Last night I had the opportunity to meet one of the most accomplished mountain and river expedition leaders in the world. Pasquale Scaturro, a geophysicist, adventurer and expedition leader, has been exploring the far reaches of the planet for over 25 years.
Scaturro is best known for his recent IMAX film, Mystery of the Nile, which documented the first complete descent of the 3,260-mile Blue Nile and Nile River--from its source high in the mountains of Ethiopia to the Nile delta spilling into the Mediterranean Sea.
Scaturro’s three successful climbs of Mount Everest were not a part of the presentation, but I feel compelled to include them because he was the expedition leader for the National Federation of the Blind 2001 Everest Expedition, which made history when it put the first blind climber on the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest.
Scaturro’s presentation at REI was for a small audience, and the intimate setting offered an exciting element to the breathtaking slideshow. His pictures were coupled with personal stories of the river setting, rapids and geography, as well as the cultures of the people that live along the shores of wild rivers in South America and Africa, including the Bio Bio in Chile, and the Omo, Zambezi and Tekeze in Africa.
Scaturro included discussion of the drastic environmental and development changes that have taken place since his first visit to remote areas of northeastern Africa 11 years ago. As a river expedition leader, the construction of dams along the great rivers of the world concerns him the most. As one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on the subject, it is his belief that there will no longer be raft-able rivers because of the impending environmental pressures from energy companies looking to produce hydroelectric power.
I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to speak with someone who not only shares a love for adventure and exploration, but has been at the forefront of some of the greatest expeditions of our time. To me, he is a role model with a proven commitment to dreaming big and overcoming insurmountable obstacles. After the show, I purchased my own copy of the Mystery of the Nile from Scaturro to watch when I’m confined to the couch on Saturday following the Noble Canyon 50K.