Indiana Doctor Scales Last Of The Seven Summits

This news report is coming from WTHI TV from Terre Haute, Indiana.  You can read the accompanying article here.

Less than 200 people have summitted all seven of the Seven Summits.  I find it interesting that Dr. Gregory Konrath’s objective has recieved very little press in Indiana (my home state).  As far as I know, this is the only report I have seen in regards to Dr. Konrath and his Seven Summits bid.  It is also very cool that he decided to save the easiest for last, and summit with his son.  His son is already planning on joining his father as a future Seven Summits climber.  With Mt. Kosciuszko out of the way, that leaves six more (including Everest).  That could be a big goal for a 10 year old.

Peter Hillary Summits Denali, Completes Seven Summits, Dedicates Denali To Sir Hillary

EverestNews is reporting that Sir Edmund Hillary’s son, Peter Hillary, has just finished completing his bid for the highest summit on each of the seven continents. Peter Hillary also dedicated his last summit, Denali/Mt. McKinley, to his late father, Sir Edmund Hillary, who passed away earlier this year.

From Peter Hillary on EverestNews:

After the last six months of incredible memorials and farewells to my father it provided me with an opportunity to go back to where it all started: in the mountains that inspired us both. Completing the Seven Summits has been my salute to my father.

Peter Hillary’s latest summit came at 4am on June 17th in minus 40 degree temperatures and 30 knot winds.  Denali, known for it’s harsh changes of weather patterns, represents the highest peak in North America.

Peter Hillary is no stranger to adventure.  Many of you have probably heard the stories of how his late father, Sir Edmund Hillary, was the first to summit Mt. Everest, along with Tenzing Norgay, but most are probably not familiar with Peter.  Peter’s accomplishments include forging a new route to the South pole, summiting Mt. Everest TWICE…and completing the first traverse across the Himalayan mountains.  He can now add climber of the Seven Summits to his resume.

Peter Hillary has been working really hard to accomplish this goal and get it dedicated to his father, who died just 6 months ago.  Nice to see things work out.  Congrats, Peter!

Bend it Like Beckham, Climb It Like Bono

Could two of the world’s biggest media personalities be teaming up for an assault of Mt. Kilimanjaro?

Bono, lead singer of International Super Rock Band U2, has invited the Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.  The supposed set-up involves raising money for UNICEF, an organaziation which both are leading philanthropists for.

Ted Alvarez. over at the Backpacker Magazine blog “The Daily Dirt,” gets the shout-out for bringing this to my attention.  He also brings up the fact that this comes from The Sun, out of the UK.  A newspaper well-known for it’s articles alluding to ‘anonymous sources’ and adding just a touch of flare to it’s news.  Not sure if this is just a ‘rumor’, or not, but it would be an interesting concept.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak at 19,341 Feet tall.  It also just happens to be one of the famed Seven Summits.  Hopefully the two aren’t looking for a cake walk.  Last year, my good friend Kraig, over at The Adventure Blog attempted Kilimanjaro.  Yeah, it kicked his butt.  You can read his account HERE.

Ted Alvarez, over at The Daily Dirt does make a couple of challenges.  One to Bono and one to Beckham, while they embark on this journey-

You sold me, The Sun, anonymous source and all. If this happens, though, I have but two simple requests of our celebrities-turned-mountaineers-with-hearts-of-gold, since no celebrity stunt is complete without the “stunt” part.

1) David Beckham must “bend it” like himself from Uhuru Peak into the Ngorongoro Crater, scoring the single greatest penalty-kick goal ever.

2) Bono will sing “One” at the summit in its entirety and without supplemental oxygen, holding that last, highest note for an extra 10 to 15 seconds.

Pretty funny stuff, Ted, as always-

If David Beckham and Bono come to terms on this climb and are successful, perhaps they could join one of Hollywood’s elite actors, Orlando Bloom, in scaling Mt. Everest.  That would be an expedition worth watching!

The Adventurist: The Seven Summits–A Big Announcement

Once again I am delighted to be able to make another big announcement to all of my readers here at The Adventurist.

The goal of the Seven Summits–the highest peak on each of the seven continents–happens to be one of the great adventures of out time.  Few have attempted it and even fewer have succeeded.  An adventure like this takes not only determination and ambition, but also years of hard work and dedication.

