University of Wyoming Preparing For “Everest”

The University of Wyoming will be hosting the IMAX film ‘Everest’ on April 9th.  The film is part of an evening of Everest education that will take a look at the second highest grossing IMAX film ever made, as well as offer a presentation by Bahadur Dangi, the former chief of the Nepal Tourism Board, who will be answering questions about the film and about Mt. Everest.

The University of Wyoming’s Nepalese Student Organization and the Friends of Nepal at the University of Wyoming organization will be working to present “Everest” at the University of Wyoming College of Education auditorium.  The first 100 people at the showing will recieve a special gift that could include posters, CD’s, or pictures of Mt. Everest at the door.  This sounds like an exciting opportunity to take part in a special evening and witness one of the best IMAX films ever made.  To bad I live in Indiana.

Deaths On Mt. Everest: Shocking New Study Reveals Why People Get Paid Huge Amounts of Money For Doing Nothing In Medical Research

An international research team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has conducted the first detailed analysis of deaths during expeditions to the summit of Mt. Everest. They found that most deaths occur during descents from the summit in the so-called “death zone” above 8,000 meters and also identified factors that appear to be associated with a greater risk of death, particularly symptoms of high-altitude cerebral edema. The report, which will appear the December 20/27 issue of the British Medical Journal has been released online.

There’s some amazing news for you!  People actually die more often on their descent of Mt. Everest, than while climbing up.  People have also shown higher symptoms of high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), once they get above 8,000 meters.

Seriously?  Is this a joke?  Obviously it’s not.  This once again proves why we should not hand out millions of dollars for fruitless studies that mean nothing-

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“Everest: A Climb For Peace” Wins Mt. Shasta Film Festival and Obtains Television and Distribution Deal

Everest: A Climb For Peace has won another film festival and has picked up a television and distribution deal in the process.  Lance Trumbull’s award wining film took home the gold at the recent Mt. Shasta Film Festival.  The award doesn’t surprise me.  I still feel that this is an amazing film and one that everyone should have the opportunity to see.  And now you might get that opportunity.

Along with the news of the Mt. Shasta Film Festival Award, comes news that Everest: A Climb For Peace has been picked up by APT (American Public Television).  APT will be representing and distributing this film to a worldwide television audience through television and DVD distribution.  The first public broadcast of this film will take place in November when Canadian television will be showing this in it’s entirety across the country.

This is some very big news for my friend Lance Trumbull, who has been busy the past two years promoting and pushing this work to a larger audience through film showings, festivals, and the lecture circuit.  Lance is the producer and directer of this film, and also the founder of the Everest Peace Project, a non-profit organization used to support peace and peace projects worldwide.

To paraphrase an early film review that I posted back on April 22nd:

Everest: A Climb for Peace takes a look at some of these issues through the eyes of fellow climbers that are at odds politically, but through social interaction have the chance to come away with a bigger, better, and more profound knowledge about the world they live in.  The message is not about the climbers, it is not about political issues and condemnation, It’s not even about Everest.  It is about something much bigger that encompasses everything we have seen, heard, or felt about some of the cruelest places in the world.  It is about surviving.  It is about thriving.  It is about Peace..

To read more about this film, be sure to check out the Everest: A Climb for Peace website.  You may also find the link to the Everest Peace Project in my right-hand sidebar on this site.  To get the ultimate “pre-show” trailer of this fantastic film, you have to do nothing more than click the video found just to the right of this post.

The Everest Peace Project is having international, multi-cultural Peace Climbs on mountains across the world. In harmony with the United Nation’s fundamental goals - our vision, through the example of international cooperation is to promote a Global Community that strives for peace and compassion.

To learn more about the Everest Peace Project, or to get involved, I highly recomend you swinging by the website.  The EPP has also teamed up with Room To Read to help in the building of local and school libraries in Nepal.

Did I mention that Orlando Bloom narrates this film and that it has garnered the support of the Dalai Lama?  Yes, it is THAT good..check it out.

By the way, be sure to leave some congratulatory remarks for Lance.  I know he visits the site quite regularly.  I am sure he would love to hear your support.

Breaking: Plane Crash Near Mt. Everest Kills 18

News is breaking out of Nepal today that a plane has crashed at the Lhukla airport-killing 18 passengers onboard.  The Lhukla airport lies just 40 miles from Mt. Everest and is the major entry and exit airport for those trekking to, or planning on climbing, the world’s tallest peak. 

