Summit for CAF

Going for Gold

2012-09-15T08:55:00.001-07:00

WOW, so many emotionally charged events have taken place here in Africa since our last blog post. Sorry we have not updated you since then but after we said our sad farewells to our team at Kilimanjaro Int'l Airport, they boarded their flight home and we flew to Nairobi to climb Mt. Kenya. We were on the mountain for the past three days and now with Internet connection again we are finally able to share the most exciting and memorable part of the entire adventure (and that means a lot considering how many exciting and memorable experiences we've all had).

On September 12th after our final day on Safari we headed to the bustling city of Arusha for the long-awaited race chair presentation. As we pulled up to the Ilboru Safari Lodge we were pleasantly surprised by this lovely venue where the lush garden area had been transformed in to a proper celebratory setting. The owner graciously hosted food and drinks for all 40 of us. The group consisted of nine athletes, the leader of the Kilele Foundation, our CAFrica team as well as local media representation. Seeing these athletes entering the garden filled us with the same enthused anticipation that a kid feels on Christmas morning.

One by one they filed in and we greeted them with handshakes and hugs. We could see the excitement in their eyes. After introductions we said a blessing and expressed our gratitude for this enormous event to finally come to fruition. Some of us spoke a few words and then it was time to try out these race chairs. The athletes jumped in the chairs and took them for a test drive. Their competitive spirit shone through as they raced each other and their gigantic smiles from ear to ear told the whole story. Many of them have their sites set on the Boston Marathon 2013 and the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio was a hot topic among them. With the help of this equipment it would not surprise us to see some gold medalists come out of this fit and determined bunch.

Our hearts were filled with gratification and a bit of sadness when we had to say goodbye to our new friends. We look forward to seeing what their future brings and we are thrilled to have the honor of giving back to these most-deserving athletes.

Life and Death on the African Plains

2012-09-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Swahili proverb: Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi. - To live long is to see much.

And WOW did we see much during our last few days here in Africa! Yesterday we drove to the Tarangire Safari Lodge perched on a hill overlooking expansive plains filled with wild game animals and a river meandering through the picturesque setting. Everybody loved the luxury tents complete with full sized beds, running water, electricity, and even hot showers. Definitely not the kind of tents we were living in for eight days on Kili.

After settling in to our accommodations we hopped back into the Land Rovers and went on an afternoon game drive that none of us will ever forget in our lifetimes. Not long after leaving the lodge we came across a fresh kill. A lion and her juvenile cubs were just beginning to feast on a zebra they had taken down. As we snapped photos of this incredible site, we noticed one of the young lions was pulling on something that appeared to be the zebra's tail or leg.

Upon a closer look we realized with a fascinated horror that the lions had killed a pregnant zebra and they were pulling out the baby zebra by the head! It was quite difficult to watch but we eventually realized that this is simply the way of life in the sometimes harsh world of the animal kingdom. Our safari guide told us he had never seen anything like this before himself and told us we were lucky to witness this event. I'm not sure if lucky is the right word but we are indeed privileged to be here on this continent and share this amazing learning experience with such a great group of friends. Thank you for allowing us to now share this with you, our friends back home, and we wish you all a long life of seeing much.

An Elephant Never Forgets

2012-09-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

We will never forget the tremendous feeling of working hard to reach the roof of Africa, but the last few days on safari have certainly provided us with many more memorable experiences.

The morning after our summit celebration party at the Marangu, we loaded into our three Land Rovers and headed out to Lake Maynara National Park for our first day of game viewing. After driving about four hours we received a call notifying us that Chad forgot his leg back at the hotel. Although Chad had enjoyed a number of Kilimanjaro beers the night before, he seemed pretty certain that he remembered to pack his spare prosthetic leg in his bag. In the end it turned out that the leg belonged to someone else, so we continued along to enjoy our first game drive.

