doing this climb with 20-pound packs and 50-hours from base to summit and return to base camp is a noteworthy feat!
AS HUMAN-POWERED AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE
Kellogg and Gottlieb elected to walk into and walk out of their climb, an additional 50 miles and 20,000 feet of elevation gain on the way out, walking in via the Rolwaling Valley and out the Jiri Valley instead of taking a flight into the airport in Lukla – the standard approach for Everest and many other climbs.
The trek into and out of their climb was part of their effort to maximize their adventure and minimize the trace they left. In 14 rappels, they left only four pitons, two stoppers and one ice screw, and threaded their 8mm line through most of the v-threads they used to rappel. They used rechargeable batteries for all their electronics and solar panels to charge the batteries. Their food was locally made – no jars, minimal packaging. During the entire three-week expedition, the three men produced only five pounds of garbage.
Edited by hiker, 15 December 2011 - 05:11 PM.
