by Mitch Breton  /  Read the Original Article Here

Memorial Day weekend is a special one in Telluride. Every year, downtown is accented by Nepali prayer flags stretching across West Colorado Avenue welcoming attendees to Mountainfilm. The annual documentary film festival—now in its 41st year—showcases more than 150 films at the intersection of adventure, social justice, and environmentalism. It also features interactive seminars from various industry leaders, including writer Cheryl Strayed, alpinist Chris Bonington, and transgender mountaineer and Colorado resident Erin Parisi, all of whom will be speaking this year.

Over the course of four days, films will screen at seven theaters throughout town and an additional 16 venues will be utilized for community talks, exhibits, art galleries, and more. This year, films being screened are coming from all over the world—including Afghanistan, Malawi, and Washington D.C.—but of course, as with any good Centennial State film festival, Colorado-based artists and stories are at the center of it. Ahead of the festival, we reviewed the lineup and screened dozens of the films for this year’s festival to bring you this list of our four favorite stories putting Colorado on the map.

Weight of Water

One that’s sure to bring some tears to your eyes is Weight of Water directed by Boulder-based Michael Brown. It documents the blind-adventurer and Golden-resident Erik Weihenmayer‘s attempt to kayak the entirety of the Grand Canyon. This is only the latest in a series of accomplishments that Weihenmeyer has undertaken. The film breaks down Weihenemeyr’s previous Everest summits and the path that led him to life without vision. Screening: Friday May 24, 8:45-10:30 p.m., Basecamp Outdoor Theater; Saturday May 25th, 6:15 p.m.- 8:15 p.m., High Camp – Telluride Conference Center

Brotherhood of Skiing

This lively film from filmmaker Tyler Wilkinson-Ray features the National Brotherhood of Skiing and their annual summits. Their first was held in Aspen, and as the film goes on to show, it was quite the party that shook that community to its core. It’s a feel-good flick that shows how a community of black skiers is shaking up the power dynamic in a prominently homogenous sport. Screening: Friday May 24th, 9 – 11 p.m, High Camp – Telluride Conference Center; Sunday, May 26th, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., Nugget Theatre

Life of Pie

From Colorado-based Felt Soul Media, this film profiles the pizza joint in Fruita known as Hot Tomato. This place is known just as much for their delicious pies as they are for a place to attend a great event or hang out with friends. The owners, Anne Keller and Jen Zeuner, have rallied the community around outdoor recreation for years, which is reflected by the myriad of bike paraphernalia decorating the walls of the restaurant and endless stoke you’ll find there. Screening: Friday May 24, 8:45 – 10:30 p.m., Base Camp Outdoor Theater; Saturday, May 25, 6:15 – 8:15 p.m., High Camp Telluride Conference Center

People of Water

People of Water, from filmmakers Gnarly Bay Productions and Forest Woodward, chronicles the efforts of the U.S. Men’s Rafting Team as they break away from their home on Colorado rivers to paddle in a traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe race. Despite the native Hawaiians justified skepticism, their training on Dillon Reservoir allowed them to earn the respect of their competitors. Screening: Saturday May 25, 6:15 – 8:15 p.m, Nugget Theatre; Sunday, May 26, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Masons Hall.

If You Go: The festival runs from May 24 to May 27 at various venues throughout Telluride. To buy tickets, see the lineup and schedule, or to see the archive of films, visit mountainfilm.org.

by Audrey Bruno  /  Read the Original Article Here

Every time I go on a hike, I wind up extremely hungry by the end. I always pack what seems like a sufficient amount of snacks for the distance, but somehow it’s never enough. I’ve talked to registered dietitians in the past and they’ve always told me that a good hiking snack should have a decent amount of carbs to keep you fueled, and protein, fat, and fiber to keep you full the whole way through. But even when I keep this in mind, the snacks that I do bring aren’t enough to keep my stomach from growling.
I figured if anyone would know how to actually stay fueled on the trail, it would be the people who consider hiking a big part of their lifestyle. So I reached out to some of the hikers I follow on social media to ask them which energizing snacks they rely on. Not only do their picks sound totally delicious, they’re also easy to pack, don’t need to be kept cold, and light enough that they won’t weigh your backpack down—but hearty enough to keep you full.

From spicy jerky bites to almond butter packets, these are the 13 products they swear by.
All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Munk Pack Protein Cookies
Writer, photographer, and outdoors expert Laura Hughes tells SELF that she loves to take cookies with her on hikes, but not just any old cookies. She swears by the cookies from Munk Pack, which include flavors like snickerdoodle, peanut butter chocolate chip, and coconut white chip macadamia—basically, anything you could want. It’s a favorite brand of hers because the products are totally vegan, and they’re packed with protein and fiber.
Buy it: $15 for a pack of 6, amazon.com

Trader Joe's Unsweetened Dried Mangoes
According to Raynelle Rino, frequent hiker and creator of the nature-based consulting firm Rino Consulting Solutions, these dried mango strips do a perfect job of satisfying her sweet tooth. She says it’s her version of candy on the trail that also allows her to get a bit of fiber.
Buy it: $24 for a pack of 4, amazon.com

KIND Bars
Rino always tries to bring at least a little bit of chocolate with her on the trail, typically in the form of a KIND bar. “I usually just say ‘Drink lots of water and eat foods that make you happy,’ and that applies to during a hike as well,” she explains. And sometimes nothing makes her (and a lot of us) feel better than some chocolate, especially when she’s mid-trek.

