Dangers of Mountain Climbing

[kaima]

In light of the news from Mont Blanc and the deadly sason on Denali ,aka Mt McKinley, here is a slide show of mountain dangers, and a link to a story on the bad season at Denali.

www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/07/14/us/20120715-CLIMB.html


Navigating the Dangers of Mount McKinley
* * * *

... and the disaster on Mont Blanc
'We followed the rope from one body and it led to another - and then yet another: Avalanche hero tells of desperate struggle to save British climbers

Rescuer Yann Delevaux's harrowing tale of the search for missing climbers
John Taylor and Steve Barber the two other Britons to have died yesterday
Former president of British Mountain Guides, Roger Payne, among the dead
Four missing climbers, including two Britons, have been found safe
They had taken a different route and were unharmed
Climbers hit by avalanche on 4,400m Mont Maudit, on way to Mont Blanc
Yorkshire village of Poppleton in mourning for 'lifelong friends' John Taylor and Steve Barber
Death toll included three Britons, two Germans, two Swiss and two Spanish

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2173716/Mont-Blanc-avalanche-Survivors-French-Alps-avalanche-killed-British-climbers-tell-thrown-mountain-like-washing-machine.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

* * * *

The mountains can kill the best and most skilled....

[kaima]

Talkeetna is the headquarters for getting to Denali for the climb. As they used to advertise at the Talkeetna Airport:
Fly an hour, or hike a week
* * * *
Talkeetna Mayor is a Cat Named Stubbs
July 13, 2012|by Jason Lamb | Channel 2 News

TALKEETNA, Alaska — A cat named Stubbs has been the mayor of Talkeetna for nearly all of his life -- no joke.

It's been that way for more than a decade in the small tourist town that boasts nearly 900 residents.

The part-manx was named honorary mayor shortly after his birth, and now locals all know the cat as "Mayor Stubbs."

"He was just in the Alaska Magazine, and he's been featured in a few different things," said Lauri Stec, who works at Nagley's General Store in Talkeetna, where Stubbs hangs out most of the time.

As the story goes, 15 years ago several of the town residents didn't like the candidates who were running for mayor of Talkeetna, so as a joke, they encouraged enough people to elect Stubbs the cat as a write-in candidate, and he actually won.

Now, thanks to Stubbs, local tour guides have a little fun with the thousands of tourists who come through the town each summer.

"Their tour guides will trick them," said Skye Farrar, who also works at Nagley's. "They'll tell them to go to Nagley's and ask for the mayor."

"Oh my gosh, we probably have 30 to 40 people a day come in who are tourists wanting to see him," Stec said.

But if you'd like to catch him in person, there's one afternoon appointment that locals say Stubbs always keeps at Nagley's.

"Every day he goes in there and has catnip in a wine glass," said Talkeetna resident Jerry Roach.

As word about Stubbs spreads, the folks at Nagley's say more people are stopping by the store, and even making trips to Alaska just to spot the 15-year-old cat.

Farrar summed up Stubbs' mayorship and the benefit of added tourism it's brought to the town: "I'm very confident that Talkeena will be A-OK, as long as we have Stubbs around."

And the revealing video with mayor, residents and tourists , well worth watching

www.ktuu.com/videogallery/71061777/News/Video-Talkeetna-Mayor-is-a-Cat-Named-Stubbs#gl-0

[kaima]

2 more deaths on Mont Blanc; friends sought help

The Associated Press

Published: July 15th, 2012 03:23 AM
Last Modified: July 15th, 2012 04:43 AM

ROME - Two more climbers have died on Mont Blanc following the deaths of nine people last week in a massive avalanche, rescue crews in Italy and France said Sunday.

An Italian Alpine rescue team military official said the bodies of a Polish woman and Spanish man were found 4,400 meters (14,436 feet) up on the Dome du Gouter peak on the Italian-French border Saturday night after spending more than 24 hours in a snow hole.

Rescue services said the man and woman had been climbing with two Spaniards when they were caught in bad weather Friday night. The Spaniards managed to reach the Gouter mountain refuge earlier Saturday and alerted authorities who sent help.

Jean-Baptiste Estachy, commander of the mountain rescue service in Chamonix, France, said on BFM television that while the climbers were on the French side, the Italians were dispatched because they had a helicopter better suited to the weather conditions.

The Italian official said the Spanish survivors were taken to a hospital in nearby Val d'Aosta for tests, but weren't seriously injured. The official - who works for the Italian financial police in Entreves, Italy - declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

A massive avalanche on one of Mont Blanc's most popular routes, Mont Maudit, killed nine climbers and injured 14 others on Thursday.


Mont Blanc is western Europe's highest peak at 15,782 feet (4,810 meters).

Read more here: www.adn.com/2012/07/15/2542760/2-more-deaths-on-mont-blanc-friends.html#storylink=cpy

[Jaga]

Kai,

thanks for the update.

Poles are good hikers, therefore it is no wonder that Polish woman was among the victims.