Vernon "Vern" Tejas is an American

mountain climber Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...

and

mountain guide A mountain guide is a specially trained and experienced professional mountaineer who is certified by local authorities or mountain guide associations. They are considered to be high-level experts in mountaineering, and are hired to instruct or ...

. He is the current world record holder in the amount of time taken to summit all of the

Seven Summits The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass. Climbing the Seven Summits a ...

consecutively, having also previously held the same record. He was also the first person to solo summit several of the world's tallest peaks. Tejas was named one of the top fifty Alaskan athletes of the twentieth century by ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

'' in 2002. In 2012, he was elected to the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. Tejas plays the harmonica and guitar. He currently resides in

Greenwich Village, New York Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

Life and times

Vernon Tejas was born on 16 March 1953 at

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, the son of Phillip Sand Hansel and Janice Elaine Hansel. Tejas was born Vernon Edward Hansel and later changed his name to Vernon Tejas.

Career

From Oregon, Tejas headed north and ended up in Alaska. He went to work on The Alaska Pipeline and for Alaska Telecom, and enjoyed tower work where he built and maintained communication towers on North Slope in Alaska. He is now with Alpine Ascents International as a senior international high altitude alpine mountain guide.

Mountain climbing

Tejas became a mountain guide and mountain rescuer operating in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

, the

Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, 600-mile-long (950 km) mountain range in the southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoar ...

, and

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

during the 1980s. In 1980, he was part of the team that summited Mount Hunter in the winter season for the first time. The team consisted of Gary Bocarde, Paul Denkewalter, Vernon Tejas. The ascent began on

Kahiltna Glacier Kahiltna Glacier is the longest glacier of the Alaska Range in the U.S. state of Alaska. It starts on the southwest slope of Denali near Kahiltna Pass (elevation ). Its main channel runs almost due south between Mount Foraker to the west and M ...

. Their climb was via the Northwest Spur. The Northwest Spur is also known as the Lowe-Kennedy Route, after Michael Kennedy and

George Lowe George Edward Lowe (born November 10, 1957) is an American voice actor and comedian whose voice roles include Space Ghost on the animated series ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' and its spin-off, ''Cartoon Planet''.Yosemite. The doctors had to wait a week for the swelling to subside before setting the fracture with a cast. The stress the ankle was subjected to over the years took its toll. The pursuits of a mountaineer and a high altitude alpine mountain guide had destroyed the cartilage in between the

subtalar joint In human anatomy, the subtalar joint, also known as the talocalcaneal joint, is a joint of the foot. It occurs at the meeting point of the talus and the calcaneus. The joint is classed structurally as a synovial joint, and functionally as a pla ...

. In 2010, S. Robert Rozbruch, M.D. of the

Hospital for Special Surgery Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Founded in 1863 by James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

utilized the Ilizarov technique and injected

stem cells In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of ...

into the fixated

to stimulate the growth of cartilage. The procedure is known as ankle distraction. In 1986, he led the first winter summiting of Mount Logan. Around this time he also made several summits of

Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in the Southern Hemisphere with a summi ...

, two of which led to descents to the base camp via a mountain bike, and then a

paraglider Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like ' ...

, both of which he took to the peak himself along the climb. In 1988 he became the first person to paraglide from the

Vinson Massif Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located ...

in Antarctica, and later became the first man to solo ascend the mountain. He has also paraglided from the summit of Mount Elbrus. In 1988, Tejas became the first person to successfully solo climb

Denali Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the th ...

(formerly named Mount McKinley) during the winter season. He had previously summited the peak several times as a mountain guide.Freedman, Lew. (1 October 1990). ''Dangerous Steps. Vernon Tejas and the Solo Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley''. Stackpole Books. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. . During the climb, Tejas carried an aluminum ladder as a part of his safety equipment so as to prevent becoming stuck in a

crevasse A crevasse is a deep crack, that forms in a glacier or ice sheet that can be a few inches across to over 40 feet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pie ...

