| Name: | Karl Swanson |
| Birthdate: | March 11, 1959 |
| Birthplace: | Suburb of Chicago |
| Residence: | My ranch, 14 miles out of Talkeetna, Alaska |
| Family: | Girlfriend Heike Merkel, whitewater raft guide and civil engineer. Two brothers, one geologist, one lighting tech for traveling broadway shows. Two traveling parents; I believe they are in Uzbeckistan now. |
| Education: | University of Alaska Anchorage, Bachelors in Business Administration |
| Occupation: | Self-employed mountain guide, accountant and logger |
| Work history: | Community health center manager; auditor; outdoor equipment sales; carpenter; migrant laborer |
| Personal Hero: | Ed Hommer |
| Accomplishments: | Ten expeditions on Denali (Mt. McKinley). Climbed three of the seven summits. |
| How
long I’ve been a mountain climber: |
Since high school |
| How I became interested in mountain climbing: | I grew up hiking in the mountains with my family. |
| How
I became part of this expedition: |
Sheer Luck. I worked on filming with Ed in the Alaska Range last year on the south face of the Mooses Tooth. |
| Responsibilities
on the expedition: |
Communications and solar power |
| Goals for the expedition: | Come home. Help Ed achieve his goals. |
| What
the expedition means to me: |
We all have disabilities that we have to overcome. Ed is showing us all how far we can go to overcome them. |
| How
I know Ed Hommer: |
I'm a friend and climbing partner of Brian McCullough. |
| Childhood memory: | Family vacations for me were always wilderness Alaskan adventures. Usually just the family would spend a week or two canoeing down some river in Alaska without seeing another person. |
| Hobbies: | Skiing, orienteering |
| Favorite Book: | The White Spider |
| Favorite Food: | Fresh grouse cooked in red wine |
| Favorite TV Show: | None |
| Favorite Music: | World Music |
| Favorite Movie: | “The Man Who Would Be King” |