"Because it's there."

[thør]

Climber abandons effort to scale Mount McKinley

After 20 days on North America's tallest mountain, including seven spent in a tiny snow trench at 17,200 feet, pinned in by wind and a prolonged whiteout, Minnesota's Lonnie Dupre on Wednesday abandoned his effort to become the first person to scale Mount McKinley alone in January.

Dupre, who descended from 17,200 feet to 14,200 on Tuesday, continued to work his way down the mountain on Wednesday, his website reported. Once at 7,000 feet, a plane can pick him up and take him to Talkeetna.

Seven days and six nights at 17,200 feet, spent almost exclusively inside a 3x3x6-foot snow trench, sapped Dupre of his strength and fitness, an update on the website said.

"He has made the decision to continue down to base camp," it said. "... Lonnie was set for a summit attempt, but Mother Nature decided that it would 'test' him for 7 days, with winds up to 100 mph, temperatures reaching -50 and a 5.4 magnitude earthquake. ... There is an old saying that you don't (mess) with Mother Nature, and I think Lonnie knows and respects that power more than ever!"

More at ADN.com

 

[thør]

Dupree's climb manager in Talkeetna.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfo4kxq0SA1qzz221o1_500.jpg

He doesn't look like George Kennedy.

His blog.

 

[Peregrinator]

Dupree's climb manager in Talkeetna.

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfo4kxq0SA1qzz221o1_500.jpg

He doesn't look like George Kennedy.

His blog.

Such a pretty little lodge. I wanna go back!

 

[thør]

Such a pretty little lodge. I wanna go back!

I figured you'd recall the place.

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/102-450x302.jpg

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Jose-450x555.jpg

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/yosemite-teens-climb_18154_600x4501.jpg

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Stone-Masters-California-Rock-Climbers-in-the-Seventies-21-450x600.jpg

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/009-450x356.jpg

 

[thør]

http://blog.needsupply.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/StoneMasters.jpg

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Funny name. Great pics.

 

[Peregrinator]

Great shots, Thor. The ones of Batso and the tourist route on Half Dome are especially good. Who's the guy below Harding? Familiar face, but I can't pull the name.

 

[thør]

Great shots, Thor. The ones of Batso and the tourist route on Half Dome are especially good. Who's the guy below Harding? Familiar face, but I can't pull the name.

Dunno, I might have to buy the book to find out.

 

[koalabear]

for the sceince geeks

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/28/5942494-double-whammy-on-the-sun?gt1=43001

click the month in space pictures link at the bottom.

 

[Peregrinator]

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/28/5942494-double-whammy-on-the-sun?gt1=43001

click the month in space pictures link at the bottom.

Awesome pics, Koala! Loving it.

This is a cool shot:

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-110126-misp/ss-110126-misp-07.ss_full.jpg

For those who don't wanna go digging, the summit of Everest is just off screen top center, so it's showing the north face and some of the approach glaciers for folk who decide to climb it from the Chinese side.

 

[koalabear]

Awesome pics, Koala! Loving it.

This is a cool shot:

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-110126-misp/ss-110126-misp-07.ss_full.jpg

For those who don't wanna go digging, the summit of Everest is just off screen top center, so it's showing the north face and some of the approach glaciers for folk who decide to climb it from the Chinese side.

I some how guessed you might like that shot.

 

[Peregrinator]

Linked to me by A1eyeblind1 in another thread, but it really belongs here:

http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/25/7-of-the-craziest-most-dangerous-most-dizzying-hikes-in-the-wo/

 

[koalabear]

'Almost flying': Climber survives 1,000-foot fall

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41334296/ns/world_news-europe/?gt1=43001

 

[thør]

From the ADN.com:

"Four skiers have been rescued after being caught up in an avalanche Saturday in mountains south of Anchorage, state troopers said.

The skiers were hoisted into an Air National Guard helicopter and evacuated to safer ground in the late afternoon, about four hours after the avalanche that briefly buried and injured three of them, troopers said.

