Rare Achievement does USA Proud

Thirty-five year old Kit DesLauriers has created history by skiing down from the summit of Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Not only is she the first American and the first woman to succeed in her mission, her achievement in October 2006 of skiing down Seven Summits is a rare achievement. Kit DesLauriers has skied down from the summits of the highest peaks on all the continents, the first person to have ever done so.

When Kit accompanied by her teammate Jimmy Chinn skied down the Lhotse Face of Mt Everest to the base camp, they did it in icy dangerous conditions. They consider it to be the most serious ski descent of their lives. The conditions were deteriorating rapidly but they were successful. Unfortunately it was not an all snow all ski ride. She had to rappel down the Hillary Step and walk a bit as well after the step. The step was not in a condition to be skied as there was not as much snow on it as they expected. Kit and Jimmy were accompanied by Kit’s husband Rob DesLauriers and Everest veteran Dave Hahn.

Prior to this success there have been only fifteen ski descents from the summit of Mt. Everest. The last successful one was four years prior to this. Kit DesLauriers and Jimmy Chinn, both Jackson residents have done America proud. Two times women’s world freestyle skiing champion, Kit DesLauriers is the first American woman to have climbed up and skied from Denali in Alaska.

She is also the very first woman to have skied down the north face from the top of Mount Elbrus in Russia. Her previous achievements also include the fact that she is the first woman to ski from the summit of Mount Aspiring in New Zealand and the third woman to climb and ski the Grand Teton in Wyoming. One of her recent successes was the ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica from where she skied down. She has also climbed the Aconcagua in Argentina and skied down from its summit.