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Mountain Hardwear Athlete Freddie Wilkinson Featured as Guest Speaker at American Alpine Club Benefit Dinner

Richmond, CA (February 28, 2012) – Mountain Hardwear athlete Freddie Wilkinson has been selected to be a guest speaker at the American Alpine Club Benefit Dinner in Boston on Saturday, March 3, 2012. In a presentation called "Partnership: Climbing through the Generations," Wilkinson, Mark Richey and Steve Swenson will share their story of the first ascent of Saser Kangri II. Last summer, Richey and Swenson recruited Wilkinson and three other younger climbers for an expedition to Eastern Karakoram and the team’s efforts resulted in a first ascent of Saser Kangri II. At 7,518 meters high, this was the second-highest unclimbed mountain in the world.

The Saser Kangri II ascent received a nomination for the prestigious Piolet d'Or (French for The Golden Ice Axe), an international award honoring the year’s most notable alpine style ascents. Wilkinson’s team’s first ascent of Saser Kangri II via the steep 1,700-meter southwest face in August of 2011 is one of six ascents nominated for the award and one of only two nominations for American climbers this year. The award ceremony will be held March 21-24 in Chamonix, France.

During their expedition to the Eastern Karakoram, the team created a short documentary film, The Old Breed, that combines action footage at home and on the climb with revealing interviews, compelling imagery, and an original score to tell the story of the team’s success and subsequent fight for survival.

"The Old Breed is really about partnership and the ‘explorer gene, that human trait that makes us all want to go out into the wilderness and test our limits," said Wilkinson.

The Old Breed will premiere at the American Alpine Club Benefit Dinner later this week. View the trailer at http://www.theoldbreedmovie.com