Photos of Snickers and Gulliver and an Update to Save the Adventurous Duo

A couple of days ago I put up a post called “A Real Saga of ‘Walt Disney’ Proportions: Dog Rescued After Three Months at Sea and Four Months on Pacific Atoll“.

This post outlined an ongoing rescue attempt of two animals, Snickers the dog and Gulliver the Macaw, who had taken quite a journey, then ended up needlessly abandoned on an island in the Pacific. With the help of some very generous people and businesses the two might have a chance at making it back to the US.

I have been contacted by someone very close to this ordeal, who has decided to share an update with myself–which in turn I must share with you. To catch up on the background to this story story just click the first link in this post.

Now For the Update:

Snickers has officially made it back to the United States–Las Vegas, specifically where he has met up with his new owner Jack Joslin. Through the gracious and generous support of Hawaiian Airlines, Snickers was able to board the flight and head back to the mainland safe and sound.

From a first-hand account emailed to me by one of Snicker’s caretakers in Hawaii:

“I’m exhausted - got Snickers off and he’s officially safe in
Las Vegas. You may be the first to hear this. Local press is aware
but we haven’t granted any interviews to anyone else. Photo is of the
two of us at Hawaiian Air’s airport cargo area. He got lots of
playtime before being put in his crate, exhaused, to sleep the flight
away. My sister, Tina Young, picked him up in LA and drove him to Las
Vegas where they met Jack and his other dog, Missy, to meet under
non-stressful conditions. They are going to be one happy family.

Before Snickers’ return to the States, I was taken back by how someone could just leave their pets to fend for themselves. I actually thought money for the rescue might be the issue, and in my previous post on this story, I did mention that the family that owned both Snickers and Gulliver had not been able to be reached. It looks as if this is not the case at all!

“The original owners abandoned the pets. You can be sure I wouldn’t have left the island without them. They left them to fend for themselves or die. Read Martin Troost’s travel book, “The Sex Lives of Cannibals” to get a clear idea of how dogs are treated. Some good
laughs too - it is quite funny. The owners did a Montel Williams show and clearly had no interest in raising awareness about the animals.

The couple that originally found the animals on Fanning Island, Robby and Lorraine Coleman, were actually the ones who kicked off the network that would eventually put an animal rescue mission into place for the forgotten animals. Without them stepping in and trying to make an attempt at this rescue, both Snickers and Gulliver would have met a sure death. The Kiribati government looked at them as an invasive species–one not original to the island–and were setting forth motions that would have certainly resulted in their demise.

Since Snickers has made it safely to Las Vegas and been united with his new owner, the focus of the rescue now lies with Gulliver the Macaw. His situation is a bit different. He was originally purchased in the United States. The previous owners are failing to provide any information as to where the bird was purchased. Macaws are considered an exotic species. Without this information, and with the previous owners failing to cooperate with the rescue attempt, it may mean that originally this bird was obtained illegally–as many of this species are.

With Snickers already in the States and the story playing throughout the press, it is imperative that this saga not be forgotten. Snickers and Gulliver have been around each other for a long time–they began this journey together some four months ago, and it is only fitting that they end it back home where there is a chance for not only survival, but a long and happy life in loving care.

In order to get Gulliver home, there are still some pretty big hurdles in the way. A couple of lawyers have stepped up to make an effort to get through all of the red tape of getting an exotic species back to the United States. If this works, then the effort will commence by trying to gain the support of an avian veternarian. He will be required to make two seperate trips to the country, and then get transportation back to Los Angeles, the only port where birds can be imported from another country.

Those taking part in the recent rescue of Snickers, and hopefully the planned rescue of Gulliver have called on me to publicize their need for support and assistance in this ongoing struggle to ensure both animals get back home. They have specifically mentioned the need for an Avian Vet, and quite possibly the use of a personal jet. The ride from the South Pacific, with Gulliver in tow, can not stop at Hawaii to refuel, but must fly straight through. The project can also use any and all monetary donations, and they have specifically stated that all money donated is tax deductable. You may make a donation to the cause by following this link–Gulliver’s Island: Dedicated to Saving One Special Bird –where even a dollar or two will help drastically in this cause. Stop by, check out the site and project, including Gulliver’s future home.

