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Draft:Eric Gilbertson (climber)

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Eric Gilbertson
Gilbertson on the summit of K2 in 2022
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born1986 (age 37–38)
Berea, Kentucky
WebsiteOfficial website
Climbing career
Type of climber
Known for
  • First to climb the highest point in every North American country and every -Stan country
  • Third American to receive Snow Leopard award
First ascents
  • Alpomish

Eric Gilbertson (born 1986)[1] is an American mountaineer, peakbagger, and engineer.

Gilbertson and his twin brother Matthew are country high pointers, aiming to reach the summit of the highest mountain in every country in the world.[2][3]

Early life and engineering career

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Gilbertson was born in Berea, Kentucky.[1] During his youth, Gilbertson and his family often traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.[4]

He and his twin brother Matthew attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating in 2014 with PhDs in mechanical engineering. Gilbertson currently teaches mechanical engineering at Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.[1][5]

Climbing career

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Gilbertson has climbed the highest point in every U.S. state (finishing in 2012).[6] He is one of five climbers to have climbed the highest point in each Canadian province and territory.[7][8]

In 2017 on Mt. Nirvana, the highest peak of the Northwest Territories, Gilbertson, along with climbers Dave Custer and Susan Ruff, established a new route on the West Face, with a YDS 5.9 crux. Gilbertson had previously climbed the peak unsupported with Len Vanderstar in 2016,[9] and made an attempt on the West Face in 2015 with Custer & Ruff.[10]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gilbertson pursued the Rocky Mountain Grand Slam, or every Colorado 14'er, Wyoming 13'er, and Montana 12'er. He completed the list in 60 days, 9 hours, and 20 minutes.[11][12]

When not on international expeditions, Gilbertson climbs locally in the Washington state area, with the goal of climbing all of the Washington Bulgers, or the hundred highest peaks of Washington, in winter.[13]

He has made first ascents of at least 25 different mountain peaks, most of which being in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.[14] He also made the first winter ascent of Hard Mox in Washington.[15]

Country high points

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Gilbertson considers the highest points of 196 political entities,[note 1] including the 193 U.N. Members, the 2 U.N. observers[note 2], and Antarctica.[16] His first country high point was Denali in May 2010.[4]

The Gilbertsons became the first two people to climb the highest point in each of the 23 North American U.N. members, finishing in June 2015 on Pico Turquino, Cuba.[1][17]

Gilbertson often climbed low-lying tropical high points during the wintertime, when glaciated high points were out of season. During the summer, he focused on more demanding country high points.[18]

In summer 2022, Gilbertson summited K2, Pakistan's highest point, without supplemental oxygen or sherpa support. He summited Broad Peak prior during acclimatization.[19][20]

In 2023, Gilbertson made an attempt on Mount Everest, the highest peak in China & Nepal, without supplemental oxygen or sherpa support, making it to 8,500 metres (27,887 feet) before turning back when symptoms of high altitude cerebral edema appeared. He descended and made an ascent of Kanchenjunga, the highest peak in India, with supplemental oxygen.[21]

In Central Asia, Gilbertson climbed the highest point in each of the "-Stan" countries,[note 3] finishing in 2023. He and his climbing partner Andreas Frydensberg of Denmark became the first two people to do so. In Uzbekistan, they made the first ascent of Alpomish, determining it to be higher than Khazret Sultan. They also completed the Snow Leopards list, with Gilbertson becoming the third American to receive a Snow Leopard award.[22]

As of August 2024, Gilbertson has climbed 143 country high points.[22]

Notes

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  1. ^ There are only 191 individual mountains given five sets of countries share a high point. Albania & North Macedonia share Korab, France & Italy share Mont Blanc, Uganda & DRC share Mount Stanley, Guinea & Côte d'Ivoire share Mount Richard-Molard, and China & Nepal share Mount Everest. Furthermore, the highest points of countries such as the Holy See, Serbia, and Israel can vary depending on where international borders are recognized. When overseas territories are counted, countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Australia have high points not located on their mainland. Countries without a thorough survey may have multiple high point candidates, such as Myanmar, Colombia, and several Pacific island nations.
  2. ^ Holy See and Palestine
  3. ^ Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan

