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Sir Ranulph Fiennes' 'coldest journey' begins

South Pole.   By Matthew Priceþ BBC News. The team face a 2,000-mile journey acrossAntarctica, which they hope to start in March next year. Sir Ranulph Fiennes is leading a team of five other explorers in a quest to achieve a feat no other human ... read more

 

By Matthew Priceþ BBC News. The team face a 2,000-mile journey acrossAntarctica, which they hope to start in March next year.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is leading a team of five other explorers in a quest to achieve a feat no other human has managed - to walk across Antarctica in the near permanent darkness and super low temperatures of winter.

Phase one of The Coldest Journey expedition - which aims to raise millions of pounds in donations for the Seeing is Believing charity to tackle avoidable blindness - begins later when the icebreaker SA Agulhas sets off from the River Thames.

The journey from a wintry Thames to the ice shelf ofAntarcticawill take just over a month.

During their sea voyage, team members will obtain data on marine life, oceanography and meteorology.

On Thursday afternoon, after a suitable send off, the SA Agulhas will weigh anchor and slip beneathTowerBridgeon its way to the world's coldest continent.

The expedition force is led by the man known as the world's greatest living explorer - 68-year-old Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

It's an expedition that's been in the planning stages for years, Sir Ranulph says on the bridge of the ship, while looking at a map of his route.

"The idea came up about four-and-a-half years ago. We started approaching the Foreign Office for permission to go and we finally got it 10 days ago."

Aboard the SA Agulhas is a giant crane. It will be used to lift some 200 tonnes of equipment onto the ice ofAntarctica.

The BBC's Matthew Price has been aboard the SA Agulhas to see how preparations have been going

It consists of three huge industrial sledges - each with a modified shipping container placed on top.

Inside two of them are living quarters, and supplies. In the third, a science lab.

Behind these there'll be another 14 smaller sledges, each transporting fuel.

That will power the two bulldozers that have been specially re-equipped for this expedition, in the hope they can drag the entire team across 2,000 miles of some of the world's most inhospitable terrain.

In front of this whole procession, two skiers will lead the way, pulling a small ground-penetrating radar system that will help them locate crevices. That will be crucial if they are to make it across.

The expedition proper - from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya to theRossSea- is due to begin on 21 March and is expected to take six months.

 

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Supplies

165 rolls of toilet paper (12 sheets per man per day)

20kg of dried egg

7,300 tea bags

4,400 packets of soup

30 toothbrushes

230kg of chocolate

600 metres of rope

15 pairs of boxer shorts per man

Boots with electrically-heated insoles

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"The vehicles are a bigger potential problem than the people," believes Sir Ranulph. "Minus 80 could be damaging to lung tissue when you're breathing while skiing."

But he says that, "in the vehicles you have steel and rubber which don't like minus 70 - never mind when they're towing everything - so there is an unpredictable element there".

To get Foreign Office permission to go toAntarcticathey had to prove they could be self-sufficient. That's why the vehicles must be used to tow everything they might possibly need. In the Antarctic winter there's no way of being rescued.

Sir Ranulph wants to beat Norwegians to new Antarctic record

"That means everything from vehicle spares down to a toothbrush," says Brian Newham, who'll be on the team crossing the continent, and who's also been organising the gear for the expedition.

He's even been counting the number of sheets on a toilet roll.

"We're taking 165 rolls. That's one for all of us for every 2.25 days," he says.

Is that enough?

"I'd better have it right," he smiles.

Everything they take with them will be removed from the ice at the end of the expedition. Including the human waste.

There's enough food for each of the six-person team to last 365 days if it's necessary. They hope it won't be.

The food consists of specialist dried fruits, sports nutrition products, and normal dried foods like lasagne. They can't take tins with them as they'd freeze and burst.

"I can't say I think we can make it," admits Sir Ranulph.

"I don't know it's possible - it's rather like the Americans when they went to the moon. Was it possible? They didn't know."

 

   

 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20619050

 

Fox News

 

Departure

 

Graham Hughes, British Adventurer, Becomes First Man To Travel To Every Country Without Flying

On January 1, 2009, Graham Hughes set out on his mission to visit every sovereign state on Earth without flying, and become a Guinness World Record holder in the process. Nearly three years later, on November 26, he achieved that feat after ... read more

On January 1, 2009, Graham Hughes set out on his mission to visit every sovereign state on Earth without flying, and become a Guinness World Record holder in the process.

Nearly three years later, on November 26, he achieved that feat after his passport was stamped with the markings of the world's newest country,South Sudan.

Hughes, 33, has visited all 193 United Nations member states, as well as Taiwan, Vatican City, Kosovo, the Palestinian territory, and Western Sahara -- all by train, bus, taxi or ship, spending an average of 10 pounds per day, reports The Telegraph. Need proof? He has photographed every page of his passport as of June 2011.

"The main feeling today is just one of intense gratitude to every person around the world who helped me get here, by giving me a lift, letting me stay on their couch or pointing me in the right direction," Hughes told The Daily Telegraph from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, after achieving his goal.

Of his journey's challenges, Hughes said: "People asked me how I was going to get to Afghanistan or Iraq or North Korea, but they were the easy ones, you don't even need a visa for Iraq, you just walk across from the border in Turkey...The really tough ones were places like Nauru, and the Maldives and the Seychelles, island countries where there were also pirates."

Along the way, Hughes raised money for WaterAid and filmed for the National Geographic Channel. Check out his very complete travel map of the world here and his interview with a New Zealand TV station below.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

 

OUTSIDE MAGAZINE

 

Just last week, Graham Hughes became the first person to visit every country on earth without flying. After almost four years of travel, the 33-year-old fromLiverpool,England, set foot in his 201st and final country,South Sudan. When he began his challenge, the country did not even exist, but now it represents the crowning glory of a long and frustrating journey.

It started as a mad dash, one-year trip, back toAustraliato be with his girlfriend, captured on the TV show, Graham’s World, on the National Geographic Adventure Channel. But things did not turn out quite as planned. Hughes broke up with his girlfriend, the show ended, and the journey took almost four times as long as intended, but he has finally achieved his goal.

Hughes caught the travel bug early, visitingEastern Europewith his family as the Iron Curtain was coming down, and has not really stopped since. He does not, however, really have the look of a modern day adventurer. There’s no army physique or weathered features, just a typical looking English guy in a fedora, the hat made famous by Indiana Jones. Indeed, Hughes has dubbed himself the "Thinking Woman’s Indiana Jones," but it is another one of his fictional role models that he most resembles, Phileas Fogg. The 19th-century protagonist of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days was an unflappable charmer and schemer, able to think on his feet and talk his way around the world. Like Fogg, Hughes will return toLiverpoolby boat, having succeeded in a scheme, very much in the vein of a late Victorian adventurer.

 

 

Here, Hughes tells us why theUnited Stateswas one of the hardest places to enter, what pieces of equipment have been indispensable to him over the past four years, and what he plans to do if new countries are created.

Why did you embark on this journey?

I think it’s the same sort of reason people give for Everest: because it’s there. The challenge was there and no one had done it before. It was a Guinness World Record I knew that I had the ability to achieve and I thought it was possible. I’d traveled before starting this and I wanted to do at least one amazing thing in my life—and now I’ve done it.

You’ve said it was a decade-long dream. How did it come to fruition?

I got the concept for it when I went backpacking in 2002. I’d bought an around the world ticket and went to a lot of places. I had the most amazing experience. I said after that, Would it be possible to get to every country in the world without flying?

Throughout the 2000s, as the world was getting more peaceful and wars were ending in West Africa andCentral Africa, I realized the world was getting a bit more easy to get around. By 2008, I realized I could do this in the next couple of years. I spoke to people at Lonely Planet Television inAustraliaand they really liked it and said you could probably do it. They commissioned me to make a TV series that was on National Geographic a couple of years ago, the first year of my adventures.

It’s taken almost four years to do. Did you ever think about quitting at any point?

I never thought about quitting. I had some difficulty last year because my sister passed away. After that I didn’t want to quit, but I wanted someone to take the reins and sort of deal with the complicated stuff and arrange things for me. For the whole trip I’ve been a kind of one-man band. It was a lot of responsibility to keep it going, but there wasn’t a point where I thought I was going to give up. I felt like it would be letting so many people down, people who had helped me on the journey.

Did you have any indispensable bits of equipment that kept you company throughout your travels?

My GPS logger is still with me. My trusty camcorder has been with me all the way. There are bits of equipment that really are indispensable when you’re traveling, like a Swiss Army Knife, wet wipes, a bank card, and a passport. But I travel pretty light.

Which was your favorite country?

A little island state calledPalau.

Which was the hardest country to get in to?

The U.S.A. now, because I need some crazy visa! But other than that, the Seychelles because of the Somali pirate situation. I tried from about seven different places in the world to get to theSeychellesbefore I actually cracked it.

What was the issue with the U.S.?

I was on a ship going to Micronesia and Palau. It stopped in Guam, which is part of the U.S.commonwealth, but they wouldn’t let me off the ship. They said I needed a special visa waiver that costs $100 and I had to apply for it three days in advance. How is that not a visa?

What was the most dangerous experience or place?

I was inSenegaland I had to get some fishermen to take me over toCape Verdeon a pirogue, a wooden canoe with an outboard motor on it. I was on it for four days in the open ocean with no radio, no distress signal, no satellite phone, and no means of communication if anything went wrong.