As for Snickers, a special “THANKS” to all involved for a successful rescue. They include Hawaiian Airlines, the Hawaii Human Society, ‘Lectronic Latitude the online journal of Latitude 38, NCL Cruise Lines, and the big hearts of Jack Joslin and Robby and Lorraine Coleman. A special thanks also goes out to the Press and coverage currently making the rounds. Without this saga in the Press, most of this probably would not have happened.  If I have forgotten anyone, leave a comment.  Your time and resources are appreciated as well!

An Adventurist Editorial: The Stephen Fossett Debates

We should have all seen this one coming from a mile away–

Going into days 5 and 6 for the ongoing search of legendary adventurer Steven Fossett, people are starting to take their focus off of the search and more onto the debates surrounding these types of events when they occur–

First it began with how great of an adventurer Steven Fossett is.  Over the past few days this focus has slowly moved to the motives of a “Risk-Taker” and if Stephen Fossett’s family should be charged for the search currently taking place.

Both of these items are highly debatable and both of them generally always surround a high profile search, especially if the person involved was also a part of anything that has a certain risk-factor to it or has been the focus of media attention in the past.

Personally, I began taking notice of these debates around December of last year when three climbers became lost on Mt. Hood.  The ensuing search, that garnered massive media coverage, soon became a debate for a cause. 

It may be the cause of the general media’s focus to always provide something new to a highly viewed (and rated) story.  Running out of new leads, they hop back on the bus and get everyone involved in raging debates that once again spark interest to previous stories of the same general nature.

Two questions always emerge:  Should the families of the person being searched for have to pay for this service?  And secondly–the risk involved.  How could they do this to their families and loved ones?  What is it about risk that triggers these people to always endanger their lives? Read more

EverestNews Inciting Controversy with Editorial and a Response by The Adventurist

I recently headed over to EverestNews to check out what was going on at their site.  Needless to say, I was quite surprised by a small editorial piece they are currently featuring titled Everest Rumors, Lies, and Ridiculous Stories.

This is based on a few reports that this editorial is claiming as false.  First off, it denies an increase in fees leveled by the Chinese Government this past season on Everest.  It then goes into detail about many sites broadcasting rumors and lies, specifically mentioning the possible closing of the North side of Everest by the Chinese for the forthcoming 2008 Olympics.

EverestNews goes on the record as saying Everest’s North side will be open to climbers in the coming 2008 season and the number of climbing permits given will not be limited in scope due to the 2008 Olympics.  They also go on record as saying that the rumors of China trying to negotiate the closure of Mt. Everest’s South side, via Nepal, is also completely false.

EverestNews Claims the Following Regarding Fees:

Stories that the fees in China were increased several times over were also spread, FALSE again. Why? Guides did raise fees which one would assume resulted in much higher profits… For most independents and operators the Chinese took a minor fee increase.. One must wonder what is the agenda here? To get traffic to web sites? To get published in rags? To help raise profits for some? What???

EverestNews is crediting CTMA and CMA as being two of the reliable sources that this information is coming from:

The CTMA and CMA appear to be getting pissed off by all these rumors, lies and ridiculous stories… Including false stories about climbers, who grow in number year by year… This will probably result in changes from the Chinese many of us might not like….

Last year’s “High-Altitude Free Tibet Protest on Mount Everest!” which was a “set up” where Americans went to China to get arrested and were successful is expected also to cause more tension for the Chinese and climbers which combined with these ridiculous stories will result in tougher standards on entering for 2008….

Now a Few Words From The Adventurist

First off, the CMA respectively refers to the Chinese Mountaineering Association and the CTMA refers to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.  Now that we know that all of this information is respectively coming from China we may make a few comments.

EverestNews is based out of Granville, Ohio–The United States.  Why would such a site be bowing down to a communist regime in regards to it’s editorials? 

If you go back and read the article as it is printed on the site, you can plainly see that this little bit of marketing by the two forementioned climbing associations in China is nothing more than Chinese Propoganda.  Yes, they might be pissed off at the press, but you do have to remember that China is hosting the upcoming 2008 Olympics and with all of the recent bad publicity regarding China of late, it is no wonder that they would put out a piece questioning the recent rash of bad publicity.

