MountainWaz Expeditions and Adventures

Home at last - photos from Aconcagua '11

2011-01-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

After 28 hours of travel, they made it home safely on Sunday, January 16th.

Here are just a few pictures from summit day:

Sunrise in the Andes

Aaron on the way up

Sick View!

Summit 22,843-FT

Man it's bright up here with the shades off

View of gnarly South Face from the summit

Back at Camp 2

Back at Base Camp (Plaza de Mules)

2011-01-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

Scott called yesterday to let me know that they arrived at Plaza de Mules just before dark at 8pm. [Can you believe it stays light so late?! That's what happens when you're so close to the equator, I suppose!]

He was exhausted after the long hike down with their heavy packs filled with all their gear. He said it was a relief to get down to 14,000 ft. where it was so much warmer and where they could sleep so much better at lower elevation.

They were both excited to have someone else cook their dinner for them and glad to have something other than what they could make on the Jet Boil.

Today they were able to relax and enjoy their last day in the park and check out views of the gnarly South Face of Mt. Aconcagua (only a handful of climbers each year attempt this very dangerous route).

Tomorrow they will offload most of their packs and gear to the mules and hike out of the park to Penitentes. There they will stay in a hostel and take the shuttle on Saturday to Mendoza where they will fly home and arrive in Portland late Sunday afternoon.

It's a huge relief to know that they are back down at a lower elevation, and we are excited for them to come home. Thank you to everyone for all your prayers, love and support!

Safely Resting at Camp II

2011-01-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

Scott called this afternoon to put my mind at ease that they made it back to Camp II where they made themselves something to eat and boiled hot water for tea before they bundled up in the tent and called it an early night. They will get their rest tonight after the grueling climb today, and tomorrow will be a long day of trekking back down to Base Camp on the Normal Route. Base Camp on this route is called Plaza de Mules since this is where climbers meet up with their muleteers and mules carrying their gear. The hike out on the Normal Route is about 8 miles shorter than the Polish Glacier Route that they took on the way in.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for the guys on their expedition. I will post another update before they leave Argentina on the 15th and will post a link to photos sometime fairly soon after they return safely in Portland on the 16th.

Summit Success!

2011-01-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

Scott called me this morning from the top of South America! They made it there around 11am (local time) and spent 45 minutes enjoying the view and their accomplishment. He said that the last hour was a real push due to the altitude and the cold. They were ascending the west side of the NW ridge, so they were in the shade the whole way up. It's hard to imagine that in a few days they will be back down to lower elevations (it is 91 degrees in the city of Mendoza today!).

I will be sure to post another update once they have safely reached Camp II, where they will rest and spend the night.

Climbing Mt. Aconcagua presents all kinds of challenges since mountaineers have to handle rock, ice and snow, in addition to high winds and extreme temperatures. Since it is the highest mountain outside of Asia, it is also very challenging due to its high elevation at 22,841 ft. Some expert climbers also argue that because of its geographical location, the atmosphere is thinner and humidity is lower, making it even more physically challenging than other mountains. Vegetation in the Central Andes Mountain range only reaches 13,000 ft., while Asia's Himalayan Mountain range has vegetation up to 16,400 ft., which is a testament to the sparse and severe conditions of Aconcagua.

Great job, guys! Now descend safely please.

Heading to the Summit

2011-01-10T23:17:00.000-08:00

I talked to Scott at 3:45am (local time) as they were boiling drinking water for the trip and making final preparations to leave for the summit. They will continue climbing northbound and traverse over to join the Normal Route at 6,200 m, a point found between the Independence refuge and Camp Piedras Blancas. From there they will continue on the Normal Route up to the Independence Refuge (6,500 m). They will ascend the "Portezuelo del Viento" where there are always strong winds even on calm days. From there they will pass by the superior part of the Western face and climb "La Canaleta," a 300 m chute that borders the final approach of the climb to the summit. They will travel about an hour through the Filo del Guanaco that leads to the summit. From the Filo del Guanaco they will have an amazing view of the Southern Wall of Mt. Aconcagua, considered one of the largest walls of the world, directly under their feet.

When they reach the summit at 22,841 ft., they will have an indescribable sensation of total satisfaction that they were able to overcome the challenge and meet their goal. They will also be rewarded with a 360° view of the Andes Mountain Range and surrounding area. After sharing these emotional moments of accomplishment on the summit, they will carefully descend to Camp II.

Go for it, guys! And be safe.

Hunkered Down at Camp II (18,400 ft.)

2011-01-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

Scott was hoping that they would go for the summit tomorrow (Monday), but a storm started to roll in yesterday when they left Camp I and it continued today. The blustering wind and snow will keep them grounded at Camp II tomorrow where they will rest up and get organized for their summit bid, which will probably be on Tuesday if the weather clears up. The weather is supposed to improve on Monday or Tuesday, so hopefully they will be able to go for it on Tuesday.

It remains to be seen whether all this new snow will make the Polish Glacier direct route worse or better, so they will decide tomorrow whether they will traverse over the normal route to go up to the summit or straight up to the summit from their current route.

He said they are warm now that they are bundled up in the tent and tucked in their sleeping bags, but their meal tonight consisted of what we would consider to be party appetizers: cheese, sausage, crackers and olives! Since it is a blizzard outside, they can't fire up the cookstove and enjoy a hot meal.

A couple of nights ago he saw a huge lightning storm off in the distance, but he said they did not feel any effects from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Chile (Araucania, Chile ) and parts of neighboring Argentina. The area that was impacted is some 900 miles southwest of Mt. Aconcagua.

Scott will check in again before they go for the summit, so I will post another update then.

Cleared for Take-off

2011-01-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

Scott and Aaron passed their medical checks at Base Camp (13,800 ft.) and spent yesterday resting and acclimating to the elevation before they move upward on the mountain. Scott was in great spirits this evening and told me that it was a beautiful night with a great view of the summit surrounded by stars in the sky.

Today they hiked up to Camp I (15,750 ft.), where they put up a tent and cached some food and supplies. They spent a couple of hours building a "bomb-proof" tent shelter with rocks to protect it from the winds, and he said they both felt strong. On their way back down to Base Camp, Scott said that it snowed a little bit but not much. So far they have been trekking on scree (loose rock), which means that with every step forward you slip backward a few inches. [If you've ever climbed Mt. St. Helen's, then you are very familiar with hiking on scree!] Scott described the hike up to Camp I as a big slog.

Tomorrow they will pack up at Base Camp and move up to Camp I and spend the night there. Part of the acclimation process is to "climb high and sleep low" meaning that in order to help your body adjust to altitude, you sleep at a lower elevation than you have climbed to that day to allow your body to recover at a lower elevation where the air is richer in oxygen. Since they have already been up to CI today and spent the night at a lower elevation, they will be in fine shape to make it up to Camp I tomorrow and then overnight at that level.

I won't hear from Scott again until Sunday when they are at Camp II and ready to go for the summit the next day, but I will post more information tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Safe Arrival at Plaza Argentina (Aconcagua Base Camp)!

2011-01-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

After 6-7 hours of trekking today from Casa de Piedras (10,500 ft.), the guys made it safely to to Plaza Argentina (Base Camp) at 13,800 ft. They checked in with the park rangers and tomorrow they have a medical check with the Base Camp doctors. There have already been several climbers who had to be taken by mules down to lower elevations due to altitude sickness, so the doctors are being very precautious.

Scott said that he likes the Base Camp on this route much better than the one from the normal route that he took in 2008/2009. Their trek has been much more scenic, and they have a good view of the summit from here. Their 3-day trek to Base Camp took them along the edges of the Relincho Stream and to an ascent of a steep slope by the same name. This is where they were able to see the last native vegetation before climbing towards the glaciers, where Plaza Argentina is located.

It has been a really dry winter this year. In fact, Scott & Aaron stayed at a hotel in a very small ski resort in Penitentes (only 3 lifts - just a little bit bigger than Mt. Holly, according to Scott!), and they have had no snow at all there this winter.

It is extremely windy and cold – now that they have their tents set up, they are bundled up and going through their gear to plan what supplies they will cache at each camp along the way. They will be hanging out at Plaza Argentina all day tomorrow to acclimatize and make sure they are healthy and feeling strong before they move to Camp I.

Scott said they have been constantly talking about which route they are going to take – it seems the Polish Glacier is not in good shape because it’s so bare (really just rock & ice due to the lack of snow). This means they would have to set protection, so they would be much slower to summit. He said they will make the final call when they get to Camp II. They could traverse over and pick up the normal route once they are at 21,000 ft. and then head for the summit from there. It would be 1.5-2 hr traverse on rock, so it would be high altitude trekking rather than a technical route.

Scott also said they have met some nice Canadians (are there any other kind?) along the way, though their group is disbursing as some of them have had health issues. However, there are two (a guide and his client) from their group left at Plaza Argentina.

So for tomorrow they will enjoy their great view of the summit – windblown and massive as it is - and they are hoping the weather will clear up when they start climbing again on Thursday. Scott said that yesterday was a bluebird day, so hopefully they will have similar weather for their summit bid.

The dry cold air has been a little rough on his throat, so they are trying to keep drinking hot water. Otherwise, they are feeling strong.

Gentlemen, Meet your Mules

2011-01-02T23:58:00.000-08:00

That's right. While you are checking this update from your smart phone, iPad, or "old-fashioned" MacBook or PC, Scott & Aaron are hiking along with their gear piled onto the backs of mules as they have begun their 3-day trek to Base Camp of Mt. Aconcagua.

Scott was relieved to find out that they are able to trek along with their mules and muleteers (human guides/caretakers for the animals) up to Base Camp since the last time he climbed on this mountain, the mules and his gear took a different route than he did. This time they don't have to be concerned about the gear's safe delivery and they can also get into their packs whenever they need something rather than carefully planning out what might be required for this specific portion of the journey.