Buy it: $14 for a box of 20, kindsnacks.com

Justin’s Almond Butter Packets
Erin Parisi, high-altitude mountaineer and outdoor athlete for TranSending.org, tells SELF that these packets have been her go-to for long hikes lately. She likes them because they’re calorie-dense, and they provide a simple and satisfying dose of fats and protein that take longer to digest and give her sustained energy as a result. “They easily ration out,” she adds, “making them ideal for budgeting fulfilling sustenance all day long.”
Buy it: $20 for a pack of 10, amazon.com

Duke’s Shorty Smoked Sausages
“I’m a fan of jerky of basically any kind for hiking because it’s a good dense protein source that is light to carry,” Beth Bradley, adventurer and editor, tells SELF. But of all the options out there, she says Duke’s are her favorite by a long shot. “These are made in small batches and come in a bunch of unique flavors,” she explains. If you’re looking for something spicy, she says the hatch green chile flavor definitely won’t disappoint.
Buy it: $34 for a pack of 12, amazon.com

Ghirardelli Chocolate Bars
Parisis says that when the going gets really tough on the trail, turning to chocolate is never a bad idea. “That banged up Ghirardelli bar in your pack equals instant energy,” she says. “Those final steps of many summits have been achieved on the happiness and positivity provided by a simple treat.” So the next time you’re wondering if you should bring a chocolate bar with you on a hike, the answer is yes.

Buy it: $15 for a pack of 6, amazon.com

Epic Bars
“Epic bars are a great source of protein and have fewer preservatives compared to other jerky-style meat products,” Hughes explains. Out of all of their many, many flavors, her two favorites are the turkey bars with cranberries and almonds, and the chicken bars with sesame barbecue.

Buy it: $22 for a box of 12, amazon.com

Luna Bars
Whenever Parisi hikes for more than half a day, she brings a Luna Bar with her, namely the creamy dreamy peanut butter bar, because it’s packed with enough protein and carbs to keep her energized and focused when she starts to wear down.

Buy it: $15 for a pack of 15, amazon.com

Gatorade Energy Chews
“Last year, I summited Mt. Bierstadt in Colorado, which was one of the most challenging hikes of my life,” Bradley explains. “My friend had these in his pack and shared them with me, and I felt like the extra carbs actually did give me a little boost when I was very depleted and loosing steam,” she adds. Plus, she says, they’re sweet and they taste like gummy bears—definitely handy for an intense, all-day hike.

Buy it: $15 for a pack of 16, amazon.com

Crunchsters
“These crispy sprouted mung beans are a game-changing hiking snack for me,” says Bradley. Aside from the fact that they’re delicious, she loves them because mung beans are full of fiber and protein, so they’re very satisfying. “They’re also light and easy to toss in my pack, and I like that they are a savory alternative to sweet energy bars,” she explains. They have a bunch of tasty flavors, from bacon to smoky balsamic, and they’re vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free.

Buy it: $10 for a bag of 6, amazon.com

Larabars
Adventurer and model Priya Mareedu loves Lärabars because she likes that they’re made from simple ingredients, like dates, nuts, and spices. Not to mention, she says, they keep her going for hours, even on an seven-day pack-rafting trip (which is when you pack everything up as if you were camping and travel via raft) through Mexico. “These were basically my lifesavers,” she says. Try the apple pie flavor, which is her favorite because it tastes a lot like the real thing.
Buy it: $5 for a pack of 5, amazon.com

Mamma Chia Chia Squeeze
“These fruit and chia seed pouches are tasty and very convenient for the trail,” says Bradley. She likes them because the chia seeds provide a good amount of fiber, protein, and healthy fats all in a small pouch. They have many flavors, and if you’re not sure which to try first, she recommends blackberry and mango-coconut.

Buy it: $19 for a pack of 10, amazon.com

Lenny and Larry’s The Complete Cookie
These protein cookies are another favorite of Hughes, who loves them because they’re vegan, yet totally satisfying thanks to 8 grams of protein per serving. And they have so many flavors worth trying, like chocolate donut, birthday cake, and lemon poppy seed, to name a few.

Buy it: $18 for a box of 12, amazon.com

by Gwen Smith  /  Read the Original Article Here

On August 19, 1999, transgender activist Monica Helms had a dream. When she woke up, she had with a design in mind clear as the day. Half-asleep, she sketched out the idea for the transgender flag a note pad, encouraged by its simplicity and its symmetry.

“The palindromic design meant that no matter which way you flew the flag, it would always be correct, which to me signified the underlying correctness of trans peoples’ true self, regardless of the road they take to get there,” Helms writes in her newly released autobiography, “More Than Just a Flag.”