The injured skiers were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries about 4:30 p.m., troopers said.

The fourth skier, Adam Sanders, was uninjured and dropped off at the Summit Lake Lodge parking lot.

One of the injured skiers, James Mitchell, 58, called 911 at 12:27 p.m. to report that he and three others were caught in an avalanche while skiing in the area behind the lodge.

The buried skiers were found relatively quickly, troopers said. Each skier had an avalanche beacon, troopers said. They were then stranded beneath a ridge where an avalanche threat persisted, complicating the rescue.

Besides Mitchell, the injured skiers were Adam Baxter, 28, and Peter MacDonald, 34, troopers said. All are from Anchorage.

The injures involved broken bones and hypothermia, said trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.

Besides the troopers, agencies that responded include state wildlife troopers, the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and the Nordic Ski Patrol. Two LifeMed helicopters were staged in the lodge parking lot, and the troopers' Helo 1, with four mountain rescue group members, were staged on the lake.

Helo 1 dropped survival gear to the skiers, and mountain rescue group members skied to them to provide medical treatment and survival gear before the injured skiers were flown off the mountain."

 

[Peregrinator]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41334296/ns/world_news-europe/?gt1=43001

Saw that. It's all over the mountaineering news and listserves. "What can we learn from this?" is the usual header. My thought is, don't ski avalanche terrain when it's loaded. But, hey, that's just me...

From the ADN.com:

"Four skiers have been rescued after being caught up in an avalanche Saturday in mountains south of Anchorage, state troopers said.

The skiers were hoisted into an Air National Guard helicopter and evacuated to safer ground in the late afternoon, about four hours after the avalanche that briefly buried and injured three of them, troopers said.

The injured skiers were taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries about 4:30 p.m., troopers said.

The fourth skier, Adam Sanders, was uninjured and dropped off at the Summit Lake Lodge parking lot.

One of the injured skiers, James Mitchell, 58, called 911 at 12:27 p.m. to report that he and three others were caught in an avalanche while skiing in the area behind the lodge.

The buried skiers were found relatively quickly, troopers said. Each skier had an avalanche beacon, troopers said. They were then stranded beneath a ridge where an avalanche threat persisted, complicating the rescue.

Besides Mitchell, the injured skiers were Adam Baxter, 28, and Peter MacDonald, 34, troopers said. All are from Anchorage.

The injures involved broken bones and hypothermia, said trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen.

Besides the troopers, agencies that responded include state wildlife troopers, the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and the Nordic Ski Patrol. Two LifeMed helicopters were staged in the lodge parking lot, and the troopers' Helo 1, with four mountain rescue group members, were staged on the lake.

Helo 1 dropped survival gear to the skiers, and mountain rescue group members skied to them to provide medical treatment and survival gear before the injured skiers were flown off the mountain."

Bloody fucking lucky they're still alive. Well prepared, though. If you're going to push it like that, beacons are a good idea....

 

[thør]

http://www.snowsled.com/wp-content/themes/snowsled/images/changer-01.jpg

Nice for the picture, but inefficient for travel.

 

[Peregrinator]

http://www.snowsled.com/wp-content/themes/snowsled/images/changer-01.jpg

Nice for the picture, but inefficient for travel.

Let's ALL break trail!

I think I've stood in the spot where that picture was taken.

 

[thør]

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgbbk3KtHl1qc28ejo1_500.gif

 

[Peregrinator]

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgbbk3KtHl1qc28ejo1_500.gif

Hah! That picture is pretty famous. John "Verm" (short for Vermin) Sherman has never admitted whether or not it's staged. He's one bad ass climber, though.

 

[thør]

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgd1eiTv6N1qazgtvo1_500.jpg

http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgd1fr0KR81qazgtvo1_500.jpg

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgd1hdewdy1qazgtvo1_500.jpg