Journey to the Highest Peaks

ProjectEarth360

2012-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

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Why? Why climb mountains?

No answer is complete or satisfactory. Perhaps there is no single answer; perhaps each climber must have his own reasons for such an effort. The answer cannot be simple; it is compounded of such elements as the great beauty of clear cold air, of colors beyond the ordinary, of the lure of unknown regions beyond the rim of experience. The pleasure of physical fitness, the pride of conquering a steep and difficult rock pitch, the thrill of danger - but danger controlled by skill - are also there. How can I phrase what seems to me the most important reason of all? It is the chance to be briefly free of the small concerns of our common lives, to strip off nonessentials, to come down to the core of life itself. Food, shelter, friends - these are the essentials, these plus faith and purpose and a deep and unrelenting determination. On great mountains all purpose is concentrated on the single job at hand, yet the summit is bit a token of success, and the attempt is worthy in itself. It is for these reason that we climb, and in climbing find something greater than accomplishment.

Charles S Houston, M.D. and Robert H. Bates - K2 The Savage Mountain

Yu Shan (Taiwan)

2012-01-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Shan
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150453/yushan.html

Permits - 523 Mountaineering Association http://www.523.org.tw/ (p)+886-(0)2-25557523( email) 523@523.org.tw Contact Doris Juan. Two-day pemit costing NT 1000 (Approx $30 USD) http://www.ii.uib.no/~petter/mountains/3000mtn/Kina/Taiwan.html

Mount Logan - Canada

2012-01-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Logan

Mount Logan is the highest mountain in Canada and the second-highest peak in North America, after Mount McKinley (Denali). The mountain was named after Sir William Edmond Logan, a Canadian geologist and founder of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). Mount Logan is located within Kluane National Park and Reserve in southwestern Yukon and is the source of the Hubbard and Logan Glaciers. Logan is believed to have the largest base circumference of any mountain on Earth, with the massif containing eleven peaks over 5,000 metres (16,400 ft).

Aconcagua - Argentina

2012-01-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

At 6,962 metres (22,841 ft), Cerro Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. The summit is located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the international border with Chile. It lies 112 km (70 mi) west by north of the city of Mendoza. Aconcagua is the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. It is one of the Seven Summits.
summitpost/Aconcagua
wiki/Aconcagua

Day 1 - Flight to Santiago, Chile, arriving in Mendoza, Argentina
Day 2 - Get permits in order and leave Mendoza early and arrive at Puente del Inca (8,900') mid afternoon then climb to Confuencia.(9,200 ft) 3 hours
Day 3 - Confluencia to base camp. (13,000 ft) 6 hours
Day 4 - Rest day
Day 5 - Move up to Camp Canada (16,000 ft) 4 hours
Day 6 - Move up to Berlin (19,100 ft) 5 hours
Day 7 - Rest day and trail exploration
Day 8 - Summit day 8-12 hours round trip
Day 9 - Summit day (if required)
Day 10 - Clean up camp and decend to basecamp 3 hours
Day 11 - Arrange mules and walk out to Puenta del Inca or Confluencia 6 hours
Day 12 - Walk-out if you camped at Confluencia back to Puente del Inca 2 hours and travel back to Mendoza
Day 13 - Explore Mendoza
Day 14 - Fly back home

Cerro Catedral - Uruguay

2012-01-01T16:27:00.000-08:00

This "climb" up Cerro Catedral will be after the summit of Aconcagua

Cerro Catedral is a peak and the highest point of Uruguay with an altitude of 1,685 ft. It is located north of Maldonado Department, in the municipality of Aiguá, in a hill range named Sierra Carapé, that constitutes part of a larger range named Cuchilla Grande. Its name derived from the curious forms of the rocky elevations of its summit, that are very common in the southern part of this country.

wiki/Cerro_Catedral

Half Dome and Yosemite

2012-01-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

Yosemite National Park reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain and is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep, narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Ice thickness in Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet (1,200 m) during the early glacial episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.

As late as the 1870s, Half Dome was declared "perfectly inaccessible". The summit was finally conquered by George Anderson in October, 1875, via a route constructed by drilling and placing iron eyebolts into the smooth granite. Today, Half Dome may now be ascended in several different ways. A rigorous 2 mi approach including several hundred feet of granite stairs, the final pitch up the peak's steep but somewhat rounded east face is ascended with the aid of a pair of post-mounted braided steel cables originally constructed close to the Anderson route in 1919.

El Capitan is composed almost entirely of El Capitan Granite, a pale, coarse-grained granite emplaced approximately 100 mya (million years ago). In addition to El Capitan, this granite forms most of the rock features of the western portions of Yosemite Valley. A separate intrusion of igneous rock, the Taft Granite, forms the uppermost portions of the cliff face. El Capitan is composed almost entirely of El Capitan Granite, a pale, coarse-grained granite emplaced approximately 100 mya (million years ago). In addition to El Capitan, this granite forms most of the rock features of the western portions of Yosemite Valley. A separate intrusion of igneous rock, the Taft Granite, forms the uppermost portions of the cliff face.

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

2012-01-01T12:05:00.001-08:00

Sturgis was incorporated in 1888 and is known as the City of Riders. It has been influenced and shaped by American Indians, Pony Express riders, the United States Cavalry and most recently, the American Biker. For 72 years the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has attracted riders to the Black Hills of South Dakota, which means Sturgis owes over half of its history to the Rally, a legacy we are incredibly proud of.

Motorcycle enthusiasts return to Sturgis year after year to make memories ~ to meet old friends and make new ones, marry, celebrate the life of a friend that has moved on, introduce a child to a pristine canyon road or celebrate the return of a son or daughter defending freedom in a distant land.

The first rally was held on August 14, 1938, by the "Jackpine Gypsies" motorcycle club by the founder Clarence "Pappy" Hoel who purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in Sturgis in 1936 and formed the "Jackpine Gypsies" that same year. The focus of a motorcycle rally was originally racing and stunts and in 1961 expanded to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races. The Sturgis Rally has been held every year, with exceptions during World War II due to gasoline rationing.

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY August 6-12, 2012... ARE YOU READY?

Cost
Air Travel
Permits
Land Travel
Hotel
Meals
Spending
Total

Harney Peak

2012-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Mount Whitney

2012-01-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

The most popular route to the summit is by way of the Mount Whitney Trail which starts at Whitney Portal (8,360 feet) 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine. The hike is about 22 miles round trip with an elevation gain of over 6,100 feet. Permits are required year round, and to prevent overuse a limited number of permits are issued by the Forest Service between May 1 and November 1. Most hikers do the trip in two days. Those in good physical condition sometimes attempt to reach the summit and return to Whitney Portal in one day, thus requiring only a somewhat easier-to-obtain "day use" permit rather than the overnight permit. This is considered an "extreme" day hike, which normally involves leaving Whitney Portal before sunrise and 12 to 18 hours of strenuous hiking, while struggling with altitude sickness, cold air, and occasionally treacherous surface conditions (because snow and/or ice are normally present on parts of the trail, except for a short period from early July to late September.

The trail does not head up the direct route to the summit by the North Fork of Lone Pine Creek, as this is a very steep route used by mountaineers. Instead, it follows the gentler main branch of Lone Pine Creek to its source, and then climbs by 99 switchbacks to the Sierra crest about 2-1/2 miles south of the summit. The trail then travels very close to the crest of the range until reaching the summit plateau. This longer "dogleg" route makes possible a standard hiking trail. During peak season the trail is well-maintained and easy to follow. Once the mountain clears of snow and ice, usually in early to mid summer, it requires no mountaineering or winter gear. Beyond Trail Crest the trail loses a small amount of elevation that is gained on the return. In this final stretch of the trail, on the west side of Whitney's needle-like south ridge, some sections of the trail must be rebuilt after each winter. The views here of the interior High Sierra can be extraordinary, due in part to the precipitous exposure. The crowning views are had on the summit of Whitney, where the trail ends at the Smithsonian Institution Shelter. A single day hike of the trail usually starts between 2 and 4 AM. Most day hikers will complete the trip in between 10 and 20 hours. Because of the length, distance and high altitude of the trail, hiking it in a single day requires some fitness and endurance.

Volcan Tajumulco

2012-01-01T12:02:00.000-08:00

Volcán Tajumulco is a large stratovolcano in the department of San Marcos in western Guatemala. It is the highest mountain in Guatemala and Central America at 13,845 ft). Tajumulco has had several historical reports of volcanic eruptions, but none have been confirmed to be true eruptions.

Trips up the mountain can be arranged by various groups in the city of Quetzaltenango. Typically groups will begin the climb early on the first day and camp at a site approximately 150 meters below the summit. This allows for acclimatization to the high altitude. The following morning the hikers can summit without packs. Views are variable and the peak is frequently engulfed in the clouds and conditions are extremely windy.

Doyle's Delight

2012-01-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

Doyle's Delight is the highest peak in Belize at 3852 feet. It lies in the Cockscomb Range, a spur of the Maya Mountains in Western Belize. The name Doyle's Delight was first coined in by Sharon Matola in 1989 Report and based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book "The Lost World" (1912), which contains the quote "there must be something wild and wonderful in a country such as this, and we're the men to find it out!". This name has meanwhile achieved widespread acceptation. The official Government of Belize Website lists Doyle's Delight as the Highest Point for Belize and Belmopan. The capital of Belize has a "Doyle's Delight Street". Recently there has been an attempt to rename the peak to "Kaan Witz" which is Maya for "Sky Mountain". But is not official yet.

Kosciuszko (Australia) & Mount Wilhelm (New Guinea)

2012-01-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

Mount Kosciuszko is located in Kosciuszko National Park with a height of 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) is the highest mountain in Australia and is named in honor of the Polish national hero General Tadeusz Kościuszko. Mount Kosciuszko is 5 mi walkup to the summit from Charlotte Pass.
Australia's landmass is 2.9 million sq mi on the Indo-Australian Plate. Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia includes 21k mi of coastline and the Great Barrier Reef lies off the north-east coast. The population density is among the lowest in the world with the largest part of Australia being desert or semi-arid lands commonly known as the outback.
Mount Wilhelm ("Enduwa Kombuglu" in the local Kuman language) is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at 14,790 ft (4,509 metres) and is part of the Bismarck Range where three provinces intersect, Simbu, Western Highlands and Madang. The mountain is on the island of New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Papua. Mount Wilhelm is the most accessible mountain to climb in Papua New Guinea and there are two routes to the top. The most popular is a climb from the village of Keglsug at the end of the road from Kundiawa in Simbu province and involves climbing up and through a mountain rain forest and then along an alpine grassland glacial valley to the twin lakes of Piunde and Aunde were there are two huts, one being an old Australian National University monitoring station and the other an 'A-Frame' hut. As with most climbs, it is usually done in the pre-dawn and takes 4 hours depending on fitness. Reaching the peak at dawn allows better chance of clear weather. The second climb from the village of Ambullua in the Western Highlands province is a more difficult 4-day hike but both suggests hiring a guide in Keglsugl for around 50 Kina.
Papua New Guinea is officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea in the Oceania occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands and in southwestern Pacific Ocean. Its capital, and one of its few major cities, is Port Moresby and is one of the most diverse countries on Earth with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies, out of a population of just under 6 million. After being ruled by three external powers since 1884, Papua New Guinea gained its independence from Australia in 1975. It remains a Commonwealth realm.

The majority of the population lives in traditional societies and practice subsistence-based agriculture and have explicit acknowledgement within the nation's constitutional framework. The Constitution expresses the wish for traditional villages and communities to remain as viable units of Papua New Guinean society. The country's geography is in places, extremely rugged with a mountain range running the length of the island, forming a highlands region. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure and in some areas, planes are the only mode of transport. It is also one of the most rural and is one of the world's least explored, culturally and geographically, and many undiscovered species of plants and animals are thought to exist in the interior of Papua New Guinea.

Initial Itinerary
Day 1 Fly into Melbourne (MEL)(or Sydney) and stay night
Day 2 Drive to Thredbo (5 hours) Head to base camp
Day 3 Mt Kosciusko and Exploration of start of Australia
Day 4 Explore Australia
Day 5 Explore Australia
Day 6 Explore Australia
Day 7 Explore Australia (BNE)
Day 8 Head to Brisbane or back to Melbourne (or Sydney) stay night
Day 9 Fly into Port Moresby (POM) and then Goraka
Day 10 Travel to Keglsugl (easy) or Ambullua (hard)
Day 11 Summit Mount Wilhelm
Day 12 Explore Papua New Guinea
Day 13 Explore Papua New Guinea
Day 14 Fly from Goraka into Port Moresby then Sydney/ Melbourne stay night
Day 15 Head back to Seattle

Cerro Chirripó (Costa Rica)

2012-01-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

After a relaxing few days in paradise, travel to Costa Rica to climb Cerro Chirripó with an altitude of 3,820 metres. It is located in the Chirripó National Park and is noted for its ecological wealth. Due to the height of these mountains, its peaks are sky islands for many species of plants and animals, snowfall happens from time to time in the peak. The great height of Cerro Chirripó relative to its surroundings is also evidenced by its particularly high prominence of 12,228 ft, ranked 38th in the world. To get to the summit requires a walk along a 16 km uphill trail from the town of San Gerardo de Rivas to the park ranger's refuge in the Crestones sector and for there a 5 km walk to the peak.

After summiting, hang out in Costa Rica and the Chirripó National Park in the middle portion of the Talamanca Range (also called Cordillera de Talamanca) approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General, protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope. With a particular climate that includes only two seasons, a dry one approximately from December to April and a wet one from May to November. This national park encompasses parts of three Provinces in Costa Rica - San Jose, Limón and Cartago, and contains five different ecosystems: lowland tropical wet forest, premontane tropical wet forest, lower montane wet forest, montane wet forest and subalpine wet forest.

Volcan de Chiriqui (Panama)

2012-01-01T05:46:00.000-08:00

The Volcán Barú (also Volcán de Chiriqui) is the tallest mountain in Panama and is 3,474 metres (11,398 ft) high. A dormant volcano but potentially active just south of the Continental Divide in the western Chiriquí Province, it is surrounded by a fertile area of cool highlands drained by the Chiriquí and Caldera rivers. The towns of Volcan and Cerro Punta can be found on its western side, while Boquete is on the eastern flank.

The last major eruption of the volcano was about 500 AD. There are reports and some evidence of a minor eruption around 1550 AD. However, in 2006, an earthquake swarm occurred underneath the mountain, raising fears that it could erupt sometime in the future with explosive force; the volcano has collapsed in the past. Due to its height and Panama's relatively short width, it is possible to see both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea from Volcán Barú's peak on a clear day.

After a climb of Volcán de Chiriqui, spend 4 days at Bocas Del Toro in Panama, six densely forested islands, scores of uninhabited islets and Parque Nacional Marino Isla Bastimentos, Panama’s oldest marine park... Bocas' is a laid-back Caribbean vibe enhanced by the archipelago’s spectacular natural setting. The islands are covered in dense jungles of vine tangles and forest palms that open up to pristine beaches fringed by reeds and mangroves. Beneath the water, an extensive coral reef ecosystem supports countless species of tropical fish while simultaneously providing some seriously gnarly surf breaks.

Mount Elbrus - Russia

2012-01-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

Mount McKinley - USA

2011-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

Denali or Mount McKinley, "The Great One" in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in North America, at a height of 20,320 feet or 6,194 meters above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park. Mt. McKinley has been the goal of aspiring high altitude climbers since it was first climbed in 1913.

