Climbing. The world's loneliest sport, where hardship and philosophy go
hand in glove. And here is the journal of another Colorado expedition, attempting to climb
Panorama Point, the highest spot in the state of Nebraska.
After our success with Mt.
Sunflower, we needed a new challenge. The next logical attempt was what we call "The
Point".
Official 2001
Thick Air Expedition Mission Goals
1. finding the remains of Andrew Irvine;
1. putting the youngest climber ever on the summit; and
1. conducting medical experiments to discover the effects of altitude deprivation on
climbers.
One goal of this year's expedition is to locate the last
resting place of Andrew Irvine, climbing companion to George Leigh-Mallory. The last
expedition to Mount Everest discovered the remains of Mallory, but failed to locate
Irvine. A new review of the evidence suggests that we may find his last resting place in
Western Nebraska. This year's expedition will also continue our medical research into the
effect of altitude deprivation on climbers. Finally, if we put 3-year-old Ben Bettinger on
the summit, he just might become the legendary "Ak Sar Ben".