The Yeti Airlines Dehavilland DH-6 Twin Otter airplane had taken off from Kathmandu and was preparing to make a landing when a wheel from the landing gear came down on a security fence, forcing the plane to crash.  Sixteen tourists from Australia, Germany, and Nepal were killed in the accident, along with two crew members.  The pilot did survive.

To read more about this tragic accident at the Lhukla airport, head over to AOL news.  At this time, the names of those killed have not been released pending family notification.

Skydivers Take On Everest: Adventurers Become First To Skydive Above World’s Tallest Peak

Holly Budge, Wendy Smith, and Neil Jones have become the first three people to jump out of a plane above Mt. Everest and skydive to safety.  The trio were the first adventurers to take part in a new skydiving venture with High and Wild, an adventure travel company, that promised to take participants above Mt. Everest and let them skydive down to a lower area at 12,870 ft.

In the coming days, 30 more skydivers will take the plunge from above Mt. Everest.  Each participant paid more than $15,000 for this rare opportunity, and the first of it’s kind, to get the chance to be one of the first people to take part in this new adventure opportunity.  High and Wild’s exclusive Mt. Everest skydiving permit will last for another 13 days, and if all goes as planned, this will become an annual opportunity for skydivers from around the world.

Due to the high altitudes of Mt. Everest, skydivers are required to use a parachute that is 3x the normal size, as well as the use of supplemental oxygen in the thin Mt. Everest air.  For the freezing temperatures and wind, skydivers are required the use of neoprene undersuits and thermal gear.

One of the founders of this high altitude skydiving adventure, Mr. Nigel Gifford, had this to say recently to the U.K.’s Telegraph:

It came about because I have been a Himalayan mountaineer and took up skydiving. I love doing both and I thought it would be good to marry the two.

Many of the skydivers taking part have a varied background and experience level.  They range from Holly Budge’s 2,500 previous jumps to people that are actually diving in tandem, with an instructor latched to their backs.  The oldest person taking part is a 72 year old from Great Britain.  Many of those involved are relishing the idea of being one of the first people to ever do something, much like a Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay–the first to summit Mt. Everest back in 1953.

Personally, I think that comparison is a little off track, but who am I to try to ruin a good time?  It sounds like an amazing adventure.  I just wish I could cough up the $15,000.  That would be much cheaper than an Everest climbing expedition, plus you can get it, jump, and get out, without having to spend a month acclimatizing.  You might be able to see the top of Mt. Everest in under a week- 

Holly Budge Will Attempt To Become The First Female To Skydive Everest

Holly Budge, a British adventurer, plans to try to become the first woman to ever skydive over Mt. Everest.  At a height of 8,850 meters, Mrs. Budge will have to use a special made parachute and use an oxygen mask to make this harrowing attempt.

Holly Budge’s skydive will begin at an elevation of 8,992 meters–142 meters higher than the world’s tallest peak.  Her atempt will take place in October where she plans to board her plane at Syangboche.  She will then be taken over the top of the peak of Mt. Everest and make a landing a few thousand meters lower in a mountain meadow at 3,764 meters.

Holly Budge is a well experienced skydiver.  She has done previous jumps from planes, helicopters, and even hot air balloons.  Let’s wish her ewll on this big adventure.

William Brant Holland Officially Slapped With Two Year Himalayan Climbing Ban From Nepal

Nepal has made it official:  William Brant Holland, from the United States, has had his Nepali climbing privileges revoked for a two year period in the Himalayas.  His Charge: Violating the ‘One China’ policy that Nepal put in to place to protect the Chinese Mt. Everest expedition from any pro-Tibet, anti-Chinese disruptions.

William Brant Holland’s incident came about after authorities discovered a “Free Tibet” t-shirt in his backpack.  Along with the two year ban, Brant Holland’s expedition company was fined a total of $155 for not knowing the t-shirt was in his possession.

I have covered Brant Holland’s ordeal in quite detail.  You may read more HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Along with William Brant Holland, Josef Kubica, from Slovakia was also placed on a two year ban for not having an Everest climbing permit when he was approached while leading in to base camp.

To read more on both of these charges handed down by the government of Nepal, go check out The Peninsula.

