This is a unique approach! A Dutch team has officially started their 2010 Everest climb with a dive to 152 meters (500 feet) under water off the coast of Egypt on December 16, 2009. The principle climber is Jantoon Reigersman and he will be climbing Everest’s north side as a member of the UK’s Adventure Peaks team lead by Dave Pritt.
Next up for Reigersman is training in the Alps, then Aconcagua. Not content with just diving and climbing, ment he will cycle from sea level to 1300m (4265 ft) in the Pyrenees; then from Kathmandu to the Tibetean basecamp at 5200 meters (17060 ft). The cycling section is similar to what the late Swedish climber/cyclist Goran Kropp did in 1996 when he cycled from sea level in Sweden to Everest base camp and then made a successful summit.
The 27 year-old Reigersman is a scuba dive instructor and has worked for Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. From the team website 9000meter.com.nl the overall goal is to bring awareness of biodiversity.
9000METER is a statement to the world how important biodiversity is for humanity. We hope to show people the wide range of biodiversity present in ocean, land and mountains within the 9000 vertical meter range. We aim to inspire young people to take action to explore their own world, learn about the importance of biodiversity and take on the fight against global warming and environmental degradation.
9000m is a clever play on 192 – the dive depth plus 8848 – the height of Everest. You can follow their progress on their blog.
Climb/Dive On!
Alan
