Indonesian Digital News Archive

EpicTV continues their onslaught of great videos, serving up an interview with mountaineer Andy Houseman today. Andy and his partner Nick Bullock just completed the sixth ever ascent of the Slovak route on Denali in Alaska. In the interview Andy talks about that climb extensively as well as what's up next for him and Nick. He also briefly touches on the importance of climbing in his life and why he loves doing what he does.

EpicTV Interviews: Alpinist Andy Houseman On Denali's Slovak Direct from EpicTVAdventure on Vimeo.

It was a rough weekend on the tallest peak in North America when it was announced that four Japanese climbers were killed on Denali after being swept off the mountain in an avalanche. The team of five was ascending the West Buttress at 3496 meters (11,800 ft) when they were hit by the snow, knocking all of them into a crevasse. One member of the team, 69-year old Hitoshi Ogi, managed to survive the fall and climb out.

The incident actually occurred last Wednesday, but it wasn't until Thursday that Ogi managed to make his way down the mountain for help. Search teams were organized immediately with the hope of finding other survivors, but that search was called off last night. Rangers on the mountain were able to descend into the crevasse, and found what could be remnants of the team's gear, but there were no sign of survivors. The heavy snow and ice also made the recovery of bodies impossible.

There have now been six deaths on Denali this year. Early in the season one climber fell to his death after chasing his backpack down a steep slope, while another perished when he fell on his descent a week later. With a few more weeks left to go in the Denali season, lets hope that there aren't any more fatalities.

My condolences go out to the friends and families of these Japanese climbers.

Kilian Jornet is easily amongst the best endurance athletes in the world. He is a prolific ultra-runner and mountaineer who has set speed records on numerous peaks, including Kilimanjaro and Mt. Olympus, and has even won the Western States 100. All of that was just a tune-up for his next project however as he has now charted a four-year plan to take on some of the most iconic peaks on the planet.

According to Kilian's website SummitsOfMyLife.com, over the next few years he will be attempt to climb Mont Blanc (several times!), Elbrus, the Matterhorn, Aconcagua, Denali and Everest. He'll bring his own unique style to those climbs (read: light and fast) but he insists this isn't about setting records or going fast, but more about delivering a message of values and simplicity.

The journey will be a very personal one and intends to share it through video as well. The trailer for the project can be found below and it looks amazing.

Thanks to Lou-Phi for the tip!

As I mentioned in my earlier piece on Everest, now that the spring Himalaya season has wrapped up, its time to turn our attention to Denali, where there have already been a number of successful summits this year. But this story is about an important expedition that is actually scheduled to take place next year. One that has goals that reach far beyond the mountaineering world and could impact a number of young people.

In 2013 the National Outdoors Leadership School (NOLS) is organizing a team to travel to Alaska to attempt to climb the highest peak in North America. Denali (also known as Mt. McKinley) stands 6196 meters (20,327 ft) in height and is a notoriously difficult to climb due to both its technical challenges and famously bad weather. Even at the height of summer, high winds and heavy snows can cause problems on the mountain and it is often used as a tune-up for Everest, even though it is 3000 meters lower in height.

Of course, there are dozens of expeditions that attempt the mountain each year, but what sets this one apart is that NOLS is hoping to create a team consisting of all African American climbers to give it a go. The hope is that through their efforts, these climbers will inspire young people in minority groups, especially African American youth, to get outside and become more active stewards of wilderness environments.

Dubbed Expedition Denali, the project is still in the early stages of planning and the team behind it is still looking for sponsors. Still, it is moving ahead and plans for making the climb in 2013 are well underway. I have little doubt that this will be a highly successful venture for all of those involved. To find out more about the project and how you can take part, check out the expedition's official website here.

The number of young people in the U.S. who are actively taking part in outdoor activities is falling dramatically and that drop off is even more pronounced amongst minorities. I am a big supporter of doing anything we can to get young people outside and inspired to pursue their own adventures – great or small. Projects like this one remind us how important that is and I look forward to following this project in the weeks and months to come.