The FIFTY - 1/50 - Skiing the Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America

Introducing The Fifty. A project to climb and ski all 50 lines chronicled in the book, "The Fifty Classic Descents of North America" by Chris Davenport, Penn Newhard and Art Burrows. Over the next three years I, Cody Townsend, will be chronicling the adventures, challenges and travels around North America skiing a collection of the most aesthetic, spectacular and hardest lines in North America. Episode 1 details out the plans and the first line ticked off on the adventure, the Messner Couloir on Denali, the highest mountain in North America.
This is line 1 completed of The FIFTY, a project following Cody Townsend as he attempts to climb and ski all fifty of the lines and mountains chronicled in the book, "The 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America." The series documents Townsend's journey's, travels, challenges and each line and mountain listed in the book. It's a journey through the most majestic mountains and ski lines in North America along with a unique insight into how skiers make decisions in the backcountry, how they plan, navigate and safely move through the mountains and the people that dedicate their lives to the mountains.
ROUTE Info:
Want to use the maps used to guide The FIFTY, here is 14 day Free Trial and 20% discount to OnX Backcountry App: www.onxmaps.co....
WEATHER:
For a 60 day trial to an All-Access subscription to OpenSnow click here: bit.ly/3TTZhA5
GEAR Used Throughout The FIFTY:
Salomon QST 106: alnk.to/6bRkaUX
Salomon MTN Binding: alnk.to/dLdUm1C
Salomon Carbon S3 Poles: alnk.to/87VEXX0
Yeti Rambler 20oz: alnk.to/gzS237q
Swatch BioCeramic: bit.ly/3gQhCzo
Hyperlite Porter 5400: bit.ly/3XJVCHC
Smith Summit Helmet: alnk.to/ehYjxBD
Smith Wildcat: alnk.to/d3ySqO7
Smith Pursuit Glacier Glasses: alnk.to/7M6hfmL
Smith Squad Mag: alnk.to/hDmzW2F
LeBent Cody Pro Sock: alnk.to/cHJmtdU
LeBent Base Layer: alnk.to/58mMi9D
Arcade Capture Belt: alnk.to/4MxozAr
Mammut Carbon Probe 280: alnk.to/cHJmtfT
Mammut Alugator Pro Light: alnk.to/8iQpWSn
Mammut Barryvox S: alnk.to/2uDpzVA
Pomoca Free Pro 2.0: alnk.to/aeUKJS9
Thule Duffle: alnk.to/9IatNqU
Thule Ski Bag: alnk.to/gKMN24C
Hestra Falt Guide Glove:
Hestra Overmitt:
Hestra Merino Touchpoint Liners:
Honey Stinger Energy: bit.ly/3sPpX9g
Strainge Beast Kombucha: bit.ly/3sK6vLj
TinCup Whiskey: bit.ly/3FvbSpb

[@Rob-ts3cx]

Don't mind me just watching the best ski series on the internet for the fourth time. Yew!

[@supertrampian]

look back to the first episode of fifty, still love the "low quality-homemade-cringe style jokes-less work" vibes, can totally feeling that you loved what're you doing. thanks for bring us such great ski videos!

[@woodymike5]

Really enjoying your quest! I specifically love the realism of your mountain exploration skills. I also like learning about avi danger/preparedness and how you are safe doing unsafe decents. Keep going and I hope you complete your project!

[@Alankoulkoilee]

This sounds nice! Looking forward to the coming episodes. Have fun!

[@2planksand2wheels92]

You are my absolute favorite skier so stoked you made a channel !!!

[@ETZepplin]

Definetly thought the foreshadowing was leading towards some epic fall on the descent. Glad I got sweaty palms for nothing. I hope you do Tucks right by sending it on a weekend with a hundred bazillion people watching.

[@brianharder7714]

You're a great candidate for this. Looking forward to following along. Love the concept. Regarding the Messner, for sure pretty rowdy wind board and breakable in there for you. Makes me think how lucky Koch was when he rode it around '97 in perfect supportable and made about 10 turns down the whole thing. Ridiculous. But then again, you had perfect summit weather where he was getting blown around. Here's hoping you're equally blessed during this journey.

