Eddie Bauer Guide Adrian Ballinger, North Face Athlete Emily Harrington To Speed Climb Cho Oyu

In an attempt to reduce the expedition time on 8,000 peak climbing from 8 weeks to just two, mountaineering couple, Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington are attempting to speed climb Cho Oyu, the sixth tallest peak in the world. The two left this week after a weather analysis indicated a prime weather window for summit between September 29^th and October 1^st. Their last-minute deployment is part of a groundbreaking expedition that reduces the time on the mountain to only seven days, with all the preparation and acclimatization done back home in California.

Ballinger, an Eddie Bauer Guide and CEO of the adventure company Alpenglow Expeditions, and Harrington, an elite climber and member of The North Face athlete team, have been vigilantly training for this for the last month. From running and hiking on local mountains, cycling in hypoxic masks and sleeping in hypoxic tents, the two are taking extreme measures to prepare their bodies for this expedition. They have also been monitoring weather patterns with experts from their home-base in California, waiting for the right weather window.

“We rely on an intricate Swiss weather monitoring system to determine the best time to leave, and within 24 hours we are out the door, headed for the mountain,” said Ballinger, acknowledging that logistics are key, especially for new expedition attempts.

“We’ve had our gear and equipment on the bedroom floor for weeks,” said Harrington. “Now it’s time to pack it up and hit the road.”

Alpenglow’s guides for this expedition have already established base camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain, and the route has been fixed with ropes. The couple plans to move quickly – and up the mountain immediately.

For the first time ever, they will eliminate the standard acclimatization trips up and down the mountain before summit – and they will ascend without oxygen, but willing to use oxygen if needed to make the timeline. Once the couple summits, they plan to ski down. If they succeed with their two-week expedition timeline, they will have revolutionized big mountain climbing.

About Adrian Ballinger and Alpenglow Expeditions:

Adrian Ballinger is one of the USA’s premier high-altitude mountain guides, and the only American guide to have both AMGA/IFMGA guide’s certification (one of 75 in the USA) and more than 10 summits of 8,000 meter peaks (12 total, including 6 summits of Mt. Everest). As founder and head guide of Alpenglow Expeditions, a mountaineering guide company based in Lake Tahoe, Adrian has been guiding full-time for fifteen years and has led over 100 international climbing expeditions on 5 continents. For more information, go to www.adrianballinger.com  and www.alpenglowexpeditions.com.

About Emily Harrington

Emily Harrington is a professional rock climber and adventurer who has been a prominent and leading figure in the climbing community since she was a teenager. Her early years were defined by her successes on the USA Climbing Team on the national and world competition circuit, including 5 US National Sport Climbing Championships and 2 North American Championships. She has been on expeditions all over the world attempting big wall free climbs and high altitude peaks in Nepal, China, Myanmar, Crimea, and Morocco.  www.emilyharrington.com

About Eddie Bauer:

Eddie Bauer is an active outdoor brand offering premium-quality outerwear, apparel, footwear, accessories and gear. For nearly 100 years, Eddie Bauer has been outfitting America; inspiring and enabling people to live their adventure. Eddie Bauer products are available online at www.eddiebauer.com, and at more than 400 stores in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and other international markets.

About The North Face:

The North Face, a VF Corporation brand, was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today we are the world’s leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. We protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability. The North Face products are available at premium and specialty retail sporting goods stores globally and we are headquartered in California on a LEED Platinum-certified campus. For more information, please visit www.thenorthface.com.

About Alpenglow Expeditions

Alpenglow Expeditions is a world-renowned adventure travel company dedicated to providing unparalleled mountaineering experiences across the globe. With a focus on safety, ethics, and environmental stewardship, Alpenglow Expeditions has earned a reputation for excellence in the mountain guiding industry. Led by experienced AMGA/IFMGA guides and mountaineers, the company continues to inspire and empower climbers to achieve their mountaineering dreams.