Reflections On A Glimpse Into The Life of Apa Sherpa

Apa Sherpa is to Mt. Everest what Michael Jordan was to basketball.  He has succeeded and excelled at every level.  Mt. Everest is his NBA Finals.  With finesse and strength, Apa Sherpa has slowly carved a reputation that will be very hard to surpass in the world of climbing.  He has successfully summited the world’s highest peak an unprecedented eighteen times.  An achievement that no other climber can lay claim to.

The Salt Lake Tribune recently had an opportunity to meet up with Apa Sherpa.  It is an insightful and unglamorous look at how Apa, although the epitome of climbing on Mt. Everest, struggles to live in his second home, the United States.

In 2006,  Apa Sherpa moved from his native country of Nepal to Salt Lake City, Utah.  The move was due, in part, to Apa wanting to help out his family who remained in Nepal.  He wanted to build a foundation that would help to keep his kids from having to embark on the same path that he chose on Mt. Everest, ushering up climbers to the top of the world’s highest peak.  A job, that by all accounts, could very easily rank right up there with the most dangerous jobs in the world.

Apa Sherpa, while recently being afforded the opportunity to actually climb on his own merits, struggled for many years carrying up climbing gear, tents, and oxygen for many of the world’s top expeditions on Mt. Everest.  The Sherpa people are known for their stamina and abilities to carry heavy loads at high altitude, offering many of them a steady job each spring.  Most make more money in a month than what they could in a single year, in Nepal.

For the past ten years, many climbers from the western world have relished in an unabashed celebrity status upon reaching the top of Mt. Everest.  Many have turned their successful summit into books, speaking engagements, and a whole slew of other means to earn a successful living after achieving what many consider the epitome of mountain climbing.  Apa Sherpa wanted a piece of the pie for himself.  Not just himself though, but for his family.

The article in the Salt Lake Tribune paints a picture that is insightful, yet a bit disturbing for someone of Apa’s stature in the climbing community.  He will no doubt go down in the journals of Everest history as one of the best climbers of all time, yet, in Salt Lake City, Apa Sherpa walks around unnoticed and struggles to survive monetarily on a day to day basis.  He lives with a close friend, Jerry Mika, who gives Apa room and board, as well as a job with his own company designing outdoor equipment.

Apa Sherpa is very intent on offering his own family a better means to survival.  I recently covered a few items, most notably a Poisk Oxygen canister, that were being featured on Ebay.   In the listing for this item, it was made very clear that all proceeds were going to help support Apa Sherpa’s family in Nepal.  Apa is pretty open about his wishes, yet, in the United States, he is finding the road to be a bit more rough than say, a Conrad Anker or Ed Viesteurs.  Both of these guys have been able to turn their love of adventure into full time jobs that goes to support even more adventurous expeditions.

Why Apa Sherpa has not been elevated outside of the mountaineering community to a higher status in the world, is actually quite dumbfounding.  He still struggles with gaining sponsors for his climbs, and even at that, is still looking to Ebay to make a few bucks so his family can survive.  This seemingly tells a tale of the difference between eastern and western climbers and how they are perceived in the media and the public.  I am not going to go as far as to make this a racially biased issue, but perceptions going out in the world would suggest that climbers can make a decent living in the United States with companies just throwing money around to potential expeditions.  This is just simply not the case for most foreign climbers who come to the United States in search of the ‘motherlode’ if you will.

All of this is quite sad, but does reveal some insight into the different perceptions that companies and the media place on ‘local’ climbers, as opposed to those that were foreign born.  Even with 18 successful Mt. Everest summits to his credit, Apa Sherpa is still finding life to be quite tough.

In the past couple of weeks, most people in the United States do not even realize that one of the best climbers in the world, Inãki Ochoa, died on Annapurna.  When Inãki first got into trouble, there was nobody around that could help the struggling climber at high-altitude.  Within two days time a call went out to all climbers in the area.  In the days that ensued, some of the top climbers in the world would race to Annapurna, risk death for one of their own, and still come up shorthanded.  It was an amazing effort from all fronts.  Even though the rescue was not a success, it did show us the heart and soul of many of the world’s elite climbers.  In the United States press, this story of heroic efforts and dubious tragedy has not even garnered a mention.  It didn’t feature American climbers or American Companies, so why would the public care?

