Everest 2009: The First Ascent Team Dispatch…April 7, 2009

The First Ascent Team has started posting some nice video dispatches from their current Mt. Everest expedition.  If you are not familiar with The First Ascent Team, I know that I have mentioned them previously, then you are in for a treat this year.  The team consists of Peter Whittaker, Dave Hahn, and Ed Viesturs, along with a couple of other climbers.

The First Ascent Team is sponsored by Eddie Bauer and Whittaker Mountaineering.  One of the team’s goals is to bring some awareness to The First Ascent brand of clothing and climbing gear now available at Eddie Bauer, along with testing some of the gear that may make it into the future line-up.  The First Ascent gear is being designed, in part, by the likes of Dave Hahn, Ed Viesturs, and Peter Whitaker.  You can click through some of the gear by visiting The First Ascent website.  Definitely some great looking and functional gear-

The First Ascent Team will be posting daily video updates on their blog and to YouTube.  This makes it rather convenient for me to carry their updates as they are being posted-and keep all of you informed and up-to-date on The First Ascent Team’s expedition.  Thank-you guys.

On a personal level, I have learned that one of my good friends-Jake Norton-is also with The First Ascent Team.  He will be using his video and photography skills to capture the expedition for a future project.  Jake has been to the top of Everest, himself, and was also instrumental in the discovery of George Mallory’s body on Everest in 1999.  Jake is also the Director for the Bradford Washburn Museum of American Mountaineering in Boulder, Colorado.  It is nice to see him involved in another huge project.  Viesturs, Whittaker, Hahn, and Norton.  Could there be a bigger team on Everest this year?  This one will be fun to watch.

You can catch the latest First Ascent Team dispatches by following along on their blog:  Born Out There.  Jake Norton is also posting daily updates on his blog:  The MountainWorld™ Blog.  Both offer excellent perspectives and views from this ongoing expedition.

The First Ascent Gear website is also up and running.  They have some nice gear for sale–especially if you like work-ethic rather than looks for your gear.  Functionality and durability are definitely the key with this new Eddie Bauer line. Stop by and see what they have to offer.  From the gear listings you can see that many more items will be ready for purchase in the coming months.  It looks like a great start for this new climbing gear company.  Let’s wish all of them the best–not only with their gear line, but their Everest Expedition too.

Links to the First Ascent Gear website, Born Out There Blog, The Mountainworld Blog, and Whittaker Mountaineering Blog have all been added to The Adventurist blogroll.

Update:  It looks like 10-time Everest summiter Dave Hahn is also posting dispatch updates for the First Ascent Teasm Expedition.  You can read about Dave’s updates at The Daily Dirt–one of the xcellent blogs at Backpacker.com.