Desert Southwest:
--The accident that killed 33-year old Joe Zarki in Joshua Tree National Park last week appears to have been caused by a problem with the climber's rope. Numerous reports on the net allege that Zarki's "rope gave out" or "snapped." It's hard to tell what actually happened from the main stream media reports, but I'm sure that we'll hear more as the climbing community investigates. To read more, click here.
Himalaya:
--Central Asia Institute founder, Greg Mortenson, was admitted to the hospital last week for a heart condition. This happened amid the flurry of negative news surrounding his charitable organization. The Montana State Attorney General will be probing into the affairs of both Mortenson and the CAI. To read more, click here.
--The family of famed Sherpa mountaineer Nawang Gombu says the Everest veteran has died in his Indian home at the foot of the Himalayas. He was 79. Gombu was the youngest member of Sir Edmund Hillary's climbing team that first scaled Mount Everest in 1953, though he himself did not make it to the top until 10 years later. To read more, click here.
Notes from All Over:
--The town of Silt, Colorado is Silt is looking for whoever beheaded the mountain town's controversial naked climber, a prominent sculpture in a roundabout at 9th and Main streets. To read more, click here.
--Ski resorts throughout Colorado are looking hard at their employee safety rules and policies as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ramps up scrutiny of the ski industry."We are doing incrementally more inspections," said OSHA's area office director John Healy. "Still, most of our activity is in response to injuries or accidents." To read more, click here.
--Guidebook authors out there beware: "Hawaii—In his work, travel writer Andrew Doughty often deals with mosquito-infested rain forest and treacherous riptides. Recently, he had to grapple with a new career challenge: a proposed state law that would hold Hawaii guidebook writers personally liable for deaths or accidents at spots they recommend." To read more, click here.
Gear Manufacturer Recalls:
--The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with CAMP USA, has announced a voluntary recall of Photon carabiners and Photon and Mach Express quickdraws. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. To read more, click here.
