UKC

Just read that Ran Fiennes decided to turn back 1/2 an hour out of Camp 4 on his Everest Summit attempt due to a 'tight chest' on http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk


I bet he's gutted!

In reply to 'Hilda':

Indeed. My mate was on the same summit push today (different party) and I'm desperate to know if he made it. Should know in the next few hours.

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4609213.stm

says 7 0f the 11 summited.

In reply to 'Hilda': Amazing how the BBC have been so quick to put Ran's failure on their front page within a couple of hours, but Alan Hinkes' success has hardly been covered.

Also they say "He had been trying to become the first man to reach both polar ice caps and conquer the world's highest mountain" - Park Young Seok did it earlier this year, having also completed all 14 8000ers.

In reply to Carpe Diem:

Aye, thanks - my mate is with Himex not JG, no news from them yet.

In reply to Dave Mycroft: I completely agree! Alan Hinkes achievement has been mostly overlooked (so far). Yesterday's news had lots of Ellen MacArthur sailing across the channel, but nothing on Alan Hinks. Doesn't make sense.

Success doesn't seem to merit news coverage unless they know who you are. This country's obsession with 'celebrity' means that those who are outstanding don't get the exposure they so rightly deserve.

In reply to Dave Mycroft:

Didnt a certain Mr E Hillary do that years before???

Everest 53
South pole 58
north pole 85

In reply to Carpe Diem: And there's another 14 people have done it. AFAIK Park is the only one to do the "Grand Slam" of all 14 8000ers and both poles.

In reply to Dave Mycroft:

They've since changed it so that it says he was trying to become the first Briton to reach both poles and climb Everest. Even this is incorrect, as David Hempleman-Adams has done it, and as the BBC gave him blnket coverage at the time they should really know better.

Perhaps they originally meant "cross both polar ice caps..." and it was "corrected" by a sub-editor who didn't know what he was talking about. If so, the original claim might have been correct, though it sounds like a bit of a contrived, post-hoc first.

In reply to 'Hilda':

This story - which is, let's not forget, one of failure - has made all the BBC news reports today. Yet there's no mention of Jake Meyer, who has just become the youngest Briton to summit AND has done all Seven Summits to boot.

http://www.adventurepeaks.com/news/news.htm

Congratulations Jake & all the team who helped him there.

In reply to KeithW: I agree with you, it is bad news for Rans, but we should definately be happy that a brit has become the youngest male in the world to climb the seven summits, I think it is awesome. Good on Jake Meyer, and lets hope he has a safe trip home.

In reply to al99: that man is no human,

In reply to KeithW:

The media attention of failure more than success is no surprise. Its a peculiarly British thing to hate our sportsmen/women. Look at the slagging Hinkes gets on this forum from people who have presumably never met him. Fiennes will probably get more attention for failure than he would have if he'd succeeded, and lots of fat journos will slag him off for not making it, and silly bints on daytime TV will say climbing mountains is dangerous and should be banned. I was amazed at the vitriol Paula Radcliffe got for not making it in Athens. People love to see someone fail in the UK and the more succesful that person has been in the past the better.
matt

In reply to matt cartney:
more likely that more of the 'British public' have heard of Ran Fiennes than Alan Hinkes so its considered more newsworthy

In reply to matt cartney:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=132765&v=1#1839302

We all like Hinkes

In reply to Doug:
True, also.

In reply to Slugain Howff:


Good stuff.
matt

In reply to 'Hilda': There's a good piece in today's Observer about Hinkes which will be on their website.

Shame about Ran Fiennes - a nice bloke and amazing example of what mind over matter can achieve if you're nails enough. His 7 marathons in 7 days a few months after an MI and bypass surgery is to me the greatest of all the fanatastic feats mentioned above (not to detract from the others of course)

cheers, Paul

In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC:

Jonathan - I have a mate climbing with Himex too - I heard two days ago that he'd made the summit on Saturday morning, 6.30am (presumably UK time? not sure though). Dunno if it's the same mate we share but his name is Richard Staite, climbing on the north side, if that helps.

Cheers
Tim

In reply to Carpe Diem:

I think it's about having walked to both poles and climbed Everest. I don't know about the North pole exped but Hilary drove a tractor to the South pole

In reply to tb:


I am going to drive a tractor to the top of everest, do you think I'll be able to raise enough sponsorship?

In reply to Tim:

Thanks Tim, my mate is Jeremy Benton - summitted a few minutes earlier than your mate! 0622 local time. A good time to be there, with the whole day to get down.

In reply to the real dr gav: aye, Im the chief test driver for Case International, Im sure I can sort out some sort of sponsorship package for you.

poo yer tatties clean loooons

In reply to the real dr gav:

probably. write to New Holland or John Deere and see if they are interested.


Hilary's trip to the south pole was interesting. he got into a heap of trouble as the tractor team were only supposed to be supporting the walking team (doing supply dumps) but they made such good progress they decided (under Hilary's leadership) to press on. The team they were supposed to be supporting were apparently most unimpressed. I can't remember the details but have a feeling that Hilary's lot actually made it to the pole before the group they were supposed to be supporting