Base Camp Manager
Fort Collins, CO
Age: 35

A former high school teacher in Washington, D.C., Russell, 35, of Fort Collins, Colorado, is serving as base camp manager. She grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, and graduated with a B.S. in botany from the University of Vermont, Burlington. She has a master's degree in secondary education from the University of Hartford. Later this year, she plans to return to school in Denver to become a registered nurse.

She began climbing seriously in 1997 when she met Ziggy Emme, another expedition member. They both joined after meeting Jeff Alzner during an attempt on Denali two years ago (she reached about 6,000 meters).

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She has climbed rock, ice and alpine routes in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. She plans to climb K2 at least partway up. "I've never been to this area of the world, and I've never been to an 8,000-meter peak and I've never been a base camp manager," she says with a laugh. "But I have good reserves, I'm pretty tough and I can handle a lot of situations," she adds. "As a base camp manager, I'll be able to handle being there for a long time — even though it's not going to be a cushy situation."