Lake Maynara (and Ngorongoro Crater the following day) both proved to be prolific sites for viewing and photographing the incredible wildlife here. So far we have seen all of the "Big Five" with the exception of the Leopard, including: Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, and Cape Buffalos. We have also seen all of the following:

Giraffes, Hippos, Zebras, Wildebeests, Flamingos, Wart Hogs, Gazelles, Impalas, Vultures, Buzzards, Ostriches, Hyenas, and Jackals.

It has also been fascinating to learn all about these animals from our knowledgeable safari guides. The behavior of one animal in particular that we learned about yesterday is the Baboon. While we were stopping at the entrance of the Ngorongoro Crater picking up our permit, one of these baboons decided to jump up and crawl right inside an open window of one of our Land Rovers. Jen, Lou, and Fritz were inside and watched in astonishment as the brazen baboon grabbed a bag of cookies that were in the center console, and then he jumped back out to enjoy his loot from up in a nearby tree.

There have been many other memorable moments we have all shared together so far on this trip, but none would be as special if it weren't for the bonding relationships we have made with one another.

"The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships." - Anthony Robbins, as quoted in Steps to the Summit, Step # 12: Build Quality Relationships.

Summit Success!

2012-09-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the delay of this post due to technical difficulties on the mountain. Nonetheless, we are thrilled to report that all 20 members of our CAFrica team made it to the crater rim of Mt. Kilimanjaro at 18,938 feet! 16 others went on to the official summit of Uhuru Peak at 19,340 feet. It was a long summit night and morning that started out from Barafu Camp at 11:50 pm and subjected our group to less than 10 degree cold temps until the sun finally made its way above the horizon around 6:30 am. Not long after we were treated to spectacular views of the crater and surrounding glaciers as we reached Stella Point.

Everybody is safe and healthy and we made it back down to Barafu Camp for a short rest and recovery of a few hours and then packed up camp and continued down to Mweka Camp. After enjoying a night of rest and extra oxygen at 10,000 feet we continued down to the gate and back to the Marangu Hotel. After much needed showers, we then celebrated with our team of 66 guides and porters and relished our hard-earned accomplishment together.

We are now enjoying our third day on safari viewing fantastic game animals and will share a few pics later.

Preparing for the Summit!

2012-09-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

"Before anything else, preparation is key to success." - Alexander Graham Bell, from Steps to the Summit, Step #6: Be Prepared.

The moment has finally arrived. All 20 members of our CAFrica team have been preparing for months and in some cases years to be ready for this moment. We are currently at Barafu Camp at 15,100 feet and everybody is feeling great. The hike up here from Karanga Camp took less time than expected and minimal or no signs of altitude sickness among the team.

Everybody is excited to be leaving for the summit tonight. Backpacks are being prepared with all of the essentials - down jackets, warm gloves, goggles, etc. and enough water, snacks, and energy gels to fuel us for what may be a 13 - 16 hour day.Our plan is to sleep for a few hours now and wake up at 10:30 pm (we are 10 hours ahead of Pacific time) then we will have a bit to eat and drink and start hiking.

All of us would like to take this opportunity to thank you (our friends and family back home) for supporting us and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, in this incredible endeavor. We feel quite fortunate to be here undertaking this great challenge for such a worthy cause, and couldn't be doing this without your support. As we head off for the summit, please send your good thoughts our way and we will make another post when we are able. Meanwhile no news is good news.

Bucking the Barranco Wall

2012-09-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today marks one week since we embarked on our adventure. During this time we've had ample opportunities to bond together as a team as well as opportunities for personal growth - there has also been noticeable facial hair growth among the male members of our group. We are really beginning to look like a rough and tough squad of mountaineers.

As we stepped out of our tents this morning into the cool crisp air of the shaded Barranco Valley, we were able to look up to see the full magnitude of the Barranco Wall. Yesterday it was partially obscured by afternoon clouds that rolled in and eventually sank over out entire camp as a heavy fog. A few members of the group were suffering from some mild symptoms of altitude sickness yesterday - headaches, nausea, etc. but fortunately they awoke feeling better this morning and ready to tackle the Barranco Wall! During breakfast I read a few inspirational quotes from Step #2 of Steps to the Summit - Live Courageously, and off we went! As we approached the base of the wall we watched the long line of climbers and porters ahead of us as they snaked their way up this steep, rocky route. Somebody commented how the porters who were carrying bags of gear on their heads resembled a colony of ants transporting their eggs.

