Seventh Time May Be a Charm for University of Richmond Mountain Climber Dan Lochner
August 5, 2004
Dan Lochner, a senior from New Canaan, Conn., is one giant step away from becoming the world's youngest person to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
If things go as planned and he reaches the top of Vinson Massif in Antarctica, he will become the record holder sometime in October. He has to reach the summit on or before Nov. 2 to break the record set last May by Britton C. Keeshan, another student, who attends Middlebury College in Vermont.
Ironically, unbeknownst to each other, they were climbing Mount Everest at the same time in May. It was the seventh summit for Keeshan, grandson to Bob Keeshan, TV's Captain Kangaroo. He was 22 years, 175 days old.
Lochner, who turned 22 on May 12, will break Keeshan's record if he completes the climb by Nov. 2.
Vinson's 16,066 feet aren't Lochner's only obstacle. He can't begin his climb until October--usually attempts are made beginning in November--because the weather will be too bad before then. Then there's the problem of getting a flight. By the time his financing was in place, all the seats on the one flight that goes there were gone. He may have to hitch a ride with the National Science Foundation research team, and he and his climbing partner may even have to hike and ski the last 600 miles from the coast to the base of the summit. The cost, $30,000, is also overwhelming. Although he has raised money, he also has maxed out six credit cards in climbing Mount Everest in Asia, Mount Kosciusko in Australia; Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Mount McKinley ( Denali) in North America, and Aconcagua in South America.
He is making the climbs to raise $1 million for prostate cancer research. His uncle and grandfather have both had the disease.
If you would like to contribute, his Web site is www.oath7.com, or go to www.prostatecancerclimb.com/sponsorship.htm. To read about his most recent climb, go to www.everestnews.com.