 

Was it terrifying?

It was fine, I suppose. There was no storm or anything. I watched the movie The Perfect Storm a few weeks afterwards. If I’d watched it before, it might have been a different story.

Who were the friendliest immigration officials?

Mauritius was OK. They were pleased to see me. Going into Afghanistan, the guy was laughing. The border guard asked me what I was doing there. I said, "I’m a tourist." He said, "You’re no terrorist, we have too many terrorists here." That kind of thing. Some places people have been really welcoming. In Sierra Leone, the guy on the border basically gave me a hug because I’m British. It was because of the conflict there that was ended in 2002. He said the British saved his life.

What aspect of this journey would you consider your greatest achievement beyond the title and the record?

Not going home in four years—that’s a pretty good achievement! I think having the determination to see it through to the end when things got very difficult. In the first two years, I traveled through 184 countries. In the last two years, I’ve been to 17. That’s because they’re all islands in the middle of nowhere. Or places like theSeychellesand theMaldivesthat are in pirate areas.

The record might not be static. Are you scanning the map to look at the potential for new countries to come into existence?

Yes. I want to do this for the rest of my life. The idea is that every time a new country gets created, I go and visit it overland. I’ll take three or four months out of my life to go and do that. I kind of like that idea. I’m keeping an eye on things.

Are you driven by the idea of fame and creating attention as an adventurer?

Long term I want to make feature films and tell stories, so that’s not that important to me. I do like that idea, but it’s not the main reason I did this. I did this more than anything because I wanted to get in the Guinness Book of World Records, and it had never been done before, and it was something that I’m good at. I’m really good at travellng! I don’t get ill when I travel, I can sleep anywhere. I’m great about waking up when I need to get on a train. I seem to be naturally adapted very well to this kind of lifestyle.

Do you have any role models as an adventurer or a traveller?

My role models are obviously Phileas Fogg, Michael Palin, and my father. Those are my inspirations.

Your journey was different from most people’s experience of travel. How meaningful is as a travel experience when you constantly have to think about the next country or the next challenge?

Obviously, there’s a difference between traveling for the sake of traveling and going on holiday because you need to relax from work. I don’t feel like I’ve been on holiday for four years at all. I feel like I’ve been working for four years toward something.

If you want to sit on a beach and relax, that’s fair enough. I get a bit annoyed when fellow travelers will tell you that you’re not doing it right. Just because you didn’t go to this hut inLesotho, you’ve never really experiencedSouthern Africa. Come on, seriously? Everybody has his or her own experiences of travel. Travel is a very subjective thing. I don’t think there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I just think there’s a way that you enjoy and I actually enjoy this.

What’s next for you?

I want to do some more TV shows. I enjoyed doing the show for National Geographic. I like telling stories. At the end of the day, I get a random email from some person halfway around the world, saying they’ve been inspired by my travels.

Golden Axe of Russia 2012

The 7 Summits Club was a sponsor of the main victors of a year’s ceremony of Mountaineering Federation of Russia, which took place in the evening of December 1 at the Luzhniki Press Center. The main prize of the national award "Golden ... read more

The 7 Summits Club was a sponsor of the main victors of a year’s ceremony of Mountaineering Federation of Russia, which took place in the evening of December 1 at the Luzhniki Press Center.

The main prize of the national award "Golden Axe of Russia 2012" was awarded to the team of Moscow: Sergei Nilov, Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange - for a new route to the summit of Muztagh Tower in the Karakoram. The coach and the expedition leader - Sergei Kotachkov. The result is appointed by voting of captains of six nominees.

 

 

"Think twice" route

       

 

 

Nicholay Totmyanin presents " Golden Axe of Russia in 2012" ...

 

 

The Moscow team has also got the main prize "Crystal Peak" established by portal Risk.Ru, where the winner was appointed by voting on the Internet. Nte same Moscow team won and a third prize - it was the audience award, certain by on-site guests in the evening.

"Steel Angel 2012" for the best female climbing achievement of the year went to Krasnoyarsk. His owners are Paulina Galatsevich and Irina Bakaleynikova - for climbing Zamin Karor Wall in the championship ofRussia.

 

53-years old grandmother Irina Bakaleynikova is the Queen of Russian climbing

 

 

The best "outdoor project of the year" according to the users of the site Risk.Ru is project "Ark of Hope. Dnepr 2012." Announcement of the results caused a round of applause. All welcomed legendary Crimean climber, courageous fighter with his disability Yuri Lishaev, known to all as Fantik.

 

 

About 4000 km on kayak along the river of Dnepr and Black sea shore, solo and with paralyzed legs...

 

 

 

 

Valeró Putrin (1940 – 2012). Obituary

Valery Putrin, the former president of the Mountaineering Federation of Russia, died suddenly on the morning of 29th of November. He went out in the morning to clean snow from the car and fell. Instant death. In the XXI century, Valery ... read more

Valery Putrin, the former president of the Mountaineering Federation of Russia, died suddenly on the morning of 29th of November. He went out in the morning to clean snow from the car and fell. Instant death. In the XXI century, Valery became a collector peaks climbing Mont Blanc, Kosciuszko, Mount Fuji, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro. In 2010, at age 70, he tried to climb on Mount McKinley. Due to the illness of Comrade their assault failed. By all signs, Valery was in good shape and there were no signs of such end.

Putrin Valery (1940 r.) - A graduate of the Minsk Radio Engineering Institute (1964), studied science, has three certificates on inventions (1976, 1977). Master of sports of cycling and mountaineering (1970). He has participated in the national championship on mountaineering (1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1979), was the trainer of the international mountaineering camps in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983 and 1984. Until the last days Putrin worked as chief specialist at the Research Institute of Radio.

In 1987 Putrin was a leader of expedition of  USSR national team, that made the first winter climb on the peak of Communism. In 1991, he was the head of the first Russian Himalayan expedition, which opened a new route to the summit of Cho Oyu (8201 m).

 

Photos from Mt. McKinley expedition

 

 

 

On Kilimanjaro

Kazakhstan team - world champions in high-altitude mountaineering 2012

Lenin Peak. November, 24 Eurasian Association of Mountaineering and Climbing (EAMA) appointed the first in history champion of the world in high-altitude mountaineering class. The judiciary brigade consisted of authoritative climbers ofUSSR: E.Ilinsky ... read more

November, 24 Eurasian Association of Mountaineering and Climbing (EAMA) appointed the first in history champion of the world in high-altitude mountaineering class. The judiciary brigade consisted of authoritative climbers ofUSSR: E.Ilinsky (Kazakhstan) - Chief Justice, A.Shabanov (Uzbekistan),

V.Shataev (EAMA), V.Yatsko (Ukraine), A.Horoshih (Russia), D.Grekov (Kyrgyzstan), K.Valiev, D.Muravev, B.Studenin, A.Timofeev (Kazakhstan), A.Skopin (Kazakhstan- Chief Secretary).

Competition is open to everyone, from all over the world. World title is quite official, but not all-world recognized yet.

Eurasian Association of Mountaineering and Climbing was founded in 1992 as the successor to the Mountaineering Federation of theUSSR. However, its work has long been modest. In recent years, an activity of EAMA significantly increased. Finally, they managed to normalize relations with the FAR and start a new life.

 

 

 

High-altitude mountaineering class World Championship 2012

1st place (7.00 points) - The team of Kazakhstan Mountaineering Federation: leader and head coach Vassily Pivtsov. Partners: Ildar Gabbasov, Alexander Sofrygin. For the ascent to the summit of Khan Tengri (6995 m). via the center of the North Face, 12-20 August. 6B grade.

 

7 Giants for Stefan Glowacz - Project Red Bull Giants 7

Our Seven Summits Club recently opened a new route named “Seven Summits” to the top of Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea. Objects may be called 7 Summits could be found everywhere in the World. One of these objects with the name "Seven ... read more

Our Seven Summits Club recently opened a new route named “Seven Summits” to the top of Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea. Objects may be called 7 Summits could be found everywhere in the World. One of these objects with the name "Seven Giants" came not so long ago in the finals of "The Seven Wonders of Russia Awards." Now its can get international recognition, if a mission carried out by the great German climber Stefan Glowacz and RED BULL will be successful. And it will certainly not be simple: a long winter campaign in the circumpolar region to be completed with extreme winter climbing. Stefan wants to climb on each of the pillars. Good luck!

 

Stefan in Moscow

 

 

 

 

STEFAN

Basically, Stefan Glowacz had no other choice than to become one of the most successful alpinists ever. At an early age his parents shared with him their love of the mountains and different terrains that he would later claim as home. When Glowacz speaks of those childhood memories, it seems he was always destined to climb. "As a child, I climbed on every rock while on hikes with my parents." His fascination with rocks never let go of him, even when the rocks became steeper and the surrounding terrain evermore treacher- ous. His relentless motivation enabled him to continue onwards and upwards to meet new challenges.

