Kiwi climber assaults K2 with SKINS and Suunto   15 Jul 2013

Kiwi climber assaults K2 with SKINS and Suunto

July 15, 2013

K2, the world’s second highest mountain and one of the world’s toughest to conquor is firmly in the sights of Kiwi climber Marty Schmidt and his 25-year-old son Denali, who are hoping to become the first father and son team to reach the summit.

But it’s not just the mountain, one which Schmidt has unsuccessfully attempted to summit twice before, which will presents a challenge to the father and son team. K2 climbers are also at risk of attack from the Taliban in Pakistan, with 10 foreign climbers killed in a recent attack.

Despite the dangers that lie ahead Marty Schmidt is adamant K2 is the mountain he loves most.

“I’ve climbed a lot of the world’s biggest mountains but K2 is the one I respect the most. I’ve been on it twice without summiting. I’m just called to it all the time. That’s why I’m filming the 2014 expedition.

“I want to show the world what it’s like. It’s like going to the moon without a NASA rocket.”

Schmidt, 53, has climbed some of the world’s tallest peaks without oxygen, including five peaks of more than 8000m. He has climbed and guided on the world’s Seven Summits (the seven tallest mountains on each continent) many times, and has summited Everest twice.

He says the key to success in any climb is to maintain and understanding of your environment at all times. “Know your rest step, your breath work, clear goggles before sunrise so your eyes don’t freeze, fluids available on summit day.... it’s all vital.”

The crucial factor in success is the right gear. Top of Schmidt’s list of must-have equipment are his Suunto Vector watch and his Skins compression sports wear.

Schmidt says it’s vital he takes only equipment he can trust to work all the time, every time.

“I love my Suunto Vector watch. They are reliable, lightweight and they work above 8000 metres; I love that.”

The Suunto Vector watch ranges comes with an array of features including an altimeter, barometer, compass and optional heart rate monitor.

“The biggest thing for me is that I have to be able to trust my gear to work every time I need it,” Schmidt says.

Schmidt and Denali, named after the highest peak in North America, are aiming to summit K2 from the Pakistan side about August 15-20. “I love to climb with Denali. It’s so much fun. We have a great time for three months. Not many fathers get that kind of time with their grown-up sons,” he says.

But Schmidt will not be finished with K2 if this summit attempt is successful. He will make another attempt on the mountain from the much more difficult, northern Chinese side in 2014, which he will also film.

Biography on Marty Schmit

Marty Schmidt has been climbing since he was 8 years old, starting in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. At 12 he was rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley and by 15 was guiding clients on rock climbs and cross-country skiiing.

The first mountains he climbed were Californian mountains like Mt Tamalpais and Mt Diablo.

As an adult he has guided and climbed the Seven Summits for many years with 34 summits on Mt Aconcagua in the Andes and 29 summits on Mt Denali in the US.

In 1992, I was sponosred by a Mexican climber Richardo Torres Nova, to climber K2 , his first 8000m climb, along with Kiwis Gary Ball and Rob Hall. That climb resulted in the rescue of Garry Ball from 8300m and the death of another Mexican team member.

When not climbing he lives with his wife Giovannina Cantale in the Far North, where they live entirely off the grid. The couple have two children, Denali, 25 and Sequoia, 22.

Marty Schmidt wear SKINS s400 thermal compression wear, a Suunto Vector watch and Dynafit skis, bindings and boots. For more information visit www.skins.co.nz or www.suunto.com.

ENDS

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