Utah-based Apa Sherpa and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa and four other Sherpas made history last Wednesday when they reached the top of the world. Their push to the summit of Everest broke records and highlighted the role Sherpas have played in every attempt to summit the world’s highest peak. Apa Sherpa, 47, who lives in Draper, Utah, notched his 17th ascent of the 29,035-foot peak last week and his 15th consecutive summit. Yes, that’s a record. Unburdened by clients, the SuperSherpas Expedition sped past acclimating climbers, skipping two camps and climbing to the summit from Camp 2 in a little more than 24 hours.
ASPEN’S MAROLT BROTHERS TO TRY FOR SUMMIT: On Wednesday, Aspen ski mountaineer Mike Marolt reported to Everestnews.com that his team – twin brother Steve and Aspenite Jim Giles – were at the advanced base camp on the north side of Everest and would launch a four-day bid to ski from the summit Thursday. The Marolts vied for Everest in 2003, but were denied the summit by mean weather. They still left that expedition as the first Americans to ski from 8,000 meters. The trio successfully skied on the 26,906-foot Cho Oyo two weeks ago as a test run for Everest.
Reports from Everest veterans at 8,300 meters revealed the mountain to be in good skiing condition, Marolt said in a recorded report.
“We are excited about the skiing,” Marolt said. “The mountain is just looking very white.”
Marolt said he expects 50 to 100 climbers to pursue the summit on his team’s summit day and there were 50 to 75 teams assembled at the base camp.
It’s expected the mass of climbers scaling Everest this 10-week season will set a record for summit attempts and successful summits.
ACTION SPORTS: Winter X sets Aspen dates
The circus of Winter X will descend on Aspen for the seventh time Jan. 24-27. The Games always fall around the last weekend in January, so last week’s announcement of next year’s dates was hardly surprising. But you need the early heads-up to find lodging during X. Aspen’s X Games week will be sold out by the time the first flake falls on Buttermilk this fall.
ADVENTURE RACING: State teams in world event
Two Colorado adventure racing teams will be among 60 of the world’s finest teams at the Adventure Racing World Championships this week in Scotland. The Gunnison-based Team Salomon/Crested Butte (Jon Brown, Jari Kirkland, Travis Macy and Bryan Wickenhauser) and Team Nike (Mike Kloser, Chris Forne, Monique Merrill and Michael Tobin) will race 310 miles and climb more than 82,000 feet during the seven-day contest in the mountains and lochs of Lochaber near Fort William, Scotland. Details of the race will remain secret until the start Saturday, but the race will involve trail running and trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, swimming, rope work and canyoneering. The race will continue for 24 hours a day with no “dark zones” when racers are supposed to stop racing. Click over to www.arwc2007.com to follow the racers.
KAYAKING: Golden series ready to go
The fifth annual Golden Community Rodeo Series at Golden’s top-notch whitewater park begins this Wednesday and will continue every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. through June 20. Organized by volunteer kayakers, the rodeo series delivers the opportunity for all types of kayakers to test their competitive chops. Last year the series drew more than 50 paddlers of all skill levels. This year the series is offering $13,000 in prizes and free paddling clinics each week. The May 30 spinfest is a qualifier for the East-West rodeo competition at Vail’s Teva Mountain Games. The series also offers free paddling clinics each week.
SKIING: Hill falls short of goal
He came within a lap of his goal of 50,000 vertical feet in 24 hours at this year’s 24 Hours of Sunlight ski mountaineering race in Glenwood Springs. And Canadian Greg Hill came within a day of hitting his goal for 1 million vertical feet of climbing in 100 days this past winter. One hundred 10,000-foot days of touring. Even using a chairlift, that’s a big goal. As of his most recent post on his blog (greghill.squarespace.com), Hill had stalled out at 990,000 vertical feet. Almost a mil in almost 100 days is good enough in our book to rank the father of two among the world’s strongest skiers.