It was our turn next and we all enjoyed the variety and challenge of scrambling up the wall using our hands to help pull ourselves up and over the obstacles. After a few hours every single one of us emerged onto the ridge above the Barranco Wall with a gratifying smile. We decided the view of the cloud covered valley below warranted a group photo and we all donned our 686 team jackets for the occasion. It was another 3 hours or so until we reached our current camp location here in the Karanga Valley at 13,125 feet.

We just finished dinner and all plan to get a good night's rest because tomorrow we hike up to Barafu Camp and leave for our summit attempt tomorrow night!!

Tales from the Trail

2012-09-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of our Kilimanjaro adventure consisted of a 7.5 hour hike from Shira Camp all the way up to the Lava Tower at 14,765 feet and down to our current camp location in the Barranco Valley. Several members of our CAFrica team reached a milestone by hiking beyond the highest altitude they have ever been: Adnen, Chad, Tom, Thomas, Mike, Shane, Wendi, Byron, Cathy, John, and Jane. We have been testing our blood oxygen saturation levels each night with a hand-held pulse oximeter and all of us are registering 80 - 95% which is considered acceptable at this altitude (at sea level O2 saturation is usually around 100%).

Our long days of hiking have been filled with meaningful debates of intellectual, business, and philosophical subjects as well as highly entertaining discussions which many times have degraded to topics related to personal hygiene and the fact that we have another 4 days of living in tents without showers and without proper toilets. This has also lead us to coin Swahili nicknames for a few of our members. Starting with my personal favorite is:
Shane - Mbwa Uchafu=dirty dog
Jeff - Mbwa Mkubwa=big dog
Daniel-Mcheshi=jokester
And I will leave as a mystery the team member now known as Yuko Uchi=naked person.

On a more serious note, tomorrow we will be tackling one of the steepest parts of this route - the Barranco Wall. It is an imposing mass of rock at least 500 vertical feet in height. Although it is not a technical climb with ropes, it does require some skill, agility and courage. So until we check in again I will leave you with this quote:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller, as quoted in Steps to the Summit.

Just Breathe

2012-09-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

It is day 3 of our climb and our team has just arrived at Shira Camp at 12,500 feet after an exciting and scenic adventure thus far. Two days ago our CAFrica team's boots hit the trailhead at Lemosho Glades at 6,900 feet and we steadily made our way through the rainforest (absent any rain fortunately) all the way up to our first camp called Mti Mkubwa. We arrived after dark but enjoyed a hot nourishing meal together in our big red dome tent. As we sat and talked we all thoroughly enjoyed the moment appreciating the opportunity to be doing what we are doing here in Africa on this majestic snow capped mountain.

The following day took us beyond the rainforest and up onto the Shira Plateau over the course of more than 6 hours of hiking. Here we were able to catch our first views of Kibo (the middle and highest of the three mountains that make up Kilimanjaro).

Today, Sept. 3rd we awoke to a frost covered ground and relished the moment the sun warmed our bodies as we all adjust to the higher altitude. The day consisted of another ~ 6 hours of hiking reaching a high point on the top of the rocky pinnacle know as the "appropriately named" Shira Cathedral (picture attached - given that our transmission is successful). Kibo is in the background albeit partially hiding behind the clouds.

Our entire group is doing absolutely GREAT and we are all taking in the magnificent views (breathtaking actually). At the same time we are taking deeper breaths as we prepare our bodies physiologically for the altitude and the days ahead as we move higher yet towards our goal.

"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." - Oprah Winfrey - from Steps to the Summit, Step #14: Just Breathe.

From Marangu to You

2012-08-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the southern slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro! We have been enjoying the beautiful setting of the Marangu Hotel with cottages scattered throughout the lush green gardens. Our gear is now organized and all packed and we are preparing for the first day of our climb! A light rain is falling and our team has discovered how this area got its name. In the local Chagga language the word "Marangu" means "full of water.".

