BOULDER, Colo. -- Glenn Porzak, a veteran climber who had conquered the iconic seven summits (the highest points on all continents), was seriously injured on Aug. 21 during a relatively easy climb just a few miles from home. Porzak was on a low rock face when one rock gave way, and he fell 60 or 70 feet. The 64-year-old mountaineer was climbing with his son, Austin, in the mountains west of Brainard Lake, which is west of Boulder, in the Indian Peaks Wilderness on Saturday morning. He was airlifted to St. Anthony's Central Hospital in Denver for surgery.
Porzak traveled to Nepal to climb Mt. Everest in 1981 and 1989, but neither attempt succeeded due to fierce storms and ferocious winds. Undeterred, he returned with a group of eight friends in 1990. The third time was the charm for Porzak on Everest. The expedition was a success, and the group also became the first Americans to summit nearby Lhotse, at 27,940 feet the fourth-highest mountain on the planet. Porzak also became the first climber known to have done the 100 highest peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Porzak, a lawyer specializing in environmental issues, water law and environmental law, is a managing partner at Porzak Browning & Bushong LLP of Boulder.