Sunday, July 21, 2013

The cost of climbing Mount Everest Scaling the Mt Everest ranges from US$30,000 to 65,000 per climber, plus other costs

Dubai: Scaling the world’s tallest peaks doesn’t only require iron resolve, extensive mountaineering experience, and a bit of luck. It also requires a hefty sum of money.
The summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth at 8,848 metres, continues to lure mountaineers from all walks of life from various part of the globe. In the region, the dream to conquer the mount has been strongest over the past three years.
This year alone witnessed record-setting victory for Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Thani, as the first Qatari man, Raed Zidan as the first Palestinian man, Raha Moharrak as the first Saudi woman and youngest Arab, and UAE resident Maria Conceicao as the first Portuguese woman to have successfully stood on top of the world.
But the high climb also comes with high costs, literally. Asked how much she had to spend for the expedition, Moharrak said it was “very expensive.”
“One could spend between US$70,000 (Dh257,110) to 90,000 (Dh330,570), depending on the services they would like to avail. In my case I spent roughly US$75,000 (Dh275,475). But this can be paid on instalments,” Moharrak, whose father sponsored the trip, told Gulf News.
British expatriate Mark Shuttleworth, who has conquered Mt Everest and the world’s six other tallest peaks in all the continents with his daughter, Leanna, said the climbing cost per person for Mt Everest would be around US$ 65,000 from top-of-the-line guide houses for Everest expeditions. The bill covers permits, accommodation costs, Sherpas, porters, yaks, food and supplies.
“With this, you are paying for a huge amount of experience and a better quality of lifestyle through the expedition. You have a very very strong team or support network with you,” Shuttleworth told Gulf News.
While there are guide houses that offer as low as US$30,000 (Dh110,190) for their services per climb, Shuttleworth said this rate won’t give you the same quantity and quality of support network.
“You need to minimise your risks and maximise your chances to reach the summit and the way to do that is to find the top outfitters. It really comes down to asking yourself, ‘how much is your life worth?” he said.

For the father and daughter duo, their climb was fully self-financed.
Getting sponsorships for the climb is one way to foot the bill, especially if you’re doing it for charity like what Conceicao, founder of the Maria Cristina Foundation, did in May. The flight attendant-turned-charity worker’s climbing cost of US$58,000 (Dh213,034) plus the airfare and other costs were shouldered by nine corporate companies. Through the climb, she hoped to be able to raise funds to send four slum children from Dhaka to a top UAE school. “The climb certainly gave my charity exposure and visibility, which I wouldn’t have otherwise received. Credit crunch has hit our foundation really bad and I needed to do something that could potentially help me build a platform to globally receive support,”Conceicao told Gulf News.
But don’t go seeking sponsors or breaking your piggy banks just yet. Before even contemplating climbing the Everest, consider a word of advice: “Do not even view to go on Everest if you have not at least climbed an 8,000-metre peak, or Denali/Mt McKinley, which is extremely tough. You need to have the necessary skills and experience in order to be able to tackle Everest because all of these mountains are dangerous,” Shuttleworth cautioned.
Breakdown of Costs OF Climbing Mt Everest:

Guide houses typically have all-in packages for the whole climb per person, except for the airfare and the climbing gear. The breakdown roughly goes this way:

Travel expenses: Dh8,700 - Dh22,900

Getting to Everest Base Camp: Dh7,900

Climbing fees and deposits: Dh72,400 - Dh138,500

Equipment and cooks: Dh34,200

Oxygen and climbing Sherpas: Dh31,300

Gear: Dh25,700

Miscellaneous (medical kits, communications, evacuation): Dh30,300 - Dh44,000

Source: www.outsideonline.com, www.gizmodo.com



Friday, July 19, 2013

Record number of climbers summit Mount McKinley

Bill Kittredge (left), Steve Gruhn and Tom Choate at the start of their Denali climb. Choate, 78, became the oldest person ever to reach the summit of Mt. McKinley on June 28, 2013.
JOHN BRUECK, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/07/19/2980590/record-number-summit-mount-mckinley.html#storylink=cpy

A record number of climbers summited North America's highest peak this season.

The National Park Service said 787 of the 1,151 registered climbers reached the summit of Mount McKinley in Alaska this year. That's a summit percentage of 68 percent, the highest since 1977, when the summit percentage was 79 percent. In 1977, 284 of the 360 climbers who attempted to scale the peak did so.

