associated with his passion with those of the Shell workforce in the Pinedale Anticline. Stephen was effective in getting the complex topic of risk management to a very basic yet powerful level, one of individual choices and self awareness.

- James L. Duran
Operations Manager – Wyoming/Colorado
Shell Exploration & Production Company

Stephen Koch was the right speaker with the right message for our sales meeting. We wanted a speaker with mountaineering or winter sport background to compliment our meeting location in Utah, but we wanted more than a cliché message that is common with this speaker type. We chose Stephen because his theme, One Step Further, simultaneously illustrates two key points: how the everyday person can make decisions that result in accomplishing extraordinary things; and the accomplishment can be remarkable for the way it is achieved, even if the objective is not grandiose or uncharted. His presentation takes you on a journey with breathtaking photos, suspense, humor, and self reflection. Leave plenty of time for questions, and then double it!

-Ronda Robinson, ZymoGenetics, Inc.

As a producer of corporate events for over 15 years, I have worked with many inspirational speakers. I found Stephen Koch’s message to be one of the more unique and compelling. Stephen’s story is a perfect metaphor for the challenges facing modern corporate America, especially in today’s current economy. His presentation is equally entertaining and his willingness to share professional and life skills “on the mountain” with clients sets him apart from most speakers.

- Chris Carleson, President, Carleson Production Group

Stephen Koch was our special guest for a client appreciation event held on November 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His presentation combined spectacular film and photography with stories and anecdotes that brought to life storied mountain locales from around the world. Stephen captivated the audience with his humility and humor for one so renowned as a world class mountaineer. We’ve never hosted a client appreciation event with so many unsolicited compliments received the day after.

- John D. Richards, Managing Director-Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors

Stephen Koch is a dynamic and captivating speaker. He’s a one-of-a-kind storyteller, I think, in part because of his authenticity and his ability to share his experiences even if they aren’t always glowing reflections. Stephen’s adventures are serious, full of risk and calculation but he doesn’t boast about what he’s accomplished. He simply likes to share. Stephen is himself on the mountain, looking up and looking down. He’s also very at ease on stage.

Stephen spoke during our recent “Voices of the Valley” storytelling program held at the high school auditorium. People in the audience were on the edge of their seats during his stories, me included. One aspect of the program I found very interesting was how well Stephen teamed with his mentor, Tom Turiano, who is quiet in demeanor compared to Stephen. Their combined energies must have worked well on the slopes of the Tetons too as they told amazing true stories of their snowy country sojourns over the years.

Stephen is also very creative. I think he could speak to any group and deliver a message that would ring true to whoever is listening. He’s good at tying things together, bringing circum-stances and challenges together into a meaningful whole. My favorite thing about Stephen and the way he delivers his stories are that I never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. This keeps people wanting to hear more from a man that understands how to entertain, inform, and inspire—all at the same time.

- Karen L. Reinhart, Curator of Education and Outreach, Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum

Stephen Koch gave an outstanding presentation to the entire student body of the Jackson Hole Community School in February of 2010. Using a combination of incredible photos and entertaining storytelling, Stephen held the students spellbound as he described his early days as a snowboarder, his first descent accomplishments, and his harrowing experience in an avalanche on Mt. Owen in the Tetons. While he provided excellent information regarding snow safety and avalanche awareness, what made Stephen’s presentation so meaningful was its motivational aspect. Asking students, “What’s your avalanche?”, he asked students to reflect on the obstacles or difficulties in their own lives, and encouraged them to meet those challenges head on. Guest speakers at our school sometimes encounter restless students and the occasional side conversation; during Stephen’s talk, you could have heard a pin drop. The students were fully engaged and clearly absorbed his message of maintaining strength and courage in the face of life’s obstacles. I would highly recommend Stephen as a speaker for young people.

- Amy Fulwyler, Dean of Faculty, Jackson Hole Community School

We searched extensively for a speaker that would actively engage our clients and provide a unique story, well beyond the traditional business motivational speakers. Stephen delivered on all accounts given his non-traditional life experiences. Stephen added immense value to our offsite client marketing event because of his candid interaction with our clients regarding his adventures. We found that Stephen added a refreshing spin on his approach to facing challenges, which is not often communicated in an interesting fashion by traditional business speakers. We would not hesitate to include Stephen in future events.

