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Marty Schmidt

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Marty Schmidt in the Himalayas

Martin Walter Schmidt (June 10, 1960 – July 27, 2013),[1] known as Marty, was a New Zealand-American mountain climber, guide and adventurer.[2]

Marty died in 2013, while attempting to summit the mountain, K2.[2][3]

Biography

Mt. Denali ( formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska, USA

Martin Walter Schmidt was born in Lodi, California on June 10, 1960, of German/American parents. He attended Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, California. He began climbing as a young boy, mostly in the Sierra Nevada range where he moved after finishing high school in 1978. At the age of 20, Marty joined the United States Air Force and served in the United States Air Force Pararescue unit known as the "PJs". As a USAF airman he served at a number of posts including the Philippines, where he earned the USAF Air Medal in 1984, for his rescues in a hotel fire and in Alaska, where he first climbed Denali in 1983.[4]

Marty Schmidt moved to Australia with his wife, Joanne Munisteri, after his first ascent of Aconcagua in Argentina in February 1988. Their first child, a son they named Denali, was born in Macksville, NSW in April 1988. In November, 1988, the family traveled and climbed in the USA, Switzerland, Italy, France and New Zealand. They moved to Havelock North, New Zealand in 1989, where Marty started his first company, MSIG (Marty Schmidt International Guiding). Their daughter, Sequoia, was born in Napier, New Zealand in January 1991. Marty's first expedition in the Himalayas and his first attempt at K2 was in 1992.

In 1993, the family moved to Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch served as the base for MSIG since Marty made year-round climbing trips as a solo climber and mountain guide around New Zealand. Marty guided yearly trips to Argentina, Alaska, and Europe, as well as to the Himalayas. In 1994, the Schmidt family was granted New Zealand citizenship (based on his wife Joanne's work with the National Maori Dance Company, Kahurangi). At the end of 1994, the entire family relocated back to NSW, Australia for the next 4 years where MSIG was then based. In 1998, Marty and his family moved to Texas and then to Colorado, USA. After their divorce became finalized, in 2001, Joanne returned to New Zealand with Denali and Sequoia. Marty followed in December 2001, and kept New Zealand as his home base throughout the rest of his life.

Professional accomplishments

Marty climbed Aconcagua 32 times.[5]
Marty and his son summited Broad Peak in the summer of 2013, before they made their ill-fated attempt on K2.[6]

Marty climbed and guided in the mountains of Europe, South America, Africa and the Himalayas.[1][5] His first high altitude ascents on Mt. Denali in Alaska were from 1983-1986. Marty acted as an assistant guide on Aconcagua in Argentina in 1988, before creating his own company and guiding in the Andes as MSIG (Marty Schmidt International Guiding) in 1989. He made his first ascent of Mt. Cook in New Zealand in November 1988. In the Himalayas, Marty Schmidt attempted to climb Mount Everest in 1994 and 2008. He summited Kangchenjunga in 2001, and summited Cho Oyu in 2001, 2004 and 2009. In the Karakoram, he made unsuccessful attempts on K2 in 1992 and 2000, and summited Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II in 2010.[5] In the 2010 Himalayan climbing season, Schmidt became the third New Zealander to summit Makalu and the first to do so without bottled oxygen. Marty summited Ama Dablam and attempted Lhotse in the same season.[5] Marty Schmidt led two successful expeditions to Mount Everest guiding for the Canada-based company Peak Freaks in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, he became the oldest New Zealander to summit Everest at the age of 51.[1] He summited Everest again in May 2013.

Marty and Denali Schmidt created a new route on Mt. Denali in 2011. They named this route "Dad and Son". In 2013, Marty and Denali Schmidt summited Broad Peak, an 8,000 meter climb in Pakistan before attempting to summit K2. Marty, Denali and Mike Horn participated in a rescue attempt on Broad Peak for the 3 young Iranian climbers in July 2013, but they were unsuccessful and the Iranian climbers were never found. After this rescue work, Marty, Denali and other climbers started on their ascent of K2. However, they were advised by expedition sherpas that conditions were too dangerous to attempt to climb higher at that time. All the other teams and climbers turned around except for Marty who made the decision to continue on alone with his son, Denali. Marty and Denali climbed toward K2's Camp 3, but went missing after an avalanche hit their camp on 26 July; Marty Schmidt's daughter, Sequoia, confirmed their deaths via Twitter on 29 July 2013.[1]

Marty Schmidt climbed and guided clients on all of the Seven Summits—the highest mountains on each continent—and climbed five of the world's fourteen 8,000 meter peaks.[1] Throughout his career, he climbed and summited - Denali 27 times, Aconcagua 32 times, Aoraki/Mount Cook 19 times, Mount Aspiring / Tititea 16 times, Mount Tasman five times and Mt. Everest two times.[5] Marty was a member of the American Alpine Guides and became a member of the New Zealand Alpine guides in 2003.

Personal life

Marty Schmidt had two children with his first wife, Joanne Munisteri: a son, Denali (born on April 27, 1988 in Macksville, Australia) and a daughter, Sequoia (born January 1, 1991 in Napier, New Zealand). They divorced in 2000. He later married Giovannina Cantale, in 2007, in Christchurch, NZ.[7] The 2013 tragedy on K2 claimed the lives of both Marty and his son Denali, who was only 25 years old at the time of his death.[2][3][8]

Legacy

K2 in the Karakorum mountain range, Pakistan

Peter Hillary noted the loss of Marty and remarked on his enthusiasm.[8] The place of his residency, Christchurch New Zealand, held a memorial service for Marty and his son at the Horticultural Society Hall in Hagley Park. Contrary to the written last will and testament of Marty Schmidt, all his climbing gear was given to other climbers instead of being given to his children as stipulated. Due to issues with his estate, a lawsuit against Wells Fargo (the bank Marty Schmidt used during his life)[8] was initially filed in 2013.[9]

In 2015, Sequoia Schmidt travelled to Pakistan to try and recover the remains of her family members. Sequoia wrote a book about her journey entitled "Journey of Heart".[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "K2 avalanche: father and son killed". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Adnan, Raheel (29 July 2013). "Altitude: Marty and Denali Schmidt Reported Missing on K2". Altitudepakistan.blogspot.com. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b Kerry Mcbride (29 July 2013). "Kiwi Father and Son Feared Dead After Avalanche". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  4. ^ Talajkowski, Matt (9 April 2013). "Alum Marty Schmidt shares his climbing experience". The Castro Valley High School Olympian. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e Hersey, Paul (Autumn 2011). "Marty Schmidt". The Climber. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  6. ^ Avalanche Takes Father and Son on K2
  7. ^ Stewart, Ashleigh (17 August 2013). "K2 climbers' bodies may not be recovered". The Press. Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  8. ^ a b c Climber's gear to be used by others
  9. ^ http://www.prlog.org/12462869-deceased-mountaineers-daughter-files-federal-lawsuit-against-wells-fargo.html
  10. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-treks-k2-mountain-recover-loved-remains-article-1.2364558

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