Extreme sports athlete, 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and BVA member Lonnie Bedwell recently completed his long-planned ascent of Denali, the highest and most remote mountain peak in North America with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level.
The team of five sighted guides and Lonnie reached the peak’s apex and made it safely down on June 22, a relatively fast trek of 14 days for Denali. The group had originally estimated and prepared for a trip of at least two weeks that could possibly last up to four weeks.
“Denali is both breathtaking and beautiful as described to me by my sighted guides and from what I also experienced vividly from the sounds,” said Lonnie in retrospect.
Motivated and made possible by a joint initiative of the nonprofit Sightless Summits and Team BVA, the journey launched with the arrival of the group in Talkeetna, Alaska, on June 7 to sort, pack, and load gear. The climbers set out the next day with 30-pound loads on their backs and pulling a sled that weighed 30 pounds.
Team updates were provided and posted to https://www.sightlesssummits.com/follow-us.html (CLICK HERE) and Lonnie’s Facebook account throughout the journey. In addition, his apparel included a satellite tracker that made it possible for internet users within the BVA community and elsewhere to follow Lonnie’s climb in real time.
Despite the days of the ascent that offered extreme challenges and adversities, the group’s progress reports referenced Lonnie’s optimism, can-do spirit, and continual joking as keys to overcoming the hardships and ultimate conquering of the summit.
“The teamwork and friendship made this climbing experience a great success,” Lonnie said. “What an amazing group of guys.”
The Denali expedition served as a preparatory climb for Lonnie’s planned April 2023 attempt at ascending and reaching the top of Mt. Everest.
Lonnie Bedwell will further detail his Denali experiences, including the motivation behind those experiences and many others like them, at the BVA 77th National Convention in Washington, DC. He will be the featured speaker at the Father Thomas J. Carroll Memorial Luncheon on August 25.
