Cold, wet, isolated and imposing. An iconic rock climb due to the unpredictable and dangerous nature of the weather and sea state below, the Totem Pole is a narrow dolerite sea stack at Cape Huay in the Tasman National Park, Tasmania, Australia. It stands 65 metres (213 ft) tall from the mean sea level, yet is only a few metres wide in any direction. Its notoriety further increased after leading British climber Paul Pritchard suffered a severe head injury in 1998 rupturing his skull and losing half of his blood causing a hemiplegia or partial paralysis. His female climbing partner spent three arduous hours hauling him up to a ledge halfway up the pole where she could secure him and then ran 7km to arrange help. Due to the narrow channel the rescue team was not able to get a helicopter close enough for a direct rescue and ambulance service had to down climb from the top of the Totem Pole to the ledge. Pritchard spent a total of 10 hours on the ledge before the rescue was complete.
Khumbi Yul Lha (5761m) at sunrise. Raven in the foreground on the holy mountain Tengboche. Everest Region, Himalayas, Nepal. Taken on Fuji Velvia slide film.
Reflections on Ness Lake, Northern British Columbia, Canada.
