UKC

British Alpinist Kenton Cool, known for his nine ascents of Mount Everest, is poised to take an Olympic gold medal to the summit of the world.

"It's going to be an emotional ride..." he commented.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=66996

In reply to UKC News:

Phew - no pressure there then..!?

Good luck KC

In reply to UKC News: Did anyone else here him on the Today programme on R4 yesterday? He was one of their podcasts.

In reply to UKC News: Hmm, someone enlighten me, what is the actual point of it? Like there was not enough rubbish in the mountains!

In reply to mloskot:

I assume he's bringing it back, no?

Not that rubbish in the mountains would bother KC - after all he was one of those who bolted the Everest tourist route.

jcm

In reply to UKC News: Why?

In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Well I don't think he'd be leaving an olympic gold medal on the top of Everest!

In reply to johncoxmysteriously: Anyhow, the keyword (sic!) 2012 seems like a a good marketing trick that fits potentially any purpose. Finding expedition sponsors included.

If I set a route in my favourite climbing wall with 2012 holds, can I have annual entry free.

In reply to UKC News:

The point is that in 1924 the British pledged to take their medals to the summit of Everest to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was the founding father of the modern Olympic Games. Unfortunately with the death of Mallory and Irvine on the 1924 expedition the pledge was forgotten.

Kenton discovered this story a couple of years ago, and therefore felt it was time the pledge was honoured, and what better year to do it than 2012.

In reply to stevez:
Are you suggesting that Mallory and Irvine died trying to get Olympic Gold medals. WTF! That's serious. That's just like...like...like Nazis trying to climb the North Face of the Eiger for medals.

P.S. Kenton read the research done by Alan Blackshaw - 'discovered this story'...humph!

In reply to andyathome:

Not sure where in anything I said that Mallory & Irvine died climbing for Olympic Medals!! The Olympic medals were awarded at the 1924 Winter Olympics to members of the 1922 expedition. When they were awarded a pledge was made to Coubertin to take them too the summit. The 1924 expedition was the first opportunity to that, and as we all know ended in tragedy.