Its reputation as a highly coveted summit derives from its location near the Arctic Circle and the Pacific Ocean giving it some of the most ferocious weather in the world. Because of its weather and ease of access, some climbers use McKinley as a training ground for climbing the 8,000 meter peaks of the Himalaya, including Everest. The West Buttress route was pioneered in 1951 by Dr. Bradford Washburn. A steady and gradual ascent over a period of days is undertaken with emphasis on proper acclimatization for team members. It is not considered a highly technical climb, because there is no rock or vertical ice climbing on the route. Rather, it is the physical environment that presents much of the challenge of climbing Denali: miles of heavily glaciated terrain, extremes of temperature and weather, climbing and living at altitude, and familiarization with necessary and associated mountain skills. In addition to extensive glacier travel on the lower mountain, the climbing is considerably steeper above 15,000' (35 - 45 + degrees). Some slopes have fixed rope in place to climb with the belay of a mechanical ascender. An ascent of the West Buttress of Mount McKinley is truly a major expedition and unforgettable experience...

The Alaska Range arcs in a six hundred mile crescent across south central Alaska. At 20,320', Mount McKinley is the highest point in North America, and the crown jewel of this magnificent range. Massive ice flows, some over forty miles in length, the Ruth, Tokositna and Kahiltna glaciers, spill out of the Range southward. The thirty-nine-mile long Muldrow Glacier is the largest and longest on Denali's northern aspect. By way of comparison, the largest glacier in the continental United States is the four and a half mile Emmons, on 14,410' Mount Rainier in Washington State. The Alaska Range and Mount McKinley massif provides a modern day glimpse of Pleistocene age glaciations.

The Alaska Range is a result of plate tectonics, specifically an area known as the Denali Fault System. It is the largest crustal break occurring in North America. On the northern side of the park a continental plate is subducting deep into the earth, thus causing the southern plate to be pushed upward. This results in a vertical rise on Denali's northern slope, called the Wickersham Wall, of 18,000' above the tundra. Nowhere else on earth does such a dramatic rise occur.

Most climbers attempting the West Buttress route on Mount McKinley approach it from the air via a spectacular scenic flight of approximately 45 minutes, from Talkeetna to Base Camp. Viewing Denali and its environs from the air is the best way to appreciate the grandeur of Alaska, and put the vast region in perspective. Leaving Talkeetna the flight traverses above seemingly endless taiga, the Alaskan forest, of spruce, willow, birch and aspen. Hundreds of lakes and tiny ponds dot the landscape. Moose, bear, trumpeter swans and beaver are sometimes viewed. The riot of green in late spring and early summer is shocking to returning climbers, possibly having spent weeks in the drab black and white mountain environment. Conversely, the northern slope of Denali (indeed 50% of the entire state) is mainly tundra. Climbing parties may come into contact with grizzly bear, caribou, fox and wolf, to name a few, while crossing tundra on their approach to the mountain. Even the upper regions of Denali are not totally devoid of life. Ravens cruise the currents and soar with the updrafts, and are common visitors to the 17,000' high camp and even the summit. Tiny sparrows follow parties on the lower glaciers and scavenge the tiniest morsels. These birds often fall prey to the larger, more aggressive ravens.

A land bridge connected North America and Asia approximately 40,000 years ago. Native peoples, the Eskimo, Aleut, Athabaskan and Inuit settled in the "Great Land" and lived undisturbed for centuries. The native words "Denali" (The High One) and "Alaska" (the Great Land) are in popular use today. The first European to sight Alaska was Vitus Bering, a Dane employed by the Czar of Russia, during his voyage of discovery along the coast in 1741. However, he did not sight Mount McKinley. Russian fur traders dominated Alaska throughout the eighteenth century, and there were English and Spanish settlements too, on the southern coast. U.S. Secretary of State, William Seward, purchased Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000 in 1867. The book "Alaska" by James A. Michener offers a detailed description of Alaska's geology, history and development.

The first climbing attempt on Denali was made in 1903, but the summit was elusive and success didn't come until ten years later. Judge James Wickersham of Fairbanks led the first attempt, choosing to climb the mountain's difficult northern slope. The group of four men and two mules reached 8,000'.

Also in 1903 the famous polar explorer, Dr. Frederick Cook, attempted the mountain by approximately the same route. Their party made it a little higher in elevation, to 11,000'. Cook returned in l906 and tried to breach Mount McKinley by way of a southern approach, but once again met with failure. Determined, Cook returned a second time the same year, this time in September, and after being gone a mere 12 days from Cook Inlet, returned claiming to have reached the mountain's summit. Cook’s claim was widely disputed, and numerous attempts were mounted in subsequent years for the purpose not only of reaching the summit, but also to discredit him.

The famous Sourdough expedition of 1909, comprised of rugged miners from Fairbanks, attempted to follow the Muldrow Glacier. They successfully reached the North peak, unfortunately not realizing it is 850' lower than South peak. The Sourdoughs planted a 14-foot spruce pole with attached American flag, in hopes of it being visible from Fairbanks; it was not, and doubts were cast concerning their claim as well.

Dr. Cook's infamous 'summit photographs' were undisputedly proven to be fake in 1910. He had actually been miles from the mountain, at an elevation of approximately 8,000'. Mount McKinley's summit was still unattained. Two attempts in 1912 were also unsuccessful. One of these, led by Belmore Brown, made it to within several hundred vertical feet of the true summit.

Finally, in 1913, a party led by the Episcopal Archdeacon of the Yukon, Hudson Stuck, reached the summit via Muldrow Glacier. The flag left by the Sourdoughs four years earlier was still visible on the North Peak; they were vindicated!

The early explorers named numerous features and locations on the mountain after themselves. Modern climbers are familiar with many of these place-names. In l951 Bradford Washburn pioneered the West Buttress route, now the most popular line on Mount McKinley. Using his accumulated aerial photography and personal familiarity with the slopes of Mount McKinley, Washburn produced the definitive topographical map of the region.

Fresh from Kilimanjaro, my rejuvenated thoughts of professional guiding works me back to my days climbing Mt Rainer for the Climb for Clean Air with RMI or Rainier Mountain Inc. I spent time talking to Lou Whittaker and Joe Horiskey during a training session...

Started day ONE of my next adventure with a early morning flight from Pasadena via Seattle to Anchorage with the partnership with my two grey Black Diamond duffels holding my 120 pounds of gear. Meet the team at the Anchorage International Airport baggage claim and made way to Talkeetna via chartered van.

Started day TWO with a large breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns at the Roadhouse Restaurant discussing the expedition. Spent the rest of the day at the K2 hanger preparing gear for the tomorrows hopeful flight to base camp and completion of the required national park orientation.

Work up on day THREE to a clear morning ready for the flight to Kahiltna Base Camp at 7,300' on the south east fork of Kahiltna Glacier. Sat in the jump seat of Twin Otter on the 40 minute flight to McKinley base. After sorting gear, started from base camp in the clear morning by decending the "Heartbreak Hill" and the 20 miles and 13,000' up to the summit of Denali, South Peak, 20,320' hidden in the high clouds to the north. Traveled the first five miles to camp II at 7,800' under the heat of the day making camp for the first time of the trip on low angle glacier.

Woke up on day FOUR and broke camp for the days journey to camp II at 9,800' under Ski Hill. Better prepared for the heat, we finished the days push in a white out and driving wind conditions. Made camp and ate dinner in the tents.

Woke up day FIVE to clear skies for the push up Ski Hill toward Kahiltna Pass before turning east up beyond the pass through a narrow glacial valley to the first major milestone of Camp III at 11,500' below Motorcycle Hill. Enjoyed being on the mountain with world class Ed Viesters the greater part of the day. Made camp and put in camp with plans to remain the coming days finally off the Kahiltna Glacier.

Day SIX was a rest day at Camp Camp III including building walls, refining the cook tent platform, and general relaxation with Motorcycle Hill above.

Day SEVEN continued acclimatization day with weather less than perfect. Hopeful to cache gear below high camp.

Day EIGHT moved under perfect condition to the cache at 13,700' traversing the basin beneath the prow of the West Buttress passes around Windy Corner before climbing to the 14,000' Genet Basin. where Advance Base Camp is established. Windy Corner proved otherwise on this day.

Day NINE moved from Camp III to Camp IV, 14,400' Advanced Base Camp under great conditions. No camps available so put up temporary camp with hopes to grab vacate area after teams move to advanced based camp the next morning.

Day TEN acclimatization day at Camp IV as teams did not move due to high winds above. Grabbed cache from 13,700' and walked over to the "Edge of the world" of 14k plateau to glacier 5k feet below. Unfortunate rescue efforts above due to fatality of team coming down from summit.

Day ELEVEN continued acclimatization day at Camp IV

Day TWELVE caching at 16,700' by ascending 1,100’ of snow slopes above to the fixed lines and the Headwall of 900’ feet of 50° snow and ice to reach the crest of the West Buttress at 16,200' and the ridge crest is followed to high camp at 17,200'. Cached at off exposed ridge under Washburn’s Tower which merges into the main massif of Denali.

Day THIRTEEN acclimatization day with hopes to move to Camp V at 17,200' the next day, however low pressure system on way bringing high summit of 70 miles per hour over next five days.

Day FOURTEEN waiting storm with concern of week long delay at Camp IV High Camp. Made calls on Satillite phone to office due to new promotion but no luck. Will try another call next morning to decide if feasible to wait out storm.

Day FIFTEEN call but no luck. Push way back to base camp through white out conditions below Ski Hill and barely made cutoff for K2 call and flight off glacier this night. Grabbed beer and burger at hotel after refreshing shower.

DAY SIXTEEN got caught up of journal under clear skies in Talkeetna as park services forecasted a even longer low pressure system through the entire week with dangerous summit winds. Caught ride to Anchorage International Airport and read eye flight back to Burbank .

DAY SEVENTEEN back at home getting ready to start my new careeer promotion and first full Californa summer of surfing, hiking, and concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

On a concluding note, the team waiting for another entire week when at high camp, four days later than orginal forecast before weather improved allowing team to move to camp above and summit attempt. Back at work, great news on title promotion and sheduled meeting with leadership in Seattle. Talk about LIFE BALANCE which was the theme starting my inaugural book in 2009. Life is great!

Vaalserberg - Netherlands

2010-02-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

I did not have Vaalserberg on my GPS so even though I was close I had a bit of trouble locating the exact route. I stopped at a convenience store and luckily the lady spoke English well and she quickly pointed the way including writing down the signs to follow on a piece of paper . She was extremely nice.

"Mount Vaals" or Vaalserberg is a hill 322.7 meters or 1,059 ft in height, the highest point in the Netherlands. It is located in the province of Limburg, at the south-easternmost edge of the country in the municipality of Vaals, near the eponymous town, some three kilometres west of Aachen. But all the route up and parked the car and like before walked to the slushy ice over to my third and final “summit” of the day. I snapped some shots as before and reflected on this day on how even though it was a "road trip", it still had it's difficulties including a headache, lack of navigational aids, and not speaking the countries language. I also know as the world moves forward a recurring issue as I continue with this project is changes in counntries territories. For example, later this year Saba will become a so-called special municipalty of the Netherlands and because of this, Mount Scenery would replace the Vaalserberg as the highest point in the Netherlands which is not in Europe but is a small island south of Puerto Rico in the Carribean which . Come on, the Carribeans?

I headed back on E40 to Brussels to spend the night, I reached speeds in excess of 150 kilo per hours. The trip went by quickly and there were more wind vanes along the highway including three blades trailered on the back of a truck. Why am I fastinated with these? They either remind me of my privates pilots aviation journey or my intereset in clean energy. Either way, they are huge and I am impressed. As they afternoon fades and I continue back to Brussels, I needed to make a decision of either finding a hotel near the airport or heading into Brussels for a bit to do some exploring even though I desperately want to get a shower and some sleep. I continue on into Brussels to find a hotel that might suit my fancy however it was a town like Rome with traffic packed to the gills of the historic buildings. I never made it into the actual main square and decided to turn around as a quick car tour must do it justice. As I made it back to the airport at a Marriott, a shower never felt so good. I made some tea and read part of my Jeppesen private pilot book in the main lobby before making a back upstairs for a great nights sleep.

The alarm went off at 4:30am and I headed to the airport to catch my morning flight, but as I walked into the airport I had a bad sense I failed to make the gate closure time as United only has one flight out of Brussels. This gate closure is something I have noticed in the past few years as airlines have really strapped down on closure times. The historical days of running to the gate are a thing of the past as your cannot even get thru security without a boarding pass which is granted a the ticket counter, however this was yet another failure of not have internet access in which I could hve still preboarded from my hotel 24 hours before. My senses were correct and today was the day that I would not make it as they required 45 minutes before the flight, and I was well inside that window.

Luckily having a lot of time between arrival and departure back at Heathrow, I was able to find a reasonable airfare allowing me to make my connection. Today would be a exhausing day of travel with layovers between each connection from Brussels, Heathrow, Minneapolis, and finally Seattle. I started at Brussels airport at 5:45 am, a flight out at 10am arriving at 10:30am, a flight out at 1:55 p.m., arriving in Minneapolis at 5pm, leaving Minneapolis at 9:55 p.m. finally arriving in Seattle at 11:55 p.m calculating to a travel time of 27 hours with Brussels is nine hours ahead of Seattle. Party in a Belguim bar, three highest peaks in one afternoon all wearing sandals, 27 hours of travel, priceless...

Signal de Botrange - Belgium

2010-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

I jumped in the car and headed north on N62 to a relatively large town of St Vith. One thing that I notice as I travel through countries is the saturation of information via the internet making the the world much smaller than it was 20 years ago. Every where you look there are familiar conveniences, newer cars, and modern homes. Even the kids look familiar with their longer hair and snowboard shoes peaking on their iPods with texts to their friends. This world is smaller and to even thought about doing something like this 20 years ago would be a different, but remember I was without anything but my black-and-white map.

I continued on through Malmedy which led to Signal de Botrange approx 30 miles north of Kneiff. Signal de Botrange is the highest point in Belgium, located in the High Fens at 694 metres or 2,277 feet. It is the top of a broad plateau where and a road crousses next to the “summit”. As I stepped from the car in the parking lot the entire area was iced over which included hundreds of teenagers whom apparently we were on a ski trip as the entire area is that notorious for cross-country skiing. It reminded me of the small ski lodge with a café jammed with those wanting some comfort inside. I did the honorary thing and climbed up on the icy steps the six-meter high Baltia tower which was built in 1923 to allow visitors to reach an altitude of 700 m. I snapped again a few pictures and enjoyed being on the second highest point of the country in the afternoon and climbed down and made my way back to the car. With the heat on I had one more stop to make before I could look for a hotel for the night including a nice hot shower and some fresh coffee.

With roughly 30 miles to the next destination I was again in the car and travel through a historic town of Eupen with a small river flowing through the heart of the town. I pulled the car to the side and walk this brick streets and enjoyed the surrounding ambience of the hustling of everyone's daily lives. I was happy to be here knowing that these small towns have more history than anything in American. The buildings still in peferct shape along with the façade to the small alleyways leading throughout the town. I pulled back onto the road and made my final stretch to the Vaals in the country of Netherlands. Without my handy electronic map, I made my way into the very large town Aachen in Germany and then turned back into the Netherlands leading me to N278. One thing I could help but notice in this town that everyone seem to be a perfect shape including the women being stunning. I don't know if it was just my time at a certain moment or actually this is the way they are in his Germantown named Aachen, but I noticed. Aachen is a historic spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks from 768 to his death, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km (40 mi) west of Cologne.