After a night in Penitentes, they were transported to the entrance of Aconcagua Park. They took a shuttle to Punta de Vacas, where the muleteers loaded the equipment on the mules and from there they hike to Base Camp, which takes three days. Today they trekked 4-5 hours up to the camp Pampa de Leñas (2950 m/9,200 ft.) where they presented permits to the park rangers, reunited with their equipment and set up the tents. Everything is going very smoothly so far, and everyone is feeling great and in good spirits. Hee haw!

Happy New Year from Mendoza, Argentina!

2010-12-31T23:30:00.000-08:00

Since they are 5 hours ahead of us (Pacific Time), Scott & Aaron have already welcomed in the new year and have nodded off to sleep some time ago. They are staying in a hostel in Mendoza, where they celebrated an Argentinian-style BBQ with their fellow travelers.

I'm happy to report that they made it safely to Argentina, as did all of their luggage, and they successfully obtained their climbing permits, so they are ready to roll. They also did all their shopping (food and fuel for the stoves) this afternoon.

Tomorrow morning at 11am, they leave for Los Penitentes as planned. It will be a 3-4 hour journey and they will spend the night there on Saturday night.

Happy New Year!

2011 Aconcagua Expedition is officially underway!

2010-12-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Scott has reunited with his friend and climbing partner, Aaron Saari, to make another attempt on Mt. Aconcagua over the next couple weeks. Aaron and Scott summited Denali (Mt. McKinley), the highest point in North America, together back in 2007 on May 16, which is also Aaron's birthday. [You can read more about that expedition in the Blog Archive and more info about Aaron in the May 16, 2007 posts.]

They have a LONG travel day ahead of them today. After leaving PDX at 8:30am, they have a couple stops in the U.S. (Texas, Florida) before they land tomorrow morning in Santiago, Chile and then finally in Mendoza, Argentina at 10:30am on New Year's Eve day. Whew!

The first hurdle will be to make sure all the bags containing critical climbing gear made it safely, and the second will be to make it to the Visitor's Center in Mendoza in time to acquire their climbing permit in person for Mt. Aconcagua! (It seems not everything can be done online! The office closes early for New Year's Eve, so it's important that their flight arrives on time so the guys can get there before they close up shop.)

Scott has rented a satellite phone, and he plans to call at least every other day with a brief update. So stay tuned and hope for safe and timely travels for both the guys and their gear!

Back Home Safe in Portland on 1/11/09

2009-01-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

After leaving the mountain and a day of recovery at 9,000 ft., Scott felt back to full-strength, other than the disappointment that he had to abandon the climb, and then he had a week to explore other areas of Argentina.

He spent 3 days in the small resort town of Malagrue checking out a lagoon, Las Lenas - a ski area, some volcanoes, and a cool cave where he did some spelunking.

(photo of cache drop at Camp II- 17,700 ft. )

Then he headed to the Cordon del Plata mountain range near the Andes hoping to get good views of Aconcagua. He made it to the summit of San Bernardo Peak (13,500 ft.), but unfortunately the weather did not provide a clear view of the "Big A." While camping in this area, there were some vicious storms (hail, thunder and lightning). Later we found out that this same storm resulted in a blinding snowstorm and an avalanche on Aconcagua. If Scott's original schedule had gone as planned, this would have been the time that Scott would have been descending from the summit of Aconcagua and could have been caught in this storm. In hindsight, it's a blessing that he was camped out in a different mountain range an hour away at 10,200 ft. rather than at 19,000 ft. on Aconcagua.

Below is a picture from the summit of San Bernardo and a couple photos from the approach to Aconcagua.

The rest of his pictures from the trip can be found on http://www.mountainwaz.shutterfly.com/

Change of Plans - due to altitude sickness

2009-01-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

The delay in updates was due to high altitude sickness, but Scott is okay now. The climb is off, however. MountainWaz Aconcagua Expedition (MWAE) will have to be continued another year.

After several successful major expeditions and first attempt summits, Scott suffered a setback this time, but most importantly he is safe and has fully recovered.

After making it up to Camp II (17,552 ft.) to deliver a load of supplies, he felt strong and returned to Base Camp (14K) to sleep as planned. (Sleeping at a lower elevation helps your body adjust to elevation.) The next day he hiked up to Camp I (16K) and set up his tent there for the night. During the night he felt a gurgling in his chest, which is a sign of the onset of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Wisely, Scott descended as quickly as possible back to Base Camp, which is the best prescription for HAPE. There he visited the doctor at the medical tent and was diagnosed with HAPE. Presumably they treated him there with oxygen and Diamox, a prescription medication that Scott took with him that helps the lungs expand rather than constrict as they react to the lack of oxygen and leak of fluid from blood vessels into the lungs.

The medical staff there insisted that a helicopter be used to transport Scott to an even lower altitude at that time, so they took him to Puenta del Inca (or base village) at ~9,000 ft to fully recover. There he was able to contact me where he waited for his muleteer and mule to bring his gear down the mountain and meet him. After one more night of rest at this lower altitude, he felt stronger the following day.

Then he was able to take the 4-hr. bus ride back to Mendoza, where he strongly considered trying to change his plane ticket and fly home early. Due to some language barrier difficulties and the fact that he is now fully recovered, he decided to remain there for the rest of his scheduled stay. He's spending some time south of Mendoza now until he leaves next Saturday (arriving home in Portland as scheduled next Sunday).

There are no long-term effects from HAPE, and he won't have any greater tendency to experience it in the future. It's not fitness-based and some high altitude medical experts say it often happens to young, fit climbers on the 2nd night at high elevation, which perfectly fits Scott's situation in this instance. It's a random occurance, and he has never experienced any severe altitude sickness in his climbing experience to date. Hopefully this was the 1st & only!

Thanks for your support and prayers. I am thankful that he was able to make good decisions in a very difficult situation, and that he is returning home safely, which we both agreed was his most important mission in this expedition.

Safe Arrival at Base Camp, mule included

2008-12-29T14:43:00.000-08:00

I just got a call from Scott about an hour ago, and he is at base camp and feeling good. His muleteer and mule met him there with a large portion of his gear. Tomorrow he will make a trip up to Camp II with a load of supplies to stash behind some rocks for him to use when he reaches that point. He'll spend another night down at Base Camp as part of the acclimatization process (so his body gets used to the altitude).

Though there are several other climbing parties there, the language barrier is a factor, so he will be climbing the Normal Route rather than traversing the Polish Glacier.

We figured out that he is 5 hours ahead of Pacific Time in the region of Argentina where he is located. I should get another call from him in about 5-6 days after he has successfully reached the summit and makes it safely back to Base Camp.

In the meantime, he is using the Spot tracker to send me "okay" messages every day so that I know he's alright. He also has a "help" message programmed in that he can send me if I needed to contact the ranger with his exact coordinates, but let's hope I don't ever get to see that message. I copied a link to this post that shows his last coordinates, so you can see where he's at on Google maps if you're interested. (just click on the title of this post) Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts!

Aconcagua Expedition - '08/'09

2008-12-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! Scott leaves tomorrow afternoon for Argentina, where he will embark on a climbing expedition to the highest point in South America. Aconcagua stands tall at 22,841 ft. in the midst of the Andes mountain range, where there are eight other major peaks over 22K. Aconcagua is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere, and it is located in western Argentina near the border of Chile.

Here are some pictures of Scott and I at the highest point in Costa Rica during our vacation this Thanksgiving. Reportedly you can see both the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans from the top of Mt. Chirripo (12,530 ft.), but unfortunately it was much too rainy and cloudy for us to get a view, but all 3 of us made it safely to the top - Scott, Dana and Bambino!

Team Shasta/Core Concepts at the finish line

2008-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Photos by Shan Weatherbee, Support Crew Lead

Congratulations on a 19th place finish!

Congratulations Team Shasta/Core Concepts!

2008-07-02T11:15:00.001-07:00

Photo compliments of the PQ website:

http://www.ecoprimalquest.com/wp-primal/pq/

(photographer unspecified)

Woohoo! They have crossed the finish line - great job, team! It should be a Top 20 finish, which is just amazing. Congratulations and we're very proud of you: Chad, Mark, Scott and Tracey!

Thank you again to the dedicated support crew for their undying efforts. Great job!

Team Shasta/Core Concepts #16 (http://team16.ecoprimalquest.com/):

Chad Markle - Salt Lake City, UT

Mark Henderson - Reno, NV

Tracey Robertson - Carmel, NY (native of Scotland)

Scott Wazny - Portland, OR

Support Crew:

Shan Weatherbee - Portland, OR

Jim Wazny - Selmer, TN

Andy Garza- Bozeman, MT

Bring 'em home!

2008-07-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the race to the finish is ON! They are cruising on this final bike leg and have even passed a team who had a headstart on them by skipping the ropes section, and now they're closing the gap on another team in that situation. You can tell they are motivated to cross that finish line.

Thanks for all your support of the team. I know it means a lot to them, and they'll be reading the blog and all your comments once they are back home and well-rested.

We are all proud of them for finishing such a grueling race course together - what an accomplishment! It will be interesting to hear all the war stories when they get home.

Compliments of the PQ website - here's Team Shasta trekking along with the Dirty Avocados II
(photos by Mike Hedge)

On the Road Again

2008-07-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Team Shasta/Core Concepts left the final Transition Area at Ennis Lake at ~7am MT, so they are now biking their way to the finish line on the final 27-mile leg of the race.

Almost there now - can you feel it?!

Check out this picture of Tracey in the Gallatin River from the PQ website - she's buoyant as always! You'll have to ask her later why she's sporting another team's # on her PFD. I'm sure there's a good story behind it.

