ike Farris, a biology professor at Hamline University, was attempting to climb K2 with six other climbers when an avalanche roared down the mountain in the Pakistani Himalayas Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least 11 climbers.Farris (who I profiled two years ago) reports in his blog that he helped in the rescue attempts and was back at base camp as of Sunday. It seems possible his team was among those who helped rescue Italian climber Marco Confortola, the last climber rescued today.At last count, 11 climbers are dead, and it will be some time before we know exactly how it happened. Farris’s last blog post was Sunday. I’m trying to contact his friends and relatives for any new information. Watch this space for updates, and if you know Farris, please e-mail me at welsch@startribune.com.Farris, 52, is an accomplished climber who wrote “Rock Climbing in Minnesota and Wisconsin” for Falcon Guides. On Sept. 2 his new book comes out: “The Altitude Experience: Successful Trekking and Climbing above 8,000 Feet.” The new book combines information on the affects of altitude on the body with advice on how to climb safely in extreme conditions.Farris has climbed high peaks in the Himalayas multiple times. In 2006 he successfully summited Gasherbrum in Pakistan, a 26,362 foot high mountain. He was a key player in a high altitude rescue on Broad Peak in Pakistan in 2004.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 at 5:25 pm and is filed under adventure, climbing, tragedy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.