Everything to Know About Arne Næss Jr. : Meet the Late Father of Actor Evan Ross

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Næss earned real respect among elite climbers because he avoided tourist routes and amateur ego trips. He trained obsessively, logging ascents across the European Alps and South American ranges. In spring 1985, he organized and bankrolled the Norwegian Mount Everest Expedition.

He was not an armchair organizer sitting at Base Camp with a radio. Næss served as expedition leader and led the summit assault himself. On April 29, 1985, Næss reached the 29,032-foot summit alongside legendary British mountaineer Chris Bonington, who at age 50 became the oldest person to summit Everest at that time. The team pushed through brutal winds and technical bottlenecks on the South Col.

The achievement made Næss a national hero in Norway. He proved that an independent private expedition could execute a disciplined, safe ascent on the roof of the world without commercial compromises. That same relentless drive soon caught the attention of an international superstar half a world away.