Updated May 28, 11:12 a.m. According to posts on McGhee’s Facebook page, “Given the conditions, the team has decided to push the ascent of Bloody Couloir back a few days.
“Thanks for being patient everyone. It has been an emotional few days while we regroup.
“Yesterday [May 27], a small sluff slide let loose in the couloir and slid right through where Jeremy would have been climbing. Could have been nothing, but also could have been very bad. Good we weren’t there. The right call was made and we are thankful.
“Moving forward, Jeremy is determined and the team believes in him. We are green lit for getting to high camp this Friday and making an assessment from there. If expedition leader, Colin Farrell, says go then we go for it with proper contingency plans in place if another slide lets loose. If he gives the thumbs down, then we regroup next season. Either way, Jeremy will climb and ski this thing. Stay tuned…”
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Jeremy McGhee (Photo by Colin Farrell, featured in Outside Magazine’s interview with McGhee)
Producer Alan Jacoby told The Sheet this week that Jeremy McGhee, a Mammoth local, is ready to tackle “Bloody Couloir,” recently named one of North America’s top 50 classic ski descents.
The catch is that McGhee is a paraplegic who lost the use of his legs about ten years ago following a motorcycle accident.
Jacoby said he’s filming the event as a pilot for a television series called “Drop In.” The concept? Follow McGhee around the world as he crosses items off his bucket list (items include riding a stage of the Tour De France, mountain biking treacherous roads in Bolivia, swimming with sharks in Alaska, etc).
The concept is a spin-off on an MTV show called “The Buried Life” which Jacoby worked on as a cinematographer.
The Bloody Couloir descent is planned for Sunday, and will require 2,000’ of climbing for McGhee. Translation: 2,000 pullups. Then, after having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the top with a couple of friends (his main goal of the adventure), McGhee will point his mono-ski down and “DROP IN.”
The project is sponsored by GoPro, Smith Optics, and 2XU Compression.
Mammoth Mountain has generously donated housing and an MVP pass for Jeremy while he’s been training at the resort.
Mammoth Ski Patrol has donated support crew and helped with the climbing training. Mammoth Mountaineering has donated the ropes for the expedition.
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, through which Jacoby and McGhee met, has also chipped in with support wherever possible.
Footloose Sports is supporting with ski tuning and mounting bindings (no small thing, given how many skis Jeremy breaks on his 30 din bindings).
A portion of any DVD and ticket sales generated from the project will go to charities such as Disabled Sports and Challenged Athletes Foundation. Jacoby says look for the premiere screening of “Bloody Couloir” next winter in Mammoth.
Learn more about McGhee and the Drop-In project at his blog: jeremymcghee.com
