Summit on the Summit: celebrity Kilimanjaro climb begins today!

by Kraig Becker on

Standing 19,340 feet in height, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and a popular trekking destination for adventure travelers. The mountain requires no technical skills to reach the summit, but remains a significant challenge none-the-less, which is why it often serves as the location for high profile, fund raising climbs.

One such climb, dubbed the Summit on the Summit, begins today with a number of celebrities joining the expedition, which hopes to raise awareness about the need for clean drinking water around the globe. The SOTS website says that more than 1 billion people do not have access to potable water and that every 15 seconds, somewhere on the planet, a child dies due to a water-related disease, such as malaria or typhoid. The expedition has partnered with the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, the UN Refugee Agency, and Playpumps International in order to deliver clean drinking water to remote places around the globe while educating the developed world about this growing problem.

The Summit on the Summit expedition is the brainchild of musician Kenna, who invited a few of his friends along for the climb. He is joined by rapper Lupe Fiasco, actor Jessica Biel, and adventure photographer Jimmy Chin, amongst many others, on the eight day climb that will take them to the Roof of Africa, passing through five unique climate zones along the way. If everything goes according to schedule, the team will stand at Uhuru Peak, the summit of Kilimanjaro, next Wednesday.

The expedition has multiple ways for us to get involved and follow along with the team as they make their way towards the summit. The official website offers a slick interface with all kinds of information on the mountain, the climbers, and their cause. You can also follow their progress and get updates through the team’s Twitter feed, which is found at @SOTSK. They have been tweeting about their experience since their arrival in Tanzania yesterday evening.

But more importantly, you can contribute directly to the cause by sponsoring a foot of the climb. The team hopes to get all 19,340 feet sponsored before they are done, with all funds raised going directly to providing clean water for people in need all over the planet. It’s a great cause with a dedicated crew, and it should be fun to follow along.

India opens remote trekking and mountaineering routes

by Kraig Becker on

Adventure travelers were given even more incentive to travel to India recently when it was announced that the government would begin allowing access to previously restricted areas in the remote Jammu and Kashmir provinces. The move has both economic and political motivations that officials hope will provide benefits for the country in years to come, but trekkers and mountaineers will begin receiving benefits of their own beginning this summer.

In all, 104 new mountain peaks have been removed from the restricted list, and opened up to climbers for the first time. Most fall in the Leh and Ladakh regions, along India’s border with both China and Pakistan. Because of their close proximity to the disputed Kashmir region, only ten previous mountaineering expeditions, primarily made up of Indian climbers, have made their way into the region. This means that the vast majority of those mountains have not yet been climbed. Climbers looking to claim a first ascent will find plenty of altitude to challenge them. Many of the peaks top out above 22,000 feet, including Saser Kangri I, II, and III, which stand 24,327 feet, 24,649 feet, and 24,590 feet respectively.

Backpackers will find plenty to love in this remote and stunningly beautiful region as well. High altitude passes and trails that have previously been off limits are now open to foreign travelers, including a route that leads to the village of Turtuk in the Nubra Valley. The village played a historically important role in the region in centuries past when caravans traveling the Silk Road passed through the high altitude settlement, ferrying goods from East to West.

This move by the Indian government comes following a recommendation from the Ministry of Defense. The region has been a source of conflict for years between India and Pakistan, but tensions have now eased in the area, and this will signal a return to normalcy. The influx of climbers, trekkers, and other adventure travelers is likely to help the local economy as well.

Who pays for rescue efforts when people are lost? Who should?

by Jamie Rhein on

A few days ago, Kraig wrote about the three hikers lost on Mt. Hood. At the time of his post, one of the hikers had been found dead. The other two were still missing. Almost a week after they set out on their climb, they are still missing and most probably are dead. Because of this tragic situation, the question of who foots the bill for rescue efforts has come up once more.

Back in 2005, then Gadling blogger Erik Olsen wrestled with the question about who should pay–the lost hiker who hopefully is found–or tax payers? Olsen’s musings came about after a hiker hurt his ankle while hiking in Colorado. Several fire departments rescued the hiker after he spent a night on the mountain. The sticker price for the rescue was $5,000. In this case, the fire departments wanted the hiker to pay.

Usually, the people who are getting rescued don’t pay anything. But is that fair? Rescue attempts can be pricey. Consider this: From 1992 to 2007, the U.S. National Park Service spent $58 million on search and rescue efforts.

