About Us
Welcome to Chasing Glaciers, an interactive internet adventure that we hope will help bring greater understanding and awareness to the issue of climate change and its effect on the great glaciers of the Karakoram Mountain region of Pakistan. Join Alison Gannett and Zoe Hart as they explore the Biafo and Hispar Glaciers, as they attempt a first ski descent of Mount Workman, and as they interact with the Balti people of the region, a people dependent on glacial waters for their very survival.
In our video player window on our home page, you will find a number of different "content tabs." If you click on the tab titled EXPEDITION, a listing of all the Daily Vlogs will be presented for your choosing. These Daily Vlogs are daily updates of Alison and Zoe’s adventure in Pakistan, and we encourage you to come back everyday and join us as we virtually trek along with our team in the field!
In addition, there are many other options of both video and written word materials for you, the viewer, to choose from. Videos about the region, about Zoe and Alison, about other initiatives surrounding climate change and saving our snow and water resources.
There are also text articles about these issues, written by both our outstanding editorial staff as well as by outside contributors. And of course there are blogs, both posted by our team back here in the States, and by Alison and Zoe from Pakistan. Please give us your thoughts and ideas in the comment section of the blogs about these urgent and exciting issues.
Thanks for joining us for the Chasing Glaciers experience. We look forward to seeing you here over the next four weeks. And please also join us at Matter to catch up on the latest news about the technologies and strategies powering the shift to a sustainable economy.
Alison Gannett (Professional Skier, Environmental Advocate) is a world champion freeskier from Crested Butte, Colorado. She has earned many world titles including World Cup Freeskiing Champion, the South American, Japanese, and Triple Crown Championships, Gravity Games Medalist, Film Star of the Year, and Freeskier of the Year. She is featured in many ski films including titles produced by Warren Miller, Teton Gravity Research, and Matchstick Productions. A ski mountaineer at heart, she has organized, filmed, photographed, and authored several ski mountaineering expeditions, including the first descent of the northwest face of Hanuman Tibba in the Himalayas, the first ski expedition to Bhutan, and the first historic women's retrace of Mont Blanc. Her real passion is making a difference in this world. She is a career environmentalist, graduating Magna Cum Laude with Honors from University of Vermont. She is President of the Save Our Snow Foundation, has worked with the Office of Energy Conservation, studied and taught at Solar Energy International and has trained with Al Gore.
Zoe Hart (Professional Mountain Guide) finished a degree in English Literature from Boston College and moved west to pursue climbing and guiding. Zoe has come a long way from her childhood in suburban New Jersey. Zoe has climbed and guided full time around the world. From ski-mountaineering and climbing in Chamonix France, which has become her second home, to rock climbing in the UK, to Ice and Alpine adventures in the Canadian Rockies, spring seasons in Alaska, winters in South America, and much more, Zoe is reputed to be the perpetual transient. In the summer of 2005 Zoe passed her AMGA Alpine Guides exam becoming the second of only three women currently certified in the United States. In February of 2006 Zoe finished her final AMGA course becoming certified as an International Aspirant guide, allowing her to work throughout the world. She hopes to become one of the few women to be certified by one of the top international guiding associations UIAGM within the next year.
Curt Dowdy (Producer/Director/Cinematographer) has a passion for living and telling intimate, real-world stories of high adventure, environmental advocacy and world cultural linkages. Having been in a lead role as a producer on multiple feature motion pictures and documentary films, Curt debuted as a documentary director with the award-winning High Ambitions in the Himalaya. In the making of High Ambitions, Curt climbed to 8000 meters (26,000 feet) altitude to capture the story of 61-year old Australian climber John Taske. That event represented Taske’s first return to the world’s highest mountains after surviving the ill-fated Mt Everest expedition documented in Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book Into Thin Air. Having spent a previous career as a Silicon Valley technology company executive, Curt also enjoys exploring new methods behind the scenes to capture stories and reach audiences in exciting ways. Curt is based in Los Gatos, California.
Bill Stevenson (Outdoor and Sports Photographer) is a dedicated climber, skier, and all around outdoorsman and has traveled, camera in hand, to the mountains and landscapes of Nepal, Pakistan, Alaska, Canada, and the American west, including climbing trips to some of the world's highest mountains. His outdoor skills give him access to photographic locations accessible to few others. He relentlessly pursues the best locations, unusual and intriguing natural light situations, and some of the most interesting sports action by some of America's best athletes. Bill hails from Lake Tahoe, California.
