207 more days...

Two More For The Group:

Rick informed me that his daughter Holly and her boyfriend Todd will be climbing with us this summer. So that’s #17 and #18 for the group - only 6 spots left!

On Tuesday, January 17^th at 8:00pm PBS is showing a NOVA episode called "Lost on Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine". NOVA has traditionally done excellent mountaineering specials, and I expect this to be no different.

The first major expeditions to Mt. Everest were by the British in 1921, 1922, and 1924. One of the key figures of those expeditions was a English climber named George Mallory. In 1924, Mallory, along with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine, set off for the summit. Several hours later a member of their expedition saw them moving along the ridge towards the summit, but then clouds moved in and neither Mallory nor Irvine were ever seen again. The greatest mystery in mountaineering was born - did they reach the summit?

Last spring an American expedition set off for Everest looking for clues of Mallory’s failure or success. They had some vague clues from a previous Chinese expedition and hoped that they might find one of the dead climbers. The group hoped to find Irvine, but then Conrad Anker, one of America’s finest all-around climbers, wandered out of the search area and found the body of George Mallory. Since then, the mountaineering world has been analyzing and debating Mallory’s final hours.

Catch Mountaineering Fever:

It’s stories like that of Mallory and Irvine that really get you hooked on mountaineering and its stories. I may only physically get to the mountains a choice few days a year, but my mind is there many times every day. Rick told me to do two things with these emails: Get people excited about mountaineering and encourage them to get improve their fitness. These mountaineering stories are great motivation when pushing for that last mile or climbing those last stairs. There are some excellent books out there, and I’ll suggest some in the future.

Remember, if there’s anything anybody wants to know about this summer’s trip or mountaineering in general, please don’t hesitate to email me. Until later, think about life at 14,000 feet!

"For the stone from the top for geologists, the knowledge of the limits of endurance for the doctors, but above all for the spirit of adventure to keep alive the soul of man."