Soon we will be heading to the Londorossi Gate and on to the Lemosho Glades Route. All 20 of us are doing great and excited to finally begin our way up this mighty volcano. We will be accompanied by a crew of 60 including our local guides, porters, cooks, etc. necessary to support our small army on this remote route as we begin our way up through the rain forest and on to our first camp. We understand data coverage may be sporadic for the first few days of our climb so we will attempt to make another post whenever we are able.

Unfortunately this photo doesn't capture the beauty of the area but it's the only one we have so far of the entire CAFrica team taken upon our arrival at the Kilimanjaro Airport on Thursday night.

Big Chair Jam-bo

2012-08-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived for our CAFrica team to board our flight from LAX and on to Tanzania! We have collected 14 race wheelchairs as donations from challenged athletes throughout the country and have now checked them on our flight. Thank you KLM for not charging us extra baggage fees for our entire entourage. We will meet the rest of our team of 20 in Amsterdam and continue on to Kilimanjaro International Airport. It is fitting that our big adventure commences on this day considering it is the opening day of the Paralympics in London.

If you haven't seen it already, there was a great article in Saturday's Orange County Register about Beth Sanden and our CAFrica team delivering these chairs to Africa.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/sanden-369532-seven-marathon.html

View as pdf

"Now let's do this!" - Mike West, Founder of 686

2012-08-24T11:02:00.002-07:00

Another member of our incredible CAFrica Kilimanjaro Challenge team is Mike Akira West. I'm proud to say I have known Mike for more than two decades, before he started the wildly successful, globally popular snowboarding and technical apparel brand 686. During our college days at USC we were both working together as instructors at Bear Mountain in Big Bear. I was teaching skiing and he was one of the few guys teaching that new sport called "snowboarding." How long is this fad going to last, many of us ski instructors thought at the time. And they dress so poorly too, we said as we carved precise turns down the slopes in our tight-fitting stretch pants with neat red racing stripes.

Mike saw an opportunity and rode the snowboarding wave to the top, creating some of the hottest apparel designs in the industry along the way. Now he's heading to the top of another peak - the highest on the African continent - Mt. Kilimanjaro! He's already at the top of our CAFrica fundraising ranks having raised more than $13,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation so far. Mike and his designers at 686 have also created custom team jackets that you will see our CAFrica members showing off in pics on this blog later. (Have you subscribed yet?)

As for the quote from Mike: "Now let's do this!" It appeared in this article published today called "Giving Back: 686 Founder Mike West on Upcoming Summit of Kilimanjaro" Please check it out.

John MacLaren - Climbing in Honor

2012-08-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

As we make final preparations in advance of boarding our flight to Africa in less than two weeks on August 29^th, we thought we should tell you about one of our team members John MacLaren, and in particular some background on his brother Jim.

In his 20’s Jim was a Yale student, an All-American football player, and had a bright future ahead of him. Then he was hit by a New York City bus, pronounced dead on the scene, but miraculously he lived and awoke from a coma 8 days after the accident, noticing his left leg had been amputated below the knee. Jim didn’t give up, he recovered and went on to become the top amputee triathlete in the world and finished the grueling Hawaii Ironman in 10:42 – impressive by any standard.

Fast forward to 1993, Jim was competing in another triathlon, and while on the bike course, he was hit again. This time by a van, he was catapulted into a pole, and this amputee athlete instantly became a quadriplegic. That didn’t stop him either, and with the help of his friends (Jeffrey Essakow, Bob Babbitt & others) they organized a triathlon to raise money to buy Jim a wheelchair accessible van so he could regain some of his independence. That’s how the Challenged Athletes Foundation was born, and lives on stronger than ever today, having gone from helping one athlete, to helping more than 6,000.

