Rick Agnew

Dr Richard (Rick) Agnew (born 1959) is an Australian alpine mountaineer and high altitude sports aviator who has completed the Seven Summits (climbing the highest mountains on each of the seven continents) climbing Mt Everest and many other peaks. He holds over 40 international and Australian speed, distance and height aviation records.

Richard Agnew
Australian Alpine Mountaineer & High Altitude Sports Aviator
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
BornNovember 1959
Climbing career
Type of climberAlpine Mountaineer
Known forOldest Australian & 1st Canberran to complete Seven Summits
Major ascentsMt Everest, Mt Fitzroy

Mountaineering

Agnew is the oldest Australian and first Canberran to have climbed the highest mountains on each of the seven continents[1] in a feat known as the Seven Summits[2].

Agnew’s interest in climbing was prompted by the climbing activities of his oldest brother, Brian Agnew, who was instrumental in forming the Australian Army Alpine Association (AAA) who led, co-led and/or participated in climbing expeditions throughout the 1980-90s, primarily in the Himalayas,[3] including the Australian Bicentennial Everest Expedition[4][5][6]. Other AAA members also included Pat Cullinan SC, OAM,[7] Jon Muir OAM and Zac Zaharias CSM.

Agnew has been climbing seriously since 2000 and has climbed, guided and/or co-guided on all seven continents. Expeditions include climbs in New Zealand and throughout South America, including the technically demanding Mt Fitzroy 3,405 m (11,171 ft), Patagonia, Argentina, volcanos in Ecuador and many peaks in Argentina, Chile, Peru and throughout the European Alps, prior to climbing in the Himalayas.

On an expedition to Aconcagua 6,961 m (22,838 ft), Argentina in 2007, Agnew was part of a team led by Jon Muir when it became apparent that Muir had succumbed to altitude sickness and couldn’t continue to guide the team. At high camp, the famed Viento Blanco (white wind) caused all climbing teams at height to attempt an evacuation[8][9]. One of Agnew’s fellow team members experienced life-threatening High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), needing immediate evacuation down the mountain and subsequently airlifted to Mendoza hospital. Agnew was left to lead the remaining team member’s survival throughout a deadly night (including a tent fire and a death close by) at high camp. The retreat down the mountain the next day was memorable to Aconcagua’s base camp which was also devastated and many teams lost the majority of their equipment.

After many successful summits throughout the world (North and South America, the Andes and in the Alps), Agnew was one of six Australians and two Britons who made it to the summit of Mt Everest on 25 May 2010,[10] with an expedition led by South Australian Duncan Chessell. Agnew finished the last of the Seven Summits with Mt Vinson, Antarctica in December 2014, becoming the first Canberran and oldest Australian to do so.[11]

Agnew's climbing continues with a successful speed ascent of the technical Ama Dablam 6,812 m (22,349 ft) in Nov 2015, climbing back up from the precarious Camp 2 to rescue a young Australian[12]; and an attempt on Shishapangma 8,027m (26,335 ft) in May 2016 and a successful ascent on the eighth highest mountain in the world Mt Manaslu, 8,163m (26,781 ft), Agnew being the oldest Australian to do so in Sept 2018[13]. A massive avalanche stopped Agnew from a successful summit of the world's second highest mountain, K2 8,611m (28,251 ft) in Pakistan. On 17 July 2019 Agnew on the Abruzzi route was halted at the end of the famous Bottleneck's narrow couloir, reaching 8,350 m of K2's 8,611 m altitude.


Rick Agnew
High Altitude Sports Aviator
Known forSpeed, distance & height records.
AwardsOver 40+ International & Australian Records

Gliding

Agnew trained with several Australian gliding clubs, soloing with the Canberra Gliding Club prior to his officer and pilot training with the Royal Australian Air Force. Agnew is a three diamond badged pilot (Dec 1992)[14] who has achieved the Australian altitude record in a glider when he reached 10,000m (33,000 ft) in 1995[15][16]. He achieved his 1,000 km Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) & diploma on 25 Nov 2005.[17]

Agnew is the winner of the Gliding Federation of Australia’s annual Martin Warner Trophy[18], for highest height gain, winning 17 times in the last twenty years[18][19][20]. Agnew has over 40 International and Australian speed, distance & height records[10].

