Mission Statement:

VICE is dedicated to safely pushing the limits of our physical and mental abilities in the context of vertical routes and harsh winter conditions. We are a non-profit group of college students and alumni who are deeply invested in pursuing high adventure in the outdoors. VICE members achieve personal growth by seeking the physical and mental challenges inherent in winter camping, high altitude mountaineering, and vertical ice climbing expeditions. We work together to raise group competence, improve physical fitness, lead outdoor trips, introduce new climbers, establish professional relationships, volunteer community service, and coordinate social events. Founded on the premise that anything is possible through cooperation and commitment, VICE shows fellow students and community members that high adventure in the outdoors is safe and within reach.

History:

VICE began in January 2007 amid the harsh winter conditions of the Presidential Ridge. Somewhere between tree line and the snowy summit of Mt. Madison, a natural leader named Edward Warren, then a junior at Tufts University, discussed his ideas for improving the Tufts Mountain Club (TMC) trips program. One of his companions on this expedition, a senior named Jeff Longcor (often referred to as JLo), realized the potential benefits of putting Ed's plans into action. After braving multiple winter storms, night hiking Mt Adams, and crossing icy rivers, Ed and JLo decided they had an ideal dynamic for surviving outdoor adventures. JLo describes this revalation with an excerpt from Mountain Madness, the story of Scott Fischer's life, "A bond had formed with some understanding of where our strengths lay and perhaps a sense of our weaknesses, too. We had learned a little about what we could expect of one another, and I, at least, sensed that the world where I roamed had become suddenly larger and much more interesting".

This winter expedition set a cascade of events in motion. Ed Warren organized the second annual Presidential Relay Race (PRRR), an event he created with Danny McGee in 2006. JLo spent the summer coordinating Tufts Wilderness Orientation (TWO) with Zach Landau. They continued to support each other during these events while planning their next big adventure: climbing Mt. Aconcagua via the Polish Glacier Direct. While training for this physically and mentally demanding expedition, they travelled to New Hampshire every weekend to practice the survival strategies of winter mountaineering and teach themselves the basics of technical ice climbing. They successfully reached the summit, but not before coming up with new personal goals along the way. Ed returned to Tufts where he coordinated a mountaineering expo, created the Trips Cabin Project (TCP), and formed the TMC alumni association. JLo hiked the 48 4,000fters in NH, adopted a trail for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), and became a merit badge counselor for his former Boy Scout troop in Manchester, MA. Despite their busy schedules, Ed and JLo always found time to support each other's projects and go ice climbing together.

When the Air force dragged Ed away from New England, a vacuum of leadership opened up in the TMC. Through his efforts to reorganize the club, build new outdoor facilities, and coordinate large-scale events, Ed had gathered teams of highly talented and well trained adventure enthusiasts under the common goal of making the outdoors more accessible to students and alumni. JLo stepped into Ed's role, unknowingly at first, because he often shared the responsibility of leading and teaching Ed's supporters. By the time PRRR 2008 ended, the stage was set for VICE.

A tightly knit group comprised of motivated, focused, and committed outdoor adventure enthusiasts had gained a wealth of experience from working together during events like PRRR, Peak Weekend, and TWO. We had finally achieved the level of organization and cooperation required to form a team capable of safely climbing ice in New England. On October 7, 2008, in the afterglow of an especially rewarding year for PRRR, JLo sent an email to those he felt possessed the ideals, knowledge, and skills essential for success in the harsh conditions found amid the ice walls and alpine settings of New England and Beyond. This original email is provided below. Within 10 hours, JLo had received an overwhelmingly positive response from all 15 founding members.

------------Start of email-------------

***Please read thoroughly***

Winter is fast approaching and we must work together to seize every moment of crystalline glory and enjoy every icy ascent within our desperate reach. This elist represents a solid group of adventuresome athletes who expressed an intense desire to climb ice this winter. Maybe it's my sentimental side, but I believe that we should be more than weekend warriors and daytime climbing partners. We should train together, plan together, learn together, party together, and die together...sorry I got carried away for a second there. We should be a team. I had the time of my life last weekend during PRRR and I realized it's because I can't get enough of you guys, especially when it comes to working together under stressful/intense/life-threatening conditions. I hereby propose that we form an unofficial group. We can decide on a name during our first meeting.

Godfather: Edward Warren III

The purpose of our team will be setting goals and learning the skills necessary to safely challenge each other and ourselves in harsh winter conditions. We will gather to organize trips (New England and BEYOND), coordinate logistics, teach and learn new skills, discuss and purchase gear, watch badass climbing movies, create a facebook group, put together slideshows from our trips, and throw parties. As we improve, we will be able to introduce less experienced athletes to the group. We should include all mountaineering activities. The TMC is chalk full of kids looking for winter adventures and snow travel lessons. We should be the ones to get them high when it's cold out.

Please give me feedback asap. I intend to keep this group small, not to be exclusive, but to ensure that members are dedicated to prioritizing adventures and committed to following through. Let me know if you want off the list or want to add certain individuals. We can motivate others and bring them along, but this group should be relatively hardcore. Where do you stand?

JLo

------------End of email-------------