(photo by Wouter Kingma)

Have a Coke and a smile!

2008-07-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Looks like Mark found some refreshment!

(photo by Wouter Kingma - PQ website:)

Update on Team #16: no official word yet but it looks like they are at Lake Ennis getting ready to mount their bikes and ride 'em on home.

The PQ Leaderboard is still incorrect - they should be in 20th place just behind Dancing Pandas (#78).

Inching toward Ennis

2008-07-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

No word yet whether the team has reached the final TA at Ennis Lake, but I will definitely post an update as soon as I receive one. Shan is on high alert, and I just sent him a text message to check in, but the support crew must be resting up for their big arrival.

Reportedly it's actually a tight squeeze for support crews to beat their teams back to the finish line since it's an 80-mile drive from the last TA back to Big Sky Resort, while the racers take a more direct route and bike ~23 miles to the same destination.

In the meantime, you've probably already perused the thousands of photos on the PQ website - there are actually quite a few of Team Shasta, so I pasted a link in this post to Mike Bitton's blog and photo of our team trekking to the ropes course. Mike is a local Portlander, outdoor enthusiast, photojournalist extraordinaire, and blogger to the stars.

Hope you're all getting some good sleep in honor of the team - it won't be long now...
http://www.checkpointzero.com/primalquest/2008/07/shasta-treks-to-ropes.cfm

What's that smell?

2008-07-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's not just the rank stench of sweat, dirt and blood....sniff again! It's the finish line.

Yes, folks, they're darn close to it - my sources estimate that Team Shasta/Core Concepts will cross the line around 4-5am MT tomorrow morning. They are more than halfway finished with the FINAL and somewhat brutal 38-mile trek. (Do I hear the sound of cheering?) The support crew is already at the last TA /CP30-Ennis Lake waiting for the team, where they will get some quick refreshment, load up on some sandwiches and take off on the bikes for the home stretch of the race, a fairly easy 27-mile bike ride to the finish line at Big Sky ski resort. Woohoo!

If you are wondering why it looks like they are bringing up the rear on the leaderboard, it is because some teams behind them were "short-coursed," meaning that they were in danger of missing the time cutoffs and finishing the course before the deadline on Weds., so race officials sent them directly to the finish line. Other teams opted to skip the "O" course (orienteering - plotting & finding checkpoints for "extra credit") and the ropes course. It's hard for me to imagine any team voluntarily skipping the ropes course since that is usually the racers' favorite part!

It may take some time for the leaderboard to display correctly, but Team Shasta has not been short-coursed and the reason that some of the teams behind them have already crossed the finish line or are ahead of them is that they skipped the whole Storm Castle loop (including the O course and ropes).

Team Shasta/Core Concepts experienced some drama on the ropes section last night. It rained a little yesterday and just after they ascended to the top of the buttress and were ready to rappel down, it started to lightning. So they enjoyed a couple hours' rest after the arduous ascent and waited out the weather until they could rap down!

They hiked back to Storm Castle last night around 10pm and napped for a couple hours before hitting the trail. You'll notice that they are still fairly close to Xtreme Couture (#44) and Dancing Pandas (#78). It has taken most teams 20-24 hrs to reach the finish line from Storm Castle.

Health update: Scott's feet feel better; Chad has a pretty bad blister; both Tracey & Mark have swollen legs, undoubtedly from all the time they have spent on their feet. With that said, they are all in good spirits and are determined (read: stubborn) to complete the entire course.

Go team go! Oh, one more note - check out the PQ site for some good pics of Team Shasta "on the ropes": (Thanks, Robin!) http://www.ecoprimalquest.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=0

Hike to Bike

2008-06-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Team Shasta/Core Concepts made their way back to Storm Castle (now considered CP28/TA13-unmanned), and they're now trekking 11 miles through the night to CP29-Spanish Creek and then on to the final manned Transition Area: TA14-Ennis Lake. This is where our trusty support crew will be waiting for them with the mountain bikes, where the team will take off for the final 23 miles of the Primal Quest epic adventure race.

They're still right around 19th-20th place, which would put them in the top third of the field if they stay on this pace. That would be a great finish!

In the absence of any detailed reports on their progress, you may find it interesting that they have been craving junk food at most of the TAs. Chef Shan has been cooking up some breakfast burritos that they are particularly fond of, and he made them hamburgers yesterday as a change from their usual pasta, and they've been enjoying sandwiches along the trail. I'm sure they will all come home with a healthy appetite for their favorite foods. Ice cream, anyone?

It will be interesting to see the video downloads from their helmet cam as well. I'm not sure how often they've been turning it on this late in the race, but hopefully there are some good shots of the riverboarding section at least!

Stay tuned and keep cheering them on to the very end - almost there!

En Route to Storm Castle

2008-06-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

The team was a little slower than expected as they arrived at TA11-Gallatin Rec. Area. They took a trail that added a few more miles, rather than another route that turned out to be shorter. Of course they took the longer route - like 515 miles isn't enough, guys? Bring it on!

They got a couple hours' sleep after checking in at 3:16pm (4:16pm MT) and pedaled off into the sunset a few hours ago. Reportedly they looked a little tired when they trapsed into the TA, but Scott seemed to have a little more energy now that the end is in sight. The whole team seems to be getting along great, which is amazing considering they just met their 4th teammate at Big Sky 2 days before the race. They were all jovial at the last TA, making jokes with each other - demonstrating the true spirit of adventure racing.

After the bike leg, they will drop the bikes at TA12 (CP25)-Storm Castle and head out for a 38-mile trek, including an incredible ropes ascent and rappel and an orienteering course. The "O course" is optional but each flag they locate means extra credit in the form of minutes shaved off their total time on the course. Following that section, the team will return to Storm Castle as CP28 before they set out on one final bike leg that is 23 miles in length and will lead them to the finish line at Big Sky Resort. Anticipated finish time for Team #16 is Wednesday a.m.

Go Team go!

Busting trail to Bridger Creek

2008-06-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Since the team's SPOT tracker doesn't seem to be up to speed, you should know that the team is likely nearing CP22-Bridger Creek and from there it's just 4 miles to CP23/TA11-Gallatin Rec. Area where the support crew is waiting for them with their bikes and some nourishment.

Generally, Team Shasta/Core Concepts has been traveling between Teams Xtreme Couture (#44) and the Dancing Pandas (#78), so they are consistently around 18th place at this point. I wonder if this means the team will finish the race with a new-found affinity for black & white Chinese fashions? :-)

Seriously, we should have some more details in a few hours if I hear from the support crew.

Keep cheering them on in spirit! Thank you for all the support - it means a lot.

Along the Ridge and Through the Woods

2008-06-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

Scott, Chad, Mark and Tracey pedaled into TA10-Springhill this morning between 8:30-9am and slept a few hours before setting off into the Bridger Mountains. Within this ~25 mile trekking stage, they will go through CP21-Sacagawea and CP22-Bridger Creek. Once they reach CP23/TA11-Gallatin Rec. Area, they will get back on the mountain bikes for about 50 miles. Then they have an orienteering and a ropes course to look forward to - departing from and returning to TA12/TA13-Storm Castle, which will be unmanned by the support crew.

Speaking of which, it's important to recognize the dedicated support crew - they barely manage to get more sleep than the racers and spend countless hours of packing, unpacking, reorganizing, preparing, shopping, cooking, administering blister care and fetching whatever piece of gear the racers may need and inevitably cannot find. They are truly the unsung heroes! Thank you Shan, Andy and Jim.

Everyone on Team Shasta/Core Concepts is pretty strong and in relatively good health. They are "pretty tired" at this point - who wouldn't be?! But they are looking good and they're on the home stretch now. I'm told that Tracey is the "go-getter" of the group, which doesn't surprise me after meeting her the weekend before the race. She has a fiery spirit that can't be surpressed. Go Team Shasta/Core Concepts - you're almost there!

Springhill has been sprung!

2008-06-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Team Shasta/Core Concepts has rolled into TA10-Springhill (aka CP20)! More news to come...

Camping at Cottonwood!

2008-06-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Good news - they made it to TA9-Cottonwood (CP18) at about 6:30pm!

It looks like the SPOT tracker is not keeping up with our team's blistering pace - and I do mean blistering. The 145 miles that they have covered on foot so far have really taken a toll on their tootsies. They are napping briefly, and then they'll take off on their mountain bikes for 85 miles through CP19-Ringling until they reach TA9 - Springhill where they will meet up with the support crew again tomorrow morning. It should take them about 6 hours to reach Springhill. From there, it's back on their feet for a trek in the Bridger Mountains. The plan is to do that during the daytime so they can enjoy the good views, so the sooner they reach Springhill, the more rest they'll get.

Unfortunately, the local Montana team (Team Big Sky/Flathead Beacon) had to withdraw from the race. Two of the team members were a husband-wife couple and her feet were in such bad shape that they decided not to continue.

Go Team Shasta/Core Concepts! You're over halfway there now.

Otter Creek - Transition Area 7

2008-06-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

Photos by Shan (Support Crew Captain):

Crazies in the Crazy Mountains

2008-06-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who think these Primal Quest racers must not have all their faculties for voluntarily submitting to this degree of suffering, your suspicions have been confirmed. The members of Team Shasta/Core Concepts are literally in the Crazy Mountains right now. They are nearing CP17 - Campfire Lake. Once this trekking leg is completed, they will have hiked 145 miles - only about 50 miles on foot remaining in the race.

If you noticed that the team seemed to be stuck just before CP12 the other night, it was because their Spot tracking device got turned off somehow. Rest assured, they were still making progress, albeit a little slower in the dark amidst some rugged terrain and gain in elevation.

