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Andy Tyson

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Andy Tyson
Born
Andrew David Tyson

October 15, 1968
Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, US
DiedApril 10, 2015 (46 years old)
Custer County, Idaho, US
EducationGeology and physical education, 1991
Alma materWittenberg University
Occupation(s)Mountaineer, alpine guide, renewable energy consultant and engineer
EmployerCreative Energies
Known forFirst ascent of Gamlang Razi
SpouseMolly Loomis Tyson

Andrew David "Andy" Tyson (October 15, 1968 – April 10, 2015) was an American businessman, writer, and mountaineer.[1] Tyson was known for his first ascents of Gamlang Razi and for climbing new routes on China's Genyen Massif.[2] Over the course of Tyson's mountaineering career, he would go on to climb some of the world's most notable peaks, including Everest, Cho Oyu, Nanda Devi, Denali, Aconcagua in Argentina; the Vinson Massif in Antarctica; and Mount Blanc in the Alps.[3]

Background

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Tyson was born October 15, 1968, in Pennsylvania.[4] He graduated from Mercersburg Academy and studied at Wittenberg University, graduating with a degree in Geology and physical education in 1991.[5]

In 2001, he co-founded Creative Energies, a company focused on renewable energy.[4][6]

Mountaineering

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In 1992, Tyson attended an instructor's course at the National Outdoor Leadership School.[7] The next year, he would become an instructor for the school, a role he would hold for the next decade.[1] A mountaineering specialist, he would go on to teach climbers in Mynanmar and Nepal, and worked as a mountain guide for international mountaineering expeditions in Alaska[8] the Himalayas.[4]

In 2003, he summitted Cho-Oyu.[9] In 2005 he wrote Glacier Mountaineering with his wife Molly Loomis. The next year, the pair wrote Climbing Self Rescue.[6] In 2008, he summitted Mount Vinson in Antarctica.[10]

In 2012, Tyson was part of an expedition team alongside Dave Anderson, his wife Molly Loomis, and Canadian Sarah Huenikennd to China's Genyen Massif.[1][11] Also known as Mount Gamlang, it was last surveyed by the British Empire in 1925.[12] While climbing in the region, Tyson and Loomis made a first ascent on an unnamed 18,500-foot peak on the massif they named Phurpa.[2][13]

In 2013, Tyson achieved the first known ascent of the mountain Gamlang Razi on 7 September 2013 with Eric Daft, Mark Fisher, Chris Nance, Molly Loomis Tyson, and Pyae Phyo Aung.[14][15] The group measured the peak to be 5,870 meters (19,259 ft), which would make it higher than Hkakabo Razi, believed at that time to be the highest peak in Myanmar and Southeast Asia.[15]

In 2014, Tyson made a trip to Mount Everest to climb for a feature for the Discovery Channel.[3] While there, he survived the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche.[4][1] While at Everest, he took a number of photos of the avalanche's aftermath, which were later featured in National Geographic magazine.[16][17]

Fatal accident

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In 2015, Tyson died with several others from his company Creative Energies in a plane crash at Diamond D ranch in Idaho.[18] The Cessna T210M crashed in Custer County, Idaho.[19][20] In the crash investigation it was noted that wind currents in mountain areas can push small planes around.[1]

After Tyson's death, Energy Conservation Works developed the Andy Tyson Leadership Award in Sustainability in his memory.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Plane Crash Kills Climber Andy Tyson 13-Apr-2015 By Hayden Carpenter
  2. ^ a b "New Routes in China's Genyen Massif". Climbing. 2012-06-15. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  3. ^ a b "Remembering Climber Andy Tyson '87". www.mercersburg.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  4. ^ a b c d Andy Tyson Stephen Henderson Apr 16, 2015
  5. ^ Former Mercersburg man dies in plane crash
  6. ^ a b Climber Andy Tyson Killed in Plane Crash Climbing Staff Apr 11, 2015
  7. ^ "AAC Publications - Andy Tyson, 1968–2015". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  8. ^ "Western Instructors – Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation". Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  9. ^ "Himalayan Database Online". The Himalayan Database.
  10. ^ https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_2008_files/AJ%202008%20346-349%20Antarctica.pdf
  11. ^ Magazine, Gripped (2015-01-06). "The Genyen Massif and Hutsa". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  12. ^ Climbers suggest records wrong on top Myanmar peak
  13. ^ Anderson, Dave (2006-11-21). "NORTH AMERICANS SEND IN CHINA". Alpinist. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  14. ^ "AAC Publications - Gamlang Razi". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  15. ^ a b Andy Tyson, Gamlang Razi. A first ascent in Myanmar's mysterious mountains., The American Alpine Journal, 56, page 45 (2014)
  16. ^ "After Two Deadly Years, Everest Climbers Gear Up for a Strong Season". Adventure. 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  17. ^ "Measuring Everest's Monster Avalanche". Science. 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
  18. ^ The Andy Tyson Memorial Fund Stewart M. Green Posted on: November 11, 2015
  19. ^ Four killed after plane crashes, catches fire in Idaho; man from Park City among the victims - Mark Green
  20. ^ Teton Valley mourns 4 men killed in crash crash
  21. ^ Works, Sponsored by Energy Conservation (2022-05-04). "ECW Accepting Nominations for Andy Tyson Leadership Award Through May 11". Buckrail - Jackson Hole, news. Retrieved 2024-08-04.