"Did you hear the one about 2 Texans and a Pole that wanted to climb Mt. Everest?"

Well, it's no joke!!!!

Three people involved with this climb all have childhood ties to Austin, Texas. Jacek Maselko, co-owner of Patagonia Mountain Agency, Eric Brown the Expedition Basecamp and Communications Manager, and James Buratti the US Communications Manager all graduated from the same Austin high school, Lyndon Baines Johnson.

(left to right) Jacek Maselko, Dr. Wes Halverson, and James Buratti
on a LBJ High School Science Club trip in 1987. Current LBJ Science
Academy instructor Jackson Pace is on the right.

Only a year apart in graduation, all three remained friends as they went their own ways over the next 10 years. Jacek Maselko moved to Alaska, earned a BS in Biology and began working for NOAA as a biologist. He continued the climbing career he began in Texas, and after meeting and climbing with some of the world's best, Jacek became co-owner and US Manager of Patagonia Mountain Agency. Eric Brown attended Texas A&M University and received a BS in Forestry. He returned to Austin and began working for the Texas Water Development Board, all the while he continuing to build his outdoor skills with adventures in the US and Central America. James Buratti also attended Texas A&M University and received a BS in Natural Resource Management, then an MS in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. While in Ohio James began working with the then emerging internet. He has since combined this interest with another, mountain biking, and published a Mountain Biking Ohio Trail guide and website. He now produces websites for the Ohio State University and his own company, Single Track Press.

Jacek was always climbing something.
In this case it's the side of LBJ High School.

Last summer, during an Alaska vacation, the three friends put a plan in motion to cover the PMA Everest Expedition live via the internet. Jacek would do the climbing, that was without question. Eric had nine months to become an expert in satellite and high altitude communications. James would handle setting up the website and communications in the US.

(left to right) Jacek, Eric, and James camping in Alaska
planning coverage of the Everest Expedition.

While events are still in the planning stages it is expected current students at LBJ High School and Science Academy will be will interacting in the climbers as the Expedition gets under way. Conference calls where the students talk to the climbers are just one potential event. Issues to be explored include learning about other cultures, how the body reacts to living at a low oxygen environment, safety measures in the wilderness, and just how you get from a camping trip with your high school buddies to trying to climb the highest mountain in the world.

• The students at LBJ now have a website of their own to follow the climb and coordinate school activities. View it at: http://www.lbjhs.net/~david/everest/

• Read their official Press Releases:
  May 3, 1999
  May 6, 1999

• Check out the student's interviews about the expedition with the Austin American Statesman:
  LBJ graduate tries to climb Mount Everest (5-04-99)
  Students taste life on the edge -- of Everest (5-12-99)
  On Top Of The World -- LBJ graduate reaches Mount Everest's summit (5-19-99)
  Man on Everest trip with LBJ grad dies - Storm blew Polish climber from the face of a rock (5-22-99)