Benefit mountaineer Mark Parella summits Denali
by Garth Meyer
They only used their freeze-dried food once – the day after reaching the summit, on their way down the mountain.
It was the opposite of the last time Hermosa Beach resident Mark Parella made an attempt to summit Denali – a venture on his “Climb Against Cancer” list which benefits Cancer Support Community South Bay.
Parella and a team of six men from Nepal arrived by air taxi at a glacier June 4 on the Alaskan peak and summited June 8. Supplies were set to last another two weeks, if need be.
It was Parella’s third attempt to climb the mountain, and conditions were ideal. Before the expedition started, a high-pressure weather system moved overhead and stayed.
The climbing team never had to set up Camp Four, or high camp.
Instead they left Camp Three at 14,000 feet at at 12:30 a.m. three nights into the trip, and made it to the top at 3:15 p.m. The descent to Camp Three concluded a 23-hour summit push.
“I kind of love doing that stuff,” said Parella.
The trip also marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Nepal.
In six years, “Climb Against Cancer” has raised $13,723.
Parella had climbed before with some of his Nepalese teammates in their country, as a client. This time it was a team effort.
“The joke was, am I guiding them, or are six guides guiding me,” Parella said. ER