Mark Inglis
Encyclopedia
Mark Joseph Inglis is a mountaineer
, researcher
, winemaker
and motivational speaker
. He holds a degree in Human Biochemistry
from Lincoln University, New Zealand
, and has conducted research in Leukemia
. He is also an accomplished cyclist and won a silver medal in the 1 km time trial
event at the Sydney
2000 Paralympic Games.
In addition to being a goodwill ambassador for the Everest Rescue Trust, Inglis has created a New Zealand based charitable trust
Limbs4All. He has also created a range of sports drink
s and energy gels named PeakFuel.
mountaineer for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
In 1982 Inglis and climbing partner Philip Doole were stuck in an snow cave
on Aoraki/Mount Cook
for 13 days due to an intense blizzard
. The rescue of the two climbers was a major media event
in New Zealand. Both men's legs became badly frost bitten while awaiting rescue. Following Inglis' rescue, both his legs were amputated below the knee. He returned to Mt. Cook in 2002 and reached the summit successfully on 7 January of that year, after a previous attempt was thwarted by problems with his leg stumps. The summit assault in January 2002 was documented by the film No Mean Feat: The Mark Inglis Story.
In 2003, Inglis received the New Zealand Order of Merit
as an Officer in recognition of his services to disabled people. On 27 September 2004, he successfully climbed Cho Oyu
with three others, becoming only the second double amputee to summit a mountain greater than 8000 metres (26,246.7 ft) in height.
On 15 May 2006, after forty days of climbing, Inglis became the first ever double amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest
, the tallest mountain in the world. While acclimatizing
at 6400 metres (20,997.4 ft), a fixed-line anchor
failed, resulting in Inglis falling and breaking one of his carbon fiber
prosthetic legs in half. It was temporarily repaired with duct tape
, while a spare was brought up from base camp. Inglis's Everest expedition was filmed for the Discovery Channel
series Everest: Beyond the Limit
.
TVNZ's 'This Is Your Life
' on 5 June 2007 honoured Inglis with the now infamous red book.
He currently resides in Hanmer Springs
, New Zealand
, with his wife Anne and their three children.
. Inglis has been criticized for this decision by many people including the legendary Sir Edmund Hillary
, who said he would have abandoned any attempt at the summit to help a fellow climber. Inglis has dismissed the criticism by saying that the decision was actually made by expedition leader Russell Brice
, who was at the base camp. He also stated that the "trouble is at 8,500 metres it's extremely difficult to keep yourself alive, let alone anyone else alive." Some other climbers have agreed with this assessment, claiming there is little that can be done for a seriously ill person that close to the summit. However, Phil Ainslie, a scientist and mountaineer at the University of Otago
, has said that it might have been possible to revive Sharp with bottled oxygen and get him to safety.
In an e-mailed statement to the Associated Press
on 10 June, the expedition leader Russell Brice
contradicted comments by Inglis by saying that he only knew David Sharp was in distress when his team contacted him by radio during their descent.
In the documentary "Dying For Everest" (broadcast on SKY 20.04.09), Mark Inglis now states: 'From my memory, I used the radio. I got a reply to move on and there is nothing that I can do to help. Now I'm not sure whether it was from Russell or from someone else, or whether you know..it's just Hypoxia and it's... it's in your mind.'
Russell received many radio messages (many of which were heard by others) that night and a full log was kept. There is no record of any call from Mark Inglis. The group continued to the summit, passing David Sharp, without offering any assistance. David was in a grave condition. On their descent, passing back through the cave several hours later, the group found David near death. Mark's fellow climber, Maxime Chaya
(or Max) and Max's sherpa attempted to help David Sharp, but to no avail. Sir Edmund Hillary described Mark Inglis' attitude as "pathetic".
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...
, researcher
Researcher
A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.-Examples of research institutions:...
, winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. He holds a degree in Human Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
from Lincoln University, New Zealand
Lincoln University, New Zealand
Lincoln University is a New Zealand university that was formed in 1990 when Lincoln College, Canterbury was made independent of the University of Canterbury...
, and has conducted research in Leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. He is also an accomplished cyclist and won a silver medal in the 1 km time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
event at the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
2000 Paralympic Games.
In addition to being a goodwill ambassador for the Everest Rescue Trust, Inglis has created a New Zealand based charitable trust
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
Limbs4All. He has also created a range of sports drink
Sports drink
A sports drink beverage is designed to help athletes rehydrate when fluids are depleted after training or competition. Electrolyte replacement promotes proper rehydration, which is important in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise...
s and energy gels named PeakFuel.
Life
Inglis began work as a professional mountaineer in 1979 as a search and rescueSearch and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
mountaineer for Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is in the South Island of New Zealand near the town of Twizel. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain and Aoraki/Mount Cook village lie within the park...
