Promotion & Sponsorship
The Chestpack project sponsors include the following people:
Marco Cruz Arellano
Marco Cruz Arellano was born in Riobamba, Ecuador, in 1945.
In 1968 he traveled to Madrid, Spain. In 1969 the Spanish Federation of Mountaineering chose him as a member of the successful Spanish Trans-Himalayan Expedition. In 1969 he participated in the first Ecuadorian expedition of the Alps, directed by P. Jose F. Rivas, in the capacity as technical advisor. This expedition included the summits of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn as well as the Pelvoux, Dent de Dieu, the Eiger, the Jungfrau, the Mooch, the Piz Bernina, Dent Blanch, and Weishorn.
In 1971 he graduated from the Official Academy of Tourism with a degree in Tourism. The same year he led the Spanish Expedition of Greenland and was a member of the Iceland Operation which reaching the summits of Snaeffellsjokull and Ekla.
In 1972 he was Mountain Director of the Spanish Expedition of Africa reaching the summits of Kilimanjaro, Ruwenzori and Hogar and was certified as a Mountain Guide by the Sky School of Mountaineering in Chamonix, France.
Between 1972 and 1976 he advised the National Administration of Tourism of Ecuador and over the years he has done extensive advisory work for the Ministry of Tourism and National Parks of Ecuador as well as training and seminar work with Ecuadorian and Spanish interests.
In 1975 he led a German group up Mt. McKinley.
He was chosen as the Best Mountaineer in Ecuador for the years 1972 to 1977 and was the leading guide instructor for Metropolitan Touring in Ecuador between 1976 and 1988, during which time many of Ecuador's best guides were trained.
Since 1978 he has been a member of the Association of International Mountain Guides of Europe.
In 1988 he established Expediciones Andinas, which was soon to become Ecuador's top climbing and trekking operator.
Over the years he has climbed all the peaks and volcanoes of Ecuador as well as some of the main South American peaks such as the Huascaran in Peru, the Illimani in Bolivia, the Aconcagua in Argentina, and the Cumbal and Huila in Colombia.
Marco Cruz is the author of several books: "Montañas Nevadas", edited in Germany and known as "Die Schneeberge Ecuadors", Oberfrankische Verlagsanstalt GmbH, 8670 Hof. 1983; Co-author of "Los Ultimos Shuaras" ("The Last Shuaras") with Renzo Milanesio, edited by Tipolitografia Martini, Borgo San Dalmazzo (Cuneo) Italy 1984; "Montañas del Ecuador", edited by Dinediciones in 1992, 1993.
http://www.expediciones-andinas.com/index.html
Koome Webservices
Raymond Koome and Yolanda Cebrià-Pijuan of Koome Webservices launched this website in December 2008. Raymond built and programmed the site while Yolanda created the logo and design prototypes.
www.koome-webservices.com
Hiking-site.nl
For the continued promotion of this website on www.hiking-site.nl and to acknowledge their support in promoting the Chestpack, I would like to thank Raymond and Yolanda for all the time and effort given to the project.
www.hiking-site.nl
Project Inland Ice
From April 16 to May 18, 2008, the six participants of Project Inland Ice (five men and one woman), travelled 580 km on skis, crossing Greenland from the west coast to the east coast. This was done close to the Arctic Circle. Where possible they used kites for propulsion. This expedition was conducted completely independently without support from others.
Their three main objectives were:
1. To gather information about the greenhouse effect for a television series.
2. An educational program for teacher education for schools.
3. To complete a major sporting challenge.
Chestpack.nl supported this expedition.
http://www.projectinlandice.com/
Harry Kikstra
Harry Kikstra is one of the best Dutch expedition climbers.
Harry was the third Dutchman to climb all seven of the highest summits on seven continents.
He began in 1998 with Kilimanjaro (5895 m) in Tanzania, and in 1999 climbed the Elbrus (5642 m) in Russia and the Cartensz Pyramide (4884 m) in the jungle of Irian Jaya (the highest mountain of the Oceania / Australia continent).
Then, in 2000, he conquered the Denali (6192 m) in Alaska (the highest mountain in North America) and followed that with the Aconcagua (6962 m) in Argentina - the highest mountain in South America - the same year.
The two toughest challenges still to come, Harry succeeded in his second attempt at Mount Everest (8848 m) in Tibet / Nepal on June 2, 2005 (Harry was the tenth Dutchman to reach the roof of the world).
Having already been in Asia, only Mount Vinson (4897 m) in Antarctica awaited him. January 6, 2006, was the big day when he reached the summit (in the midst of a major storm) became the third Dutchman to climb all seven summits.
www.7summits.com