Double amputee accepts the challenge of Mount Everest
Elk River, MN (July 3, 2001) - The American/Canadian Mount Everest Expedition begins its 10-week journey to the summit of the world's highest mountain on August 9, 2001. What makes this Expedition unique is Expedition organizer Ed Hommer, a double amputee from Duluth, Minnesota. Hommer would be the first double amputee to summit the more than 29,000-foot Mount Everest.
In 1999, Hommer became the first double amputee to summit North America's highest peak, the 20,320-foot Mount McKinley. This is the same mountain where, in 1981, Hommer crashed his single-engine airplane and was stranded for several days with little food and no shelter. After being rescued, Ed's frostbitten legs were amputated at mid-calf.
"This isn't about (me)," Hommer told the Duluth News Tribune in March. "This is about the capabilities of the human spirit and what any of us can accomplish."
The rest of the team is made up of mountaineers and professionals from across North America. They include:
The Expedition departs the United States on August 9, arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 11. They plan to arrive at base camp (elevation 5,200 meters) by August 20. The summit attempt will be made from the North Col route of Everest in early October.
Profiles of the Expedition members plus a time line is available upon request. Watch for updates on the Expedition sponsored by Touchstone Energy®.
