Peter Athans

Athlete-to-athlete interview

Greg Childs with Peter Athans

Athlete Interview:

SNEWS® Live: Climber Peter Athans sheds light on the Himalayan Cataract Project's efforts to reverse blindness.
August 3, 2007

Bio

Peter's name has been synonymous with the exploration of Mt. Everest for nearly two decades. He has led or participated in sixteen expeditions to the mountain and has personally summited seven times, more than any other climber of non-Sherpa ethnicity. He has also distinguished himself in the Himalaya with speed ascents of Annapurna South, Pumori, Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu. In addition, he has led expeditions to Manaslu, Makalu and K2 and made the first alpine-style ascent of the Breaking Point ridge, Alaska’s southeast spur of Mt. Hunter. When he isn’t exploring his own objectives, he guides climbers to the highest points of all seven continents. Peter is a strong proponent of Sherpa culture, documenting their prodigious talents at high altitude and their contribution to mountaineering history. Recently he has taken a keen interest in the exploration of both the physical and cultural landscapes of Tibet and Western China, home to countless untrammeled peaks and unique, vanishing cultures. He is a board member of the Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP), which brings eye care to those suffering from cataract blindness in the Himalaya. (In the spring of 2005 Peter led a successful HCP expedition in Nepal.) In addition to film and writing, Peter studies Asian history, Buddhist philosophy and surrealist poetry. He is a highly sought-after lecturer and motivational speaker throughout the U.S. and has contributed to dozens of books and periodicals examining climbing on Mt. Everest.

Birthdate:

3/1/1957

Nickname:

Seven

Favorite Destination:

Sayulita, MX

Favorite The North Face Product:

The Welded Omega Jacket. I used it weekly climbing in Russia and mountain biking in Northern California. It's extremely light and waterproof and the fabric is soft and supple.

Proudest Moment:

Working with Saneluk Ruitl, G. Jabia and The North Face to bring eye care to the Himalaya, and the birthdays of my daughter and stepson.

Cause(s):

The Himalaya Contract Project, the Khumbu Climbing School, and the Magic Yeti Library.

Words To Live By:

Only the weak brain cells die. Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Favorite Cook and Dish:

Conrad Anker makes great morning cruel gruel.

Favorite Moment In History:

Anything by Joseph Rock, National Geographic 1921-47, Joseph Rock 1921 White Openings, and the discovery to Minya Konka.

Most Recent Epic:

My daughter Cleo, born August 26, 2004.

Ambition:

Climb all the 14 highest mountains.

Dream Vacation:

To Sayulita with my family, or the Everest region with my family and KOS instructor.

Career Highlights:

• - 16 expeditions in 18 years to the Mt. Everest massif; seven summits of the peak, more than any other climber of non-Sherpa ethnicity.
• - Awarded The Explorers Club Tenzing Norgay Award, 2005
• - David A. Sowles Award: Granted by The American Alpine Club, this award is given to climbers who distinguish themselves by accepting great personal risk and sacrificing their own objectives to assist fellow climbers who are in distress. In 1996, Peter exhibited great compassionand selflessness in the rescue of Beck Weathers and Makalu Gau duringone of Mount Everest’s most lethal climbing seasons.
• - Columbia University-DuPont Golden Baton Award for Journalism: The production team for Everest: Into the Death Zone was awarded this prestigious prize for their efforts on Everest throughout the spring of 1997.

Film Highlights:

• - The Vision and the View (Light in the Himalayas), Himalayan Cataract Project/The North Face/ Rush
• - Surviving Everest: 50 Years of Exploration,National Geographic special program. Peter assisted in the writing,filming, high-altitude videography and editing of this film.
• - The High Route to Tibet:National Geographic film documenting 30 years of adventure and exploration by Joseph Rock, Tibet and China’s foremost explorer. Peter starred in the film and worked with the production team.
• - Explorer on Ice:National Geographic film highlighting the exhilaration and fear that accompanies travelers through Everest’s notorious Khumbu Iicefall. Peter assisted the production team and talent.
• - Everest: The Mountain at the Millennium, NBC and American Adventure Productions in collaboration with The North Face. This program documents a small team of scientists and climbers measuring Everest’s height and movement. Peter led the expedition,served as talent and assisted the production team.
• - Everest: Into the Death Zone:Peter recorded high-altitude video for this award-winning program,produced with WGBH of Boston for Nova, which investigates thedifficulties of climbing at extreme altitudes throughout the course ofa two-month expedition to Everest.
• - Seven Years in Tibet:Mandalay Productions’ feature-film adaptation of the classic tale ofexploration and self-discovery written by Heinrich Harrer in 1953.Peter worked with the second-unit film team on location in Tibet.
• - The Dark Side of Everest:This film by Great North Productions (for National Geographic in GreatBritain) examines the ethics and interactions of climbers in the “DeathZone” on Everest.