Regarding the climbing fees–on more than one occassion this past year, climbers were told, once they got to China, that their fees would be anywhere from $1000-$3,000 more than what was quoted before they left for the climb.  This information is documented in the climber’s expedition blogs rather substantially.  This did not just happen to US climbers, but even some expeditions from the Philipines and so forth.  This is documented and this information that EverestNews has released bears no weight.  Tell us the sources and give us the figures–until the proof is out there on such matters, it will remain the same.  Too many climbers were claiming the same problem:  A rise in climbing fees after they arrived to get their liscence, which was unmerited beforehand.

As far as the Chinese trying to close the North or the South sides of Mt. Everest for next season.  This news, as I myself have also mentioned, has come not only from the United States press, but also the Press organizations from around the world, including Nepal.  It is known that the Nepali Government was approached with an offer to shut off the South side as well…even though, this offer by the Chinese could have fallen through in the last few days.

Next, we come to a couple of possible threats handed out by the CMA and the CTMA about possible changes taking place over the 2008 Everest season.  These changes are in reference to the “One World-Free Tibet Protest” that took place this year, as well as the Chinese becoming “pissed off” at the stories and rumors coming from Mt. Everest.  They claim this protest was a simple “set-up” to get the organization holding the protest arrested, and in a sense..free publicity.  That may very well be the case, but in another note, the “Free Tibet” campaign has been going on for well over 50 years now.  Each year new protests are enacted to bring the Chinese occupation of Tibet to the limelight.  It just so happens that this years protest took place while China was trying to do their initial Olympic Torch training run to the top of Mt. Everest.

What the CMA and the CTMA are essentially doing is giving themselves an excuse to deny liscences to climbers in the upcoming 2008 season.  They will base this denial on the rumors and lies of the foreign nations trying to take part in next years Everest season, as well as political turmoil of not knowing exactly what people are planning on doing.

While the supposed facts being represented on EverestNews merit no basis, it boggles my mind that an American Company such as EverestNews has seemingly given the Chinese Government an outlet for their remarks–given the Chinese’s past record.

Anyone remember Nangpa La?  Last year the Chinese military opened fire on a group of people trying to cross from Tibet to Nepal–essentially political refugees trying to leave a country they despised–some were shot in the open, in front of 60 or so climbers–including a nun who was mortally shot and killed.  After this incident, the Chinese Military seemingly invaded the ABC camp and essentially looked things over and waited.  They had captured some 30 odd children, women, and men, and taken them into custody as well.

Many people are scared of speaking out against the Chinese.  The guides could very easily lose their bid to attempt Everest and other peaks in the Chinese Himalayas if they don’t keep their mouths shut about such incidents when they do take place.  China has essentially used political power and intimidation factors to keep the “real” stories on Everest and other peaks silent.

Nangpa La was real.  Photos confirm the merciless killings.  Still climbers involved in the incident from around the world are reluctant to speak out against the Chinese.

In 2007 the Chinese Basecamp at Everest featured a security fence and armed guards.  N0 one was allowed around their encampment and secrecy was held as an asset.  At one point a couple of climbers got stranded high on Everest and the Chinese refused to take part in any kind of search and rescue efforts.  This should clue you in a bit on their priorities.  China is about China.  They protect through armed tactics and intimidation. 

So why would EverestNews take a stand and essentially side with them by posting this very Pro-China editorial?  The editorial even fails to mention who the writer was.  I feel the reason may be as simple as the 2008 Olympics.  They are positioning themselves to be “the source” of news and info coming out of China.  On the otherhand, by taking such matters and putting themselves in the public light with such a controversial move, I can not see how this will benefit them at all.  They may get the news coming from China, but at the same time they are alienating the climbers from around the world that understand the tactics China uses in an effort to “control”.

EverestNews makes the following question regarding the rumors, lies, and deceptions and the press that has put them out.

One must wonder what is the agenda here? To get traffic to web sites? To get published in rags? To help raise profits for some? What???

I am only speaking for myself at this time.  I have no advertisers.  I have no site sponsors.  Trying to draw traffic to a site such as this one has no meaning.  It does not benefit me in the slightest.  On the contrary, by putting up an editorial that questions the basis of information regarding Everest and other mountains–by saying they are lies, rumors, and so forth–we do need to question these intentions–EverestNews is essentially questioning the same people that they get all of their information from–The climbing expedition blogs.  They post no news that isn’t spoken first-hand from the Expeditions themselves on their own sites–and they do so 90% of the time word for word.  So who is to blame for the lies, rumors, and so forth?  Rather than calling out people that you yourselves rely on for information–perhaps you should look at yourselves.  This is a weak and futile attempt at bringing in viewers that already question your standards in the field.  China or no China, by printing the threats and “control” tactics, you are becoming nothing more than one of the many puppets you are trying to speak out against.  Just something to think about.

