8000 Meter Peaks

Seven Summits

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Erik Weihenmayer, blind mountaineer from Golden, Colorado, former school teacher and wrestling coach, and now on track to become one of the youngest people to climb all Seven Summits, has been honored by Time Magazine (December 24 issue) as one of Sport’s Best of 2001. He joins the Yankees-Diamondbacks World Series, Lance Armstrong, Jennifer Capriati, Barry Bonds, Mario Lemieux, Dale Earnhardt, and Tiger Woods in that prestigious recognition of world-class athletes.

This gives weight to the claim by some sports writers that Erik’s successful climb of Everest last May was the greatest individual sporting achievement of the year. On May 25, at 10:00 a.m. Nepal time, after two months on the mountain, Erik became the first blind person to stand on top of the world, in the rarefied air of 29035 feet. His team had created history. Sherman Bull, at age 64, had become the oldest man ever to summit Everest, and with his son Brad became the first American father-son to stand on the top together. Nineteen climbers from Erik’s team, 11 Americans and 8 Sherpas, had shared this glorious moment, the most from any one team to summit the highest peak in the world on the same day. President Bush invited the Everest team to the Oval Office in July to receive his personal congratulations.

Erik was Time’s June 18 cover story: "BLIND FAITH - The Inside Story of Blind Climber Erik Weihenmayer’s Daring Conquest of EVEREST." His feat won him the ARETE Award for the Superlative Athletic Performance of the year; his courage in shattering barriers earned him the Free Spirit Award of the Freedom Foundation. "TENACIOUS E -- Last May, Eric claims some of the elite climbing community told him he didn’t belong on Everest. In this exclusive preview of the new afterward (chapter) to Weihenmayer’s book, TOUCH THE TOP OF THE WORLD, the blind mountaineer fires back." 

Erik will climb Elbrus in Chezneyia, Europe’s summit, in June and then attempt to ski down it. His winter training is devoted to ice climbing and skiing. In September he plans to climb Carstenz Pyramid in Irian Jaya, the continental summit of Australasia and his 7th and final of the Seven Summits. Erik will join 100 climbers worldwide who have achieved that milestone. The documentary of his Everest climb will air this Spring; and the paperback version of his book will be released April 1. Erik will be featured in a Mother’s Day Special on ABC/ESPN in May. It looks like another action-packed year faces Erik in 2002! Happy New Year!

Recall years ago we told you about a blind climber named Erik Weihenmayer? We even did a Q&A with him with questions from our readers. 

Erik Weihenmayer is now world famous after his Summit of Everest in May 2001. His lectures are booked so far in advance that you can't even book him unless you have 6 figures; and some say Everest means little anymore! [Wrong]

Elbrus is 18,510ft high and over 70 glaciers cover the massif. Asia is to the South and since the break up of the Soviet union this region, a thousand miles from Moscow, has become notorious for political unrest and upheaval.

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