Unfortunately Jim MacLaren passed away two years ago, on Aug. 30^th, but his memory lives on in all of our hearts, especially in the heart of his brother John. We are honored to have John as part of our CAFrica Kilimanjaro Team, and to climb by his side two years after Jim’s passing, as John proudly takes on this challenge to reach the roof of Africa as a tribute to his brother. John is the Founder of Elite Fitness Training Systems in Santa Monica, he admirably served our country as a U.S. Navy SEAL, and is one of our group's top 5 fundraisers. Thank you for your support of CAF, John MacLaren, and the rest of our CAFrica team, and for following along on this blog as the adventure begins!

John MacLaren

Jim MacLaren

Africa Calling

2012-08-06T15:47:00.001-07:00

Rising with prominence high above the grassy plains below, Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest peak on the African continent and one of the famed Seven Summits. We have formed a team of 20 incredible individuals who have responded to the call to climb this great mountain which reaches 19,340 feet into the sky ...and we are climbing for a worthy cause. The CAFrica Kilimanjaro Challenge benefits the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and this blog is where you can follow along as the big adventure will soon be underway.

Please take a moment to visit our website: http://CAFrica.org with profile pics of our Team, itinerary details under the link About the Climb, and other fun details about this endeavor that promises to be outright life changing for many more individuals than just our climbing team. In order to keep updated on our progress please "Subscribe" by entering your email in the box on the upper right side of this blog page. It's free and easy to do, and you will only receive notifications when a new blog post has been made.

“After climbing a great hill, one finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk has not yet ended.” –Nelson Mandela - as quoted in "Steps to the Summit" from Step #1 "Dream Big and Step Up!"

Steps to the Summit - Available Now!

2011-12-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

After many years providing just a glimpse into the ultimate Seven Summits adventure through this blog, the full story is now being told. Not only does "Steps to the Summit" dramatically recount the eight-year long quest to climb the highest mountains on each continent around the world, it's also a guidebook for achieving true success in business and life. Each chapter has an exhilarating story about a high and faraway place and also a corresponding "step" required to get to the summit ...YOUR summit, whatever that may be.

Visit: http://StepsToTheSummit.com/endorsements to read endorsements from:

- Bill Walton, Basketball Hall of Famer & Emmy Award Winning Sportscaster
- Jenna Wolfe, Co-Anchor & National Correspondent, NBC Today Show
- Craig Levra, President / CEO, Sport Chalet
- Aron Ralston, Mountaineer, Speaker, and Subject of the Major Motion Picture 127 Hours

It's available now in hardcover exclusively at: http://StepsToTheSummit.com
Get your copy today and help others at the same time as 100% of the profits go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

The Today Show & NBC News!

2010-08-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may have missed our big debut on national TV, here's a replay of our story on the Today Show with Jenna Wolfe: (click on screen second time to see larger view)

And later the same day on July 29th, here we are with Chuck Henry, Colleen Williams, and Dr. Bruce on NBC Channel 4 News airing in Southern California:

To view our prior stories check out our blog posts from April 3rd and the live satellite phone interview from Base Camp with Chuck & Colleen on April 28th. Thank you NBC for providing such great exposure for the Challenged Athletes Foundation!

Two Tickets Back Home From Paradise

2010-06-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

We returned home this weekend from our epic Everest adventure after a requisite five days of "re-acclimatization" to sea level at the Four Seasons Resort in Koh Samui, Thailand. It's true, just about any hotel with a hot shower, a bed with actual sheets, and a sit down toilet would have made us happy after two months of living in a tent. However, this place was over the top luxury and just what we needed! We actually brought along a brochure for this resort to hang in our tent during our expedition and it served us quite well as motivation! When the going got tough on the mountain and the weather was miserable, we only needed to say two words to one another to keep pushing on: Four Seasons! We would like to give a special thanks to the Resort Manager Alex Porteous, who went out of his way to make sure we were treated like royalty. He even had this watermelon carved for us with an incredibly accurate portrayal of Mt. Everest! If you have an urge for an unforgettable vacation at one of the most stunning resorts in the world - you must consider this place! http://www.fourseasons.com/kohsamui/ ...and ask Alex for a special watermelon!