It’s this mixture of humility, childish curiosity, and indescribable pride that sends SG, born in 1965, to all areas of the world. His parents laid the groundwork, but his own ambition transformed him into an all round climber and selfmade entrepreneur. In the late 80s, many lived to climb, but Glowacz wanted more , he wanted to climb to live. He discovered early that his passion may not end with rappelling, in order to transform it into a profession and that "work" for real pro's started at the bottom of the vertical wall. Glowacz won the prestigious Rock Masters in Arco, Italy and was invited as a guest on the television show "Das Aktuelle Sportstudio" in Germany and acted in the Werner Herzog movie "Der Schrei aus Stein". Being the foster child of the mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner, he ultimately became the precursor of the free climbing movement.

 

 

7 Summits Collectors 11-2012

Everest.     Aiming High…On The Ground. By Brandon LingleNov. 15, 2012. Marshallskis down from the summit of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, in October 2011 with an Air Force flag flying from his pack.     When ... read more

 

 

Aiming High…On The Ground. By Brandon LingleNov. 15, 2012.

Marshallskis down from the summit of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, in October 2011 with an Air Force flag flying from his pack.

 

 

When the V-22 Osprey pilot isn’t flying, remodeling his bathroom, helping the Red Cross, speaking at schools, or working out, he’s running a first-of-its kind challenge to climb the highest peak on each continent.

Next April, Marshall, a 34-year-old Special Operations pilot with several combat deployments to bothIraqandAfghanistan, will lead a group of seven Airmen on their most impressive mission to date— to scaleMount Everest.

The bid for the top of the world would wrap up the U.S. Air Force 7 Summits Challenge. The group hopes to make history as the first military team to climb each continent’s highest mountain — and the firstU.S.military team to conquer Everest.

The Mercer Island, Wash. native and long-time mountaineer—who bagged 27 peaks as an Air Force Academy cadet—first considered an Everest attempt while visiting the mountain’s base camp in 2001 shortly after graduating from the Academy.

“I had this strong intuition that I needed to come back and climb Everest one day,” he says. “But, it needed to be for a reason bigger than just personal conquest.”

The reason came in 2005 when an Air Force MC-130, call sign Wrath 11, crashed in the Albanian mountains, killing nine, including several ofMarshall’s friends. “Wrath 11 hit close and shook me up,” he recalls. “I volunteered to ascend the mountains to search for survivors, but ended up helping coordinate the recovery. I felt powerless… every bit of me wanted to get up that mountain to help. I found out later there was no chance of survivors.”

Two months after Wrath 11, two ofMarshall’s Academy classmates, Capt. Derek Argel and Capt. Jeremy Fresques, died in anIraqcrash, along with three other airmen.

These losses droveMarshallto find a way to help his fallen friends’ families. “Remember walking around a track to raise money for your school or charity? Well, I decided to take it vertical. For every thousand feet we climbed, we’d ask people to donate to the college education of these kids.”

 

 

So, the Air Force 7 Summits Challenge was born, and the team has tackled six of the seven summits—Russia’s Mount Elbrus, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua, the U.S.’s Mount McKinley, Antarctica’s Mount Vinson, and Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko—and countless others in training. Team members mark their accomplishment with memorial pushups, in honor of their fallen friends, on each summit. So far, about 25 men and women have climbed with the team since the challenge began, and they’ve raised more than $60,000 for military charities like the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Though not funded or officially sanctioned by the Air Force, the military and climbing worlds seem to converge somewhat smoothly for the team. Marshall, who’s currently stationed inAmarillo,Tex., said commanders generally support the project thanks to the team’s intense planning and risk-mitigation process.

“Mountains are excellent leadership laboratories,”Marshallsays. “We get to work in small teams in extreme conditions. Climbing takes a combination of leading and following to survive together.”

And, sometimes these worlds collide. “I was on Mt. McKinley 24 hours from summiting when my unit told me via satellite phone that I needed to return immediately for a deployment,” he says. “Had to leave my team and haul ass back to base.”

 

 

With luck, the realities of military life won’t interrupt the climb of a lifetime for the seven Airmen who’ve committed to the Everest summit attempt and are training at their bases across the country. The Everest team includes:

– Major Graydon Muller, 33, a UH-1 and Mi-17 instructor pilot fromDuvall,Wash., stationed atHurlburt Field,Fla.

– Captain Andrew Ackles, 29, a TH-1N instructor pilot, fromAshland,Ore., stationed atFort Rucker,Ala.

– Captain Marshall Klitzke, 30, a KC-135R pilot fromLemmon,S.D., currently an instructor pilot at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.

– Captain Kyle Martin, 29, an F-16 instructor pilot and mission commander fromManhattan,Kan., currently flying T-38s at Langley Air Force Base,Va.

– Captain Colin Merrin, 28, a Global Positioning System satellite operations mission commander fromSantee,Calif., stationed at Peterson Air Force Base,Colo.

– Staff Sergeant Nick Gibson, 36, a reserve pararescueman and physician-assistant student from Gulf BreezeFla., stationed at Patrick Air Force Base,Fla.

Recently, Marshall announced Chad Jukes, 28, ofRidgway,Colo., featured in the documentary High Ground — about 11 wounded warriors climbingNepal’s 20,000 foot Mount Lobuche— plans to join the team.

“Chadis aiming to become, what I believe will be, the firstU.S.serviceman with a combat-caused amputation to climb Mount Everest,”Marshallsays. “Several other wounded warriors and supporters also plan to trek with us to Everest base camp this spring.”

“Climbing these peaks is my way to deal with the pain and sadness that sits in my stomach from the losses of friends and colleagues,”Marshalladds. “I use physical exertion and time outside as my way to blast depression and sadness. After just a day hiking trails on the outskirts of town, I come home refreshed, reenergized, and looking forward to getting things done. If it wasn’t for this, I think the bad experiences would get the best of me. I hope that through this challenge we can help other military members use the outdoors and adventure sports to improve their emotional health.”

Yes, Major Marshall is a busy man, and he’ll get busier as April approaches. But as John Muir noted, “the mountains are calling and I must go.” Same for Marshall and his team.

Major Brandon Lingle served as a public affairs officer inIraqandAfghanistanand now is at Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base inVirginia. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense orU.S.government.

Read more: http://nation.time.com/2012/11/15/aiming-high-on-the-ground/#ixzz2DISOcXyC

 

 Chad Jukes

 

Everest rubbish turned into art

Eight tonnes of litter left onMount Everesthas been turned into 75 works of art.

 

An artwork commissioned for the "Everest 8848 Art Project" on display in Kathmandu.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

 

 

 

Matt Dickinson, author of the Mortal Chaos series and one of the Brits who has reached the summit ofMount Everest, offered a surprising insight into life on top of the world once when we met. He said: "When you get up to the very top of Mount Everest there is a remarkable amount of rubbish that has been left behind - old rope, discarded oxygen cylinders, broken tents, beer cans and bottles."

A group of artists have now turned eight tonnes of this trash - including the remains of a helicopter - into works of art and sculpture to highlight the issue of littering on the slopes of Everest. It took 65 porters and 75 yaks to carry down the rubbish from the mountain over two Spring expeditions.

The exhibition of 75 pieces commissioned for the 'Everest 8848 Art Project' is on display in the Nepalese capitalKathmandubefore it moves to Pokhara next week.

Project organiser Kripa Rana Shahi said: "We thought that this would help promote the artists as well as contribute to making Everest clean. We were happy to get the trash and (the waste collectors) were happy to get rid of it."

Fifteen Nepalese artists spent a month preparing pieces for the exhibition. In one of the works, by painter and poet Sunita Rana, white shards of aluminium from drinks cans are fashioned into medals signifying the bravery of mountaineers, while black metal tent poles are transformed into a wind chime.

Group of artists is staging an exhibition of sculpture made from tonnes of trash collected onMount Everest, highlighting the toll that decades of mountaineering have taken on the world's highest peak. Discarded oxygen and cooking gas cylinders, ropes, tents, glasses, beer cans, plastic and even the remains of a helicopter make up 75 artworks commissioned for the "Everest 8848 Art Project" on display in Kathmandu.

In another, remains of a helicopter which crashed in 1974, while carrying food for Italian climbers, are incorporated into an idol of the Hindu God Ganesh. The artworks range in price from £12 to £150,000, and several pieces have already been sold.

 

 

 

"As the word on the Everest garbage spread, it tarnished the image of our country. I was saddened when the foreigners talked about Everest as if it were a dumping site," said Everest Summiteers Association president Wongchu Sherpa. "We have recommended that if a climber is found littering the mountain, he or she should be banned for five years from climbing," Sherpa told AFP.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/9695352/Everest-rubbish-turned-into-art.html

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Olympic torch light in auction to support Nepal

 

 

Famous mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington is delighted that the auction of his Olympic torch has raised £13,550 for a charity helping people in Nepal.

Sir Chris Bonington had kept the Olympic torch light in auction on Wednesday to support

The mountaineer climbed Snowdon in North Walesas part of the torch relay route and sold the torch in a sealed bid auction to raise money for Community Action Nepal, which is led by his fellow Cumbrian-based mountaineer Doug Scott.

Being a small charity their overheads are minimal, so it means that practically every single penny raised goes to the recipients who are the people in these little villages in the foothills of the Himalaya”, Bonington said.

Sir Chris added “I’m very pleased with the amount raised. I’m sad to see it go but I felt that, rather than hanging on to it, it was much better if it could do some good.”

The money will be spent on several projects including the building of shelters on trekking routes and constructing new schools.

