Cedar Wright

Cedar Wright Instagram – One of the beauties of the @thenorthface athlete summits is that they bring together passionate athletes from disparate sports. Climbers, Skiers and Ultra-Runners! Years ago at a TNF event in Yosemite I found myself at the base of manure pile buttress w a bunch of runners and skiers. I asked “who wants to climb to the top of this thing?” At first it was silent and then a long haired hippy looking kid named @nickmcnutt raised his hand. “I’ll go I guess,” he said. I sized him up… he looked capable enough. I would later find out that he was one of the best free skiers in North America… something of a phenom! “Have you ever climbed before?” I asked him. “Once in a climbing gym for a birthday party,” he replied. I was in a particularly cavalier stage in my life and so I figured what could go wrong? I quickly taught him a figure 8, and how to belay and then we launched up The Nutcracker… stout 5.8… a formidable first outdoor rock climb. I told him that eventually the rope would go tight and then he could start climbing. Nick’s first rock climb was a simul-climb of nutcracker! Nick miraculously sent and survived… and was STOKED!!! He asked me all kinds of questions on the descent and a couple weeks later he had his own chalk-bag, harness, and shoes. The rest is history. He began what will surely be a life-long obsession with climbing and most impressively became a prolific first ascentionist in squamish where he moved to be closer to climbing. Now when he isn’t busting ski acrobatics off of gnarly mountain spines in Alaska he is obsessively crushing granite FAs! Nick developed an entire new crag for which he won a trophy! I’m so Proud! It was awesome to reconnect and climb with Nick at the Athlete summit in Sardinia this year and I can report that he is a full on legit real rock climber now! Nick continues to excel at skiing and has credited climbing with making him more resilient and athletic on the slopes! Nick snapped this photo of me… proving I too still climb😜. After hanging tough I realised Nick is an excellent partner. Now things are coming full circle. Nick and I are planning a big remote first ascent expedition for this summer! | Posted on 31/Oct/2023 01:46:42