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The Dolomites are nature at its most spectacular. Legendary pitches. Epic steeps. Vertical ice. In other words, your typical office environment for Eddie Bauer athletes Caroline George, Drew Tabke, and Ben Ditto. The trio converged here in 2018 to share their passion for elevation. Caroline, the IFMGA alpine guide; Drew, the Freeride World Tour skier; Ben, the master rock climber. Each ready in turn to lead, follow, teach, learn and, always, to push their limits. For them, it’s Second Nature.
CAROLINE GEORGE
Eddie Bauer Alpine Climbing Guide (IFMGA)
For more than a decade, Caroline George has lived for the vertical dimension, tackling some of the hardest ice and mixed routes. Raised by climbing parents, George followed in their footsteps by sharpening her skills in the Swiss Alps, then earned her guiding certs in the male-dominated ranks in a profession steeped in alpine tradition. A true working guide, she has also participated in an impressive tick list of climbing expeditions that have taken her from Mt. Vinson, Antarctica, to the deeply carved fjords of Norway.
BEN DITTO
Eddie Bauer Rock Climbing Guide
After three decades of itinerant van residence, Ben Ditto is now living in the climbing epicenter of Bishop, CA. From Baffin Island and the Patagonian Andes to the high Himalayas, the talented photographer has climbed with and captured the world’s best rock stars at the very limits of their discipline. His images have appeared in Climbing, Rock and Ice, and Alpinist, among other places.
DREW TABKE
Eddie Bauer Ski Guide
A two-time world champ in the freeride discipline, Drew Tabke launched from Utah shop guy to freeride contender in his first national contest at Snowbird in 2004. In the decade-plus since, “The Flyin’ Hawaiian” has circled the globe on tour to the burliest big mountain venues, from Chile, Argentina, British Columbia, and Alaska to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and France.