“Quite a few porters are left to fend for themselves and have died from exposure,” Sir Chris said.

The auction closed on Wednesday during a large charity.

The torch will be on display at the Royal Geographical Society.

Source: in-cumbria.com/

 

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The Challenge

"In the Footsteps of Legends" is an expedition to the Geographic South Pole to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott's epic expedition in 1912. The team are raising funds for two important charities, Walking with the Wounded and Alzheimers Research UK.

The largest group within the expedition team is made up of soldiers who were wounded whilst on active duty in Afghanistan in 2010. Despite their having suffered a range of injuries, including major head and limb wounds, they are now determined to inspire others, and raise funds for causes dear to their hearts, by undertaking this gruelling physical challenge, which they aim to complete shortly before returning to serve another tour in Afghanistan.

The expedition is being co-led by Justin Packshaw (himself a former Captain in the British Army) and David Hempleman-Adams.

 

On 19 November 2012, the team will set off to walk In the Footsteps of Legends, and try and reach the Geographic South Pole.

They will walk 140 miles across the ice from Union Glacier: across a barren icefield, barely touched by humans, dragging a sled laden with food, tent and clothes. It will take 19 days of arduous trekking to reach the bottom of the earth.

The expedition will begin at the 88 degrees South, which is 140 miles from the Geographic South Pole.

The terrain between 88 degrees South and the South Pole itself is some of the most extreme on the planet.

Despite this, the team will ski unsupported, pulling all their equipment themselves, on specially designed pulks in temperatures as low as -40°Celius. The team is going to be away for four weeks.

The team is being lead by explorers David Hempleman-Adams and Justin Packshaw. The aim is to raise over £1 million for the charities Walking with the Wounded and Alzheimer's Research UK.

HRH Prince of Wales is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Dragoon Guards and has sent this message to the team... and the Prime Minister has also sent a message of support.

 

 

Denis Urubko and Alexei Bolotov are preparing to open a new route on Everest

Everest. Denis Urubko in an interview with the Kazakh site sports.kz talked about his plan to climb Everest. Together with the Russian climber Alexey Bolotov Denis plans a new route in alpine style. - All new routes on Everest were made in the ... read more

Denis Urubko in an interview with the Kazakh site sports.kz talked about his plan to climb Everest. Together with the Russian climber Alexey Bolotov Denis plans a new route in alpine style.

- All new routes on Everest were made in the Himalayan style - with acclimatization at base camp, hanging fixed ropes and using oxygen. A climb in alpine style means: you're getting to the bottom of the summit and conquer it by direct climb, not returning on any of the camps. With my mates I have made such type of climbingBroadPeak, Manaslu andCho Oyu. If we manage to climb in alpine style on Everest, I think it will be a significant event, a new word in the history of mountaineering. For my self-realization as an athlete, it is very important.

 

With winners of recent Asian Piolet d’Or

 

 

As always, a lot of interesting on the blog of Denis

Asian Piolet d’Or

So it has turned out, that the decision on rewarding of nominees was gave with the big work. Possibly, in a judiciary board clever serious people have gathered too many. Where, have inexplicably involved the former ensign. Having listened to reports on ascensions of commands we long could not come to the general opinion. Were nervous, proved, smiled, indignantly gesticulated. But when the opinion of the commission has taken shape, it has appeared the most correct and comprehensible to all. We with gratitude have shaken each other hands.

And in the evening from a scene Mr. Kim Syong-jim and Mr. Hiroshi Hagivara have congratulated winners of 2012:

- Kim Chang-ho, An Chi-young (KOREAsouth) for ascent inNepal.

- Zhou Peng, Yan Dongdong, Lee Shuang (CHINA) for ascents inSichuanmountains.

 

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With Asian Piolet d’Or of life Achivements in mountaineering there was something strange. Because I continued to consider myself as the young operating sportsman. And a similar sort of the award were always awarded to veterans of backpackings. For the huge contribution to mountaineering development, for. And it was possible to me only went in for sports, as it understood. «But was in time, - I have grinned in heart. - nobody knows, that happens tomorrow».

 

http://urubko.blogspot.ru/

 

Lionel Daudet completed his program Tour de France

  The famous French alpinist Lionel Daudet completed his program Tour de France or Dodetour. On Thursday, with excellent weather, he climbed Mont Blanc with friends Francois Damilano, David Othman and Vincent Sprungli. Lionel with ... read more

 

The famous French alpinist Lionel Daudet completed his program Tour de France or Dodetour. On Thursday, with excellent weather, he climbed Mont Blanc with friends Francois Damilano, David Othman and Vincent Sprungli. Lionel with Vincent went paragliding straight toChamonix. It was a feast! Thus, Daudet completed the route along the borders ofFrance: more than 7,000 kilometers on foot, bike and kayak. More than 400 days on the road, hundreds summits of climbing, a lot of excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 Summits World News

Kilimanjaro. The Snows of Kilimanjaro by NASA…. The views from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro—a 5,895-meter (19,341-foot) dormant stratovolcano inTanzania—are as surreal as they are spectacular. After ascending through multiple ... read more

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by NASA….

The views from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro—a 5,895-meter (19,341-foot) dormant stratovolcano inTanzania—are as surreal as they are spectacular. After ascending through multiple ecosystems—including cropland, lush rainforest, alpine desert, and a virtual dead zone near the summit—climbers can find themselves peering down on a thick blanket of clouds below that seems to stretch endlessly in the distance.

But in the immediate foreground, ice dominates the view. Looking north, a shelf-like block of ice with a sharp vertical cliff sits on an otherwise featureless, sand-covered plateau. In the other direction, a second ice field spills off the edge of the plateau, down the mountain’s southern face.

Kimberly Casey, a glaciologist based at NASA’sGoddardSpaceFlightCenter, was savoring the views from Kilimanjaro’s summit and caldera when she snapped these panoramic images of Kilimanjaro’s northern (middle) and southern (bottom) ice fields. The Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite acquired the top image, which shows some of the same ice fields from above on October 26, 2012.

 

 

Casey was taking part in a September 2012 research expedition to Kilimanjaro to study the ice at the summit. For scale, bright tents that were part of the scientists' base camp are visible in the lower left of the northern ice field image.

Despite Mount Kilimanjaro’s location in the tropics, the dry and cold air at the top of the mountain has sustained large quantities of ice for more than 10,000 years. At points, ice has completely surrounded the crater. Studies of ice core samples show that Kilimanjaro’s ice has persisted through multiple warm spells, droughts, and periods of abrupt climate change.

But trends beginning more than a century ago suggest Kilimanjaro’s peaks may soon be ice-free. Between 1912 and 2011, the mass of ice on the summit decreased by more than 85 percent. Researchers say it’s no longer a question of whether the ice will disappear but when. Estimates vary, but several scientists predict it will be gone by 2060.

Rising air temperatures due to global warming could be contributing to the ice loss, but a number of other factors are just as important, if not more so. An increasingly dry regional atmosphere, for example, is starving the mountain of the fresh snow needed to sustain the ice fields. Drier air is also reducing cloud cover and allowing more solar energy to warm the ice surfaces.

Casey and colleagues noticed yet another ominous sign during their 2012 expedition. The northern ice field, which had been developing a hole since the 1970s, has separated. “This was the first year that the northern ice field completely divided into two,” said Casey.

“We were able to walk on land—or we could have even ridden a bicycle—directly through the rift.”

Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

 

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Local Ultra Runner Completes Circuit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Saint Louisresident Jerry Frost was recently one of the first people in the world to run a complete circuit around the tallest freestanding mountain in the world: Mount Kilimanjaro. Frost, an ultra marathoner in his fifties, spent eight days running around the base of Mount Kilimanjaroas part of the first annual Stage Run around the Roof of Africa, a run hosted by the Tanzanian adventure outfitter Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience (SENE). Frost was one of ten international ultra runners to participate in this groundbreaking running event October 18-28. Other participants includedBoulderColorado’s Krissy Moehl, one of the most highly regarded female ultra marathoners in the world, and Simon Mtuy, Guinness world record holder for fastest unassisted ascent and descent ofMount Kilimanjaro. The runners were accompanied by videographer Andrew King ofSouth Africa’s D4 Productions, who is creating a short video series of the event that will be available later this year.

Frost and the other SENE Stage Run participants ran 170 miles and endured a total ascent of more than 35,000 feet as they ran around the steep slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The terrain was intense and varied as the group ran through rainforests, dry plains, coffee plantations, villages, and deep valleys on the ancient footpaths of the indigenous Chagga people. The run was fully supported and the participants enjoyed chef-prepared breakfasts and dinners at camp and snacks and beverages on the trail. The runners got a taste of local culture when they camped at local villages in the evenings. They also supported reforestation efforts by planting trees in thevillage of Marangu. On the fourth night, the runners were lucky enough to enjoy hot showers and comfortable accommodations at Simba Farm inWest Kilimanjaro.

The ultra runners did not encounter any major injuries or set-backs over the course of the run, and all runners completed the circuit within the time allotted. On their last night, the runners enjoyed a celebratory evening at Simon Mtuy’s private Mbahe Farm before parting ways and moving on to their next big adventures.

