Search for Climber on Washington’s Mt. Baker

A Lynden, Washington climber failed to return from a solo climb yesterday on Washington’s Mt. Baker. Search and Rescue officials have currently restarted their efforts to find the lost climber after having to end their search yesterday. Bad weather and high altitude are both playing havoc with the search team.

The climber, 31 year old Kevin LaFleur, had told friends his intentions of climbing Mt. Baker a day previous. Others in the Mt. Baker vincinity are reporting winds in excess of 50 mph at the 5,200 foot elevation. Searchers were planig on going above 6,800 fet today in efforts to spot possible tracks that may have been left. This attempt may be futile though, as high winds and fresh snow blanket the area.

For more on this, head over to Seattle’s KIRO-TV Channel 7 for further reports.

Five Climbers Die In Avalanche–Update

I put up a post a few moments ago about five French climbers who have been killed following an avalanche. I am getting a few more facts now.

The guide, who was the only member to survive, is currently listed in critical condition, but stable. He has suffered abdominal and chest trauma and is currently conscious, but unable to speak.

Those killed in this terrible accident included four males and one female. As is the case with most situations like this, names have not been released until all family’s are notified.

The Avalanche occured near 8,000 feet of elevation. The climbers were dragged some 500 odd feet to the bottom of a gorge in the area. The climbers had been climbing and skiing in the vincinity of Gran Paradiso National Park near Turin, Italy.

The avalanche originated from a nearby peak after fresh snow had just fallen in the area. Punta Basei, a nearby 10,000 foot peak is said to be the original source of the avalanche.

All victims have been retrieved by helicopter. Their identities are waiting to be verified.

Source: USA Today

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

Alan Arnette Makes First Live Broadcast Enroute to Shisha Pangma

My good friend Alan Arnette has made his first live broadcast and posted it to his site today.  Alan is currently traveling from Lhasa, Tibet to Basecamp of Shisha Pangma–the world’s 14th tallest peak.

After listening to what Alan had to say, it makes me wonder why he is not a Professional speaker.  He really puts you in the mood and brings you right along to Tibet with him…Potholes and all.

I do reccomend if you have never checked out a live broadcast from an expedition, to head on over and check this one out.  It will show you a bit of what can be done with today’s technology.  Pay particular attention to his “Tibetan Restraunt Review”  Very interesting to say the least.

 

This is Alan’s second major test before heading to Mt. Everest in 2008.  Earlier this year, Alan traveled to Denali..and now he is off to Shisha Pangma for his biggest test yet.  He is climbing with Project Himalaya.

Please note that Alan is climbing strictly for charities sake.  His cause, to help in Alzheimer’s research.  Stop by his site, check out the new audio podcast–then if you want to help, make a small donation.  You may do so by following this link:

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.

Alan Arnette Arrives In Kathmandu!!

 

My good friend Alan Arnette has posted his first dispatch from Kathmandu today.  Many of you will know that Alan is currently off preparing to climb the world’s 14th highest peak, Shisha Pangma. 

Shisha Pangma will be Alan’s second major step in his efforts to land back at Mt. Everest in 2008.  Earlier this year, Alan went to Denali where a slight health concern forced him to abort his attempt.  After confering with doctors and getting the green light to continue his climbing, Alan subsequently climbed 12 of Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks.  Now, it is off to Shisha Pangma in the Himalayas.

From Alan’s dispatch today in Kathmandu:

Kathmandu! What a city. After leaving Colorado early Thursday morning, I finally arrived in this wonderful city. Nothing has changed. The last time I was here was in 2003 for Everest. The arrival at the airport was what I expected - organized chaos.

From there, Alan goes into detail of finding his luggage, trying to figure out what time it is in Kathmandu, and finally meeting up with his Project Himalaya teammates.  It sounds like Alan is glad to be back in Kathmandu, even though not much has changed since Alan was last there in 2003 while attempting Everest for the second time.

Alan has sent back a few nice pictures of the scene outside the airport in Kathmandu.  He is also promising to try his hand at a little videography while he is on this expedition.  Alan will be trying to post daily reports of his trip to Shisha Pangma–before, during, and after his attempt at the 14th tallest peak in the world.

