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Aspenites push limits on Mount Everest |
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Sunday, November 13, 2011 12:58 |
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Photo by Steve Wraith, Aspen Daily News
By DOROTHY ATKINS, ASPEN DAILY NEWS
With the relatively high number of locals reaching the summit of Mount Everest, Aspenites have gained a reputation among mountaineers for pushing the limits on the highest mountain in the world.
This year alone, five Aspenites in three separate expeditions reached the summit of Everest within a 24-hour period. Three of the five climbers served as guides.
“When you say you’re from Aspen, all of a sudden you’re expected to perform at a certain level,” said local Marcus Scarth, who summited Everest with Aspen resident Steve Wraith in 2009.
This past spring, mountaineers Chris Davenport and Neil Beidleman skied the Lhotse Face, a rarely attempted descent from a 27,940-foot peak on the South Col route of Everest.
“The skiing was absolutely mind-blowing and definitely not what we were expecting,” said Davenport. “In fact, it might be safe to say that the Lhotse Face has never been skied in such glorious powder conditions. We were super lucky with the snow we had because just a week before the entire face was black ice.”
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