Reality TV? Now this is a GREAT spray topic.

[Rodchester]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Outdoor Life Network is looking for candidates willing to try to climb Mount Everest as part of television reality series.

 

The cable network is casting for "Global Extremes: Mt. Everest -- 4Runners of Adventure," a series that will culminate in an attempted climb of the world's tallest mountain.

 

The winner of a series of challenges gets $250,000, the network said on Thursday.

 

Before Everest, the competitors will face challenges in Africa's Kalahari Desert, in the wilderness in Borneo and in the mountains of Iceland.

 

The network, which is running the contest with Toyota, will select 50 physically fit men and women, 21 and older, for the contest. Twelve finalists will be chosen from that pool of volunteers.

 

 

 

[ 10-18-2002, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Rodchester ]

[Greg_W]

My prognostication: Someone will die, or get left behind, or get frostbite. Remaining family members will sue. Any guide that takes this gig is a loon. RECIPE FOR DISASTER.

[rbw1966]

They've already selected the 50 members. I notice at least 3 Washingtonians, two from Seattle and one from Ellensburg.

 

Whats the world coming to?

[Thinker]

It's also a recipe for ratings.

 

sadly, the real question is, does the financial risk outweigh the potential gain for the producers and the network?

[Terminal_Gravity]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thinker:

It's also a recipe for ratings.

 

sadly, the real question is, does the financial risk outweigh the potential gain for the producers and the network?

---

I think you're exactly right. Watch the movie Fightclub. Ed Norton's character pegs the formula.

[Greg_W]

My Pick:

 

Lyndsay Meyer, 28, New York, N.Y. - Lyndsay has a background in public relations, events and production, and ran a concession stand in the Caribou Club of Aspen.

 

I think her ability to make a latte at altitude will help her in the Khumbu

 

[ 10-18-2002, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: Greg W ]

[sketchfest]

What??? the 50 have already been chosen...what's the deal with that? I never received my auto e-mail notification about entering.

 

I guess they had to do something to bring ratings back, considering all they ever show anymore are programs about fishing, sailing and the occasional 1/2 hour of bike coverage. Even though the show was poorly hosted, "High country climber" was easier to watch than joe-bob's fishin adventures.

[ryland_moore]

My climbing partner, Matt Mooney I think is one of the finalists. He is in Moab or something now doing some training? I don't know. The details he gave me were fuzzy and maybe it is a different thing. But he left NYC as a financial day trader and realized that he could live for a full year without working in Bishop for what it would cost him to live in NYC for a month. So he moved to Bishop. He always had the money and would climb in Nepal doing trips like CHo Oyu and Ama Dablam and in between trips he would fly to Thailand to sport climb on the beach to rest up. Wish I had that kind of dough, but he has a lot of climbing experience. Who knows if he'll make it. Where do I find out officially if Matt is on the list?

[iain]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Greg W:

My prognostication: Someone will die, or get left behind, or get frostbite. Remaining family members will sue. Any guide that takes this gig is a loon. RECIPE FOR DISASTER.

---

Greg I think you are right on the money.

[sketchfest]

Ryland,

www.olntv.com has a list and bio of all 50

[ryland_moore]

Thanks Sketch. He's on the list.

[klenke]

To be true to form with all these other reality-based TV shows (Survivor, Fear Factor, etc.), the contestants will have to be extremely good looking, chiseled-body types. For ratings, the women will have to wear tight sports bra tops and the men will have to wear tight tank tops and flex their biceps for the camera at every opportunity. They won't be allowed to have a brain in their heads either.

 

None of the contestants will look like your ordinary everyday ugly hardman climber. You know, like us.

[sketchfest]

So your saying that I didn't get a call because of my: a)ugly mug, b)fat gut, c)crooked smile, d) little to no climbing ability. Who's "reality" is that?

[klenke]

Yep.

 

And here are some of my mugshots:

 

[James]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Terminal Gravity:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thinker:

It's also a recipe for ratings.

 

sadly, the real question is, does the financial risk outweigh the potential gain for the producers and the network?

---

I think you're exactly right. Watch the movie Fightclub. Ed Norton's character pegs the formula.

---

its funny you mention fight club. since the talk about rope-up started i've been thinking about it

you guys should do fight club out there... just for fun

 

sorry about the thread creep!