[@ruediger78]

Thanks for the awesome series, Cody! Great filming and i like your relaxed way of presenting and also your approach of dealing with risks. A very welcome distraction and substitution for a ski touring season cut short by Sars-Cov-2 lockdown. Keep being smart and grow old. The mountains will always be there next time. Have fun and please keep on taking us along for the ride!

[@hydawo]

brilliant...just brilliant

[@dronalpes9705]

I have never been so hyped since the day before the opening of the ski resort 😂

[@jonathankoenig6516]

Heck yeah man! Stoke to see a bit of a deviation from the standard pro skier formula

[@bkl8804]

Cody, did you do the intro art as well? Really appreciate the captivating content. You're turning this sport climber into a ski-mountaineer.

[@DangerStikTV]

YES dude! Rooting for ya !!!!

[@simonbrizard3426]

Sufferfest sounds like a great sponsor for this.

[@riverwoodruff5986]

You know those laugh attacks where you're rolling around on the ground laughing and can't breathe? Yeah, that was very nearly me watching the intro. This is gonna be great.

[@MsPaaso]

Nice one Cody, looking forward to following your adventures!

[@jazzman3508]

Jiha, more amazing lines! Cant wait to see the next episode. Stay safe and all the best

[@thehappytramper1988]

Way cool! Wishing you all the best!

[@pinetarsavage]

Wish you guys would retitle these to include the mountain and the line in the title. Makes it hard to find stuff when searching around. Like Eldorado! Anywho, great shit, psyched for the next season! Can't believe I never watched the first episode haha.

[@CodyTownsend]

The line number and line name is pretty much always in the title.

[@BCRandom69]

Good luck Cody!

[@AlbaAdventures]

Great stuff.. And extremely impressed.

[@JohnM-hs1fe]

Awesome Traverse and camera work. Well done. Two questions - (1) how did you keep your phones (map apps) charged. (2) What was your PlanB if your phone map app failed? Did you bring map and compass or ? Keep up the good work. Thank you. John and Lisa

[@anatolebouduban2059]

Soooooooooo nice

[@mbbrrffy]

Best of luck!

[@JeffGonzales]

hey Cody, love the vids. Do you plan on doing a vid where you talk about your typical gear you take on each trip? Would love to see that

[@midi510]

I've noticed he uses a Petzl Ride and Gully with the Trigrest. I bought a Ride and Summit 2 and put the Trigrest on them both. Along with the Leopard crampons, they're super lightweight and excellent tools. I took the Ride and Leopards out yesterday and didn't end up needing them, but no big deal because they're so light. Trigrest is really useful, too.

[@juliusbulle]

Hell yeah Cody, get em. Get your boys to promote this on insta and we'll have a pretty neat channel on our hands.

[@juliusbulle]

And girls ofc. Don't wanna offend anyone.

[@CodyTownsend]

Oh yeah, I think it'll be a pretty neat channel regardless! But it's a good idea

[@juliusbulle]

@@CodyTownsend I'm happy either way!

[@tristanlasley8030]

I tried liking twice. Wouldn't let me...

[@c.j.mooneyham9831]

How do you get that New Era Salomon hat Cody?!?! So rad.

[@CodyTownsend]

Gotta be on the Salomon team...

[@c.j.mooneyham9831]

@@CodyTownsend Guess I'll just have to become a pro skier then lolz

[@1234ddv]

I'm subscribed. Wheatgrass.

[@ericclaptonsrobotpilot7276]

Would be epic if he just said f*** it and did it again for the final episode.

[@kenpistak1465]

You’ve planted something with my 7 year old, Cody. Yikes!

[@ВолодимирМосковченко]

Till we all are waiting for the new episodes of THE FIFTY project, I've decided to watch it from the beginning again. Thank you Cody, that's my favorite series about skiing! I'd like to see my other favorite skier and videographer Nikolay Schirmer skiing one of the 50 together with you and Bjarne!

[@ericdumerac3134]

IFMGA Mountain Guide here. So impressive and inspiring! I'd like to support your efforts. Your story and a vision quest are of an epic conquest, a challenge fraught with hardships, as all major challenges are. Stay safe and shred them all!

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks so much Eric

[@tarfeef101]

Hey ur the Eric who works at MSAA in Squamish, aren't you?

[@TheGreenExplorer17]

I just found this, watched every current episode in 2 days and am immediately starting it over. This series is really inspirational to me

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks Logan!