In 1982 Inglis and climbing partner Philip Doole were stuck in an snow cave
Snow cave
A snow cave is a shelter constructed in snow by certain animals in the wild, human mountain climbers, winter recreational enthusiasts, and winter survivalists. It has thermal properties similar to an Igloo and is particularly effective at providing protection from wind as well as low temperatures...
on Aoraki/Mount Cook
Aoraki/Mount Cook
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, reaching .It lies in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. A popular tourist destination, it is also a favourite challenge for mountain climbers...
for 13 days due to an intense blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
. The rescue of the two climbers was a major media event
Media Event
A media event, as loosely defined by evolving modern usage, is an occasion or happening, spontaneous or planned, that attracts prominent coverage by mass media organizations, particularly television news and newspapers in both print and Internet editions....
in New Zealand. Both men's legs became badly frost bitten while awaiting rescue. Following Inglis' rescue, both his legs were amputated below the knee. He returned to Mt. Cook in 2002 and reached the summit successfully on 7 January of that year, after a previous attempt was thwarted by problems with his leg stumps. The summit assault in January 2002 was documented by the film No Mean Feat: The Mark Inglis Story.
In 2003, Inglis received the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
as an Officer in recognition of his services to disabled people. On 27 September 2004, he successfully climbed Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu
Cho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu lies in the Himalayas and is 20 km west of Mount Everest, at the border between China and Nepal...
with three others, becoming only the second double amputee to summit a mountain greater than 8000 metres (26,246.7 ft) in height.
On 15 May 2006, after forty days of climbing, Inglis became the first ever double amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
, the tallest mountain in the world. While acclimatizing
Acclimatization
Acclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
at 6400 metres (20,997.4 ft), a fixed-line anchor
Anchor (climbing)
In rock climbing, an anchor can be any way of attaching the climber, the rope, or a load to rock, ice, steep dirt, or a building by either permanent or temporary means...
failed, resulting in Inglis falling and breaking one of his carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
prosthetic legs in half. It was temporarily repaired with duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
, while a spare was brought up from base camp. Inglis's Everest expedition was filmed for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Everest: Beyond the Limit
Everest: Beyond the Limit
Everest: Beyond the Limit is a Discovery Channel reality television series about yearly attempts to summit Mount Everest organized and led by New Zealander Russell Brice.-Plot summary:...
.
TVNZ's 'This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961. In the show, the host surprises a guest, and proceeds to take them through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.Edwards...
' on 5 June 2007 honoured Inglis with the now infamous red book.
He currently resides in Hanmer Springs
Hanmer Springs
Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 65 kilometres southwest of Kaikoura , in the Hurunui District. The town lies on a minor road 9 kilometres north of State Highway 7, the northern route between Christchurch and the West Coast...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, with his wife Anne and their three children.
David Sharp Controversy
While ascending Everest, Inglis and a party of 18 other climbers came upon distressed British climber David Sharp, but continued pushing towards the summit. Sharp subsequently perishedDeath
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. Inglis has been criticized for this decision by many people including the legendary Sir Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE , was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest – see Timeline of climbing Mount Everest...
, who said he would have abandoned any attempt at the summit to help a fellow climber. Inglis has dismissed the criticism by saying that the decision was actually made by expedition leader Russell Brice
Russell Brice
Russell Reginald Brice is a New Zealand mountaineer. He is also the owner/manager of Himalayan Experience Ltd., a climbing expedition company...
, who was at the base camp. He also stated that the "trouble is at 8,500 metres it's extremely difficult to keep yourself alive, let alone anyone else alive." Some other climbers have agreed with this assessment, claiming there is little that can be done for a seriously ill person that close to the summit. However, Phil Ainslie, a scientist and mountaineer at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
, has said that it might have been possible to revive Sharp with bottled oxygen and get him to safety.
In an e-mailed statement to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
on 10 June, the expedition leader Russell Brice
Russell Brice
Russell Reginald Brice is a New Zealand mountaineer. He is also the owner/manager of Himalayan Experience Ltd., a climbing expedition company...
contradicted comments by Inglis by saying that he only knew David Sharp was in distress when his team contacted him by radio during their descent.
In the documentary "Dying For Everest" (broadcast on SKY 20.04.09), Mark Inglis now states: 'From my memory, I used the radio. I got a reply to move on and there is nothing that I can do to help. Now I'm not sure whether it was from Russell or from someone else, or whether you know..it's just Hypoxia and it's... it's in your mind.'
Russell received many radio messages (many of which were heard by others) that night and a full log was kept. There is no record of any call from Mark Inglis. The group continued to the summit, passing David Sharp, without offering any assistance. David was in a grave condition. On their descent, passing back through the cave several hours later, the group found David near death. Mark's fellow climber, Maxime Chaya
Maxime Chaya
Maxime Edgard Chaya is a sportsman, mountaineer and explorer from Lebanon. On May 15, 2006, he was the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest, completing the Seven Summits challenge...
(or Max) and Max's sherpa attempted to help David Sharp, but to no avail. Sir Edmund Hillary described Mark Inglis' attitude as "pathetic".
Books authored
Inglis has authored four books:- No Mean Feat documents his entrapment and rescue from Mt. Cook, his successful summit of the same mountain in 2002, and his efforts in the Paralympics
- To the Max: a Teen Reader's Version of No Mean Feat
- Off The Front Foot offers views on coping with positive and negative aspects of life.
- Legs on Everest is a detailed account of his ascent of Everest including his climb of Cho Oyu.