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Mark Synnott
Mark Synnott, 44, is renowned in the climbing world for his many big wall and alpine climbing adventures. His travels have taken him on nearly 30 expeditions to places like Alaska, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Patagonia, Guyana, Venezuela, Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, Tibet, Russia, Cameroon, Chad, Borneo, Oman and Pitcairn Island. One of the first climbers to explore Baffin Island's remote east coast, Mark has been on five trips to the island, and has pioneered four big wall first ascents in the area, including a grade VII on the 4700-foot north face of Polar Sun Spire -- an epic wall that required the team to spend 36 nights in portaledges. Two years later, Mark returned to the same area with a team of North Face Athletes to produce a big wall climbing documentary for the National Geographic Society -- one of six National Geographic sponsored expeditions he has participated in. In the Karakoram, Mark established two grade VII big wall first ascents -- The Ship of Fools on Shipton Spire and Parallel Worlds on Great Trango Tower. The latter, a 6000-foot wall topping out over 20,000 feet (completed with Jared Ogden and Alex Lowe in 1999) is one of the longest rock climbs in the world. As a free climber, Mark has tackled notorious adventure routes like the East Face (5.11+R) of Mt. Babel in the Canadian Rockies and Stratosfear (5.11+R) in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. At the crag he has onsighted 5.12 and redpointed 5.13. In Yosemite, Mark has climbed El Capitan 22 times, including one days ascents of the Nose, Tangerine Trip, Lost in America and the West Face. In 1997 he snagged the coveted second ascent of El Capitan's hardest route, the Reticent Wall (A5). Equally comfortable on ice and mixed terrain as he is on rock, Mark has climbed Grade 6+ testpieces in the Candian Rockies, France, and Norway.

When he's not in the mountains, Mark works with The North Face Research, Design and Development team and lectures frequently on his life of adventure. He has done motivational speaking for clients like General Motors, Bank of New York, the Vanity Fair corporation, and the National Geographic Society. Mark has also worked extensively in the film and television industry, both in front of and behind the camera. His credits include work for National Geographic Television, NBC Sports, Warren Miller Entertainment, and Rush HD. Mark has written many articles over the years and his work has appeared in National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Men's Journal, Outside, Climbing, Skiing, New York Magazine and many other publications in the US and abroad. In 2007 he published his first book: "Baffin Island: Climbing, Trekking, Skiing." Synnott Mountain Guides was born in 1997, and the business has grown steadily every year. Today Mark and his guides have successfully trained hundreds of aspiring climbers. In 2004, Mark began the process of attaining certification from the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA). He was certified in the Rock discipline in 2006 and attained his Alpine certification in September, 2009. He is working diligently now on the Ski certification, and is hoping to attain the coveted IFMGA guide status in the next two years. Mark is also a long time member of Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) A- team, and in 2012 was elected to the MRS board of directors. He has also a been board member of the Access Fund since 2009.

Education Middlebury College, VT B.A. in philosophy 1993 Dean's list 1990, 1992; College Scholar 1993 Alumni Achievement Award 2001

Professional Experience

Climbing Magazine Senior Contributing Editor

The North Face Climbing Team member Technical Consultant to Product Development

Freelance Photojournalist My work has appeared in: National Geographic, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Men's Journal, Climbing, Skiing, Unlimited, and many other publications.

National Geographic Magazine April-July 1998 -- climbing talent for documentary on Baffin Island big wall first ascent.

National Geographic Television April-July 1998 -- climber/videographer for documentary on Baffin Island big wall first ascent August 1998 -- chief rigger/climbing talent for documentary shot in Iceland December 1999 -- climber/expedition leader for documentary on freeclimbing in Cameroon July 2000 -- chief rigger for documentary shot in British Columbia

NBC Television June-August 1999 -- climber/videographer/expedition leader for documentary on climbing Great Trango Tower in Pakistan

Warren Miller Films June 2001 - climber/skiing talent for climb and ski descent from the NW summit of Mt. Waddington, Coast Range, BC

Media Presentations I present approximately 20 slide shows a year

Awards/Grants Piolet D'Or NW face of Great Trango Tower nominated in 1999 Mugs Stump Award 1996 for ascent of Polar Sun Spire in Baffin Island AAC Mountaineering Fellowships to Baffin island 1995, 1996 National Geographic Expeditions Council Grant for 1999 Cameroon Rhumsiki Tower expedition, 2003 Mt. Roraima expedition, and 2005 Pitcairn Island expedition

