Photo: Andy Bardon
As we reported a few weeks ago, Conservation Alliance board member and North Face icon Conrad Anker (above left) is in Nepal preparing for his third attemp at the summit of Mt. Everest. He summited the mountain in 1999 and 2007. The two-month expedition seeks to repeat the historic climb of the 1963 National Geographic-sponsored American Mount Everest Expedition, almost 50 years after that first American ascent. Conrad was originally planning to attempt the West Ridge with photographer Cory Richards, who had to back out of the expedition after experiencing health issues during an acclimitization trip to 23,000 feet on the mountain. Conrad is now hoping to climb the West Ridge with accomplished Himalayan mountaineer Simone Moro (above right). According to the Field Test on Everest blog, Moro would first need to change his climbing permit, and, in his words, "fall in love with this route." It has been exciting to follow this expedition online for the past month, courtesy of The North Face and National Geographic Society.
I was suprised to receive an email from Conrad earlier this week. I had sent a message to the entire Conservation Alliance board, expecting to hear back from him in June, after his expedition. Dedicated board member that he is, Conrad found bandwidth — literally and figuratively — to keep on top of his Conservation Alliance responsibilities. "The wonders if technology. I'm working on my solid state iPad and enjoying life at base camp," wrote Conrad. He added that if things work out with Simone, they will shoot for a summit bid in late May. The weather on Everest has been challenging this year, forcing several expeditions to pack up and go home. We wish Conrad the best on this adventure.