The title is an apt description of both the text and Helm’s life story to date: She has fought employment discrimination, served in the U.S. Navy as a submariner, and rallied transgender activists to new heights starting in the 1990s.

She’s still active today, too: after the head of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, railed against the transgender flag being present in front of several congressional offices for Transgender Visibility Week, Helms took it open herself to send him 1,500 transgender flags as a “gift.” Her gift message attached to the box read, “Your shout out helps our cause.”

Queerty sat down with Helms during around Trans Awareness Day to discuss the book and her life.

It feels that there are a lot of transgender biographies out in the world, perhaps going all the way back to Christine Jorgensen’s in 1967 and even Lile Elbe’s in 1931. With such a large field, what tempted you to tell your own story?

The short answer is that, for many years now, people in the trans community have been urging me to write an autobiography. Every transgender story is different and gives us a perspective of what each person has gone through as well as a perspective from the time they lived in. Each journey helps the next generation of trans people to live their lives in a better-informed, authentic manner. I have gone through many events in my life that have shaped who I am. I hope people can learn from and be inspired by my story.

What sets your story apart?

Principally, that life doesn’t begin or end with a trip to the surgeon’s table, and it doesn’t end even if you don’t have surgery. I want readers, trans people, in particular, to realize that they can accomplish almost anything they want if they put their mind to it.

Reading through the book, I noted how key your time in the military has been, even starting with an imagined pre-birth assignment from St. Christopher. How does your military experience continue to inform you?

There is a long history of military service within my family. All of my uncles and one aunt served in WWII. My grandfather was in the Navy. My father served in three branches of the service and during three wars. My brother served, and one of his sons and my son also served.

My time in the Navy helped shape my way of thinking and gave me a sense of independence. I am proud of my service and it still affects me even as I grow older. Military service isn’t for everyone, but it’s uncanny how many transgender men and women I come across who have served. It gave me structure, discipline, enabled me to see parts of the world I might otherwise not have seen, and challenged me to be a better person.

You created the transgender pride flag. How has it felt to see it go from your original notion to something that is recognized worldwide, including, this week being seen throughout the halls of Congress for Trans Awareness Week?

I am still amazed when I see the flag show up, time again, in new places. I never set out to create a worldwide icon, but that is something it has become. I just wanted a symbol, something that I felt reflected my pride in being transgender, something that might help bring out community together or unite us. It humbles me to see the flag carried by others in the world. It transcends ages, nationalities, and gender. Part of the flag’s success has been that there are as many reasons why it is loved as there are trans people. I’m ok with that. Over the years people have told me what it means to them and it fills me with pride. I hope it continues to make others proud as well.

Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed by it all? Does it ever feel like something that slipped its bounds and has become something so much larger than you may have ever expected or intended? Or is this what you’d hoped to see happen?

Yes. Completely. Overwhelmed is the right word. The flag will celebrate its 20th birthday this year, and the speed with which it has spread and been accepted amazes me. I’m thankful that I have lived to see it grow into the phenomenon that it is. The flag’s importance was made clear to me a few years back when the Smithsonian accepted my original, the first ever trans flag, into their permanent LGBT collection.

Sometimes I feel like Dr. Frankenstein: “It’s alive!” Seeing a picture of someone opening it up on Antarctica was a huge moment for me. I never expected any of this, but I am very thankful and very proud. It never crossed my mind this would happen until 2013. I was blissfully unaware, going about enjoying my life when I start seeing the flag at prides across the world. Since then the flag’s use has ballooned. And to think it all started twenty years ago when still half asleep, the original design came to me.

Are there any specific moments that really stand out for you, where you spotted your flag design somewhere that really took you back?

Seeing it on top of some of the tallest peaks on different continents was amazing. Trans climber Erin Parisi is trying to take it to the tallest peaks on every continent, ending with Mt. Everest. Like I said, seeing it on Antarctica was great, as well as in front of all the Congressional offices this week. The biggest thrill for me so far was seeing the original flag displayed in the White House in 2016. I do have one goal with the flag. One wish. I’d love to see it on the International Space Station. I’ve always been a Sci-Fi fan, I’ve loved space since I was a child, and have launched model rockets my entire life. So, if I had one last wish for the flag, it would be that.

Of course, you’ve done a lot more than simply being the “Betsy Ross” of the trans world. If there was one thing you’ve been involved with that you’d most want to be remembered about, other than creating the flag, what might it be?

Forming the Transgender American Veterans Association getting the VA to treat all trans veterans with the respect they deserve. I’m very proud of that. That saved lives. I’m proud that TAVA is still doing a great job, especially in the face of adversity from the current administration.

You speak in your book about some of the challenges in trans activism in the 1990s and 2000s, and trying to work within some of the nascent rights organizations. What do you feel were some of the bigger challenges in seeing transgender activism really take off — and are there lessons you took from those days that you hope activists today understand?

In the early years, and still today, I feel that we are a misunderstood community. We need to do a better job of being proud and visible if we want the rest of the world to accept us. Writing “More Than Just A Flag” was an attempt to put my life out there and explain who I am. Not everyone can write a book, but we need more trans people to openly stand for political office, to lead companies and charities, and to contribute positively to their communities.