. In 2011, he recorded his fiftieth summit of Denali. He has also summited the northernmost peak in the world, Helvetia Tinde. In 1989, he began guiding for Alpine Ascents International. In 1992, Tejas was part of the team that measured the exact height of

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

, and was the team member that planted the prism pole at the top of the mountain so that lasers could be used to measure the exact altitude. On 12 May 1992, Tejas, Todd Burleson and Peter Athans placed laser prisms from

Bradford Washburn Henry Bradford Washburn Jr. (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer. He established the Boston Museum of Science, served as its director from 1939–1980, and from 1985 until his ...

on the summit of

as part of a study to determine the height.Angus-Leppan, P. V. (1982). The Height of Mount Everest. ''Survey Review''. 26(206): 367-385.Ward, Michael. (1995). The Height of Mount Everest. ''Alpine Journal''.Washburn, B. (1999). New official height of Everest. ''National Geographic''. 11, 76.Washburn, Bradford, & Freedman, Lew. (2013). Bradford Washburn, An Extraordinary Life: The Autobiography of a Mountaineering Icon. Graphic Arts Books. In 1994, Tejas helped guide Norman D. Vaughan up his namesake Antarctic mountain

Mount Vaughan Mount Vaughan is a prominent peak, 3,140 m, standing 4 miles (6 km) south-southwest of Mount Griffith on the ridge at the head of Vaughan Glacier, in the Hays Mountains of the Queen Maud Mountains. Named for Norman D. Vaughan, dog driver ...

(named for his aid of Richard Byrd in Byrd's 1928 Antarctic expedition) in the days leading up to Norman Vaughan's 89th birthday. In 2010, Tejas set the world record for the fastest period in which a person has climbed all seven of the world's highest mountain summits, at 134 days. He is also the only person to have summited all seven on at least ten separate occasions, and has climbed all seven twice within a year. He had previously held the record in 2005 at 187 days. During the period of the new record, he also scaled

Puncak Jaya Puncak Jaya (; literally "Glorious Peak") or Carstensz Pyramid, Mount Jayawijaya or Mount Carstensz () on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of , is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth. The mountain is located in the Sudi ...

(also known as Carstensz Pyramid) in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

on the island of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

Significant ascents

*First person to climb

10 times. On 12 May 1992, Tejas was the youngest person (at the time) to ascend the Seven Summits. *

, 11 guided summit ascents. *

, 54 guided ascents, 1st solo winter ascent, 1st

descent, 14:50 speed ascent. During the Denali solo winter ascent, when Tejas reached the summit he planted a Japanese flag to commemorate the heroic efforts of Naomi Uemura. In 1984, Uemari had reached the summit attempting a solo winter ascent but disappeared on the descent and his body has never been found.Bragg, Beth. (15 December 2016). Alaska Sports Hall of Fame welcomes mushers and a star of Native games. Sports. ''Alaska Dispatch News''. * Mount Elbrus, 34 guided ascents, 3:20 speed ascent from hut, and paraglide descent. *

, 25 guided ascents, 8:02 speed ascent, and paraglide descent. *

Carstensz Pyramid Puncak Jaya (; literally "Glorious Peak") or Carstensz Pyramid, Mount Jayawijaya or Mount Carstensz () on the island of New Guinea, with an elevation of , is the highest mountain peak of an island on Earth. The mountain is located in the Sudi ...

, 3 guided ascents via Jungle route. *

Mount Vinson Vinson Massif () is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is long and wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located a ...

, 36 guided ascents and personal ascent, 1st solo ascent, 10:20 speed ascent, 1st paraglide descent. *

Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...

, 15 guided ascents and 10:45 speed ascent. * Mount Hunter, Alaska, first winter ascent. * Mount Logan, first winter ascent. *

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and ...

, 3 guided ascents and personal ascent. * Mount Rainier, 2 guided ascents. * Cho Oyu, 1 guided ascent. *He has also ascended

Chimborazo Chimborazo () is a currently inactive stratovolcano in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 A.D. Chimborazo's summit is the farthest point on the Earth's surface from t ...

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

Mount Kinabalu Mount Kinabalu ( ms, Gunung Kinabalu, Dusun: ''Gayo Ngaran or Nulu Nabalu'') is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of , it is third-highest peak of an island on Earth, and 20th most prominent mountain in the worl ...

, and

Cotopaxi Cotopaxi () is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Latacunga city of Cotopaxi Province, about south of Quito, and northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a h ...

Greenland and Helvetia Tinde

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland i ...

, world's northernmost mountain.Gardiner, Steve. (2002). North America, Greenland, North Peary Land, First Ascents, a Traverse of the Peninsula and Confirmation of the World's Most Northerly Peak. Climbs and Expeditions. AAJ. ''The American Alpine Journal''. 44(76): 286. In 2001, a nine-person team on the Return To The Top Of The World Expedition (RTOW2001) landed at Frigg Fjord. The group traversed the peninsula to the north, and made their way up the Syd Glacier, then crossed the Polkorridoren, and proceeded down the Nord Glacier. As the team crossed, five climbers: John Jancik, Joe Sears, Vernon Tejas, Ken Zerbst, and Steve Gardiner made the second ascent of Helvetia Tinde on 17 July 2001 via a new route up the east ridge. In 1969, the British Joint Services Expedition first climbed the 1920 meter summit of Helvetia Tinde. Helvetia Tinde is the highest peak in the most northerly mountain range on Earth, a mere 750 km from the geographic