The team reached CP13-Cabella early Thursday morning and got about 4 hours of rest. Their feet are a bit blistered, as you may imagine after all the trekking they've done so far and cramming their swollen feet into bike shoes isn't the most comfortable, either. But they are all in good spirits and are hanging tough and holding steady in the range of 18-20th place.

Mountain biking is definitely an area of strength for the team - they covered 75 miles in about six hours today, so they made up some ground. At this point in the race, the teams are really starting to spread out as you can tell from the tracking topo map, though some of them are still within close range of each other.

The next TA(#8-Timber Creek) is unmanned - bikes were dropped there for the teams to pick up, so our support crew won't see them again until TA9/CP18-Cottonwood. Stay tuned - I hope to receive some pictures to upload tomorrow! GO TEAM SHASTA/CORE CONCEPTS! Thanks for all your support - I've been relaying it to the team through our trusty support crew.

Yellowstone River Section Removed

2008-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Due to the dangerous conditions on the river with the high water levels, race course directors have made the decision to eliminate the kayak section on the Yellowstone River since it is cresting. The original plan was for the teams to mountain bike the 17-mile leg to TA6 in Emigrant where they were originally going to transition to river kayaks. Now they will just stay on their mountain bikes and keep pedaling along to TA 7.

Another fun photo of Team Shasta/Core Concepts was posted on the Primal Quest website! This picture was taken by Jessica Hill, the daughter of a PQ volunteer.

Here's Scott and Mark navigating the Gallatin River yesterday - nice shot, Jessica!

Riverboarding at its best!

2008-06-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

Looks like Scott is having some fun (or is that the look of terror?!) careening down the Gallatin River in some ice cold water!

Photo by Tim Holmstrom

Wild Whitewater on the Gallatin River

2008-06-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

So if you aren't completely addicted to following this expedition adventure race yet, stop reading. For those of you who are hooked, you've been checking this website for an update all day long wondering what's going on and why Team #16 appeared to stall out after CP8!

Without further ado, I finally have an update...Support crew captain Shan reported that the Team was in 18th place when they arrived at the river early this a.m. around 4:30. The team got a few hours of rest before the Dark Zone was lifted on the river. Incidentally while they were trekking last night, they missed the route with the bridge, so they crossed a river in waist-deep water. Fortunately the support crew brought a heat lamp that helped warm them up.

As suspected, the river was wild & crazy today, so much so that some racers were getting dragged under water, lost their riverboards downstream, and ultimately race organizers closed the riverboarding section. But not until after our Team Shasta mustered through it. Not far from House Rock (where they required teams to exit the water and portage past the raging rapid), Tracey got separated from the team in the water. They were instructed to stay to the left and the water whisked her over to the left and she couldn't get back across to the other side. So she ended up climbing ashore and hiking downstream to meet up with the guys - very resourceful, that Team Shasta.

All's well that ends well, so our team is headed out on the next trekking section with a few blisters but otherwise in good condition. They have about 40 miles to hike before they get to climb on the mountain bikes and then paddle the kayaks. They will be glad to rest their feet!

Enjoy these pictures and stay tuned for more Primal Quest updates!

Race to the River (CP 7 - Sage Creek)

2008-06-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

The lead teams have already reached Checkpoint 7 where the Dark Zone was enforced at nightfall, so they are getting some mandatory rest until first light before they can paddle the inflatable kayaks ("Duckies") down the river.

Team Shasta / Core Concepts is probably about halfway through the 70 miles of trekking to reach the river as they should be nearing Checkpoint 6 - Cinnamon Mountain. From there it's still another 45 miles to "reach the beach."

I heard from Shan who is heading up the support crew for Team Shasta. He said that they reached the TA after about 2.5 hours to the top of Lone Peak and back. Not too shabby. Shan will be sending me some more pictures soon as well.

It looks like they have vascillated between #15-20 for most of the day and right now they may be traveling with Dave Russell's team Oceanic Interactive since they checked in at CP 5 - West Fork within 10 minutes of each other. (Dave, Scott & Chad raced together in PQ '06 - Moab.)

Pre-Race Photos

2008-06-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Final Pre-race Report directly from Team Shasta

2008-06-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

Scott called this a.m. to report that Team Shasta/Core Concepts is all set to begin the race. After all the mandatory pre-race meetings, teams spent the rest of the evening familiarizing themselves as much as possible with the course maps they received.

He said that this course is going to have them trekking the majority of the time - here's the overall breakdown: 198 miles on foot, 205 miles of mountain biking, 10 miles of orienteering, 65 miles of paddling on the Yellowstone River, 9 miles of riverboarding and 15 miles rafting in 2-person inflatable "Duckies" for a grand total of 515 miles of expedition adventure racing fun!

Right out of the gate, they will head up to the summit of Lone Peak (which Scott equated to climbing from the Palmer chair lift at Timberline Ski Resort to the top of Mt. Hood - he & I did that in May!). Then the teams will have a 30-mile trek down the river, where they will first raft in the Duckies and then riverboard the infamous House Rock Class IV rapids. Following the water section, they will be trekking again. Scott doesn't expect them to be doing any biking until Day 3 since the first mountain bike leg isn't until Checkpoint (CP) 12.

Scott said he hoped they would be in the Duckies tomorrow morning, and he mentioned that the race directors are enforcing strict dark zones on every water section (or "leg") for safety. That means if the teams don't reach the water by a certain cut-off time each night, then those teams will be forced to overnight on shore and wait for daylight to begin that river leg.

Pre-Race Pics

2008-06-22T22:00:00.001-07:00

Check-in successful

2008-06-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

After a slight flight delay in arriving to Montana, Scott & Shan made it to Big Sky Resort on Sat. a.m., the HQ for this year's Primal Quest race. Throughout Sat & Sun, all 82 teams were subjected to gear checks and skills tests. Each team was also issued a SPOT device, which will be used to track its whereabouts throughout the race for safety and for our entertainment.

Racers had to don their climbing gear and demonstrate their proficiency by ascending to the top of a ski resort chair lift. Scott said that Team Shasta received special kudos for their climbing gear set-up, which I told him should be expected given his mountaineering experience!

Teams also had to prove their water skills by righting a tipped kayak in a lake and passing hypothermia tests since the water temperatures are expected to be frigid, given all the late snow in the mountains this year.

The Pre-Race Meeting for all teams was held on Sunday where teams received course maps and a briefing from course directors on rules and safety. Race start begins Monday at 10am MT.

Primal Quest '08 - Montana

2008-06-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

Countdown to PQ Montana 2008 (June 23 - July 2):
2 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes, 58 seconds

Extended Weather Forecast - Big Sky Meadow Village, MT
Weather Warnings
Today - Jun 20: T-storms / Hi: 71° Lo: 42°
Day: Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 71F, humidity 20%. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Night: Mostly cloudy skies. Low 42F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow - Jun 21: AM Thunderstorms / Hi: 78° Lo: 42°
Day: Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 78F, humidity 15%. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Night: Cloudy skies. Low 42F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday, Jun 22: T-storms / Hi: 75° Lo: 37°
Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 75F and low 37F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.

Monday, Jun 23: T-storms / Hi: 71° Lo: 40°
Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 71F and low 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday, Jun 24: T-storms / Hi: 75° Lo: 42°
Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 75F and low 42F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday, Jun 25: T-storms / Hi: 75° Lo: 40°
Slight chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 75F and low 40F.

Thursday, Jun 26: T-storms / Hi: 72° Lo: 44°
Chance of thunder with light rain showers. High 72F and low 44F.

Friday, Jun 27: Cloudy / PM Sun / Hi: 80° Lo: 54°
Cloudy skies. High 80F and low 54F.

Saturday, Jun 28: Fair / Hi: 86° Lo: 58°
Mostly clear skies. High 86F and low 58F.

Sunday, Jun 29: Fair / Hi: 91° Lo: 58°
Mostly clear skies. High 91F and low 58F.

Denali Summit

2007-08-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Scott and Aaron atop Mt. McKinley
May 16, 2007
20,320 feet
(highest point in North America)

For more photos, go to:
http://www.mountainwaz.shutterfly.com

Happy at the Hostel in Talkeetna

2007-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to report that we are all (Scott, Aaron, April & I) enjoying our reunion here in Talkeetna. I arrived in Anchorage late last night thanks to my sister Nicole's fast packing assistance and airport shuttle service! April picked me up and we stayed at their friend Brent's Bed & Breakfast. This a.m. we drove to Talkeetna where April & I took an incredible plane ride tour of Mount McKinley. It was absolutely unbelievable. We had gorgeous views of the entire Alaskan range, including Mt. Foraker (17,400 ft.) and Mt. Hunter (14,573 ft.). It was so beautiful and amazing to see where they climbed. We were in a small Cessna plane with 8 people total, including our pilot. Once we got above 14,000 ft., our pilot Erica had us all put on our oxygen masks since the small plane's cabin wasn't pressurized. Then we also got a tour of the Ruth Glacier and the Gorge area, including some close-ups of 6,000 ft. granite walls. Unbelievable!

So we are enjoying 70 degree weather here in Talkeetna and Scott & I are looking forward to beginning our vacation together. April & Aaron leave for Anchorage tomorrow and then are headed to the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan for his sister's graduation.

Can't wait to share the pictures with you all! Take care!

Scott & Aaron Safe at Camp IV - Ready to Descend Sat. / Sad News for Other Pacific Northwest Climbers

2007-05-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Scott called me tonight to let me know that they are still at 14,200 ft. after making 2 trips back up to 16,000 ft. to pick up their cache of stored food & supplies. He was in great spirits and assured me that he and Aaron are both doing great physically and feeling healthy. He told me that one of his crampons broke today, but he was able to fix it thankfully. He mentioned that they were offloading as much food as possible to other climbers, including one from Norway, so we have a place to stay next time we're in Norway. I teased him that he is an excellent negotiator - free room & board for some Ramen noodles - not bad! He also said that it was "warm" today, and I asked what that meant temperature-wise, and he said it's zero degrees! But compared to -25 with 50 mph winds (and not just like in the Midwest where you don't spend more than 15 min. outside in that type of weather!), he said it felt almost tropical. They are looking forward to getting down to Base Camp where the forecast is 35 degrees, where Scott said they would "swelter"! Ha, ha!

