Kedrowski: 2016 Ski Project Controversy

[polar]

You guys will probably get a chuckle out of this too. From his 14erskirecord.com web site:

he has climbed 5 of the 7 continental summits, including Everest in 2012. His expeditions to Everest in recent years have been featured on Discovery Channel, Smithsonian, NBC, DatelineNBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, and CNN.

Wow, that sounds pretty impressive. Let's see what they talked about on all those different media. From his jonkeverest.org web site:

May 11 2015: CBS This Morning with Charlie Rose Nora O-Donnell, and Gayle King: Climbers describe surviving Everest Avalanche:
April 27, 2015: CNN with Brooke Baldwin, Jon Kedrowski describes Everest Avalanche Experience:
April 26, 2015: National Geographic- Survivors and Dead Evacuated from Everest Base Camp, By Freddie Wilkinson:
April 29, 2015: Men's Journal,Jon Kedrowski: Survival Stories from Everest Basecamp

Hmmm... I guess technically that's still talking about his expeditions to Everest?

[mountaingoat-G]

starting to sound like "The Great Camillo"

[FireOnTheMountain]

First off, someone added a criticism section to the good doctor's page which is well worth the read as it offers some balance to the otherwise one sided perspective of the page.
The Good Doctor's Wiki Page

2nd, I couldn't help but notice something peculiar. In the wiki page, Jon claims that in straight defiance of terrorism ('MURICA!) they reached 25,000 on Gasherbrum II in 2013. However on his "Short Resume of Major Career Sports Accomplishments" found here (which is over 25 bullets long) he lists Gasherbrum II as an accomplishment. In my opinion, deliberatly misleading the reader that they summited.

Its ok to fail dude and its ok to put your massive ego aside for 1 second. Good God.

Hmmm... I guess technically that's still talking about his expeditions to Everest?

Totally, he just keep repeating sources for the same climbs over and over.

[ctlee]

Sidelined from any mountaineering activity due to rotator cuff surgery (including driving my beloved manual transmission Jeep to escape from the city), this thread has provided much- needed amusement.
Rolling my eyes at someone who appears to have some real abilities but who spoils it all with recklessness and pathetic and ludicrous self-promotion.
It's ok though- gives someone like me with a very modest mountaineering resume the chance to acknowledge the men and women of this site who I've followed over the years in their trip reports and forum posts. Not seeking fame for their incredible feats, and always willing to share what they've learned, with humility and honesty (a few exceptions but we won't go there-ha!). The general public may fall for cheap dramatization but the true test is how much respect you earn from your own community, the people who know and understand what mountaineering is all about.
Sleep on that, Jon Kedrowski.

[justiner]

Yeah, the misleading points in the resume are a head scratcher - like, why? Everyone fails, it's part of progressing. Misleading this way is similar to when people inflate the grades of the rock climbs they do. It also cheapens the accomplishments of others, who have gone the distance.

I'm sure whatever he gets accomplished on this project, he'll just find a way to spin it to make is sound amazing, then list it on his resume in 10 different, confusing ways. Someone's gotta be eating it up.

[pfiore1]

In 2011 JK was the "first person to climb and sleep on the summit of all 14ers" apparently within 96 or something days? That is compared to confirmed and publicized summit camps. Yes, congratulations and kudos to him for his accomplishments, quite a feat, but I and others have also slept on the summits of most 14ers and snowboarded most of them as well, I just did not publicize or chronologically submit them to any survey or website, that was back in the late 1990's. A very good friend of mine was a guide on Everest during the earthquake, for days he helped search for and rescue any survivors, he never publicized the valiant work he did. I, and hopefully others, do not care about publicity or recognition. His head may be larger than his epic accomplishments. Try and be humble JK, education over popularity, bravo and ego. In all major accomplishments, you should not care about what others think or perceive about your epic adventures, but rather what you have done for others. I'm sure I'll get a bunch of criticism for this, but it just needed to be expressed.

Like others have previously said in this thread, quite entertaining comments and keep them coming.

[TallGrass]

Criticism on his wikipage:

"Kedrowski has frequently been the subject of criticism on popular mountaineering forums, including 14ers.com, the premier Colorado mountaineering website.[22]

Criticisms state Kedrowski has a tendency for narcissistic personality disorder traits, ...

