SummitPost.org

At any given time there are people running, biking, hopping, skate-boarding, climbing, skipping, walking, swimming, sup baording (I don't get this thing), escaping, canoeing and whatever else for a cause. Most have really good intentions, few make $$ for the cause.

I promise NOT to climb mountains at least 3 days a week, if people will send me a pledge-- every little bit helps my cause, even amounts as low as $20. This effort is all for a really good cause, and by that, I mean myself.

Cissa wrote:3780 porters? For real?

...best high altitude Sherpas, plus top meteorologists, best world doctors, and ...helicopters and other machinery.

The reasons: not from "ego perspective", not "to be famous", not "for a lot of money", but "from different place": "human trafficking", "changing kids’ lives", for "global awareness", because "God is in all of us".

This expedition is a huge business investment and no one invest such tremendous money to save some unknown kids (not to mention not many people care about their local kids).

As of a sport event, I like it.

I wonder if it will be a TV show like Everest Beyond The Limit with multiple expedition members etc...that was entertaining. I watched it before I got into mountaineering, and thought climbing Everest was a huge challenge...

I bet nobody will climb all 8000ers in that short time. And I have many doubts on the most known himalayists getting in that mess...

I do not think it is possible to climb all 14 in a year. If you look at how many weather windows there are for let's say Everest, it seems there are 6 good summit days per season? Would be tricky to fit in more than 2-3 8000m peaks per season, if lucky.

I do not think it is possible to climb all 14 in a year. If you look at how many weather windows there are for let's say Everest, it seems there are 6 good summit days per season? Would be tricky to fit in more than 2-3 8000m peaks per season, if lucky.

Agree, but it doesn't appear that climbing them all in a year is the intention. It says starting in 2014 and completing them in record time, rather than finishing them all in a year.

Scott wrote:

I do not think it is possible to climb all 14 in a year. If you look at how many weather windows there are for let's say Everest, it seems there are 6 good summit days per season? Would be tricky to fit in more than 2-3 8000m peaks per season, if lucky.

Agree, but it doesn't appear that climbing them all in a year is the intention. It says starting in 2014 and completing them in record time, rather than finishing them all in a year.

Of course it's possible, just very unlikely. Originally it was a calendar year, then a year spread over two years, now maybe something else...

This is a terrible project (done in this way) and I'm not defending it or the guy, but for the sake of argument, it must be said that nobody has ever tried it, throwing this much money and logistics at it. The Spanish Martinez(?) brothers aimed for it a decade or more ago but only got a few done. Park Yeong-Sok was strong, had good logistics and some luck and did five or six in a year.

Assuming you helicopter between Nepal BCs:

April - Shishapangma
May - Kanch, Everest, Lhotse,
June - Nanga Parbat
July - G1, G2, Broad Peak
August - K2
Sept - Cho Oyu, Makalu, Dhaulagiri
Oct - Dhaulagiri, Annapurna
Nov - Manaslu

Parts of that schedule have already been done, just not put all together. Kanch, Annapurna and K2 are the real obstacles. Cho Oyu or Manaslu could be done in winter if necessary, spread it out a little.

Vitaliy M. wrote:I do not think it is possible to climb all 14 in a year. If you look at how many weather windows there are for let's say Everest, it seems there are 6 good summit days per season? Would be tricky to fit in more than 2-3 8000m peaks per season, if lucky.

If I'm not mistaken, Viesturs did 3 in 6 months? But I agree, that is DEFINITELY not the norm and these bone heads are going to end up getting lots of publicity....the kind that the guides on Everest have received since 1996.

Damien Gildea, thanks for more info on the topic. Now it sounds more interesting than in the beginning. It is easy to throw stones at people, but if that guy really comes close to climbing all 14 8000M peaks, even in 2-3 years, that would be a huge personal accomplishment. Also a really big promotion push for his brand...I don't think there is anything wrong with personal accomplishments and promotion for the brand. He will be giving A LOT of people a job in the process!

Vitaliy M. wrote:a huge personal accomplishment

That is EXACTLY what this is not.

It is a tremendous team endevor with 3000+ people involved establishing the route and laying out all the gear and logistics necessary so the star can walk in and take all the glory at the end.

That is EXACTLY what this is not.

I believe he did not hide anything and did state the number of people who will be behind it. If you do not think it is a personal accomplishment you must not think it is a personal accomplishment to walk up Kilimanjaro with assistance of porters/guide, like you did?
The 'star' will still have to walk and carry own survival gear for at least last 1000 M to the summits. And seems like did a lot of planning and logistical work. Not ground-breaking alpinism but still a personal accomplishment IMO.

What in Christ's sake does this have to do with Kilimanjaro? lol.

But if you think they are related... okaaay... I do not think climbing Kilimanjaro is a personal accomplishment at all. Anyone who has been there and says otherwise simply has an extremely short list of so called accomplishments. I'm not sure what may have led you to any other impression. You carrying your 5 gallons of water to the top of Mount Diablo is a bigger accomplishment.

This production is about self glorification and commercialism. Nothing else.

I agree that this production is most likely about commercialism and self glorification, but if this guy is able to climb all 14 8000 M peaks in a record time there is some personal accomplishment in it!
And I think people who climb Kili with porters and a guide also have achieved something on their own level, if they were challenged by it. Different people have different athletic abilities and levels of dedication to mountaineering...I think one of my hardest climbs ever was first time I went to Mt. Shasta as a noob. Now I can say it is piss easy, but when you climb it up avalanche gulch in running shoes, without an axe, sleeping pad or crampons it is very challenging, and feels like some kind of an achievement to overcome challenges, even if they could have been prevented by doing more research or being less stubborn....

When I saw a promotional video for this I lulzed in my cereal.