Eddie Bauer Alpinists Adrian Ballinger and Carla Perez Summit K2 Without Using Supplemental Oxygen
Industry: Sports
Ballinger Becomes the Fourth American to Summit Both Mt. Everest and K2 Mountains without Supplemental Oxygen and Perez becomes the First Latin American Woman to do Both
Squaw Valley, CA (PRUnderground) July 26th, 2019
Veteran climber Adrian Ballinger fulfilled a lifelong dream on Wednesday by successfully summiting Pakistan’s notorious K2 Mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen. Partnering with Ballinger on the climbing expedition was Ecuadorian climber Carla Perez, revered for being the first Latin American woman to summit Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen.
With this summit, Ballinger becomes the fourth American ever to successfully summit both Mt. Everest and K2 without the aid of bottled oxygen (the first in over 20-years), and Perez becomes the first Latin American woman to do the same. Both are members of the Eddie Bauer Guide and Athlete Team.
“It’s been an incredibly challenging season here on K2, with 95 percent of climbers going home due to high avalanche danger,” reports Ballinger. “But a K2 summit has been a dream expedition of mine since my teenage years. I’ve been ‘saving’ it until I could do it proudly, without oxygen. And I couldn’t be happier to say I’ve climbed the two tallest mountains in the world with No-O’s.”
Professionals consider K2 to be a far more dangerous and challenging climb than Mount Everest. 20 per cent of K2 climbers have died trying to do so.
Taking advantage of a promising weather window, Ballinger summited K2, the world’s second highest mountain (28,251 ft. above sea level), at 11:30 am local time, followed by Perez at 12:45 pm. Ballinger and Perez were accompanied by photogapher Esteban “Topo” Mena and Sherpa support team, Palden Namgye, and Pemba Gelje Sherpa, all of whom used supplemental oxygen bottles.
“Climate change has become a big factor for K2 climbers,” said Ballinger, after successfully returning to base camp. “The best summit window used to be August. Now everyone has to rush in during July, before glacier melts out and create dangerous rock slide and avalanche conditions.”
Ballinger, who’s seen the impact climate change has had on the Himalayan Mountains firsthand, is a part of the Protect Our Winters’ POW Climb – a climate change awareness program led by athletes who are turning their passion for climbing into purposeful action on climate change. Protect Our Winters is a non-profit organization, founded by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, which empowers passionate outdoor enthusiasts to become effective climate advocates.
“This gorgeous mountain range is deteriorating dramatically because of climate change,” says Ballinger. “As an athlete who loves and cherishes this terrain – who considers it a second home – I feel compelled to speak up about the environmental damage being done to these iconic mountains. If we don’t do something soon, they’ll one day be unclimbable.”
Adrian Ballinger is founder and CEO of Alpenglow Expeditions, a Lake Tahoe-area based guide service that offers professional climbing adventures to all levels of enthusiasts. He is an Eddie Bauer Alpinist.
Throughout their journey, Ballinger and his team were backed by a team of experts at base camp and expedition sponsors: Eddie Bauer, LA Sportiva, Favre Leuba, Blizzard, and Tecnica.
To learn more about Alpenglow Expeditions visit: https://www.alpenglowexpeditions.com
About Protect Our Winters:
Protect Our Winters (POW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that turns passionate outdoor people into effective climate advocates to affect systemic political solutions to climate change. Founded by pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones in 2007, Protect Our Winters leads a community of athletes, creative-pioneers and business leaders to achieve this mission. The organization’s headquarters is located in Boulder, Colorado, United States.
About Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer is an outdoor brand offering performance outerwear, apparel, footwear, accessories, and gear. For nearly 100 years, Eddie Bauer has been inspiring and enabling people to live their adventure. Eddie Bauer products carry a lifetime guarantee and are available online at www.eddiebauer.com, and at more than 400 stores in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and other international markets.
About Alpenglow Expeditions
Alpenglow Expeditions is a world-renowned adventure travel company dedicated to providing unparalleled mountaineering experiences across the globe. With a focus on safety, ethics, and environmental stewardship, Alpenglow Expeditions has earned a reputation for excellence in the mountain guiding industry. Led by experienced AMGA/IFMGA guides and mountaineers, the company continues to inspire and empower climbers to achieve their mountaineering dreams.
