The 32-mile Catalina Classic is one of the most grueling endurance contests on the planet an ultra-marathon of the sea and an annual rite of passage in Southern California surf culture. This year's race was pure hell.
Even without much snow, the standard spring hike to Mt. Whitney's summit is a punishing ordeal. But in this year's extraordinary conditions, it is a full-on winter mountaineering expedition, requiring serious gear and the expertise to use it.