RIP Alexander Pancoe (APancoe1986)

[kyrawhitworth]

https://explorersweb.com/american-climb ... on-makalu/

From the Independent: https://www.the-independent.com/news/wo ... 44957.html
"Pancoe was a prominent figure in the mountaineering community.

He dedicated his adventure pursuits to supporting Lurie Children’s Hospital in Illinois where he had been operated upon after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2005. He aimed to raise funds for brain tumour research by completing the Explorers Grand Slam, a rare challenge involving climbs of the Seven Summits and cross-country skiing to the North and South Poles.

He had founded Peaks of Mind, a project that merged his passion for mountaineering with a commitment to mental health advocacy.

From Alex: "It was a wild few years filled with adventure, a near-fatal climbing injury that required a Blackhawk helicopter rescue and lots of climbing! In 2019, upon summiting Everest and Denali, I became just the 15th American and one of 75 people in the world to complete the Grand Slam, raising almost $500,000 in the process for Lurie Children’s,” Pancoe wrote on the Peaks of Mind website.

“In 2023, while climbing Ama Dablam, a challenging climb in the Himalayan range, I became extremely hypoxic and struggled with the altitude. Several months later I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and learned that my body had been unable to make the red blood cells necessary to acclimate at altitude.” "

Alex has shared many of his stories on 14ers.com so we could all benefit from his knowledge. A truly inspirational individual that will be missed.

[Ed_Groves]

Thanks for the post. He appears to be a person who didn't allow his ailments to dissuade him from doing what he loved. Thoughts and best wishes to his family and friends.