Sponsors The North Face, La Sportiva, Metolius, Sterling Ropes, Petzl, Clif Bar

Climbing Achievements

Baffin Island The Great and Secret Show VII 5.11 A4 WI3 North Face of Polar Sun Spire (first ascent) Crossfire VI 5.10 A4 South Face of Great Cross Pillar (first ascent) Nuvualik VI 5.10+ A3+ West Face of the Turret (single push: 40 hrs/with fixing; first ascent) Rum and the Lash VI 5.10 A4+ Northwest Face of Sail Peak (first ascent)

Karakoram, Pakistan The Ship of Fools VII 5.11 A2 WI6 Northeast Face of Shipton Spire (first ascent) Parallel Worlds VII 5.11 A4 Northwest Face of Great Trango Tower (first ascent of NW Face and West summit)

Patagonia The Compressor Route 5.10 A1 Cerro Torre (27 hours from Norwegian camp) SCUD 5.11, 7 pitch direct start to Exocet, Cerro Stanhardt (attempt) Attempted first alpine style ascent of Fitzroy's 2200m Slovak Route on west face

Nepal Attempt on North Face of Jannu (25,294 feet)

Alaska Shaken Not Stirred, west face of Moose'sTooth, Alaska Range, (reached middle summit, 6 hrs. on route) The Dream in the Spirit of Mugs V 5.10c, west face of the Eye Tooth (24 hours r/t)

Cameroon The Great Technical Adventure 5.12d Rhumsiki Tower (first ascent, 10 pitches, redpointed route)

Bugaboos The Shooting Gallery VI 5.10 A2+ West Face of North Howser Tower (led every pitch; first ascent) Beckey-Chouinard V 5.10 Southwest Pillar of South Hower Tower

Canadian Rockies East Face of Mt. Babel IV 5.11 (15 hrs. car to car) East Ridge of Mt. Temple East Ridge of Mt. Edith Cavell

Yosemite El Capitan: 22 ascents including 2nd ascent of Reticent Wall (A5) and single pushes on Lost in America (24:47; 2nd fastest), Tangerine Trip, Lurking Fear (9+ hours), Nose (13:45), and West Face Regular Northwest Face VI 5.10 A2 Half Dome (one day) Lost Arrow Spire Direct VI 5.11 A3 Yosemite Falls Wall Misty Wall VI 5.10 A3 Yosemite Falls Wall West Face V 5.10 A2 Leaning Tower (single push: 7 hrs.) South Face V 5.10 A1 Washington Column Steck-Salathe V 5.9 Sentinel Chouinard-Herbert V 5.11+ Sentinel Direct North Buttress V 5.10 Middle Cathedral

Black Canyon of the Gunnison Stratosfear VI 5.11+ R Painted Wall The Dragon Route VI 5.10 A4 (first winter ascent of Painted Wall) Paint it Black VI 5.11 A3+ North Chasm View Wall (2nd ascent, winter) Air Voyage V 5.12a North Chasm View Wall Scenic Cruise V 5.10 + North Chasm View Wall Goss-Logan V 5.11 R North Chasm View Wall Astro-Dog V 5.11+ South Chasm View Wall Southern Arete V 5.10+ Painted Wall

The Desert Southwest The Ball and Chain VI 5.10 A4 North Face of Angel's Landing, Zion (3rd ascent, led every pitch) The Sundevil Chimney VI 5.9 A4 The Titan, Fisher Towers Colorado NE Ridge V 5.9 A2 King Fisher, Fisher Towers The Kor Route V 5.10 A3 Steamboat Rock, Dinosaur National Monument (3rd ascent) Approximately 20 desert tower free routes

Selected Ice Routes Acid Howl, Canadian Rockies WI 6+ The Terminator, Canadian Rockies WI 6+ Les Miserables, Canadian Rockies WI 6+ Gramusat Direct, Tete Du Gramusat, France WI6+ Hydnefossen, Hemsedal, Norway WI 6+

Mixed Routes Manchurian Refuge M7+ Trollville, NH (first ascent) Cold, Cold World M8+ Eagle Cliff, NH (2nd ascent) Snake LipM8 Trollville, NH (first ascent) Diaper Rash M7 Trollville, NH (2nd ascent) The Mongol M8 Trollville, NH (1st ascent)(first ascent)

Free Climbs Best on-sight: 5.12b Best redpoint: 5.13b