Andy Buroker '84 Reaches Summit of Mt. McKinley

June 5, 2007

June 5, 2007, Greencastle, Ind. - “The summit was just unbelievable, no clouds, no wind, felt like you could see to Hawaii,” says Andy Buroker of reaching the top of Mount McKinley on May 20. “It’s sort of a spiritual breakthrough, you’re almost to heaven,” adds the 1984 DePauw University graduate of the feeling at 20,320 feet -- the tallest point on the North American continent.

The feat by Buroker, partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Krieg De Vault and national chair of the American Heart Association, is chronicled in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. It "may well be the last mountain that Buroker climbs," Michael Schroeder writes. His series of articles describes how Buroker's "path crossed that of two mountaineers who ultimately fell to their deaths in a tragic accident ... Five minutes before Buroker’s group ascended a ridge to high camp on the evening of May 17, [the two] climbers fell 1,900 feet, coming to rest within several hundred yards of camp."

Access the complete text and see the accompanying photos at the newspaper's Web site.

Buroker's preparations for the expedition were documented in an April story in the Journal Gazette. He was joined on part of the climb by Matthew Griggs, a 2003 graduate of DePauw.

Andrew B. Buroker received the American Heart Association's Distinguished Leadership Award April 22 in Washington, D.C. Learn more in this previous article.

 

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