[@rossmacrae8406]

I've been loving watching this series and am viewing in no particular order. Half way through and got to the first one. I don't ski and don't understand why you wouldn't ski this line again - it didn't look problematic for your talents. Is it the location?

[@davidhudson7400]

Probably the fact he’d need to get a plane.

[@Travis3500]

Climbing and skiing the tallest peak in NA is not only very hard but very very expensive, especially for a two man team. It looks like that was a sponsored trip they went on which would make sense.

[@tarfeef101]

"because it's cold as balls, quite dangerous, logistically quite difficult due to insane weather, expensive, and have I mentioned cold?"

[@jackstanley86]

Hey Cody, this is such an awesome series! My fiancee and I are loving it and through to about ep 16 at the moment. We just need to ration the next 10 or so through all this London lockdown nonsense. Good luck with the rest of the series and hope you're not affected and can keep skiing for us!

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks Jack. Yeah I’m in it with you all, chilling out and hoping we end this so we can get back out and continue this project

[@tschomsnpast2215]

My 19 year old daughter sent me this link. Mr. Cody Townsend + TEAM, really an inspiring job you did with making and filming this project. Great idea and the funny introduction pushed me to watch completely during my (normally boring) bike training on the roil in the basement. And because of your sympathic behavior and the exiting kind of filming, the time during my training really runs fast. Take care and a lot of greatings from Austria. Tom.

[@sba8710]

“Then, it dawned on me…maybe I should try.” Inspirational quote for me for 2023. Thanks Cody!

[@Rob-ts3cx]

The ski season is just starting here in NZ. Watching this epic series for the third time to get my stoked for it. My fav series on all of youtube!

[@alabel]

A big thumbs up for all the Fifty project series! I love it!!! you're a badass Cody! very intersting to watch! thank you from Québec Canada!

[@fernandog.aguirre2791]

Wow, what a way to live and enjoy life! ..Cody wishing you good luck and health!!! Thank you for keeping us dreaming and motivated!!!! Alohas from Maui!!!!

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks buddy!

[@gunnarelgersma5215]

Can you begin with vlogs aswell? ;)

[@havantran1048]

Your videos are great and I would like to repost your channel exactly on a nice platform named Gan Jing World. If this sounds interesting to you, please respond to me. Many thanks!

[@midi510]

I remember competing against Ian in my first big mountain comp at Squaw back around '97.

[@TheGreenExplorer17]

Restarting the series in preparation for the new drop Wednesday

[@CodyTownsend]

Good on ya!

[@AlyssaMonetMason]

You got the right idea

[@d6utyjftyi]

Hell yeah! Super stoked! Check out This is Living w/ Koa Rothman (if you haven't already seen it.) They have a really interesting style of filming and 'vlogging' that might work out well for this type of project. Love it Cody.

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks man, I'll go check it out for sure. Haven't watched it yet.

[@MountainLust]

This will be entertaining 🍿😶

[@hbmtrhbmtr4824]

Look forward to your journey. Stay safe out there

[@DrewPetersenSki]

Psyched to see it all. And damn, that was some good looking skiing on the Messner!

[@cynicalpenguin]

song name between 3:15-5:50 please?

[@stevesmith2153]

Quarantining....Shuffling around the house, debating about vacuuming a third time, waxing the no-wax floor or rearranging the refrigerator...again. Ugh. Basically just gettin' though each day. And then at the end of each day, I watch a few episodes of THE FIFTY... and Bam I'm out in the mountains adventuring with some really cool people hitting lines that most likely I will never get to do. It's amazing man. Watched the Sphinx last night - pucker factor off the charts. Your series is SO good. An awesome project that's entertaining and beautifully shot by Bjarne et al. Anyways...looking forward to catching all the vids as you complete your quest. Thanks for the adventures!! Be safe and well Cody.

[@andybeale69]

Great project, Cody - How about doing whatever ones are left just getting there by bicycle - in the spirit of POW, so important for our times?

[@DaveSearle]

Good luck and go for it cody. I'll be following along with your journey.

[@mhsigrist]

I'm not a ski person and I don't even know how to proper ski but this video is GOLD. I'll be watching every single episode from now on. Super cool channel.

[@MrSmokensurf]

No matter how hard I try I can’t help but love this dude. Why am I resisting?!??! I got issues yo

[@jamieingels1190]

You know it's gonna be a good snow day when the air coming out of your nostrils turns into fresh powder.

