ABC of Ice Climbing News Feed

Accountants to Climb Cho Oyu for St. Ann's Hospice

Two accountants from Manchester will soon be going to the Himalayas in order to take on the challenge of climbing the world's sixth highest mountain, Cho Oyu.

Kit Dickson and Justin Moody diligently trained for the said adventure which will serve as a fundraising event for St. Ann's Hospice. Dickson and Moody need both mental and physical endurance in order to climb the mountain successfully. They participated in several triathlons and other challenges to keep fit and prepare physically for the ice climbing challenge. Dickson had tried climbing the ice wall in the North Face store in Manchester.

Cho Oyu stands about 27,000 feet high and is situated on the boundary of Nepal and Tibet.

For more details on this news, please visit www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk.

New Family Adventures at Outdoor Capital of the UK

As the end of the summer approaches, the family fun doesn't have to stop. The Outdoor Capital of the UK is delighted to announce the arrival of a host of new family friendly activities to the Lochaber area. Whatever the weather, a host of new outdoor attractions will have adventurers of all ages flocking to Fort William. High wire hi-jinx, two-wheeled tours of the area, and the chance to see sea wildlife up close are all set to boost visitor numbers to the already thriving Outdoor Capital.

The sky's the limit!
Ice Factor in Kinlochleven have added to vertical challenges of their climbing wall with a breathtaking new high ropes adventure course. At 15 meters above the ground, intrepid skywalkers of all ages can tackle tightropes, cargo nets, balance beams, shaky bridge steps, and thanks to harness, make the 'leap of faith' from platform to platform. If that's not enough to get your heart racing, they've added a scream-inducing giant swing, dropping the daring from a great height and swinging them 50 meters for a rush no fairground could compete with.

See wildlife you've never seen before
The great people at Vertical Descents and Fired Art caf� have teamed up to take us out on the water for wildlife tours like no other. SeaXplorer wildlife tours will offer daily trips from Fort William and Ballachulish. Trips range from one to two hours in duration and will offer passengers a combination of high adventure and exhilaration on a fast power boat (rib) with the thrill of close encounters with some of the finest landscape and wildlife Scotland has to offer. The high speed modern Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat seats 12 passengers and includes parent and child seats to give an all-round family experience. For the even more adventurous, SeaXplorer can take families on remote coasteering trips exploring the usually inaccessible coastline by boat and allowing adventurers to scramble, cliff jump, swim, and climb along the dramatic coastline.

We know you're going to bike this...
If dry land is more your thing then don't miss the chance to explore the Nevis Range on a Guided Bike Tour. Highland Activities, Off Beat Bikes, and the Nevis Range have got together to give riders of all ages the opportunity to see some of Scotland's most dramatic scenery from the saddle. Rides are aimed at families and beginners, but all are welcome. These weekly trips take place every Tuesday at Nevis Range at 10am and 2pm so take ride on the wild side and explore the Outdoor Capital.

These are just a few of the activities that have made Fort William a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts so for more information on why the Lochaber area is Britain's Outdoor Capital, check out www.outdoorcapital.co.uk.

Mobile Rock Climbing Tower in Malta

The Valletta Waterfront is currently offering visitors an exciting rock climbing experience with its mobile rock climbing tower.

Valletta Waterfront's state-of-the-art climbing tower is about nine meters high with ice climbing routes. This mobile rock climbing tower is the first of its kind in Malta. It is a safe facility for both children and adults.

The rock climbing tower was designed in UK. It is considered as a good way to get started with rock climbing, especially for kids who want to have a taste of the sport.

Built in the 18th century, Valletta Waterfront is a famous venue for concerts and themed events. It is located in Floriana, Malta.

For more details on this news, please visit www.timesofmalta.com.

Nine Climbers might be Dead in an Avalanche at K2

At least nine climbers could have died in an avalanche when a portion of an ice pillar shattered, breaking one of K2's notorious areas, the Bottleneck, last Friday, August 1. According to reports, although more climbers managed to reach safety, at least nine climbers might be dead, while several others were believed to be stranded above the Bottleneck.

In an interview, one of the climbers who managed to safely return claimed that one international ice climbing expedition which was composed of 18 people including Koreans, Pakistanis, Nepalis, a Dutchman, and an Italian experienced trouble during descent.

K2 is the second highest mountain in the world, next to Mount Everest.

For more details on this news, please visit www.inlandnewstoday.com.

Registration Opens for HERA Climb4Life

Carbondale, CO - Registration is now open for the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation's 7th annual Climb4Life in Salt Lake City on September 18-21, 2008, hosted by locally-based international climbing company Black Diamond. The organization - which strives to save the lives of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, partners, and girlfriends through ovarian cancer research and awareness initiatives - ties climbing with fundraising to bring women and men together to help find a cure. Both experienced climbers and newcomers are welcome (including men and kids), and pro athletes will join volunteers, Exum guides, and hundreds of participants to climb for a cause. It is a weekend of learn-to-climb clinics, multi-media presentations by Jason Kehl and Joe Kinder, parties, massage, yoga, and more.

HERA Ups the Ante
Ovarian cancer is not a silent killer. A consensus statement released in August of 2007 by three major cancer groups agreed that ovarian cancer has symptoms, even in the early stage of the disease. The symptoms are bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full fast, and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency). Other symptoms can include indigestion, back pain, bowel problems, abnormal bleeding, or unusual fatigue. Last year, the 6th annual SLC Climb4Life raised more than $100,000. Eighty-five percent that HERA raises goes to fund cutting-edge research on ovarian cancer, and to raise awareness and support local community outreach programs through the HERA Community Grants. This year, HERA hopes to up the ante and reach new heights.

Local Support
Where does the money raised go? A portion of the funds raised at the 2008 SLC Climb4Life event goes to support the local Women-to-Women support group. Funds also go toward a Utah Ovarian Cancer Initiative, which aims to get women to the right surgeons for ovarian cancer surgery. In SLC, less that half of ovarian cancer patients get to a GYN oncologist for ovarian cancer surgery, and outside the greater SLC area, it's less than 30 percent. The key to greater survival rates is directly related to receiving the proper surgical care. "In this day and age, it is surprising that women are not being given the right information to make good decisions about their health while our male counterparts get the right information to get to the right surgeons for prostate cancer surgery even if that means traveling for the best care," says Sean Patrick, Founder of HERA. "It is time for this inequity in care to stop!"

Getting Involved is Easy
The HERA Foundation Climb4Life offers easy fundraising tools to participants, like personal web pages and donation emails to send out to friends and family, spreading awareness of ovarian cancer.

For more information, please visit www.herafoundation.org. To register online, go to: www.climb4lifeslc08.kintera.org.

About the HERA Foundation
The HERA Foundation is a registered 501 (c)3, whose mission is to stop the loss of mothers, daughter, wives, sisters, partners, and girlfriends from ovarian cancer by empowering women to take control of their health, empowering the medical community to find new directions in ovarian cancer research, and empowering communities to provide support. For more information, visit www.herafoundation.org. To schedule an interview with HERA Foundation founder Sean Patrick, please call 513.304.5835.

Seven Summit Circle Sponsors: Black Diamond, BlueWater Ropes, Climbing Magazine, Colorado Mountain School, Evolv, Exum Utah, Forte Creative Media, Fox River, Impact Group, Liberty Heights Fresh, MadRock, Montrail*, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, REI, SIGG, Stonewear Designs, The North Face, Timbuk2 Designs, Inc., Urban Climber, Williamson Printing Corporation, and Women's Adventure Magazine.
*Montrail is HERA's first 7 Summits Vision Partner