More Expedition News
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March 1999 Volume Six, Number Three EXPEDITION TO EVEREST Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition Departs In 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine stepped out of their lives and into history when they disappeared high on the North Ridge of Everest. Whether they were the first to reach the summit, nearly 30 years before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, still remains an open chapter in the history of climbing on the world's highest mountain (See EN, January 1999). This month a team of high- altitude climbers, led by expedition organizer Eric Simonson of Expedition 8000 LLC, Ashford, Wash., departs for Everest with plans to spend some 60 days at altitudes over 17,000 feet searching for clues. Recently-announced sponsors of the expedition include Lowe Alpine, Mountain Hardwear, Vasque, Eureka!, Outdoor Research, Slumberjack, and MountainZone.com. The Mountain Zone will be cybercasting daily updates during the expedition at www.mountainzone.com, starting March 15.
There's a Reason Few Climb McKinley in Winter
Kayaking The Arctic Riviera In July, the three-man team will launch sea kayaks loaded with five weeks of supplies and mountaineering equipment from Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresby Sound), East Greenland. From there, the Arctic Riviera Odyssey 99 Expedition will paddle north along the 3,000-ft. cliffs of Jameson Land, home to thousands of nesting birds. For the next 500 miles, the group will attempt to summit unnamed and unclimbed peaks ranging from 6,000 to 7,500 feet. The expedition concludes at the Danish Military outpost of Daneborg. Joining Bridge, 35, will be top-ranked competitive paddler Bob Powell, 36, former director of the Nantahala Outdoor Center Adventure Travel program in North Carolina; and 33-year-old Wade Fairley, an Australian adventure cinematographer and experienced expedition kayaker. This heavily fjorded, mountainous coastline is nicknamed the Arctic Riviera because during its short and intense warm summers, life literally explodes. Numerous birds nest there and the sea is rich with walruses, seals, and narwhals. Herds of musk oxen frequent the grassy meadows. But the warmth is transitory periods of calm weather are interrupted by Piteraq, a much-feared cold katabatic wind. Travel along the coast north of Scoresby Sound is difficult at best due to the cold Greenland Current sweeping the polar ice pack along with massive icebergs down the coast. Bridge says, "We believe that the traditional means of travel - the sea kayak offers the best chance of navigating the ice leads and obtaining a close look at the mountaineering potential in this area." He plans to document all aspects of the expedition and share the experience with the outdoor community through print, photography, and film. Bridge further hopes to return with valuable information to aid future climbers in North East Greenland. The expedition budget is $17,000, of which $5,000 has been received from the Malden Mills 1999 Polartec Performance Challenge Grant. Other sponsors to date are Dagger Kayaks, Patagonia, and Werner Paddles. (For more information: Andy Bridge, Harriman, Tenn., 423 882 0404; abridge1@compuserve.com)
EXPEDITION NOTES "Everybody with MS has a mountain to climb, whether it's summoning enough energy to get through the morning, maneuver a wheelchair, or climb Aconcagua," said the 43-year-old father of three who was turned back because of extreme weather. Norman's Stormin' New York Over 1,400 members of the worldwide exploration community will assemble at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel on Mar. 27 for the 95th annual Explorers Club dinner. This long-awaited event, which this year features an address by senator-astronaut John H. Glenn, 77, will review the past year's achievements in exploration. The Club will also honor Glenn's wife, Anna, for her four decades of support of space exploration. Sharing the speaker's podium will be Col. Norman D. Vaughan, 93, a member of Admiral Byrd's first expedition to the Antarctic in 1928. Col. Vaughan will receive The Explorers Medal, the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Club.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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