Remember that Alan is climbing solely for charity.  That is the whole reason he decided to try to head back to Everest in 2008.  His mission is trying to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research.  100% of all money donated to Alan’s charitable cause will be going to this effort. 

If you would enjoy following along with Alan as he makes this attempt on Shisha Pangma, you may do so by following this link to Alan Arnette’s Shisha Pangma Expedition.  I will also be posting coverage as this climb progresses.  If you are feeling a bit geneerous, perhaps you could even help Alan with his cause by making a donation at the following link.  I know Alan would appreciate all of the help and support he can get.

Climb On My Friend and have a safe journey!  We are all watching!

Charles Duerig, 50, Avid Climber for 30 Years, Falls to Death in California–UPDATED

Sad news coming from WTAE Channel 4 out of Pittsburgh today.  Charles Duerig, while climbing with his brother in California, slipped in rainy conditions and fell to his death yesterday.  His family is from the Pittsburgh area.

Duerig had been an avid climber in the United States and Europe for over 30 years.

For more on this sad story, head on over to the WTAE-4 Website.  I will bring you more as I find out.

UPDATE–08/31/07–1:35 pm

At this time it is being reported  in the SummitPost Forum that Mr. Duerig had fallen in the vincinty of Mt. Hamilton, a 14,000 foot peak near Mt. Whitney in the Sierra.  This accident is being reported as happening this past Sunday, but has just hit the waves.  Mr. Duerig was a well known marathon runner and climber, hailing from Castro Valley.

The 50-year-old Duerig was climbing the mountain with a friend Sunday when the two became separated.

After the friend reported Duerig missing, searchers found his body at the bottom of a canyon at the 12,500-foot level.

Authorities believe he fell 100 feet after trying to anchor himself to a rock, and probably died immediately.

Duerig was an avid climber who had led numerous rock climbs in Yosemite and elsewhere in the Sierra, as well as in Canada and on mountains in Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia

Was just reading the California wires and came across this. My condolences to his family and friends.

Once again, this was featured over at the SummitPost forum where there continues to be new information emerging.

Mr. Duerig, as posted by another reader, had recently taken part in the Skyline 50k.

Let’s all keep Charles’ family, friends, and associates in our thoughts and prayers.

Film Follows Climber Chris Sharma’s Search for Difficult, Picturesque ‘King Lines’

By Julie Jagg

SANTA CRUZ — When it comes to sports superstars, few fly farther under the radar than world-class rock climber Chris Sharma. His talents in climbing are considered on par with Michael Jordan’s in basketball. His ego, however, would seem more closely matched to modest tennis great Pete Sampras.

But all that’s about to change. The man who has been called humble, spiritual, even reticent in innumerous articles and interviews said he thinks, in truth, he’s a bit uppity.

“A lot of people focus on climbing. I focus on climbing hard routes, but I’m kind of a snob, I guess,” he said Tuesday while taking a break from his world travels to do some skateboarding here in his hometown.

“I want to climb hard routes, but I want something that inspires me”

Sharma, 26, has the ability to climb just about anything anywhere. But he said he turns up his nose at any problem — no matter how challenging — that’s not also picturesque.

“The esthetics for me, that’s the thing,” he said. “To find these amazing pieces of rock that also have another element. That’s kind of the definition of king lines: They’re big and hard and amazing, but they also have that esthetic”

Sharma began searching the world for rocks to climb at age 17. In the nine years since, he has found and conquered many of the gnarliest rocks in the most beautiful corners of the planet. Now his search for these “king lines,” as he calls them, is the subject of a documentary by the same name that will be shown Sept. 7 at the Rio Theatre as the headliner for the Reel Rock Film Tour.

Directors and college buddies Josh Lowell of Big Up Productions and Peter Mortimer of Sender Films teamed up to make “King Lines,” which has the highest budget of an climbing film in history and won an Emmy for a high-definition segment that appeared on NBC earlier this year. Mortimer said the project came together organically once Sharma told them the location and difficulty of his most recent project. It was Es Pontas, a line up a towering limestone arch encircled by sapphire blue waters off the coast of Mallorca, Spain.

“The arch is something where if you imagined a fantasy climb, that’s what you would imagine,” Lowell said. “It’s this perfect arch rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and the movement that’s required to climb it is pretty amazing, too. If there was a video game of climbing, that arch would be in it.