On a practical level, one of the core lessons I took away from my years in activism was to take what non-trans organizations say with a grain of salt. They don’t always have our best interest at heart. Also, if you talk the talk, then prepare to walk the walk. If you say you will do something, then do it, no matter how hard it might be. The only thing an activist owns is their integrity. You lose that and you are no longer an activist.

You’ve done an impressive amount of work, both in activism and otherwise. What’s next for you?

I resigned from a lot of my activism roles a few years ago. I’m 68 years old now and I’m concentrating on leading a more “normal” life with my wife. She’s younger than I am and we are in the process of adopting a child, since she hasn’t previously had children.

I am also in the process of being elected to the board of the Georgia ACLU. I figure the next step for me is to take what I have learned over all these years and help a wonderful organization like the ACLU on trans issues. I’m hoping that by doing so I will be able to bring trans issues further into the mainstream.

I hope I can make a difference.

by SONYA PEVZNER  /  Read the Original Article Here

The first openly transgender woman to attempt the Seven Summits talks to EO about climbing physical and metaphorical mountains and a new nonprofit that will help people like her.

Erin Parisi began life pronounced male, but she came out, letting the world know she was female. She then decided to change her body. She lost her wife and some friends. An operation to change her voice left her temporarily unable to speak—but in that silence, she realized her calling. After a lifetime of bouncing between failed cures for gender dysphoria, she understood that nothing was wrong with her. No longer consumed with hiding from and fearing herself, she found an expanded community and professional support. She was ready to travel the world, reigniting her passion for outdoor sports. She applied for a new passport under her changed name, and in 2018 began a bid for the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. In February 2019, she climbed Argentina’s Aconcagua. Now she just has Denali, Antarctica’s Vinson Massif and Everest to go.

You’re aiming to become the first openly transgender woman to climb the Seven Summits. Why did you choose this objective?

Outdoor adventures and traveling have always provided me fulfillment. Before I transitioned, my greatest fear holding me back was that I’d have to sacrifice my passions to live an authentic life. I weighed the risks and couldn’t imagine another day living my old life, and committed to my survival and transition. Once I began transitioning, I found that I might have been wrong, and slowly my confidence grew and I knew it was possible. I never want another trans person to face isolation for fear they will need to sacrifice in order to come out. Everyone should be free to be themselves without fear. I hope to prove that’s possible. I want to prove that you can stand proudly on the highest point anywhere and let the world know who you are. No one should have to live in the shadows, and these peaks represent the one place where no shadows remain.

What has been the hardest part of this record-setting attempt?

The hardest part was coming out. Now that I live knowing I’ve pursued the truth of my heart and soul, with support of my family and friends, my life has been much easier. Life is bigger than consuming yourself by running and hiding—but having the confidence to move forward is no small endeavor.

The world has a lot of judgments about transgender people, and transgender athletes specifically. What do you wish the world knew about trans women athletes?

The world of athletics has come a long way in the last 10 years: After extensive study most sports governance committees have determined that through common-sense regulation we can ensure equitable inclusion of trans athletes in their proper gender fields, while equally protecting the rights of other participants. Trans athletes who excel on the field of play do so while adhering to rigorous guidelines and only after hard work like any other athlete. I hope the world realizes that sports are a much-needed avenue of growth for the trans community. Through trans inclusion in sport we will reduce suicide, violence, substance abuse and poverty in an historically marginalized population.

Favorite summit so far?

I love my home Rocky Mountains. My favorite summits are right here in Colorado—though it’s hard to name a single mountain, and they are all so different depending on how and when you climb them.

Hardest summit so far?

The hardest summit as far as the Seven Summits are concerned has been Mt Elbrus. The summit day is long, and the peak is downright cold. But it was the social conditions I faced while in Russia that made it uniquely difficult for me. Chechnya and the Caucasus Region in Russia are not tolerant cultures for the LGBTQ+ community. Much of the violence is thought to be government sanctioned. I can prepare technically for a mountain, and physically for the demands of a climb, but there is little I can do to prevent the threat of violence against me that the entire LGBTQ+ community faces in that part of the world.

You went from being a recreational climber to becoming a professional mountaineer who is pushing the envelope for diversity. What has the training process for that looked like, both mentally and physically?

I train six days a week. For a long-term goal like the Seven Summits, patience, pacing and an understanding of your body are all are important parts of getting through long workouts. I use high-intensity intervals for indoor workouts, and some days I’m in the gym for several hours, completing these organized workouts. It’s the outdoor workouts that I really look forward to. I love mountain biking, skiing and hiking with my dogs. Mentally, the best prep has been the support of family and friends. Knowing I’m not alone is the best therapy.

You have completed four of the seven summits so far, with Denali planned for the 50th anniversary of Pride in June. What is the significance of the Denali ascent?