Over the next seven weeks The Adventurist will be going to the Seven Summits.  This journey will be through the eyes and mind of a true mountaineering legend.  Mr. John Gluckman’s journey began back in 1978, when on a whim he decided to take a trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Twenty-Two years later, Mr. Gluckman finished his quest for the Seven Summits.

I have been given the priviledge of being able to conduct a seven part interview with Mr. Gluckman–each part focusing on a different peak of the Seven Summits.  We will learn a bit about the process, what it takes to climb each of these peaks, as well as training and preparing for these adventures.

I know there are a couple of you out there that have been speculating on attempting this quest yourself.  You have asked me a few questions concerning these, and I am hoping that I will be able to answer these questions for you during this interview process.

I am excited about this opportunity.  John will be the first Seven Summiter that I have had the priviledge to interview and I am sure we will all learn a few things about this grand adventure that we never knew before.

Like I said, this will be an ongoing series over the next seven weeks.  John has ok’d the seven-part interview and I am currently working on the first series of questions.

If you have questions of your own concerning the Seven Summits, feel free to post them in the comments area and I will try to get the answers you are looking for.

Mt. Kosciuszko or Carstenz Pyramid, Which is the True Seventh Summit?

The debate over the Seven Summits has reigned on for years now.  Some claim Carstenz Pyramid, the highest point on the island of New Guinea, is the Seventh and final summit to this quest.  Others contend that Mt. Koskiuszko, on Australia is the true Seventh Summit.  So who is right?

Here is an interesting piece from on article over on AdventureJourney talking about just this subject.  This article is actually an interview with famed Seven Summits conquerer John Gluckman, and he chimes in with some personal insights into this controversy.  Don’t fear though, John, amidst the confusion surrounding this controversy decided to take them both on.  Anyway you look at it, John is a true Seven Summiter.

From the Interview with John Gluckman:

“Not long after [climbing Vinson Massif], I learned that [Adventure Network International] was advertising an expedition to Carstenz Pyramid, the highest point on the island of New Guinea in Irian Jaya, the Indonesian part of the island. Carstenz is the highest mountain in the world on an island, not a continent. A not inconsiderable number of climbers consider Carstenz the true summit of Australasia.

“However, I consider Kosciuszko to be the seventh summit, not Carstenz. My reasons are as follows: Firstly, Carstenz is on an island and not on the continent of Australia. Secondly, Indonesia is not a part of Australasia politically; it is considered a part of Asia. Australasia consists of Australia and New Zealand. Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest peak, which I have climbed, is considered by some people to be the highest peak in Australasia, but it is on an island 2,000 kilometers from Australia, which certainly makes the island ineligible to be considered part of the Australian continent.

“Patrick Morrow, who was the first climber to complete the Carstenz version of the Seven Summits, believed the seventh Summit was Carstenz. He was supported by Reinhold Messner, who is arguably the greatest climber in history. Companies running commercial expeditions to many of the world’s major mountains advertise Carstenz as the seventh Summit because it is a difficult rock climb in a remote, exotic, and exciting part of the world. Kosciuszko, on the other hand, is a non-technical hike, and the ascent and descent can be done in a matter of hours. However, even Kosciuszko should never be underestimated; many inexperienced and ill-prepared hikers have paid the price for their ignorance and arrogance on Kosciuszko with their lives.

“I successfully reached the summit of Carstenz in February 1992.”

After reading this bit, it is hard to deny John’s claims.  I must say that I have to agree with him on this one.  Carstenz Pyramid, in order to be a “true” Seventh Summit–which is defined as the highest summit on each of the seven continents–is in fact on an island (technically speaking, Australia is an island as well, but we all know Australia is a continent.). 

I still think the best route to getting known for the Seven Summits is to go ahead and take them both in–that way the naysayers will not have any question as to the validity of your efforts.

By the way, the interview of Seven Summiter John Gluckman is pretty extensive over on the AdventureJourney website.  I recommend anyone who has a slight interest in the Seven Summits to head on over and check it out.  Some very useful information and insight into what it takes for a journey of this magnitude.

Editor’s Note:  I was tipped off about the AdventureJourney Website by this insightful article featured today on The Adventure Blog.

New Assault on the Seven Summits

Brendon Bratt and Andrew Hillery are planning on assaulting the Seven Summit quest this Spring, yet they have never climbed a mountian before..