A particular example involves a fallen and injured climber on Snowmass Mountain in Colorado.[23] Kedrowski reached the climber, provided blankets and food, and left the climber prior to Search and Rescue's arrival. While this aspect is commendable, Kedrowski proceeded to post photos of the injured climber on his personal blog and used the opportunity to promote his book about sleeping on top of non-technical peaks."

At least JK only used the injured, not the deceased to promote his book, so far as I know. Different shade but same color I guess.

[pfiore1]

Criticisms state Kedrowski has a tendency for narcissistic personality disorder traits, ...

A particular example involves a fallen and injured climber on Snowmass Mountain in Colorado.[23] Kedrowski reached the climber, provided blankets and food, and left the climber prior to Search and Rescue's arrival. While this aspect is commendable, Kedrowski proceeded to post photos of the injured climber on his personal blog and used the opportunity to promote his book about sleeping on top of non-technical peaks."


At least JK only used the injured, not the deceased to promote his book, so far as I know. Different shade but same color I guess.

1. Despicable and dishonorable to simply leave an injured person with a blanket and then leave them alone for your own personal interests, making the summit.
2. Disrespectful to take photos of an injured person that he bailed on and post his pictures on his blog to promote his own self-interests. And I doubt he asked the injured climber permission to do so.
3. Despite JK's accomplishments, many of us have accomplished the same and/or superseded some of his accomplishments but yet remain humble and modest and do not seek out the attention for increasing the ego.
4. Sounds like a mountaineering version of Donald Trump.

[PaliKona]

Ever since I heard about his project I thought: why not come up with something different. I think it's lame to try and outdo Dav. He had the imagination to do that back in '06, and continue on to do the centennial 13ers with the Mahons. Leave it at that, and work on something else JK.
No doubt his accomplishments are great, but like many have said here, so are many others who don't self-promote ad nauseam.
More generally, many mountain athletes today do self-promote on social media to the point I stop following b/c I can't stand it. I think the sponsors push them to do so, and of course, slip in a mention of their product. Super annoying.

[jkillgore]

First and foremost, this is skiing, and style matters. Dav's record isn't just about speed, it is also about skiing peaks with style whenever possible. New lines etc. Often skied harder than most folks here can imagine. From a fitness or capability standpoint, the time record is so trivial at this point as to be meaningless. Gear alone renders the time element incomparable. Conditions are the big unknown. Dav had exceptional luck that year to get some of those peaks when he did. If JK beats Dav's time by weeks or days, it maybe deserves a footnote in the annals of Colorado skiing. At this point, a meaningful record would be something like 3 months or 30 days. Something that truly innovates and requires a notable level of fitness, ability and luck.

[SchralpTheGnar]

First and foremost, this is skiing, and style matters. Dav's record isn't just about speed, it is also about skiing peaks with style whenever possible. New lines etc. Often skied harder than most folks here can imagine. From a fitness or capability standpoint, the time record is so trivial at this point as to be meaningless. Gear alone renders the time element incomparable. Conditions are the big unknown. Dav had exceptional luck that year to get some of those peaks when he did. If JK beats Dav's time by weeks or days, it maybe deserves a footnote in the annals of Colorado skiing. At this point, a meaningful record would be something like 3 months or 30 days. Something that truly innovates and requires a notable level of fitness, ability and luck.

That's why my ski the 58 14ers in 58 years is the most innovative project to date. It will require a tremendous amount of patience, along with a prolonged duration with above average fitness. The plan is in 2056, at 81 years old, to climb Capitol, wrap myself in carpet foam, and launch myself off the north face. Of course, whether or not that constitutes a legitimate ski descent will be for posterity to decide.

[gspup]

That's why my ski the 58 14ers in 58 years is the most innovative project to date. It will require a tremendous amount of patience, along with a prolonged duration with above average fitness. The plan is in 2056, at 81 years old, to climb Capitol, wrap myself in carpet foam, and launch myself off the north face. Of course, whether or not that constitutes a legitimate ski descent will be for posterity to decide.

I'll join you on your Capitol finisher of the slowest know attempt to ski the 14ers with no style whatsoever. I'll only be 71 and at your age you'll probably need me to #strapiton for you. Good luck on this quest...see you in 40 yrs. God Speed.