 

 

  

 

For more information, please visit

 http://www.facebook.com/StageRunAroundTheRoofOfAfrica?fref=ts

 or http://tanzaniatrailrunning.com/

 

Source: interact.stltoday.com

 

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All-women Nepali team to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

 

KATHMANDU: Two years after scaling the highest mountains in Australia and Russia, the all-women Nepali mountaineer team is all set to climb Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895m), the tallest peak of Africa, with the theme ‘A journey to educate young girls’ from March 1-7 next year.

In a mission to climb the tallest mountains in all seven continents, this will be their fourth expedition.

The Seven Summits expedition team successfully scaled Mt Everest (8,848m in Asia), Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m inAustralia), Mt Elbrus (5,642m in Europe) in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

Less than 300 people in the world have climbed the seven summits, of them only 51 are women where only two Nepali men have achieved this feat so far.

Shailee Basnet, team coordinator, said they would be highlighting the importance of ‘girl education’ during Mt Kilimanjaro climb ‘Kili for a cause’.

The team has been promoting girls’ education in coordination with various government and non-government organisations since their first expedition. “We have already reached out to 11,000 students in more than 100 schools across the country to promote education for girls,” she said.

The Nepali team will be joined by three African women to highlight the significance of

girl education around the world.

One of the climbers is a dynamic youth activist advocating against early marriage, the other is a teacher from the nearly extinct bushmen tribe called ‘the Hadzabes’ and the third climber is Hlubi Mboya (on the picture), a popular television actress in Southern Africa who is also the World Food Programme Ambassador against Hunger in South Africa.

 

According to Basnet, Nepali and Tanzanian climbers will be visiting various schools in Arusha andDares-Salaam,Tanzaniato tell their stories and encourage young students about the importance of education and to achieve their dreams.

The total budget for the Kilimanjaro climb is $50,000 in which 50 per cent will go to charity.

Childreach International is setting up online global donation campaign for the event.

The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) is sponsoring the climb for three African Women. They will also produce a documentary movie featuring the climb.

 

The all-women Nepali mountaineer team on the slopes of Elbrus

 

Source: thehimalayantimes.com

 

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25 new peaks to be open for climbing

 

The government is planning to open new peaks that are in demand for the promotion of mountain tourism and to create new destinations.

The government had, in 2003, opened 111 new peaks, and later nine other peaks in 2004, but since then no new peaks have been opened. Currently, 326 peaks are allowed for mountain expeditions and adventure sports.

“We will soon forward our study report of the peaks that can be opened for expeditions like other regular peaks,” said under secretary at the Tourism Industry Division Surendra Sapkota. The division is currently studying applications from various regions that have requested the government to open certain summits for expeditions.

“We have a list of applications requesting us to open restricted peaks to create fresh destinations for tourists who arrive inNepalfor mountain and adventure tourism,” said Sapkota. “We are going through the documents and studying peaks that can be allowed for expeditions, and we are also taking suggestions from other related associations on the matter,” he said.

“As soon as we prepare proper documents, we will forward them to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, which after further verification will submit the report to the cabinet for final approval,” he said, adding that there is a demand for new peaks and along with the permission to open the peaks, it will definitely attract quality number of mountaineers and create new destinations.

“It has been more than eight years since the government last announced new peaks for expeditions, therefore, it is time that the government open new border-peaks for mountaineering,” said former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa.

“We have also recommended 25 peaks, most of which are border-peaks that can attract quality number of climbers,”

said Sherpa, adding government must simplify rules and develop a one-window system so that the process is completed on time.

“It has been two years since we recommended names of border-peaks that are in demand among mountaineers,” he said.

Source: nepalmountainnews.com

 

 

Wade Davis' Everest book wins Samuel Johnson Prize

 

   

 

Winning author Wade Davis is also the National Geographic Society's Explorer-In-Residence

Wade Davis's book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest will receive the £20,000 prize.

Judges said the "momentous" book, the result of 10 years' research and writing, "shed new light on events and stories we thought we already knew".

Davisis also the National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence.

The adventurer gives a detailed insight into the explorers' world, focusing on Mallory's expeditions and the impact of the Great War.

Chair of the judges, David Willetts MP, said it was a "fascinating historical narrative of a great adventure".

"It's an exciting story of human endeavour imbued with deep historical significance," he continued.

"Wade's scrupulous use of sources and attention to detail, combined with his storytelling skills and ability to enter into the minds of the people he is writing about, make this a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable book."

Canadian Wade has written 15 books and produced the Geographic Channel's documentary series Light at the Edge of the World.

He flew into London from New Yorkfor the announcement of the prize at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Waded received his PhD in ethnobotany from Harvard University

Willetts said that this year's shortlist was "very strong", which made Wade's win "all the more significant".

The rest of the judging panel was made up by writer and biographer Patrick French, The Guardian's non-fiction books editor Paul Laity, editor of Prospect magazine Bronwen Maddox, and philosopher, poet, physician and cultural critic Professor Raymond Tallis.

The prize is open to all non-fiction books published in English, by writers of any nationality, in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Previous winners include 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.

Source: bbc.co.uk

 

Russia Today about Everest Summit

Everest. It's been thirty years since the first Soviet expedition reached the summit of Everest, the world's highest mountain. And, to mark the occasion, the 70 climbers who reached the top... Were honoured in Moscow last Thursday...And re-lived ... read more

It's been thirty years since the first Soviet expedition reached the summit of Everest, the world's highest mountain. And, to mark the occasion, the 70 climbers who reached the top...

Were honoured in Moscow last Thursday...
And re-lived some of their unique experiences, with Konstantin Potapov

 

 

 

 

Washington Post: Russia backs resorts to stem terrorism

Elbrus. ARKHYZ,Russia— After years of trying to suppress religious and ethnic tensions in its southwestern mountains with guns and troops, Russia is offering new incentives to combat unrest and terrorism: ski slopes and sandy beaches. The ... read more

ARKHYZ,Russia— After years of trying to suppress religious and ethnic tensions in its southwestern mountains with guns and troops, Russia is offering new incentives to combat unrest and terrorism: ski slopes and sandy beaches.

The idea is to bring jobs and prospects to the people of the North Caucasus, where Islamic fundamentalism and separatist aspirations have resulted in death and violence in the region’s mountains and a thousand miles away inMoscow, the target of suicide bomber attacks. The vehicle is an $18 billion plan for seven ski resorts scattered through the mountains and three beach developments costing $4.6 billion on the Caspian Sea.

 

 

The landscape here is awe-inspiringly beautiful, nearly everyone agrees, and economic development is vital to long-term peace. Then skepticism sets in. Will tourists feel safe? So far this year, 574 violent deaths have been reported in the North Caucasus. Last year, terrorists killed three Russian tourists near Mount Elbrus, at 18,510 feet Europe’s tallest mountain, where a small ski area has operated for years.

Much of the answer probably depends on the success of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which Russiais hosting in Sochi, on the Black Sea to the west. Islamists and grievance-bearing ethnic groups could attempt disruptions. Circassians, for one, want Russia to acknowledge czarist -era genocide against them in Sochi. Officials are counting on a well-run Games to stir up interest in Russian skiing and reassure vacationers.

The beach resorts would lie in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan, where police and militants regularly exchange gunfire. In July, a bomb was found on the beach in Makhachkala, the region’s capital, but was defused before it exploded. The attack came two years after another bomb maimed a woman on the same beach.

Russian leaders, from Vladimir Putin on down, support increased tourism and have allotted the government-sponsored Northern Caucasus Resorts $2 billion to begin development and seek investors. Foreign experts have been brought in to help, including Gernot Leitner, an energetic Austrian architect, skier and sports professional who played on the Austrian national volleyball team and spent eight years on the beach volleyball circuit.

 

 

“Only the Rocky Mountains are comparable with the North Caucasus,” said Leitner, who has skied for days on end in the region to select trails and sites for hotels and chalets. He was referring to the geography, not the infrastructure. Roads are narrow and rutted, hotels few. “It’s going to be nice. I believe in it.”

The resorts will take several years to build — roads, power grids and sewers have to be put in, airports constructed or expanded, and workers trained in the tourist business. Supply chains are non existent. But Leitner, chief executive of Master concept Consultants, said Russia will be 20 percent middle class by 2020.

“That means 30 million people with money to spend on vacations,” he said.

 

Farmland to ski country?

The nearest airport to Arkhyz is Mineralnye Vody, about 125 miles away on roads that wind through mostly Muslim villages and some Christian, where cows or herds of horses stop traffic in the evening as they return from grazing. In the last days of fall, elderly women sit outside the low brick or stone walls that surround their houses, soaking the last of the sun’s warm rays into their bones. The wood is chopped, the hay gathered as winter approaches. Along the roadside, people sell pumpkins, jars of honey, canned berries and pickled mushrooms and a thick mint-and-pine-infused syrup said to ward off the flu.

Leitner foresees many miles of slopes and trails, thousands of beds in hotels and cottages, supported by a newly created supply chain of thriving small businesses. And skiing, fabulous skiing, with golf in the summer.

“The good spots will be better than the best spots in theAlps,” he said. “It’s hard to say that as an Austrian, but it’s true.”

“All the resorts are in special economic zones, with special rights, so maybe it’s easier to control the flows of money,” he said. “We’re talking about a national project. When all the big guys are on board, things usually work in Russia.”

