Parnell answers the critics

"All they did on the Dru was to suffer a bit to raise their media profile". One magazine editor's view of Parnell and Kirkpatrick's efforts on the Lafaille Route last winter. And Parnell is at it again! Selling his soul along with Kenton Cool on the 8,000ft SW face of Denali.

The pair have just made the second ascent of 'The Denali Diamond', which was unrepeated since 1983. After first flailing on Mt Foraker, "a cold, dry winter had left snow as bottomless ball bearings..the continuous sunshine of April and May melted out most usable ice", they moved on to Denali. The first ascent had taken 17 days, Parnell and Cool fired it in 5, opting for the lightweight approach and climbing at night (sleep in the daytime and you only need a 1 season bag - get it!) Despite the forecast changing and constant snowfall for 4 days, broken tent poles and a dropped axe just before the crux, they used just 1 rest point and 1 tension point on the route to bypass the previously ...

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Comments

Skyfall

13 Jun, 2002

Excellent effort. I was fairly disgusted by "that" rags editorial comments on them anyway.

StuartM

13 Jun, 2002

pah! but whats 5 days continuous effort in extreme conditions to pitting yourself against a 15ft piece of Grit 10 mins from the car, hey. Top effort from the boys - and who says the golden days of British Alpinisme are dead

sutty

13 Jun, 2002

It is no good Haston spouting unless he has done it, obviously a second division climber who can't quite hack it when the chips are down. Fer christs sake don't tell him where I live.;-)

James Edwards

13 Jun, 2002

I remember an interview where Mr Haston was acused of not being an 'all round climber' because he'd never done any hard aid routes. He glared at the interviewer and responded "do you think i couldn't get up an A5 pitch if i wanted too!?" (with the sound of popping veins and flying spit). The interveiwer sank in his chair under the onslaught... james e

Michael Ryan

15 Jun, 2002

It's not what you do.... It's who you know....or in this case...who you write for... Parnell got slagged by some sport/boulderer person who edits a magazine and has little or no experience in the mountains......plus Parnell writes for Climber a rival magazine to the one this sport/boulderer edits... And then some climbing magazine columnist (who is actually an exceptional alpine climber but has a huge freakin chip on his shoulder) slagged off Parnell in the same issue that the sport/boulderer regergitated his sour grapes.... It basically comes down to: 1. professional jealousy over copy in magazines (publicity) 2. a mad scramble for sponsorship and advertizing money 3. the definition of hardest It's just the way we are now... Mick

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