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

. On 18 July 2001, all nine team members: David Baker, Terri Baker, John Jancik, Jim McCrain, Jim Schaefer, Joe Sears, Vernon Tejas, Ken Zerbst, and Steve Gardiner made the first ascent of the highest as yet not climbed peak in the norther most mountain range on Earth. On reaching the north coast, the team recorded altitudes of summits, altitudes of saddles, and GPS readings for 14 peaks. On 23 July 2001, a team crossed the sea ice at Sands Fjord to make first ascents of several peaks on Cape Christian IV. On 25 July 2001, Sears, Tejas, and Gardiner climbed additional peaks in the area that included Peak 6. The whole team continued east along the coast to

Cape Morris Jesup Cape Morris Jesup ( da, Kap Morris Jesup) is a headland in Peary Land, Greenland. Geography Cape Morris Jesup is the northernmost point of mainland Greenland. It is from the geographic North Pole. It is located in Johannes V. Jensen Land, abo ...

, and met up with their pilot and airplane to return to the United States. The team's data was submitted to the appropriate experts in Denmark and the United States. The results indicated that Peak 6, at 83°, 36.427' north, is the summit of the most northern mountain on Earth.

Significant explorations

*First traverse of Wrangell-St. Elias Range in Alaska. *Ski mountain guide for Shackleton Traverse, 2 times. In November 2012, the Shackleton Crossing Team consisted of Laurie Goldsmith and Richard Goldsmith, husband and wife retirees from the United States, Anja Schikarski, a speech and language pathologist from

Ulm, Germany Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

; Harald Helleport, a postal worker from

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

; Scott Anderson, a veterinary surgeon from

Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed be ...

; Joel Robinson, a retired engineer from La Canada Flintridge, California; Franz Schondorfer from Germany; Carole Tejas and Vern Tejas, a husband and wife team from the United States; Rick Sweitzer from the United States; and Paul Schurke from the United States. Guides for the team were Vern Tejas, Rick Sweitzer, and Paul Schurke. *Ski guide, Last Degree to

South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...

, 2 times *Ski guide, Last Degree to

. In April 2012, Tejas was a ski guide for the North Pole Last Degree Ski Expedition. The team consisted of Michael Stringfellow, a

radiologist Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiat ...

from Central Coast, Australia; Simon Hearn, an executive recruiter from

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...

; Alex Hearn, son of Simon; Lien Choong Luen from

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

; Jianhong Li from China; Xiaohua Lu from China; John Dahlem from the United States; Vern Tejas from the United States; Keith Heger from the United States; and Rick Sweitzer from the United States. *Scout, Overland Traverse to

* Kayak guide for

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, Santorini, and

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

Moon-Regan TransAntarctic Expedition

*First wheeled crossing of Antarctica. The Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition was a 10-man team headed up by

Andrew Regan Andrew Regan (born 14 December 1965, in Manchester, England) is a British-born polar explorer and entrepreneur. He is the chief executive officer of Corvus Capital, an investment company. Career Hobson Early in his career, Regan ran a household ...

and Andrew Moon. In November 2010, the expedition traveled from the west coast of Antarctica at Patriot Hills to the South Pole (retracing the steps of the famous

Vivian Fuchs Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs ( ; 11 February 1908 – 11 November 1999) was an English scientist-explorer and expedition organizer. He led the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached the South Pole overland in 1958. Biography Fuchs ...

and

Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reache ...

Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (CTAE) of 1955–1958 was a Commonwealth-sponsored expedition that successfully completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica, via the South Pole. It was the first expedition to reach the South ...

), and then north to

McMurdo Sound McMurdo Sound is a sound in Antarctica. It is the southernmost navigable body of water in the world, and is about from the South Pole. Captain James Clark Ross discovered the sound in February 1841, and named it after Lt. Archibald McMurdo ...

across the

Transantarctic Mountains The Transantarctic Mountains (abbreviated TAM) comprise a mountain range of uplifted (primarily sedimentary) rock in Antarctica which extend, with some interruptions, across the continent from Cape Adare in northern Victoria Land to Coats Land. ...