Tomorrow they hope to descend all the way to the landing strip (Base Camp) on the Kahiltna Glacier and fly back to Talkeetna on the 20th or 21st, where I will meet them on the 21st! Thank you to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
On a sad note, I have to mention the events of today on the mountain that I don't think even Scott & Aaron were aware of yet. Members of the Denali mountaineering ranger patrol witnessed 2 climbers fall almost 2,000 ft. from about 19,000 ft. down to 17,200 ft. The climbers were roped up together as a safety precaution, which helps gives them a chance to stop themselves by plunging their ice axe into the mtn. ("self-arrest") in the event of a fall. Unfortunately, one of the climbers died as a result of the fall, and her climbing partner survived the night, but did not regain consciousness and died today. These climbers were from Washington - what sad news, especially for the Pacific Northwest.

Safe at Camp V (17,200 ft.)

2007-05-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update from the guys - they descended safely from the summit (20,320 ft.) to Camp V (17,200 ft.) last night and left around noon today for Camp IV (14,200 ft.). They plan to spend the night there tonight and make it down to Base Camp by Friday. Once they reach Base Camp, they have to wait for good weather to fly from the Kahiltna Glacier back to Talkeetna. If the weather is good, they could catch a flight on Friday night or Saturday.

I can't believe they summited within 10 days of landing at Base Camp on May 6! Truly amazing.

I found a great website from PBS with a feature on Denali - great for kids to learn about mountain climbing and fun for adults, too! http://pbskids.org/nova/denali/where.html The "Body Breakdowns" link is great to see how the altitude and living outside in such harsh conditions during a climbing expedition on Denali takes its toll on you.

Just to give some context to what Aaron and Scott have just accomplished, this is a list of the highest points on each continent, commonly known as the "Seven Summits."

Excerpt from the PBS NOVA site:

"What are the "Seven Summits?"
The world has seven continents, each with its highest mountain peak. It is becoming more and more popular for climbers to try and climb all seven summits, which are also known as the Seven Sisters. Only a handful of people has succeeded. To reach the top of any of these is a huge achievement.

The continental Seven Summits are well known because of the popular challenge to conquer them all, but the world's highest peaks—those that reach 8,000+ meters (over 26,000 feet)—are all found in the Eastern Hemisphere, in the Himalayan and the Karakoram mountain ranges of Nepal and Pakistan."

Summit Success! 5/16/07 4:30-5:00pm ADT (5:30-6 PT)

2007-05-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

WOOHOO! They made it! Sorry for the delayed info, but I was en route when Scott called me from the summit of Mount McKinley! He was very excited to report that they had a tough day, but they made it to the highest point in North America! They celebrated Aaron's birthday by reaching the summit and they were very fortunate to have clear weather and great views from the peak! They took lots of pictures on the summit. I can't wait to see them!

We lost connection not long after that, but Aaron was able to reach April, so she could wish him a happy birthday, and he could share the summit news personally with her!

Given that they were several hours behind Scott's planned summit time, I only expect them to make it back down to Camp V tonight, and hopefully the weather holds, and they make it back down to 17,200 ft. safely. Ideally, they were hoping to make it down to Camp IV tonight, but that's a lot of ground to cover considering their summit time. At least daylight is not an issue, since it really doesn't get dark in Alaska this time of year. They have ~18 hours of daylight and then it should be like dusk the rest of the night. But I imagine they are exhausted.

Keep them in your thoughts and I will update you when I hear from him again!

Anxiously awaiting news!

2007-05-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Still no word yet...not sure if they didn't have reception or battery power to call from the summit, if they had some issues and have to try tomorrow, or if they decided to leave the sat phone behind at Camp V to save weight, but I will let you know when we hear some news!

In the meantime, here are some statistics for you and the latest weather report for today:

WEDNESDAY...HIGH AT 17,000 FT...15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW.WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...EAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH..WEDNESDAY NIGHT...LOW AT 17,000 FT...25 BELOW TO 30 BELOW.WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH..THURSDAY...HIGH AT 17,000 FT...15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW.
WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH.
OUTLOOK FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SUMMIT WINDS NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH.SATURDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SUMMIT WINDS NORTHEAST 20 TO 30 MPH.SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SUMMIT WINDS SOUTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH.

Happy Birthday, Aaron!

2007-05-16T07:30:00.001-07:00

Many of you have asked me about Scott's climbing partner for this expedition, so this post is all about Aaron Saari since today is his 32nd birthday! Hopefully he will get to celebrate from the top of Mount McKinley today!

Residence: Aaron grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so and his other 5 siblings are "Yoopers." He lived in Portland, OR for a time before moving to Park City, UT (7,000 ft. elevation!) in 2006 where the training center for the US Ski Team is located. Aaron lives with his girlfriend, April, and his golden retriever, Denali.

Occupation: Physical Therapist for the US Ski Team: Nordic (Cross Country, Nordic Combined, and Special Jumping). He travels with the team internationally for World Cup US Ski Team competitions, managing injuries and acting as a first responder for trauma on the hill. Aaron plans to be with the team in Vancouver, BC at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Outdoor Interests: Aaron enjoys the snow and outdoors by mountaineering, cross-country and alpine skiing, running, rock climbing, and holing up in snow caves. He has competed in many of his own long distance cross-country ski races, many of them 50K’s.

Other Hobbies: Sings, plays guitar, and even writes his own little ditties when no one’s looking.

Climbing Experience/Successful Summits: Mt Superior, Utah (11,040 ft.) - April 2007 summit with ski descent with Billy Demong (2007 Nordic Combined World Championship Silver Medalist); Mt. Rainer, Washington (14,410 ft.); Mt. Hood, Oregon (11,249 ft.) - multiple summits (Routes: South side, Sunshine Route with Ski Descent, Cooper Spur); South Sister, Oregon (10,358 ft.); Middle Sister, Oregon; Mt. Adams, Washington (12, 276 ft.) - multiple summits

At Camp V - Going for the Summit Wednesday

2007-05-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Great news! Scott called tonight and said he was looking out over the beautiful Alaskan range. They made it up to Camp V at 17,200 ft. yesterday. It was a long day after carrying a very heavy load up to that altitude and then setting up camp, which is quite the ordeal of cutting blocks and creating a snow wall to shelter the tent from wind. How exhausting! He said it is "ridiculously" cold with a high of 20 below! Just imagine living outside for 2 weeks at those cold temperatures with no hot shower to look forward to or a chance to warm up really except lying in your sleeping bag and waking up with icicles inside your tent! Brrrr...

They are excited to make a summit bid Wednesday morning and are leaving Camp V at 8am, hoping to reach the summit around 1-2pm ADT. There are 2 other groups that were at Camp V with them yesterday and 2 more who reached that point today, so there are about 10-15 climbers making a summit attempt tomorrow a.m.

They have a steep section to climb up to Denali Pass (18,200 ft.) without much chance to pass by other climbers, but then up on the ridge it opens up to an area Scott called "the football field," and then they will reach the summit ridge after that and make their way up to the peak at 20,320 ft.! How exciting! I'll post the updated weather report in the morning.

No word yet - weather holding 'til Weds. night

2007-05-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

We haven't heard from the guys yet, but Scott had told me it would be Tues. or Weds. before he called again. It looks like the latest weather forecast shows the front moving in Weds. night, so there is a good chance that they are getting in position to move up to Camp V today, rest there at 17,200 ft. tonight and go for the summit Weds. a.m. Of course, I am just speculating and will let you know once we get word from them!

Here's the new weather forecast:
SYNOPSIS...A WEATHER FRONT NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN WILL WEAKEN TODAY. NORTHEAST WINDS OVER THE SUMMIT WILL INCREASE WEDS. NIGHT AND THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN MOVES SOUTHWARD.
...ABOVE 14,000 FT....TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY.HIGH AT 17,000 FT...15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW.WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTH 15 TO 25 MPH..TUESDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY.LOW AT 17,000 FT...25 BELOW TO 30 BELOW.WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...EAST 10 TO 20 MPH..WEDNESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY.HIGH AT 17,000 FT...15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW.WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...NORTHEAST 30 TO 45 MPH..
OUTLOOK THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. SUMMIT WINDS NORTHEAST 30 TO 45 MPH. FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SUMMIT WINDS NORTHEAST 30 TO 45 MPH. SATURDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SUMMIT WINDS VARIABLE 5 TO 15 MPH.

Weather Forecast

2007-05-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Good news...it looks like the guys might have a good chance after the front blows through! Brr...it's cold, though! Hopefully they can get a shot at the summit and can get back down to lower elevations where it's a bit warmer.

SYNOPSIS...A WEATHER FRONT WILL APPROACH THE MOUNTAIN FROM THE SOUTH TONIGHT AND MOVE NORTHWEST OF THE MOUNTAIN TUESDAY

ABOVE 14,000 FT....MONDAY NIGHT...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW LIKELY. LOW AT 17,000 FT: 30 BELOW ZERO. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHEAST 40 MPH..

TUESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY.HIGH AT 17,000 FT: 20 BELOW ZERO. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHEAST 25 MPH..

OUTLOOK WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. EAST WINDS 25 MPH INCREASING TO 40 MPH THURS AND CONTINUING FRIDAY.