GreenFit is a new media company bringing the best in entertaining, engaging, and informative green and sustainable-themed programming to a broadband and cable audience. We are developing original content as well as bringing together exceptional professional and user-generated video content.
GreenFit is a founding member of The Matter Network and proud partner with Rocky Mountain Institute, the leading entrepreneurial think tank in the Sustainable Business world.
We're launching our full broadband website -- with lots more great videos, stories, and community events -- in July, so check back soon!
To contact us with story ideas and for general information send email to jbeatay@greenfit.com
For Strategic Partnerships and Video Content Submissions email lwells@greenfit.com
The Matter Network examines the ideas, products and opportunities that power success in a sustainable world. The Matter Network aggregates the leading independent websites covering a wide range of topics, including green building; alternative energies such as solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuels; eco-travel, responsible investing and other consumer, business and investment trends resulting from the shift towards sustainable business practices and products.
To advertise with Matter Network, send email to michael@matter-mag.com. For publishers interested in joining the Matter Network, send email to john@matter-mag.com
Llewellyn Wells has spent twenty years in the entertainment industry and has been involved in the production of fourteen feature films and five television series. Some of the films that he has worked on include "Bagdad Cafe," "The Grifters," "Dogfight," and "Under Suspicion." The highlight of his television career was working on the acclaimed series "The West Wing."
As one of the original producers on the series, Llewellyn is honored to have won five Emmy Awards and two Producers Guild Awards. Leaving Los Angeles in 2006, Wells founded GreenFit with his longtime friend Bob Wilson.
Michael Penwarden, Producer, Web Director
Chasing Glaciers Producer and Matter Network Publisher Michael Penwarden was the award-winning Editor of Macworld Magazine and a founder and Executive Editor of Computer Life Magazine before moving to Truckee, California and starting his own publishing company. He is an avid outdoor adventurer and captained Team Earth Island in the Eco-Challenge adventure race in Borneo in 2000.
John Gartner, Editor
John Gartner is the Editor of the Matter Network, and previously has been an editor at Wired News, TechTV and Windows Magazine. He has written about the social, political and economic impact of environmental technologies for publications including Wired News, MIT's Technology Review, and Alternet. He lives near Portland, Oregon with his wife Guacira and son Dylan.
Bob Wilson, GreenFit Executive
Bob Wilson has over thirty years of experience in a variety of fast growing organizations and start up environments. He brings a mastery of operational, marketing and financial skills to GreenFit.
Prior to GreenFit, Bob was co-founder of two international marketing consulting firms competing in the worldwide music, sports and cable television industries. He previously was General Manager with Gaylord Digital, a division of Gaylord Entertainment, managing the creation of four web site operations. Bob is a veteran of advertising media, as he spent nine years managing the Southern California marketing activities for the nation’s largest outdoor advertising company, currently Clear Channel Outdoor, a division of Clear Channel Communications. He was responsible for providing marketing and sales direction through strategic planning and market analysis, promotions, product development, research, presentations and creative services.
Bob received his B.S. in marketing and finance from the University of Colorado and his MBA from the University of Southern California.
David Fribush
David is a Fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute, and is also the Director of Development for GreenFit. He is an award-winning filmmaker with over 10 years experience as a writer, director, producer, and editor of commercials, films and documentaries. David has won awards across the genre spectrum from educational content to narrative comedy. Prior to working with GreenFit and RMI, David spent a year traveling and volunteering in Central and South America. Prior to that, he lived and worked in Los Angeles, and is now very happy to find himself living and working in Snowmass, Colorado.
Jonah Bea-Taylor
Jonah is the chief editor on most of the GreenFit produced video seen on Chasing Glaciers, has worked closely with Llewellyn Wells at GreenFit in developing all of the material that you see on Chasing Glaciers, and generally is the glue that holds the entire operation together. Prior to joining GreenFit in April of 2007, Jonah received his Masters Degree in Organizational Psychology from the London School of Economics and his BA degree in Anthropology form Emory University. Jonah lived and worked in Thailand teaching Environmental Education in 2003, and has also taught pre-school in Boulder, Colorado.