 

 

As the resorts develop, the lives of people here will improve, said Akhmed Bilalov, chairman of the board of the Northern Caucasus Resorts and for the last year a senator inRussia’s upper house of parliament. He predicts that as many as 300,000 jobs will be created eventually, directly and indirectly.

“That’s what provides security,” he said.

Alexei Malashenko, an expert on the North Caucasus at theCarnegieMoscowCenter, is dubious.

“If I wanted to go to skiing,” he said, “I would go toAustria.”

Malashenko said Arkhyz, in Karachay-Cherkessia, is quieter than much of the region. But his friends go abroad because vacations are less expensive than inRussiaand service is better. Corruption, he predicted, would raise prices here. And it will be a huge challenge to train historic traders as workers in a new service industry.

 

Big plans, uncertain reality

Security has been improving —Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in October that the rate of crime classified as terrorism has been declining, from 1,030 incidents in 2009 to 365 last year.

Acknowledging that progress, the International Crisis Group, an independent organization dedicated to conflict resolution, said in a major report in October that the region still needs a concerted strategy — improvement of rule of law and governance, along with the necessary economic development.

Malashenko agrees, but is pessimistic that Moscowcan provide that.

“It’s a piece of Russia,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing that in the Caucasus without doing it in all of Russia. Eliminating corruption is impossible because corruption comes from Moscow, and there is certain mutual understanding between corrupt officials in Moscowand their brothers in the Caucasus.”

Although Arkhyz appears bucolic and unthreatening, journalists touring the building site recently were unsettled by a heavy show of security. Men wearing uniforms of the Ministry of Emergency Situations went up the ski lift first and waited at the top until reporters were safely on the ground. Several other burly men in camouflage fanned out, scanning the perimeter, as the visitors walked the grounds. A police escort led the journalists’ buses back to the airport.

“Come, don’t be afraid,” said Rashid Temrezov, head of the Karachay-Cherkessia region. “I’ll guide you myself. Many people come here and no one bothers them.”

The Caucasus are well-known for extraordinary hospitality. Temrezov and a resaturant owner had a sheep killed for the reporters’ lunch. “It was alive just a few hours ago,” the restaurateur said cheerfully as the carcass turned on a spit.

Maybe, Malashenko said, he’s too pessimistic. But Russiahas had many big plans for the Caucasus.

“And what is the result? The same corruption, the same unemployment, the same resistance,” he said. “It’s a problem. It’s a problem forever.”

By Kathy Lally, Published: November 5

 

Mountain guides of Russia gathered at Ski Salon

Everest. Board meeting of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides took place Nov. 2 in the Gostiny Dvor, in the Ski Salon. It still was rather a monologue of the Board with the elements of discussion with community guides. Noisy area of Ski Salon ... read more

Board meeting of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides took place Nov. 2 in the Gostiny Dvor, in the Ski Salon. It still was rather a monologue of the Board with the elements of discussion with community guides. Noisy area of Ski Salon did not promote long conversation, they were put off for another time.

 

 

Declared program was generally fulfilled:

1. Report on the results of 2012. Zon-Zam S. Bryk R.

2. Discussion on the future structure of the educational modules of School. Shustrov A., M. Balakhovsky

3. Training programs for ages guides. Shustrov A.

4. Financial report on the follow-up in 2012. Bryk R.

5. Information about membership fees. Bryk R.

6. School plans for 2013.

7. Partnership performance: RED FOX, GRT, Petzl.

 

Roman Bryk - executive manager of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides

 

The 7 Summits Club is one of the initiators and sponsors of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides. At the meeting of our organization was represented by Denis Savelyev.

President of the Association Sergei Zon-Zam led the meeting. He spoke specifically and clearly, joking, and during the conversation led jokes in a serious direction. It became clear that Roman Bryk as a manager does not receive money from the Association. And his work is sponsored by FAR.

Budget of the Association is formed mainly thanks of sponsors of Gortex and Red Fox. The main item of expenditure - is payment of Canadians Lecturers. The first period of the Association can be called a "golden age", because we made a lot in spite of the predictions of the pessimists.

 

 

At the meeting of the Association of Mountain Guides Russia gathered as members of the first set, which included Kirill Anisimov (Elbrus), Maxim Balakhovsky (Kamchatka), Nikolai Polyakov (Krasnaya Polyana), Vitaly Ilyinykh (Moscow), Vladimir Gonchar (Elbrus), and members of the School the second set of names are also well known to all, it's best riders and guides of Russia, such as Victor Zakharin (Kamchatka), Anna Khankevich (Moscow), Peter Yastrebkov (Moscow), Vitaly Stegno (Stavropol Territory).

At the meeting the guides discussed the structure of educational modules and plans for the future of the School Guides for 2013

Ñommemorative “Mount Everest Climber” will be awarded on November 8 at the Polytechnical Museum

Everest. 7 Summits Club and the Mountaineering Federation of Russia invite to the Congress of Climbers of Everest. Over sixty climbers who climbed the highest peak of the planet, will take part in the congress of the climbers on Everest, dedicated ... read more

7 Summits Club and the Mountaineering Federation of Russia invite to the Congress of Climbers of Everest.

Over sixty climbers who climbed the highest peak of the planet, will take part in the congress of the climbers on Everest, dedicated to the anniversary of the first Soviet and the first Russian climb. Among the participants – living legends of the Soviet and Russian mountaineering, members of expeditions in 1982, 1990, 1992 and of the north face of Everest in 2004.

"It's nice to meet people who have experienced the same thing you have. And who understand what is behind the ascent of this mountain," – Ivan Dusharin says about the upcoming meeting. He is one of initiators of meeting, who three times climbedMount Everest.

In the program of international meetings: films and video footage of climbing, slide shows, "the story of conquering Everest 1907 - 1953 years.", photo exhibition, an exhibition of unique materials from the Museum of Sport, presentation of Ñommemorative " Mount Everest Climber"

"I am grateful to the organizers of the Congress, who took the trouble to collect climbers on Everest from the formerSoviet Union. Finally they created a club for all those who reached the top of the World. And I am glad that the club will have its symbolism as a Ñommemorative of honor "Mount Everest Climber"- said Vladimir Shataev, one of the leaders of Soviet mountaineering, climbed Everest in 58 years.

All are invited. Entrance for guests of the Congress and climbers is free!

 

 

November 8, 2012, 18:00,Moscow, station "Lubyanka",New Square, 3/4, 9-th entrance, a lecture hall of the Museum.

At thePolytechnicMuseumon April 23 (May 7, New Style), 1901 there was a constituent assembly of Russian Mountain Society.

 

 

 

 

Ñommemorative “Mount Everest Climber”

 

 

 

 

Seven Summits collectors’ stories

Vinson.   Rohan Freeman – the first Afro-American and Jamaican on the Seven Summits.   In April 2009, Rohan Freeman embarked on an incredible journey to accomplish his dream of summitingMount Everest. In May 2009, he reached the ... read more

 

Rohan Freeman – the first Afro-American and Jamaican on the Seven Summits.

 

In April 2009, Rohan Freeman embarked on an incredible journey to accomplish his dream of summitingMount Everest. In May 2009, he reached the world’s highest peak. In June 2009, he returned home with his sights set on establishing his own engineering consulting firm.

Mr. Freeman was born and raised in Jamaica, and came to the University of Connecticut to explore his interests in the field of civil engineering. He went on to become a dually licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor. His innate leadership talents and project management abilities have been enriched by his 25 year career in the industry working for nationally recognized firms, as well as the City ofHartford’s Public Works Department.

He is a man that is characterized by his passions, pride and drive. He embodies the spirit, culture and values of his firm. The establishment of Freeman Companies has been a challenging and exciting accomplishment, and Mr. Freeman is excited about the future success and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Failure is not an option.

Rohan’s summit ofMount Everestis part of his larger initiative to summit the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents. His conquest ofMount Everestmarked the fifth of his seven summits. He climbed in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and has served as an active member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2008.

A former track star at the University of Connecticut, Freeman said he first wanted to climb mountains in 1998, when he booked his first vacation to a winter resort. One winter sport led to another, he said, and in June 2002, Freeman and several friends climbed Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. He then scaled three of the other "Seven Summits" -MountMcKinleyinAlaskain June 2004, Mount Elbrus inRussiain June 2006 and Aconcagua inArgentinain December 2006 - before he attempted to climbMount Everest.

"Just the idea that he's done outreach and work with the youth of Hartfordand has shown them a much broader world ... that was very important [to us]," said fund President Kirk Sykes.

After Everest Freeman climbed the last two of the "Seven Summits": Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia- in 2010. And finished this story climbed Pyramid Carstensz in fall 2012.

 

 

"When I returned from Everest, I stared my own engineering company," Freeman said. "I'm trying to see if I can make that a success."

 

 

 

Premlata Agarwal

Premlata Agarwal has added yet another mountain to her kitty! The oldest Indian woman mountaineer to have scaled Mt Everest has now also become the only Indian woman to climb Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak of the Australia/Oceania continent, which is deemed one of the most difficult to climb.

Talking to mediapersons on her return, Agrawal (48) said she reached the 16,024-feet steep Carstensz summit ofIndonesiaon October 23, after seven days of trekking. She has now scaled five of the seven highest summits of all continents.

