Brooks Range Vol-Biv - by Cody Tuttle
* Photo: Cody Tuttle
I never imagined Alaska to be so big, so daunting, and so all-consuming on every level. Every moment I was reminded that this was a much bigger objective than I had anticipated, and each step I sunk into the soft wet tussock, like a wet sponge being rung out over your feet for hours at a time. Hopping from one heap to another, it was like a game of hopscotch, only you were carrying a 65lb pack, and played the game for 7-10 hours a day.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consist of over 19,000,000 acres of protected wilderness and is currently in danger of being exploited for it’s oil reserves.
Jeff Shapiro and I knew that exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge via paraglider and foot would be a wild adventure to say the least, but honestly we had no clue what we were getting ourselves into. We were in search of a real adventure, and that’s exactly what we got. Our only agenda was to dance our way through Alaska’s Brooks Range and see its awe-inspiring mountains from a new perspective.
* Cody Tuttle topping out a climb 5,000ft above the ground. This single flight would carry them nearly 35 miles. This distance would take more than a week to cover on foot in this terrain.
“Is it even possible to fly cross country via paragliders above the Arctic Circle?” A friend asked me just weeks before we departed for Alaska. The truth was we didn’t know.
People have flown in the Brooks Range before, but never with the goal of crossing a major section via a series of flights. There were a lot of unknowns with this trip. We were dealing with a landscape that was covered in ice only a month earlier, 24 hours of sunlight, and Arctic storms blowing off the Beaufort Sea. The only way to know if our plan would work was to drive up the Haul Road and start walking into the mountains in search for a suitable launch site.
* Photo: Cody Tuttle
** Jeff Shapiro and Cody Tuttle climb high above the Brooks Range using thermic lift to cross large sections of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Both Jeff and I have spent a lot of time traveling around the globe searching for new experiences in the mountains. These ranges are what shapes us into the people we have become. Our greatest memories and our darkest moments have been shared in these places and that is what keeps us coming back - to create an opportunity for memorable experiences to take place.
We tightened up our boots, hoisted our packs onto our back, and set off into the heart of the Brooks Range.
After the first 30 minutes, we both looked at each other and said: “This is going to be one hell of an adventure, I’m sure glad we decided to wear boots and not trail runners,” as our feet were standing ankle deep in marsh water. We embarked on this trip with the primary focus being to use our paragliders as tools to cross a new mountain range. What we didn’t realize was that our choice in footwear was what would set the pace for our entire trip.
* Photo: Cody Tuttle
Everything had to be carried in and out of the Brooks Range. We relied on our LOWAs every step of the way.
I chose to wear the new Alpine SL from Lowa Boots because it was the perfect cross between the sturdy alpine climbing boot I am used to wearing in the Himalaya, while still feeling like a lightweight hiker that wouldn’t feel cumbersome walking long days in.
I found myself crossing some of the toughest, wettest ground I have ever seen. We were launching and landing our paragliders with over 50lbs of camping gear and food in our harnesses.
If one of us even sprained an ankle, it would have taken days to be extracted from our location. Our feet were the single most important thing to take care of on this trip. And our boots were what got us there.
After 18 days of hiking and flying our way across some of the most stunning and remote landscapes I have ever seen, we found ourselves sitting around a fire drying out our clothes and boots after crossing over a mile of braiding river with nothing but pure joy in our souls.
We had just experienced something that words cannot describe, something that changed the way we look at the world, and how we value those we spend time with. The world is quickly changing and these moments are fleeting.
The time is now to go have an experience like this, to see the world, and fight to protect these wild places. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is worth fighting for.
Watch their adventure here: