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'''Peter Kittilsby Schoening''' (July 30, 1927 – September 22, 2004) was an American mountaineer. Schoening was one of two Americans to first successfully climb the Pakistani peak [[Gasherbrum I]] in 1958, and was one of the first to summit [[Mount Vinson]] in [[Antarctica]] in 1966.
'''Peter Kittilsby Schoening''' (July 30, 1927 – September 22, 2004) was an American mountaineer. Schoening was a member of the first expedition to climb the Pakistani peak [[Gasherbrum I]] in 1958, and was one of the first to summit [[Mount Vinson]] in [[Antarctica]] in 1966.


==Biography==
==Biography==
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Schoening was born July 30, 1927, in [[Seattle]], Washington to John and Gudrun Schoening, and grew up in Seattle. He dropped out of school to serve in the US Navy in the last year of the [[World War II]]. Later, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he became involved in mountain climbing. He died of cancer at his home in [[Kenmore, Washington]]<ref>Joel Connely, "In The Northwest: Pete Schoening to be forever remembered for The Belay", ''Seattle Times'', September 23, 2004, accessed August 30, 2017, http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/In-the-Northwest-Pete-Schoening-to-be-forever-1154947.php</ref>.
Schoening was born July 30, 1927, in [[Seattle]], Washington to John and Gudrun Schoening, and grew up in Seattle. He dropped out of school to serve in the US Navy in the last year of the [[World War II]]. Later, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he became involved in mountain climbing. He died of cancer at his home in [[Kenmore, Washington]]<ref>Joel Connely, "In The Northwest: Pete Schoening to be forever remembered for The Belay", ''Seattle Times'', September 23, 2004, accessed August 30, 2017, http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/In-the-Northwest-Pete-Schoening-to-be-forever-1154947.php</ref>.


===Climbing===
Schoening is perhaps best remembered for his heroics during "The Belay" while part of the [[1953 American Karakoram expedition|American K2 expedition]] in 1953, where he single-handedly averted the loss of the entire expedition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rowell|first=Galen|title=In The Throne Room of the Mountain Gods|url=https://archive.org/details/inthroneroomofmo0000rowe|url-access=registration|publisher=Sierra Club Books|location=San Francisco|year=1977|pages=[https://archive.org/details/inthroneroomofmo0000rowe/page/226 226–234]|isbn=0-87156-184-0}}</ref>


⚫
In August 1953, the same year that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest, an American team of seven led by [[Charles Snead Houston|Charles Houston]] set out to climb [[K2]]. On the seventh day, climbing without oxygen in a storm, they became trapped at over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) on the [[Abruzzi Spur|Abruzzi Ridge]] of [[K2]]. One of the expedition members, [[Art Gilkey]], collapsed with [[deep venous thrombosis]], followed by [[pulmonary embolism]]. Realizing that Gilkey would surely die if not taken off the mountain immediately, they began to lower him, wrapped in a sleeping bag, over treacherous rock and ice.
===The Belay===
⚫
In August 1953, the same year that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest, an American team of seven set out to climb [[K2]] led by [[Charles Snead Houston|Charles Houston]]. On the seventh day, climbing without oxygen in a storm, they became trapped at over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) on the [[Abruzzi Spur|Abruzzi Ridge]] of [[K2]]. One of the expedition members, [[Art Gilkey]], collapsed with [[deep venous thrombosis]], followed by [[pulmonary embolism]]. Realizing Gilkey would surely die if not taken off the mountain immediately, they began to lower Gilkey, wrapped in a sleeping bag, over treacherous rock and ice in the middle of a storm.


While attempting to traverse an ice sheet, climber [[George Irving Bell]] lost his footing, pulling [[Tony Streather]] loose. Streather fell into the rope joining [[Charles Snead Houston|Charles Houston]] and [[Robert Bates (mountaineer)|Bob Bates]]. Bates and Houston fell into the rope connecting [[Dee Molenaar]] to Gilkey. Schoening, despite already holding Gilkey on [[belay]] during the attempted traverse to Camp VII, was able, through strength, quickness, and skill, to arrest the fall of all six men, with his ice axe wedged against a boulder frozen in the mountainside. Schoening considered himself merely lucky, but his companions felt otherwise.
While attempting to traverse an ice sheet, climber [[George Irving Bell]] lost his footing, pulling [[Tony Streather]] loose. Streather fell into the rope joining Charles Houston and [[Robert Bates (mountaineer)|Bob Bates]]. Bates and Houston then fell into the rope connecting [[Dee Molenaar]] to Gilkey. Schoening, although already holding Gilkey on [[belay]] during the attempted traverse to Camp VII, was able to arrest the fall of all six men, with his ice axe wedged against a boulder frozen in the mountainside. Schoening's actions saved the lives of five of his climbing partners.<ref name= obit />


