Reader's Digest Australia Feb/Mar 2026

he sawhimself on a trajectory to becom- ing one of the most successful older climbers in mountaineering history. Bill was a meticulous planner on his summits, to the point that the danger of these trips receded into the back- ground. He knew the truth, though: Plans are not worth the paper they’re drawn on if a mountain comes to life. There were other groups on Huas- carán the day he disappeared. They reported seeing Bill and his two friends in that area when a massive avalanche swept down the mountain. Erskine’s body was found later that week, about 1,000 feet from where Bill’s would ultimately be discovered. Richardson’s body is still missing. The American embassy notified Janet that a search helicopter had had no luck finding any sign of her husband or Richardson. It was hard to imagine an outcome other than that Bill had died on Huascarán that day. Joseph and Jennifer, though, held out hope. How could they not? Their dad had always come home. Jennifer thought about the many 1980s movies and TV shows she’d seen where someone gets bonked in the head and has amne- sia. Maybe her dad was wandering around a Peruvian village, trying to remember who he was. Even if he had died, she wanted to know how. Cooper’s heart hurt as he listened to the family talking about how their hopes had dwindled as 2002 wore on. They had celebrated his life on Mount Baldy in a ceremony organized by the local mountaineering community. Still, they’d had a tough time moving on. But as 2002 turned to 2003 and 2004, even Jennifer gave up hope that her dad was alive. “I thought maybe somebody would find him1,000 years fromnow,” she says. On Sunday, nOv. 24, 2024, the Stampfl family are gathered once more at Mount Baldy to say their final farewells to Bill. Janet flew in from Missouri. Joseph came from New Jersey. Jennifer drove from her nearby home. And Cooper arrived from Las Vegas. They initially wanted to give everybody the option of either riding the ski lift to the top or climbing the moun- tain by foot before spreading Bill’s ashes, but many of the trails are closed because of fire concerns. Everyone is a little disappointed, especially Cooper, who hoped to honor Bill by filling his backpack with 65 pounds of rocks and summiting his favorite mountain. They all take the ski lift to the top, and Cooper and Joseph talk about someday going to Peru together with some of Bill’s ashes, taking him to the summit of Huascarán and leaving part of him where he died trying to get to. Maybe they could look for Matthew Richard- son while they are there, they say. 94 February/March 2026 THEY GATHER IN A CIRCLE TO SAY GOODBYE TO BILL. reader ’ s digest Drama in Real Life At the top of Mount Baldy, a Stampfl family friend says she had been told by an official that certain trails are OK for hiking. Cooper exchanges a look with Joseph, then they head down themoun- tain so they can climb right back up. At the base, Cooper finds a rock that might weigh 65 pounds and stuffs it in his backpack. He tells Joseph, “When it gets tough, our thoughts will be on your dad. We’re suffering for a good reason.” They make the hike to the top, where the rest of the Stampfl friends and family are waiting.They gather in a circle to say goodbye to Bill, once and for all. A fog has rolled in and surrounds the group. Everybody can see each other, but not far beyond the circle. It’s just them in there with Bill. Each person says a few words about Bill, sheds a few tears and finds closure. Then it’s time to go home. The weather is in the mid-40s, but people note that it feels more pleasant than the ther- mometer would have you believe. As they make their way down the moun- tain, everybody can’t help but smile. Bill Stampfl is warm again, and he always will be. © ESPN (APRIL 17, 2025) COPYRIGHT © BY ESPN. Busy in the Beehive State Nearly half of Utah residents volunteer, the highest percentage of any state. USAFACTS.ORG readersdigest.com.au 95