- Michael Jordan, American Capital

At Pepsi-QTG Canada we asked Stephen to come in and get our
employees ready to ‘climb’ our mountain of being the top Consumer
Packaged Goods company in Canada. Stephen did an incredible job
sharing his experiences and translating that into what it takes to
ready yourself for any challenge. Our employees just loved hearing
Stephen talk.

–Pepsi-QTG Canada

In addition to being artistically communicated, Stephen’s accounts of his alpine adventures were told from the heart. Each tale included insight on important life-lessons, and naturally encouraged further dialogue from all who were present. Breath-taking photos only served to further enhance the imagery that was inspired by Stephen’s accounts. Although he described a variety of circumstances and missions, the central idea of this presentation clearly revolved around the importance of remaining resilient and goal-oriented on all levels of one’s life.

- Kate Ritter ’08, Coordinator of Recreation, Office of Student Life
Bennington College

I have known Stephen Koch for several years. He represented JHMR as a sponsored athlete for over 10 years. More recently I have gotten to know him through summer climbs and winter backcountry ski ascents that he has guided me on throughout the Tetons, including this past summer an overnight climb of the South Ridge of Nez Perce. Stephen possesses great communication skills and is an excellent teacher and guide. Stephen has earned respect and admiration throughout the skiing, snow boarding, guiding and climbing industries. He has outstanding intuition, knowing what people are capable of and just how far to push them. He is very encouraging and a wonderful asset to have during any type of adventure or emergency. He possesses a quick wit, tells good stories and knows how to tear up a dance floor!

I look forward to skiing with Stephen Koch this winter.

- Connie Kemmerer, Owner, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Stephen Koch has given a vey special presentation at the Explorer’s Festival of Lodsz (Poland) in November 2009, very different from all the others, only concentrating on a specific topic of theirs.

Stephen mixed up every aspect of his life into it, showing that all is important in an explorer’s mind to succeed : his son, his love of snowborading and climbing, his desire of challenging others achievements and also his dancing aptitudes! All of those were used to build a complete show rather than a presentation to help share with the audience his personal experiences, the good ones and the bad ones. What he added was a very sensitive touch, a sense of love of mankind coupled with his love of adventure and explorations through his body and soul strength.

He very unsually showed himself injured and suffering instead of promoting only success and achievements. This gave to the students listening to this touching, tall and blond man the flavour of the terrible difficulty that you may need to overcome when you give yourself a target like his. Risk is always forgotten when there is a success and still, Stephen likes to show that you not only need to be clever, brave and skilled, you also need to be lucky to succeed. Life is a permanent challenge…

Stephen has high spirits and a powerful body, together with the skills and the sensibility to achieve grand projects. We certainly will hear about him again soon.

- Christine LOŸS, Journalist, Writer, Communicator

I enjoyed your presentation at the JH Conservation Alliance today so very much. You deliver your compelling stories with engaging drama and vivid details and an authentic voice that is both true to who you are and evocative in the truth of your unique experiences. Thank you so much for sharing your stories!

- Theresa Griswold, Writer

Not only is Stephen an amazing mountaineer, he challenges
traditional thought and provides a new paradigm of accomplishing
the impossible.

–Jack Tackle, World Class Mountaineer

Stephen Koch’s presentation was clear, concise, insightful,
and peppered with good humor and surprising humility for
one so accomplished. His intelligent decision making and amazing
ability to focus on an objective come through loud and clear. His
respect for the natural world and the diversity of people living in it is
refreshing. Stunning photographs from Everest color and clarify his
story and leave the viewer wanting more. Be prepared for question and
answer sessions that go on and on!

–Suzanne Hanlon, UO Outdoor Program, University of Oregon

I was so happy you gave the opening talk as it was a great beginning of our conference….I was busy but you drew me right in and I was entranced with your stories, setting such unfathomable goals and then working through very difficult trials to achieve them…Great talk and great audience reception!

