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PSA: Hans Sarri Memorial Fund Exploration Grant — for ski mountaineers!

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Andrew McLean recent got in touch with me about this, and I thought it would be good to get it on the record here at WildSnow. The unique thing about this fund is that it’s for skiers. Thus, I’d hope some of you blog readers would be applying for some grants soon, as any number of you guys could probably cook something up that is deserving.

According to Andrew:

A group of Hans’ friends and family set this fund up to support avalanche education in Montana, and through the financial genius of Drew Sessel (Chairman of the HSMF) they have put together a very, very cool program to fund both avalanche education and, the latest, an exploration fund. The exploration fund is unique as it is geared specifically toward ski mountaineering objectives. The HSMF is an on-going, well funded program that will be around for years.

I’m on the Board of Directors and am one of six people awarding the expedition grants, but if I wasn’t, I’d be applying for the grant for sure! As far as the awards go, it is up there with the Polartec Grant, which gives away enough money to actually make a difference on a trip to Asia, Baffin Island or somewhere unique. It also has a safety component to it, asking applicants what they will do both physically and mentally to minimize the dangers. Another important part of it is that the trip documentation will be considered as part of the grant, whether it be photography, writing, a film, painting, etc..

To me, one of the appealing parts of this grant is that it is a combination of both skiing and creativity – it is not just skiing a burly line somewhere and then keeping it to yourself. The idea is to specifically help individual ski mountaineers, but also more generally promote the sport of ski mountaineering.

All of the info is available at: http://www.hansfund.org/index.php

The specific grant info is at: http://www.hansfund.org/exploration.php Application deadline is March 1.

There’s also some good background info about Hans on the site as well. I met him years ago on a trip with Alex Lowe on what was probably one of Hans’ first ski mountaineering outings. The skiing was good, but even more memorable was seeing Hans turned on to ski mountaineering. It was like he had found his calling and over the next few years he went on a rampage of skiing first descents in Montana, traveling to South America, over to Asia and all over in the Tetons.

Posted by Lou on October 6, 2007 | Filed Under Backcountry Skiing 

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Comments

3 Responses to “PSA: Hans Sarri Memorial Fund Exploration Grant — for ski mountaineers!”

  1. Charlie October 7th, 2007 2:18 pm

    Odd that for a safety-oriented grant that you’ll have to return the money if the objective doesn’t go. (”If any of the grant objectives are canceled or significantly changed (i.e. a new descent on Denali turns into heli time around Valdez) all funds and materials must be returned and repaid to the HSMF.”) There’s certainly a wide-open range of interpretation there (what constitutes cancellation? Weather? Avy danger? Simply not even visiting base camp? What if the desired route’s not in condition, but the sick 10,000′ unskied line three ridges over is in prime shape?), but I don’t think it’s good to add the pressures of $15k of debt to mountain-oriented decision making.

    It’s good to prevent the grant from being misused, but not good to add fiscal pressure where it might get someone hurt who might’ve otherwise altered their plans.

  2. Lou October 7th, 2007 4:56 pm

    Andrew, clarification for Charlie?

  3. Andrew October 7th, 2007 7:00 pm

    Hi Charlie,

    This stipulation is at the Board of Directors discretion and is there mainly to cover grant funds which are vastly misused. The review committee is made up of ski mountaineers who understand that it is not always possible or safe to ski your intended line. That said, the Hans Fund Grant gives away a substantial amount of money and there needs to be some guarantee on their part that a person won’t write a completely fictitious grant application with no intention actually doing it, and then buy a seasons pass at his local resort instead.

    Andrew

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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