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Judge Rob Junell to talk at Concho Resources brown bag luncheon at Sibley
September 25, 2011
At noon on September 26th, Federal Judge Rob Junell will speak on mountain climbing as the next speaker of the Concho Resources brown bag luncheons at the Sibley Nature Center, 1307 E. Wadley. Judge Junell is a most interesting fellow -- mountain climber, ski patroller, polo player, former seven-term Texas state representative (representing the San Angelo area), judge, and world traveler. Beginning as a native West Texan, a former football player for the New Mexico Military Institute and Texas Tech, and army veteran, Judge Junell has had a rich and full life that is an inspiration to others.
During a visit to his daughter in Bolivia in 2004 while she was working with the Peace Corps, she convinced him to climb Mount Chacaltaya t 17,500 feet. After seeing his enthusiasm after that climb, his wife suggested he climb Mount Kilimanjaro (19,300 feet) in 2006 with his son. He was hooked on the sport after that experience. In 2007 he summitted Mt. Rainier and then Cotopaxi (19,400 feet) in Ecuador in 2008. He attempted Mt. Denali in 2009 but did not summit due to bad weather. In 2010 he visited the Himalayas, and climbed Island Peak (20,300 feet) during 19 days of trekking and climbing. He revisited Cotopaxi in 2011.
Since 2003 he has climbed Guadalupe Peak (the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet) an astounding 92 times! It is part of training regimen that also includes working out at the YMCA several days a week. For a change of scenery, he has also climbed Sierra Blanca (12,003 feet) 34 times on his "weekend workouts." During ski season he serves on the ski patrol at Ski Apache on weekends.
Judge Junell has three mountains he hopes to climb in the future. Mt. Elbrus in Russia, Mt. Ararat in Turkey and the famed Aconcagua in Argentina. His role model is Dave Hahn of Taos, who has summitted Mt. Everest 13 times, which is more than any non-Sherpa in the world.
Judge Junell will bring along some of his mountaineering gear for his talk. Sibley's own Richard Galle will also be present. Galle has attempted the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland. Galle taught a comprehensive multi-week climb school at Midland College for 17 years, and one of his former students now leads mountain climbs for a living.
For a quick overview of mountaineering , visit Wikipedia. It is a challenging sport that pushes its participants to their limits. It is a sport that can be fatal. It became an organized endeavor in the 1850s, when guides began leading expeditions to the summits in the Alps of Europe. Peaks of the Western Hemisphere began to be "conquered" in the 1880s and 1890s. By the early 1900s the peaks of the Himalayas began to be ascended, but the top of Everest was not reached until the 1950s. There are still a number of peaks that not been climbed (in case Judge Junell's talk inspires you!).
As a "plant nut" I have been fascinated by the fact that the early ascents of the Alps also led to the horticultural collection of plants of the "alpine habitat." Known as rock gardens, as well as alpine gardens, gardeners around the world have collected and grown thousands of species of plants. As Wikipedia explains the diversity of plants found above the tree line in mountainous regions, " Relative to lower elevation areas in the same region, alpine regions have a high rate of endemism diversity of plant species. This diversity can be attributed to geographical isolation, climate changes, glaciation, and microhabitat variation." I have visited alpine gardens, knowing I could never duplicate them here on the hot and arid flatlands. I have also visited the world's longest living plants (bristlecone pines, found in the Sierra Nevada of California,) living to over 11,000 years old. Extreme conditions have created a fascinating flora.
Extreme conditions also help shape some of the most interesting people. Come to Sibley September 26th to meet Judge Junell!