Talus Provides Gear for Expedition to Raise Awareness of Birth Defect

Missoula, MT—June 9th, 2008— This month as John Page, founder of Climbing 4 Spina Bifida, sets out to climb New England’s 4,000 foot-and-higher summits, he and his expert team will be equipped with the Talus ColdAvengerâ„¢ cold weather facemask. Talus is the official supplier of protective face masks during Climbing 4 Spina Bifida’s East Coast Expedition, which includes ascending 67 peaks in a year and a half. The non-profit organization’s expedition is focused on raising awareness and money to fight Spina Bifida. All 67 peaks included in the East Coast Expedition, and their elevations, are listed below.

The father of a five year old daughter with Spina Bifida, Page has found a way to use his passions for the outdoors to help fight the birth defect that affects between 1,500 and 2,000 newborns in America each year.

“In this 18 month expedition I expect to open a lot of eyes about Spina Bifida,” says Page while discussing Climbing 4 Spina Bifida. “I gave this a lot of thought and the more I thought about it the more I believed people would get behind me.”

Spina Bifida is the most common neural tube birth defect, which results from the bones in the spine not forming properly. Spina Bifida develops in the early stages of pregnancy and can most commonly be attributed to folic acid deficiencies. Among its messages, Climbing 4 Spina Bifida reminds women of the importance of folic acids in the daily diet. It is estimated that roughly 70% of all Spina Bifida cases could be eliminated by achieving the daily dose of folic acids like dark leafy greens and legumes before and during pregnancy.

All proceeds earned through donations in support of the Climbing 4 Spina Bifida East Coast Expedition go to the Spina Bifida Association of America in Massachusetts.

Founded and headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Talus Outdoor Technologiesâ„¢ is a leading innovator in technologically-advanced outdoor gear. Talus is dedicated to helping outdoor enthusiasts Stay Out Longer.â„¢ In 2007, Talus introduced the ColdAvenger,â„¢ an advanced, high-qulaity cold weather protection mask developed by a physician and a skier. The ColdAvengerâ„¢ is the result of more than two years of research and development testing in Northern Rocky Mountain winters to achieve four functional goals: thermal comfort, ventilation adequacy, moisture control and ease of breathing during exercise. Talus is proud to provide an elite product while being socially and environmentally conscious.