With this discovery I explored a historic structure which was Marschiertor in Aachen. The Marschiertor, until the 17th Century, or later also called Berset Burtscheider gate or gate, was the southern gate of the outer wall Aachen, began around 1257 and probably completed shortly after 1300. One of the most powerful surviving city gates Western Europe. It was in the inner walls (wall with ten goals Barbarossa), a counterpart, the Marschiermitteltor or Burtscheider Middle Gate. The Marschiertor belonged, as the other still-extant gate Ponttor, to the four main gates (Ponttor, Kölntor, Marschiertor and Jakobstor of, 14 to 15 Second century built fortifications Rings Aachen as its southernmost point. It stands at the end of Francis Street and at the beginning of the former main road into town Burtscheid, which destroyed at the Second World War Burtscheider upper gate ends. The Marschiertor is built as a twin-tower-Torburg. The two towers are four-, five floors of the central block. Towers and form a quasi central block unit with common nickname tent roof. The gate is a total of 23.80 m wide, the Durchfahrtbreite is 4.8 m. Field side, the portal has three staggered portal arches. The outer arch extends to the second floor, the next platform with defense in the first m) and the actual pointed arch portal with vaulted ceiling. Through the two round towers flanking the central block four-sided town-lead spiral stairs in the weapons room. The guard rooms were on the ground floor of the towers, including the dungeons. On the east tower is found, an external Garderobe. The Marschiertor had like all doors except the city of Aix-Junkerstor (Vaalser Gate) in the Southwest was originally a front gate, the main gate, because even built as Doppelturmvortor, and the still-preserved front gate of the Ponttor similar. It was the 18th Century, demolished to make room for more modern fortifications.

Over the centuries not only learned the occupation and siege of different groups of soldiers, but was also temporarily junk room, homeless accommodation, hostel and finally HJ-Heim. In the wake of World War II has been damaged, the 1943 Marschiertor significantly by incendiary bombs, and was initially restored only provisional...

head to Vaalserberg

Kneiff - Luxembourg

2010-02-10T20:26:00.001-08:00

Similar to the year before, I was once again in the United Kingdom on a last-minute business trip and quickly researched other European countries and their respected highest points for the best options for an extended weekend adventure. There were two choices. One with the head over to Ireland but after research found that the highest peak a day and a half trip on the southern tip of the island. I looked at the eastern side of the British Isles and sure enough there laid the solution. In Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the highest “mountains” were all situated approximately 50 miles in total distance. All were not technically peaks but were more so the high points of the country. When I came up with this project I did make the rules on what the highest points were, but remember this is not all about climbing some extreme peak, it's about a balance between planning, adventure, and life experience of a country. The “highest points” were Kneiff, Signal de Botrange, and Vaalserberg respectively.

Once my business was complete, I grabbed the train from Cheltenham just two hours West of London to the Paddington Station where another train would return me to Heathrow for my flight to Brussels. After the short flight, my first action was to find a rent-a-car for the weekend. After stepping off the plane, I headed toward the customs agent via an extremely long walkway requiring numerous moving walkways that I did not use to stretch my legs from the hours of sitting in meetings or traveling by car throughout the week. As I approached the customs agent, I reached into my computer bag to grab my passport in the secure pocket I used at all times but it was not there. I've always wondered what it would be like to lose your passport in another country and hoped I’d never know but as I scurried through my bag, it was no were to be found. I pulled everything from my bag and felt the dreadful feeling of being in a bind in Belgium. I thought back to the Heathrow airport in London and remembered the multiple check points I had to demonstrate my passport. I must have lost it when putting it back the last time. I looked again but panic started to set in.

A customs agent walked over who could clearly see I was trying to find the one thing I could not lose. My only other hope was if flipped out of my bag in the overhead bins, but I know the time I spent getting to this point and checking my bag the plan was most likely closed. She smiled and said lets check and we walked back all the way back down the long walk way in opposite direction of the moving walkway making the trip even longer. I joked to her it was probably in my bag but she shrugged and said it would be fine. As we approached the gate, the doors were already closed but luckily the cleaning crew was detailing the aircraft. The customs agent swiped her badge and I looked in all the obviously spots near my seat to no avail.

I stepped out and as I had told the agent on the way back, it is probably lying in plain sight in my bag and after another quick look; it was in a outside pocket. As we walked back she inquired of my stay and talked of the dog she found on the highway on the way to work which made her late. As she just got to work and now was dealing with me, knowing the other agents were going to give her a lot of slack for her support. It was clearly not busy so she thought she was okay. I walked up to the other customs agent and he looked at my passport and promptly stamped it and said nothing. I made a comment that she now knows everything about me including why I'm in Belgium and he confirmed that's why he did not ask a thing.

I went to the rent-a-car to secure a car then made my way out of the airport and on yet another project360 adventure. As I made my way south from the Brussels Airport, I was instantly placed in the afternoon traffic on E411 South which remained deadlocked for least 20 miles. I wondered if I made the right decision taking the major highway south as recommended by the Avis attendant instead of traveling the longer route on country roads. Either way it did not matter as both would get me where I needed to go and I was here to enjoy the sights and sounds of somewhere that had never been. The countryside was remarkable as the sun was setting to the west brilliantly against the countryside reminding me of the rolling hills of the Midwest. I was impressed by the numerous groups of electric windmills that dominated the highway borders with enormous fan blades spinning in the fading light. I tried to take a picture without great success as I was driving an excess of 130 killometers per hour.

I continued south toward Wilwerdange, Luxembourg, my planned Google Earth starting point where I might grab a hotel and enjoy world famous Belgian waffles in the morning, however similar to that in London, I was about to experience a chain of events I thought I had covered from lessons learned with a new travel rule.

In my possession I had my Dell laptop, Blackberry with Google maps, and Garmin GPS but all would quickly become useless to my plans. First, I documented on my computer the routes and coordinates prior to leaving the states so I insured it received a full charge the night prior at the hotel in Cheltenham. However, when I woke in the morning, I discovered the switch on the outlet was in the wrong direction thus failed to give the laptop a charge. Why anyone needs an “on off” switch to an outlet, I do not know but I was pushing time to catch the train to London so I had to go.

The second fate was my trusty Blackberry. Once in the Paddington Station awaiting the train back to the Heathrow airport, I opened my gmail account for the email with my flight time and when doing so, it asked me for the log in password for the devise. Assuming this was the same one when logging in when starting, it abruptly told me the password was incorrect and for my security would wipe the entire memory if I reached ten tries without the correct answer. Needing my flight details and not believing it would erase my entire memory for a internal application, I indeed reached ten tries and the devise assumed I was a thief and promptly reset itself back to factory “out of box” condition. I planned to use the Google maps feature to get me in proximity of highest points and then use the GPS from there as the points might be buried underneath snow or without a marker. No computer and now no blackberry. Lovely! I did preloaded the highest points coordinates on the Garmin GPS but it did not have Europe highway maps making it trial and error as they the first was over 100 miles away!

I was on my way south through the Belgium countryside with only a black-and-white Avis map trying to read the French marking and road signs. Truly it does not matter how well you think you prepare, there's always a sense of adventure.

As I continued south, the countryside flew quickly by and before I knew it I had arrived in Namur and A4 leading me to more of the easterly direction to intersection of my morning starting point. Knowing my best chances of finding a reasonable hotel in Belgium would be in one of the larger towns, I arrived in Marche-en-Famenne as dusk was rapidly falling across the green landscape. The town center was cloaked with cobblestone roads so narrow my compact could barely fit and I could sense the history around me. Even though I hoped to be closer to my morning starting point of Wilwerdange, Luxembourg, I started my search for a hotel for the night. As I drove around, I was anxious to the stroll through the cobblestone alleys experiencing its history but first things first, I needed a hotel. With the signs in a foreign language and no modern search capabilities, I was destined to a memorable evening.

The funny thing about traveling around the world in the recent years is the work it takes to achieve the smallest action when you have a language barrier. You're in their country, you don't know their native language, and you need something. It's exhausting work. I assumed there would be signs offering clues but nothing after 30 minutes of driving around. Even though the town was small and quaint, my best bet was to find the local pub to provide help over a beer. I found one quickly off the main road and addled up to the antiques rectangular bar. For some reason I was beyond surprise that no one understood English because I thought being close to the United Kingdom the country would have some English speaking skills, but the one thing about climbing highest points is its tendency to take you off the beaten track. When you're deep in any country including Belgium the chance of someone knowing English is few and far between. The people were brought up in their small communities and still held their core ancestor values many generations before. After numerous hand signals, I got my point across and the bartender tried to help including grabbing a phone book but she was not successful in helping me find a place to stay the night. This is where the night quickly turned to one that I'll never forget.

About that time, a couple walked in the gentleman somewhat understood my predicament. I notice a small sign on the wall that I concluded said “free Internet” and thought if I could just get my computer to power up just long enough I might be able to backup my Blackberry to get it going again. But my new friend who spoke a little broken English said he would have none of that and I could stay at a apartment in the center of town his fiancée was a property manager of and looking for a renter. My luck was remarkable but I tried to refuse due to the situation but he would have none of it. I said I needed to go grab some cash as the bar did not take credit card. I ran over to a bank machine but since I only brought my credit cars and never use them for cash advance, I could not remember the pin number. I tried a few times to what I thought it might be but no luck. I went back into the bar with reservations about taking him up on his offer but they continue to persuade me on Belgians hospitality. The lady bartender who spoke no English asked me what I wanted to drink but I refuse as I knew I should probably get moving along but again the Belgium man whom said it would not be proper not to offer such help. I drank my Belgium beer which through it thick draft and high alcohol content packs a stiff punch.

By this time I knew a lot about my new friend including the cultures of his country in contrast to the cultures of our country. It was concluded I would say at this place and he wanted to take me over to have a look. We left the bar and walked over back to through the cobblestone streets to the historic buildings. His fiancée opened the door and it was a small three-story apartment next to the historical Church in the downtown square. Beautiful! Now that I had a place to stay I ask him if he was hungry and if he knew of a good restaurant in town as I had not eaten all day. We went to a Greek restaurant which was situated on the same cobblestone road around the corner. Still reeling from the heavy beers and no food for the day, my new friend ordered dinner for all of us including two rounds of Ouzo, a spirit widely consumed in Greece. He also ordered a bottle of red wine when dinner came and this was also consumed. Our conversation in this small Greek restaurant in central Belgium was at times very strange and I was clearly getting drunk. It was decided after dinner we would head back to the bar and have one more beer, but I could tell my new buddy was even worse off than I was. I asked how they were getting home and discovered his car was broken and they lived about four miles away from the square. I offered to take them home after a few cups of coffee but that was a mistake because then he decided that the best solution was I just say at their house.

Knowing I was not going to take up his offer and now find a hotel elsewhere or stay in my car, we went back to the bar for one last beer. There was now three diehard French Belgium’s at the bar whom became engaged in a conversation about Clinton, Obama, and the Bush(s). The conversation was stimulating at the beginning but to no fault of mine, the bartender and many others around were now starting to understand my gestures and what I was trying to say. One of the French Belgium’s clearly became upset at the conversation and became more agitated until he finally decided to leave. By this time my friend whom I had dinner with was arguing with his fiancée and I clearly wasn't going to go home with him especially know that I was having a great time in the conversation all around with others at the bar. It's been awhile since I drank so much not remembering events but this was one of those nights as I woke up in an apartment adjacent to the bar in the morning. I head was pounding and I knew this would be extremely long day.

In the morning, I found my way to the car which was only around the block and headed east on N86 to start my journey or the day. It was already past ten in the morning and there would be no Belgium waffles for me today. With my handy black and white photo copied map, I made my way through the snowy back roads until I reached a town of La Roche-en-Ardenne which was clearly soaked in history beside a bend in the River Ourthe. The small town appeared to be a popular tourist destination in the Ardennes region and I discovered latter was used by the Romans whom built a fort to support their conquest of Gaul and the Ardennes. In more recent times, the fort high above the town was a medieval castle used between the 9th and 18th centuries and in World War II, the town suffered severe damage having been liberated by the Allies and was recaptured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. Subsequent bombing raids resulted in the town being liberated once more but left much of the town destroyed and many residents dead. Lot’s of history!

I needed to continue on N89 but the roads were extremely difficult to follow due to the signage but somehow found the right path and continued until I reached the intersection of N68 which would take me south turning to Highway 7 situated next to my first “summit” of the day. The countryside and back roads recently received a fresh blanket of snow but fortunately were fairly clear and easy to pass. One thing I found out about Belgium is their lack of coffee at the gas stations what I needed desperately this morning. I also needed water for my horrible dry mouth and some advil which no one understood. What luck!
In the Roman era, a fortified tower guarded the crossing of two Roman roads that met at the site of Luxembourg city. Through an exchange treaty, Siegfried I of the Ardennes acquired the lands of Luxembourg. Siegfried built his castle, named Lucilinburhuc or "small castle" on the Bock. This is where Luxembourg’s history begins as a town gradually developed around the fort which became the center of a small state of great strategic value.

The junction of the two Roman roads is at what is known as the Fishmarket, historically the centre of the city and was the site chosen as the heart of Luxembourg Castle. The name is derived from its use as a marketplace for the sale of fish and produce for the trade of which was the foundation for Luxembourg's early economy.

Lying in the eastern part of the Ville Haute quarter is Saint Michael's Church, a Roman Catholic Church and the oldest extant religious site near the same spot as the original castle is located at the Fishmarket. The first church was built on the spot in the late 900’s as the castle chapel for the Count of Luxembourg. However, over the following centuries, the building was destroyed, rebuilt, and renovated several times. Its current appearance dates to late 1600s. The building has been restored since then, preserving its original form.

In the 15th century, the House of Luxembourg suffered a succession crisis due to the lack of a male heir to assume the throne, which led to the territory being sold. In the following centuries, Luxembourg's fortress was steadily enlarged and strengthened by its successive occupants. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, Luxembourg was disputed between Prussia and the Netherlands. The Congress of Vienna formed Luxembourg in personal union with the Netherlands. The Belgian Revolution in the mid 1800’s reduced Luxembourg's territory by more than half, as the western part of the country was transferred to Belgium with Luxembourg's independence reaffirmed by the First Treaty of London then again in the 1860’s with the Second Treaty of London. The King of the Netherlands remained Head of State as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, maintaining personal union between the two countries until 1890 when it was passed to his daughter.

Today, Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe approximately 50 miles long and 35 miles wide and as I crossed the northern border near the final point in north Luxembourg, this is where the GPS came in handy with the coordinates of Kneiff already loaded. The summit of Kneiff is a hill in the commune of Troisvierges, in northern Luxembourg. At 1824 feet (560 meters), it is the highest point in the country and only 1 m taller than Buurgplaatz which is often erroneously considered Luxembourg's highest point. The snow was really deep as I stepped out of the car and hiked up the hill a quarter mile to the point where my GPS stated I had arrived. The area was beautiful with a family of young evergreen trees and a large oak in the distance. I snapped some pictures including one of the GPS proving I was here and gave a few fist pumps being on the highest point in another country.

