LÉ BENT is proud to be an official sponsor of Cody Townsend's FIFTY Project — a herculean quest to ski ‘The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.’
Watch the latest episode below:
We asked Cody what drove him to pursue the Fifty...
“The FIFTY was started because I was searching for something new in skiing.”
“I’d spent the prior decade chasing the highest performance downhill, big mountain focused skiing I could. Eventually I felt like I’d tapped out all my dreams, goals and challenges within that realm,” said Cody.
“As skiing is a sport with an unlimited amount of ways you can do it, I started being drawn into the human-powered approach to skiing big lines, to expeditions to far flung corners of the world and to skiing iconic peaks that had no mechanized access.”
To date, Cody’s been joined by a number of big-name, big mountain riders as well as lesser known but equally respected locals. From the likes of snowboarder and activist Jeremy Jones, to photographer Jimmy Chin , climber Alex Honnold and fellow Le Bent team rider Elyse Saugstad (who also happens to be Cody’s better half).
“There is no getting around the complete punishment your feet go through on tours for the Fifty," said Cody.
"You’re gonna get them wet, sweaty and cold at times. But minimizing those impacts with better materials and innovations like the heel grip strips on the Pro Series Sock helps you get through the day.”
“I know with those socks I’m gonna have less chance of blisters, which could be trip enders, and more chance for warm feet which makes the challenges that you’re gonna face just a little bit easier.”
“My gear decisions are always changing, always nuanced and always adapted to bring the highest level of comfort, safety and chances for success. I’m super calculated with every piece of gear I bring out there because without good gear, this project wouldn’t be possible.”
One unsung item that Cody has worn up and down all of his Fifty lines, is a Lightweight Le Bent Baselayer.
"Layering is everything because one of the most important aspects of big backcountry missions is temperature management," said Cody.
“I’ve found with base layers, the combo of wool and synthetic, like the Le Bent Merino & Bamboo Rayon blend provides a perfect blend of maintaining warmth and being dry”
Check out Cody's bonus guide to layering from Season 3 of The FIFTY below.