A Black Diamond in Red China? Equipment Maker Moves Production Overseas

For years, Black Diamond has been a leader in the manufacturing of climbing equipment, and good equipment at that.  Black Diamond has recently announced that some of it’s product line will now be made in China. 

Among American climbers, this has started an uproar.  First, there is the quality issue of the equipment–being made in China, will quality issues be forthcoming?  Secondly, this has opened up a whole can of worms for the US vs. China made products.  China has been in the headlines recently for a few “noteworthy” quality issues..ie..lead paint on toys..  Thirdly, is it right for a company that has prided itself on it’s environmental focus to pick the most unenvironmental friendly atmosphere in the world to produce it’s products, and last but not least, who is exactly producing these items–slave labor..ect..

As you can see, this is a very touchy subject.  Many people that have been fans of Black Diamond for years are spouting their dissapproval for this move.  I actually ran across this conversation taking place at the forums on MountainProject.

The very cool thing about this discussion is that Black Diamond and a couple of other personnel that work for various other equipment makers have chimed into the discussion.  People want answers to these questions, and Black Diamond has taken a note to do something about it.  I think this is great!  Finally someone that will listen and at least address these very concerning issues.

I have never seen a company step forward and publicly address these kinds of questions, on such an open medium.  Even if I don’t believe in the practice of shipping our jobs overseas, at least they are answering..Got to give Kudos to Black Diamond for these efforts. 

I am going to be keeping an eye on this one for awhile and see how it comes out…The Good:  Black Diamond is talking about the issues. The Bad:  Part of production has moved overseas.  The Ugly?  China has the worst Environmental laws in the world.  Will be interesting to watch.

What are your thoughts?  How do companies moving overseas effect your views of the product?  Do you actually look into the issues when thinking about new gear..ie..where it is made, who is making it, and the future effects of where it is made on the environment..Chime in and tell me your views by posting a comment…

The Adventurist: Another Step Forward, Another New Role

I recently ran across a site called Topix that caught my eye.  Here is a bit about the company:

Topix is the leading news community on the Web, connecting people to the information and discussions that matter to them in every U.S. town and city.

A Top 25 online news destination (Hitwise, February 2007), the site links news from 50,000 sources to 360,000 lively user-generated forums. Topix also works with the nation’s major media companies to grow and engage their online audiences through forums, classifieds, publishing platforms and RSS feeds.

Based in Palo Alto, Calif., Topix LLC is a privately held company with investment from Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB).

Topix LLC is not affiliated in any manner with Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.

To put it simply, this is a news site that THE News Sites go to for information.

To make a long story short, I have applied and been accepted as the new Mountain Climbing Editor at Topix.  They trust that I will now be able to bring the latest and greatest news from the Mountain Climbing world to them and the world at large.

What this means for The Adventurist

I now have access to 50,000 different sources for climbing news.  On top of that, I now have artificial intelligence scouring the web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all the latest info.

What this seemingly does, in one fell swoop, is it will allow me to bring the latest news and views from around the world involving Mountain Climbing…it also allows me to post, edit, link to, and decide what is actually relevent in the climbing community for the world to see.

To put it quite simply, a lot of us who run our own climbing sites have been frustrated about the lack of media attention to some areas.  If it is controversial..the media generally passes….Well, not anymore.  I can now post items to the Mountain Climbing front page…this includes stories, photos, forum threads, Editorials and well…basically anything I find of interest. 

What This Means to You

As a reader of The Adventurist, I will now be able to bring you even more great Mountain Climbing news from around the world.

If you are a writer or blogger in the world of Mountain Climbing and can bring something to me of interest–you may just see your viewership jump.  What I do is put up links to stories of interest–which could very well be from your site.  That link will take the person to the story on your page.

I also now have the means to write and edit my own stories for the site as well, which will help spread the word around the world.  We will see how it goes.

Submitting a Story or Idea

If you would be interested in having a story or article put up—OR–have found an item of particular interest, send me a brief note through my Submit & Contact page and include the link to the story.  If I think it will fit in, I will be more than happy to include it.