During the team's scramble to recover from the fall and establish a forced bivouac, they discovered that Gilkey, who had been in voice contact with them, suspended still in the protective sleeping bag from a line secured on either side of the ice axe, had vanished in a slide along with the supporting anchors.<ref>Houston, Charles and Bates, Robert (2000). ''K2 &mdash; The Savage Mountain'' New York: Lyons Press. p. 208 {{ISBN|1-58574-013-6}}</ref> Houston, among others, has speculated that, following Bell's fall, Gilkey cut himself loose to save the lives of his five colleagues, who were variously injured and at risk for their own safety.<ref name= obit >{{cite web|title=Pete Schoening: Legendary American mountaineer renowned for saving the lives of five companions on the slopes of K2|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/oct/04/guardianobituaries.sport|publisher=Guardian UK|date=2004-10-03|author=Douglas, Ed}}</ref>
During the team's scramble to recover from the fall and establish a bivouac, they discovered that Gilkey, who had been in voice contact with them, suspended still in the protective sleeping bag from a line secured on either side of the ice axe, had vanished in a slide along with the supporting anchors.<ref>Houston, Charles and Bates, Robert (2000). ''K2 &mdash; The Savage Mountain'' New York: Lyons Press. p. 208 {{ISBN|1-58574-013-6}}</ref> Houston, among others, has speculated that, following Bell's fall, Gilkey cut himself loose to save the lives of his five colleagues, who were variously injured and at risk for their own safety.<ref name= obit >{{cite web|title=Pete Schoening: Legendary American mountaineer renowned for saving the lives of five companions on the slopes of K2|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/oct/04/guardianobituaries.sport|publisher=Guardian UK|date=2004-10-03|author=Douglas, Ed}}</ref>


The story of the expedition is told in the book ''K2 &mdash; The Savage Mountain'' by Charles Houston, M.D. and Robert Bates. Today, The Belay is considered to be one of the most famous events in mountaineering history.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Miracle Belay|url=https://gripped.com/profiles/miracle-belay|publisher=Gripped Magazine|date=2013-12-30}}</ref> Schoening's ice axe is currently on display at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20091227093002/http://www.mountaineeringmuseum.org/about.php?id=Artifacts Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum] in Golden, Colorado.
Schoening was awarded the [[David A. Sowles Memorial Award]] for his actions by the American Alpine Club in 1981 as a "mountaineer who has distinguished himself, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains." The event is considered to be one of the most famous in mountaineering history.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Miracle Belay|url=https://gripped.com/profiles/miracle-belay|publisher=Gripped Magazine|date=2013-12-30}}</ref> Schoening's ice axe is currently on display at the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colorado.

Schoening's actions clearly saved the lives of five of his climbing partners.<ref name= obit /> He was awarded the [[David A. Sowles Memorial Award]] for his heroics by the American Alpine Club in 1981 as a "mountaineer who has distinguished himself, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains."


===Later years===
===Later years===
In 1996 at age 68, he went to Everest together with his nephew, Klev Schoening. He stopped his ascent well short of the summit, at Camp Three, after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. [[1996 Mount Everest disaster|The disastrous events of that week]] are recounted in several books, including: ''[[Into Thin Air]]'' by [[Jon Krakauer]]<ref>{{Cite book
In 1996 at age 68, he went to Everest together with his nephew, Klev Schoening. He stopped his ascent well short of the summit, at Camp Three, after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. Later that week, in the [[1996 Mount Everest disaster]], several people died after a violent storm struck the mountain. In 2004, he died of bone cancer at his home in Kenmore, Washington at the age of 77.
| last = Krakauer
| first = Jon
| title = Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
| publisher = New York: Anchor Books/Doubleday
| year = 1999
| isbn = 978-0-385-49478-6}}</ref> and ''[[The Climb (book)|The Climb]]'' by [[Anatoli Boukreev]]. In 2004, he died of bone cancer at his home in Kenmore, Washington at the age of 77.
<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Douglas |title=Pete Schoening, 77, Accomplished Climber, Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/obituaries/pete-schoening-77-accomplished-climber-is-dead.html |accessdate=2 July 2018 |publisher=New York Times |date=27 September 2004}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Douglas |title=Pete Schoening, 77, Accomplished Climber, Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/obituaries/pete-schoening-77-accomplished-climber-is-dead.html |accessdate=2 July 2018 |publisher=New York Times |date=27 September 2004}}</ref>

===Legacy===
===Legacy===


Fifty three years later, in 2006, the descendants of the men on the belay got together, calling themselves “The Children of ‘The Belay.'”<ref>{{cite web|title=Mountaineer Pete Schoening and ‘The Belay’|url=https://www.adventure-journal.com/2012/11/historical-badass-mountaineer-pete-schoening-and-the-belay|publisher=Adventure Journal|date=2012-11-28|author=BRENDAN LEONARD}}</ref>. Attending were 28 children and grandchildren who would have never been born if it were not for Pete Schoening and his ice axe high on K2.
53 years later, in 2006, the descendants of the men on the belay got together, calling themselves “The Children of ‘The Belay.'”<ref>{{cite web|title=Mountaineer Pete Schoening and ‘The Belay’|url=https://www.adventure-journal.com/2012/11/historical-badass-mountaineer-pete-schoening-and-the-belay|publisher=Adventure Journal|date=2012-11-28|author=BRENDAN LEONARD}}</ref>. Attending were 28 children and grandchildren of those who survived the accident.


