Mark Newcomb

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Mark Newcomb

Not one to toot his own horn, Mark Newcomb's abilities speak for themselves. Within a three-year time period, he made three separate first descents on Wyoming's Grand Teton: the Black Ice Couloir with Stephen Koch, the Hossack-MacGowan Couloir with Hans Johnstone, and the Otterbody Snowfield with Doug Coombs. And those descents are in addition to three other Grand descents on routes that had already been skied.

Newcomb also holds the first combined descent of the Grand, Middle Teton and South Teton in one day, car-to-car.

When asked about his fascination with the Grand, he replies, "It's in my backyard. I end up here working, and when I have a free day and the conditions are good, I go up and have a look. It's the highest point around, the technical challenges are interesting, there's ice, maybe a touch of rock, changing conditions, and so many different routes."

	Newcomb

By combining a high level of alpine climbing with skiing, Newcomb is truly a modern-day ski mountaineering pioneer. Though many of his descents are not continuous (not to mention optimal) for skiing, he claims it's a matter of taste.

"It depends on how creative you are. Some routes have less actual skiing than others and more down-climbing and rappelling. So some people think it's an ethical point of being less of a ski descent, and more of a down-climb at times — it's personal preference," explains Newcomb.

Born and raised in Jackson Hole, Newcomb credits his father, Rod, founder of the American Avalanche Institute and Exum guide for 35 years, with showing him at an early age what's possible in the mountains.

Rod came home from work one day to find 9-year-old Mark climbing high in a tree. Mark was stopped at a difficult, branchless section. Rather than panic, his father suggested he come down and get a rope, a sling and a carabiner and then try the tricky section again. Mark went back up and girth-hitched the last branch while Rod gave him a hip belay from below.

That was the beginning. Newcomb, an Exum Mountain Guide for 11 years, has many achievements in his native Wyoming, but he's also been attracted to Alaska, where he works as head guide and avalanche hazard forecaster for Doug Coombs' Valdez Heli-Ski Guides. He is also drawn to Tibet and the Himalaya saying, "It's vast and wide open. Once you get there, you have freedom to roam and figure it out."

Some of Newcomb's experiences in the Himalaya include: skiing from 25,000ft on Shishapangma (with Stephen Koch); skiing from 21,600ft down the Japanese Couloir of Hidden Peak; the first American ascent of Geladaintong (21,651ft) via a new route on the northeast face; and, bicycle touring in northwest China and Tibet using locally purchased bikes and gear, traveling over 1,000km, at times under disguise and through closed areas.

As for Antarctica, Newcomb looks forward to taking this trip with his close friends, and compares their excitement to that of six hornets in a bag.