Spokane climbers challenge Mount Everest
MOUNTAINEERING -- Two climbers with Spokane connections had their moment on Mount Everest, elev. 29,035 feet, last weekend with mixed results.
Dawes Eddy, 70, who climbed the world's highest peak in 2009, made his way to around 24,000 feet on Sunday (May 19) before turning back for unspecified reasons.
Did you note -- Dawes is 70!
"He did say 'everything is good' and hopes I can get him a flight out of Kathmandu on the 22nd which would put him back in Spokane around the 24th," said his wife, Mary Kay.
Aaron Mainer,32, a graduate of Mead High School, was one of two guides with International Mountain Guides leading the U.S. Air Force Seven Summits Team to the top of the world's highest peak on Saturday (May 18).
Mainer, who lives in Enumclaw and regularly guides on Mount Rainier, is one of five IMG guides with 25 clients on this year's Everest expedition. The Seven Summits quest (tallest peak on each continent) also has taken him to the top of Aconcagua in Chile, Denali in Alaska, and Vinson Massif in Antarctica.
He is the son of Stacey and Mike Mainer of Spokane.
Here's a post about Aaron from the IMG website:
As a native of Washington State, Aaron was introduced to the outdoors at an early age by his parents, who often took him and his younger sister skiing, backpacking, and boating. He attended the University of Puget Sound, where he graduated with a degree in International Political Economy. Since he started working with IMG in 2006, he has guided well over 100 trips on Mount Rainier and along the way done several trips to Alaska, Antarctica and South America. His passion is for ski mountaineering and he has numerous first and second descents in Washington and Alaska. One of his favorite things to do is ski on Mount Rainier, where he has skied over a dozen different routes from the summit, including most recently a first descent of Cryogenesis. (Check out the video.) Aaron is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Ski Mountaineering Guide. He lives in Enumclaw, WA, but does not like horses
