Granite
Gear athlete, arctic
explorer and climber, Lonnie Dupre became the first to summit Denali in January
– alone. With just six hours of sunlight each day, 100 mile per hour winds and
temperatures reaching 60ยบ F below, January is a daunting time on Denali, where
elevation of 20,237 feet makes it North America’s highest mountain. Dupre achieved his goal in 25 days and
reached the summit at 17:04 (CST) on January 11, 2015.
Dupre spent a total of 60 days during the last 3 winters on Denali, during which he made 2 fast ascents to 17,200 feet, only to be thwarted by bad weather just hours from the summit. Only nine expeditions, totaling 16 people, have ever reached the Denali summit in winter, and six deaths occurred during those climbs. Of these previous winter expeditions, four were solo, but none were achieved in January, the darkest and coldest time of the year on the mountain. Only a team of three Russian climbers has ever successfully summited Denali in January.
Dupre spent a total of 60 days during the last 3 winters on Denali, during which he made 2 fast ascents to 17,200 feet, only to be thwarted by bad weather just hours from the summit. Only nine expeditions, totaling 16 people, have ever reached the Denali summit in winter, and six deaths occurred during those climbs. Of these previous winter expeditions, four were solo, but none were achieved in January, the darkest and coldest time of the year on the mountain. Only a team of three Russian climbers has ever successfully summited Denali in January.
.jpg)
“It was an amazing trip and challenge, but I wouldn’t want to repeat it,” Dupre laughingly said. “It was the type of journey where one had to be on his toes at all times, monitoring the weather, available daylight, overall plan and supplies all while being at high altitude.”
Currently on his descent from the summit, Dupre is wearing his Granite Gear Nimbus Trace Access 70L backpack, and pulling a 5-foot sled. On the lower elevations, the sled was packed with 165 pounds of supplies, and Dupre then switched to backpacking his supplies up the steeper parts. Dupre is also carrying 175 bamboo wands to mark the route, dangerous crevasses and his camps, increasing his chances for a safe return, which is when most climbing deaths occur.
Lonnie Dupre and the One World
Endeavors team will be showing their first adventure documentary, Cold Love, at the upcoming Winter
Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, UT on Friday, January 23rd
at Brewvies Cinema Pub. Free showing starts at 6pm. Learn more about the film and Dupre’s summit
at OneWorldEndeavors.com.
Photo credit: John Walter Whittier
About Lonnie Dupre & Cold Love
Lonnie
Dupre, a resident of Grand Marais, Minnesota, brings 25 years of Arctic
exploration to his most recent endeavor. His accomplishments include being the
first to circumnavigate Greenland by non-motorized transport, and reaching the
North Pole in two separate expeditions. Dupre has also worked to bring
worldwide attention to his concern over the environment. “I spent a lot
of time this past year trying to figure out how to inspire folks about our need
to do something about climate change,” said Dupre. “So, we have made a one hour
film called Cold Love, which is about Arctic adventure and the
world’s need - people’s need - for snow and ice. Snow and ice are important in
our polar regions because they help reflect the sun’s energy back into
space. Basically, the planet’s polar regions act as a thermostat to keep
our planet cool.” The documentary will be entered in international film
festivals and offered on CD in 2014. As a solution to help combat climate
change Dupre is donating the profits from the sale of his book, Life on
Ice: 25 Years of Arctic Exploration, published by Keen Editions, between
December 15th and February 15th, 2014, to The Nature Conservancy’s campaign
“Plant a Billion Trees.” Each Life on Ice sale will
enable the planting of 11 trees.
