MOSCOW, Idaho – Two Climbing expeditions from the University of Idaho, Outdoor Program trickled back into Moscow this week from opposite corners of the globe. One group traveled to Peru, climbing two 18,000 ft. Peaks in the Cordillera Blanca Mountains in central Peru. The other group attempted to climb Denali (Mt McKinley 20,320 ft.) in Alaska, the highest peak in North America. Both groups encountered grueling setbacks while attempting to accomplish their goal of “reaching the top”.

In Peru, climate change has had a dramatic effect in accelerating glacial recession, the climbers confronted difficult climbing conditions on routes that until recently were straightforward glacier climbs. They found steeper glacier faces and in some places freshly exposed granite where the glacier had completely melted away.

Matt Erlandson, who graduated from the University of Idaho the day before departing for Peru said, “climbing Ishinca at 18,134 ft. was the hardest thing I have ever done”. Matt spent his first sleepless night at their 14,000 ft. base camp extremely sick from a combination of the altitude and stomach problems acquired from the local food and water. The group thought they would have to evacuate him to a lower elevation camp; but he adjusted and kept up, climbing both peaks.

During the 21 day trip the group summitted Ishinca (18,000 ft.) and Urus (17,777 ft.) both located in the Ishinca valley near the Peruvian city of Huaraz. The climbers were Mike Beiser, Director of the U of I Outdoor Program; Matt Erlandson from Moscow; Bailey Arlit from McCall Idaho; Jay Loveland from Troy, Idaho; and Kelly Crow from Atlanta Ga.

Climbing Ishinca, Group insert left to right Jay Loveland,
Bailey Arlit, Mike Beiser, Kelly Crow, and Matt Erlandson.
Outdoor Program photo file.

On Denali, another University of Idaho expedition encountered a combination of bad weather and serious altitude illness before three members summitted. Denali’s bad weather and extremely cold temperatures are legendary amongst climbers. After 15 days of climbing and waiting out bad weather the group moved their camp to the 17,200 ft. level for a final push to the summit. During the night Mike Zobott , a Uof I student, local fireman and emergency medical technician, started having serious symptoms of altitude illness. His deep breaths gurgled as his lungs filled with fluid, the symptoms of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE).

The group recognized the life threatening symptoms and assisted Mike down to the 14,000 ft. camp where he was attended to by doctors at a medical camp. Helicopter evacuation was considered but Mike recovered rapidly with the descent in elevation and oxygen. Leaving Mike in the care of medical camp, the remaining three climbers decided to move back to the 17,200 ft. camp for another try. A full days climb put them back in position for a summit attempt. The weather turned bad and for seven days they were pinned in their tents by 50 mile per hour winds. Finally the weather broke and they were able to summit the 20,320 ft. peak after spending a total of 13 days at the 17,200 ft. camp.

The Denali expedition members were Lance Roth, a U of I staff researcher; Mike Zobott, a U of I student from Flagstaff, Arizona; Andrew Mckenzie, a U of I alumnus originally from Grangeville, Idaho; and Jessica Drees from Kansas City, Kansas and a past participant in the University of Idaho’s Juneau Ice field Project.

The Idaho team introduces horseshoes on Denali
Outdoor Program photo file.

Contact: Mike Beiser, University of Idaho, Outdoor Program, 208-885-6810, mikeb@uidaho.edu.

Photos available: see attached, TIFFs available also.