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Two mountains, two continents, two menSteven Deare

Shane Pophfer and Darren Wise . . . high hopes.

■ MT ACONCAGUA: A snapshot ■ MT ELBRUS:A snapshot

ASK Darren Wise what will bethe most challenging aspect ofclimbing two of the world’stallest mountains in five weeks. . . and he can’t tell you.

Will it be the mechanics ofscaling more than 12,600m?

Will it be survivingtemperatures as low as -30degrees? Or simply the will tokeep going to the summit?

Darren can’t say.That is because the biggest

challenge the 41-year-old andfriend Shane Pophfer, 42, face isthe unknown.

The two are training daily fortheir March conquest of MtAconcagua in Argentina andMt Elbrus in Russia.

They hope to raise $20,000 forThe Children’s Hospital atWestmead.

Yet Wise knows there isplenty they can’t be sure of, likehow their bodies will handlethe 7000m elevation of MtAconcagua.

‘‘Six thousand metres is thehighest we’ve been up,’’ he saidof the duo’s previous climbs.

‘‘Is that extra 1000m going totip us over the edge?

‘‘I can’t say.’’Another unknown, of course,

is mother nature.

‘‘There is a lot of uncertaintywith the weather,’’ Wise said.

‘‘These are the things wehave no control over.’’

The former armyparatroopers are undergoingcardio training each day usingbreathing apparatus to preparetheir lungs for high altitude.

They expect to be climbing 10to 12 hours each day.

While an unknown foe isdaunting, Wise and Pophfer sayit fits with the patients’ battlesat their chosen benefactor, TheChildren’s Hospital.

They say their task pales incomparison to those of sickchildren who do not choose to

face fear, pain and an uncertainfuture.

Wise, in particular, knowsfrom personal experience thatnot everyone gets the start tolife that he did. His sister, aged12, was knocked from her bikeand killed by a drunk driver.

‘‘A lot of my young life wasspent trying to understandthat,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s definitely given me aninsight into how quickly lifecan change.

‘‘There is no certainty, andthat is a big driver.’’

■ Sponsor Wise and Pophfer’sChildren’s Hospital fundraiservia www.darrenwise.com.au

NEWS www.parramattaadvertiser.com.au

>> It is near theArgentinean / Chileanborder.

>> At 6962m(22,841 ft), it is not onlythe highest peak of theAndes and SouthAmerica, but thehighest point outsideAsia.

>> It has a very steepand massive face onits south, and a gentleslope on the north,which can be walkedall the way withoutcrampons.

>> The steep 2.5km-high south face offersextreme mixed routeswhich are among themost difficult on earth.

>> Aconcagua is oftenunderestimated,which has resulted inserious injuries anddeath, mostly on thenormal route. Theextreme cold, stormywinds and altitudemake this mountain aserious undertaking.

>> Mount Elbrus is a peaklocated in the westernCaucasus mountains, inRussia, near the border ofGeorgia.

>> Elbrus has twosummits, the west is thehigher at 5642m (18,510ft),with the east summit just abit lower at 5621m.

>> Its permanent ice capfeeds 22 glaciers which, inturn, give rise to theBaksan, Kuban and Malkarivers.

>> From 1959 through to1976, a cable car systemwas built in stages. It cantake visitors as high as3800m.

>> There is a wide varietyof routes up the mountainbut the normal route,which is free of crevasses,continues straight up theslope from the cable car.

>> The climb is nottechnically difficult but it isphysically arduousbecause of the elevationsand frequent strong winds.

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