British Mountaineer and Everest summiter Alan Hinkes is Just a Step Away From Mountaineering History

Update 5/15/2005: Leading British mountaineer Alan Hinkes has just called in to Berghaus, his sponsors,  headquarters  from  his  record  summit  attempt  on  the  8000m Kangchenjunga mountain in Nepal.

Alan  is  in good spirits and following several days on the mountain to set up camp 1 he has returned to base camp for a well earned rest before making an attempt further up the mountain to set up camp 2.

From  camp  2  Alan  hopes  to  be  able  to make a summit attempt. However conditions  on the mountain are treacherous with a Swiss expedition already having two of its mountaineers helicoptered out with injuries.

Alan states: "I  am  hoping  there  won’t  be a need for a third camp but with conditions already  threatening  the  lives  of those around me I need to make a sound judgement  call when the time comes. As I have always stated no mountain is worth  a  life  but  with  this  being  my  final 8000er and having been to Kangchenjunga and failed twice already I have my sights set firm.”

Alan  is  again climbing with his good friend Pasang with whom he summited his 13th 8000er, Dhaulagiri, in Spring last year. If successful he will be the  first  Briton  to have climbed all of the world’s 8000m peaks and only the 13th person in the world to have stood where so many can only dream of standing.

Background

Alan Hinkes has announced his final Challenge 8000 expedition. Alan will be flying out to the Himalaya at the end of March to climb Kangchenjunga and if successful will enter the history books as the first Briton and only one of 12 people to have stood at the top of all of the world’s 8000m peaks.

As part of Challenge 8000, Alan has reached the top of 13 of the world’s most famous and dangerous mountains, including Everest, K2 and Nanga Parbat and in 2002 he became the first Britain to climb Annapurna in 32 years and in record time via a new route. All of these mountains are in the “Death Zone”, an unforgiving environment where the human body rapidly deteriorates and no one can survive for more than a few days.

Kangchenjunga (8586m) is the third highest peak in the world. Alan had to previously abandon an attempt on the mountain in May 2000 following bad weather conditions; while on his descent a snow bridge collapsed across a crevasse and he fell into it, breaking his arm. Having encountered the giant before Alan knows, like its fellow 8000ers it is a very dangerous mountain and one for which he has to prepare meticulously.

Alan comments: "Kangchenjunga lies at the eastern extreme of the Himalaya and is exposed to exceptionally bad weather conditions as the monsoon period moves in. This isn’t my first visit to Kangchenjunga and I know what lies in store, the terrain is very difficult and once on the mountain there is a very serious danger of avalanche and rockfall. I am however not worried, it feels like I am returning to an old friend and I am really looking forward to it. As I have always said I climb to live, not to die - the summit is always optional but returning is mandatory.”

Alan Hinkes has been working with Berghaus since the early 1980s and will be using many of the company’s most technical products whilst on expedition.

From 2004: Alan Hinkes Summits Dhaulagiri! and Alan Hinkes Summits Dhaulagiri more details and Mountaineer Alan Hinkes returns to Kathmandu following successful summit of Dhaulagiri

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