Mt. Kilimanjaro Was Next

In 2009 after climbing Aconcagua, we set our sights on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.  Kili tops out at 19,340 ft and is no stroll in the park.  It was December and we climbed via the Machame route which usually takes 7 days and affords climbers a good variety of terrain as the track winds around the mountain.

Apparently December is the rainy season in Tanzania, at least it was that year.  We got rained on a bit every day and had snow on Christmas which was fun.  Taking weather in stride is part of the deal and we rolled with it for the most part.  The interesting vegetation combined with the volcanic makeup of the mountain created an almost primeval setting for our climb. 

Once we got higher up on Kili, we entered the familiar alpine zone.  Here the air gets quite a bit thinner and sleeping is somewhat tougher.  Maintaining your health is extremely important and it takes diligence, especially in an environment as alien as this one.  Sanitation and protecting your lungs from illness is a priority.

Our "summit day" started at about 11pm and we climbed through the night.  I always find this a magical time where your mind wanders even though your body is focused on the work of climbing higher and higher into the thin air.  There's little talk as we each are lost in our own thoughts and battling our own demons.  At about 2am or so, a tremendous thunderstorm approached the mountain as we climbed higher still.  While it posed no threat to us, the show of lightning was unmatched and left an indelible memory which added to the magic of the night.

With fresh snow to aid our vision during the climb and the thunderstorm to keep us company, we reached the summit in good form and good spirits. 

The trail back down from the summit of Kilimanjaro was direct and uneventful.  As we neared civilization once again after being in such an inhospitable place, I felt a little sad to leave it all behind.  There's a special feeling at the top of a big mountain and I was now sure that I liked it very much.  Of course I was looking forward to a hot shower after being rained on for a week!

After Kilimanjaro we climbed Denali in Alaska (20,320').  That climb in 2010 brought things to a whole new level.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have many things to be thankful for and our annual American tradition of Thanksgiving reminds us to pause our lives and remember.  Today Kriss and I enjoyed a beautiful blue sky Colorado hike near our home with our longtime adventure buddies Alan and Debby.  The 5 mile trek was relatively tame but considering the average elevation of 9,550 ft and my heavy training pack, it was a decent workout.



It occurred to me as we got close to home that some people might wonder what sorts of items would be contained within a training pack. This is a humorous question to those of us who’ve dragged any number of ridiculous items through the woods and up mountains with the goal of strengthening legs and expanding lungs.  Today’s edition is no less absurd but at 55#, was enough to make me breathe hard climbing the hills.

let's analyze the contents:

The star of the show is our trusty Gregory 95 which has been to many corners of the world with us.  It's not pretty anymore but still hauls like a champ.  Next is a vast selection of clothing including jackets, climbing bibs, Gore-Tex for wind or rain, down pieces and other random layers basically serving as padding.  Throw in two sets of big BD mittens, and a couple pairs of gloves to keep fingers toasty and happy.  Of course water is required so why not 4 water bottles, including my favorite which is labeled "Bacon Powered".  The usual hat, sunscreen, first aid kit, headlamp, line, carabiners, dog water dish and Kahtoola Microspikes which are essential this time of year to keep your feet on the ground and head held high.  That's pretty much it except for exactly 26.1# of high quality Matco wrenches and a sweet set of punches and chisels because you never know when you may need to overhaul a transmission in the middle of the woods.

So there's one example of a well-outfitted training pack.  Anyone looking to put their own together should be creative and include items which reflect their interests, hobbies or obsessions.  Rocks aren't recommended because they can damage your gear but a big bag of dog food is good and of course wrapping up a 25# steel weightlifting plate in a towel and shoving it in works fine although it's not very imaginative.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Journey Begins

Today I begin the process of describing my journey to climb Mount Everest.  Really, it started in the summer of 2007 when I agreed to climb Mount Rainier with a friend the following summer.  That experience on a glaciated peak in the Pacific Northwest ignited something inside me that I didn't realize was there.  Besides accumulating more gear which is always fun, I accumulated experiences that laid the foundation for subsequent years of expedition climbing.

 

Rainier was followed by Aconcagua in Argentina (22,841ft) during our winter of 2009.  This trip combined a love of mountains with a love of international travel and I was hooked for sure.  It also included my wife Kriss who was game to try a big mountain, neither of us completely realizing the suffering which occurs during a 16-day expedition covering 50 or so miles in a remote part of the world.  We both lost lots of weight on that climb while earning our 8,000 meter boots.

 

 

After Aconcagua was Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa (19,340 ft).  Stay tuned...