Went to Signal-de-Botrange in Belgium

Dufourspitze - Switzerland

2009-11-05T18:58:00.003-08:00

I woke up around 5am, made a quick get-away like a bandit in the night and headed back west on Highway 19 toward Oberalp Pass. It didn’t take long for my body to drift back into drowsiness as I sat in my filth from the previous day of hard climbing. Needing an awakening, I found the perfect spot at the first high pass I came to. Flowing under the road, a raging icy creek provide a passage to it’s treasure and as we organized the car and made fresh coffee, I washed my clothes using a netting bag and the power of the current. After rinsing off I put on the only pair of jeans and clean t-shirt I brought and as I drove off, I felt renewed with a lovely cup of coffee sitting next to me. We continued through the mountains on the windy roads which eventually lead us to the jumping off point to climb Dufourspitze.

As we entered the town of Tasch we decided to grab breakfast at a small café so we parked the car and discovered a potential establishment off a back alley. We ordered breakfast which included the usual plate of cold cuts, cheese, and bread that we devoured quickly. Putting ourselves on a tight budget on this portion of the trip in order to leave more once the gals arrived, we expected to pay just a few bucks for breakfast and when the waitress came back out and ask if we wanted more, we shrugged and said “what the heck” knowing we would need the energy for the day. She brought out another plate of cold cuts, cheese, and bread and we barely finished that off. She brought the bill and to my surprise each plate of food was $19 US for a total of over $44 including coffee which did not set us the a great mood since the supplies and alcohol we had been eating the past few days cost us that, but no big deal as we are in Switzerland but any hopes of our moods was about to quickly change and we started to feel this country was not on our side on this day.

I grabbed a hundred Swiss Francs for hut spending and we jumped in the car planning to head over to the train station to inquire about tickets but in a conversation in Germany, one of the gals whom lived in Zermatt only a few miles up the road stated it was the jumping off point to climb Dufourspitze. Think the train of course stops there; we drove the small road into the town and as we approached the gate we were stopped by some border police and asked what we were doing. We stated our intentions and he quickly told us that it was against the law to drive in this town if you were not a resident or had authorization. He showed us a snapshot of a picture that included the words “Only authorized personnel only” which of course was in German with a very small caption at the bottom barely readable in English restating the warning. We apologized but that wasn't enough for this guy and he promptly wrote us a ticket and demanded a hundred Swiss francs as the penalty for not reading the small inscription and driving into town. I sat there and stared back and he quickly said either pay it or get the car impounded. Our time in Switzerland was quickly turning for the worse and the new hundred Swiss francs I just got from the bank was gone. With breakfast costing 44 Swiss franc and now this, our moods became extremely quiet.

As we drove back into Tasch there was nothing else we could do but shrug off our problem and set our sights toward the mountain we came to climb. I would be fooling myself if I thought this would be the last life lesson I will encounter on these trips and as I travel the globe. Switzerland is very modern and I can only imagine what this could be like as we travel to countries like Sudan where the regulations could be even more severe. As a write this blog just a few days ago there was a group of hikers that stepped over to the Iranian border and are now captives and I think of the planning I must do to ensure I understand the culture and the rules. Life lessons are just that and only turn into ingnorance if you repeat them…

We made our way into the train station to buy tickets for yet another luxury we were unfamilar with in America as getting to the starting point of the climb is half the climb. The train continued through a series of stops as ascended into the mountains to our final destination was Rotenboden, the second to last. As we stepped off the train with numerous tourists and a handful of climbers also making the trek to Santa Rosa Hut nearly two hours away with a slight drop in elevation according to the train’s embedded table map. Not in a rush to get to the hut, we enjoyed our hike on a trail which traversed 300 feet above the Gorner Glacier and provided a perfect view of the lower mountains as much of the top was hidden in the clouds. As noted prior, most climbs I am accustom to prevent you from every seeing the final destination but a simple train ride in the Alps puts you far into the mountains most would ever reach otherwise. We continued on the straight path as it continually descended to the glacier below and from there, across the glacier leading back up to the Monte Rosa Hut. As we approach the hut I sensed the accommodations were similar to Grossglockner in Austria.

We walked as veterans into the hut and promptly went to the main desk and booked reservations for the night which luckily only few were still available. We enjoyed the rest of the day by hanging outside on the rocks with the world-famous Matterhorn peaking through the clouds. It didn't take long for us to get used to the Alps accommodations as we decided this night to have our first hot meal of the trip and I went back into the main desk and let them know we would be having dinner with the other 100 plus climbers. As we waiting for dinner, the culture of climbing in the Alps yet again impressed me as it is a lifestyle and the modern conveniences encourages more than a select few. The four course dinner was amazing which included soup, salad, a main entrée of rice and some sort of chicken curry, and finally desert. After dinner, we stepped back outside and watched the sun set in the horizon then went into the sleeping quarters and prepared for a few hours of sleep and as I lay next to the open window, the glow of the day was still surrounding the sky as the Matterhorn dominating the landscape. Life is amazing and we're about to climb our fourth peak of the trip.

We woke up around 1:45 a.m. and like other trips prepared breakfast with coffee, oatmeal, and fruit. As the others scheduled breakfast in the hut, we still felt in heaven being able to cook on a table inside while we prepared our gear. We were the last to leave the hut around 2:45 a.m. and as we stepped out in the midnight darkness, the stars were out in full force providing a faint hint of the summit to the south. The initial climb passing through large boulders on dry ground as it passed the framed structure of the future Monte Rosa Hut. We continued to head up with the headlamps of other climbing parties mainly to the right of our heading as there are numerous routes to gain the glacier above. With our shortcut, we passed other groups and quickly found ourselves in the middle of the pack when we stepped onto the glacier to rope up and step into our crampons.

A few times in my career of mountaineering I’ve felt the void of an open crevasse but on this climb, I quickly found two of these deadly monsters through the unusual soft snow in the middle of the warm night. After roping up, I wanted to stay in front of a large party right behind us and as I took my first step onto the route, my foot passed through the snow into a void and I lunged forward to prevent slipping into the crevasse. I pulled myself up as we move forward it was no more than five minutes later as I was stepping across visible crevasse, the edge gave way yet again and I dove forward to self belayed on the edge. As I peered down I could see the darkness of the abyss with the intense snow illuminating my view and I looked back to see my climbing partner in a self-arrested position. I pulled myself up and carefully stepped forward to a solid landing. The remaining climb was straightforward with few crevasses near the boot path, but as the biggest danger on this climb was at the beginning, this shows you never know when protection is required, but come to find out later in the day we don't always learn from our mistakes.

Being the forth climb in a row, my body was prepared for endurance above my usual fitness level and this made the climb more enjoyable. As we moved through the night, the time pass quickly and before I knew it the sun was slowly rising above the eastern horizon and I stopped to capture a few pictures of the Matterhorn to my rear glowing in the morning sun. As were approached a plateau directly under the summit pyramid, there was two ways to achieve the summit as evident from the few parties ahead of us; one from the east and one from the west. We decided to take the west ridge suggested by summitpost.com as the other climbers veering to the left heading to the opposite side of the mountain. I continued up the steep face leading to the saddle where we took a quick break with a few other teams. From this point on, the route stayed on a narrow ridge wit direct access to the summit but from this point on, the exposure become extreme to with a mixture of rock, ice, and belayed climbing and I knew my mountaineering experience would soon be tested.

The steep ridge with exposure of well over 1500 feet to the glacier below switched from ice to a mixture of rock and ice requiring delicate steps with our crampons. Without fixed points on this section of the route, we used the rocks of the ridge as a self belay in case one of us fell. As we moved up the ridge the climbing got tougher, the exposure deeper, and any worries or thoughts other than the task at hand were throw off and I was testing my skills as a mountaineer but like any challenges, when you put yourself out there it's simply one step at a time ensuring that you have three points secure. At one moment, the summit appear directly ahead with climbers hanging out on top and nothing visible in the background, but as we approached this point as I found on Grossglockner, the route continued down to a small saddle and then back up into 5th class of rock and ice climbing. Our concentration increased and we continued to a section with fixed ropes due the difficulty of the pitch and intense exposure. With my ice axe and one trekking poles in hand (one was lost as it slid off the ridge back to the glacier) I clipped into the rope and ascended by using a prusik for security.

As we approached the summit, I realize what it's like climbing throughout the world with international teams on top. We all jostle for space on an area no bigger than a bathroom shared by a metal cross marking the true summit which I quickly clipped into as I enjoying the spectacular views. We spent 20 minutes on the top as all teams discussed the best route down; either the opposite summit ridge with belay points or the way we came up with continued teams still ascending. The concern of course with the route we came was the narrow ridge barely held one team therefore how would it be try to position two teams and potential entanglement of ropes? In the end it was decided among the three international teams the best idea was to go back the way we came since we knew the route. As we were the first up of all parties still on top, our position put us last to leave. As we slowly descended it required even more care because now you were faced directly toward the vertical drop off and the slippery rock. The concentration was intense but at last we reached the saddle where we took our earlier break and it was exhilarating to be past this section which required an extraordinary level of concentration, skill, and determination but in the end gave me an immense sense of satisfaction.

From this point, the route became extremely sloppy as the afternoon sun softens the slopes of the already soft snow to become even more unstable. Trekking down in deep sloppy snow is the worst part for me about mountaineering as my feet are not fit for these conditions but what can one do but trudge forward to the hut? As we approached that same spot we had difficulty early in the morning, my concerns valid as other teams went everywhere across the glacier trying to avoid the hidden dangers but what it did was take us farther off the path through deeper crevasses before gaining access to the rocks on the other side. Once past the crevasse field, the snow around the large rocks was so soft you would literally sink past your waist into the rocks underneath. Happy to get to a point where the rocks appeared continuous to the hut below, I stopped and put on the running shoes I carried to prevent future damage to my feet from the wet boots I was wearing but this almost turned out to be a fatal mistake as I should have stayed on route and dangers in the most simplest areas as we experienced earlier in the night. As I continued to climb down I got to a point I had to get back on the snow and not wanting to change back into my wet, sloppy boots, I stayed on a route leading me higher and as I approached a smooth slab with a slight trickle of water over the face, I expected it to be extremely slippery and took my time to prevent any fall but to no luck. As I started sliding down the slab, I sensed there was something deadly slightly below I did everything I could stop myself with a self arrest on the rock and luckily with the expense of huge gouges on my lower legs which started bleeding profusely, I was able to stop. As it turned out my senses were right and I was only 20 feet from a 40 foot cliff that fell into jagged rocks and continued a step incline even further. As I tried to climb back off the slippery slab, I slipped again but didn't slide as before and finally gained the top I had no choice but to head back up from were I came and moved down in the snow. I put the wet boots back on to prevent my shoes from being soaked and my feet started to freeze but had no choice but to follow path until I made it to the continuous rocks I so desperately wanted in the first place.

Once back at the hut, I ordered a couple of beers as my climbing partner started dinner, I discovered the last train back to Tasch this night was 8pm only 2.5 hours away and we still needed to gather our gear, pay our bill, and hike the standard three hours to the train! I also discover the first train didn't leave until 8 am in the morning computed quickly if we missed the train tonight, we would be over three hours late picking up the girls from Geneva with no way of getting a hold of them. Life would be bad if that happened.

In a panic and if things went bad enough, the next series of events continued the chaos of making it back on time. First I had to wait in line for a team paying their bill, during the second pour of the beers I ordered the keg went dry and it took forever to get it replaced, and finally the credit card machine would not work and she could not use it. We have been climbing all night and we were approaching less than two hours to make the final train and still were not out onto the trail. We finally got everything settled slammed our beers and ran down onto the glacier below (me in my running shoes with blood everywhere) and crossed back to the trail heading upward to the train. As I mention my boots were waterlogged and crossing the glacier would be interesting but I decided if I had any chance to make it back on time I had no choice but to run across and without incident, I made it in record time. We reached the train stop with 40 minutes to spare and I believe a world record. We rode the train down, made our way to the car, paid our parking lot fee, and I was happy to climb one of the best mountains my life and to be passed this series of events. Maybe someday I'll visit Switzerland again but to me, I was glad to visit this is a country, but felt it didn’t have the same feeling toward me at least for this go around.

As we left Tasch, I felt a deep satisfaction of climbing Dufourspitze due to its elevation, exposure, and must do status for world climbers. It felt good to be back in the car knowing we have now summited four peaks in four new countries of the world over the past week of tough climbing. Driving on the highway toward Geneva I felt the excitement of the night with our next stop to add the girls to the adventure and continued to voice my happiness to have checked the schedule when I did. As the heavy rain began to hit the windshield, I reflected back to the first night just a week ago in the car where I felt a bit of nervousness to even lay down an adventure so bold but now knowing that even if we weren't able to climb Mt Blanc I could with all honesty say this trip is an extreme success. We toyed with the idea of finding a cheap hotel to get the rest but because I started having trouble staying awake and our best bet was to find a rest stop on the side of the highway to get some shut eye. We found one on the outskirts of a Sion, Switzerland and I reclined the seats while enjoying the last beer and wine from our grocery trip and this accelerated my bodies to deep sleep. Before I knew it the alarm sounded at 5 am it was time to get moving. The sky was gray with rain still falling as I drove westward on the Autoroute du Rhone before turning northward around Lake Geneva. We stopped for coffee and a shower at a truck stop but it was far to busy for us to wait so we decided to move on to another a bit down the road. As we approached Geneva, our timing was perfect as we pulled in the parking lot and turned off the car the exact time the gals were to be arriving. We got out of our smelly car and went inside the airport.

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After introductions with a couple the girls met on the plane and also in New York, we piled in the car and made her way from the Geneva airport through the downtown to connect with the highway leading to Chamonix. The girls were instantly impressed with the area and seemed happy to be in another country. We stopped once across the border in France to grab breakfast at a small public market in the town square and we knew we were in France. We bought fresh bread and walked around before finding a café and ordering Café du Nior. We continued on and drove in to Chamonix and it was apparent the weather had turned for the worse and we made our way to the climbing information building in downtown surrounded by restaurants and retails shops. Stepping in just before they closed for the day, we were promptly told about the severe weather included 100 mph summit winds causing all guides to bring their teams off the mountain and unlikelihood of availably at the high huts was required reservations in advance. We could always take a chance though we would need to take a tram up to the Gouter Hut to see if there are any beds available. We were at desperate moment as our hopes to climb Mt Blanc on this trip was quickly evaporating.

Chamonix is a touristy town with lots of restaurants and we could clearly see other climbers who had bailed their attempts on this day with their gear sitting next to them. My climbing buddy found another guide and discussed the conditions on the mountain including the next few days and the finalized our decision. I knew however deep down inside I was satisfied with our achievement and enjoyed the phenomenal weather through the week and the mountain we still would need to come back to was the one the easiest to travel to and would become the start or end of a future trip that could include Spain and Portugal. The decision made we needed to move our minds to the next part of the trip which was the exploration of the European countryside including a backpack trip through Italy.

It was talked about heading out that night but the last thing I wanted to do is drive again being and I suggested we find a hotel in a surrounding town and enjoy a great dinner celebrating our trip. We made her way back out of town to Les Houches and found any old B&B hotel that was exactly what we needed to. It was in the early afternoon and after dropping off our gear I went down to a local pub around the corner to watch the Tour de France which was scheduled to be in the area in the next coming days. My body felt the beer effect’s faster than usually and as I sat next to the open window with the cool rain heavily falling in the street. In the early evening as it continued to rain in a downpour, we decided to head back to town for dinner pizza was on my mind. After dropping the group close to the downtown square, I parked the car a few blocks away and made my way back getting soaked to the bone including the slippers I just bought since my running shoes where thrashed After dinner, we went back to hotel for a much needed nights rest.