Fifty years ago, the LGBTQ+ community lived secretly and in fear. The Stonewall riots of 1969 were in direct retaliation to the enforcement of laws that were designed to suppress the LGBTQ+ community and force us into lives of stigma and marginalization. Stonewall started a unified movement that earned several basic human rights and dignities that were long denied to the community. Now 50 years later, many people might take the victories of the past for granted. I want an opportunity to stand high above North America on the 50th anniversary of Pride to celebrate the strides our society has made, and bring awareness to the fights we have ahead.

You also climb for Transending. What work does this nonprofit do?

TranSending.org is the non-profit initiative I climb for, and our Seven Summits journey is the inaugural mission for the organization. The organization strives to improve inclusion of transgender athletes in all fields of competition, but we focus on outdoor sports. Currently, we are recruiting trans athletes for visibility projects that highlight our potential as athletes. We also commit to educational and speaking engagements that can help all stakeholders in athletics understand the benefits of diverse fields of play.

Any goals set for after you finish the seven summits?

My goal is to live a wholesome and satisfying life that is free of looking back with regret or wondering “what-if?” That’s a goal I started before I began the Seven Summits, and one I hope to continue now that I’ve allowed myself the freedom to do so. There’s a lifetime of adventure ahead!

by Thomas J. Prohaska  /  Read the Original Article Here

Erin Parisi, the Clarence native attempting to become the first transgender person to scale the tallest mountain on every continent, now has conquered four of the “Seven Summits.”

On Saturday, Parisi reached the peak of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, at 22,841 feet the highest point in South America.

Even though it’s summer in South America, the weather at high altitude – bitter temperatures and 50 mph winds – made 10 of the 15 climbers in her group decide to turn back.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Parisi said in a statement released by TranSending7, the not-for-profit entity she established to raise funds for her quest.

“I wanted to turn around so badly. I didn’t feel strong until the minute I saw the top of the mountain,” said Parisi, who has climbed 18 mountains of more than 14,000 feet in Colorado.

Several mountaineers have scaled the “Seven Summits,” as mountaineers call the list of the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents, but Parisi, 41, would be the first transgender athlete to do so.

Last year, she climbed the highest mountains in Australia, Africa and Europe.

Allison Smookler of TranSending7 said Parisi started up Aconcagua with her team Jan. 28, but she was among only five who made it to the summit 12 days later.

“The weather was not cooperative, but they had already used up their weather contingency days, so it became now or never,” Smookler said.

After completing her descent, Parisi faced an 18-mile hike to the nearest town Monday. After some rest and celebration with her family in Buenos Aires, she is scheduled to return to Denver Friday.

Smookler said Parisi’s next target is Mount Denali in Alaska, the tallest peak in North America, in June.

An expedition to Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in Asia and the world, now is tentatively scheduled for May 2020, to be followed by Vinson Massif in Antarctica at some subsequent date. Parisi’s original plan was to save Everest for last, but Smookler said that has changed.

She would be the first transgender person to climb Mount Everest.

She was born Aron Parisi in Clarence and played football at Clarence High School, graduating from there in 1995 and the University at Buffalo in 1999.

Parisi moved to Denver in 2001 and began taking female hormones in August 2016, after years of hesitation, she revealed in a Buffalo News interview published in September. Parisi has undergone several surgeries.

by Owen Myers  /  Read the Original Article Here

For me, as a trans person, the narrative my whole life has been negative.

You hear about drug abuse, you hear about suicide, you hear about violence against the trans community. There’s not a lot of positive narratives. I think when somebody’s coming out, they’re looking at a lot of shadows.

The Seven Summits is the highest peak in every continent. It’s been done 400 times now. But for me, [my mission to become the first trans person to climb the Seven Summits] is not about prestige at all. It allows me the opportunity to rise up as high as I can, to a place there really isn’t any shadows any more.

My whole life, I always embraced sports. Early on I think I embraced it as a way to deny that I was anything but “one of the guys.” And as time went on, I used it as therapy and a kind of getaway. I made a lot of friends doing it.

I did Kilimanjaro twice. Once before and once after I came out. To do it under the Olympic guidelines for a trans athlete to compete in that field…it’s definitely important for me to do it as my full, true self. I am doing all seven summits under the Olympics guidelines for testosterone suppression. There are no qualifications for mountaineering, but I thought it was important to show people that sports are a positive avenue of growth.

I grew up in a very suburban family, kind of an upscale suburb outside of Buffalo, NY, with four brothers, and we filled our time with sports. I had lots of friends, a great school system, and I played on the high school American football team. I tried pretty hard to fit in. But it was very clear to me that I was [a girl]. When I was young, I always had the sense that nature was going to somehow fix it. When I got to be 8 or 9, I didn’t have the same naivety. Then by the time I was 12 or 13, I very much realised that I didn’t understand it. I spent most of the next 10 years just trying to understand.

I tried to transition when I was 22. I went to my university’s health office and asked them to provide the healthcare, and they said, “no, we don’t provide that coverage.” I got laughed out of there. The medical community just wasn’t ready for me twenty years ago. Now, healthcare access is a little bit better in the United States.

