«12th January - They`re still in Chile but on a 3 hour standby for the flight. There`s been too much wind and / or cloud so far but they`re all raring to go as soon as they get the word.»
Dave Pritt, a former teacher at Keswick School (UK), a professional guide who now runs a travel company Adventure Peaks with his client Ian McKeever will become the first climbers to complete the challenge within five months.
They intend to do it the opposite way to most mountaineers who normally start with Everest and finish in Antarctica. Mr Pritt said the crunch would come when the pair met Elbrus in the middle of the Russian winter when temperatures dropped to around - 40 degrees. The pair spend Christmas in Antarctica and reached the summit of Vinson on December 23, celebrating with a football kick-about on the ice.
This will beat the present Guinness world record of 187 days. They intend to do it the opposite way to most mountaineers who normally start with Everest and finish in Antarctica. Mr Pritt said the crunch would come when the pair met Elbrus in the middle of the Russian winter when temperatures dropped to around -40 degrees.
Mr Pritt said it would be completed in three phases with a week`s return visit to the UK between each stage. Mr Pritt has led four Everest expeditions and is an experienced high altitude mountaineer. The pair spend Christmas in Antarctica and reached the summit of Vinson on December 23, celebrating with a football kick-about on the ice.
The seven summits they plan to climb are Mckinley in Alaska (20,320 ft), Elbrus in Russia (18,510), Everest in Nepal (29,035), Kilimanjiro in Africa (19,331), Carstensz Pyramid,Indonesia (16,023), Vinson Massif, Antarctica, (16,066) and Aconcagua in South America (22,834).
