Dutch Harbor, Alaska - Port to the hardened crab fishermen who take on the Bering Sea to bring back a catch. It is also home to world traveler and resilient climber Scott Darsney, who is based in Dutch, which is located on the remote Aleutian Island. Darsney, who is a native New Englander, has been climbing most of his life. After spending a ten year apprenticeship climbing lower peaks and getting higher and higher, he climbed Mt. Everest. “After going 23,000 feet in South America, I thought why not Everest?”

Darsney has climbed to the summit of Everest once, but had to try it twice because of strong winds. “My summit day took me twenty-one hours. I ran out of oxygen just below the summit and I moved a lot slower and got colder.” Darsney has become quite familiar with Everest, even helping with rescue missions. “I’ve had to help rescue a teammate once or twice. I was there in 1996 when the bad storm hit the New Zealand and American teams on Everest. I was climbing Lhotse, the fourth highest peak next to Everest.”


Besides Everest, Darsney has climbed around the world, in over forty countries and on every continent. “I have climbed Denali in Alaska over seven times. I’ve climbed Mt. Washington, Mt. Rainer, Mt. Fairweather, Mt. Kilimanjaro…K2 in Pakistan and Ama Daplam in Nepal to name a few.”

Darsney was also in the radio business in Alaska, working as a DJ and engineer for the local radio and television station. Though he is no longer on the television or radio, he still misses it and considers it a great learning tool. He moved to Dutch from Boston via Seattle in 1986 by working on electronic systems on fishing vessels. “I’ve worked on all the boats from Deadliest Catch and have known the skippers for over twenty years. [Dutch Harbor] is on the map and we have greenhorns flying in from around the country with no chance of getting a deck job.”

Besides being a world-renowned climber, expert guide, and qualified medic, Darsney is also widely known for his photography. “At age 12, I got my first 35 mm film camera then I went all digital in 2005. I like to visualize things. I have a creative side to me and seem to have an ‘eye’ for how a camera sees and interprets an image.”

Darsney’s work does not stop at photography and climbing, however. He is considered an expert guide that has led expeditions up such mountains as Denali in Alaska. He was a team member for the Cancer Survivors of Mount Aspiring in 2007. The climb took place on Mount Aspiring and helped raise money for children with cancer to attend camps while receiving treatment.
Darsney’s photography, which can be found on the Mountain Zone website, has been featured in numerous publications, websites and journals worldwide. Some of his most memorable photographs come from his climbs on his beloved Alaskan mountains.

Darsney graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and was committee member of the Northeastern University Huskiers and Outing Club. Though Darsney continues to see Alaska as his home, he does miss the East Coast. “I miss my friends and I miss the history but that’s about it.”
For Darsney, giving back to the planet has always been a top priority, as well as being safe on climbs and continuing to live out his passions. “Follow your passion, but do it with responsibility, a sense of adventure and have gratitude for all you do. Be grateful for what you do have, give back to the planet more than what you take. Always have a backup Plan B and finally, always have a backup Plan C.”

To see Darsney’s photography, visit his website at: http://www.mtnworld.com/

This article was originally published in March 2010, The Spectator. New England School of Communication..

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