Eddie Bauer Guide Melissa Arnot Sets New Everest Record Summiting Without Supplemental Oxygen, Breaks World Record For Summits
BELLEVUE, Wash., May 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 23, 2016, Eddie Bauer Guide Melissa Arnot summited Mt. Everest for the sixth time, breaking the world record for the most summits completed by an American woman in history, a record she has held since 2013. Arnot, a professional mountain guide and high-altitude climber, is also the first American woman to successfully complete the climb on the world's highest peak without using supplemental oxygen. While her previous summits have been made via the South Col route from the Nepal side, this year was her first successful summit traveling the North side, from China.
"This has been an emotional journey, to say the least," said Arnot. "Everest is an incredible mountain that continues to challenge and intrigue me. I never anticipated that I would be lucky enough to summit once, let alone six times. Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen has been a goal of mine for a long time. When you succeed at reaching your goal, it makes you reflect on the hard days, the work, and lessons I've learned along the way. I'm incredibly fortunate to have this experience."
Her 2015 attempt to summit Mt. Everest without the aid of oxygen support, from the South Col, was interrupted by the 7.9-magnitude Nepal earthquake last April that killed more than 8,000 people and left more than 21,000 injured. She has devoted much of her time to helping rebuild the South Asian country through the charity she co-founded with fellow climber David Morton in 2010, The Juniper Fund.
"We are extremely proud of Melissa for another record-breaking Everest summit. An accomplished athlete and professional guide who inspires others to live their adventure, Melissa embodies everything our guide program stands for," said Mike Egeck, Chief Executive Officer of Eddie Bauer. "Melissa is also a person who both respects the culture of climbing and has committed herself to helping the people of Nepal through her work with The Juniper Fund. We are happy she is back safe and we look forward to celebrating her next adventure."
Eddie Bauer has a rich history of outfitting American mountaineering expeditions on Everest. In 1963, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first Americans to summit Everest. Today, Eddie Bauer's Guides and Athletes are some of the most accomplished on Everest and hold a combined 47 summits, including Dave Hahn (16 summits), who holds the record for most summits of any non-Sherpa, Ed Viesturs (7 summits), Adrian Ballinger (6 summits), Dave Morton (6 summits), Jake Norton (3 summits), and Seth Waterfall (3 summits).
A professional mountain guide since 2004, Arnot has guided on three continents, summited Mt. Rainier, Washington's highest peak, 104 times, and will be attempting to climb the highest peak in all 50 states in 50 days this summer. She will be embarking on the 50 Peaks challenge from approximately June 30 to August 20, 2016, with mentee Maddie Miller.
For more information on Eddie Bauer Guide Melissa Arnot, please visit http://team.eddiebauer.com or www.melissaarnot.com.
About Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer is an active outdoor brand offering premium-quality outerwear, apparel, footwear, accessories, and gear. For almost 100 years, Eddie Bauer has been outfitting America, inspiring and enabling people to live their adventure. Eddie Bauer products are available online at www.eddiebauer.com, and at more than 400 stores in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
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