I will also be scouring all my usual sources for interesting articles to include in my updates.  This could be an interesting step for all of us and garner what we do a bit more attention in the world around us.  Just keep an eye out and perhaps you will see something you have done posted on a World-Wide News Outlet in the very near future.

If you would like to take a look at this page, you may do so by clicking Mountain Climbing now.  I have not added a link yet from The Adventurist, but will be doing so very shortly–actually, probably right after this article is posted.  I will also be putting up the RSS feed from this page on The Adventurist as well–if you send me your stories or ideas, you could actually get some much needed Double-Exposure–

This looks to be a great new project.  I need to thank the team at Topix for having the confidence in me for this spot–and will try my best to make it the best source for climbing information on the net.

As For The Adventurist

Of course it will continue on as normal–but now have alot more info coming your way–as well as even more exposure for all of us that take part in some of the great discussions taking place here.  I am looking forward to what this could bring to the table for all of us involved..Thank-you everyone for your support and continued readership.  I am hoping as this site continues to grow that we can all grow together..Thanks

J. Alan Hendricks, Editor,  The Adventurist

This Week in Adventure Sports Weekly–08/22/07

The new issue of Adventure Sports Weekly has been released.  One thing I truly do like about this new magazine is that it is so varied…there is something there for everyone.

This week, Adventure Sports Weekly takes us to the XTERRA Mountain Championships Off-road Triathalon–one of the biggest events of it’s kind in the world.  There were roughly 600 participants at this years event, which is also a qualifier for the World Championships held in Hawaii–this is a pretty good read and involves a first-person account of the event from one of it’s participants..Jeff Harrison.

Next we get an inside look at the youngest PRO Skater in the world, Nyjah Houston.  At 11 years old, he already is riding on the Pro Circuit and has all the usual sponsors to foot the bill.  Many of you will probably recognize Nyjah from the recent X Games–his waist-length dreads are hard to miss.  Greg Baerg from Lat34 fame is credited with the article–and actually had a chance to speak with the young Nyjah about his future and his present..quite entertaining and I am sure we will be hearing much, much more out of this youngster in the years to come.

Next up comes Adventure Sports Weekly’s Climbing Editor Patrick Welsh.  His weekly column dealing with his personal climbing experience–He is a climbing expert working with Black Diamond, has become an Adventure Sports Weekly staple and highly entertaining at that.

This week’s column, “Hanging by a Thread“, takes a look at the unpredictable nature of climbing…His title says it all.  Scary, but many of us know where he is coming from.

Probably the most entertaining piece in this weeks issue happens to cover a sport that gets little coverage in the press…haha…The Roller Derby!

Some of us who grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s may remember the Roller Derby being on TV weekly.  That was the hayday..but this sport has started a new growth spurt in recent times.

This article comes to us from Jen Phillon, a member of the Death Dealers Roller Derby team and gives an account of a recent night at the Derby and the amazing comeback that ensued.  Great Piece that brought back alot of fun memmories.

Overall, I think this may be the strongest issue I have read to date.  Covers a lot of different things.  As I have mentioned earlier, I am in the process of writing some material myself for Adventure Sports Weekly..so we can all look forward to that in the future…Go check it out and tell me what you think.

The Next Big Thing: The Adventurist Teams Up With Adventure Sports Weekly

The old saying goes –when opportunity knocks, you had better answer the door.  Well, in a sense I have answered the door.  A couple of days ago Editor Wina Sturgeon from Adventure Sports Weekly contacted myself and was interested in discussing what I do here at The Adventurist.

After a lengthy discussion about our sites, our future goals, and what we are both looking to achieve, it became real evident that we have more than a little in common.

Adventure Sports Weekly is destined to not only be the first of it’s type on the Internet, but also a leader in the Adventure Sports industry.  Adventure Sports Weekly, the Brainchild of Editor Wina Sturgeon, who many of you might know through her extensive Olympic coverage for Sports Illustrated,  will be the first Online Magazine devoted solely to the Outdoor sporting world. 

I have been very open and straight-forward with all of you, my readers, about trying to put together the best site on the internet dealing with Adventure.  Keeping that in mind, we have decided in a sense to team-up.

