This week we found out that La Sportivia athlete Will Mayo will not be able to attend the fest due to unforeseen circumstances. To their credit, Sportivia scrambled and thankfully at the last minute they were able to save the day by securing Kartsen Delap to instruct during the fest!  A huge thank you goes out to Everett at La Sportiva and to Karsten for making this happen!

Originally from the flat lands of Indiana, Karsten has found his obsession in the mountains. He has climbed extensively throughout the United States and his experience outside of the U.S. includes many peaks over 17,000ft in Boliva and Equador, as well as major alpine objectives in Africa and Argentina. Lately Karsten has been traveling to more exotic climbing locals such as Armenia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand for work and play. Karsten spends his winters chasing ice and powder and the rest of the year traveling the world working for Fox Mountain Guides heading up their alpine programs. Karsten is an AMGA certified Rock and Alpine guide and volunteers on many rescue teams throughout the Southeast. Karsten is an athlete with La Sportiva, Deuter, Bluewater Ropes, Julbo USA and Ibex Outdoor Clothing. More info at www.karstendelap.com