Ironically, the Four Seasons had the movie "Everest" in their DVD collection and we enjoyed watching the cold & stormy scenes from the comfort of our villa, with stunning views of the ocean and a warm tropical paradise and our own private pool just beyond the TV screen.

Waving goodbye from the driver's seat of our new elephant friend Nong Dao. Thank you for joining us on our journey to the summit of Mt. Everest and the final peak of our Seven Summits for CAF quest! And of course thank you AGAIN to all who have helped us and the members of our Everybody to Everest Team in raising a grand total to date of $104,671 for such a worthy organization as the Challenged Athletes Foundation!

Gratefully Yours,

-Paul & Denise

Back in Kathmandu with Photos & Video!

2010-05-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

After 7+ weeks living high up in the mountains, we are quickly adjusting to the modern conveniences of civilized life here in 3rd-world Kathmandu. In all fairness we are staying at the luxury hotel Yak & Yeti, which has been more than capable of providing every single item from our previous Top Ten List of Things We Miss the Most. They also have a wonderful restaurant here that serves all meals buffet-style (all you can eat) which is important considering the weight we each lost while climbing: Paul - 15lbs & Denise - 12lbs. And of course they have "hi-speed" internet here which has allowed us to post these photos (and video) ...hopefully you are able to view and enjoy!

Camp 3 at 24,000 feet perched on a steep ledge above the Lhotse Face.

En route to Camp 4, just above the Yellow Band & before climbing up and over the Geneva Spur.

Gulp ...close up view of the Big E from the crest of the Geneva Spur.

Sunset view from our tent at Camp 4 at the South Col, nervously awaiting 9 pm departure for the summit.

Backup along the climbing route at dusk ...take a number.

Denise at top of the Hillary Step.

Our exhausted but elated team after the final trip through the icefall and arriving at Base Camp.

Crevasse crossing in the Khumbu Icefall.

Arriviving at the South Col & tour of Camp 4.

Final steps to the summit.

View from the highest point in the world, on the GoPro HD Hero cam.

We are heading off to Thailand soon for some much needed R&R, and then continuing on our way home afterwards.

P.S. We are no longer using our Everest 2010/Mountaintrip email address and are back to our old email addresses.

Finally, if you would like to see more photos we have posted them here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=214423&id=580718981&l=848f7ca5ca

Safely Back to Base Camp from the South Col

2010-05-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Since our last call from Camp 4 after summiting, we safely made it down from the South Col! We were reluctant to allow ourselves to be in much of a celebratory mood at the time of that call considering we still needed to descend from 26,000 feet down the Geneva Spur, the Yellow Band, the Lhotse Face, and finally the last trip through the dangerous Khumbu Icefall (photo of Denise crossing triple ladder over crevasse). On top of that a storm had moved in during the final hours of our descent from the summit leaving several feet of snow on our tents overnight and continued snowfall in the morning during our trip back down to Camp 2. There we spent another night of desperately needed rest before continuing on down through the icefall with heavily loaded packs including empty oxygen cylinders.

And finally yesterday morning, physically and mentally exhausted like we never have been in our lifetimes, the welcome site of our tents at Base Camp came into view. We couldn't take off our crampons and climbing harnesses fast enough and then fell into our sleeping bags for a long nap. We woke up just in time for dinner figuring we would eat and return immediately to our tent to rest our severely overworked bodies. Well, our Sherpa team had a slightly different plan! After an amazing dinner and even a congratulatory cake made by our cook Perba Surki, the wine and beer started to flow! The sounds of American and Sherpa party music filled our dome tent, along with 16 members of our Sherpa staff. Eleven of these guys, an unusually large number for an expedition of our size, had the opportunity to climb to the summit along with us! ...so you better believe celebratory dancing and partying was in order, and our tired bodies had to deliver! It was truly an unforgettable experience bonding with and sharing the excitement and memories of our Everest expedition with these remarkable and genuine Sherpa people who made our success possible. And it has been amazing sharing our experiences with all of you through our blog!

