Kevin Pusey

First ascent of Cerro Blanco in Patagonia, Chile

My name is Kevin J. Pusey, Jr., and I am going to Antarctica as Safety Officer with ITASE. I am 39 years old, and have been a mountain climbing guide and ski patroller for the last ten years. I am currently employed by the Exum School of American Mountaineering in Moose, Wyoming. As the chief guide for our new Exum Chugach-Alaska program, I teach ski and snowboard mountaineering, as well as traditional mountaineering courses. In the winter, I am a professional ski patroller at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, in Teton Village, Wyoming. In the past, I have also taught mountaineering and climbing courses for the National Outdoor Leadership School . My climbing experiences have brought me to many places around the world: Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Patagonia (Chile), and all over North America.

My responsibilities on this expedition will include helping to make decisions about what routes to take over the glacial terrain with dangerous crevasses (cracks in the ice), and any other tricky sections

Camp on Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska Range

of ice cover that we may encounter. I will also help make any other safety decisions concerning the well-being of the entire team. If any person or machinery happens to fall into a crevasse, it will be my job to organize the recovery effort. This could involve anything from an easy pull on a rope, to using a major hauling system with other machinery in order to safely get the job done as quickly as possible. I have had to rescue people on glaciers before, but going to Antarctica is an experience I have only ever dreamed of!

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