Highest peak in Russia conquered
FAIRLAND – 'I can't explain the feeling when you've summited a mountain. It's a really an emotional thing,' – mountaineer André van Wyk.
Some collect stamps, others collect coins but a Fairland resident collects memories while climbing mountains.
André van Wyk (42) summited Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe’s highest peak, which will make the second mountain in his goal to climb the seven highest summit including Everest. The seven highest summits are the highest peaks in each of the seven continents.
Van Wyk trained for six months before summiting Elbrus. He tried to climb Elbrus last year but had to turn back 500 vertical metres away from the summit due to bad weather.
During this year’s climb, he said, the weather was suitable to summit the mountain but still reached a low of -10°C.
“It took us six hours and 40 minutes of climbing to get to the summit and it took us about three hours to get down. Going down is always faster than going up. This time around we had to make it back quickly because the weather was starting up,” Van Wyk explained.
“I can’t explain the feeling when you’ve summited a mountain. It’s a really an emotional thing. What’s made climbing so easy for me – and these guys are great – is Adventure Dynamics in Northcliff. These don’t only focus on getting you to the summit, they focus on getting you home,” Van Wyk said.
The bug has bit Van Wyk but he said he is in no rush and has plenty of time to climb the rest of the seven summits.
To read the full interview with Van Wyk, make sure to get a copy of the next week’s edition of Northcliff Melville Times.
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