Search Results for: ‘"west ridge"’

It’s with great sadness I learned this morning of the passing of Norman Dyhrenfurth at age 99 at home in Salzburg. I got to know Norman first by legend as the leader of and cinematographer for the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition and producer of the film “Americans on Everest,” and I’d much later get to know him personally through our 2012 film about that expedition, “High and Hallowed: Everest 1963.” The son of climbers and explorers, Norman came to the mountains naturally, and left his mark. He was a member of the 1952 Swiss Everest Expedition – which nearly reached the summit – and then led an attempt on Lhotse in 1955, and filmed the first ascent of Dhaulagiri in 1960. But, it was the 1963 American expedition which garnered him the most notoreity and respect, and for good reason. The team was incredibly strong, and well-led by Norman, and achieved huge success with putting Jim Whittaker on top as the first American (with Nawang Gombu) on May 1, and then seeing Willi Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein reach the summit via the unclimbed West Ridge on the 22nd, just hours after Barry Bishop and Lute Jerstad climbed from the Southeast Ridge. Norman’s expedition film was a huge success, and – like the West Ridge climb – ushered in a new era of possibility in high-altitude cinema. Norman also was a ski instructor in New Hampshire, Dean of the UCLA Film School, and a groundbreaking legend in the mountains throughout his long life. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on and continue to inspire. Namaste, Norman. #liveyouradventure @eddiebauer #lostlegend | In this photo, taken in 1963 by Barry Corbet, Norman shares the camera with Nepali children en route to #Everest.

Sending big happy birthday wishes to @conrad_anker today. I’ve had the honor and pleasure to be on #Everest with Conrad 3 times (1999 on our first expedition, 2003 for the wacky Global Extremes reality TV series, and 2012 when we were both trying to climb the West Ridge), I’ve gazed up – with wonder and a bit of terror – at the route he pioneered up the Shark’s Fin on Meru with @jimmy_chin and @renan_ozturk, and watched with deep admiration as he’s leveraged his clout and notoriety to make our world a better place through @khumbuclimbingcenter and more. He’s an astonishing, visionary alpinist, a dedicated steward of our world, and a great guy. Happy Birthday, Conrad, and here’s to many more trips around the sun! | In this photo, Conrad waits for the first rays of sun to bring some warmth to the frigid world of 28,000 feet on the Northeast Ridge of Everest on May 17, 1999. #liveyouradventure #happybirthday

Four years ago, I was in quite a different place: rappelling from just below the West Shoulder on #Everest with @davidcmorton after our final, failed attempt to get into the West Ridge. It was the last effort of a long-but-great expedition trying to tell the story of 1963 and the historic West Ridge climb by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld. While we weren’t even close to successful in climbing the route, we were able to produce an award-winning film, High & Hallowed: Everest 1963, which hopefully shed some renewed light on an oft-forgotten, monumental ascent of a highly challenging route. (If you haven’t seen it and would like to, High & Hallowed is available on @vimeo on demand – link in my profile.) Incidentally, rising from the clouds behind Dave in this photo is #Lhotse, which was first climbed on this day in 1956 by a Swiss team. #liveyouradventure @charley.mace #brentbishop

Happy Birthday today to Barry Bishop, who would have been 84 on this day. Bishop was a critical member of the 1963 American Mount #Everest Expedition (#AMEE). Originally one of the “West Ridgers”, Barry dropped out of the West Ridge effort to focus on his photography for National Geographic, and ended up reaching the summit via the Southeast Ridge on May 22, 1963, with teammate Lute #Jerstad, just hours before Tom #Hornbein and Willi #Unsoeld topped out via the West Ridge. Barry, like so many climbers of that expedition, was far more than Everest, and far more than a climber. He was a hugely accomplished climber. Some of his notable ascents include: first ascent of the West Buttress of #Denali (Mt. #McKinley) in 1951; a solo of the Italian Ridge on the #Matterhorn in 1952; the first ascent of the uber-classic Southwest Ridge of Ama #Dablam in 1961 (also the first winter ascent in the #Himalaya); and, of course, climbing Everest as mentioned. Like Unsoeld, Bishop sustained severe frostbite on the epic #bivouac at 28,000 feet on Everest, and lost several toes, mostly ending his climbing career. Barry went on to earn his PhD in geography, wrote his dissertation in Humla and Jumla in western #Nepal, and earned many awards and recognitions for his photography and writing. (And, along the way, he raised one hell of a son, Brent Bishop, who has climbed Everest, Ama Dablam, and many other peaks, as well as being an amazing friend, father, and human.) Barry died tragically in a car accident in 1994. Of all his work and photography, perhaps his most iconic is this one, taken in early-May, 1963, of Hornbein and Unsoeld moving up the dramatic West Shoulder of Everest with the North Face and Summit looming beyond. This photo-animation was taken from Bishop’s photo and used in our award-winning film, High and Hallowed: Everest 1963. #liveyouradventure #highandhallowed #everest1963 #amadablam #barrybishop @eddiebauer @davidcmorton @charley.mace @jimaikman