BELLEVUE, Wash., May 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Eddie
Bauer alpinists Adrian Ballinger and
Cory Richards successfully summited
Mt. Everest. Ballinger reached the mountain's peak without the use
of supplemental oxygen, a feat accomplished only by just over 200
others to date. This is the first successful "no O's" summit for
Ballinger, who has summited Everest a previous six times with
supplemental oxygen.
Richards' decision to push forward, adding supplemental oxygen
for the final 36 vertical meters of his climb, was in an
effort to ensure Ballinger's success- a demonstration of their
commitment to the partnership. Last year's climb proved successful
for Richards, who summited the 8,848-meter peak without oxygen for
the first time. Ballinger, an Everest veteran, was forced to turn
back due to hypothermia less than 300 meters from the top. His
calculated but heartbreaking decision was the catalyst for their
return to the mountain this year, working together to ensure that
both of them reached the top of the world's tallest peak and
captured the Snap to prove it. They spent a total of 37 days on the
mountain, logging over 130 miles.
Their journey was captured in real time through their various
EverestNoFilter social channels, with data analyzed via the
sports mobile app, Strava. Using the latest Samsung Galaxy S8
smartphone and Samsung's 360 gear, Richards and Ballinger gave fans
around the world an authentic, immediate look at the preparation
and ultimate execution of climbing Mt. Everest.
"I've dreamt of summiting Mt. Everest without supplemental
oxygen since I was fourteen years old. Today Cory helped me turn
that goal into a reality and for that I am forever grateful," said
Ballinger, now with a 7-summit record.
"Today we completed a journey two years in the making," said
Cory Richards. "Adrian reaching the
top of Everest, this time with no Os, brought everything full
circle. I'm proud to celebrate his victory – a byproduct of hard
work, unwavering determination and a killer support team."
In preparation for this year's expedition, the two used an
innovative accelerated process that enabled them to bypass the
traditional methods of acclimatization and allowed them to summit
in a mere six weeks. A carefully curated team of mountain
professionals, including a base camp manager, meteorologists,
expedition doctor and local Sherpa team, combined with training
plans and a customized diet, which included Hiball energy drinks,
ensured their ultimate success.
Eddie Bauer has a rich history of
outfitting mountaineering expeditions on Everest, beginning in 1963
when Eddie Bauer outfitted the first
Americans to summit the mountain. Today, Eddie Bauer's guides and athletes are some of
the most accomplished on Everest and hold a combined 50
summits.
"Everest is the ultimate challenge in mountaineering and
exploration that requires calculated patience, experience and
respect," said Mike Egeck, Chief
Executive Officer for Eddie Bauer.
"Cory and Adrian exemplified these characteristics and have
inspired others to pursue their own adventures through their
content capture. We are extremely proud of their accomplishments on
Everest and to have them both on our team."
In addition to Eddie Bauer,
Richards and Ballinger's expedition partners included Alpenglow
Expeditions, Samsung, Strava and Hiball Energy.
About Cory
Richards
Cory Richards
is an esteemed alpine athlete as well as a National
Geographic photography fellow and filmmaker, whose expeditions
to the greater ranges of the world have made him a leader in
adventure and expedition photography. His film work has won awards
at nearly every major adventure film festival, including the grand
prize at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 2011. In 2012, he
received the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year
Award for his efforts as both a climber and visual
storyteller. Richards has now summited Mt. Everest two
times.
About Adrian
Ballinger
Adrian
Ballinger is one of the USA's premier high-altitude mountain guides,
and the only American guide to have both AMGA/IFMGA guide
certification (one of 75 in the USA) and more than 10 summits of 8,000-meter
peaks (thirteen total, including seven summits of Mt. Everest). As
founder and head guide of Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian has been
guiding full-time for fifteen years and has led over 100
international climbing expeditions on five continents.
About Eddie
Bauer
Eddie Bauer is
an active outdoor brand offering premium-quality outerwear,
apparel, footwear, accessories, and gear. For almost 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 Southeast
Asia.
About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered
in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung
Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader
in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A
wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA is
pushing beyond the limits of today's technology and providing
consumers and organizations with a portfolio of groundbreaking
products in appliances, home entertainment, Internet of Things,
mobile computing, smartphones, virtual reality, wireless
infrastructure and wearables, in addition to offering leading
content and services related to mobile payments, 360-degree VR
video, customer support and more. Samsung is a pioneering leader in
smartphones and HDTVs in the U.S. and one of America's fastest
growing home appliance brands. To discover more about Samsung,
please visit www.samsung.com. For the latest Samsung news, please
visit news.samsung.com/us and follow us @SamsungNewsUS.
About Strava
Strava is the social network for
athletes. It's made up of millions of runners, cyclists and
triathletes, united by the camaraderie of sport. Its website and
mobile apps bring athletes together from all walks of life and
inspire them to unlock their potential – both as individuals and as
communities. Adrian Ballinger and
Cory Richards used Strava to update
their fellow outdoor enthusiasts during the Everest summit.
About Hiball Energy
Hiball Energy is the pioneer of a
completely new category of energy drinks: refreshing, sparkling
energy waters and juices. Hiball's Sparkling Energy Waters are the
only energy drink in the market that are made without sugar or
artificial sweeteners of any kind and contain only 10 calories per
bottle.
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SOURCE Eddie Bauer