In my 20s and early 30s, I tried a lot of therapy. I moved to Denver from Buffalo in order to isolate myself from my family. I picked up mountain biking – actually in the mountains – skiing, and mountaineering. I did get married briefly, at 36, and it was done by the time I was 38. That’s when I started to transition. I came out to my wife, and she didn’t approve.

When I came out as a woman, I very much considered just giving up sports. I [wondered], “Would I be able to travel into rural places? Would I be able to retain my climbing friends?” Luckily, I didn’t lose very many friends when I came out. I did lose a few. It was easy to be angry and blame those people.

But ultimately, I don’t think we’re going to understand this unless you can see it from other people’s angles. Even the people that failed to even respect me, I can’t be angry at them for doing that. I have to move on and live my life.

In 2004, the Olympics lifted the trans [athlete] ban. In 2015, they lifted the surgery requirement. But the problem is, no trans athletes are really coming forward and filling these gaps. I agree very much with the Olympic Committee that sports is a universal right. And I like the fact that they’ve moved away from the surgical guidelines. I don’t think that you have to have surgery in order to prove that you’re a woman.

I started a non-profit, TranSending7, last year. My mission at this point is about trans visibility, trans awareness, and getting out to the allies as well. It’s about allowing the stakeholders in sports to see positive examples of inclusion in sports, and giving them the ability to embrace a trans athlete. It’s not just about sports: it’s about my growth as a human, it’s about sharing my story, and it’s about the fact that I’m not just a trans person. I have hopes and dreams. It’s not a mental illness.

Sports can be very macho. But I constantly saw women that were amazing at sports, like outdoor athletes that were phenomenal. Females are great athletes. Some of the best rock climbers in the world are women. I see women doing amazing things. Part of my mission is to validate women in sports as much as trying to gain access for trans people.

When people ask me what my hardest mountain was, I say: “My hardest mountain was coming out.”

The hardest step was the first – letting people know who I was. Once I did that, and found the love of my family and my friends, saying I was going to take on the highest mountain in each continent seemed so possible.

We’re looking to climb North America’s highest peak on the 50th anniversary of Pride, this coming June. It’s going to be a big climb, and another trans athlete is very interested in doing that with me. Fifty years ago, you couldn’t hang out in a bar without getting harassed by the police. We’re intending to go to the top of the highest point in the land, fifty years later, and say: “It’s been a hard struggle, but we are here.”

Erin Parisi is climbing Aconcagua, South America’s highest peak, this February. For updates on her journey, check out transending7.org and follow them on Facebook here.

Photo credit, Charissa Pilster, Pilster Photography

Written by Owen Myers

by Miriam Latto  /  Read the Original Article Here

Featured in our 5th Annual Faces of Sports Issue!

The Seven Summits Challenge, climbing and summiting the seven highest peaks on each continent is a bucket list must for many avid mountaineers. And that’s true for trans woman Erin Parisi; In 2018 she’s already summited three of the seven in her quest to become the first openly transgender individual to complete this arduous challenge – somehow not surprising coming from a woman whose favorite athlete is Amelia Earhart, the pioneer for women in adventure sports.

On March 8, 2018, International Women’s Day, Parisi summited Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak at 19,341 feet. This was particularly satisfying since Parisi summited it before in 2015 as Aron (now her dead name) and this year it was Erin who made it to the top.

Parisi also founded a nonprofit, TranSending 7 in March 2018 to advance transgender rights and encourage transgender people to get involved in sports. “It’s important for us to show that we have the same goals and aspirations that we had before,” said attorney Emma Shinn, board chair of TranSending. Also a trans woman, Shinn is a former infantry leader and judge advocate in the Marine Corps. “We may look different, we may sound different, but we’re still the same people underneath,” she said.

Parisi has always been an athlete and enjoys mountain biking, backcountry skiing, international travel geography and yoga as well as mountaineering. But going for the Seven Summits Challenge is intensely personal for her. Her goal is to provide visibility for the marginalized transgender community. Stating that “discrimination, under-employment, violence, addiction, suicide and poverty are all endemic in many trans lives,” Parisi wants “to overcome the logistic, economic and social barriers” that trans persons must face.

In her work to change the narrative for the trans community she’s using the International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines for trans athletes competing in the female category. “This means I’ve suppressed testosterone and documented those levels for a year,” Parisi says. “At these levels, the IOC has determined I have no athletic advantage for being pronounced male at birth.

Completing the Seven Summits isn’t cheap and it also requires a lot of time away from your day job. Up to now Parisi has self-funded her trips but TranSending will help fund her future climbs. And she’s been with CenturyLink for 16 years, currently as a real estate manager and the company is very supportive about giving her time off and now providing funding to reach her goal.

Her coming out journey as transgender has been a long and painful one. She came out in 2017 at age 40 but Parisi says she knew from the age of six or seven that she wasn’t like other boys and spent most of her life denying her birth gender. She called getting married “a final effort to be ‘conventional’ but it ended in divorce. Coming out as trans was the most difficult part of my life and I lost friends and my wife because of that. Despite what I lost, I gained so much more.”