Over the course of the next few days and weeks ahead The Adventurist and Adventure Sports Weekly will be sharing some content.  Their dedication to the sanctioned sports side of the outdoor world, IE..Mountain Bike Racing, BMX, Skateboarding, Climbing ect..will actually be bringing something to the table that I have desperately been wanting to add.  Adventure Sports Weekly offers top notch sporting news live from the field, allowing for exclusive coverage and content that just isn’t found anywhere else on the Internet.

I will also be working with Adventure Sports Weekly offering new articles, and maybe even a weekly column I have in the works in the world of Adventure.

This is a very exciting opportunity for myself personally.  I have dedicated myself to the Adventure world and writing.  With Adventure Sports Weekly I now have the opportunity to not only garner a bigger readership, but to also bring about a new direction….a bigger direction that hopefully will help build upon what I have already been able to do.

The adventure sporting field is getting ready to explode.  I have done this now for almost a year, and just about daily there are new sites emerging.  More coverage is being given in the media to these athletes that have pretty much remained under the table.  Just a couple of years ago, you would have never had the opportunity to see JEEP: King of the Mountain on a nationally televised program.  It is building.  It is growing.  More people are noticing and the money is slowly starting to come into these fantastic outdoors sports.

I am happy to say that I am very comfortable in knowing that I have aligned myself up with perhaps the leader in news coverage for these types of events.  Hopefully this relationship will flourish and all of us involved can bring even more exposure to the great athletes and sporting events throughout the years to come.

So what exactly does Adventure Sports Weekly bring to the table?

• It is ran by one of the top Sports Journalists in the world.  Editor Wina Sturgeon has written for Sports Illustrated and The New York Times, to only name two.  She has nearly 40 years of experience at being at the top of the game.  She knows how to do things, and do them right.
• Experience.  Being a leader in the sports writing industry, Wina Sturgeon brings her vast knowledge to a growing field.  She automatically brings  her credibility and dedication to an area that has been lacking in national coverage.
• National Coverage.  Simply put.
• Adventure Sports Weekly is currently the only publication of its kind on the Internet.  It is new with a very big potential in the future to not only lead the way, but to be THE way.
• Future.  Adventure Sports Weekly is currently developing a system to bring top-notch video coverage of these sporting events as they happen–this will make it not only the leader in the Adventure Sports industry, but will also raise the bar on what the internet can bring to you, the viewers.
• Credibility.  I have been straight-forward in telling all of you my eventual goals of writing in this industry full-time.  This gives me a great opportunity to work with some of the best people in the industry and hopefully build on what I have already been able to accomplish.  It is a fantastic opportunity and one that I never would have been able to do without all of the continued support and guidance from you, my readers.  So THANK-YOU very much!
• Oh yeah– and Lastly, Adventure Sports Weekly is FREE.  Can’t get much better than that.  All the great news coverage and articles are completely free to you the reader.  Eventually this will also include the great video coverage that is currently in developement.

I am hoping to recieve your continued support and that you will enjoy what the future has in store.  The Adventurist will still be covering everything it normally does…with a bonus of adding new content from time to time from some very special events.  Also, if you enjoy my writing, keep your eyes peeled to Adventure Sports Weekly, as I will be bringing some further exciting articles their way in the very near future.  Let’s all show Adventure Sports Weekly our support in what they are trying to achieve and welcome them in to The Adventurist family.

The Adventurist Interview: Hubert A. Allen, Author of Mt. Hood: The Deep Blue Zone

The Adventurist Interview with Hubert A. Allen

Author of Mount Hood The Deep Blue Zone: Story of the 2006 Climbing Tragedy

First off Mr. Allen, It is a pleasure to have you here at The Adventurist. The events surrounding the tragedy in December of 2006 still lingers deep in quite a few minds. Why do you think that this event, first off, triggered such a huge media reaction, and secondly, why has that attention seemed to continue clear up through today?

HA: Early in December of 2006 the media had already grabbed onto the case of the Lee family lost in the Oregon wilderness. It had a tragic end when the father, who tried to walk out, was found dead, apparently the victim of hypothermia and the mother and children were rescued in the vehicle they stayed with - 13 days out. Ironically CNN, for example, ran the final wrap-up story of the Lees just as the Mount Hood story broke. Mount Hood is several steps up in drama from a mud road in the forest. Basically, it on-upped the last incident at just the right moment. Unfortunately, as of this interview, they still have not recovered the bodies of the two other climbers. There is no closure. I am hoping by the end of summer the families will have their loved ones back and this physical aspect of closure will be fulfilled.