The next morning we woke up too terrible weather confirming our decision and decided to head into town for a coffee at a café. After a second cup of coffee and fresh croissants, we made our way back to the B&B to pack our gear as the girls were eating breakfast in as dinning hall. We checked out and started our drive back across the Swiss Alps via Zürich, southwestern Germany, and finally to Vienna. We stopped at a historic castle in Sion and hiked up to see the sights. The Château de Tourbillon is a castle in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the Basilique de Valère, located on the opposite hill. The castle is currently in a state of ruins following a fire in 1788.

As we passed through the area the interested in sites from inside a car quickly faded, the trip through the small towns went much slower than expected and by the time that we were in Germany toward the end of the day, everyone was ready to get out of the car. We looked for a hotel we've found a cute, all white Bed & Breakfast and after 15 minutes of negotiation, brought our things to the room, took showers and heading out into the small town for looking for great Italian dinner. The morning brought a bit of convenience which allowed me to watch CNN and update my notes from the trip which I was grateful to have. I will soon find my balance of the mountains and technology are something that I look for and this would also be a take away from this trip. We went into the dining area for huge breakfast and outstanding service by our elderly host. Everything around was white and I don't think I saw one speck of dirt and she and her late husband had rebuilt this house and she was hoping to sell to get from under the debt and move back to San Francisco where when has spent some time earlier in her life. As we left the hotel, it didn't take long to realize we already still sick of riding in the car and as we traveled through Munich, the numerous detours did not help and everyone was pushing for a change including myself who had driven the entire time. It was mentioned at some point in the day that we should just push on through as long as it took to Vienna and drop the car off and start our trip to Italy on a midnight train. Either way we still needed to get to Vienna and still had a long way to go but we did make it as the night came and we dropped off the car and proceeded to hike around with our heavy climbing gear now in a separate bag from our packs. Like our trip in the mountains, the gals were given the responsibility of planning everything from the time we were done climbing was they also kept everything versatile and unplanned. As we found time and time again is good to keep things open but it usually comes out of price.

In hindsight, the long trip really started with the preplanning of where we are flying into six month ago. The jumping off point was to be Venice but in the translation of booking tickets it became Vienna which was farther west than it needed to be but we decided it was probably a good turn of fate but also thought giving the girls a chance to see the country and saving the $250 drop off fee would be the right choice. In addition, the cost of the trains in Europe are perceived to be the cheapest way to travel around Europe, but this is a myth if you are traveling frequently and any savings we thought we would get was quickly exceeded with the trip cost from the Airport to Vienna and then onto Venice. Once in the Vienna train station, we had seven hours before the train left at 6 am so we hunkered down to find a place to rest in seats designed to keep you awake assigned form he wandering crowd of a train station in the middle of the night.

After another nine hours of travel, we stepped out of the train station to a warm afternoon day into the scene of hustling Venice and world-famous canals; it was great to finally be here. The city historically was an independent nation and the city stretches across 118 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers. The sinking of Venice is caused by buildings of being constructed on closely spaced wood piles, which were imported from the mainland. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach the much harder layer of compressed clay. Wood for piles was cut in the most western part of today's Slovenia, resulting in the barren land in a region today called Kras, and in two regions of Croatia, Lika and Gorski kotar. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The buildings are often threatened by flood tides pushing in from the Adriatic between autumn and early spring. Six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus preventing sediment from filling the area around the city. This created an ever-deeper lagoon environment. During the 20th century, when many wells were sunk into the lagoon to draw water for local industry, Venice began to subside and it was realized that extraction of the aquifer was the cause. This sinking process has slowed markedly since artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. However, the city is still threatened by more frequent low-level floods that creep to a height of several centimeters over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses the former staircases used by people to unload goods are now flooded, rendering the former ground floor uninhabitable. Many Venetians have resorted to moving up to the upper floors and continuing with their lives. Some recent studies have suggested that the city is no longer sinking, but this is not yet certain and in May 2003 the Italian Prime Minister the MOSE project an experimental model for evaluating the performance of inflatable gates. This engineering work is due to be completed by 2011. Some experts say that the best way to protect Venice is to physically lift the City to a greater height above sea level, by pumping water into the soil underneath the city. This way, some hope, it could rise above sea levels, protecting it for hundreds of years, and eventually the MOSE project may not be necessary

Unfortunately we do not have a hotel and this became our search as we traveled through the busy streets again carrying a heavy bag. After a recommendation of a nearby hostel, we waited for the manager nearly an hour before deciding to move on. Reflections of my trip to London in my freshman year in college came flooding back though we finally found a double room could share for €50 per couple included breakfast. We left took showers and spent the rest of the evening exploring Venice. We found a small pub owned by a memorable German who made our drinks everlasting including a new twist for an amaretto and orange. We walked through the narrow streets and drank a bottle of cheap wine with her feet hanging off into the channel.

I woke to a church bell from outside the open window which lasted over five minutes and could already feel the warmth from the upcoming day. I walked the city looking for a cup of coffee prior to breakfast and to watch the city wake up and the culture of the people. We all got showers and were off for the day without our packs as the hotel manager allowed us to leave our packs at the front desk so we could find a place to ship our climbing gear back home. After talking with a DHL rep coming up river, the nearest office was near the Piazza San Marco a place where we were already planning to take a boat and explore. Once the 28 kg package was on its way back to the states,

The Piazza Marco Square was nostalgic as I sensed history all around me including the modern stage which but I'm sure hundreds of famous artists have played in all walks of life such as jazz and classical. It was a beautiful setting and I wished I knew more history of the area. As we started our walked back to the hotel we slowly went through the city. I was amazed in the sheer size of Venice and the how well retail shops were tucked away in these very small quarters. It took over three hours to walk back to the hotel where we would catch her neck strain out of Florence. We stopped inside to grab our gear and said our goodbyes and we were off again.

The train ride to Florence lasted four hours and when we arrived, in were dark and again time to look for a hotel. As luck would have it there was a young gal who took us by the hand back across the street to a hotel floor she managed. What amazed me in Florence was the number of hotels with small neon signs dominant the area in old buildings which reminded me of what the 30s may be like in New York City. We negotiated the room price down to €90 and took showers before heading out for a quick drink before bed even though it was already 11 p.m. Anther point that struck me was the number of young teenagers enjoying the nightlife of the town which will be my lasting impressions of such a historic town as Florence. We settled at a small pub on the square and ordered a round of drinks with everyone around us was talking as we sat there idly staring at others. We made our way back to the hotel and I was happy to sleep with my feet hinting at what I had just put hem through in the past week.

The next morning, I went into the dining area with the British morning news and enjoyed many cups of coffee while everyone was sleeping. I exchanged stories with a Brazilian father and son that were touring Europe for the entire summer reminiscing on the times he lived in Europe. The best part about traveling abroad is the people and this was a rare occasion on this trip I had time to do exactly that. Today is going to be the only day that we spent two consecutive nights at the same place as we booked another room and left for a tour of Florence with the main destination as the Uffizi, is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world. We could clearly see that it was it was extremely popular area and we waited in line as the gals ran to get tickets from our reservation we made from the hotel. They were gone for quite some time and once a group was let in, the attendants closed the chains accidentally leaving me on the inside. As I stood there, I became a immediately Uffizi tour guide as everyone over the next 15 minutes continued to walk up to me and ask for information regarding tickets, times, and more. I answered as best I could and pointed them in the right direction but the best was when an American couple came up to me and asked if I spoke American which I chuckled and said yes. I decided my life as a tour guide was coming to an end and moved underneath the chains and become just another tourist.

The museum was remarkable as collections of timeless art and sculptures of souls that walked the world before our time continued forever through the long hallways and separate rooms. I reflected in the modern times where we are at today as a civilization as compared to the world before and my mind pondered if we as a modern society are truly living or just rushing around picking off to actions of our lives, but I believe world does change and we are still no different than these people who lived many years before and we must adapt and find our place in history no matter what it might be. I am grateful I know I have found my purpose and know this trip in hindsight would provide many valuable lessons on how to travel for all future trips. I must admit my goal on the trip through Italy was to relax bask in the success of our climbs but unfortunately that's the last thing I was able to do as we seem to always be trying to find the next thing, getting money always seemed to be a hassle, and I was without technology to help us through the issues. It seems like weeks ago when we were climbing which I would've been satisfied heading to Venice for three nights and enjoying the sights, food, and wine. Back to the museum, we turned a corner say the original Adam and Eve and spent time admiring this original portrait knowing we were somewhere special.

After dinner on the river, we needed to do laundry and decided to do that while having a drink at a back alley pub. We found the perfect little Irish pub and we sat down which turn out to be a great night. When talking with the guy from Pennsylvania who is their traveling alone whom added a spark to our conversation. We talked through the night until we closed the bar with drinks all around and finally satisfied of the good night out. Greats party in the back alley pub in the city of Florence Italy.

In the morning, our next destination to the original destination of TOWN was changed to the small city of Viareggio on the coast of Italy. We took a bus to the town lasting a little over an hour and we stepped off into an old beach town again from the 1930s on the coast of Italy. It included boardwalk shops on the Mediterranean and architecture that still remained intact. We search for a hotel and found one overlooking the main section of town with a great view of the beach and the entire town. We grabbed lunch and I decided today would be a great day to have time to ourselves as a couple and we walked all the way up the beach to the north. We made it back to the hotel a bit before 6 pm and prepared to go to dinner on the boardwalk surrounded by the nightlife of the town. It was a classy town with culture everywhere. I truly enjoyed spending a day here on the strip.

It was Friday and the day before leaving back for home and we're grabbed a train to Rome to spend an entire day and night in the city. As we traveled down the four-hour trip, I was glad to be leaving the next day. I knew that this trip looking back would be good but can say there are many lessons learned. Once we stepped off the train a bit after 3 p.m. we found a restaurant on the bustling streets of this large city. The contrast of the weeks in backcountry compared to the city of Rome gave an immediate jolt to the pace. Once finished, we walked down to the Coliseum and I could feel the countless souls alive there were lost including the greed of the emperors that would sit in their high seats and watch the torture below.

The Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is the largest ever built in the Roman Empire and one of the greatest works of Roman engineering. Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus. Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles, mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era and was later reused for religious purposes as it is today with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession around the various levels of the amphitheatre.

It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games and although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined due to damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering.

After we toured the Colosseum, we sat for quite some time on the high wall surrounding the area and I drank a tall beer in the fading evening sun. We slowly made our way back through the city; we ate a light dinner at an outdoor restaurant in the heart of the city. We caught the train to the airport where we planned to stay for the night and as it turned out, provided decent accommodations with private bathrooms. I slept pretty well all things considered and morning came quickly. We headed toward the gate for the flight back to Newark.

As I flew out of Italy I reflected on all the things I experienced on the trip including the challenge I've put myself through and walk away with many lessons learned;

1. Insuring you have plenty of cash on hand and a easy way to get more if needed
2. Embracing the modern technology age to stay up with the world, search for history about the area, get travel information, and updating my blog.
3. Balance between planning, preparation, and adventure because every day was a search for something and we spent hours traveling and I never felt I got into the groove of culture. Also, as we experienced in Switzerland, knowledge is critical to our safety as I continue traveling throughout the world in countries that do not just give you a ticket.
4. The pace of the adventure is also a balance experiencing the culture and seeing a lot as we were constantly on the move only stayed one night in the same place. This slower pace will extend the group and adds to the conversation as we saw on our night in Florence.

With my quest to climb as many of the highest peaks, as may never be back to Rome but in a weird way, I'm grateful we did not summit Mt Blanc because either Rome or Paris can be a jumping off point for another trip including Portugal and Spain. As I continue to become an efficient, world traveler and learn from my mistakes, I will always have a chance to rebound and see the world in the way I want to see it.

As we arrived in the Newark with a 6 hour wait I never thought I would feel at home in New York but with the transparent conversations, the world has a lot to say about the American culture but I can tell you in many ways we are more patient than the Europeans and hold all everyone at the same standard. As we waiting, our flight was overbooked and we gave up our seats for the next flight only two hours away in exchange for a two $300 tickets, $25 food (beer) voucher in the airport, and an upgrade to first class. I jumped at the deal as we traveled westward across America who was preparing for bed, we were pampered in first class with hot towels, unlimited drinks, and a full course veal dinner satisfied with the end of this adventure…

Grauspitz - Liechtenstein

2009-11-05T18:58:00.001-08:00

The quick is way to Liechtenstein from Zugspitz was to travel the same route we came yesterday and then westward through Austria to the southern part tip of the country but we decided to head north into Germany to experience the country. We traveled north through Garmish-Partenkirchen and many smaller towns peppered every five miles or so along the highways and my mind pondered on how they came to be? Is it small towns maintain the the vintage feel of their history or is there something else? As I drove in the back country of Germany I barely had time to gain the speed limit from one town to the next. As we stopped at numerous places we quickly found that the Germany does not accept any credit cards other than Mastro Bank which we did not have. As we traveled though the day and stopped at many places, we found every time we needed cash not American credit cards but at a point late in the afternoon, I ran into a bank to get cash and discover the same isse (debit card was Visa), my climbing partner gathered the trash from the car and while looking for a restroom found around the corner a small upscale grocery store well stocked with everything we needed and by the way accepted visa.

After replenishing our food cache, we continued south and looked for the border of Liechtenstein only 16 miles in length but we still had to traveled through the populated town of Bregenz and Lake Bregenzer Bucht. I have to admit after traveling all day, I questioned our desire to travel well outside the way into Germany. As we traveled though rush hour with 40 miles to got before reaching the border, the sun showed hints the day was coming to an end. Once we came to the border, we were stopped abruptly by border patrol which we hadn't seen since starting the trip in any of the countries. The officer looked in the back of your car and saw the chaos of gear and food, then quickly directed us to pull to the side. I did what I was told and realized I was driving barefoot and hoped there wasn’t a law against it. He asked for my passport which was somewhere in the back and that only added to the confusion. He then asked me to turn off my car which I did, but because it was in neutral held by my foot on the brake and as I turned to the back to find my passport, my foot came off to brake and we started rolling forward. This again added to the confusion and still could not find my passport and needed to get out of the car to look for it in the back but I attemped to advised the officer of my intentions whom only spoke German and this again added to the confusion but hoped my actions would not get me shot or thrown in jail. It took me a while t find my passport and when I finally did, the officer left for 10 minutes and to my relief allowed us to proceed on. The style points on arriving in this country were zero.

Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine microstate in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and Austria to the east. Its size is just over 62 square miles with a population of 35,000 and Vaduz as its capital. Liechtenstein is the smallest German-speaking country in the world and a constitutional monarchy divided into 11 municipalities. Much of Liechtenstein's terrain is mountainous making it a winter paradise above the surrounding small farms and like Switzerland has a strong financial sector and known as a tax haven.

As noted before when planning (or lack of planning) the trip we decided to keep the adventure flexible which this method of thinking has both pros and cons; on one hand without plans the expectations are low without a deadlines except climbing all the peaks in a by a certain date but on the other hand it requires a lot of work and plans will change once you're actually in the situation. The only resources we brought were copies of www.summitpost.com which are climbers blogs of there experience on the mountain. We also had the wikipedia printouts for both the mountains and countries. We were without reservations and as we drove into the country and started to ask where this mountain was located and to our dismay no had even heard of it. We accepted this and moved south in the country thinking better luck would be closer to the southern border only 16 miles from where we stood. We stopped at a gas station but again no one had heard of Grauspitze and we started to get concerned about our ability to find it as full darkness has arrived.

