El Toro Man First From U.S. to Scale Himalayan Peak

An El Toro man has become the first American to scale the 24,682-foot Mt. Anapurna IV in the Himalayas, drawing cheers from family and friends who have been anxiously awaiting news back in Orange County.

A statement released by the Ministry of Tourism of Nepal said Tim Schinhofen, 34, accompanied by a Sherpa guide, Pemba Norbu, 34, reached the peak Saturday after an 8 1/2-hour climb up the steep northwest ridge from the last of three base camps at 22,800 feet.

After spending 20 minutes on the top to celebrate the conquest, the pair returned to the camp. Schinhofen is a member of a seven-man team from California trying to scale the mountain. Other team members also may attempt to reach the summit, the ministry statement said.

“We’re really, really thrilled,” said team physician Dr. William Dailey of Rancho Cucamonga in a telephone interview from Katmandu. “This has been a great climb.”

Dailey became ill with pulmonary edema, a swelling of the lungs, and had to leave the base camp before Schinhofen, an AT&T; communications executive, made his climb to the summit.

“I got a little sick,” he said, “but it’s no big deal. We have a good team.”

Schinhofen’s mother, Hilda, of Fullerton said Wednesday night: “We’re all just ecstatic. I’ll tell you there was a lot of rejoicing here” when the news of her son’s accomplishment arrived. “The whole family has been rooting for him. We’ve been antsy all week.”

Andrea Gilman of Laguna Hills, Schinhofen’s girlfriend, said she was “thrilled. What can I say? From the very beginning, he had a good feeling about it.” She said the Ministry of Tourism’s statement suggests that the expedition is three to 10 days ahead of schedule.

“That’s great,” said Steve Schinhofen of Anaheim, a cousin. “He’s crazy.”

The Schinhofens are a large Anaheim family that settled in Orange County in the 1920s, according to Josie, another cousin.

“That’s incredible,” said Beckie Collet of San Clemente, wife of John Collet, the assistant leader of the expedition. She said she and her two children are “very elated over the fact that we’ve gotten somebody on top.”

Collet said she expected that her husband, a research physicist, would be one of the other team members to attempt to reach the summit.

“I hope that between Saturday and today somebody else has summited,” she said, adding that since “the object of the expedition is to place a man on top, not to place everybody on top,” it is already a success.

“The weather had been good and the mountain has been good to them and there was no new snow on the mountain,” she said.

But unlike previous expeditions that team members have made, mail service between the climbers and their families was almost non-existent this time.

“It’s not easy to sit here and not know what’s going on,” Collet said.

She said she has been able to keep going with “a lot of faith and a lot of prayers, and knowing that they’re doing what they want to do and that they’re good climbers.”

All of those contacted remained cautious.

Schinhofen’s “getting to the top has never been the issue for me,” Gilman said. “His getting home safely has been the issue.”

Other members of the expedition, which is sponsored by Singapore Airlines, are Steve Brimmer of Malibu, the expedition’s leader; Doug Kosty of La Costa; Dan Bridges of Vista, the base camp manager, and Karl Hermann of Santa Monica, the team photographer.