We are now packing our bags and breaking down our Base Camp home for the last month and a half, in anticipation of heading out of this glacier-topped town tomorrow. When we return to the land of hi-speed (non-satellite) internet, we will post some additional photos (and video too) which we know you will enjoy!

The Summit!

2010-05-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

We did it! After an 18 1/2 hour round-trip, we are safely back at Camp 4 and will make our way down the mountain and home to all of you! Press play to hear all about it, and photos will be on the way soon!

Hello From Camp 4 at 26,000 ft!

2010-05-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

We're so close! We're at Camp 4 at 26,000 ft! By the time you hit "play" we should be heading for the summit! We miss you and can't wait to see you all!

Stopped Cold by the Wind!

2010-05-20T00:50:00.000-07:00

We made it up safely through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 2 as planned, despite the roar of a massive avalanche that was fortunately just out of our path. We awoke early this morning to a fierce wind and with our bags packed containing all of our essential gear for Camps 3 & 4 and the Summit. The winds were still strong as we headed up to ~22,500 feet at the base of the Lhotse Face. It turns out that our fancy new Marmot 8,000 meter down suits are just as effective in keeping out the biting cold as they are for dancing a jig to the Black Eyed Peas!

Unfortunately, the wind-swept snow blowing high above, and a new weather forecast received this morning, factored in to a decision by Scott to turn us around. He said during his last 5 Everest expeditions he has never seen wind this strong. We were disappointed to be sure to lose a day but feeling much more secure that our tents won't blow away here at Camp 2 rather than up at Camp 3. However, the looming concern on everybody's mind is the rapidly approaching end of the summit window. Every year near the end of May the monsoon arrives effectively shutting down the mountain. Last year this occurred on May 25th. Our new plan, assuming no more weather delays should put us at the South Col with a shot at the summit on May 23rd.

We're Going For It!

2010-05-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

We have been working hard for nearly a week to stay physically but mostly mentally prepared for the massive task that is now upon us! We have taken several hikes part way up the 24,500 foot Pumori in order to stay fit and acclimatized. We ran into Russell Bryce during one of those hikes pictured with us here and with the Big E in the background. Russell is the long-time Everest guide from New Zealand who has become a bit of a celebrity due to his role in the Discovery Channel series "Everest - Beyond the Limits".

As far as our mental preparation, we have been doing our best to keep our sanity in the midst of continued discussions about the constantly changing weather forecasts and rumors about what other teams are planning. Our primary strategy has been to temporarily escape the reality of our setting by watching movies! Some of our recent favorites are The Thomas Crown Affair, As Good As It Gets, and the Big Lebowsky.

However now we can no longer be distracted as the decision has been made to go for the top! We are leaving Base Camp at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow (Tuesday our time), through the icefall en route to Camp 2. There we will rest a day, and contingent upon the weather holding (please keep your fingers crossed) we will continue to move up to Camp 3 and the day after to Camp 4 and the South Col. We will be using supplemental oxygen to sleep at C3 at 24,000 feet and from that point forward all the way to the top. As you can see we have modeled our Russian-made Poisk oxygen masks and found them to be a great fashion accessory! We will check back in to let you know how we are progressing. Meanwhile if you would like to read a further description of the various camps and route ahead please visit: http://www.everybodytoeverest.com/Beyond_Base_Camp.html and click on the map for details.

P.S. Thank you to those of you who have made recent donations to CAF. Remember all new contributions will be made in honor of Heidi Kloos, may she watch over all of us from above!

The Three 'F' Words in Base Camp

2010-05-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here we are back at Base Camp after our low altitude “vacation” down in Dingboche. Since our return a certain ‘F’ word has been uttered quite frequently by our guide and every member of our group. It is constantly brought up and discussed during every meal together and lately this ‘F’ word is becoming quite unpleasant to hear – Forecast! The weather simply does not look very good with winds in excess of 70 knots forecast to scour the upper mountain on most days until May 22nd. This could change but until then, we wait.

The second word beginning with an ‘F’ is our new Friend Nelson Cardona from Columbia. While training to climb Everest in 2007, Nelson suffered a fall which resulted in losing his leg below the knee. He is pictured with us here sporting his new right leg from Ossur, and is sending a powerful message to all those at home to never give up on one’s dreams.

