Jack Durrance
Encyclopedia
Dr. John R. "Jack" Durrance was a pioneering American rock climber and mountaineer
.
He learned to climb while attending high school in Germany
, and later founded the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club in 1936 while attending Dartmouth College
. Some of his classic first ascents include the North Face of the Grand Teton
and the "Durrance Route
" on Devils Tower
. His successful completion of the Grand's Exum Ridge and West Face, along with his contributions to the development of bouldering
, stand among his other climbing achievements.
In 1939 he attempted to climb K2
, the second tallest mountain in the world. He became embroiled in controversy after four members of the expedition died and the expedition leader, Fritz Wiessner
, blamed Durrance. A book seeing to shed light on the event, K2: The 1939 Tragedy, was published in 1994. The authors, William Putnam, a former president of the Alpine Club, and Andy Kaufman, a former director, relied on a Durrance diary that surfaced for the first time fifty years after the event to place responsibility for the deaths on Wiessner.
During the 1939 climb, Durrance saved the life of an expedition member who was suffering from pulmonary edema
. The man's family thanked Durrance by getting him an internship with Dr. James J. Waring, an international expert on tuberculosis. Durrance took the internship and later became a pulmonary physician
at a Denver hospital. In addition to climbing and medicine another passion of his was hybridizing irises.
Durrance died on 7 November 2003, aged 91, survived by his widow, Stella Coulter Durrance and their five children.
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
.
He learned to climb while attending high school in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and later founded the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club in 1936 while attending Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. Some of his classic first ascents include the North Face of the Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...
and the "Durrance Route
Durrance Route (Devils Tower)
The Durrance Route is a climbing route on Devils Tower in the U.S. state of Wyoming. First pioneered by Jack Durrance and Harrison Butterworth in September of 1938, it was the second free ascent of Devils Tower, following the first ascent led by Fritz Wiessner in 1937. The Weissner Route lies a...
" on Devils Tower
Devils Tower National Monument
Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion or laccolith located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River...
. His successful completion of the Grand's Exum Ridge and West Face, along with his contributions to the development of bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
, stand among his other climbing achievements.
In 1939 he attempted to climb K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
, the second tallest mountain in the world. He became embroiled in controversy after four members of the expedition died and the expedition leader, Fritz Wiessner
Fritz Wiessner
Fritz Wiessner was a pioneer of free climbing. Born in Dresden, Germany, he emigrated to New York City in 1929. He became a U.S. citizen in 1935.-Early days:...
, blamed Durrance. A book seeing to shed light on the event, K2: The 1939 Tragedy, was published in 1994. The authors, William Putnam, a former president of the Alpine Club, and Andy Kaufman, a former director, relied on a Durrance diary that surfaced for the first time fifty years after the event to place responsibility for the deaths on Wiessner.
During the 1939 climb, Durrance saved the life of an expedition member who was suffering from pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema , or oedema , is fluid accumulation in the air spaces and parenchyma of the lungs. It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause respiratory failure...
. The man's family thanked Durrance by getting him an internship with Dr. James J. Waring, an international expert on tuberculosis. Durrance took the internship and later became a pulmonary physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
at a Denver hospital. In addition to climbing and medicine another passion of his was hybridizing irises.
Durrance died on 7 November 2003, aged 91, survived by his widow, Stella Coulter Durrance and their five children.