The two natives of New Orleans, LA have put together a plan to tackle the highest peak on each of the seven continents.  Their motivation?  Tackling mother nature for putting their butts out on the street during Hurricane Katrina.

The two are currently seeking sponsorship to allow them to reach their quest.  The pair have already attended a glacier climbing and crevasse rescue school in preparation for the assault.

Their eventual goal is to reach the top of Mt. Everest..but in order to get there they are first going to claim the other six peaks leading to the Seven Summits title.  The two will begin their mission this next spring–traveling to Denali for the first step on a long journey.

Bratt and Hillery have been busy training for their first mission.  Weight-lifting, building endurance, and lung capacity have been their focus.

The pair recently had the chance to talk to LSU’s Online Student Paper, TigerWeekly, about their upcoming attempt.  Brendan Bratt is an LSU pre-veterinary senior while his climbing partner and fellow New Orleans resident, Andrew Hillery, is an undergraduate student at The University of Alabama.

When discussing the eventual goal of trying to claim the peak of the world’s tallest mountain to TigerWeekly Reporter Rachel Thrace, Brendon Brat exclaimed:

When I think about Everest, I do get intimidated and scared.

I am sure he is not alone.  Over the years Mt. Everest has claimed the lives of well over 200 individuals that all began with the same drive and enthusiasm as Brendan and Andrew’s. 

The Adventurist wishes them luck on this magnificent quest.

To read Rachel Thrace’s Great Article on Bratt and Hillery’s quest, head on over to TigerWeekly

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: 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

Mt. Everest Pioneer, Ernest Hofstetter, Dies at 95

Ernest Hofstetter, a leading member of a Swiss Expedition team that nearly summited one year before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first successful summit of Mt. Everest in 1953, has died.

Upon Sir Edmund Hillary’s successful summit the following year, Hillary sent the swiss team a note telling them that they had done half of the work for him.

The Swiss Expedition Team, that Ernest Hofstetter was a proud member of, seemingly paved the route that a year later Hillary and Norgay would use to make their summit a success.

For more on the incredible 1952 Swiss Expedition up Mt. Everest, Click Here.

Ernest Hofstetter will be missed by the climbing community world wide and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

The Adventurist Sparks a Nerve….Twice…And You Speak Out!

This past week has seen two pretty controversial pieces here at The Adventurist take center stage.  The first one titled “David Sharp HAD to Die” was recently mentioned on ExplorersWeb and has seen well over 2,000 people stopping by to check it out in the past few days alone.

The David Sharp issue continues to be a very hot topic, even a year after this incident took place.  The media and the Climbing Community have been very vocal on their thoughts and concerns over this incident and it seems like everyone has their own opinions.  I figured I would highlight a couple of these opinions that have been shared here on The Adventurist, just to show you a bit of the differing viewpoints taking place:

First, From reader Yolan:

I am still amazed that people have a problem with climbers dying on Everest…..if you plan to take a risk like that, it is a known factor in the whole “picture”. Expecting a Sherpa (or anyone else for that matter) to risk his/her life to save yours, is way out of line….. ethics be damned…cerebral edema may not be a complication that a climber can prepare for, but as a climber, you have to know it is a potential hazzard in the “death zone” (called that for a reason!!) in a situation like and Everest summit attempt, it should be made very clear…. every person for himself!!!

From reader Leon:

It is unfair for members of the public to have such a negative opinion about how climbers are left in the death zone to die because they have never experienced being at that altitude and in such extreme conditions.

When a climber sets foot on a mountain, he or she SHOULD be awear of the dangers and be prepared for the unexpected.

And Lastly, from reader Helen:

Yolan and Leon have missed the central point here - from all reports 40 climbers passed David Sharp on the way UP. 40 still relatively fresh climbers with Os and Dex, 40 climbers with thoughts ONLY of the summit. You’re damn right the “public” have a negative opinion. Most people I talked to at the time (public all) could not imagine why anyone would think being the 431st or so person on top could possibly outweigh saving another “climber”. What story would YOU rather tell back home ? I made it to a summit thats been climbed a thousand times ? Or I saved a life ?

These comments just tip the surface of this great debate, but none the less, it is very interesting to see the different views expressed.

The second piece that seems to be drawing alot of attention is a piece I wrote just a couple of days ago titled “Dave Hahn, Usha Bista, and How The Mainstream Media Bites a Big One“. Read more

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