Evidence of climate change in Antarctica

Thursday, January 18, 2007

By Sam Petri

    Conrad Anker’s first trip to Antarctica was in 1992 when he guided a new route on the south face of 16,067-foot Mount Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s highest peak. Over the past 15 years, he has traveled back to the land really down under a total of nine times. During that time, he has noticed the effects of global warming.
    “Tidewater glaciers are breaking off and disappearing,” the 44-year-old resident of Bozeman, Mont., said, referring to coastal glaciers that flow into the ocean. “When I was last there, the ice looked anemic.”
    Anker will give a slide show presentation on the state of Antarctica 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, in conjunction with “Wondrous Cold,” Joan Myer’s photo exhibit on display at the Teton County Library. Anker’s son, Sam Lowe-Anker, will open the evening with a screening of his award-winning film “Antarctica.” The event is free, though seating is on a first-come first-serve basis.  
Although it’s a place void of humanity, Antarctica is essential to our environment.
    “It’s the motor that runs our ocean’s currents and the cooling mechanism of our planet,” Anker said. The continent, 98 percent of which is covered by ice, holds 70 percent of our world’s fresh water. Conrad’s lecture will focus on global environmental issues and the history of exploration on Antarctica.
    Lowe-Anker was 14 years old when he made his second trip to Antarctica. He noticed the climate shift as well. “I could sense change and feel man’s impact on Antarctica,” he said. His 10-minute movie won the youth award for most environmentally friendly film at the Telluride Film Festival. He shot the footage last year on a Sony PD170.  
    Conrad Anker’s mountaineering feats include the speed record for climbing the Mount Vinson Massif (9 hours, 11 minutes) and pioneering three routes on the peak.      Additionally, he has climbed Rakekniven, a 2,500-foot shear face of granite in an area called Queen Maud Land, and has retraced the footsteps of British arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1916 Endurance Expedition.
    Anker is also well known for being the man to discover the body of legendary British climber George Mallory on Mount Everest in 1999. Mallory was the first to attempt a summit of Everest in June of 1924 with Andrew Irvine. It is still inconclusive as to whether the two climbers ever reached the summit.
    Later that same year, Anker watched two close friends of his own disappear into the mountains. While ascending 26,289-foot Shishapangma in south central Tibet with Alex Lowe and David Bridges, a massive avalanche was set off when a serrac broke loose some 6,000 feet above them. The avalanche buried the transceiver-less Lowe and Bridges, leaving Anker with a head wound, two broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. After an exhaustive 20-hour search and rescue attempt, neither of the two were found.
Conrad’s humble attitude must be born from a lifetime of frequenting the world’s highest peaks and remote corners, as must his environmental concern. His life is steeped in mountaineering feats that few, if any, will replicate.
    His slide show presentation is not to be missed. As he put it, “I’ve got a unique show just for Jackson.”
PERMALINK:
Evidence of climate change in Antarctica | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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