Search called off for 2 Utah climbers missing in Pakistan

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | September 3 2016 | Associated Press

[Newtoidaho]

The families of two well-known Utah climbers who went missing on an icy mountain peak in Pakistan called off the search for them Saturday.

Jonathan Thesenga, a representative for one of the climber's sponsors, said the families of Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson made the "extremely difficult decision" based on how much time had passed and the continuously storm weather.

Search team members as well as expert observers agreed the chances of finding any sign of the two were extremely slim, said Thesenga, global sports marketing manager for Utah-based Black Diamond Equipment, which was sponsoring Dempster.

According to Thesenga, the Pakistani military conducted exhaustive sweeps over the men's likely descent route with two helicopters. The aircraft also flew over where they were last seen. Saturday was the first day that the weather was clear enough for flyovers.

[Newtoidaho]

Long summer for the extreme sports. Last summer for many climbers, skiers and wingsuit flyers.

[VanDeKoik]

Because the Rocky Mountains weren’t hilly enough, they go to that place to climb?

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Don’t have any sympathy. Sorry but when you risk something dangerous in a hostile country then oh well.

[PghBaldy]

Given the obsession with Pakistan, and the name, I wonder if this is his blog http://kyledempster.blogspot.com/

[sparklite2]

They were probably kidnapped and smuggled to North Korea to teach the Juche-Fruit Western literature.

[Enduro Guy]

Must have been the last item to check off on their bucket list. God forgive me..

[BradyLS]

Westerners climbing mountains in northwest Pakistan.

Any chance they were abducted by jihadis instead?

[DoughtyOne]

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[Newtoidaho]

Link to a video one of the climbers made in 2011:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhFx17s4a2E

[PghBaldy]

Oh and their GoFundMe page raised $194,000...

[left that other site]

Agreed!

No mountain, however high, however famous, however challenging, is worth climbing if it’s in Pokistaaahn. Why even give the place publicity, sponsorship, or business?

Even though it has been renamed “Denali”, Mt. McKinley is Quite challenging, thank you very much.

[COBOL2Java]

They were probably kidnapped and smuggled to North Korea to teach the Juche-Fruit Western literature.

Or...

"More Americans? Excellent! Get Obama on the phone!"

[Vinnie]

Last year, Dempster and Adamson nearly died trying the same climb. Adamson broke his leg after a 100-foot fall and the two fell again 400 feet while trying to get down the mountain. He said the duo hoped they had learned from their mistakes during the near-death experience to make it this time, Thesenga said.

Apparently not.

[PghBaldy]

Someone deleted something Kyle Dempster wrote in November 2015

" To family and friends I prefaced the complete experience with, “I’m really sorry. I nearly died. I could have killed Scott. It was my negligence, and I promise it won’t happen again.”

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Hf8doWJnSq8J:www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/stories/a-brush-with-death-in-pakistan-kyle-dempster-sifts-through-the-fallout+&cd=8&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Buh bye, boys!

[Rebelbase]

The Ogre, the mountain these guys were climbing:

[Rebelbase]

“Any chance they were abducted by jihadis instead?”

Climbing in this area is beyond the ability of 99.99% of the people on this planet.

[PAR35]

Climbing in this area is beyond the ability of 99.99% of the people on this planet.

Including these two, apparently.

[RegulatorCountry]

I’m sure the families and loved ones of these two have lost sleep and worried for years, and now their dread appears to have come true. I’m sorry that they’ve almost certainly died, but how self-centered can you be? They cheated death once, recently. Time to scale back and tone it down, for most. Addicted to the adrenaline, I guess.

[Caipirabob]

Tragic and terribly sad for the families. Sounds like every time these guys came home their families had to ponder if it would be the last time they see them.