 

[ 10-18-2002, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: James ]

[James]

just don't let it come to this!

 

[klenke]

I looked at the list of participants. Well at least I can say I know Jerry Chang. Hmmmmm? Now I've got to wonder.

[Pencil_Pusher]

Yep sketchfest, I confirmed it: you're just not purdy enough to be on this show.

While opening the oln link, I saw that photo and thought #3 was Dr Ginger Lea Southall and sure enough, she's on the list... go figure. She's hotter than a two dollar pistol. I recall one of her stories involving creative uses out of the borrowed "altitude-tent" (that simulates higher altitudes than those experienced in Florida)... Denali provided for many stories involving her

I also recall seeing the ad for this trip in some magazine a while ago. Good luck for everyone involved. Unlike the post about any guide company that accepts this is a "loon", rather they're smart as hell getting all that publicity. Undoubtedly it will be a struggle as all guided trips are in terms of acceptable levels of risk, the nature of the beast. If the old lady can sue McD's for the hot coffee, certainly mountaineering isn't immune to such "liabilities". The release of liability form, the trip taking place in a foreign country, and dainbramage from altitude affecting memory should lessen such instances.

 

[ryland_moore]

I heard from a fairly reliable source that most of the 24 contestants elected to go on to the next round have very little to zero climbing experience. Most are of the Ironman/Triathalon, Adventure racer types who were selected beyond the fifty. For example, I do know that a friend of mine was not selected and he climbed Cho Oyu two years ago, yet some of these folks have never even been as high as Rainier! Should be a meladrama worth watching! Starts Jan. 7th.

 

[Bill_Simpkins]

We'll watch them wimper. I bet a that someone will cry on their first rappel (belayed too of coarse), followed by a commercial break right before they go over the edge.

[gapertimmy]

I know Jerry also, thats crazy stuff. Does he still work at the 'soft?

[JoshK]

I had a friend who works there look up "Jerry Chang" and it does appear he still works there. Software tester at microsoft...now that's qualification to climb Everest. I just hope one of these poor unqualified bastards doesn't get himself/herself killed.

[fleblebleb]

Before Everest, the competitors will face challenges in Africa's Kalahari Desert, in the wilderness in Borneo and in the mountains of Iceland.

 

Being Icelandic this for some reason is hugely hilarious to me.

 

Edit:

I went through the web site and there is a list of activities. They're going to go kite skiing in Iceland, HAHAHAHAHARHARHARHAR heehee, ow, so funny it hurts. The windstorm we had Friday is regular everyday weather over there and even better, the wind never blows from the same direction two gusts in a row. I saw a few guys in the SAR unit I joined play with a kite on skis and it was funny to put it mildly. The fall was abnormally nice though, so maybe they finished the shooting already and got lucky.

 

I'll be sure to watch this show religiously.

Edited December 29, 2002 by fleblebleb

[Gary_Yngve]

This bio is kinda funny:

 

Troy Henkels, 35, Eagle River, Alaska. - Troy is a telecommunications technician and a locksmith. He has climbed Denali and spent time climbing in the Alaska Range. He also "soloed" Mt. Dickey, Alaska. During his free time, he plays guitar and enjoys writing.

 

First, the quotes around "soloed."

Second, the lack of specifying a route.

 

Some of the other bios mentioned summiting El Cap and Halfdome... does that mean they did the walk-up?

 

Yet in another bio they go into gory detail about a VI A4+.

Kinda funny, because bigwalling has about nothing to do with climbing Everest. Nah, they just wrote that because something with a bunch of letters and numbers and plusses must be pretty damn hard.

 

In general, it seems like they are choosing things that the general population will be aware of and thinks is impressive, while to someone literate in mountaineering, many not be as impressive. They've heard of the big mountains. They've heard of Yosemite. They think that West Butt on Denali is harder than Inf Spur on Foraker.

 

Heck, another bio mentions a successful ascent of Mt. Blanc.

Isn't the easiest route on Mt. Blanc a walk-up?

 

So why am I ranting? For two reasons:

1) I'm curious of their serious climbing resumes

2) here is a chance to educate the public more about mountaineering instead of just spitting off a few well known names