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In 2007 Andrew traveled to Alaska’s St. Elias National Park, Iran, and Morocco to ski lines that the rest of us only dream of.
Bio
Introducing...
Andrew Mclean Andrew's Sports Resume
Home Mountain:
The Wasatch
Films
Steep Trapped in Ice Shishapangma - A Celebration of Life The Greatest Snow on Earth: Utah's Skiing StoryLinkage
Andrew's SiteThe Backcountry Team
Jeremy Jones Sage Cattabriga-Alosa Ingrid Backstrom Chris Davenport Karl Meltzer Drew Tabke Julian Carr Erik Roner Cody Barnhill Chris Tatsuno Jess McMillan Rachael Burks Julia Niles Kasha Rigby Jamey Parks Tyson Bolduc Nick DeVore Will Cardamone Noah Howell Andrew McLean Don Bowie
Andrew Mclean
You won’t find Andrew McLean in the resort very often. He prefers to leave home and track down steep technical lines in remote regions of the world. With more than 100 first descents to his name (many unrepeated) and trips to places most people have never even heard of, Andrew’s résumé makes your palms sweat and your mouth water. His book “The Chuting Gallery: A guide to steep skiing in the Wasatch Mountains” gives readers a glimpse of what Andrew does in his local mountains and has become the dream list for serious Utah skiers. Recently, McLean teamed up with Brad Barlage for a snow-kite assisted Baffin Island trip that saw 19 first descents in just over two weeks. Andrew also designs gear for Black Diamond (including that Whippet pole that saved your butt last season).
Scarpa Men's F3 Alpine Touring Boot
| My boot of choice for most BC skiing 02-07-08 |
Andrew McLean:  |
| I Scarpa boot in general, and love the F3 in particular. For almost everything but the steepest of slopes, the F3 has ample control and can drive a mid-phat ski (95mm waist) in most conditions. The beauty of the F3 is that it is so light, reliable and tours so well that you can get many extra thousand feet of climbing (and thus, skiing) in per day. The bellows make it easy to walk in, the fit is legendary Scarpa (super-plush) and when combined with a Dynafit binding you can fly up hill. |
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K2 Baker Superlight Randonnee Ski
| Easy up, easy down 02-07-08 |
| Andrew McLean: |
| The biggest disadvantage of a phat ski for the backcountry is that they tend to be heavier. The heavier the set-up, the slower you go uphill, and thus the less skiing you get in for a day. Enter the K2 Mt. Baker Superlight - a fat ski which has been put on a weight diet. The MBSL is a blast to ski and floats through powder, chops up crud and eats up anything you can throw at it. I'm 5'10" and 145 lbs, so I like them in a slightly short size for the backcountry (167cm). I've used longer ones (174cm) as hybrid resort/BC ski and been happy with their stability on high speed groomers. |
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Suunto X6HR Heart Rate Monitor
| Vital piece of equipment for BC skiing 02-14-08 |
| Andrew McLean: |
| Along with beacons, shovels and probes, a Suunto X6 wrist computer is an essential piece of backcountry equipment. I use mine every time I go out to track vertical and it often inspires me to take one more run just to round up my total to the next highest number. Suunto watches have a vast array of options, yet a simple menu layout which makes them easy to use. They are also incredibly durable and reliable, which is nice when they get dropped, sat on or accidentally abused. |
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The Mountain Hardwear Men's Beryllium Jacket
| Fantasic backcountry skiing jacket 02-7-08 |
| Andrew McLean: |
| The Beryillium is intended to be more of a climbing jacket, but I love it for backcountry skiing as it has perfect pockets, a nice set of features (without having too many) and the material is excellent. It has a nice loose fit which works well for hiking and helps make it breathable. I was skeptical at first about the lightweight fabric (Pro Shell), but am now sold on it - it breathes well and is durable. The hood is also very well designed and can be used with a helmet or folded back for use with a regular hat. |
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K2 Shuksan Alpine Touring Ski
| One World - One ski 02-7-08 |
| Andrew McLean: |
| If you are looking for a ski Quiver of One, the Shuksan is an excellent choice. It works on steep, icy couloirs, powder, groomers, bumps, backcountry... whatever. Not only that, but it is incredibly durable and will last for years. There are lots of backcountry skis available nowadays, but few of them have reached the "Classic" status of the Shuksan due to its all around perfect geometry and blend of performance. |
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