An interesting point of this philosophy is that you always seem to find a way and we were given a small clue from the women running the gas station whom she knew mountains were close by but the route to her knowledge was not possible from Liechtenstein but from Switzerland approached from the southern side. We mentioned the town we were seeking but she was also unfamiliar with and but suggested another town she guessed it might be near with general directions. Just as fast as we came into Liechtenstein we traveled out in the darkness with limited vision and made our way back into Switzerland and upon not finding the turnoff suggested earlier and thinking we had gone too far again decided to again ask for directions to a young German girl and again was not familiar with our requests but believed we should follow the roundabout in front of the store to the north. As we continued we came upon a very small town in the middle of the night which happened to be what we're looking for in the beginning. We found the Autobahn which was appeared to be someone’s weekend backyard project which would take us to the starting point but of what we could read in the dark and in German, reservations were required and we had no idea if someone would even be there in the morning. Before we shrugged off our ability to use the tram, we needed to find a place to sleep after a long day of traveling in the car.

Nested in the northern most section of Switzerland, this small village backed up against the hillside with cobblestone streets, gas streetlamps, and narrow roads that even an compact car barely fit, and this night was extremely dark making our way through a series of small villages challenging. What we did know was the for sleep or hotel in German was “zimmer” and somehow found a small bed & breakfast in the bend of the road as it neared 10 pm, to our luck the host had one single room available and to her surprised we still wanted. She spoke a little English and we explained we were climbers and a single room was not a problem as we have spent countless hours in tents together much smaller than this room. She finally agreed and allowed us to have the room at a discounted double rate charge. We did not care because the showers were hot and to be clean again with our first shower of the trip made us feel again alive.

When we woke up in the morning we still needed to find the route is up to the summit and decided to get in the car and search before coming back for breakfast. The area was now exposed to us and we were we surrounded by countless vineyards in a apparent counrty known for its wine. We continued to search for a route and with the aid of a map on the side of the road, gave us the hints needed of the surrounding area including the mountains above which led us to an area we thought would be the best jumping off point different to that of the summitpost printout. A trailhead found, we went back to the bed & breakfast for European breakfast of meat, cheese, fruit, and basket of bread topped of with coffee from heaven. As we ate, we were surrounded by bottles of wine and a lot of friendly faces which we had no way of talking to. Once finished, I bought a bottle of wine and headed back to the trailhead we had previously decided.

The trip up Grauspitz was the lowest elevation of all the mountains of the entire trip based on everything we read could be the hardest with a knife edge ridge climb to the final summit. The mountain everyone in the town knew was Falknis showed by the road map with direct access from the south end. It was apparent to the people we spoke to that the other peaks surrounding Falknis were rarely climbed due to the difficulty, but our goal was different requiring the to the trek to the true summit of this small country. Leaving the trailhead, the trail was a gravel road which came to a point surrounded by a grassy steep area peppered by numerous small huts which were most likely used by sheepherders in the past. From here the apparent trail continued next to a small river coming from the mountain until we came to a point that the river was washed out but clearly crossed over to the other side. We came to a point on open hillside where the trail stopped and we looked for clues of the route. Looking back across the valley there was a guy who had left the trailhead before us who was climbing the other ridge toward a orange marker at the edge of the trees. He looking like he was a local and us thinking of what happened on our first peak with the Serbians, we turned around and decided to down climb and take his course. We continued up the ridge and quickly came to a dead end in the forest where the trail stopped and became precarious in the muddy brush above a cliff directly above the river. We had another decision to make as this local was no where in sight; we either could follow this route through the brush or go back to where we were which also didn't give us much clues. We already have been off route for over an hour but knew the other way must have been the right way originally as we saw back across a yellow sign peeking through the woods.

Once we made our way back across, the signed pointed us in the right directlion and the trail was easy from that point on. We continued on, there were sheep roaming the countryside through as evident in the bells handing from there collars, we came to our first stop of a “climbers hut” as noted on the map below. Thinking as before a hut in the Alps would be more, this time we had money and prepared from a cold beer, but as we approached the hut looked nothing like a place were climbers stopped and but a shack to host the shepherd of the sheep. We walked through the handmade gate but could find no signs to confirm this was the hut the trail markers guided us to, but as we continued on the trailmarkers confirmed this was the place as the arrows reversed. One thing was for certain this was not a place accommodating climbers for the night. We climbed on and as the hot sun passed overe us, we needed a place to stop for lunch but decided the best case was to achieve the ridgeline so any wind could keep the bugs away from us.

We stopped at the ridge with the popular mountain in the backdrop and ate lunch, then made our way up the trail traversing the south ridge including fixed anchors in many points due to the exposure. At only a few hundred feet from the true summit of Falknis, we saw the first glimpse of Grauspitze and to our dismay, dropped over 500 feet to a saddle to the virtually unclimbable west face. We thought about climbing Falknis since we were so close but decided if we did climb it and with the difficulty of our true summit this peak might lead to a consolation prize which were unwilling to do, so we moved on. During my study of summitpost.com, the east ridge is the route but not without difficulty and here we were way on the west side. There was even a moment in our minds (verbally said it) that this mountain might not be in the cards being so far from the correct route and needing to traverse 2000 feet to the basin and hike the entire length just to reach the other side and to turn around to climb back up the knife ridge the length of the basin. However, a joint of energy hit me and we were off down the ridge and committed to a second climb of the day.

The country was remarkable shared only with a few hikers in the perfect afternoon sun even even thought I felt the solitude of the mountains as we hiked back across to the point we should have started before. This climb was exposured without fixed anchors, and we thought of roping in a few tricky sections including a mermorial cross for a climber who died a few years back. We were careful with our steps and within the hour near the summit my steps onto the summit deserved some deep "yahoos" on a mountain that tested us in our drive, ability, and commitment to meet our goal by climbing the highest point in the country of Liechtenstein including the third of this journey. Across the U-shaped mountain ridge and valley below I could see another mountain would be nice to climb some day, but we were out of time. I come to find out that that mountain is named Glegghorn. To me at that moment, I was on the summit…

I snapped a few pictures and started my way down the ridge to a point when I decided to take a shortcut straight down the step cliffs. I recollected a trailpost at the saddle with a turnoff to the hut were first looked for ealier in the day. The miles were shorter with views of the valley below and within a few hours a exposured hiking, we came to the hut with a dude drinking a beer and a young gal hut host from Germany who was very friendly. Her "friend" seemed pissed we where there but she continued to talk and asked us if we were going to stay since she was the only one there for the night. We said we weren't and did not have money for a beer anyhow and carried on making our way out of the car. As we climbed off the steep ridge, we followed a large river to a point it was washed out requiring some route finding back to the main road. We eventually found it and were on our way on a gravel road to the trailhead.

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Not far from the main road we came to a grassy field where a handful of tents were peppered in the tall grass when like a moment from movie, a gorgeous blonde stepping out from a tent, glanced our way as she stretched her arms exposing everything about her in the golden evening light, and turned and walked the other way. A interesting change to long days alone in the mountains. Once back at the road we walked the two miles back to the car, pulled the gear off our backs, and made our way to find a spot for dinner. Still having food from a grocery store in Germany we pulled into a vineyard in the town we stayed and enjoyed prosciutto and mustard in a tube sandwiches and the bottle wine from the morning. The air was refreshing as the sky moved toward dusk and again in the car toward our next destination, the highest peak in Switzerland, Dourforspitze. Between the dark night in the heart of the Swiss Alp, the constant concentration staying on the windy road, the pace the occasional Europeans would pass, and the lack of sleep, after a few hours I had to stop to find a place to sleep for the night. In a small town that I cannot remember, I backed up to a small building next to the road in the dead of night, reclined the seat and fell quickly to sleep.

Head to Dufourspitze in Switzerland

Zugspitze - Germany

2009-11-05T18:57:00.002-08:00

The road signs in Europe are not easy to navigate with the inconsistency of the road numbers and unpronounceable towns along the way. There were a couple of choices to Zugspitze, one from the east and the second from the west. Our only navigation guide was a printout from summitpost.com noting the standard climb up Zugspitze was from the east but as it would happen on any adventure, we passed our first turn and continued west before reaching the town of Ehrwald at the base of the mountain. However interesting enough we discovered from the locals the standard western routes were impassable at the time and we would have needed to travel back across to get where we stood presently. We enjoyed a beer at a local town pub debating on the best route for the climb and concluded on the Wiener-Neustadter-Hutte route which is a hike up to 7250 feet, spend the night and follow a 2400 feet rock climb up the western face of the mountain.

We left the car at the Tyrolean Zugspitze Railway parking lot that takes you directly to the summit by tram and followed a back road trail into a basin reminding me of the desert southwest with the combination of the afternoon heat and sandy sage brush landscape. We read the hut was classified as a third class emergency shelter and did not expect the same service in Austria, but more like what we were accustom to in the North Cascades, therefore did not grab a lot of cash. As we turned a corner around a rock face there was a small shelter in the distance and we thought to ourselves there it is, but as we continued up there was a modern hut to the right with a different appearance. We walked inside the smaller but cozy hut with the smell of a warm fire and a handful of summit teams drinking and eating as before. The host greeted us and I could see from the kitchen that even this third class hut was the same as our previous night’s accommodations and had not learned our lesson as we again were without enough money and a deep need for a cold beer high on the mountain.

There are 6.6 billion of people on this earth and this was a time one of those persons surprised me by with kindness even after we confessed we were from America who knew no better to these types of accommodations and carried little money to support our climbing. Come to find out the guest does this for a living and arrives early in the summer and will not leave until early fall as they preplanned all the supplies and hope for a profit after paying the expenses such as rental for the hut, however our host on this day stated we were his guest and wanted us to stay as his guest including giving us a beer. Grateful to this kindness, we sat speaking to a mother and daughter team from Germany with a group of guys on a bachelor party (come to find out on the summit) and a few others in this cozy warm hut only a few hundred feet from the Germany as we still sat in Switzerland on this night. There is a time in life when you must payback the night kindness you are given and this was one of those moments. I will never forget but I thank you for allowing us to be your guest on this day. We enjoyed our beer and prepared our dinner complemented by great conversation all around. The night was exciting and I went to bed dreaming of the mornings cli,mb.

I woke up to a great night's sleep as we made our way into the dining hall where our new friend offered us a rich cup of coffee. We stepped out from hut into the crisp morning air third in line of the parties at the hut and hiked to the base of the 2500 foot climb up the mountain. The rock was in great shape and the route was more of a scramble instead of a climb with slight exposure aided by fixed anchors as this climb is popular to the guide service for those new to the sport or making this the climb of thier life. Not making light if we did spot a marker commemorating a death of the route.

As we crested the ridge there was vintage sign of the country we were about to cross into and I knew shortly I could say I have been on the highest peak in Germany. The interesting point about Zugspitze is unlike most peaks, the summit included a large building built on on the rocks including everything from a upscale restaurant, museum, gift shop, and many others services to support the hundreds per day whom make it to the summit by way of the tram. We snapped a few pictures as we were excited to be again on a highest peak in a European country.

We made our way back into the building as the resturant staff were setting up for the coming day, we where in no mood for breakfast and wanted a German beer in Germany. I walked up to the counter and was greeted by a older gentleman with a large smile, ordered a few beers and sat down overlooking the summit basin with clean cotton tableware and a tall glass of Lowenbrau. It was at this moment but I felt a deep sense of peace by knowing that I was on the right track in my life and this project is what I was born to do, but not only that I knew it was time for me to take the next step in my life by getting deeper in what I was doing but also that I needed a long-term plan on a business that would keep me challenged above and beyond my career and climbing. It was at this moment I knew the rest of the trip would become a brainstorm during the countless hours of travel and climbing. As I drank my German beer I realized my life could be no better than it was at the moment. I felt peace like never before.

We knew it was time to leave and we collected our gear again and made our way outside. As we approach the ridge we could see a tram full of people making their way up the mountain confirming to us we are leaving at the right moment before the business of the day struck. Nothing against people but having the solitude of the morning on the mountain means the world to me and I was grateful to have this moment on summit, of course with the beer. We climbed back to the hut to collect our gear and made our way back in the car before early afternoon. We washed up in the public restroom and were off again to the small country of Liechtenstein and a mountain named Grauspitz.

Head to Grauspitz in Liechtenstein

Grossglockner - Austria

2009-11-05T18:57:00.001-08:00

We arrived in Europe with the goal to climb the following mountains over the next nine days;

Grossglockner at 12,461 feet in Austria
Zugspitze at 9,717 feet in Germany
Grauspitz at 8,526 feet in Liechtenstein
Dufourspitze at 15,203 ft in Switzerland
Monte Bianco at 15,781 ft both in France & Italy

Our flight to Vienna took off in the early Seattle morning for stops in Newark then onto Paris before arriving the next day at our final destination and the start of another great adventure. Vienna wasn't the original jumping off point being Venice, Italy was the closer to Austria's highest peak; however a miscommunication in booking the ticket confirmed where our starting point would be. Either way, Europe in comparison to America is much smaller and this change was originally thought as a good problem now the capital of Austria was in the plan. The flight to Vienna went smoothly with no issues but traveling such a long distance causes the body to crave physical activity which plenty in store in the coming days. In preparing for this trip, it was decided at the beginning to minimize all planning with the exception of what mountains to climb. With the flight time to Vienna we would review the first mountain and make the decisions on the routes as we went adding to the challenge. In addition, my take-a-way from Pico de Orizaba in Mexico was to learn the basic language of countries I was traveling and printed from the web must know travel phases for the three European languages we were traveling. As I would learn on this trip, a take-a-way is only good if you actual do something with it.

We arrived in Vienna Friday morning, grabbed our gear from the carousel and made our way to the rent-a-car counter to pick up our transportation for the next week. There was a lot of discussion on what was the best mode of travel as trains are notorious in Europe, however due to our tight schedule along with the remoteness of towns near the mountains, the flexibility of a rental car was the right choice on this adventure. Once in the car we were off on another great adventure with the plans over the next 10 days to climb five summits in six countries. By the way, our backcountry adventure included a Mercedes Benz that we found could hold its own on the Germany Autobahn.

Grossglockner, our first destination, is located in the western part of the Austria's so we grabbed a map and headed west through the town of Lienz and then Salzburg sitting north of our the mountain. We stopped at a supermarket to grab some supplies and made our way south to the entrance of the Hohe Tauern National Park and Grossglockner High Alpine Road. It was nearing 7 p.m. and the ranger at the entry station was concerned of our intentions with a park curfew nearing in the next hour and half. We stated our plans and he suggested we head up to the Franz-Josefs-Haus where we could park and sleep in the car for the night. As we drove up the highway, the countless mountains keep us on our toes to which was Grossglockner. After nearly an hour of spectacular driving, we arrived to a cold and windy night without a hint of any mountains around as the clouds drifted in and out at the 2000 meter elevation we sat. The area was deserted and we backed the car into a cozy spot on the 2nd floor of a five story parking garage and prepared for bed before heading out in the morning. There happened to be a group of climbers whom drove up and scoped the mountain conditions but quickly jumped back in to their truck and headed back down which I assume was to a warm hut for the night. It was tempting to do the same but we were on a budget and we drifted off to sleep after only a few sips of wine with anticipation of climbing the first of five peaks on this challenging adventure.

