New Book Released on 2006 Mt. Hood Tragedy

In December of 2006 The Adventurist began to cover a story of three climbers who had become stranded near the summit of Mt. Hood.  A few days later, this event became a media blitz. 

Hope for the successful rescue of Brian Hall, Jerry Cooke, and Kelly James soon dimminished as the first body was discovered.  In the proceeding days this tragic event would ignite controversy in the climbing community as well as the world at large, and eventually would become the backbone for a piece of legislation in Utah to require climbers to wear tracking beakons while going up Mt. Hood.

A new book has been published regarding this recent tragedy.  Mt. Hood:  The Deep Blue Zone takes a look at these events as they unfolded and captured a nation’s attention.  The Book’s author Hubert Allan, Jr. looks at this tragedy, the members involved, and perhaps what exactly took place high up on the slope of Mt. Hood. 

In the coming week, The Adventurist will have the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Hubert Allan, Jr. regarding this unfortunate event, as well as his latest book, for this site.  First, though, I would like to give you a bit more information on Mt. Hood:  The Deep Blue Zone from Amazon.com.

Here is what is mentioned on Amazon.com:

Book Description:

America’s most riveting mountain search occurred in December 2006 on Mount Hood in Oregon, USA. This book is not only exhaustively researched but includes estimated weather data for the summit deemed so useful that it was adopted into many of the investigation reports. What did happen to those three climbers? Get “The Deep Blue Zone” now on your shelves and find out!

Amazon does make a note that they only have 5 copies of this book left in stock, but coming from this review of Mr. Allan’s book, you can probably see why:

Written by experienced winter mountain climber Hubert A. Allen Jr., Mount Hood The Deep Blue Zone: Story of the 2006 Climbing Tragedy is a reconstruction of what possibly happened to three climbers who became lost on Oregon’s Mount Hood in 2006. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this day-by-day reconstruction, pieced together from both primary and secondary sources. Appendices consisting of data for weather conditions on Mount Hood as well as a climbing glossary round out this thoughtful, detailed dissection of a recent tragedy. “Citizens, most of them non-climbers, debated the very premise of winter climbing. Non-climbers argued about how selfish it was for the three men to go off and climb what looked like an absurd project. But these men had no death wish. Indeed, there are indications that this group was working their way up to an attempt on Mount Everest.” Recommended reading for any practicing or would-be mountain climber.

This book has a price of $16.29 and is available in hardback only, at this time. 

Many of you have come by my site for information regarding this tragic event.  The posts I made concerning the Mt. Hood Tragedy are still listed in my Top Ten posts every month, and it seems that the more time that goes by, the more interest that is generated.  As far as I know, this is the first account of this tragedy to be published.  Should be a very interesting read and hopefully shed more light on this sad and controversial subject for all of us.

Please stay tuned in the coming week to The Adventurist, as I will be bringing you this exclusive interview with the Author of Mt. Hood:  The Deep Blue Zone, Mr. Hubert. A. Allan, Jr.

The Adventurist: A Call to All Outdoor Writers and Photographers!

I have just put the finishing touches on a new “Submit & Contact” Page here at The Adventurist.  I am hoping that this new feature will be accepted and used by all of my great readers.

This page goes into detail about a few things I am looking for here at The Adventurist–and ways you might be able to get involved.

Do you love Adventure Writing or perhaps Great Outdoors Photography?–Help me share your incredible talents with a much bigger audience!

Head on Over to the “Submit & Contact” Page, found on a tab right up above this article, and Share your Adventures with the World!

Also, if you are looking to put me to work, there is info there as well….

Cheers-

J. Alan Hendricks, Editor

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Body of Christine Boskoff Found

In December of 2006, two high profile climbers Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler went missing in the Sechuan Province of China.

The subsequent news of this event shook the climbing community to it’s foundation.  At the time in December 2006, much of the world was focused on three lost climbers on Mt. Hood in Oregon and the ensuing Rescue mission that eventually turned into a Recovery.

Charlie Fowler, a world reknown climber and photographer, along with Christine Boskoff, a World class climber in her own right and subsequent owner of Mountain Madness, one of the world’s leading mountain expedition companies,  set out to claim some unchartered peaks in China.  A vacation they had been planning on for two years.

The two soon dissappeared and an all out search effort ensued in China with little media coverage.

On December 29, 2006 Charlie Fowler’s body was found on Genyen Peak, but there were no signs of Christine.

On January 2, 2007 the search for Christine Boskoff was essentially called off with her being presumed dead.

On July 8th 2007, Everest is Ours, A Blog discussing Mt. Everest and the Climbing world made a post about the continued search for Christine Boskoff.  You may find that HERE.

Also this month Climbing Magazine, which I am a subscriber also ran a story about Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler and the continued efforts to find Christine.

