Mountain Hardwear Athlete, Dawn Glanc, Awarded AMGA Mountain Hardwear Scholarship

RICHMOND, Calif. (March 18, 2009) - Mountain Hardwear Inc., a leading manufacturer of mountaineering and outdoor equipment and clothing, is honored to announce Mountain Hardwear athlete, Dawn Glanc, as the recipient of the American Mountain Guide Association’s (AMGA) 2009 Mountain Hardwear Scholarship. The yearly scholarship is funded by Mountain Hardwear in cooperation with the AMGA to offer a qualified professional guide full tuition towards an AMGA course or exam.

“We are thrilled to have one of our own receive this scholarship and I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Dawn,” said Mountain Hardwear’s Promotions Manager Chris Strasser. “The Scholarship Committee was very impressed with Dawn’s application, an excellent presentation and thorough essay answers, but Dawn really stood out due to her well-rounded climbing and guiding skills and her exemplary dedication to the AMGA and guiding as a profession," stated AMGA Membership Director Katie Kelly. She continued, “We don’t ask the applicants to disclose who their sponsors are, but we unanimously agreed that Dawn was hands down the best applicant who just happens to be Mountain Hardwear athlete.”

Dawn is an AMGA Rock Certified Guide who has been guiding for five years and a member of the AMGA for eight years. She has successfully completed the Rock Instructor Course, Rock Guide Course, Rock Guide Exam, Alpine Guide Course, and Advanced Alpine Guide Course. Dawn plans to apply her scholarship to an AMGA Alpine Guide’s Exam scheduled for mid-August in the Cascades. Learn more about Dawn at: mountainhardwear.com/Athlete.aspx

The Mountain Hardwear Scholarship was created in 2005 to provide a professional guide the opportunity to further their education through the programs of the AMGA. The criteria for a successful candidate are the following:
• A current member of the AMGA
• Currently enrolled in at least one AMGA program
• A minimum of 3 years guiding professionally and is continuing to pursue guiding as a profession
• Seeking to better his/her guiding skills through educational courses and/or exams

For more information about the Mountain Hardwear Scholarship and the American Mountain Guides Association, please visit: amga.com

About Mountain Hardwear:
Mountain Hardwear makes cutting-edge mountaineering and outdoor equipment, apparel and accessories for the most extreme conditions. Mountain Hardwear was established in 1993 by a group of outdoor industry veterans and is based in Richmond, Calif. The company distributes its products through specialty outdoor and sporting goods retailers in the United States and over 40 countries worldwide. Mountain Hardwear has won numerous product and customer service awards since its inception, reflecting the company’s commitment and passion toward innovation. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company. For more information about Mountain Hardwear, visit the company’s Internet home page at www.mountainhardwear.com.