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Show I Local climbers ready for big one t i I Mountain climbing is fun - but challenging. i Members of the media found that S out Saturday as they attempted to rappel up a steep cliff on the wall of I American Fork Canyon - and descend via rope. The hands-on introduction to the i jasiCS of mountaineering was provided by Utah alpine mountaineers moun-taineers who are training for an assault on Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, in 1992. The team, led by Douglas S. Hansen, of Orem, a professional ' mountain guide and owner of Hansen Mountaineering Inc., received permission from the People's Republic of China July 13 to ' climb Mount Everest in the Autumn of 1992 via the North Face route. Permission was granted after a year and a half of negotiations with i the Chinese government, Hansen said. , I Climbers worldwide have been ! competing for climbing permits since the Chinese opened their borders in 1981. "We were very fortunate to obtain permission so soon. We really ex-' ex-' pected it to take a couple of years longer," he said. Expeditions to Mount Everest through China or Nepal are nearly j booked into the 20th century. Landing the coveted climbing permit was the most difficult step, 1 Hansen said. : The next hurdle is obtaining funding for the trip, expected to cost a ( Utahns on Everest, the name of the group, as much as $300,000. 'To put together an expedition the right way requires much planning i and money; so we are starting as ! soon as possible," Hansen said, j The team is seeking individual and corporate donations, and hopes most Doug Hansen, Pleasant Grove, will lead expedition. of the funding will come from the Beehive State. Some of the funding may come from sponsors whose equipment the team might use. 'The expedition will include about 10 climbers, many of whom have already been selected. Team deputy leader is Howard Lewis of Orem. Hansen said they have had people from all over the nation apply to go with them but they would like as many Utah climbers as possible because of the necessity to get together for several training sessions. Experts in rock climbing, ice climbing and other phases of expedition ex-pedition experience will also be looked for. In addition to climbs in Utah and various stress and exercise tests, preparatory training sessions will |