Update Sunday evening - Preparing to Move

2007-05-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Aaron called April tonight, and he was in really good spirits and said Scott was doing well also.

The guys are still at Camp IV, however they were able to bring a cache up to 16,200 feet today. Aaron said it's really windy at the top of the ridge there, estimating the winds at 50 mph and the temperature as 10 to 20 degrees below zero during the day.

They hadn't received the updated weather report yet tonight but heard earlier that there is a chance of snow tomorrow. Aaron said that today's forecast included a "chance of snow" as well, and the weather wasn't too bad. They are both acclimatized to 14,200 feet now, though Aaron said he could feel the difference in altitude going up to 16,200 feet today.

If weather permits, they will move up to Camp V at 17,200 feet tomorrow, which would prepare them for a summit attempt on the 16th. The guys said they'll call again either from Camp V or from the summit!

Here's the weather report for the mountain as of 11:30am today (Alaska time):
ABOVE 14,000 FT - SUNDAY NIGHT: MOSTLY CLOUDY; LOW AT 17,000 FT: -30; WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT: SOUTH 30 TO 40 MPH
MONDAY:MOSTLY CLOUDY; HIGH AT 17,000 FT: -20; WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHEAST 25 TO 35 MPH..
OUTLOOK TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: CHANCE OF SNOW TUESDAY. PARTLY CLOUDY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.SUMMIT WINDS: TUESDAY...SOUTH 10 TO 20. WEDNESDAY...NORTHEAST 15 INCREASING TO 45 BY EVENING. THURSDAY...NORTH 25 TO 40.

Waiting for Good Weather at Camp IV

2007-05-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Scott called last night to tell me that they were spending their 3rd night at 14,200 ft. On Friday they went down to 13,500 ft. to pick up supplies from their cache buried in the snow.

They had 6" of snow at Camp IV and when I asked if they were cold, he said it was "chilly"! He gave kudos to Aaron for being one heck of a chef, so it sounds like they are well-fed. They are hoping to take a load up to Camp V today if there is a break in the weather. The next window of decent weather looks to be Wednesday, though, so they might try to sneak up higher and take a shot at the summit on Weds. if the weather allows.

He said the hardest part so far was climbing between Camp II and III because they were carrying both their packs and sleds full of gear (~120 lbs. each). They were happy to leave those sleds behind at Camp III and opted to shuttle loads in their backpacks the rest of the way.

Camp IV - 14,200 ft.

2007-05-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

I heard from Scott tonight, but the reception was bad and we only talked for 2 min. before we lost connection. They are at Camp IV (14,200 ft.) and plan to carry a load up to 16,200 ft. tomorrow and come back down to Camp IV to sleep. It's windy and cold and the weather is supposed to be bad this weekend, but they're hoping to move up to Camp V and then make a summit bid on Monday or Tuesday weather-permitting, which would put them 1-2 days ahead of schedule. Scott said the high temperature was zero degrees today at Camp IV.

Storing Reserve Supplies on Mount McKinley
Unlike Mt. Everest, they do not allow climbers to leave a tent pitched at various camps along the way as they acclimate to the elevation. Instead, Scott and Aaron have to break camp after every night if they move on to another location. They are allowed to "cache a load" at the various camps, which means they have to dig a hole in the snow ~1 meter deep to bury food and supplies and then mark the spot with multiple "wands" that flag the location. These have to be buried deep in the snow and the wands must protrude high enough to be seen above the new-fallen snow.

Keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

Camp III - 11,000 ft.

2007-05-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Update compliments of April Milan (Aaron's girlfriend in Salt Lake City, Utah)....

She heard from the guys late Weds. night and was surprised to hear that Aaron and Scott were relaxing in the tent at Camp III and looking out at a rainbow.

They woke up at 9,500 feet at Camp II with the entire inside of their tent covered with ice. Icicles hung from the ceiling of their tent. Despite the cold Aaron sounded really excited and full of energy. He said they are both feeling great and looking forward to tomorrow's climb. Since the weather has been a bit touch and go in the past week and since they had good weather today, they decided to forgo climbing Kahiltna Dome and take advantage of the conditions. After packing all of their gear up and loading their sleds, they estimate that each of them was hauling 120 pounds of gear and food. Because Camp III had gotten 3 feet of snow 2 days ago, the guys ended up having to break trail with their sleds and packs all the way up to Camp III at 11,000 feet. They say there are about 15 other tents up there at Camp III and no sign yet of any climbers on their way down from the summit.

When they got to Camp III, they ate, refueled, and refilled on water before taking a cache of all of their food, save 1.5 days supply, up to 13,200 feet. What a couple of overachievers. The weather forecast is decent for tomorrow as well, and the guys plan to climb to Camp IV at 14,200 feet tomorrow. This will put them 2 days ahead of the posted schedule!

Aaron was excited to hear that Dana and I are going to do a "fly-by" of the mountain on the 21st. He says if they're still on the mountain on the 21st, that we should look for 2 climbers, both in red jackets in black pants. I can only hope that we'll be flying close enough to the mountain to spot climbers up there!

Arctic High-Altitude Mountaineering

2007-05-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Because of its northern latitude and the barrage of storms coming off the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, climbing Mt. McKinley has the unique challenge of bitter cold and arctic conditions. Even in the summer, temperatures regularly drop to 20-40 degrees below zero during the day between high camp and the summit, and of course it's even colder at night!

Also due to it's northerly location, the barometric pressure is lower, which means there is less oxygen in the air, adding a greater challenge for climbers. The difference becomes noticeable once climbers are above 10,000 ft.

Many doctors and experts compare the physiological challenge of summiting Denali to that of a 21-23,000 ft. mountain in the Himalaya, depending on the weather conditions.

So please keep them warm and toasty in your thoughts and prayers!

Camp II - Kahiltna Pass

2007-05-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

I heard from Scott last night and he was in great spirits! He and Aaron made it to Camp II yesterday, which is at 9,700 ft., so they are right on track with their itinerary at this point. He told me he was lying in the tent looking at the "late afternoon" sun on the ridge of "Big Mac"! It is light ~16-18 hours each day at this time of the year, so "late afternoon" was really more like 7:45pm Alaska time (8:45pm PT). He said it's been very cold in the morning, but warm in the afternoon. When I asked him how cold, he said your nose hairs freeze! Nice visual for you!

He said they have been having fun setting up camp and using the snow saw to cut blocks to build snow walls that protect the tent from high winds. Not everyone's idea of fun but it is for these two guys!

Scott also said that they were very fortunate to make it up to Base Camp on Sunday morning because they left at 8am and were the first plane to land on the Kahiltna Glacier with another plane landing just behind them, and then they shut down all the other flights for the rest of the day due to snow and lots of clouds, so that gave them a chance to get settled at Base Camp and now they are at Camp II with only one other climbing group, so they have successfully avoided a crowd of climbers so far.

Thanks for all your continued support! For everyone who has sent me messages (Shane, Beate, Curtis, Chris, Jared, Mike), I passed on your thoughts to him on the sat phone last night! He appreciates it.

Camp I - "Ski Hill"

2007-05-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

I should hear from Scott late tonight to hear about their progress. The plan was for them to climb yesterday from Base Camp on the Kahiltna Glacier (7,200 ft.) up to Camp I (7,800 ft.), affectionately known as "Ski Hill." Even though the elevation gain is not much, this is a distance of ~5 miles, so it's a long tedious day. They hoped to reach Camp II by tonight, which is at 9,700 ft. so I will let you know if they met that schedule and how they're doing.

Between updates from the guys, I will post some information about Mount McKinley for your reading pleasure. Enjoy and keep them warm in your thoughts!

Late Night Update

2007-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I heard from Scott at almost midnight from his cell phone in Talkeetna, and we talked for ~25 minutes. He said they shared the shuttle van from the Anchorage airport up to Talkeetna with a couple of other guys, so they were glad to split the cost as well. Once in Talkeetna (~120 miles NW of Anchorage), as all mountaineers must do, they checked in and attended an hour-long orientation at the Talkeetna Ranger Station. Scott said the orientation film was mainly about ensuring they have a very low impact on the environment while they're on the mountain.

Scott and his climbing partner Aaron enjoyed dinner at Mountain High Pizza Pie (like in Jackson, WY!) and spent the evening unpacking and re-packing their gear to correspond with the various loads they will carry and cache* along the way. (*more on that in another post)

From the Ranger Station, Scott found out this info: 4 mountaineers have already finished their expedition this season, and 2 of them summited, which reinforces the average 50% of climbers who successfully summit Mt. McKinley. (much better odds than the ~33% success rate on Mt. Everest) There are currently 112 climbers on the mountain with expeditions in progress.

Because there has been a lot of snow (~3 ft.) above 14,000 ft. in the past 24 hours, the small planes that fly climbers up to the Kahiltna Glacier are all waiting for a break in the weather to fly up there. Scott was excited that they chose Fly Denali as their air taxi company to get them up to Base Camp because there were 6 groups of climbers who elected to use Tahiltna Air Taxi, and now they are all queued up anxiously awaiting their turn. Scott and Aaron are the only group using Fly Denali at this time, so they will get to go as soon as the weather allows. They were hoping to depart at 8am today (9am PT) if the weather allows.

Next stop is the Kahiltna Ranger Station, where they check in and provide details of their itinerary for emergency reasons. Mountaineers have to register 60 days in advance, filling out forms and paying a $200 fee, to climb Mt. McKinley. (2% of the permit costs on Everest!)

We wish them clear skies for their flight!

"Hanging" Out in Talkeetna

2007-05-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Great news - the sat phone works! Scott and Aaron are in Talkeetna at the Fly Denali hangar. They weren't able to fly up to the Kahiltna Glacier tonight, so they are hoping to leave in the morning weather-permitting. So they spent the evening organizing and re-packing their gear and are spending the night in the hangar with hopes of flying up to Base Camp early in the a.m.