“In most ways I’d prefer a life without the rigors of being a trans athlete,” said Parisi. “I’m willing to put myself out in front of the world and attempt this goal because I see this moment as a watershed when we can choose a better and healthier life for generations of trans kids or continue down a path of stigma and detrimental outcomes.”

By Miriam Latto

by Climbing Trail News  /  Read the Original Article Here

2018 is over, folks! Before we gear up for the climbing season in brand new 2019, we’d like to round up some of the most important events that occurred in 2018. The initial list compiled by our team turned out to be too long, so we decided to break it up into a few parts to give our readers a break!

Without further ado, here’s part one:

1. Let’s promote adventure sports in North East India
Anshu Jamsenpa, India’s first female mountaineer to scale Mount Everest twice in the span of 5 days, is looking to promote adventure sports in India’s northeastern states.
Jamsenpa, who has achieved this impressive feat once before in 2011(it took her 9 days then), is also the first Indian woman to have scaled Mount Everest five times. 

2. Four new peaks named after former Indian PM
Four Himalayan peaks situated in the Raktvan Valley, Uttarakhand, have been named after the former Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The peaks are located at an altitude of 6,557, 6,566, 6,160 and 6,100 metres respectively, and are named Atal-1, 2, 3 & 4.  

3. Nine members of South Korean expedition perish in Nepal
Five South Korean climbers, and four sherpas were confirmed as dead on 13th October, 2018. The climbers had been caught amidst a strong storm at the Mount Gurja base camp.
Rescue officials noted that there was total destruction at the base camp, with many bodies scattered around in the debris. 

4. Ben Dare traverses a new route on Mount Percy Smith, New Zealand
Ben Dare has made a first solo ascent on a new route on the Southwestern face of Mount Percy Smith in New Zealand.
The new climb, “The Promise”, goes up the mountain from the right side of the original route, “On the Dark Shore” to reach the summit.

5. Nearly 8.5 tonnes of garbage collected from Mount Everest
Around 2.3 tonnes of human faeces, 5.2 tonnes of household waste, and one tonne of mountain trash has been removed from Mount Everest in the past year.
Chinese officials have started a policy of giving every climber garbage bags to return with at least 8 kg of rubbish, along with fines for anyone who fails to collect the set amount. Nepal has also started similar policies regarding the removal of garbage from Mount Everest since 2014. 

6. Reaching the highest points in 50 US States…in 21 days?!
There are only 273 people have touched the highest point in every US state. Colin O’Brady is not only one of them, but he’s also the fastest.
An athlete from Portland, Oregon, he has completed this impressive feat in just a little over 21 days! 

7. Greek Mountaineers rejoice
56-year-old Antonis Sykaris has become the first Greek to climb three out of the fourteen highest peaks in the world! He has climbed Mount Everest, Mount Kansenuga, and most recently, Mount Manaslu. Sykaris climbed Mount Manaslu with fellow Greek climber Giorgos Marinos. 

8. France imposes a limit of 214 climbers per day on Mont Blanc
France has set a limit of 214 climbers per day on Mont Blanc, starting 2019. This has been put in place to avoid overcrowding routes on one of Europe’s highest peaks. Officials say that many climbers turn up unprepared, and often pose a hazard to themselves. These new rules should provide some relief to both climbers and authorities. 

9. K2 conquered twice in 24 hours by Irishmen
Two Irishmen climbed K2 within a span of 24 hours in two different expeditions.
Noel Hanna, from Northern Ireland, and Jason Black, from County Donegal have become the second, and third climbers of Irish nationality to conquer the second highest mountain in the world. 

10. French Alps being hit with climate change
Rising temperatures have melted many a glacier in our world.
The French Alps, long a symbol of beauty in continental Europe, is no stranger to climate change. The Mer de Glace, the biggest glacier in France, has suffered the most, with almost 40 metres melting off each year. 

11. Jim Bridwell dead at 73
Jim Bridwell, a celebrated mountaineer, has died of kidney failure, and Hepatitis C at 73. He traversed through very daring routes in various peaks around the continents. 

12. Spaniards traverse new route on Mount Langdung
Spanish mountaineers Pablo Ruix, Jesús Ibarz, and Edu Recio have traversed a new route on Mount Langdung in Nepal, that took six days in October 2018.
Mount Langdung is situated in the Rolwaling valley, and was a virgin peak until the winter of 2017. A team of guides from Nepal made the first expedition to Mount Langdung in the winter of 2017.

13. New Mountaineering Institute founded in China
A new mountaineering institute was founded in Wuhan, China in 2018. The institute is a collaboration between China University of Geosciences at Wuhan and the Chinese Mountaineering Association. 

14. Liv Sansoz conquers 82 Alpine peaks
French climber Liv Sansoz completed the expeditions to Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey, and Grand Pilier d’Angle with Roger Schaeli on 11 September 2018.
With these two summits under her belt, she has not only joined an elite club of women who have conquered the highest peaks in the Alps. She is also the first French woman to have completed all 82 alpine four-thousander peaks. 

