Alpenglow Sports presents The North Face athlete Hilaree O’Neill in the fourth installment of the 12th annual Winter Film Series on Feb. 8.
O’Neill’s two-part presentation, “The Wildest Winter” and “The Road Less Travelled,” will feature two ski mountaineering adventures to remote, difficult and highly coveted high alpine peaks in the Sierra, Alaska and the Himalaya. The show is at 7 p.m. at Olympic Village Lodge and is sure to be an inspiring night with one of the world’s most elite ski mountaineers. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. A raffle with donations from Hilaree’s sponsors will benefit the Tahoe Food Hub.
In the first part of her show, “The Wildest Winter,” O’Neill travels between the San Juan Mountains in Colorado and the Sierra Nevada. Taking full advantage of the record-breaking snow year during the winter of 2016- 17, O’Neill spent the winter skiing some of the most legendary lines in the western United States. However, these hard-earned lines were just training for the main events.
In May 2017 she made the first descent of the 21,125-foot Peak of Evil in the Punjab Himalaya, and in June skied the Messner Couloir of Denali. Not quite content, O’Neill followed this with a five-day climb of the 8,000-foot Cassin Ridge on Denali’s south buttress.
In the second part of her show, “The Road Less Travelled” follows her successful first descent of the Peak of Evil in the Himalaya. On her first expedition as a young, emerging professional skier, this peak, seen from afar, captivated O’Neill. In four expeditions over 14 years she was only met with failure. Unable to let go of her obsession, Hilaree, along with climbing partner Jim Morrison and photographer Chris Figenshau, set out in May 2017 to change her luck.
Fireside Pizza Co. will be on-hand with dinner offerings to enjoy before and during the show. As well, Tahoe Food Hub will host its Community Soup Night at Olympic Village Lodge from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Soup & bread is $5 and attendees can add a salad for $2. Other food and drinks are available for purchase from the Olympic Village Lodge bar. All are welcome to attend, and no reservations are required.
The Alpenglow Winter Film Series is designed to inspire, motivate and educate the Lake Tahoe community. The series runs from November through February and is free to attend. Prizes from sponsors are raffled off at each show to raise money for local nonprofits including: the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, Sierra Avalanche Center, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, the Tahoe Food Hub, the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe and Squaw Dogs. Each show regularly raises $8 to $10,000 for local nonprofits, and to date the series has raised more than $150,000. | alpenglowsports.com