Send-off Complete!

2007-05-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

Scott is on his way to Alaska - the beginning of the expedition has officially commenced! We left the house at 3:30am along with ~175 pounds of gear and food, after a late night of assembling Ziploc bags of Gorp, a last minute trip to REI, and lots of meticulous packing. I had to take a photo of his cart full of bags before we turned everything over to security this a.m., which I'll post soon. He is now making his way to The Last Frontier with a nearly full moon in the sky. Godspeed.

Surprise Send-off Party April 26, 2007

2007-05-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Rogue last Thursday night! He was truly surprised, and I'll be adding pictures from the evening very soon. The raffle was won by Julie Tesore, who turned down the Mt. Bachelor lift ticket and opted for a snowboard lesson next season from Scott! So there is still a free pass available to anyone who wants it, but it expires May 28 so hurry to claim it! Thank you to all of you who bought raffle tickets, and all the proceeds go toward satellite phone minutes so I can give you more detailed updates here!

For those who played the Guess the Summit Date and Time game, I listed them below. Now that I've posted the planned itinerary, you can see who has the best chance of coming the closest. Great guesses without any parameters except the dates of his entire trip! In date order:

May 12 at 8:45am - Tanya

May 19 at 10:01am - Sarah

May 19 at 10:14am - Julie T.

May 20 at 7:00am - Angela

May 20 at 10:00am - Thad

May 20 at 10:30am - Heather

May 21 at 9:31am - Shane

May 21 at 10:10am - Nicci

May 22 at 9:30am - Rahul

May 23 at 6:30am - Shan

May 23 at 10:00am - Tom

May 24 at 3:00pm - Mickey

May 25 at 9:25am - Colleen

Final Post from MountainWaz Expedition Leader

2005-07-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

Update July 5th, 2005:

Well, May 30, 2005 will be a day I’ll always remember: the day I stepped foot on the top of the world. My climbing partner and good friend, Gelzen Sherpa and I were fortunate to finally get a window of good weather during the night of May 29th and into the morning of May 30th. The two of us left Camp IV (located at over 26,000’ on the south col) at approx. 11:00pm. We were both using oxygen and felt strong as we started the climb. The night sky was mostly clear and I could see flashes of light in the distant sky, which I’m guessing were far away lightning storms. As the sun started to rise I was about 2 hrs below the South Summit and saw a killer view of Everest’s shadow cast on the mountains and valleys below. After passing the Hillary step we climbed another 45 minutes up a snow ramp to the true summit. I reached the summit at about 9:45am – just amazing! I took off my pack and oxygen mask and just took in the view. All the mountains that I had been staring up at were now below me, everything was below me, it was just an insane feeling to actually be standing on the highest point on this planet! A mast with a unique red basket looking thing on top of it is anchored to the narrow summit ridge marking the true summit. After taking a few pictures I noticed that it was nearly 20 minutes past 10am and clouds now covered the valleys below, and the wind was starting to pick-up. So Gelzen and I started down. Not more than a few steps off the summit I realized I was out of oxygen! Not to worry I had a second tank in my pack. So I took off my pack and while I was attaching the regulator to the new bottle I realized I set my pack down on a small patch of rocks – so I grabbed one and threw it in my pack. I never thought I’d have a favorite rock, but I do now!

The descent took about 5 hours down to Camp IV and the South Col. The weather steadily got worse as we went down, but we made it safely back to camp just after 3pm. Both Gelzen and I were very thirsty so I melted ice for water, guzzled it down and crashed out.
Over the next 2 days we climbed down to basecamp and I made my 6th and final trip over the ladders of the Khumbu Icefall. The next day (June 2nd) we packed up camp and walked away from the place that had been my home for the previous 6 weeks.

With all the publicity and opinions about climbing Mount Everest there is one thing that cannot be disputed – it is the highest point on the planet. Sure there are many routes on some of the world’s other great mountains that may be more challenging, in fact I’ve climbed many routes more technically challenging than the southeast ridge on Everest, but the view from the top of the world is second to none. Where else could you possible have a better view? There are 7 or 8 other 8,000M peaks right there near Everest and from the top you’re looking down on them all. It just blows you away!
It obviously was a great trip, great experience and fun to share my excitement with family, friends and co-workers. Everyone has been very supportive of my wife Dana and I, and we appreciate it. So what’s next? I’ve been asked that question quite a bit. Mountaineering is something I definitely have a passion for so I will continue to climb as much as time will allow here in the Pacific Northwest and for the next big trip/expedition… only time will tell.
“You can take the boy out of the Mountains, but you can’t take the Mountains out of the boy” ~Scott

6/1 - Update re: Summit Success

2005-06-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Update : MountainWaz Everest Expedition 2005
SWEET SUCCESS: Scott (Wazny) called me from Base Camp this morning (6/1), so I am thrilled to report that he has safely summited and descended the mountain! As Ed Viesturs says, "Getting to the summit is optional; getting down is mandatory."
Scott said that he and Gelzen Sherpa summited around 10am on May 30 (Nepal time).
They arrived today (June 1) at Base Camp, so they are packing up and heading to Lukla, where he will fly to Kathmandu and from there he flies home as soon as possible! He had to adjust his flight plans due to the late opening in the weather this season, but he is hurrying home.
He was very excited (of course!), and he is definitely feeling well and in good spirits. He confirmed that all of his digits are intact, and he didn't suffer any frostbite! He did say that his face was chapped from the wind but that he hoped it would be all healed up by the time he comes home, and I noticed that he also had a bit of the "Khumbu cough." Other than that, he sounds very healthy.
Congratulations, Scott! We are all very proud of you and can't wait to see you!
Note: I would like to extend my personal thanks to EverestNews.com for all the updates, weather reports, and kind support during Scott's adventure to the top of the world!
~Dana Wazny (proud and happy wife of an Everest summiter!)

5/30 - Official Summit Report

2005-05-30T13:41:00.000-07:00

As per the report of Liaison officer and Team Leader, the following additional 1 member and 1 High Altitude Worker of the team has been successful to scale 8,848 meter high Mt. Everest on 30th May, 2005:

1. Mr. Scott WAZNY (33 Yrs), Member, Engineer, Portland, USA
2. Mr. Fur Gelzen Sherpa (29) High Altitude Worker, Juving-3, Solukhumbu, Nepal

The handling agency of the Expedition Team is Thamserku Trekking (Pvt. Ltd.) Kathmandu, Nepal.

NOTE: THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM THE Liaison officer in Nepal. We have no additional information at this time of this team..

5/20 - Bitter cold on Lhotse Face

2005-05-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

5/20/05-Update: New Summit Plans: Scott Wazny called this morning to check in and he had returned to Base Camp, due to the extremely high winds and bitter cold conditions at Camp III, which he described as "frostbite weather." He expressed his amazement at how bad the weather is this year since around 300 climbers summited the mountain last year at this time. He sounded in good spirits and was very reasonable about the weather conditions.
His new plan is to leave Base Camp on May 24th to head up the mountain again to try for the summit, so his new target summit date is May 28th at this point. This is weather-permitting, of course. He said he will call me before he leaves BC.

5/14 - Expedition Team MountainWaz making a push

2005-05-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Scott Wazny left Base Camp to head for the summit early on May 14th and is hoping to summit on May 18th if the weather allows. He is climbing with Fur Gelzen Sherpa and Ang Pemba Sherpa from the Sherpa Society headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

4/25 - Khumbu Icefall

2005-04-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

4/25 - Everest Base Camp

2005-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

4/25/05 - Scott Wazny summited Island Peak successfully on April 14 and arrived at Everest Base Camp on April 16. As of April 25, he had already established Camp I and Camp II. He has also taken one trip up to Camp III, which is set at ~24,500 ft. Next they will move everything up to Camp II and progress to the higher camps, hopefully reaching Camp IV around April 30. His planned summit day is now slated for May 15 (depending on weather conditions, of course). Scott called from base camp, where they were spending a day to rest and eat well to strengthen themselves, enjoying the rich oxygen down "low" before they head back up to higher elevations. Scott is accompanied by Fur Gelzen Sherpa and Ang Pemba Sherpa from The Sherpa Society.

4/18: Puja - blessing ceremony- for Team MountainWaz

2005-04-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

4/14 - Summit Island Peak - view of Ama Dablam

2005-04-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Trekking from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche

2005-04-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Scott Wazny, accompanied by Fur Gelzen Sherpa, has departed Namche Bazaar and begun the trek to Island Peak (20,300 ft.), which they plan to summit on April 14th to acclimate to higher altitudes before trekking to Everest Base Camp.

They will climb Mt. Everest's South Col route via the Khumbu Icefall, and their expedition team consists of Scott Wazny, Fur Gelzen Sherpa, Ang Pemba Sherpa, and a handful of Nepalese kitchen staff.

Currently the team's porters and base camp cook are en route to Everest Base Camp, transporting much of their supplies and equipment. Scott and Gelzen plan to reach EBC on April 18th. Scott is from Portland, Oregon USA, and Gelzen is from the village of Bumburi in the Khumbu region of Nepal.

