The Mountain Institute - Celebration of Mountains

A Celebration of Mountains

The Celebration

From left to right: Bob Davis, Conrad Anker, Rick Ridgeway, Joe Teplitz and Alton Byers

October 26th, 2006 - The Mountain Institute held its third event to honor individuals, organizations, and companies that make a positive contribution to mountains, mountain people, and mountain cultures. This year’s “A Celebration of Mountains” was held in Washington, DC at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the 26th of October. Three individuals who have made outstanding contributions received TMI awards. Conrad Anker was honored for Excellence in Mountain Community Service; Stephanie Odegard for Excellence in Sustaining Mountain Livelihoods, and Rick Ridgeway and Patagonia, Inc. for Exemplary Corporate Stewardship of Mountains. TMI honorees in previous years include David Breashears, Ricardo Espinoza, Peter Hillary and Kopila Rai.

Dr. Rex Cowdry, Donna Patterson and Anna and John Hoskinson

Approximately 200 guests attended including Ambassadors from Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan and Tajikistan as well as Ambassador Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. He was one of the award presenters, as was Dr. John Francis, Vice President for Research, Conservation and Exploration for National Geographic Society’s Mission Programs. TMI appreciates the support of the 2006 Awards Dinner Host Committee and Sponsors.

TMI is planning to host its next Celebration of Mountains in Washington, DC on October 25th, 2007.

Ambassador Richard Boucher introducing Conrad Anker

*Photographs from the dinner are courtesy of Ed Bernbaum

The Honorees

Conrad Anker has climbed some of the most technically challenging terrain on earth. This search has taken him from the icefalls of Alaska and Antarctica to the big walls of Patagonia, from mixed climbs in the Alps and Russia to the massive peaks of the Himalaya. In the United States, Anker is known for his numerous speed records in his ascents of El Capitan. In May 1999, as a member of the Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition on Mount Everest, Anker discovered the body of George Mallory, the preeminent Everest explorer of the 1920s. Anker and David Roberts wrote about this experience in their book, The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mt. Everest. In 2002, again with National Geographic, he traversed China’s high Tibetan Chang Tang Plateau on foot with Rick Ridgeway, Jimmy Chin and the late Galen Rowell to find the calving grounds of the endangered chiru antelope. Active in numerous charitable causes, Anker serves on the board of the Conservation Alliance, the American Alpine Club, the Rowell Fund for Tibet and the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation.

Stephanie Odegard, Founder of Odegard, Inc., has been involved in assisting developing countries promote and preserve their traditional artisanal crafts since she served in the Peace Corps in Fiji in 1976. Much of her work is done by Tibetan weavers in Nepal, for whom she is a major and socially responsible employer. After working for the
United Nations and the World Bank, she founded Odegard, Inc., a revolutionary company renowned for its inspired designs, high production standards and luxurious
knotted carpets. Now an internationally recognized leader in contemporary design, Stephanie has garnered numerous accolades and awards that acknowledge both her design talents and her commitment to social progress and philanthropic accountability. In June 2001 the Peace Corps presented her with an award honoring a former volunteer who promotes international economic development, exemplifies respect for cultural diversity and provides a model workplace for employees. Today, in addition to heading
Odegard Inc., Stephanie is a Director of the Rugmark Foundation and an active member of the board of directors of The Crafts Center in Washington, DC.

Rick Ridgeway, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Environmental Programs at Patagonia, Inc., is one of the world’s most foremost mountaineers and adventurers. As a
result of his writing, photography and Emmy award-winning filmmaking, Rolling Stone magazine called Ridgeway “the real Indiana Jones.” Esquire honored him on their exclusive list of “the top men and women who are changing America.” Along with three companions, Ridgeway became the first American to summit K2 and the first to do it without bottled oxygen. For fifteen years he was also the owner/president of Adventure Photo & Film, building it into the world’s most recognized outdoor stock photo and film agency before successfully selling it to focus on writing and filmmaking. At this same time he was active in the outdoor equipment industry, working as a consultant for the Kelty Pack Co. for over 20 years. He has produced and directed over 30 adventure shows for television and has written over 40 articles, appearing in Outside, National Geographic and many other magazines. He is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed Seven Summits, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro, Below Another Sky and, most recently, The Big Open.