Agnew is a graduate of the Australian National University, obtaining a BSc(Forestry) in between bushwalking and learning to fly gliders. He undertook officer and pilot training with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), is a graduate of the Australian Defense Force Academy (Masters in Defense Studies), and University of Canberra (Master’s in Public Administration and a Doctorate in risk management[21]). Agnew holds a post-graduate qualification in aviation medicine from Monash University.

When not summiting peaks, Agnew presents on the risk management aspects of high altitude activities, as well as other aspects of governance, assurance organisational resilience and risk management – having run public and private sector governance, assurance and risk management areas within PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloittes, Aurecon and with government. Agnew is the managing director of Business Assurance Australia[22].

gollark: 160KST pls
gollark: Yes, for 40KST.
gollark: Actually, I need to do that.
gollark: Either that or other competing defense systems.
gollark: Presumably.

References
  1. Canberra mountaineer Rick Agnew's amazing story of seven summits ... 19 Jan 2015, The Canberra Times http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/canberra-mountaineer-rick-agnews-amazing-story-of-seven-summits-in-seven-years-20150102-12h7m6.html https://newstral.com/en/article/en/971987976/canberra-mountaineer-rick-agnew-s-amazing-story-of-seven-summits-in-seven-years
  2. Bass List
  3. Steffen, W., (2009), Himalayan Dreaming: Australian Mountaineering in the Great Ranges of Asia, 1922-1990. ANU Press (ISBN (online): 9781921666179)(pdf)
  4. Cullinan, Patrick; Gration, Peter C (26 October 2018). White sherpas : reaching the top with the Australian Bicentennial Everest Expedition. Griffith, ACT : Barrallier Books Pty Ltd. ISBN 9780987414281 – via Trove.
  5. https://www.echobooks.com.au/sites/default/files/WhiteSherpasReview-WillSteffen.pdf
  6. Wilby, Sorrel, (1989), Beyond the Icefall, Australia’s Bicentennial Everest Expedition (ISBN 0867773189)
  7. http://www.swf.org.au/component/option,com_2015/Itemid,416/agid,4726/task,view_detail/
  8. Darack, Ed (2010). "Weatherscapes". Weatherwise. 63 (5): 8–9. doi:10.1080/00431672.2010.503836.
  9. http://www.aconcaguaascents.com/climate.php
  10. "Canberra mountaineer Rick Agnew's amazing story of seven summits in seven years - Emma Kelly - Muck Rack". muckrack.com.
  11. Kelly, Emma., 19 Jan 2015), ‘Canberra mountaineer Rick Agnew’s amazing story of seven summits in seven years’, The Canberra Times. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/canberra-mountaineer-rick-agnews-amazing-story-of-seven-summits-in-seven-years-20150102-12h7m6.html
  12. http://www.alyssaazar.com.au/espresso-kick/ama-dablam-2014/
  13. "The Himalayan Database, The Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley". www.himalayandatabase.com.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Going with the wind". 23 July 2011.
  16. "Rick goes to great heights to glide". 29 July 2015.
  17. FAI 1000km badge number 492 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. Sean. "Trophies - Martin Warner". www.d.glidingaustralia.org.
  19. http://www.hgfa.asn.au/skysailor/e-issues/Soaring%20Australia%202010-12.pdf
  20. Sean. "GFA Awards 2018". glidingaustralia.org.
  21. "High Risk Adventures – A Risk Management Approach - Paladin Risk Management Services - Providing extensive risk management consultancy and training services". 28 October 2014.
  22. "Business Assurance Australia staff". Business Assurance Australia.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.