Morning came as expected to a very cold, cloudy morning and we prepared our gear and set off for base camp. We started the route by descending to the Pasterze Glacier 500 feet below and crossed it in a northwest direction until it met on the opposite side to the ridge that would take us to the beginning of the Hoffmannkees Glacier. The Pasterze, at approximately 5.2 mi in length, is the longest glacier in Austria nd in the Eastern Alps reaching the 11,330 ft Johannisberg to 6890 ft above sea level. The length of the glacier currently decreases about 33 ft each year with it volume diminished by half since the first measurements in 1851.

From the base of the Hoffmannkees Glacier, we ascended to the south directly underneath the ridge line and then back in a westerly direction to the Erzherzog-Johann-Huette. This route in times past had to been the most common ascent but it has become more difficult in recent years because of shrinking glaciers and dangerous stonefalls. As we continued up the firm snow, the hut was always in view which makes for fun climb. In the North Cascades, the setup time to reach any peak can be at a day or more, but it was very apparent over the hundreds of years of climbing in the Alps the roads were further and deeper in the mountains than what we were used to without the need to tromp through trees, over logs, carrying tents, sleeping bags, cooking year, and food. We didn't bring a tent but had the rest of our gear. We arrived at the Erzherzog-Johann-Huette, the highest hut in Austria, at 3454 meters or 11,332 feet slightly before noon and as I walked into the hut I was blown away in my first impression of what climbing is like in the European Alps. It included every amenity of a modern hotel including a dedicated gear room, a room to dry out your boots including a wall of slippers, a full staffed kitchen, kegs of beer, beds with fresh sheets, and crystal clean toilets. We dropped our gear and took a break in in the dining hall before making the decision to summit Großglockner in the afternoon instead of waiting for a midnight rungiving us the ability to leave first thing in the morning.

The Großglockner is the "king" of the eastern half of the alps with a prominence, the elevation over the deepest pass that separates it from the next higher mountain, only second to Mont Blanc. The Grossglockner is surrounded by the Glockner Group of mountains that is a central part of the Hohe Tauern Range. We left the hut at 2 p.m. and followed the zigzagged boot path to gain access on the steep ridge and summit hidden in the clouds above. There were a handful of other climbing groups heading to the summit at the same time but the real challenge was those which were coming down over a series of fixed anchor points providing protection to the continuous drop on both sides. With the exposure like this, it takes extreme care to insure you’re always anchored to the mountain while allowing the ropes to pass along. As we continued to climb up, I realized we were well on our way to summiting the first mountain of this grand adventure, and as we continued to climb I could see the summit close above and felted the excitement of reaching the top. As I crested what I thought was the summit, I quickly realized there was more to this mountain.

From where I stood we still needed to down climb a 30 foot wall which was connected to a narrow col with a abyss dropping on both sides. Across the small ledge on the opposite side was a 50 foot vertical climb taking you to the the final summit ridge and then to the top. I have to admit my first thoughts were “rats” because in my mind I thought we were already on the top, and even though I have climbed many high peaks with dangers such as crevasses and avalanches; I was just gaining momentum in mixed climbing on snow and rock. In addition, this section of the route required not only protection for the fixed anchors but required self belays on many sections. It's is times like these that I get excited knowing I'm really pushing the limits of what I can do and failure at any point will be grave consequences but that do not get excited because of fear, but knowing I am pushing my life foreword as I realize I'm in Austria climbing the highest peak in the country. I love this life am deeply engaged in the climb stripping away from my mind all nonessentials and deeply focused on the task at hand which is the reason why I climb mountains. Our timing couldn't be better as we walked onto the summit with no one on top to a clear sky and remarkable country below. We snapped a few pictures and enjoy the moment of being on the top of Großglockner, the highest peak in the country of Austria.

As we turned to head down the mountain our bodies reengaged in the task in preparation for the 50 foot cliff overlooking the abyss and up the another less technical 30 foot section. At this point, there are many parties to contend with and I envision the excitement of being in a bottleneck on Everest’s Hillary Step as the weather deteriorates and climbers are near exhaustion. A key to climbing exposed ridges like this is to eliminate time as a factor and stay deeply connected to every move. Once past this section the steep down climb seems like child's play but nonetheless dangerous. We make it back to the saddle after negotiating other parties working their way up including a group that decided to turn back.

Once back at the hut, we relaxing in the superb accommodations the Europeans mastered a long time ago, listened to foreign conversations, and regretting not having cash for a cold beer and a hot meal. It was evident climbing in the Alps requires only climbing gear and money with everything else available in the high paradise. Even though we packed only the minimal gear, we quickly realized we brought way too much gear including a tent, stove, food, water, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. We hung out for a while being the only Americans with in diverse group of nationalities whom enjoyed a spice for life not found in American with songs through the night. At some point we reluctantly headed up your bed and snuggled into our fresh blankets with anticipation of a great nights rest. Don't get me wrong about the style of climbing in the Alps as it is not a downgrade but a comment on truly enjoying the mountains in a different way. It's a shame Americans do not embrace the beauty of mountains at this level because in America it's the select few who are willing to push through the worse parts to gain the best.

I woke up in the night with no idea of the time even though my natural senses told me to get up so I pryed my climbing buddy’s watch and happily saw it was four o'clock. We had already decided we would get up early and head back to the car in order to get an earlier start to Germany for the next climb of Zugspitze. I found my way downstairs to collect my gear and walked out onto the hut patio to a faint morning sunrise over the mountains to the east. I snapped a few pictures and realized how lucky I was to be at this point at exact moment in the country of Austria. As we stepped onto the glacier, the snow was in perfect condition for plunge steps as our momentum carried us down the mountain and I could see across the glacier the starting point of this climb. This is unusual compared to climbing in the North Cascades due to long to wooded approaches and having the end in sight always makes the climb down more enjoyable as you can quickly sense your progress. We continued the same path we came the preceeding day back to the ridge and then to the Pasterze Glacier below. Intrigued by the mistake we made on the way up, it still wasn’t obvious as I looked back once on the lower glacier and if I had to lead it again would probably make the same mistake. Once we crossed the Pasterze Glacier, we climbed back up 600 feet to reach our starting point.

Back at the car, we changed into clean clothes and found a small café overlooking the valley with Großglockner in the background. The American coffee I am used too is nothing compared to the small cups you get in Europe. In American, we want “grande” or "venti" whereas espressos are more popular here even though they pack just as much caffeine. We asked for bread with our coffee only to get blank stares to why we would do such a thing but quickly realized the culture's breakfast was standard of meat, cheese, and bread. They however were happy to fulfill our request and we enjoyed our coffee with warm bread. After leaving the café, we traveled south through many small villages in southern Austria then into Italy before crossing back into Austria to the southern border of Germany.

Head to Zugspitze in Germany

Kilimanjaro - Tanzania

2009-09-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

After much work and struggles leading up to the trip, I left my new home in Pasadena on a great night to the Los Angeles airport. I hoped the carry my gear on the plane but it turned out to be much too large for security. I went back to check in my bag and quickly realize the first mistake of this trip by leaving both my wallet and my phone behind in the car, however lessons learned from previous adventures drove me to research to this trip prior and found the optimal currency in Tanzania was cash with sporadic ATMs and difficult exchange venues. With $600 extra cash in my pocket, I had no concerns about the situation. With the main focus of 2010 to be “life in the moment”, this in turn may be an added benefit to drive home that message. I saw a billboard on the way down to the airport which says it all… “no matter what… fight on!”. This is a big trip for me.

On the early morning red eye flight, I slept most of the way to Dulles Airport in Washington, DC and while waiting for the Ethiopian flight to board for my next destination to Rome, I bought a coffee, calling card, and a journal which I start the journaling of the trip. The flight next leg of the trip to Rome then onto Addis Abba is a mere 15 hours, but excited to know soon I will plant my feet onto a new continent. The flight is uneventful and I attempt to get some sleep but it proves difficult. With my extra gear packed below in the cargo hold, my entertainment is my new journal, a book on critical thinking, and the in-flight magazine. Good thing the Ethiopian Airlines 767 has a great in-flight entertainment system embedded into the passenger seat which I took full advantage of. We stopped in Rome in the middle of the night to take on more fuel and within an hour we were on our way to Addis Abba, Ethiopia. More of the same, I finished off the selection of movies except for a love story not calling my name. As we descended on to the city, I could quickly see the poverty and the homes of their common way of life. Maybe we just flew above that side of the city, but it reminded me of my time in Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. Not knowing if I would be required to enter customs in Addis Abba, I completed the forms anyway only to find out otherwise. The layover for the next flight to Nairobi was a little over an hour requiring a change in planes so I toured the airport and found numerous shops holding the types of products I'm looking for my new business which I plan to start at the beginning of the year. Hoping to have time on the return flight to look closer and make a purchase, I easy went through security into a glass enclosure boarding area providing the feeling could be on display in a virtual habitat.

As I boarded the aircraft I realized it was the same plane after all but a new route number. Having so much time with the in-flight magazine it was clear they were proud of their fleet as every plane received a section detailing its tail number, gross weight, engines, and more. We took off the North which provided a glimpse the other side of the city. Not perfect but far from stories I heard as a child that Ethiopian was a country of severe poverty, but as with every country not every region is cinnamon and spice. As the plane turned left to the south I was able to glimpse the beautiful countryside including a distant view of Lake Victoria. The puffy clouds scattered through the sky offering glimpses of the mystical scenery. The flight was a bit over a hour and as we dropped into the city of Nairobi I felt to stir over the green landscape and wondered if I would spend time here in the future. The city holds the nickname “city of green” and I envision for a moment having a plot of land living the easy life.

As we approached the airport, my recent pilot’s lessons instinctively told me the pilot was either in training or having a difficult time making a smooth landing in the wind. The first lesson when landing on final is to be carefully not to make large corrections on the base or final unless flight critical. Not only were the engines spooled up of final telling me our attitude was low and needed yet compensation. This created another issue which was our landing speed. As we touched down well past the landing marks I know the pilot was greater than the pilot operating handle. The touch down speed was confirmed as we miss the taxiway and had to complete a U-turn on the MIC end of the active runway. Good thing the airport is small relative to others while. Most of the passengers were gathering their belongings once we arrived at the gate leaving only a handful going to Kilimanjaro Airport.

We were off in the next 40 minutes for the short flight to the Kilimanjaro airport. The countryside continued to grow more beautiful until I got my first glimpse of the mountain. On her lower half, she was cloaked in the clouds but provided a clear view of the summit and the three distinctive craters. I snapped a bunch of pictures from the left side of the first-class cabin until I was told to go back to my seat. With only one other in first-class and with my seat only two rows behind was surprised by the mandate from the only male flight attendant, however knew this would not be so if any of the beautiful Ethiopian flight attendants were not comfortable enjoying the quick flight as well. I got a chance to snap pictures of Mt Nero as well with the Moshi countryside painted with small homesteads. As we descended to the Kilimanjaro International Airport I could sense the wind was fierce with the dust bowls visible running across the flats. We touched down without an issue but had to complete yet another U-turn do to the mistake of the pilot, but because the airstrip was so small with out taxiways. Kilimanjaro or JRO is designated " Gateway of Africa's Wildlife Heritage", was inaugurated in 1971 became the first international airport to be privatized in Africa in 1998. Funny to be in a 767 at that time.

As I stepped off the airplane, I placed my feet firmly on African soil for the first time. The warm air was distinctive with Kilimanjaro still looming in the distant; I quickly cleared customs as most went others still had to obtain a entry visa which I was not aware as an option on site. The pains I went through to have it before the trip is another story, but It was good to be in front of everyone and found my backpack to be the first to travel through the corridor all the way since I checked it in Los Angeles a few days prior. I passed through a set of doors to find a group of drivers waiting with names on paper, but none with my name. The remaining taxi drivers quickly noticed I was without a ride and they surrounded me with offerings to take me wherever I wanted to go. I search my papers only to find I did not print the latest e-mail from Mary that included the hotel's name. I searched and searched with a half dozen drivers around me but to no avail in remembering the hotel. Attempting to obtain the hotel name by providing details of what I remember in the website, but there were obviously more than a few in Arusha. There were no clear choices so I made another pass by the drivers and this time there was a sign with my name on it for the Snow Crest Hotel. Yes that was it. My drivers name was Harrison and I could tell he was a sharp from the beginning and we enjoyed a Tanzanian conversation over the 40 km ride to the hotel. We spoke about Christianity, politics, family, and his love of driving for the hotel. Prior to joining the hotel, he drove for the Citi Bank branch of Arusha, but that was closed a few years ago. He felt fortunately having this job as they are hard to find in the country as he was putting his kids through a private school costly a tidy sum.

The countryside was familiar to my travels in Mexico and Jamaica with street side venues for everything from chickens, produce, lumber, and anything else one might need off the dusty roads. The ride was quickly over and as we pulled up to the hotel and as it was a cut above everything else in the area. As I walked in the front lobby, I was greeted by a team with a hot napkin, mango juice, and anything I needed to make my stay in abundance. Not use to such pampering I quickly went to my room and prepared for a well-deserved shower after 33 hours of traveling. I got some shut eye in the afternoon and explored the Snow crest Hotel has it already turned to night and nowhere to go. The hotel was magnificent more luxurious than those I stayed during my business trips. It included a bar and gym overlooking the pool with one end over 12 feet deep. The many courtyards decorated with lush flowers and tropical plants including skylights adding to the deep color. The rooms included everything from plasma TVs, a working area, countless storage closets, and a bathroom with all modern fixtures. I was truly impressed and considered it an oasis in the middle of Arusha. I slipped the night by enjoying my time working on my journal while watching a non-American football and rugby match thinking of were I was. It took some time to get to sleep as we were 10 hours ahead of Los Angeles and before going to sleep spent some more time on the Internet downloading info for my current year book. I updated my blog and checked Mary's website for details and other trips she provides. I just happened to find the section detailing the gear required for the Kilimanjaro trip and not seeing the link before had sent Mary an email weeks earlier. The email confirmed we needed only personal gear but now that I stare at the section tonight, it also including a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, and trekking poles. While trying to be light and carry on my backpack, I only brought what she stated. A bit concerned I sent her an e-mail that night but knew I needed to get to sleep and shrugged of the potential issue knowing something would be worked out. Still having trouble getting to sleep after a hour, I got back up and checked the computer in case she confirmed what I needed to have for the trip and she did once again confirm everything else would be provided by the Mumbi. How good it felt I would not have to spend my Saturday finding gear shop in Arusha which most likely was not available. I laid back down and fell soundly.

I woke up nearing 11 a.m. Tanzanian time that provided me the much needed rest. I took a hot shower and went downstairs for lunch. I enjoyed the hospitality of the staff learned the basic requirements of the Swahili language. I spent the afternoon near the pool until the bell man came and advised the team had arrived from Nairobi. I closed my journal and went to greet Mary Kariuki, her brother John, and the rest of the team I expected to be from New York. Mary gave me a hung as I found her having a warm sense about her supporting her pretty face. Her brother was younger than her by nine years and had been guiding in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania for over 12 years. The team, not from New York, was comprised of nine total, three from Austria and the rest from Switzerland with only two being men. During introductions, I was confident I would not remember their names, but hoped they would of me since I was only one. I did catch Hans and Jennifer but that was it. Hans is a mountain guide in the Swiss Alps which I would come to appreciate his manner and humor. Mary confirmed we were all one and everyone went to their rooms after the dusty six-hour ride from Nairobi. I thought they were coming from Mt Meru in the Moshi Flats but they were urged by Mary to consider Mount Kenya to offer a better variety for the trip. If I would have known this earlier I might have also joined and eventually not gown on the Safari but that also would have been a tragedy being in Africa and not to see the Serengeti. The other point was I have a lot more climbing in Africa and if I completed the biggest peak at the same time, coming back in the near future might be at risk.