The number of climbers to reach the summit has topped 700 in only four other years: 1994, 2001, 2005 and 2008, according to park statistics. The previous high was 775 in 2005.

"It was a well-above-average year," said Maureen McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for Denali National Park and Preserve. "The major factor in a strong summit year versus a not-so-strong one is good weather, and this past May and June saw "long stretches of warm temperatures, clear skies and mild winds."

The actual number of registered climbers this year was the lowest since 1997, when there were 1,110 attempts.

Mount McKinley — widely known in Alaska as Denali — is never closed to climbing, but the primary season typically runs from the end of April through the middle of July, with mid-May to mid-June being the most popular, McLaughlin said.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first ascent of the mountain's 20,320-foot south summit. That was accomplished by Hudson Stuck, Walter Harper, Harry Karstens and Robert Tatum. Descendants of the four men reached the summit during this centennial season, McLaughlin said.

This season also saw an Alaska man set the record as the oldest person to reach the summit, at 78 years.

There was one fatality, a man who in May suffered a heart attack on the mountain.


http://www.adn.com/2013/07/19/2980590/record-number-summit-mount-mckinley.html









Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/07/19/2980590/record-number-summit-mount-mckinley.html#storylink=cpy

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Passionate motorcyclists will ride 48,000 miles in six continents

Kevin and Julie Sanders plan to take on 48,000 miles and six continents when they attempt the longest motorcycle expedition ever attempted next year. Picture by Keith Heppell



A record-breaking couple plan to ride 48,000 miles through 40 different countries when they tackle their biggest challenge yet.
Kevin and Julie Sanders, who run an overland motorcycle expedition company in Royston named GlobeBusters, aim to complete the longest motorcycle expedition ever attempted next year.
‘Explore our Earth’ would see a group of adventure lovers ride from London to China, Perth to Sydney, Nairobi to Cape Town, Buenos Aires to Bogota and Panama to Los Angeles - taking in six continents, 40 countries and more than 48,000 miles.
Kevin, from Cambridge, currently holds the record for circumnavigating the world by motorcycle in just 19 and a half days.
Explore Our Earth will be the biggest of its kind and will be the second time Kevin has taken on such a journey, having been expedition leader for the 40,000-mile Discover Our Earth trip in 2010-2011.
He said: “Not only does the route deliver some of the most challenging and rewarding riding the world has to offer, including the Pan American Highway and the Silk Road, it also involves riding to more than 4,500m altitude, tackling unpaved roads through Patagonia and crossing the Equator by bike.
“As well as the opportunity to see sights like Zanzibar, The Terracotta Army, Ayers Rock, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu and Hollywood.
“Riders can choose to take on the full 40-week route, or join in for one or more of the individual sections between five and 19 weeks.”
To find out more visit: http://www.globebusters.com/ or call 0845 230 4015.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Old Man (Mississippi) River or the Canadian Arctic? In a ROWBOAT? YOU GOT TO BE CRAZY!

Old Man (Mississippi) River Project:



Official Trailer: http://vimeo.com/35977463
See: http://www.theactivetimes.com/video/related/459

Old Man River Project is a 10 chapter web-series. vimeo.com/channels/omrp

This true story is about a 110-day expedition rowing the entire Mississippi River: Brett, Cliff, Magnus, Sarah and Kyle. The team built a historic boat by hand and rowed 2400 miles through the heart of America. Along the way they faced fierce storms, inner struggles, portaging their thousand pound boat around 10 dams, and coming face to face with some of the most intense industrial development on the planet.

A story by Brett Rogers. Filmed by Doug Copping. Edited by Max Attwood. brettonthewater.com


http://www.brettonthewater.com/blog/

The Impact Equation: Lettuce vs Apples

Brett is a recent and proud member to The Explorers Club. Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club is an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore.
Brett believes storytelling can change the world.



TheLastFirst Canadian Arctic Expedition:

Teaser: http://vimeo.com/64032010
The creation of the craft: http://vimeo.com/65399277
Video capsize test: http://vimeo.com/65757435

20130715 - Still trying to row... expect more video sequences as they become available... if they survive!



Blogs:





Row the Northwest Passage? That’s just crazy

Opinion: After overcoming some significant obstacles, we’re almost ready to go


Check back for updates...