Fundraising climb conquers Mont Blanc

JOHN LOESING/Acorn Newspapers TOUGH GOING- Members of the Prostate Awareness Foundation climbing team push toward the summit of Mont Blanc, France, the highest mountain in Western Europe.

Prostate cancer survivor Ken Malik of San Francisco; John Loesing, managing editor of the Acorn Newspapers; and Justin Lukasavige of North Carolina climbed France's 15,772-foot Mont Blanc this month, reaching the summit on the morning of Fri., Sept. 14. The three climbers are members of a team sponsored by the Prostate Awareness Foundation.

Loesing and Lukasavige, connected by rope to a guide, reached the summit at 7:35 a.m., four hours after departing from a refuge hut about 3,000 feet below. Malik, roped to a separate guide, reached the top of the Alps' highest peak about 30 minutes after the other two climbers.

The Mont Blanc climb, which initially included five PAF climbers and five support team trekkers, raised more than $30,000 in donations for prostate cancer programs.

Summit preparations began with a cable car and railroad ascent from the French village of Les Houches in the Chamonix Valley to the Nid d'Aigle at 7,782 feet. From there, the men- along with Bill Gauditz of Denver- began the difficult ascent to the primitive Gouter refuge hut, perched on a precipice at 12,524 feet. Gauditz's wife, also on the summit team, decided to stay behind.

JUSTIN LUKASAVIGE/Special to The Acorn NEAR THE TOP- Acorn editor John Loesing, left, and his British guide, David Etherington, take a moment to check equipment near the summit of Mont Blanc, France. They're above 15,500 feet.

The climb to the hut, part of a weeklong acclimatization period, involved traversing the dangerous Mont Blanc Grand Couloir, a steep glacial gorge frequently pummeled by falling rocks and boulders. Authorities said a woman had been killed in August while attempting to cross the couloir.

The team then began a difficult, almost vertical 1,000-foot rock scramble. The ascent wasn't for the faint of heart; steep drop-offs and crumbling terrain greeted every turn.

JOHN LOESING Acorn Newspapers HELPING HAND- Prostate cancer survivor Ken Malik uses rope on a steep, rocky section of Mont Blanc, while team member Justin Lukasavige keeps an eye out below.

The men's 12-hour stay at the Gouter hut, equipped with bunks and a dining table, brought little to no sleep thanks to the refuge's crowded, dormitory-like conditions. Dozens of climbers from various countries shared the cramped quarters, assembling their gear and preparing for the push to the top.

Darkness and danger

The PAF team set out for the summit in the cold, dark predawn hours. They began with a steep ascent to the Dome de Gouter and the Col du Dome, two snowy peaks teasing climbers headed for the top of Mont Blanc.

Other teams could be spotted at lower and higher altitudes as their headlamps pierced the dark. A brief rest at a strange, almost other-worldly hut called the Refuge de Vallot followed at 14,312 feet. A short, steep ladder led in and out of the metal refuge hut, and on the inside of the structure was a cold, unlit room littered with dozens of empty packages from the energy gel climbers consume for instant strength.

As the climb proceeded over icy ground, the wind came up and a sharp snow began to fall. Because of the limited visibility none of the climbers was able to see just how precarious their surroundings were. Everybody struggled to make necessary adjustments to clothing, and worked constantly to manipulate ropes, ski poles and ice axes.

"You keep wanting to stop, but that's not an option," Loesing said. "You stop and it's hard to get going again."

About two hours later, health problems forced Gauditz to turn back.

Nearing the top

After what seemed like endless hours of uphill climbing with one slow step following another- not to mention the difficulty of breathing at the high altitude- Loesing and Lukasavige began inching up Summit Ridge, a narrow 2footwide path with 1,000 feet of dropoff on either side.

Approaching the summit, they could see another small group of climbers milling about. At the top, the PAF duo stumbled to a halt, embraced, and tried to stay warm while consuming bits of food and sips of water.

Unable to wait for Malik- as fingers and toes grew numb- the pair descended. They passed the PAF leader moments later as he made his way up Summit Ridge. Alone at the top with his American guide, Malik struggled to unfurl the PAF banner buffeted by the high winds. Commemorative photos were taken.

Following an equally hard descent, both PAF groups arrived back at the Gouter refuge with their "tanks on empty." By the time they made it back to the Nid d'Aigle train station they had covered 11,338 feet of total ascent and descent in a span of just 12 hours.

Both Loesing and Lukasavige have successfully summited Mont Blanc and Mount Kilimanjaro in the ongoing effort to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer. Along with Malik, they also took part in the 2001 inaugural prostate cancer climb of the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes.

Diagnosed with prostate cancer more than a decade ago, the 62yearold Malik continues to hike and climb regularly in an effort to show that survivors of the disease needn't be confined to a sedentary lifestyle.

"I'm a lucky man," Malik said. "With the healthy lifestyle measures I've adopted I'm able to live a normal, active life and participate in the rigors of highaltitude mountain climbing. Our goal is to encourage men to take proactive responsibility for prevention."

For more information about the PAF, visit the website, prostateawarenessfoundation.org.

- An Acorn staff report