Follow Chad Kellogg on his Attempt to Speed Ascend Mt. Everest Solo
Seattle, WA — Outdoor Research, manufacturer of functional solutions for human powered adventure, will be documenting in real time the ultimate human powered adventure: Chad Kellogg’s attempt to speed ascend 29,029-foot Mt. Everest, without oxygen or sherpas.
Outdoor Research has sponsored the 38-year-old American climber on this expedition, as well as his expedition to summit the South Face of Argentina’s Aconcagua (22,841 feet) in December 2009, which served as part of his two and a half years of training for his speed climb of Everest.
Climbing enthusiasts can follow the steep step-by-step progress of his journey in an extensive series called Chad Kellogg: The Everest Quest on Outdoor Research’s Verticulture. Fitz Cahall of the Dirtbag Diaries and the web series The Season, interviewed Chad a week before his departure in a compelling audio series. The series chronicles the inspiration behind his goal and the training he has gone through to prepare as well as his meticulous plans for the summit attempt.
Other future VertiCulture content includes:
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Verticulture is where outdoor adventurists can find fuel for their passions through inspiring stories, informative articles, and a calendar of outdoor events from the Outdoor Research community of employees, product testers and ambassadors.
“It’s going to be challenging. It’s going to be pushing beyond my physical limits,” said Kellogg, nicknamed Suffer Machine, who takes off from Seattle to Kathmandu today. “The most important thing is to complete it and not die.”
Kellogg is no stranger to suffering. In 2007, his wife Lara-Karena Kellogg was killed in a climbing accident on Mt. Wake in the Ruth Gorge in Alaska. He was also diagnosed with colon cancer later that same year.
“After Lara’s death, I had two choices: to quit or to find the aspect that drives you and keep going for it,” he said in an interview. “Now is all you have. You have to make the most of it.”
The Mt. Everest series follows two articles currently posted on VertiCulture detailing the challenges he encountered on Aconcagua, the highest peak in The Americas. During this expedition, Chad soloed nearly 10,000-feet in mixed conditions and forged a new route up the South Face. This route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 6561 feet of new terrain in the process.
“Just like Outdoor Research, Chad calls Seattle home. He’s been a member of the OR community and a great friend of mine since 2004,” said Dan Nordstrom, president and CEO of Outdoor Research. “We are in awe of his accomplishments and look forward to documenting his newest and most ambitious adventure climbing Everest.”
Updated 04-06-2010
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