Today it is being reported by Mountain Madness President Mark Gunlogson that Christine Boskoff’s Body has been found near where Charlie Fowler’s was found last December.

Here is Mountain Madness’ Complete Press Release:

SEATTLE July 9, 2007 – The body of accomplished US climber Christine Boskoff was found in the mountains of southern China on July 3rd, local China time.  The search and recovery team supported by Mountain Madness, the Seattle-based adventure guide company owned by Boskoff, resumed their search for Boskoff last May on the remote mountain peak of Genyan Massif in Sichuan Province. 

Last November, Boskoff and her climbing partner Charlie Fowler, also a renowned high-altitude mountain climber, were on a personal climbing expedition in Sichuan Province when the pair failed to return to the U.S.  Fowler’s body was recovered on December 27th, and search crews ceased their efforts to search and recover Boskoff until the spring due to winter weather.  Both are believed to have died in an avalanche.

“We resumed the search and recovery efforts for Chris once the weather improved and rock fall hazards lessened,” said Mark Gunlogson, president of Mountain Madness.  “This latest news brings closure to what was a great loss for her family, friends, Mountain Madness and the climbing community.  Chris lived life to the fullest and she died doing what she loved best in one of her most favorite places to climb.” 

“Chris established a legacy as one of the most successful female high altitude mountaineers in history, having climbed six 8,000 meter peaks including two successful ascents of Everest. She brought her tremendous climbing experience, unique humility for someone so accomplished, and love of the mountains to Mountain Madness and its many clients where she built one of the world’s foremost climbing organizations. We will miss her enthusiasm and infectious smile, but will continue to draw upon her spirit as we move forward,” said David C. Jones, Mountain Madness board member. 

A memorial fund to benefit Room to Read has been set up in Boskoff’s name to benefit school children in Nepal.  Boskoff was a former board member of the non-profit organization that helps establish schools, libraries and other educational infrastructures in developing countries.  Room to Read is building a school in Nepal in Boskoff’s honor.  Donations to the Boskoff memorial fund, as well as surplus funds from the Boskoff-Fowler search and recovery fund, will go to support the school in Nepal and scholarships for girls throughout the country.

“She was passionate about climbing and her love of the people and the cultures she traveled to, especially the children of Nepal and we’re honored to be a part of this lasting memorial for Chris,” said John Wood, founder and chief executive officer of Room to Read.  “She was selfless in pursuit of our mission and passionate in her belief that children throughout the developing world should have access to great schools, teachers, libraries and books.”

To support the Boskoff memorial fund donations can be made at www.roomtoread.com or by sending a check to: 

Room to Read – Mountain Madness Appeal
The Presidio
PO Box 29127
San Francisco, CA 94129

About Mountain Madness:
Founded in 1984, Mountain Madness is an adventure guide travel service and mountaineering school based in Seattle, Washington.  The company provides adventure-guided expeditions in Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania, as well as courses in rock climbing, avalanche and skiing.  For more info: www.mountainmadness.com

Contact:
Mark Gunlogson
Mountain Madness
206-937-8389
markg@mountainmadness.com

(Editor’s Note:  This article was compiled from information obtained from the following sources:  The Adventure Blog, the Everest is Ours Blog, and the MountainMadness Website as well as information contained here in The Adventurist.)

If you would like to catch up on the search for Christine Boskoff and Charlie Fowler, you may do so by clicking the following link for The Adventurist’s full coverage.

$5000 Charge for Wilderness Rescue Ignites Debate–Again.

A Kansas man has been billed $5000 for a wilderness rescue after he injured his ankle while hiking along a steep hillside.

This debate has been raging for well over a year now–whether or not people in the wilderness, when accidents happen, should be liable to pay for their rescue.

Kansas is only one of a number of states who have been looking in to billing people that have come to need a rescue involving local authorities.  Colorado also has a similar law in place and one is also currently making the rounds in Utah.

The great Blog, Two-Heel Drive ran by Tom Mangan, tipped me off to the forementioned article featured in the June 18th issue of Rocky Mountain News discussing this incident, as well as the debate raging in Kansas.  You may read the whole article HERE.

As far as Colorado is concerned, there has recently been news that another individual will be billed $7500 for his subsequent rescue as well.

This is reigniting a big debate amongst outdoor enthusiasts.  Should they be charged or shouldn’t they?  I have already expressed my own opinion on this matter as it pertains to climbers needing rescued–(please see story posted HERE, for my opinion.)  How much is to much?

Alot of us go out and try to enjoy the peace and solitude of the outdoors for 1) it is great exercise, 2) it gets you away from the hustle and bustle of cities…and PEOPLE, and 3) It is alot cheaper to walk a trail then drive a car.

If all of us ran the risk of having to pay $7500 for rescue after a badly twisted ankle PLUS our own medical bills, would we still be outdoors?