MountainWaz Biography

2005-03-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

“Scott Wazny loves the mountains. Plain and simple, no doubt about it. He loves all mountains. And now he is going to try and climb the tallest of them all, Mount Everest, via the South Col route in Spring 2005. Having a long list of summits in his back pocket and plenty of international mountaineering experience to boot, Scott doesn’t necessarily conform to traditional climbing rules. He likes to go at it on his own terms. From research and planning to training and funding, Scott is going to have his hand in it all. That’s why it was no surprise to his climbing buddies in the U.S. when he made the decision that Everest was something he had to try. He simply called up his Sherpa friend Phur Gyalzen, who he met in Nepal in 2001, and said, ‘Let’s go for it and give something back to the mountain while we’re at it; what do I need for a permit?’ So, that’s where he’s at, heading out on his biggest expedition to date.” - Ben Hein, climbing partner
In 1997 I relocated to Portland, Oregon from a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. It was simply the mountains that lured me to move across the country away from family and friends. Since my first summit of Mt. Hood in April of 1998, I have climbed every major peak in the Cascade Range. Early in my mountaineering career I experienced international climbing with a trip to the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Since there never seemed to be enough time to strap on the crampons, I decided to leave my job as a mechanical engineer in 2001 and embark on a round-the-world climbing tour: “Summit Tour 2001.” During this trip I spent over 2 months in Nepal trekking and climbing in the Himalayan Mountain range. I reached the summit of 21,247-foot Mera Peak and was rewarded with a stunning view of Mount Everest. From Nepal I traveled to Europe to experience climbing in the rugged European Alps. With skillful determination and persistence I climbed to the highest summits in the countries of France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. I also stood atop some of the more well-known peaks in Switzerland including the Matterhorn, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. From Europe I traveled south to Kenya and Tanzania, Africa where I completed the “African hat trick” by climbing to the summits of the three highest peaks on the continent: Kilimanjaro via the Heim Glacier Route, Mount Kenya (Point Batian), and Mawenzi Peak.
The Beginning: I was raised in a small town in Southeast Michigan and excelled in both academics and athletics. Being a logical thinker and surrounded by the heavy influence of the automotive industry in the greater Detroit area, I aspired to be an automotive design engineer. Athletically, track and football were my strong suits. I went on to win the Michigan state pole vault championship in 1990 and was honored throughout the county for my performance on the football field. With the strong desire to take athletics to the next level while pursuing an engineering career, I attended Michigan Technological University, which is recognized for excellence in both of these areas. I graduated in the top of my class in the department of Mechanical Engineering and was a 3-year starting defensive back for the football program. I earned the respect of my peers on and off the field and was named as one of the team captains my senior year in 1994. During that season I was named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-American Team.
Life after college took me immediately into the fast-paced automotive industry. My first full-time work experience came six weeks after graduation when I hired on with General Motors Corporation. By displaying my dedicated work ethic and determination to once again be at the top, I quickly made a name for myself. Throughout my 2½-year career with General Motors I headed west to the mountains at every opportunity. I would virtually spend all of my vacation time in the mountains, whether it was
snowboarding in the winter or extended backpacking trips in the summer. Over these years my enjoyment for the outdoors continued to grow, so I decided to make a major life change and turn things around a bit. I determined that I would be better suited to live in the mountains and spend my vacation time visiting family and friends in Michigan versus the other way around. After earning a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering in June of 1997, I began searching for a job that would take me west to the mountains.
I found my “utopia” in Portland, Oregon. In Portland, I was able to live in close proximity to the Cascade Mountain Range while continuing my prosperous engineering career in the transportation industry. In October of 1997 I began working at Freightliner LLC, a design and manufacturing company of heavy-duty trucks. I steadily moved up in the company and soon found myself in a supervisory position. The increased responsibilities were something that I enjoyed to a degree but soon found that too much time was spent at work and not enough time in the mountains. During the first three years that I lived in Portland, I would frequently leave for the mountains immediately after work on Friday and get back just in time to be at the office Monday morning. I truly was a “weekend warrior.” In addition to climbing and snowboarding, I began competing in outdoor activities, which included mountain bike races, adventure races, marathons, and many other multi-sport events.
Summit Tour 2001: I started making preparations in 2000 to leave the corporate world to explore and climb in the great mountain ranges of the world. Not surprisingly, the first destination was the Himalayas in Nepal, and in February of 2001 this became a reality. I left Portland not to return until later that August. The trip started with a month of snowboarding throughout the Western United States and Canada. Then on March 1st I left the country for Nepal. The first month was spent in the Annapurna region. I made attempts on Singu Chuli (Fluted Peak) and Tharpu Chuli (Tent Peak). In both cases I found myself climbing through tremendously deep snow and thus the avalanche danger was very high. In fact, that year an avalanche unfortunately claimed the lives of four trekkers hiking on the main path into the Annapurna Sanctuary. Needless to say, I did not summit either peak, but I did ascend to an altitude of over 16,000’ for the first time in my life. I spent the next six weeks in the Khumbu region near Mount Everest. For the first three weeks I was on my own trekking between the small villages and taking as many side trips as possible to get the best views. Then on the fourth week I met up with my support crew for a climb of Mera Peak. After withstanding a ferocious storm that literally blew my tent off the mountain, I stood on top of the 21,247’ mountain on April 28, 2001. I remember it well because it was exactly three years from the day when I climbed my first major mountain: 11,239’ Mount Hood in Oregon. After this unforgettable 2½ months in Nepal, I swore I would be back some day to climb again in arguably the greatest mountain range in the world.
From Nepal I traveled directly to Vienna, Austria. After 2 days in the large city I was anxious to get into the European Alps. I started exploring the eastern side of the Austrian Alps by taking leisurely hikes and soaking up the scenery. I remembered from my time in Nepal that many of the Sherpa people come to Austria to get trained in climbing. They learn mountaineering skills on the country’s highest and one of the most technically challenging peaks, the Grossglockner. With this in mind I had an aspiration to climb the mountain, so I sought out a way to get there. It was thrilling to walk into a small lodge near the base of the mountain and see a Nepalese flag. I ended up climbing to the summit and getting back down safely before a large storm rolled in. It was a very solitary and meaningful time as I thought about the Nepalese people and their culture while scaling the spectacular mountain.
From Austria I traveled west to France for a successful summit of Mount Blanc and then it was off to Switzerland. In June I had made attempts on the Matterhorn and Eiger. I quickly found out that June was not prime climbing season in the Swiss Alps. The snow conditions were extremely unstable, and I was faced with avalanche conditions. I ended up leaving Switzerland only to return two months later to complete what I had started on Switzerland’s two most famous peaks.
As planned, in mid-July I traveled to Africa to climb Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. After a quick 3-day safari to see all kinds of exotic animals, I was off to Mount Kenya. I had my sights set on climbing the true summit of the mountain, Point Batian. I climbed the North Face Route on the mountain with another climber who had been on that route before. Our 2-person team made it to the summit and back down in nearly record time. After experiencing great success on Mount Kenya, it was on to Mount Kilimanjaro to climb the Heim Glacier route - a route that is climbed by an average of 10 people per year. The route is long and technically challenging; it led us through icefalls, volcanic rock, and glaciated terrain. Despite guidebooks’ recommendations to climb the route in two days, my plan was to go extremely light and make the push to the top in one day. I climbed the route with a British fellow I met on Mount Kenya. We finally reached the summit at dusk after 14 hours of climbing. Watching the sunset from the top of Africa was truly amazing. Our descent was in the dark as we followed the standard route down the mountain. The next day we awoke to an outstanding view of Mawenzi, Africa’s third highest mountain. I looked over at my British climbing partner, Richard, and without saying a word we both knew what each other was thinking. So two days later we found ourselves standing atop Mawenzi Peak. During the African climbs with my newly found British counterpart, I told him of my plan to return to Europe to make second attempts on the Matterhorn and Eiger. He agreed to climb with me, and we successfully reached the top of both peaks. After my second pass through Europe in August, it was time to head back to the States.
Life after the “Tour”: Upon my return to Portland in August 2001, I still was not ready to get back into the corporate lifestyle. Therefore I worked at a ski resort on Mt. Hood where I taught snowboarding five days a week all winter. As the season was coming to an end, I was faced with the question: “What’s next?” I thoroughly enjoyed working in the mountains, so I applied with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. with aspirations to be a guide on Mount Rainier and make a name for myself in the climbing community while gaining exposure to the renowned American mountain guiding companies. In April 2002, a month before heading to Mount Rainier for the guide tryouts, I tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my knee. That injury ended my guiding opportunity for that season. I had surgery to repair the torn ligament in July 2002 and got married that September. (I had been dating my wife for five years and had been engaged to her prior to my departure from Portland in 2001.) So the summer of 2002 was dedicated to rehabilitating my operated knee and looking for engineering employment. I accepted a job back at Freightliner in October and have been working there since that time. I have also continued to work as a snowboard instructor at Mount Hood Meadows on a part-time basis.
In April of 2005 I am taking a 2-month leave of absence from Freightliner to return to Nepal and the Himalayan Mountains. My main climbing objective this time will be the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. Upon my initial trip to Nepal in 2001, I established a loyal friend, Phur Gyalzen Sherpa, whom I’ve stayed in contact with over the years. Gyalzen has assisted me locally from Kathmandu by securing the permit to allow me to climb Everest from Nepal on the classic route through the Khumbu Icefall. I am eager to embark on this expedition and retrace the footsteps of the first people to summit Mount Everest. I also plan to positively impact the environmental conditions on the sacred mountain. Since I am climbing solo I have named the expedition MountainWaz Everest Expedition 2005, and this will surely be the highlight of my climbing career to date.
Expedition Details
Name: MountainWaz Everest Expedition 2005
Objectives:
· Climb Mount Everest via the South Col/Khumbu Ice Fall Route Khumbu Region, Nepal. Elevation: 29,030 feet / 8848 m
· Climb Imja Tse (Island Peak) via the Southwest Ridge Route Khumbu Region, Nepal. Elevation: 20,305 feet / 6189 m
· Make a positive impact on the environmental conditions at the popular base camp on Mount Everest by removing unnatural elements left by previous expeditions.
· Display acts of humanitarianism to the people of the Khumbu, specifically by helping the village of Bumburi restore the largest of its three monasteries.