Polartec Challenge grant recipients announced
24/01/2012
Malcolm Bass, Paul Figg, Simon Yearsley and Rachel Antill will attempt to make the first ascent of the southwest face of Rimo III. The Rimo group is a remote and rarely visited area in the Indian Karakorum, and Rimo III's face is considered by many to be one of the last great challenges.
Kyle Dempster and Hayden Kennedy will attempt a Pakistani double header. They plan to complete their 2011 attempt on the east face of K7 and attempt the first ascent of the north face of the Ogre 2 on the Choktoi glacier. The Choktoi glacier has a rich climbing history, containing some of the most impressive mountains in the world, and has a 0% success rate.
Polartec Athlete Advisory Board member Nick Devore, Will Cardamone, Jake Sakson and Andy Jacobsen will attempt to climb and ski the unskied northwest face of Mount Seattle in Alaska. The group plans to kayak from Yakutat to the Hubbard Glacier, where they will begin the glacial traverse to Mount Seattle.
Peter Doucette and Silas Rossi will attempt a new route on the southeast face of Mount Bradley, also in Alaska.
John Frieh, Dave Burdick and Zac West will attempt the first ascent of Middle Peak in the Saint Elias range, once again in Alaska.
Freddie Wilkinson and Mike Libecki will travel to an area in Antarctica previously unexplored by climbers to climb first ascents on the Earth's southernmost and most remote spires and big walls. They intend to time their trip to take advantage of continuous daylight and attempt first ascents of as many spires as possible during the expedition. Mike Libecki also recieved a Polartec Challenge Grant in 2011 for a climbing expedition to Franz Josef Land in Russia, which has been extended to 2012.
In addition to the grant money, all winners will be fully outfitted with Polartec garments, designed to keep them warm, comfortable and dry in the harshest of climates.
The programme seeks to assist frugal, low impact teams who respect the local culture and environment and serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their vision, commitment and credibility.
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