Alot of the previous debate over this issue has occured mainly over climbers getting stranded high on mountains, as in the two incidents that have occured in the past year on Mt. Hood. More and more though, we as individuals are seeing this pop up for some things that seem–dare I say mundane?

I think the political motivation behind this issue has jumped from saving lives to making money, and in a sense, infringing upon our own freedoms to explore nature and the outdoors.

Perhaps a few people have taken advantage of the system.  Perhaps a few have ended up where they never should have been in the first place without the experience or guidance they needed to be there.  Is this a reason to Pigeonhole a whole section of the American population? Instead of going out to “Get Away From It All”, that “All” is slowly trying to step in and even take away the essence of being out there.

Read more

Free-Climbing the Second Step: A New Controversy Brewing..

In the past two weeks, numerous reports of Conrad Anker and Leo Haulding’s, successful summit of Everest have been reported.

Many of you will know that Conrad Anker and Leo Haulding set out a couple weeks ago to try to prove that George Mallory could have successfully summited Mt. Everest, by doing it themselves in equipment that would have been used in Mallory’s day–although made more recent.

Their findings are being reported two different ways.  The first, is that they were successful…the second is that they had to put aside the look-alike 1920’s equipment and make their final push in high tech gear of today.  To be honest, this would lead you to believe that Mallory and Irvine couldn’t have summited in the gear that they had.

Another controversy has seemed to have erupted recently over Conrad Anker and Leo Haulding’s subsequent free-climb up the Second Step.  The two, in order to do it as Mallory and Irvine, removed the ladder ascending the Second Step and decided to free climb it.  Many people, including Elizabeth Hawley, the Mt. Everest Expeditions local historian and news source, seem to be confused on the merits of free climbing the second step…

The Adventure Blog has posted a nice piece on whether this was the first free climb ever, the first one since the 1960’s as Elizabeth Hawley claims, or just another one that has fallen into the cracks of misreporting.  ExplorersWeb contends that there are actually a few people who have done this on the Second Step and that Anker and Haulding are just the most recent.

We all know it isn’t done often.  More people go for the much easier and safer, by using the ladder, but the controversy arises in part, by a message left by The Altitude Everest Team claiming that this was a true first.  No matter how it plays out–it is very unlikely this is a true first as way more than one source agrees that it has been done at least once before and possibly numerous times.

I credit Kraig over at The Adventure Blog for this fine piece of investigative reporting–I will be watching to see if he can come up with some truth and what the facts are surrounding this situation–well done Kraig.  Now go read his fine piece HERE.

The Road to Everest–Literally!

Mt. Everest is set to be getting a new road.  The road, scheduled to begin construction on Monday, is being put in to place by the Chinese in an effort to help with their 2008 plans of summiting Mt. Everest with the famed Olympic Torch. 

This year has already seen the Chinese make a successful practice run of the torch to the summit.

The new road in will allow for a speedier trek to Basecamp for the Chinese as well as many other Expeditions that use this same path to Mt. Everest annually.  The Chinese are predicting a big outpouring of spectators for this event and are trying to rush along the process to ensure it’s success before next years Olympic Games.

The new road, which will run from Tangri County of Xigaze Prefecture at the base of Mt. Everest to Mt. Everest Basecamp–some 108 km, will be placed directly on top of a rough path used by Expedition Companies and climbers to reach Everest Basecamp.  The new road project is expected to take 4 months to build and will come in at a rough cost of $19.7 million.

The new road building project is set to kick off Monday with groundbreaking at Everest Basecamp, some 5, 200 meters above sea level.

The Road will be built complete with blacktop and metal guardrails and should allow much easier access to a place that usually took three days or more to get to, in the past.

Earlier this year rumors started circulating that the Chinese plan to shut down the North Side of Everest next year to Expeditions hoping to try for a summit next spring.  At this time no further word has been given about this situation.

Of interest though would be the expected crowds that this new road might let in to one of the most dangerous mountains in the world.  In 2007, well over 500 people made a successful summit, while 5 died in the process.  It is hard to imagine possibly more crowds in the basecamp area as alot of teams were concerned about them this season…

Also, Tibet, who has been fighting for this territory that China also claims ownership to since the 1950’s, has been highly outspoken in their dissapproval of anything in their country being tied to the Chinese Olympics.  Tibet has been voicing their opinions in highly public protests–one of which led to 5 people being arrested on Mt. Everest this season, against China.

With all of this building up to the 2008 Olympics and the 2008 Everest climbing season in the spring, it will be very interesting to see how this plays out, and if, indeed, the Chinese can pull this off successfully without an International Incident, as Tibet will once again become a huge focus in International circles.

The ChinaView was the source for part of this information after following a link from The Drudge Report.

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