Surveys

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In 2018, Gilbertson surveyed Jabal Ferwa & Jabal Sawda in Saudi Arabia, determining the former to be Saudi Arabia's highest mountain.[23][24] In 2021, he surveyed numerous peaks on an expedition to West Africa, determining new high points in Gambia, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau.[25] In 2023, he surveyed Alpomish in Uzbekistan, determining it to be higher than Khazret Sultan.[21]

In Washington, Gilbertson has surveyed numerous mountain peaks in the Washington Bulgars list.[13] In 2024, he surveyed Mount Rainier, determining that the Columbia Crest, previously accepted as the volcano's highest summit, had melted down by approximately 21 feet (6.4 m) since 1999, making the new highest elevation a point on the mountain's southwest rim. Gilbertson estimated that the Southwest rim overtook Columbia Crest around the year 2014.[26][27]

In the future, Gilbertson intends to measure the country high point candidates of Colombia and Myanmar.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "North America". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  2. ^ "Climbing Every Country's High Point with Eric and Matthew Gilbertson". francistapon.com. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  3. ^ "Billigreisen und geschmierte Polizisten – die Abenteuer der Kletter-Zwillinge". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  4. ^ a b "Country Highpoints. Bracia jako pierwsi chcą zdobyć najwyższe szczyty górskie w 196 krajach | National Geographic". www.national-geographic.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  5. ^ University, Seattle. "Eric Gilbertson, PhD". Seattle University. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  6. ^ a b Angeles, Keiran Southern, Los (2022-11-02). "Twin peaks: brothers Matthew and Eric Gilbertson rewrite mountain record books". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Episode 104: What Route has 432,500' of elevation gain? Eric Gilbertson is here to tell you. | Fastest Known Time". fastestknowntime.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  8. ^ "Canada Province/Territory High Points". Peakbagger.com.
  9. ^ "Follow The Climbs - Northwest Territories". Summits Of Canada. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  10. ^ "AAC Publications - Thunder Mountain (Mt. Nirvana), Unsupported Ascent, and Peak 46". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  11. ^ "Eric Gilbertson - Rocky Mountains Slam (CO, WY, MT) - 2020-08-15 | Fastest Known Time". fastestknowntime.com. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  12. ^ Milne, Keeley (2023-08-09). "Oregon's Jason Hardrath obliterates Rocky Mountain Grand Slam FKT". Canadian Running Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  13. ^ a b "Beta and Brews: Winter FA of Hard Mox with Eric Gilbertson". The Mountaineers. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  14. ^ "Episode 104: What Route has 432,500' of elevation gain? Eric Gilbertson is here to tell you. | Fastest Known Time". fastestknowntime.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  15. ^ "AAC Publications - Hard Mox, First Winter Ascent". publications.americanalpineclub.org. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
  16. ^ "Zwillinge wollen höchste Punkte in allen Ländern der Welt erreichen". Süddeutsche.de (in German). 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  17. ^ Ghosh, Souparno. "Alumni have summitted the highest points of every North American country". The Tech. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  18. ^ "Malawi – Saptiwa Peak". Country Highpoints. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  19. ^ "K2 2022: No O's, Unsupported Summits on Broad Peak and K2 – Interview with Andreas Frydensberg and Eric Gilbertson | The Blog on alanarnette.com". www.alanarnette.com. 2022-08-12. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  20. ^ "Wolt-bud besteg verdens farligste bjerg og var tæt på katastrofe: Pludseligt regnede det med tunge sten og iltflasker | fyens.dk". fyens.dk (in Danish). 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  21. ^ a b "The Line: Global Ambition — American Alpine Club". American Alpine Club. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  22. ^ a b "The Line: Global Ambition — American Alpine Club". American Alpine Club. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  23. ^ "فرواع..أعلى قمة سعودية". arriyadiyah.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  24. ^ "A Tale of Two Peaks - Destination KSA". 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  25. ^ "Newsday - Twin peaks: Brothers' mission to climb every national highpoint - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  26. ^ "Mount Rainier is shrinking and now has a new summit". The Seattle Times. 2024-10-06. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  27. ^ "Rainier Is Shorter Than We All Thought". Seattle Met. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
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