Canadian Alpinist, K2 Summiteer Don Bowie to Present Slideshow at REI in Seattle

Sept. 15, 2010 - PRLog -- VANCOUVER, B.C. – High altitude alpinist and Westcomb athlete Don Bowie will present a multimedia show on his expeditions to Northern Pakistan's Karakoram Range at the REI flagship store in Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. The free event is open to the public; however, pre-registration  through REI is highly encouraged to reserve a spot.

During the presentation at REI, Bowie will talk about climbing the 8,000-meter peaks in the Karakoram without using oxygen, including his most recent trip to Gasherbrum I, and recent expeditions to Broad Peak, Gasherbrum III, Distaghil Sar and K2. Bowie will also discuss unclimbed peaks and routes in the region, and the strategy of alpine climbing at high altitude.

Bowie has used Canada-built Westcomb outdoor apparel on his expeditions to the Himalaya and elsewhere for a number of years.

“I’ve put Westcomb gear to the test in the most extreme environments in the world, and it’s refreshing to be sponsored by a brand that not only makes apparel for those kinds of wild places, but a company that’s so focused on quality that they’re committed to building everything in a factory steps away from their offices in Vancouver,” Bowie said.

Event Details: Don Bowie multimedia presentation
Location: REI Seattle, 222 Yale Ave N, Seattle, Wash. 98109
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Cost: Free

About Don Bowie
Bowie, who is now based in Bishop, Calif., this past summer embarked on yet another Himalayan/Karakoram expedition, and summited Gasherbrum I (the 11th highest peak on Earth) in late July. In 2007, he, Bruce Normand, and Chris Warner summited K2 without supplementary oxygen, making Bowie the fourth Canadian to ascend the notorious peak.

In 2009, Bowie endured 75 grueling days on a Broad Peak winter expedition before resigning to high winds and extreme cold. For his part in the rescue attempt of Inaki Ochoa on Annapurna, Bowie received the Spirit of Mountaineering Commendation at the 2009 Piolets d’Or Awards, and the Gold Medal of Merit in Sport from the Government of Navarre, Spain. For more on Bowie, visit www.donbowie.com .

About Westcomb
With 100-percent of its design and manufacturing based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Westcomb uses its ‘True Form’ design philosophy to create functional, uncomplicated gear of the highest quality workmanship. Each and every Westcomb piece is a product of precision thinking, thoughtful design, extensive development and constant refinement. The company, founded in 2004, partners with the world’s leading material innovators – names like Schoeller, eVent fabrics, Polartec and Pertex – to engineer technically advanced gear constructed with the most cutting-edge materials available, often creating industry ‘firsts’ in the process.

Westcomb’s offices are located steps from its manufacturing facility, which has decades of experience building outdoor clothing of the very highest quality. The company’s design philosophy and unique manufacturing arrangement has led it to international accolades, including a Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award, a Skiing Magazine Best in Test Award, four APEX Design Awards from Polartec as well as an ISPO ‘Brand New’ award. For more information about Westcomb, visit http://www.westcomb.com  or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/westcomb.