May/ 2004 - Press Releases
First
Central American climber to reach
Everest scales highest peak in Honduras
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Desde la Cima |
Guatemalan mountain climber Jaime Viñal has reached more
than 840 summits around the world. Now, thanks to TACA Airlines,
he’s ready to conquer the skies of the Americas. As part of the airline’s TACA Summits program, Viñal
traveled to Honduras to scale this country’s highest peak,
located in the heart of the Celaque mountain range. Created in
1987, Celaque National Park is one of the largest protected cloud
forests in Honduras.
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Flora d e Celaque |
The name Celaque comes from a Lenca Indian word that means “green
water-producing box.”
The park covers 27,000 hectares (266 square kilometers). Of these
17,000 hectares (159 square kilometers) make up the park’s
nuclear zone at an average altitude of 1,800 meters.
The peak known as Cerro Las Minas is the highest point in Honduras
at 2,849 meters. Viñal began his climb in the village of
Gracias, just a few kilometers from the park entrance.
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Fuerte de Gracias |
Accompanying him on the trek were Honduran guides Arturo Sosa and
Josué Collart.
The expedition chose the most scenic route - and also the
hardest. With less dense forest to penetrate the chosen route made
for quicker access to the summit, although the climb itself was
a steeper one.
The zone through which the climbers ascended is full of white tailed
deer, spider monkeys, wild boars, quetzals, pumas and several snake
varieties.
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Cerro Las Minas |
The chosen route begins with a steep climb up from the Arcagual
river basin. At 1,800 meters the scenery changes from scrub pine
to birch.
The climbers began their trek on May 9 at dawn. The first portion
of the climb along a steep mountain ledge covered with beautiful
pine and Encino trees.
Then the team reached the park’s vast highland, home to
ancient trees measuring more than 40 meters in height and covered
in vines, ferns, orchids and moss. It is there that Celaque produces
its water.
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En Camino a la Cima |
At the El Naranjo outpost the climbers caught their first glimpse
of Cerro las Minas. An hour later they reached their goal -
and a small clearing on top of Honduras with a sign marked “Cerro
las Minas, Altitude 2,849.”
His climb to the highest peak in Honduras was Viñal’s
seventh summit in the Americas. He is well on his way to scaling
all of TACA’s 19 summits. Prior to Honduras he’s scaled
the highest points in Cuba, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Belize, Venezuela
and Panama.
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Vista General |
Viñal has also climbed the Andes in South America and the
highest peaks in the European Alps, including Mont Blanc. His greatest
climb, however, was Mount Everest, whose 8,848 meters he topped
in May 1994 with an expedition from New Zealand seeking a new rout
to the world’s highest summit.
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Jaime Viñals y su Guía |
Viñals en la Meta |
http://www.jaimevinals.com/ |