15. The first transgender woman on all seven summits!
Erin Parisi came out as a woman in 2016 after living as a man for nearly 39 years. While recovering from surgery, she set herself a new goal: to climb the Seven Summits as a transgender woman. In 2018, she has conquered Mount Kosciuszko , Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Elbrus. Who knows, someday she might be the first transgender woman to complete all seven of them!

Reprinted in The Guardian from Outside Magazine  /  Read the Original Article Here

Erin Parisi’s trek up Mount Kilimanjaro last March wasn’t easy. Recovering from food poisoning and contending with almost continuous rainfall and the aches and fatigue that accompany six days of climbing, she tried to maintain a positive attitude as she sat in her tent at Barafu camp, approximately 15,358ft above sea level and 36 hours from the summit.

After all, she had done it before. But the first time Parisi ascended the 19,340-foot peak, in 2011, her name was Aron.

In 2017, at age 40, after living as a man her whole life, Parisi came out to the world as a woman, went through a complicated divorce, and underwent facial feminization surgery and larynx reconstruction, the latter of which left her mute for a month. It was during her month of silence, buoyed by the support she received from her family and community, that the Denver resident set herself a new goal. Parisi wanted to complete the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on every continent.

Parisi had done her fair share of mountaineering before her transition, summiting fourteeners in Colorado and making winter ascents in Canada. “I don’t consider myself a technical route bagger,” she says. “Being in the mountains is more important to me than keeping a list.”

You can’t accuse me of hiding if I’m standing on the top mountain of every continent saying, ‘Here I am’
In March 2018, Parisi also started a nonprofit, TranSending 7, to advance transgender rights and encourage other transgender people in sports. “It’s important for us to show that we have the same goals and aspirations that we had before,” says Emma Shinn, the board chair of TranSending, who is also a lawyer, a former infantry leader and judge advocate in the US Marine Corps, and a transgender woman. “We may look different, we may sound different, but we’re still the same people underneath.”

The organization will also help fund future summit attempts for Parisi, who works at CenturyLink and has so far self-funded her trips. She summited her first peak in February 2018: the 7,319ft Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest point. She topped out on Kilimanjaro on 8 March, International Women’s Day. In June, Parisi stood atop Europe’s highest peak, the 18,510ft Mount Elbrus.

Parisi plans to take on Mount Everest in 2020. Photograph: Erin Parisi, transgender mountaineer, from Outside Mag/Charissa Pilster
Since 1983, when the American Dick Bass conceived of the idea, hundreds of people have undertaken the quest for the Seven Summits. According to the most recent list, published in 2016, 416 people have succeeded; of those, 71 have been women. It’s hard to say with 100% certainty that Parisi will be the first transgender person to complete the Seven Summits, but it is likely. “One factor that makes my push unique is I am pursuing the Seven Summits under the IOC guidelines for a trans athlete to compete in the female category,” Parisi says. “This means I’ve suppressed testosterone and documented those levels for a year. At these levels, the IOC has determined I have no athletic advantage for being pronounced male at birth.”

When Parisi underwent her transition, some people asked if she would still be able to do what she loved – traveling and climbing – now that she was out as a woman. “Oftentimes, cisgender friends feel like they didn’t really know you, because you had this identity that wasn’t really public,” Shinn says. “People ascribe all of these gender norms immediately to you and say, ‘Well, girls don’t like hiking or backpacking.’ Those gender norms are part of what we’re fighting against. Not just ‘women can be climbers’, but ‘trans women can be climbers’.”

Parisi had apprehensions when she returned to Kilimanjaro in March. Tanzania is not friendly to the LGBTQ community, and she was worried about being discovered. In a twist of fate, she ended up trekking with the same tour leader and cook who had accompanied her up Kilimanjaro seven years earlier – but they didn’t recognize her. Parisi’s summit attempt was an even more emotional journey than anticipated, but at the top, she gleefully unrolled her TranSending7 banner and took photos.

Parisi’s nonprofit, TranSending 7, aims to advance transgender rights and encourage other transgender people in sports.

“It takes a special person to bite off a task like this,” says Kim Hess, an American who completed the Seven Summits in February 2018. “[Parisi is] taking on physical, mental, and financial challenges, but she’s also walking a life that not everyone accepts or understands, and that’s unnerving.”

Parisi underwent surgery again on her larynx in September; the first procedure didn’t work due to complications during recovery. After another month of silence, she’ll spend the next 100 days training and preparing for her next peak, Argentina’s 22,837ft Aconcagua, in February 2019. From there, she’s shooting for Denali in May or June 2019, Mount Vinson during the Antarctic summer (November through February), and Mount Everest in 2020.

Parisi believes that mountaineering – the quest to summit the highest peaks – allows society to, quite literally, lift itself up. She hopes that her Seven Summits bid will do the same for the transgender population.

“You can’t accuse me of hiding if I’m standing on the top mountain of every continent saying, ‘Here I am,’” she says. “For a population that has, to some extent, been pushed into the shadows, going to the place where there is nothing to cast a shadow on you and saying: ‘I’m here, and I’m proud to be here.’ That’s the message I want to send out.”

This story was originally published by Outside, the leading publication for those who love the outdoors.