Climbing Toward the Senate
May 2007Congressman and senatorial hopeful Mark Udall climbing in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado. Photo courtesy of Lawrence Pacheco
What U.S. congressman has climbed Kanchenjunga (solo), the Messner Route on the south face of Aconcagua, and the Cassin Ridge on Denali? It's Mark Udall, the five-term Democratic congressman (and AAC member) from Colorado, who is planning a run for the U.S. Senate in 2008. Udall hails from an esteemed political family: His father, Mo Udall, served in Congress for 30 years and ran for president in 1976; his uncle, Stewart, was secretary of the interior under Kennedy and Johnson. But Mark Udall was a climber first. He went into politics after a long career with Colorado Outward Bound School, first as an instructor and eventually as executive director (1985–1995).
Asked if he still climbs, Udall says, "Yes, of course. Climbing is a lifelong passion—or maybe addiction. I like any form of climbing, but the mountains are still my first love." Last winter he climbed several Colorado peaks and the difficult Ames Ice Hose near Telluride. When he's not in Washington, he can practically step out the backdoor of his home and climb in Eldorado Canyon.
So, what's harder: Winning an election or climbing an 8,000-meter peak? "Winning an election," Udall says immediately, "although climbing Kanchenjunga prepared me [for campaigning]. The main difference is that during an election campaign there's another team trying to push me off the mountain before I get to the summit."