Graves on Everest?

CNN reports that Korean Han Wang-yong who has summited all 14 8000m peaks will lead a clean-up expedition to the South Col on Everest this year. Their goal is to bring down five tons of trash as well as make the summit. Han is a veteran not only of climbing but also on clean-up missions with previous trips to K2 and Manaslu and Everest. In addition to ripped tents and oxygen bottles, it is reported he will bring down bodies from the South Col. This may be a problem. I know many climbers who have made the mental commitment and have the understanding with their families that if they die on a big mountain they want their body to stay there. Also, Sherpas have traditionally refused to work with bodies for a variety of reasons. What Han is doing with the trash is excellent but leave the climbers in peace or give them a proper burial on the mountain.

A "smart" Ben Nevis

An article in the Scotsman.com caught my attention. It was describing the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis in Scotland at 4406 feet. The article does an excellent job with a brief description of the Ben, the dangers and attractions. What caught my eye was when the author said "The Ben ... so different to France and climbing on the Continent, where even ice climbs are bolt and chain protected, and fitted for descent. Dumbed-down, made safe, sanitised, predictable - not on the Ben..." I must admit that I would love to climb the Ben. I have been to Scotland a few times and love the beauty of the country and the spirit of the people. But I am not sure saying that by making a mountain a tad bit safer to climb "dumbs it down" is fair to all the other mountains out there much harder and much more dangerous.

Receding Glaciers and Insistent Guides

I had a friend climb Kilimanjaro last month and a couple of items stood out. First was his pictures of the bare volcano - and they say global warming is not real! Second was his story about a 67 year-old man in his group who "... was completely confused. He did not realize that he had reached the crater rim. He saw "strange people with long noses" and he was impressed that "the path to Uhuru Peak had underground lighting.". This is bad enough but then my friend added "...it was clear to me that he was in trouble and I told the guides. At first, they wanted to still take him up to Uhuru Peak, so that he would have been on the highest point. I didn't think that was a good idea and told the guides what I thought. Then I gave them a literal translation of what he was saying. That convinced the guides that they had to take him down immediately." Once again, be very careful about your choice of guides.

Ouray Ice

My update is a little late this week since I was out ice climbing in Ouray Colorado. Given the warm temperatures lately, we were not sure what to expect but the ice was still fairly good and we had a great time primarily in South Park, the southern most portion of the Ouray Ice Park. I still find it amazing that there is no charge to climb on the man-made ice walls, especially given our two nights at the Victorian costs us only $20 a night! Ouray is an absolutely beautiful mountain town surround by awesome views. The Park is run by "Ice Farmers" and through money generated by Park visitors staying at hotels and eating at the great restaurants. The Ice Park is well maintained and one of the best places in the world to lean, master and show-off your ice climbing skills.

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