Dutch mountaineers forced to abandon Mt. McKinley adventure

Injuries curtail Alaskan climb

TERSCHELLING — Dutch mountaineers Frans Tersmette, a police officer, and Jetze de Beer who were well on their way to scale Mount McKinley in Alaska, have had to abandon their efforts due to injuries. The men were hurt at a camp while preparing for their attempted ascent of the 6194 metre high mountain, one of the most challenging of the world’s peaks.

Police officer Tersmette twisted his back soon after arriving in Talkeetna, Alaska, a village near the mountain. He dropped out at the 4400 metre high base camp and was airlifted out to Talkeetna. De Beer had bruised a rib when he fell during a skills practice, jumping across glacial crevasses. He managed to keep going until he reached a height of 5100 metres. At that point it had become obvious to him that his climb had to be abandoned. De Beer, and the climbers with him, made it back down on their own./p>

The Terschelling men are disappointed they did not meet their objectives yet rave about an impressive adventure./p>

The Dutch coastal island of Terschelling, which is flat by Alaskan standards, is nevertheless home to a group of accomplished world-class mountaineers with notable achievements. Terschelling residents also participated in a 2003 adventure at Confluencia, in Southern Argentina./p>