[[Schoening Peak]] in the [[Vinson Massif]], [[Antarctica]] is named after Pete Schoening. Putrid Pete's Peak (P3), a prominence along the north rim of [[Snoqualmie Pass]] in Washington was also named after him. https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/putrid-petes-peak-p3
[[Schoening Peak]] in the [[Vinson Massif]], [[Antarctica]] is named after Pete Schoening. Putrid Pete's Peak (P3), a prominence along the north rim of [[Snoqualmie Pass]] in Washington was also named after him.<ref>https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/putrid-petes-peak-p3</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 22:21, 21 December 2019

Peter Kittilsby Schoening (July 30, 1927 – September 22, 2004) was an American mountaineer. Schoening was a member of the first expedition to climb the Pakistani peak Gasherbrum I in 1958, and was one of the first to summit Mount Vinson in Antarctica in 1966.

Biography

Early years

Schoening was born July 30, 1927, in Seattle, Washington to John and Gudrun Schoening, and grew up in Seattle. He dropped out of school to serve in the US Navy in the last year of the World War II. Later, he earned a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he became involved in mountain climbing. He died of cancer at his home in Kenmore, Washington[1].

Climbing

In August 1953, the same year that Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed Everest, an American team of seven led by Charles Houston set out to climb K2. On the seventh day, climbing without oxygen in a storm, they became trapped at over 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) on the Abruzzi Ridge of K2. One of the expedition members, Art Gilkey, collapsed with deep venous thrombosis, followed by pulmonary embolism. Realizing that Gilkey would surely die if not taken off the mountain immediately, they began to lower him, wrapped in a sleeping bag, over treacherous rock and ice.

While attempting to traverse an ice sheet, climber George Irving Bell lost his footing, pulling Tony Streather loose. Streather fell into the rope joining Charles Houston and Bob Bates. Bates and Houston then fell into the rope connecting Dee Molenaar to Gilkey. Schoening, although already holding Gilkey on belay during the attempted traverse to Camp VII, was able to arrest the fall of all six men, with his ice axe wedged against a boulder frozen in the mountainside. Schoening's actions saved the lives of five of his climbing partners.[2]

During the team's scramble to recover from the fall and establish a bivouac, they discovered that Gilkey, who had been in voice contact with them, suspended still in the protective sleeping bag from a line secured on either side of the ice axe, had vanished in a slide along with the supporting anchors.[3] Houston, among others, has speculated that, following Bell's fall, Gilkey cut himself loose to save the lives of his five colleagues, who were variously injured and at risk for their own safety.[2]

Schoening was awarded the David A. Sowles Memorial Award for his actions by the American Alpine Club in 1981 as a "mountaineer who has distinguished himself, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains." The event is considered to be one of the most famous in mountaineering history.[4] Schoening's ice axe is currently on display at the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colorado.

Later years

In 1996 at age 68, he went to Everest together with his nephew, Klev Schoening. He stopped his ascent well short of the summit, at Camp Three, after being diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. Later that week, in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, several people died after a violent storm struck the mountain. In 2004, he died of bone cancer at his home in Kenmore, Washington at the age of 77. [5]

Legacy

53 years later, in 2006, the descendants of the men on the belay got together, calling themselves “The Children of ‘The Belay.'”[6]. Attending were 28 children and grandchildren of those who survived the accident.

Schoening Peak in the Vinson Massif, Antarctica is named after Pete Schoening. Putrid Pete's Peak (P3), a prominence along the north rim of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington was also named after him.[7]

References

  1. ^ Joel Connely, "In The Northwest: Pete Schoening to be forever remembered for The Belay", Seattle Times, September 23, 2004, accessed August 30, 2017, http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/In-the-Northwest-Pete-Schoening-to-be-forever-1154947.php
  2. ^ a b Douglas, Ed (2004-10-03). "Pete Schoening: Legendary American mountaineer renowned for saving the lives of five companions on the slopes of K2". Guardian UK.
  3. ^ Houston, Charles and Bates, Robert (2000). K2 — The Savage Mountain New York: Lyons Press. p. 208 ISBN 1-58574-013-6
  4. ^ "The Miracle Belay". Gripped Magazine. 2013-12-30.
  5. ^ Martin, Douglas (27 September 2004). "Pete Schoening, 77, Accomplished Climber, Is Dead". New York Times. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  6. ^ BRENDAN LEONARD (2012-11-28). "Mountaineer Pete Schoening and 'The Belay'". Adventure Journal.
  7. ^ https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/putrid-petes-peak-p3

Further reading

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