Two men from Ogden, Utah, Will Calton, and Tom Burton, are in route to the highest mountain in the world, Everest. We’ll attach dispatches from the S2 Mountaineering Team so those in town can follow their progress. The following dispatches are unedited. Ogden Outdoor Adventure is privileged to have access to the S2 Mountaineering Team, and we wish them the best possible weather, and for a safe summit and return trip back home.
Click here to view the Everest webcam.
Trip Report: 04-11-2012
S2Mountaineering / Everest Team 2012
Family and Friends,
I am pleased to report that on April 10, 2012 at 0850, The Island Peak Team was successful in their bid for the Island Peak summit at 20,305 ft. Congratulations!! The team of four made an impressive ascent from Base Camp. Opting to forego installation of a high camp, which would have improved their acclimatization and reduced their distance from the summit, the team began a powerful advance from Base Camp at 0230. The team arrived at the summit at 0850 after negotiating objective hazards that included crevasses on the lower glacier, high angle slopes of ice at 19,500 ft. and a beautifully exposed knife-edged ridge leading to the summit. The members endured severe temperatures and a dangerous night-time assault of Island Peak to avoid afternoon winter storms entering the Chhukhung Valley each day. The reward for their work included spectacular views of the Himalayan range in the morning twilight. Their performance was flawless!!
The Island Peak Team consists of:
Doug Elenowitz. Haling from Denver, Colorado, Doug is a veteran mountaineer, scoring peaks in Ecuador, North America and Nepal.
Liam Keane. A son of Ireland, Liam is the climbing community’s newest member to high altitude mountaineering. After a number of successful ascents below 15,000 ft., we welcome Liam to the high country and will watch with much interest as his climbing career unfolds.
Damai Chhiri Sherpa. A native of the Khumbu Valley in Nepal, Damai has summited Mt. Everest a phenomenal nine times. A Himalayan “rock star,” Damai is already exhibited as one of Nepal’s climbing legends in the Sherpa Climbing Museum located in Namche.
Jeff Reynolds. Currently a resident of Richmond, Virginia, Jeff’s climbing career spans 22 years of rock, ice and high altitude mountaineering around the world. His most urgent goal is finding warm water and clean underwear in the Chhukhung Valley.
Congratulations – Excellent climbing Island Peak Team!!
Jeff Reynolds
Team Leader