This recent Newsweek article echoes some of Erik’s points. As the article highlights, the hard economics question of who should pay for rescue attempts has as many facets to consider as it always has.

While one might say that people who take risks by heading up a mountain top or straying off a path should pay up once he or she is found, there are other factors to keep in mind.

  • One is a concern that people may avoid calling for help until it’s too late out of fear for what a rescue attempt might cost.
  • Some risks are unknown. A beautiful sunny day could go sour if the wind shifts, for example. Should people be punished when nature is at fault?
  • A large portion of rescue attempts are made by volunteers, therefore the cost is curtailed.
  • When fire departments and military units are part of rescue efforts, they often have hours to log towards rescues. A real live rescue helps them meet their quota.
  • Sometimes a rescue attempt may be launched even though the hiker is not in danger. A seasoned hiker may be holed up somewhere waiting for more favorable hiking conditions while a family member is frantic with worry.

With the knowledge that lost hikers are part of the outdoor scene, being financially proactive seems to be the best approach for handling costs before they occur. Colorado, for example, collects a small portion of the money from state recreational fees to put into a fund that is earmarked for search and rescue.

In Alaska, people who are mountain climbing up Mount McKinley pay $200 for the privilege.

Although planning for a tragic situation is never pleasant, it seems that in this case, planning ahead for the ” just in case” is sound. Otherwise, at the worst possible moment, people will be faced with the question, “How much is a life worth?

Two climbers missing, one dead on Mt. Hood

by Kraig Becker on

It was a long and tragic weekend on Oregon’s Mt. Hood, where search and rescue teams combed the area searching for three missing climbers. That search turned tragic on Saturday when one of the climbers was found dead high on the mountain, while his two companions remain missing as of this writing.

On Friday, 26-year old Luke T. Gullberg, Kattie Nolan, 29, and Anthony Vietti, 24, set off to climb the 11,249 foot Mt. Hood, which is a popular mountaineering destination in all seasons, although obviously more challenging in the winter months, when deep snow and unpredictable weather can cause all kinds of problems. The three climbers were due back at 2 PM that afternoon, but when they didn’t arrive by Saturday, the search teams went into action.

Gulberg’s body was discovered on the Reid Glacier at about 9000 feet, along with some climbing gear, but no trace of Nolan or Vietti was discovered. The recovery team said they found a digital camera in Gulberg’s pack, which gave clues to the location of the missing climbers, but due to bad weather, heavy snow, and avalanche conditions, finding them won’t be an easy task. That task will be made all the more difficult by an incomplete climbing registration form and conflicting reports on the route they were taking to the summit.

The search is expected to continue today, with a National Guard and Coast Guard helicopter reporting to the area. The Coast Guard aircraft comes equipped with thermal imaging that should prove helpful to SAR teams, despite the adverse weather conditions. Search teams remain hopeful that Nolan and Vietti will still be found alive.

Sharpen your ice axe, Ouray Ice Park opens tomorrow!

by Kraig Becker on

Global warming? Where? Thanks to unseasonably cold temperatures, the Ouray Ice Park, one of the premiere ice climbing locations in the world, will be opening tomorrow, a full week ahead of schedule. The park’s website credits a new water system, a dedicated team of ice makers, and two solid weeks of cold temps for allowing them to open earlier than ever.

Located in the Uncompahgre Gorge, near Ouray, Colorado, the Ice Park is a unique and popular destination for ice climbers from around the globe. When it opened in 1995, it was the first site exclusively dedicated to ice climbing anywhere in the world, and it has remained a top destination for the sport ever since. The park is maintained by a group of volunteers who work the climbing routes and ensure that the massive walls of ice are safe for others. This year, that crew has a new water system that provides more water pressure, which means harder and more stable ice. The results, according to park officials, is the best climbing conditions in Ouray ever.

Each year the park plays host to the Ouray Ice Festival as well, which includes major climbing competitions and clinics, live music, parties, and seminars put on by top climbers and mountaineers. The Ice Fest serves as a major fundraiser for the park and helps to provide resources to keep the place open for climbing each winter. As a result of this great event, the park remains fee free for adventurous climbers looking to to get a winter workout. The 15th annual Ouray Ice Festival will take place from January 7-10, 2010.