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.

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

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

Filed Under Adventure, Adventure Blogs, Blogger, Blogroll, Books, Brian Hall, Hubert A. Allan Jr., Hubert A. Allen, Internet, Interview, Jerry Cooke, Kelly James, Mountain Climbing, Mountain Disaster, Mountain Tragedy, Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood 2006, Mt. Hood Tragedy, Mt. Hood: The Deep Blue Zone, National Tragedy, RSS feed, SAR, Search and Rescue, Technology, The Adventurist, Tragedy, USA, Websites, World, blog, blogging, climb, climbers, climbing community, death, equipment, mountaineering, snowshoe |  

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

Filed Under Adventure, Adventure Blogs, Alan Arnette, Betsy Huelscamp, Biking, Blogger, Blogroll, Camping, Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel Team, Documentary, Everest 2007, Everest 2007 North, Everest 2007 North Ridge Route, Everest Basecamp, Everest Expedition 2007, Everest Expedition Companies, Everest History, Expedition Companies, HIMEX, Harassment, Internet, Life, Mountain Climbing, Mt. Everest, Mt. Everest Expeditions, Mt. Everest Guides, Mt. Everest History, Mt. Everest Summit, News, North Ridge Route, Politics, RSS feed, Russell Brice, Sports, TV, Technology, Trekking, UK, USA, Uncategorized, Websites, blog, blogging, breaking news, climb, climbers, climbing community, extreme sports, headlines, hope, mountaineering, travel |  

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