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Chad Kellog the winner
01:17 a.m. EDT Aug 1, 2003
Well what do you know! Dave reports that Chad Kellog came down to finish first in the cut off Khan Tengri speed climb:
"5 hr 11 min 46 sec - Chad Kellogg - 'nuff said"
Dave is coming in with a full report shortly.
It is amazing how climbers just becomes increasingly faster these days.
There has been much buzz around speed climbs lately. One such was just this spring on Mount Everest. When Pemba Dorjee broke Babu’s record, by an astonishing 4 hours, it was just like Roger Bannister when he ran a sub 4-minute mile. The impossible was made possible and Lhakpa Gelu followed suit with an even better time four days later.
Lhakpa Gelu (10 times Everest summiteer) had tried earlier on the 19th for the Everest ascent record, but was delayed by the route not being fixed. May 25th the news came – 10 hrs and 56 min.
How could anyone ever have though back in 1998 when Kaji Sherpa set the record at 20 hrs 24 min, that it would almost be chopped in half less than 7 years later. Pemba Dorjee later disputed Lhakpas record, but only yesterday it was confirmed by Nepals Ministry.
Over 400 climbers from all over the world are congregating this July-August at Khan Tengri, 7010 m in southern Kazakhstan. The highlight of the festival is a Speed Climbing competition.
US speed climber Chad Kellog is the competing American on the mountain. Dave is staff of MountEverest.net and on Khan Tengri to cover the event courtesy of Asia Tour.
Image of BC and returning climbers.
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