In 1993, Mark Synnott found himself asking the same question that faces many college graduates: “Now what?”  All he really wanted to do was climb.  Working as a carpenter for the next few years, Synnott took advantage of the job’s flexible schedule to take extended climbing trips.  By 1996 Mark had made it to the remote Baffin Island. Spending 36 days living in a portaledge on the side of Polar Sun Spire, a 4,700-foot rock tower, began Synnott’s journey of tackling some of the tallest walls on our planet known as “Big Wall” climbing.

Mark’s penchant for climbing expeditions becomes apparent reading through his list of adventures in big wall and alpine style climbing.  With two other climbers, Jared Ogden and Alex Lowe, Mark help established Parallel Worlds on Great Trango Tower, one of the longest rock climbs in the world a 6,000 ft climb, topping out at 20,000 feet.  Since his days in Baffin Island he has climbed in some of the world’s most remote and beautiful places like Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Patagonia, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan and Borneo. Recently, he explored the Ennedi desert in North Africa, where he and his team scaled surreal-looking rock spires and arches. Mark mixes tales of high adrenaline with droll humor, and his images are breathtaking.

General admission tickets are free and reserved seating is $8.  VIP tickets are $20 and include reserved seats at the presentation as well as an exclusive pre-show reception with Mark Synnott.  All VIP ticket sales benefit The Woods Project.

For tickets and more information, visit www.thenorthface.com/speakerseries.

April is Texas State Parks Month at Whole Earth Provision Co.

Pack up your palettes, paints, colored pencils, canvases, watercolor blocks and sketchbooks and head for Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, near College Station, on Saturday. Painters at the Park is a great opportunity for artists to gather together to paint and draw and enjoy the natural beauty and fellowship with other creative types.

In 1836, Washington-on-the-Brazos witnessed the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence and was even the capital of the Republic of Texas from 1842 to 1845. The Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Museum testify to the site’s importance and make it live for us today.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is currently working to raise $4.6 million dollars to help keep parks open and maintained in the wake of extreme drought, wildfires and a decline in park revenues. You can make a donation to Texas State Parks during the month of April at any Whole Earth Provision Co. store. A donation in any amount is gratefully appreciated. However, for every $20 donation, you’ll receive a $5 Texas State Parks Gift Card good toward entrance fees or purchases at any Texas State Park.