“We thought, ‘Wow,’” Lowell added. “If Chris can do this thing, it will be the coolest thing he’s done and the coolest thing we’ve filmed.’ ”

Conquering Es Pontas entailed deep-water soloing, a climbing style fairly new to Sharma in which he would use no rope and rely on the water below to break his falls. Near the top of the climb was a 7-foot blank stretch, which he would have to jump, or dyno in climbing lingo, to complete the climb. Sharma estimates he made at least 100 failed attempts to get across that section, each time plummeting 35 feet into the jelly fish-filled water below.

A fall meant starting over completely. Sharma would have swim to the support boat, dry off, change his clothes and shoes and get a new chalk bag to help his muscular fingers grip the small divots and crevices in the slippery stone. Then he would begin again at the bottom of the arch, making at least 25 moves before he arrived back at the daunting blank section.

It took Sharma nearly four months’ time, spaced out over a year, before he finally landed his 7-foot leap of faith and picked his way to the top of the arch. Once there, though, his celebration was subdued, with the joy from completing a difficult task mixing with the melancholy of knowing his time with Es Pontas had ended.

“Obviously really I was ecstatic, really psyched. But climbing is this thing that happens in the process. Once you do it, you’re psyched, but that’s the end of the process,” Sharma said. “When you complete it, that’s great. But then it’s like, ‘What’s next?’ ”

He wasted little time finding out.

Sharma’s sponsors pay him to find exotic climbs, so as soon as his time with Es Pontas ended, the hunt for another challenge began. By the end of the shooting for “King Lines,” the film crew had followed him around Venezuela, France, Greece, Utah and Southern California.

Most recently, they filmed him working on his current obsession. It’s a sport climb across the ceiling of a 300-foot cave off Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert that has so few changes in pitch it requires an extra-long rope. He’ll return there in October in the hopes of completing it, which Mortimer said would probably make it the most difficult climb ever made.

Once that experience ends, Sharma said he will continue to seek out other new and unique challenges. Undoubtedly, they’ll all be set in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

But Lowell and Mortimer said they can’t blame Sharma for picking climbs in the prettiest places. They noted that it makes it much easier for him to draw the attention photographers and filmmakers like themselves [location, location, location]. And, it makes for a much nicer work environment.

Plus, after spending months following Sharma and working with him through some fairly unglamorous situations, they’re convinced his penchant for the picturesque climbs doesn’t really come from snobbery.

“That’s like saying someone who has a palette for really good food is a snob,” Mortimer said. “That’s so not true”

(Editor’s Note:  Julie Jagg, the author of the above article on Chris Sharma, is a Staff Writer and Assistant Sports Editor for the  Santa Cruz Sentinal.  Julie has given The Adventurist special permission to reprint this article.  Julie is also the author of her own Blog, “Out and About” dealing with Outdoor Adventure.  Very Nice.  Julie may be contacted at jjag@santacruzsentinel.com )

If You Go

Reel Rock Film Tour

WHAT: Collection of climbing films headlined by the ‘King Lines’ documentary on Chris Sharma of Santa Cruz. Sharma, fellow climbers Miguel Riera and Daila Ojeda and director Josh Lowell will be present.

WHEN: Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz, CA.

Tickets: $10 at Pacific Edge Climbing Gym, 104 Bronson St, Santa Cruz.

On the Net: www.reelrocktour.com; www.senderfilms.com; www.bigupproductions.com

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…

2006 Mt. Hood Tragedy Update: Equipment Stash Found, July 2007 Search Results and More…

It has now been eight months since three climbers went missing on Mt. Hood.  At this time we all know that the body of Kelly James had been discovered inside a snowcave back in December.  What happened to the other two climbers?  Brian Hall and Jerry Cooke were never found.

Many people have been stopping by here still wondering about the other two climbers.  I get comments posted on a weekly basis asking me if the other two had been found as yet.

With the national media attention that this particular incident generated, I can kind of see why this is still a very big item in people’s minds.  Anytime there is a story without a conclusion, it leads to more questions than answers.  Rather than email each individual person that asks me what happened, I have decided to make this update. Read more

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