 

She took a tumble innumerable times during the expedition, braved consistent rainfall and slipped on slushy tracks to the base camp. “It was a very difficult and challenging climb. Several elements came across our trek but we did not lose heart. But I’m very happy to have come back successful,” she said.

It rained throughout the journey, in which she had threeUSmen climbers as part of the team. “We flew into Timika fromBalion October 15. Then we took a hour-long flight to Sugada village, which is one of the openings to the base camp,” Premlata recalled.

This resident ofJamshedpurwill go to Mt Vinson Massif (Antarctica) in December and re-tryMountMcKinley(North America) in May-June next year to complete her seven-summit campaign. She was forced to return without climbing McKinley last June due to inclement weather.

Agrawal has set sight on completing the mountaineering challenge of climbing the Seven Summits and Tata Steel is the proud sponsor of her expedition, and is supporting her with a sponsorship of Rs 80 lakh. Conquering all seven summits makes one a member of the Hall of Fame for mountaineers.

If Premlata achieves this remarkable feat — she is targeting 2013 for it — she will become the first Indian woman, and one the oldest in the world, to do so.

 

Antarctica's Tallest Peak

NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica’s tallest peak,MountVinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. The flight is part of NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne campaign to monitor changes in Earth’s polar ice caps in both the Antarctic and Arctic. Ice Bridge science flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, began on Oct. 12 and continue through early November. Mount Vinsonis located in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica.

 

 

 

Dr. Clare O'Leary

 

 

She's already conquered Everest, completed the world's Seven Summits and become the first Irish woman to reach the South Pole.

But now Dr. Clare O'Leary is aiming to make history once again as part of the first Irish team to cross the perilous, but little-known North Patagonian Icecap.

The pint-sized adventurer, from Bandon, Co.Cork, is part of a five-strong team that also includes Kerry explorer Mike O'Shea, which is attempting to cross the treacherous 120km distance.

The team, which set off from their base inChilelast weekend, is expected to spend the whole of this month hauling their sledges across the remote cap, which has only ever been crossed by a handful of people.

Even preparing for the challenge and packing the correct clothing was a logistical nightmare, as temperatures, on altitudes ranging from 1200m to 1500m, can range from -30C to 30C on the same day.

Both Clare and Mike have spent months training for the gruelling adventure, which is deemed particularly challenging because of the difficulty in accessing the icecap.

The team will have to climb a towering glacier before setting foot on the cap, while the journey will also include boat trips, camping and horse riding with South American gauchos and crossing a rainforest.

Earlier this year both Clare and Mike were forced to abandon their bid to become the first expedition to make it to the North Pole.

They were forced to pull the plug on the challenge to reach the remote Arctic point, because their plan to share chartered logistics with other teams fell apart.

Clare is the first Irish female toclimbMt.Everest and also the first Irish woman to complete the Seven Summits, which includesMt.Vinsonin the Antarcticand Mt. McKinley inAlaska.

Keep track of their progress at irishnorthpole2013.com.

Climbing the Seven Summits: Up and down the world's highest peaks

By Terry Wood. Special to The SeattleTimes     About. Mike Hamill is a professional mountain guide, writer, and photographer. He regularly leads expeditions to the mountains of the Seven Summits, among others, and has climbed all ... read more

By Terry Wood. Special to The SeattleTimes

 

 

About. Mike Hamill is a professional mountain guide, writer, and photographer. He regularly leads expeditions to the mountains of the Seven Summits, among others, and has climbed all of the original Seven Summits at least four times, some as many as twenty. He has climbed them all in the course of one year several times, finishing them in 2008 in 220 days, the tenth fastest time to date. Mike was featured in the Discovery Channel’s television production entitled Everest: Beyond the Limits.

Mike has been guiding for more than a decade and callsSeattlehome when not on the road. He began his climbing career on the steep rock and ice of New England andNew YorkStatewhile obtaining a bachelor of science from St. Lawrence University inCanton,New York. He hails originally fromHanover,New Hampshire, andBridgton,Maine.

http://climbingthesevensummits.com/

 

 

Mike Hamill is part of an exclusive club, one of about 350 people who have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents.

Hamill, 35 — a Maine native now with a West Seattle home address — has stood on top of each summit at least four times: four ascents of Mount Everest (29,035 feet), nine of Alaska's Denali (20,320 feet) and 19 ascents of Argentina's Mount Aconcagua (22,841 feet).

Figuring he knows the territory, Hamill has written "Climbing the Seven Summits" (The Mountaineers Books, 352 pp., $29.95), which outlines the details involved in reaching each continental high point, from Australia's Mount Kosciuszko (7,313 feet) to Antarctica's icy 16,050-foot Vinson Massif.

Hamill actually describes eight peaks, since some argue thatIndonesia's 16,024-foot Carstensz Pyramid, 60-plus miles off Australia's north coast (but part of the same continental shelf), is a preferred alternative to Kosciuszko. His book devotes a chapter to that debate alone.

A guide for International Mountain Guides inAshford,Wash., Hamill fielded a few questions in advance of his Sunday appearance at Wallingford's Wide World Books & Maps:

 

Q: Which summits stand out to you?

A: The two climbs I enjoy the most are Vinson Massif andDenali. Vinson is a truly unique experience. The remoteness and vastness of the continent are like nowhere else on Earth. The Alaska Range is an incredibly beautiful place, andDenaliis my excuse for getting back there each summer. The people are amazing, and there's such an energy in the summer from the sun never setting.

Of course, there's no feeling like walking down theKhumbuValleyinNepalafter a successfulMount Everestclimb.

Q: Can you pinpoint a common trait among people drawn to this goal?

A: They're goal-oriented, motivated people. They climb for a variety of different reasons, but the common thread is that they all enjoy working hard and attaining a goal that takes a lot of work and tenacity to reach.

Some are serious climbers, while others are people who began pursuing climbing to see the world and experience unique cultures. I've climbed with people from all walks of life and have had the pleasure of sharing these mountains with some of the most unique people on Earth.

Q: The hardest?

A: Mount Everest, followed by Denali,Aconcagua, Vinson, Carstensz, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro and Kosciuszko, in my opinion.

Q: How about Rainier?

A: I've summited Rainier 43 times and turned back high on the mountain another handful of times due to weather. Climbing Rainieris just about as hard physically as any mountain in the world. There are of course exceptions, like summit day on Mount Everest, butRainieris a huge climb and very strenuous even for fit guides.

The big difference is that climbs like Denali, Vinson, Aconcagua and Carstensz are much longer and so the effort is sustained over weeks, not two or three days.

Q: Your best tip for anyone contemplating the quest?

A: Start small and work your way up. It's important to get the basics down first. Safety is a big concern, so enrolling in some of the basic snow schools before attempting some of these big peaks is important. Being fit takes you a long way, even if you don't know the skills at first. You can pick those up. Toss a pack on and run upMountSia bunch of times. Fitness is the base to everything in climbing.

Climb Mount Baker,Rainierand other accessible peaks. Then work up to the higher, more technical peaks such as Denali and Mount Everest by climbing the easier of the Seven Summits as well as intermediate mountains such as the Mexican volcanos, in the European Alps and inSouth America.

 

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The Book

Mike Hamill’s consummate coverage of the Seven Summits is far more studied and detailed than anything I could have ever written. I feel deeply indebted to him for enabling me to vividly recall, roughly three decades later, each climb and to relive the insightful incidents and many magical moments which Frank Wells and I experienced and shared. Mike’s extraordinary guide will definitely encourage more left-brained, objective realists than usual to participate in the Seven Summits along with the many right-brained, dreamer adventurers who are naturally attracted to taking such giant leaps into the unknown.

— Dick Bass, First Person to Complete the Seven Summits

Watch for the book Climbing The Seven Summits by Mike Hamill to be out in May of 2012, published by The Mountaineers Books.

 

 

The Mountaineers Books: www.mountaineersbooks.org

Amazon Books: www.amazon.com

 

CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS: A Guide to Each Continents’ Highest Peak

Author: Mike Hamill

Mountaineers Books

352 pages, 8.5″ X 10″, 978-1-59485-648-8

First and only guidebook to climbing all Seven Summits

Full color with 125 photographs and 24 maps including a map for each summit route

Essential information on primary climbing routes and travel logistics for mountaineers, with historical and cultural anecdotes for armchair readers.Aconcagua.Denali. Elbrus. Everest. Kilimanjaro. Kosciuszko. Vinson. To a climber, these mountains are known as the “Seven Summits”* — the highest peaks on each continent. And from Antarctica toAlaska,NepaltoTanzania, each year thousands of climbers from all over the world attempt at least one of them, while a growing number have plans to climb each and every mountain. Drawing on years of experience, veteran Seven Summit mountain guide Mike Hamill describes overall considerations for expedition planning and high-altitude trips, gear recommendations, tips on international travel and logistics, and estimates of financial costs.

 

 

 

In-depth descriptions of each of the Seven Summits includes a regional map, a map of the primary climbing route, a route overlay on a photo, and a sample climbing itinerary that covers peak-specific technical climbing tips and what to expect on summit day. Throughout Hamill’s descriptions, renowned alpinists offer their own advice: Eric Simonson on Everest, Vern Tejas onDenali, and Melissa Arnot on Kilimanjaro. Hamill also includes the “other” Seven Summit, the Carstensz Pyramid inNew Guinea; climbing facts and figures for each peak; a history of the Seven Summits challenge; and a unique “compare and contrast” chart that reveals how the peaks stack up against each other. From the first steps of trip dreaming, to figuring out gear and plane tickets, to kicking those final, sublime steps up to the snowy top of Denali or Aconcagua — this is the one-and-only authoritative book to guide readers to all of the world’s Seven Summits.