The scope of all of this is really quite hard to understand.  I cover all aspects of many of these climbs, including those of Apa Sherpa in 2007 and 2008, as well as the recent struggle and death of Inaki Ochoa.  Many of my viewers come from all over the world, with it being almost a 50-50 split between American readers and those from foreign countries.  Perhaps the companies that throw their money to the American climbing community could find a bigger audience, a more productive business, if they would just follow along and treat the international climbing community with the same vigor and thought that they do with the American climbers.  In the United States, our climbers are thought to be the strongest in the world.  If people would just open their eyes, many would get a very different outlook at how these statistics are being played out by the press.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel like supporting our own climbers, especially those that rank in the upper tiers of the climbing community, should be fully supported to continue doing what they do.  On a different note though, how cool would it be to see Apa Sherpa, or a Ueli Steck sporting Nike shoes on the television?  They emphasis the “Just Do It” philosophy perhaps even better than a Micheal Jordon or Labron James.  On top of that, the money would actually be going to those who need it.  People like Apa Sherpa.

Everest 2008: Lincoln Hall Rescuer Andrew Brash Summits Mt. Everest

In 2006, Canadian Climber Andrew Brash tossed aside his dream of summiting the world’s highest peak. A few meters from the summit, Andrew Brash, along with three others, would sacrifice their own personal goals to take part in what is now known as one of the most famous rescues to ever take place on Mt. Everest. The rescue of Lincoln Hall, after he was discovered half-clothed, sitting on the edge of a cliff in the Death Zone, would make international news just days after climber David Sharp was left to die. Two very contrasting incidents with two very different results.

On May 23, 2008 Andrew Brash finally was able to live out his dream of summiting the world’s highest peak. A chance he thought he would never have again.

I said that if he got there it’d be a weight of guilt off my shoulders,” Lincoln Hall told the Calgary Sun from Sacramento, Calif.

“There was the happy ending of my story . . . and now Andrew’s got success as well, so it’s a happy story all around.”

In 2006, when Lincoln Hall was found, he was suffering from severe frostbite. The Australian had been left in the Death Zone by fellow team members, seemingly left for dead without hope. Days earlier, 40 people would walk by a dying David Sharp with little offer of help. He would die. For Lincoln Hall, he would get a second chance.

Second chances don’t come often when it comes to Mt. Everest. Many climbers who have an opportunity for an expedition have saved and planned for years for a once in a lifetime adventure. This adventure can cost more than a year’s salary for most individuals and there is no guarantee for success.

I almost can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am. At 7 a.m. this morning a small group of us summitted Everest!” Brash reported on his live Internet blog.

“It was a more difficult climb than I realized it would be and climbing all night borders on desperate.”

Many people in the climbing community gained a huge respect for Andrew Brash. His unselfish decision to help a fallen comrade in 2006 was highly regarded in climbing circles as the way things should be. Finally, on May 23, 2008, that hero, Andrew Brash, would stand on top of the world and know that his efforts in 2006 were warranted. He can look, not only at other climbers, but himself in the eyes and know that he made the right decision. Congrats, Andrew!

Everest 2008: Huge Summit Day Plagued by Death, Rescues, and Crowds

On a sad note today, a climber has lost his life on Mt. Everest. There are currently ongoing rescue attempts taking place with a few other climbers and much of this is being caused by the sheer number of climbers this season trying to top out before weather sits in. Already reports of some wind and snow are being mentioned. It has been a big two days, with it being reported that perhaps as many as 77 different climbers topped out yesterday, with many more today. Let’s begin..

Uwe Gianni Goltz Has Died On Everest

An experienced Swiss climber has died on Mt. Everest. Uwe Gianni Goltz, who had been attempting Mt. Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. EverstNews has released his name and also mentions that his family has been notified. Goltz was 44 years old and had quite a bit of previous 8,000 meter experience. He had climbed Gasherbraum II, Cho Oyu, Broad Peak, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Shishapangma before attempting Mt. Everest this season. He was a member of Kari Kobler’s Expedition. Let’s keep our thoughts and prayers on him and his family, friends, teammates and associates tonight.

Jamie McGuinness reported in a new audio post from his Project-Himalaya team that Uwe Gianni Goltz (Jamie didn’t mention his name, as the family had not been notified, as yet) had successfully summited Mt. Everest, but ran in to trouble on the descent. Goltz complained that he was having problems feeling anything. Upon the return to Camp 4, Goltz was given 4 liters of oxygen a minute. That was upped a bit more once he returned to Camp 3. Unfortunately this effort didn’t result in a good ending. He later died.

Jamie also alluded to the fact that a couple more rescue operations had taken place.

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