[@wetsockoutdoors8538]

This is the stuff I search for, but only shows up in recommended.

[@frawldog]

Happy 2020. God bless

[@sevenzdown]

Loved the intro. If I had a nickel for every time a little kid called me an idiot . . . .

[@scottybeegood]

You get 10 million Gnar points for pulling this off.

[@jtcollins2112]

Watching the series again.

[@CodyTownsend]

🤙🏼🤘🏻

[@kevinmcavey4723]

Can't wait to see the episode on the Polar Star couloir in Baffin Island!

[@sigga3876]

Very cool idea, I follow along! Good luck!

[@ark530abe]

Ride off the red banks on Mt Shasta cody! Big air it😉

[@davidbeckingsale]

This is going to be so sick. Just got that book for Christmas, so many rad lines. Are the other episodes going to be a bit longer and more detailed?

[@CodyTownsend]

They'll be probably between 4-8 minutes for each episode. So similar length as Ep. 1 but without me yammering to the camera for half the episode. Definitely more focused on the adventure from here on out.

[@brunolaroque2265]

Awesome to see this crazy project coming to life! Enjoy and stay safe!

[@michae8jackson378]

Awesome! Can’t wait!

[@Ericxnugz]

YEWW

[@BrianVaughn]

Cool stuff. Looking forward to the next one.

[@CodyTownsend]

Cheers man!

[@scottbarnes8390]

awesome, makes me jealous

[@SlySargatanas]

That was great 😂😂😂

[@dobbsmovies]

Can’t wait to follow along.

[@LOVEisTHEultimateLAW]

cant imagine doing amazing content like that and having this few views.. while some bs will get 10 millions views :(

[@CodyTownsend]

Huh. I thought I was doing good for views...?

[@goranvernik4850]

Sick man😊😊

[@wheelbegood]

Subscribed

[@Atirav09]

Is there a full length for Denali somewhere?

[@CodyTownsend]

There is not. Denali happened before I really figured out what I was doing with this project so didn't really plan to film it beyond a few GoPro shots.

[@Atirav09]

@@CodyTownsend OH NO! thanks for the reply Cody, really appreciate it, have been binge watching your adventures, thank you for such positivity and wishing you all the best for this season!

[@damyoulookinfly]

You beast

[@ChristopherLee118]

Stoked to watch this all come together! Ski safe! Ski Fast!

[@richardboyle2829]

Good luck Cody!!!

[@Zipfelhuber76]

Good stuff!

[@PatriotFootbeds]

Hell yeah, good luck!

[@robertjewkes9917]

Love it bro. Always stoked about the next tour.. be safe and get that Line.!

[@hobmarg]

Subscribed sir. Curious if Waddington or Mt. Robson are in this list?

[@johnmcdonald66]

Robson yes, Waddington no ... www.50classicskidescents.com/

[@CodyTownsend]

Why thank you for hitting that button. North Face of Robson is on the list...a definite crux line. While Waddington is not, an amazing couloir right next to Waddington, the Combatant Couloir, is on the list.

[@hobmarg]

@@CodyTownsend Nice dude. I was actually thinking of the Gerbolet Couloir on Shand just down the street from the Combatant. I know of it from when Kye Petersen, Johnny Foon and Matty Richard skied it in Kye's 2015 film In Search. Some big ass couloirs up in that area!

[@javierortellado3392]

Nice!! But more ski next time!

[@CodyTownsend]

There is 24 more episodes of just that.

[@javierortellado3392]

Cody Townsend yeahhh!! I see that videos right now!! did you ski in Argentina?

[@joeulman9140]

Subscribed, this is awesome.

[@CodyTownsend]

Thanks dude!

[@julman4146]

@@CodyTownsend next time you are at Stevens Pass hit me up for a couple runs and a beer.

[@evandean3944]

When you're done with this project I would LOVE to see more from this Denali trip, Cody, if you have the footage. Highest summit, most vert of the whole list, gorgeous bluebird day and the whole up & down squeezed into the last 2 minutes!

[@CodyTownsend]

Man, I wish I had more footage to share. Unfortunately I don't have much as the video portion of this project was dreamed up after our Denali mission. Might have to revisit the Big One again!