. Members of the team were:

, British entrepreneur and businessman; Andrew Moon, lawyer and competent sailor from the Cayman Islands; Paul Sciefersten, cross-country skier with first aid skills; Vernon Tejas, mountain guide; Jamie Bligh, downhill skier, lead communicator for the expedition; George Pagliero, cameraman and documentary writer; Pete Ash, expedition mechanic; Gunnar Egilsson, expert snow and ice terrain driver; Astvaldur Gudmundsson, Air Ground Rescue, Iceland member and experienced snow and ice driver; and Ray Thompson, Institute of Biomedical Engineering,

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

research associate Research associates are researchers (scholars and professionals) that usually have an advanced degree beyond a Master's degree. In some universities/research institutes, such as Harvard/Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Public Health, th ...

. The expedition utilized three vehicles: the Winston Wong Bio-Inspired Ice Vehicle (BIV) and two six-wheel drive Science Support Vehicles (SSVs) which acted as mobile laboratories.

Awards and recognition

*Fastest time to climb the

including Carstensz (male). Vernon Tejas. Mount McKinley. United States. 31 May 2010. Following is the award citation:

Vernon Tejas (USA) set a new speed record of the Seven Summits following the combined Kosciuszko and Carstensz lists of summits. Tejas began his record attempt with Vinson Massif on 18 January 2010 and after ascents on Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Kosciuszko, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Everest, reached the top of the last summit, Mt. McKinley on 31 May 2010.

This record is for 133 days and for this Tejas was given a Guinness World Record. *

Explorers Grand Slam The Explorer's Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole, as well as climb the Seven Summits (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko). Purists also include a sub ...

American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club (AAC) is a non-profit member organization with more than 24,000 members. Its vision is to create "a united community of competent climbers and healthy climbing landscapes." The Club is housed in the American Mountaineerin ...

, Lifetime member. * Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, Moment, 2017. Vern Tejas' 1988 solo winter ascent of

. * Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, Member, 2012. Vern Tejas' Solo Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley in 1988. * Alaskan of the Year Award, Governor's Award, 2012. *

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

, Denali Pro Pin for Rescue. In 1986, Vern Tejas and Wolfgang Wippler, along with the National Park Service, and Environmental Protection Agency helicopters, rescued Korean climbers on Denali. The climbers were suffering from ''

high altitude cerebral edema High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a medical condition in which the brain swells with fluid because of the physiological effects of traveling to a high altitude. It generally appears in patients who have acute mountain sickness and involves dis ...

'' and were retrieved by dragging the climbers off the mountain and rescued via helicopter evacuation at a cost to the government of $23,141. *''

'', Top 50 Athletes From Alaska, 2000. *''

Eco-Challenge ''Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race'' is a multi-day expedition length adventure race in which teams of four (five in the early years) competed. It originally aired on TV from April 1995 to April 2002. Based closely on the Raid Gauloises adventu ...

'', finisher, 10th in 1999 and 13th place in 2001. *

United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association ''(USHPA)'' is a non-profit organization supporting foot-launched soaring flight in the United States. It began in 1971 as the Southern California Hang Gliding Association and became natio ...

, 15 year member. *In 1988, Tejas successfully completed the first parapente or

descent of

Certifications

* Wilderness First Responder /

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

, 8 times. *Alaska Mountain Rescue, 20 year member. *American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE), Level 1 Avalanche Course.

Scientific contributions

*On 12 May 1992, Tejas, Todd Burleson and Peter Athans placed laser prisms from

on the summit of

as part of a study to determine a more accurate height of the peak. *Scientific study conducted in Nepal. Acknowledgement given to Vern Tejas, Todd Burleson, Gordon Janow, Willie Prittie, Jibhan Gimire and Bharat Karki from Alpine Ascents International.

Endorsements and sponsors

* Martin Guitar.

In popular media

*Host for Food Network's ''Tasting Alaska''. *Talent ESPN TV special ''Surviving Denali'', 1994. *Talent for National Geographic '' Ultimate Survival Alaska''.

Photograph credits

*Cover photo on ''Dangerous Steps. Vernon Tejas and the Solo Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley''. *Cover photo on ''You Want To Go Where?''Blumenfeld, Jeff. (17 June 2009). ''You Want To Go Where?: How to Get Someone to Pay for the Trip of Your Dreams''. Skyhorse Publishing. . *''Alaska Magazine'', "Cover Boy"

References

External links

Vernon Tejas official siteVern Tejas, Alpine AscentsMartin Guitars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tejas, Vernon American mountain climbers Alpine guides Ski-orienteers 1953 births Living people American polar explorers American harmonica players American summiters of Mount Everest Summiters of the Seven Summits Kayakers Mountain rescue Paraglider pilots Guitarists from Alaska Guitarists from Oregon Musicians from Portland, Oregon People from Greenwich Village 20th-century American guitarists