Just as Nelson was quite intrigued and pleased with our Fundraising efforts for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, we are amazingly grateful to all of you who have generously contributed to the cause and collectively helped raise over $100,000 for CAF! Since we arrived here we have prominently displayed our “Base Camp Banner” (the white banner below) on the ritual stupa that stands above our camp. It’s nice to see all of your names on there and we are anxious to get the “Summit Banner” (the yellow banner below) to the top to continue to show our appreciation!

Many of you have already seen these banners which honor our friends and family who have supported the Challenged Athletes Foundation and who are making this incredible journey with us symbolically. The Base Camp banner represents those who have donated $100 or more to CAF. And the yellow summit banner represents those who have contributed $290 or more. We can't wait to take it to the earth's highest point!

Thank you all for your generous contributions to a great organization! If you haven't made a donation already and would like to be included on one of these banners, we have our special paint pen with us and can add your name right here in base camp! The entire amount of your gift goes directly to CAF to provide specialized sports equipment or prostheses to very deserving individuals. http://www.everestchallenge.kintera.org/fejtek

Talk to you all soon!

Mother's Day & Everest Update

2010-05-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks one month since we have been living on the mountain and progressively working our way up along the slopes of Everest. We have completed two rotations up to high camps and spent 10 days and nights above 20,000 feet. The acclimatization work is now done and we are waiting for a weather forecast indicating a reasonable window to go for the summit. We have taken this opportunity to hike back down to Dingboche (3,000 feet below Base Camp) in order to rest and strengthen ourselves for the enormous effort that lies ahead. Here at this lower altitude our brain cells are thriving again giving us the chance to reflect upon some of the things we miss the most after being gone a month now.

First and foremost we miss our moms on Mother’s Day and of course our friends and family as well. In addition we have compiled this Top Ten List of things we miss the most:

1.) Shower
2.) Clean Clothes
3.) Bed
4.) Toilet – other than hole in ground or “wag bag”
5.) Fresh fruit / salad
6.) Water from a faucet
7.) A “bedroom” that is larger than 6 feet x 4 feet
8.) Oxygen…and the ability to do the following without gasping for air:
- get dressed in the morning
- brush teeth
- tie shoes
- go to the bathroom
9.) Sleeping without being woken up several times by the sound of an avalanche
10.) The ability to get out of our non-existent bed (see #3) and walk out of our spacious bedroom (see #7) without first putting on eight layers of clothing (see #2) and not gasping for air while blazing a trail through the snow without the need of a headlamp, all just to go to the bathroom (see #4)!

We're thinking of you all and will keep you posted with any news in the days ahead.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! We love you!

Success on the Lhotse Face!

2010-05-05T03:01:00.000-07:00

We're back at C2 after a long and difficult assault of the Lhotse Face yesterday! We reached our goal of getting to Camp 3 at 24,000 feet, which also marks the highest altitude we have ever climbed, surpassing the reach of all of the other Seven Summits including Mt. Aconcagua in the Andes. All of us would quickly agree that climbing such steep terrain at this level, or trying to do much of anything (without supplemental oxygen as we were doing) is agonizingly HARD! We did manage to snap this quick photo as we collapsed (with our jumars still attached to the fixed lines) just before reaching the tents at C3. Just beyond us in the photo is the "Yellow Band" and the "Geneva Spur" which we will be required to cross en route to C4 and the South Col.

For now however, we are resting and recovering in the relative oxygen rich (ha ha) altitude of C2 at 21,500 feet. Neither of us feel great but we'll get over it. We are also marveling at our climbing Sherpa crew of 12 tough guys who carried 48 oxygen cylinders up to C4 yesterday to prepare for our summit attempt. These cylinders weigh 8 lbs each and the guys aren't finished stocking up high yet! In SO many ways this mountain seems impossible to climb, but without the support of our Sherpa team it would definitely be the case! Namaste and thank you again to our Sherpa friends!