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7/28/2009 3:23:19 PM
Explorer Richard Wiese Takes Kilimanjaro With the Epson P-7000 Multimedia Storage Viewer
When famed explorer Richard Wiese and his Climate Change Challenge team reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, they watched the rising sun cast a perfect silhouette of the mountain across the African plain 19,344 feet below. "It was one of the most magical moments I've ever had leading a group up the summit," said Wiese, also a respected field scientist and active former president of prestigious New York-based The Explorers Club.
Preserving the incomparable experiences of his many worldwide adventures is why Wiese never goes on an expedition without his Epson P-7000 Multimedia Storage Viewer. "A perfect partner to my camera, this little device is an incredibly easy way to back up and view thousands of photos no matter where I am," he said. Wiese has subjected the viewer to the harsh sub-zero temperatures of the North Pole and to the world's hottest climate in Ethiopia. He has also taken it to the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest, and into the earth's deepest ravine, the Colca Canyon in Peru.
"The Epson viewer accompanies me on all my expeditions," said Wiese, who has hosted many television shows, including the syndicated "Exploration with Richard Wiese," and BBC and Discovery Channel's "Hell on Earth." As a journalist, he has received numerous honors, including an Emmy and Genesis Award, and has authored the book, "Born to Explore" (Harper-Collins).
Equatorial Snowfields of Kilimanjaro
The Epson P-7000 viewer also joined Wiese on the recent expedition, Tanzania: Kilimanjaro Climb, organized by Abercrombie & Kent's philanthropic Climate Change Challenge. The climb's mission was to deliver vital weather station equipment needed by the Kilimanjaro National Parks Service to monitor the mountain's climate changes. Although Kilimanjaro is emblematic of the global warming trend, there has been no system to automatically collect basic weather data.
After 38 years of experience walking up the dormant stratovolcano with the famous flat dome, Wiese now planned to bring weather equipment to assigned elevation points. "Kilimanjaro is a special place for me because my father introduced me to the world of exploration on its slopes at age 11," he said. On this expedition, Wiese would lead eight climbers and 55 porters up the highest mountain in Africa. He would face the familiar challenges of leading all big mountain climbs, acclimatizing the group to the low oxygen levels and making sure that each individual stayed healthy, safe and motivated.
The Ice Breaker
After the day's climb, Wiese would insert the card from his camera into P-7000 viewer and swiftly download several hundred images. Zooming in to confirm focus and fine detail, he could preview both RAW and JPEG images, and do quick edits if needed. With the option of video and audio output, he then set up a customized slide show of the day's images in the mess tent. Displaying over 16.7 million colors, the 4-inch LCD, supporting over 94% of Adobe RGB color space, brought incredible color accuracy to the Kilimanjaro images.
"The Epson viewer is an ice-breaker and a fantastic way for a team to share stories and pictures at the end of the day," he said. As the climbers gathered their strength for the next day, they could review what they'd accomplished so far, which bolstered overall enthusiasm for their goal to reach the top.
Safeguarding the Images
Wiese found much to photograph on the way up the famous snow-capped mountain, which stages nearly every climate type due to its equatorial location and high elevation. Throughout each trip, he routinely transfers thousands of images to the viewer's 160GB hard drive. "Lugging a battery-hungry laptop up a mountain or into a canyon doesn't make sense, when I can simply store and back up images right from my memory card to the small viewer, which is easy to carry and protect," he said.
When Wiese chose the Epson viewer, he wanted a device that was easy to use, lightweight and rugged, with a long-lasting battery life. "With the Epson P-7000 viewer, I never worry about losing photos," he said. "Because I'm constantly in uncontrolled environments, often dusty, filthy, wet, cold or hot, and constantly packing and unpacking a lot of gear, I need equipment that will successfully take me through it all."
Reaching the Top
Wiese's Kilimanjaro team hiked upward through the lush rainforests that swiftly turned into open moorland above timberland. From there, they pushed bravely into the high altitude tundra between the flat-domed peak of Kibo and the rugged Mawenzi on the east. At sunrise, the first climbers reached the highest point of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak, with its astonishing hanging glaciers and dramatic vistas of the surrounding plain. They stood in awe watching the lengthening shadow of the mountain below.
As the group gathered for their triumphant summit photo, they were very aware that the trip hadn't been only about climbing Kilimanjaro. They had made a scientific contribution by delivering critical weather monitoring equipment along the way. "I've shed many a tear on the summit of Kilimanjaro," said Wiese. "And this was no exception."
That night, the team gathered around the Epson P-7000 viewer to look at images of their successful climb. "I can't tell you how important the Epson viewer has become in documenting, sharing and preserving my exploration work," said Wiese. "Not only does the viewer help forge a tight-knit team, but at the end of the expedition, I know all my photos will be there to document the work and the great experiences we had together."  |
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