- Cindi Griggs, Manager, Teton Hand and Upper Extremity Conference

On behalf of the American Alpine Club I want to thank you for coming and doing a slideshow/open talk at the Climber’s Ranch. Despite the technical difficulties, your talk was a huge success! As you sat in the arm chair you brought everyone in with you. Through your epic journeys to your experience with misery and pain. You are truly an inspiration to the climbing community and the AAC is honored to have you as a member.

- Dana Richardson, American Alpine Club

Enjoy!

Axl night skiing at Snow King Mountain.

This past weekend my son, Axl, and I skied on Saturday evening at the King (Snow King Mountain). It was our first night runs together, at least of the skiing kind. We alternated skiing with swinging on the swing set at the base. I narrowly missed stepping in a dog dukie left by a woman and her golden retriever about 5 p.m.

Axl and I started the evening with a run on the Cougar chair, where Blaize Oswald, 7 years old, fell from about 40′ up on December 30, 2009. The following information about the incident is from the Jackson Hole Ski Club’s website:

“Today (Dec. 30, 2009) at the Holiday Camp Blaize Oswald, age seven, fell from the Cougar Chairlift at the Snow King Resort between Towers One and Two. Ski Patrol responded quickly and sent Blaize to St. John’s Medical Center where he received a full CT scan. The test showed minor bleeding on his brain and a partially ruptured lung.”

Axl swinging at Snow King.

Blaize is currently doing well and according to his mother, Leya Ozwald, “very excited” to get on his skis again soon. There are no protection bars on the Cougar chair, which, as a father of a young child who enjoys  taking skiing on the mountain, sucks. The bar is not a guarantee that shit won’t go bad. From my personal experience, when a safety bar is 1) Low, like on the Casper Chair at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, or 2) have the arms that come down from the bar which touch the chair as on the Teewinot lift at Jackson Hole, which you can situate in between the small child’s legs (or adult legs if not 3 or less are on the quad chair) that offers greater security (for child and for parent!).

The lift to the summit of Snow King, Exhibition, has a safety bar, I believe, every fourth chair. It is surprising that the folks at Snow King don’t put in safety bars on all the chairs on Exhibition, at least during the Hill Climb. During the Hill Climb, and throughout the year, Non-skiers/boarders are required to use only the chairs with safety bars. During the annual Hill Climb, this causes a huge backup of people wanting to ride the lift. If there were bars on all the chairs the wait time would be much less, and safety arguably increased. In addition, I would think this action would increase revenue for the mountain. I don’t know how much a safety bar costs, but it is a fairly simple device with minimal hardware required to install, taking only a few minutes for each chair. Snow King can hire Lawrence Bennett, artist and metal worker with a shop at the base of the mountain, to make custom ones for them, if they don’t have a line on some. I bet there are used ones that can be bought from a ski area that doesn’t use them because they went out of business or upgraded their double chair to a triple or quad. Hopefully monetary gain would follow doing the right thing, which in my opinion is to keep the kids and adults using the lifts at Snow King, our beloved town hill, safer. OK…what the hell is safer? Well we can debate that, but to me it is having bars on the Cougar lift so that I don’t have to hold my son or clip him in to the lift with a cord to prevent him pitching off and getting hurt or killed while out trying to have a good time.

On Sunday Axl and I were at Jackson Hole for the day where we ripped the animal trails off of Teewinot Lift and then ventured up to Casper and over to Thunder. I am learning the easiest ways down from all the lifts as I go out with Axl these early days of his skiing. Giradelli larger milk chocolate chips and GU Chomps got us through the day. I heard about using a ski pole to help slow Axl down but have not yet tried it. I have been skiing without poles and grabbing him and carrying him like a football over the steep sections, which unfortunately interrupt many of the cat tracks, at least for enough time to not have it be a smooth, super easy ride down from the Thunder, the Gondola (getting onto Amphitheater for a brief moment until one can cut east to Nez Perce is steep and challenging) and even Casper (below the restaurant to the cat track). This being said, there may be some easier ways which I haven’t learned yet and hopefully won’t have to as Axl is getting stronger and ripping more every time out!

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Enjoy!