Frank “Action Frank” Løke (44) plans to climb the world‘s highest mountain without oxygen in the near future.
The expedition is far from risk-free, and Løke has received several warnings ahead of the trip – including from Cato Zahl Pedersen and Kristin Harila.
The latter has himself reached the summit three times, and believes that the journey up to Mount Everest (8,849 m) without oxygen could end fatally for Løke and his party.
A recent survey shows that a certain proportion of Norway’s population also shares the concern, and those who have faith in the 44-year-old are outnumbered.
Don’t have the faith
Løke himself has said that he is more than qualified to get through the risky expedition unscathed:
– There is only one Frank Løke. I am the candidate to make it, I have proven it in the mountains in the past. I have climbed Mount Everest without acclimatising in a Norwegian record of 21 days, Løke told Nettavisen.
But that opinion is not necessarily shared by everyone. In a recent survey carried out by InFact on behalf of Nettavisen, 40 percent state that they do not believe that Frank Løke will reach the top of Mount Everest without oxygen.
On the other hand, 22.1 per cent believe in “Action Frank”, and there is a greater proportion of men than women who have responded positively. About 38 percent answered “don’t know”.
Frank Løke has not yet responded to Nettavisen’s inquiries.
Read also: Frank Løke shelled out for extra travel companion: – Increases the probability of survival
It is particularly the 18 to 29-year-old age group who say they are most skeptical about the expedition, while in the 30 to 44-year-old age group almost 30 per cent stated that they have faith in Løke.
The nationwide survey was carried out on Thursday 2 May. There were 1,106 participants, all of whom are over 18 years of age.
– Now I’m struggling
Frank Løke has been in Nepal for just over a month, and these days is trying to acclimatise before he wants to reach the summit in a few weeks.
The 44-year-old had his girlfriend, Helén Oterhals (28) with him as his travel companion, but this week they had to make the tough choice to send Oterhals home.
She is in a hotel in Kathmandu, where she will wait for Løke to come home.
Read also: Helén Oterhals on the parting with Frank Løke: – We were not quite ready
Løke has shared frequent updates from Asia’s mountain ranges, and in the last few days the form has not played well. The otherwise rough 44-year-old shared honestly about his condition on Thursday, and did not hide that he does not feel very strong:
– Honestly, now I’m struggling! The body has not recovered due to a cold and I generally have little energy. No headache and sleeps well, but the batteries are empty. Damn, the head wants, but the body won’t listen. Possibly the body is not ready for the summit push this rotation, where I have to go back down to Base Camp to recharge properly, he wrote in an Instagram post.
Cashed out almost NOK 800.00
Løke has previously revealed that the Mount Everest expedition has cost him dearly. He has shelled out NOK 600,000 and had to take on a number of jobs to finance the expedition.
– I have done everything. I have been at fairs, made a handball comeback, gave lectures and sang at summer parties. And I’ve stripped. Everything to finance the trip, Løke has said The daily newspaper.
Earlier this week, Løke revealed that he had to shell out again to bring an extra Sherpa with him on the expedition:
– If things go to hell up there, I increase the probability of surviving with Tashi on the team, said Løke about the choice.
Bringing in such expertise is not free, and costs Løke an additional NOK 150,000, stated Løke’s spokesperson Torkjel Haabeth. With the additional cost, this means that the expedition has now cost Løke a total of NOK 750,000.