*Within mountaineering circles there is debate over which peaks are considered the official Seven Summits. For the purposes of this guidebook, the Seven Summits are based on the continental model used in Western Europe, theUnited States, andAustralia, also referred to as the ‘Bass list.’

“If you have your sights set on the Seven Summits – the highest point on each continent – you can do no better in print than a copy of Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike hamill (the Mountaineers Books).

Peppered with tips on gear and technique, maps for the major routes and quotes from mountaineer- ing’s greats, it is an excellent reference for those serious about an undertaking that has been achieved by only 350 people.” - Action Asia Magazine

 

November 8 - an official global meeting of Everest summiters of Ex-USSR

The unique event will take place in Moscow on November 8: All Everest summiters from ex-USSR will be together in one room. "The Congress of the climbers" will be dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the first Soviet and the 20th anniversary ... read more

The unique event will take place in Moscow on November 8: All Everest summiters from ex-USSR will be together in one room.

"The Congress of the climbers" will be dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the first Soviet and the 20th anniversary of the first Russian ascents on Everest.

All climbers along the list of summiters are invited to participate. Beginning in 1982, and by 2012 more than 150 climbers from the former Soviet Union have climbed Mount Everest.

7 Summits Club acts as the lead partner in the Russian Mountaineering Federation organizing a meeting of climbers on Everest. It is no accident:

Alexander Abramov and 7 Summits Club had nine expeditions to Everest, starting in 2003. They all ended by reaching the summit. About 100 man/climbing accomplished it. So that members of our expeditions to Everest, the 7 Summits Club members will form a significant part of the invitees.

This event will be the official name is "Congress of the climbers." The exact time and the program will be announced later. But it is clear that it will be about historic climbs in 1982 and 1992, on the climb of the North Face and so on. Climbers will be awarded honorary by signs "Summiter of Mount Everest", there will show pi.

But "Congress" - is not only and not so much a meeting of sumiters, it is, above all, a meeting of climbers with the general public and the media.

We invite all members of the 7 Summits Club, all our friends, all who are interested in this topic!

Watch for information on our website.

"Congress climbers" take place on 8 November (Thursday) in the lecture hall of thePolytechnicMuseum

Moscow, New Square 3/4,

 

 

 

For a new age record on Everest

Everest. Yuichiro Miura, known as the godfather of extreme skiing, has set himself a new task that would tax most men half his age: Climbing Mount Everest at the age of 80. The skier and adventurer plans to make his assault on the 8,848-meter peak ... read more

Yuichiro Miura, known as the godfather of extreme skiing, has set himself a new task that would tax most men half his age: Climbing Mount Everest at the age of 80.

The skier and adventurer plans to make his assault on the 8,848-meter peak in spring. It would make him the oldest person to scale Everest.

Miura turned 80 on Oct. 12. He has climbed the world's highest mountain twice since turning 70.

"To challenge Everest at 80 may be the limit for a human being," Miura said. “But I couldn't be happier, especially since the challenge is a mountain peak."

Miura will be accompanied by his second son Gota Miura, 43, and Noriyuki Muraguchi, a 56-year-old photographer who has scaled Everest seven times and holds the record for the feat by a Japanese.

The team aims to reach the summit in mid-May by taking a route from the Chinese side.

Miura rewrote the world record as the oldest climber to scale the Everest in 2003, when, at the age of 70, he and his son climbed the mountain.

Miura again conquered the Everest in 2008 at age 75, which made him the second oldest person to reach the summit after a 76-year-old Nepalese who reached the top around the same time.

Miura has skied down some of the world's highest peaks.

 

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 Oldest Everest climber seeks new record

 http://www.mmtimes.com

A nepalese mountain climber who already holds the world record as the oldest person to scale Mount Everest told The Myanmar Times last week that he plans to break his own benchmark by conquering the world’s highest mountain again early next year.

Min Bahadur Sherchan reached the 8848-metre (29,029-foot) summit of Mount Everest on May 25, 2008, at the age of 76 years 340 days, a record-breaking feat that has been recognised by Guinness World Records.

Not satisfied with his achievement, he said he is planning to climb the mountain again next February, at the age of 82.

“I want to do something tough that others at my age don’t do,” Mr Sherchan said during a visit to Yangon from September 30 to October 2.

“Most people drink and smoke and giving up the habits that seem too difficult for them. When they get older, there are many factors that make succeeding less probable,” he said.

“But elderly people need to get into the habit of walking, hiking or mountaineering. I want to prove how the wonders will never end for us if we can succeed. That’s why I gave up drinking and smoking, and try to be a role model for other people to aspire to.”

Mr Sherchan said he was a soldier in the British Gurkha Army from 1948 to 1953, and later turned his attention to growing apples on his plantation in Nepal.

After selling the plantation, he started a new career as an agent for hikers and mountaineers in Nepal. He has also worked as a building contractor.

He said he was “very determined” to break his own record and succeed at summiting Everest again.

“If I don’t succeed, I might come to the end of my life. Whether or not I reach the summit, fate will decide. But I have a strong will to conquer it and succeed,” he said.

Mr Sherchan said he reached the peak in 2008 with five other climbers.

“I didn’t have much trouble and the weather was fine too. When I stood at the summit of the highest mountain on earth, I felt as if I was even higher than Mount Everest,” he said.

Mr Sherchan was visiting Myanmar as an honorary goodwill ambassador for Visit Lumbini Year 2012. Lumbini, located in Nepal, was the birthplace of the Buddha and is a popular pilgrimage site.

Conqueror of Aconcagua - Reality show in the Basque television

Aconcagua. In Spain, continues to grow and scale a reality show called “El Conquistador del Aconcagua” - Conqueror of Aconcagua. The program is conducted by the Public Basque TV for three years. On the one hand, this is a logical extension ... read more

In Spain, continues to grow and scale a reality show called “El Conquistador del Aconcagua” - Conqueror of Aconcagua. The program is conducted by the Public Basque TV for three years. On the one hand, this is a logical extension of long-term work with broadcasters famous climber Juanito Oyrasabal.

On the other hand, this is author's work a well-known TV showman 45-year-old Julian Iantzi.

Now it is the third edition of the program. The first, in 2010, was rather experimental. In 2011, it turned to be full-size. But only now it promise to reach expected scale and popularity.

Which of the 14 applicants will rise to the top, who will be eliminated by spectators, who then would not let the mountain itself? There is the central question that every Monday raised during a demonstration of the next story and then discussed by viewers under the famous journalist Iñaki Lopez.

 

 

 

 

Home Online TV

www.eitb.com/es/television/programas/

 

 

A huge amount of material posted to Youtube:

Video presentation

 

 

 

Daniel Gomez (director of Recursos Naturales Mendoza province – the main official person onAconcagua) believes that the program is very useful to promote the area. And the activity of TV team is completely under the control of the authorities, which do not allow to do anything that does not match right from their point of view, the behavior in the mountains.

So Gomez responded to emerging in regional government fears that the "Aconcaguais converting to the film set," and doing it "for cheap." 50,000 pesos - less than 11 thousand dollars, Basques pay for all permits. It adheres to draw up an annual rates. However, there are concerns that the scale of actions of visitors fromSpainis too big for such price.

 

A new age record on Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro. Age be damned. An elderly Vancouver couple successfully climbed Africa's highest mountain, becoming the oldest known couple to do so. Esther Kafer, 84, and her husband Martin, 85, reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro Wednesday, according ... read more

Age be damned. An elderly Vancouver couple successfully climbed Africa's highest mountain, becoming the oldest known couple to do so.

Esther Kafer, 84, and her husband Martin, 85, reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro Wednesday, according to the Alzheimer's Society of B.C. Their achievement has yet to be verified by Guinness World Record officials. The Tanzanian mountain is 5,885 metres high (19,341 feet).

Motivated by the rapid rate Martin's sister's dementia was advancing, the couple took part in the climb to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Society of B.C.

"Each time we visit Martin’s sister we are overwhelmed by the telling signs of the rapid rate her dementia is advancing," the pair said on the society's website. They point out that the former researcher and McGill professor is now "reduced to incoherent words... a sad hulk of a mind" and needs 24-hour care.

Married since 1953, the Kafers have spent their lives travelling the world, climbing mountains, and skiing.

"Esther and Martin's achievement epitomizes the spirit of the Ascent for Alzheimer's event, which is that no matter how challenging the journey there is support," said Jean Black, CEO of the Alzheimer Society of B.C.

Eager to obtain international work experience, the self-described "old-timer mountaineers and life-long outdoor enthusiasts" immigrated to Canada in 1954 from Switzerland and never looked back.

When asked to provide advice for those with more sedentary lifestyles, both champion fit, active lives and sharp mental acuity.

"Be active all of the time, eat well, use your arms your legs and your head. Most of all your head. Take every day as a bonus day," the Kafers told Canadian Achievers.

The Kafers helped to raise more than $24,000 for the Alzheimer's Society of B.C.

The Huffington Post B.C.