Will Cross Set to Climb Makalu

AMK adventure athlete Will Cross will soon attempt a climb of Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world (27,824ft), located 21 miles east of Mount Everest.

Cross will depart shortly for this monumental peak as part of his “Giant Mountain Challenge” – a quest to climb six of the highest peaks in the world.  Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 30 years ago, Cross is pursuing this latest challenge as part of his ongoing effort to demonstrate that one can lead an extraordinary life with diabetes, an incurable condition and a global pandemic.  AMK and its parent company Tender Corp. are sponsoring Cross for the climb and other expeditions he’ll be participating in throughout the year.

Along with packing a variety of AMK products , Cross will be taking along HealthiFeet, which he’ll use as part of his daily regimen to keep his feet strong and healthy during the trip. A podiatrist recommended topical cream, HealthiFeet is clinically proven to relieve foot discomfort associated with cold feet, diabetes and neuropathy. To learn more about how HeatlthiFeet works, check out this episode of “The Doctors” which recently featured the product in a segment on foot care.

Be Safe Will!

All the best from Adventure Medical Kits

Discovery Channel’s Everest: Beyond the Limit Air Dates Announced

Now in its third season, the Discovery Channel’s Everest: Beyond The Limit is taking a new approach to filming this year and will feature both International Mountain Guides and Himalayan Experience in a five-part series.

Several IMG climbers will be featured in the series – you can read more about former NASA Astronaut Scott Parazynski and Dawes Eddy, the oldestAmerican to climb Everest below.

The dates and times are below. Be sure to check your local listings for any last minute changes.

Sunday, December 27
8:00pm   Episode 1
9:00pm   Episode 2
10:00pm Episode 3

Wednesday, December 30
9:00pm    Episode 4
10:00pm  Episode 5

2009 IMG Everest Dispatches

Everest Climber Feature – Scott Parazynski

IMG climber Scott Parazynski returned to Everest this season after coming tantalizingly close last year. The former Nasa Astronaut was sidelined with a ruptured lumbar disc at 24,500′ on his summit bid in 2008.

This year Scott came back fit and ready to top out with Danuru Sherpa. Scott achieved his goal at dawn on May 20, 2009. A veteran of several space flights and spacewalks, Scott is the only person to both summit Mt. Everest and fly in space.

Everest Climber Feature – Dawes Eddy

Dawes Eddy of Spokane, WA could not be stopped on Everest this year. At 66 years old most people think about retirement and moving to somewhere warm. Not Dawes.  An experienced climber of many peaks in the Cascades and in South America Dawes set out to become the oldest American to summit Everest and did so at dawn on May 20, 2009.

Notes from Everest from IMG Expedition Leader Eric Simonson -

IMG’s sherpa team, as always, has done another outstanding job this year. We are proud to recognize that IMG’s sherpas were the first people to summit both Everest and Lhotse this year while putting in the fixed ropes on the route and paving the way for everyone else. We can’t praise them enough!

View from the summit, climbers take the final few steps to the top of Mt. Everest, 29,035′.
(photo: Willie Benegas)

Everest summiters include three members of our awesome Singapore women’s team, Jane, Li Hui, and Esther. US Astronaut and medical scientist Scott Parazynski reached the top along with Dawes Eddy, a remarkable athlete from Spokane, Washington. We believe Dawes has just become the oldest American to ever reach the summit of Everest.

We are also happy to announce IMG summits on Lhotse as reported to the Nepal officials.

Phillipe at the top of the Lhotse Couloir with the Western Cwm below.

The following team members of IMG Lhotse Expedition reached the summit of Lhotse at 07:45am on May 20, 2009:

1. Chhewang Lendu Sherpa of Khumjung VDC Ward #9 Phortse Village — this is Chhewang’s 3rd Lhotse summit (2nd on this trip)
2. Gregory Vernovage (USA)
3. Philippe Robin Arslanian (France)

Greg and Philippe descended today to Base Camp, then headed on down the valley to catch their flights. Before leaving they told the story of their Lhotse climb, which they both described as an amazing adventure that was exciting, strenuous, and challenging.  They left Lhotse Camp 4 above the Geneva Spur with Chhewang Lendu at 1:45am and climbed to the base of the which they reached at 3:00. Then, they ascended straight up the Lhotse Couloir to the summit of the world’s fourth highest peak, reaching the top at 7:45am. From the top they had great views of Everest. They started down at 8:15, and it took them two hours to rapell and arm rapell their way back down to Camp 4 — a steep and direct descent!

Read the full reports here.

WAY TO GO IMG CLIMBERS!

Eric also mentioned that he “spent last night spent last night up at Pumori Camp 1 watching live sherpa helmet cam video come in by microwave from the summit climbers, as part of the Discovery Channel filming.”

“It was pretty exciting to watch, and I will look forward to seeing the show”.

We second that opinion – it will be really interesting to watch the teams on the Discovery Channel this Fall.

The Discovery Channel will be filming a new season of Everest: Beyond the Limit in the next few months, and this year AMK sponsored International Mountain Guides (IMG) will be featured as they attempt to bring 50 clients to the top of the world via the South Side of the mountain. IMG Himalayan Director Eric Simonson, and a film team will join the great group of climbers and trekkers already on board for IMG’s 2009 Everest expedition.

The planning and preparations are already well under way. Ang Jangbu reports from Kathmandu that the first 3000kg of gear was sent last week by helicopter to Shyangboche.  The loads are now moving by yak toward Base Camp, where our Sherpa team has already started building our camp.

Since 1991 IMG has successfully supported 179 people from 14 countries to the summit of Everest, and they are looking forward to another great season on the mountain.  AMK is proud to support IMG in their monumental effort this season.

You can follow their progress on the IMG Blog.