Hallmark Luke Macfarlane
Luke Macfarlane is facing a major journey right now. Just before New Year’s Eve, the Hallmark star shared that he was on the fourth day of a 14-day hike. He’s chosen to scale a mountain that’s so dangerous, it’s earned the nickname “Mountain of Death” in some regions.
Macfarlane Said He Was Preparing for the ‘Effects of Thin Air’
Macfarlane set out well-prepared for the journey. In an Instagram post, he told his followers “a trip this high requires patience with weather and the effects of thin air.”
He shared that he was on the fourth day of a 14-day journey scaling Mt. Aconcagua, which is 22,800 feet tall. He had just arrived at the base camp when he made his post.
Macfarlane told his followers that he packed two books for the trip.
“Reading aloud Steinbeck’s Travels with Charly in the tent, and listening to @asgreer Less is Lost— weirdly similar,” he wrote.
The Mountain Is So Dangerous, It’s Nicknamed ‘The Mountain of Death’
Mt. Aconcagua is so dangerous that it’s earned the nickname “Mountain of Death” in some regions, Mountain IQ reported. About three people a year die on Aconcagua, which is the highest death rate of any mountain in South America.
However, Mountain IQ emphasized that Aconcagua is actually a safe climb, but many of the people who attempt it are unqualified. It’s known as one of the Seven Summits, and only about half of every eight people who attempt to climb it actually reach the summit.
The mountain is located in Argentina, National Geographic reported, and is part of the Andes Mountains. It’s the tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere.
When Macfarlane shared his quest on Instagram, many colleagues, friends, and followers replied with encouragement.
Cameron Mathison wrote, “👏👏👏.”
One fan replied, “What fantastic scenery! How about writing a book Luke of your trek with photos of you and what you see on your travels? Lots of fans would love to see you and more of this beautiful part of the world.”
Another fan wrote, “Safe travels, please be careful. I’m sure you will be, but don’t forget that you’re a national, precious treasure to Canada and the USA! Much love and respect to you. ❤️”
Macfarlane recently starred opposite Alison Sweeney in Hallmark’s “A Magical Christmas Village.” He also starred as the lead in the big-budget film “Bros.”
In an interview with People, Macfarlane said he was grateful to Hallmark.
“I think Hallmark is also a place where, you know, they give lots of opportunities to people. They gave me, an openly gay actor, an opportunity to star as always a straight dude so that was really cool of them,” he said.
In an interview with LA Times, Macfarlane broke the news that he’s likely leaving Hallmark after this last Christmas movie, which was his 14th movie with the network.
“They’ve been very good to me, but I think I’ve told my story for now with those folks,” Macfarlane said. “I mean, how many firefighters can I play?”
However, he’s grateful for his time with Hallmark.
He told Yahoo: “Hallmark gave me jobs for a long time. And not only just the gay best friend — they let me be a leading man. I’m always going to be very grateful to them for that.”
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