83
NEWS
www.parramattaadvertiser.com.au
Two mountains, two continents, two men
Steven Deare
>> It is near the
Argentinean / Chilean
border.
>> At 6962m
(22,841 ft), it is not only
the highest peak of the
Andes and South
America, but the
highest point outside
Asia.
ED: MB PUB: PAG
>> It has a very steep
and massive face on
its south, and a gentle
slope on the north,
which can be walked
all the way without
crampons.
>> The steep 2.5kmhigh south face offers
extreme mixed routes
which are among the
most difficult on earth.
DATE: 17/2/10
>> Aconcagua is often
underestimated,
which has resulted in
serious injuries and
death, mostly on the
normal route. The
extreme cold, stormy
winds and altitude
make this mountain a
serious undertaking.
ASK Darren Wise what will be
the most challenging aspect of
climbing two of the world’s
tallest mountains in five weeks
. . . and he can’t tell you.
Will it be the mechanics of
scaling more than 12,600m?
Will it be surviving
temperatures as low as -30
degrees? Or simply the will to
keep going to the summit?
Darren can’t say.
That is because the biggest
challenge the 41-year-old and
friend Shane Pophfer, 42, face is
the unknown.
The two are training daily for
their March conquest of Mt
Aconcagua in Argentina and
Mt Elbrus in Russia.
They hope to raise $20,000 for
The Children’s Hospital at
Westmead.
Yet Wise knows there is
plenty they can’t be sure of, like
how their bodies will handle
the 7000m elevation of Mt
Aconcagua.
‘‘Six thousand metres is the
highest we’ve been up,’’ he said
of the duo’s previous climbs.
‘‘Is that extra 1000m going to
tip us over the edge?
‘‘I can’t say.’’
Another unknown, of course,
is mother nature.
■ MT ELBRUS:
A snapshot
>> Mount Elbrus is a peak
located in the western
Caucasus mountains, in
Russia, near the border of
Georgia.
>> Elbrus has two
summits, the west is the
higher at 5642m (18,510ft),
with the east summit just a
bit lower at 5621m.
>> Its permanent ice cap
feeds 22 glaciers which, in
turn, give rise to the
Baksan, Kuban and Malka
rivers.
Shane Pophfer and Darren Wise . . . high hopes.
‘‘There is a lot of uncertainty
with the weather,’’ Wise said.
‘‘These are the things we
have no control over.’’
The former army
paratroopers are undergoing
cardio training each day using
breathing apparatus to prepare
their lungs for high altitude.
They expect to be climbing 10
to 12 hours each day.
While an unknown foe is
daunting, Wise and Pophfer say
it fits with the patients’ battles
at their chosen benefactor, The
Children’s Hospital.
They say their task pales in
comparison to those of sick
children who do not choose to
face fear, pain and an uncertain
future.
Wise, in particular, knows
from personal experience that
not everyone gets the start to
life that he did. His sister, aged
12, was knocked from her bike
and killed by a drunk driver.
‘‘A lot of my young life was
spent trying to understand
that,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s definitely given me an
insight into how quickly life
can change.
‘‘There is no certainty, and
that is a big driver.’’
>> From 1959 through to
1976, a cable car system
was built in stages. It can
take visitors as high as
3800m.
>> There is a wide variety
of routes up the mountain
but the normal route,
which is free of crevasses,
continues straight up the
slope from the cable car.
>> The climb is not
technically difficult but it is
physically arduous
because of the elevations
and frequent strong winds.
■ Sponsor Wise and Pophfer’s
Children’s Hospital fundraiser
via www.darrenwise.com.au
PAGES: 38 83
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■ MT ACONCAGUA: A snapshot