Much has been said about Brian Hall, Jerry Cooke, and Kelly James perhaps not being as prepared as they should have been. To myself though, these guys were experienced. They had climbed many times before together–they were looking for a fast ascent, so of course they carried as little as possible. They left behind notes, both at the rangers station as well as their vehicles and had a cell phone. How do you feel, being a mountain climber yourself, about their preparation?

HA: One important form of preparation is gaining knowledge of the mountain, the climb and conditions as they are. None of the three men had been on Mount Hood before. By the very timing of their effort, dedicating just a long weekend away from homes in New York and Texas to climb this 11,239 foot Mount Hood in December, they gave themselves no time to learn about the mountain. They did not adequately acclimatize - going from sea level to summit in a little over 48 hours. This is failing to prepare the body for a dangerously fast change in elevation - say 11,239 feet of elevation change in 48 hours My personal opinion is that they underestimated the mountain, the effort, and the climb itself. I now believe that the climbers brought with them all the gear needed to succeed on the mountain. However, through a series of decisions, they ended-up jettisoning most of the key survival gear prior to actually setting foot onto the North Face. The recent (July 2007) recovery of a cache of their equipment at a campsite above the Tilly Jane Hut but below the Eliot Glacier suggests they were in possession of a fairly extensive gear supply. However, when Kelly James was recovered he was far too lightly dressed for the conditions encountered. They really believed in the super-fast ascent and that they would be spending a mere matter of hours in ascent and descent of 11,239 foot Mount Hood.

Could they have done anything different that could have possibly saved their lives? Read more

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Harassment on the High Peak: When an Everest Guide Does You Wrong

For many of us, coming up with the $40-50,000 to take a once in a lifetime gamble on Mt. Everest seems like a lifetime away.  What if you spent that kind of cash only to be told that you weren’t climbing?  What if you spent that kind of cash, the guide tells you “No Go”, then deliberately grabs your belongings and scatters them throughout camp?  While he is at it, he might as well do it in front of not only your team, but a film crew to boot and show the whole world how worthless you really are..

This is the news coming from Betsy Huelskamp.  Many of you may remember Betsy as the tough and rugged mountain climbing biker chic that began an Expedition this year with Russell Brice’s Himex Team.  If any of you followed the Expedition’s climbing blogs on Everest this season, then you would have probably thought of Betsy as Himex did:  slow, didn’t know anything about mountaineering–including how to put her crampons on…as well as a bit self-involved.

Well, Betsy has decided to fight back.  The picture she paints is quite different than what Himex would have you believe.  She breaks down everything from the beginning stages where she first contacted Russell Brice about joining the expedition, and Russell seemingly accepts at a reduced rate of nearly 50%–to the final decision to not let her go for the summit push, and the subsequent temper tantram that ensued and left Betsy’s belongings scattered throughout the camp.

If this sounds like odd behavior coming from a guide on Mt. Everest, then perhaps you should reevaluate who you align yourself up with for that big Everest Adventure. Read more

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Shark Attack on a Sea Kayak

No, this isn’t a reference to a new Dr. Seuss book–this is actually a true story. 

On July 21, Dan Prather was out doing a little fishing on his sea kayak along with 16 other people.  They happened to be fishing a remote island about a mile south of San Francisco.

Suddenly Dan was in the water.  He surfaced to find the front end of his sea kayak lodged in the mouth of what he thinks was a Great White…so what does Dan do?  He climbs right back on his Kayak…then falls back off once again.

Dan finally makes it back on to his Kayak for the second time, and it seemingly scares the shark away.

This is a great story coming by way of Canoe and Kayak Magazine.

When Dan finally high-tailed it back to shore (the shark had punctured a small hole in the front end of the kayak)..a fellow fisherman asked him if he had any luck fishing, he said, “Yeah, caught a shark…”

Swing on over and read this interesting and ARTICLE.  I think that this is one fishing trip where I would have been glad to get the smallest catch.

Filed Under ABC News, Adventure, Blogger, Blogroll, Internet, Kayak, Kayak fishing, Life, News, RSS feed, Shark Attack, Sports, Technology, The Adventurist, USA, Websites, World, blog, blogging, breaking news, extreme sports, fishing, headlines, kayaking |  

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