I went back to the pool to continue working on my journal then decided to go for a swim. I unzipped the leg bottoms from my hiking gear and jumped in. The pool felt fantastic and completed a dozen or so underwater laps on the bottom of the deep end. I was surprise by my dizziness when I jumped out of the pool but sat for a minute to gain my balance before heading back to the room for a hot shower. Not ready to pack it in for the afternoon, I decided to go for a long stroll on the road to Arusha. Surprised by the reaction of the gal in the front lobby as she seemed concern for my safety, but got another reaction from the bell man at the front door. He gave me a few words of wisdom in the native language, and I was off heading on the opposite side of traffic which similar to the UK, is reverse the United States. Not sure would is right or wrong in this case. On a positive note, my decision to head on the opposite side prevented countless taxi’s from wanting to know if I wanted a ride even though honked and jested if I did need them for were ever the only white guy any where in site wanted to go. I even had a few on motorbikes ask me the same thing, but of course that is a life virtual, never to ride on the back of a bike with another.

As noted before, the environment was similar to other travels such as Isla Meurars and Jamaica as I soaked in the activity of the day of the countryside where the community lives impoverished conditions but vibrant with a healthy live. The walk gave me sites to the countless open markets under make shift shacks as women cloaking their body in traditional garments with baskets balanced on their heads. What I was surprised to see with the influx of cell phone and nice cars such as Nissans and Toyotas. It was clear Tanzania was a nation of texters as billboards everywhere promoted the latest version of a phone with the monthly rate that I suppose dominated their income. Make shift cars washes dotted the road as it was important to shine and dust at odds. No sure how they got the water supplier to do this but they did the best they could to recycle what they had. I continued my walk until I reached the turnoff into downtown Arusha still many miles away. I decided to this was good enough and turn to head back to the hotel on the other side of the road. On the way back, the other thing I noticed was the number a boys cleaning old shoes attempting to bring them back to a like new condition with hopes to sell once again. The competition seems fierce with the number but shoes and cell phones were definitely the hot commodities on the street. I bought a couple of bananas front the front of a house and gave a dollar for what was only $.12. The girl looked at me funny but I thanked her and walked back up to the road.

Once back to the hotel I went to the bar to watch some “English” football while having but of course a Kilimanjaro beer, brewed locally in the region. A few others from the team saddled up to the bar and ordered a round of martinis prior to dinner when Mary stopped by as well. We spoke for quite some time until they advised dinner was ready in the hotel restaurant. Not knowing them yet and not invited I went back up to the room and prepared for the coming days climb. A bit before midnight and knowing I needed to get some sleep put everything away and slipped under the sheets. Again, I laid there for some time with the lights out but not able to sleep. Knowing it was only 2 pm in Los Angeles did not help, I watched a old movie and again turned off the lights but sat in the dark not able to get to sleep. Determined now I opened the window and jumped back under the covers. As I listened to the crickets and the night reminded me of teh trip to Jamaica staying at the Whitfield Hall. It also took me awhile to go to sleep that night but I listened to the exotic Jamaican night outside my open window. Oh how many people I have and will along the way and this journey. My trick worked in the next thing I knew it was 6:30 a.m. with the wake call ringing.

With breakfast at 8:30 am, I have a few hours to pack even though I prepared the night before. Not bringing a extra pack, I removed the belt from my pack and placed it through the top lid giving me a waist summit pack. It occurred to me now what the extra straps were for as there served as make shift shoulder straps with this configuration. When I got to breakfast, most of the team was already eating so I sat with a few of the girls and started my broken conversation that would last over the next week. I knew they had questioned my joining of the team but hoped I would quickly gain their acceptance. After I finished my breakfast, I grabbed another coffee and sat with Mary to talk about trip. Still happy I had all the necessary gear as the Mumbi providing the rest including the tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc., I confirmed this again to her I was worried a few nights a ago until she confirmed again. Puzzled, she looked back and said “you did not bring a sleeping bag or pad?” I said no and thought she confirmed but as always, things always things work themselves out because she had to go last-minute back to Nairobi to meet up with another teams gear which was shipped earlier and now in Nairobi waiting to be picked up. Not wanting this to be a issue, she was not leading our climb, but her brother John. This was good for me because now I had all the gear I needed and packed it after breakfast before the porters loaded it on the top if the bus taking us to the gates of Kilimanjaro. As we walked out to the bus, the entire team of guides and porters provided an outstanding send off in their native songs of Swahili. What a great start from the young Tanzanian men. Once on the bus, 40 km ride went by quickly as are only stop was a break a local roadside market before the turn off to Machame.

The road to the valley was paved and demonstrated the volume of climbers that come to Kilimanjaro during peak season. We continued into the village of Machame which appeared cleaner than the main towns off the main highway with more vegetation with many churches along the way. As we continued up the lower slopes of the mountain, we arrived at the gate of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park.

A few miles after the town we reached the gate of Kilimanjaro and the Machame route which was a lot busier than expected. My guess was that it was approximately 150 climbers waiting to sign or waiting for the porters to get the gear packed. It took our team of 10 over 30 minutes to get through the line for registration and other 40 minutes for the porters to get everything ready. The guide brought our lunches for the day which included BBQ chicken breasts and much more. Not bad but I was not hungry at the time it seemed like only a few hours ago I had a large breakfast. I packed it in my pack and waited watching the busiest of the teams preparing for the climb.

Our time came before leaving the Machame Gate at an elevation of 6000ft we had yet another team song to wish for a successful journey. We had approximately 40 porters carrying all the gear for the team not including the guides who numbered at least five. The pace was extremely slow compared to my normal style but of course stayed with the team the entire way. Quickly the porters passed us with massive loads on their heads and back at a pace three times ours. (add porter history).

The trail to the first camp is a 11 miles (18 km) walk through the Montane Forest rain forest winding up a ridge. Lower down it was usually muddy but with little rain in the previous weeks we had clear path with little need for gaiters and trekking poles. The time flew quickly through the landscape similar to the Pacific Northwest and I reminded myself I was south of the equator. I tracked the progress on my Garmin Treo GPS and it was what seemed like only a few hours we were close to our first camp of the expedition, Machame camp at an elevation of 9900 feet. The upper trail became extremely dusty the final portion before passing our camp to the right to head to the small ranger station signing in of our arrival. The bureaucracy of Kilimanjaro climb was a well oiled machine I would come to find out.

Once back at camp I found everything in order including hot water to rinse before dinner. Our dining tent was a yellow octagon group tent with enough room for table large enough to sit ten places. Our guide John, the only other that joined us during dinner sat on the oil bucket during dinner and we were served family style in a nice restaurant. For dinner we had soup, bread, fish, and fresh fruit more than enough for the team. The food was plentiful and fantastic and we enjoyed the company and shared stories of travel and entertainment by Hans who brought his guitar as he was gifted in play and song. He had a book with songs and the best was when he played “Women Don't Cry” by Bob Marley and the entire team of porter outside in the dark of the night jumped in the singing. Wow! What a moment and talk about full circle with other trips where I learned of Bob’s life. Everything is connected by spirit. Wanting to leave on a good note, I retired to my tent that I shared with Martin of Switzerland. It took me a bit to get fall asleep but eventually I fell into a light sleep only to awake many times through the night. Don’t know if it was the time change or something else, but I have had better nights sleep in the wilderness.

I woke in the morning to the clanging of cook pans and knew even in the darkness of the tent, morning was near as the porters were preparing morning tea and hot water. I stayed in the comforts of my sleeping bag for some time until I sat up and started organizing my gear for the day. I thought how this morning would repeat itself over next week and realized on this first day I may have jumped the gun as the porters brought Kilimanjaro tea to while comfortably inside your sleeping bags. They also brought hot water to wash up but with the alcohol wipes I got off the 767 on the way to Africa, I had already taken my bath. Not a big deal as the hot water on my face and face was doubly refreshing in the midst of the morning. We made our way to mess tent to again be astonished by the morning breakfast served by a designated cook, trained in the fine art of cuisine cooking. There was not question he prepared a healthy and tasty breakfast which included porridge, eggs, fruit, bread, and a mix of tomatoes and cucumbers. Different from what I was used to all previous trips, but I wasn't complaining. I went back to finalize my gear and being my first trip with porter support, I was amazed at their efficiency as the camp was completed disassembled and packed in less than 10 minutes.

We set off slowly from Machame Camp and the glades of the rain forest with the goal to maintain of pace set by John to begin the acclimatizing process insuring everyone spent the day with their lungs full of oxygen without effort up to Shira Camp at 12,600 feet 5.5 miles away. We continued our way up and out of the rain forest and I got my first glimpse of Kilimanjaro from the route. The vegetation quickly change and we continued above the clouds below covering the Moshi landscape. I saw my pack pass me by a young Tanzania porter named Alex, always with a wide smile and wanting to shakes hands. As I watched my gear make it up the mountain without me, I knew this would be a great week. The only concern I had at the moment was my camera. Prior to the trip, I had a option to either my a new camera that took normal batteries or buy a solar charger for the camera I had which had it’s own battery charged by standard outlet. In the end, I did not have time for either and rationed my battery use like water in the desert since the last thing I wanted to do was to be without a camera on summit day. I was selective about taking pictures and usually did this when the porters were passing with the heavy loads balanced on the top of their heads. Always a bit in front of our guide with the rest of the team behind, the pace easily allowed me to maintain a deep breath without any perspiration. I knew without any deep conditioning for the Kilimanjaro trip, the many years of mountaineering conditioning, both physically and mentally, prepared me for the coming week.

We came to a point where the trail snaked up the ridge and exposed the porters ahead in the white bags on top of their heads taking the appearance of small rice grains magically moving up in the mountain. Quite a site as this was Africa all the way up to the summit of Kilimanjaro. We continued on an ascending path and crossed the small valley before gaining a steep rocky ridge to a plateau covered with lush heather. The views really began to take shape as the Valley grew farther apart and the mountain was changing before my eyes. At the top of the ridge I saw the porters going up and out team had already set up the mess tent with lunch ready. After lunch we had only an hour to go Shira Camp where we would have a greater part of the afternoon to rest and enjoy the views from the ridge. The trail turned to the west directly under the ridge line until we crested it and dropped down a few hundred feet to camp. Our break at the ridge was taken in the warm sun with dark clouds looming. Only minutes after leaving the crest, the rain came and I put all my rain gear tucked away in my small pack. Interesting enough, I had asked our guide if on perfect days like we leave from camp below, does the weather usually hold out the entire day and he confirmed most of the time. Not today as the rain became a down pour and we made camp soaked but course our tents were ready with the rest of our gear comfortable inside. I was fortunate my porter place my gear on the opposite side of the rain so I put myself in my sleeping bag and enjoy the afternoon writing in my journal and a nap with the sweet sounds all around and a view of the valley below. What a fresh breath in the high landscape as the moist air was both crisp and sweet.

I was awakened by a partner at 4pm that it was time for tea as the team scurried to the mess tent trying not to get hit by the now ice pellets still falling from the dark sky. The tea was served in its usual manner and perfect for the moment with the same sounds in the large tent. We hung out for a while but I decided to head back to the tent to continue writing in my journal. I heard though the rain Han’s guitar as the rest of the team stayed in the tent until dinner, but I thoroughly enjoyed the moment of songs from were I was at. I continued catching up on my journal until it was time for dinner as the rain let up a bit for me to duck inside, but slowly increased while I enjoy a cup of coffee. Dinner was served starting with a cucumber based soup followed by a oriental pineapple curry with rice. I enjoyed my portion but left it at that. The food served was so good and plentiful I was already having concerns of losing weight on this trip. Coupled with the pace we were going, it would be hard for me to believe I would come back heavier after climbing a mountain such as Kilimanjaro but this just might be a new first for me if I wasn’t careful eating to much. I hung out in the mess tent sipping my after dinner tea enjoying the company with the language of choice to be German. The guitar came out and was the moment of the night so far.

I left the tent about 8:30 pm and was blown away by the stars. Not only were there a billion of them, the Milky Way was as clear and visible as I had ever seen. Gazing up toward the sky, I could feel clearly visualize where we sat in a galaxy. Wow! I said a prayer and thanked God for this moment and for the past, present, and future journeys. LIFE IS TRULY GOOD!

I escaped the bed which I prepared before for dinner and sunk into my borrowed down sleeping bag. With clean jeans, fresh t-shirt, and own down botties, I was feeling remarkably well and in great spirits. I wrote in my journal for a bit longer under the light of my headlamp until I knew it was time to go to bed. I had already taken in a Excedrin to help with a good nights rest and listen to the iPod to take me to a restful night. With Pink Floyd, Sting, and the soft thunderstorm background I was sure I would be asleep very soon. The nightlife was still very alive throughout the camp and I laid there enjoying the surroundings. I knew the Kilimanjaro climb was a big trip for me and sensed even before leaving I would walk away with a important lesson in my life. First, I knew I needed to be absorbed in the world around me and to not expect it to fit into my personal expectations. Second, I am here in the moment until it's time to move and until then, I am here. Third, I must know who I am and live that way. I do not need to drive high energy all the time but need to drive my desires in a quieter leadership role. The sign I saw all of the way to the Los Angeles airport said that “No matter what... fight on!” This is close but needs a slight tweak to support what I want, where I am going, and who I am. The better term is “No matter what... press on!” There should be constant pressure to the goals that drive my life including my project, my career, and my business. This is the key from the moving forward!

Listening to the guitar, I love the concept of the entertainment gift high in the mountains which in Europe, is still maintain whether in cottages or mountains similar to my night on Grossglockner which come to find out later in the trip, Han’s has climbed over 100+ times. I purchased a harmonica a few years ago but have yet to pick up any tunes. I challenge myself to continue to original plan as this is the perfect instrument for me as it is cool, small, and insures I will not sing along. Also, I've reflect to my desire for a tattoo marking what I want my life driven too. I believe tattoos are good if you keep them out of site from a professionalism standpoint and support your core life plan and beliefs to what you were put here on this earth to do. For many it is undecided, but for me I know. I ponder on what would make such a statement and I conclude having a vintage world map fanning off my shoulder. It wouldn't be a light gray providing a slight contrast to my skin. It's great to have a plan and a cool tattoo when I ride my 72’ Harley Chopper to the local bar or around Sturgis next year.

Sleep was better this night at Shira Camp but still on and off through the night as I felt rested as the birds started their percussion 10 minutes before the porter got up in the adjacent camp. Still dark I grabbed my headlamp, jacket, and journal and grab found a large rock to watch the morning sun rise over Kilimanjaro. Comfortable and warm, I write in my journal while the teams arose around me with our team the last of this morning. Used to the drill, we packed our gear prior to breakfast as the porters served tea, but this morning I noticed the coffee as well on a silver platter.

After breakfast the team started east up the trail passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo then changed direction to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." at 15,000 feet. We took a moment a scrambled up the face with impressive views below. We now continued down to the Barranco Hut only 100 feet from where we would start the day. The distance would be a bit over 9 miles and the trail was better than the previous day as the rain suppressed the dust back into the trail. We made our way up the ridge with the other teams as the views become entangled with the clouds cloaking the upper slopes of the mountain. As I continued, I felt the pace was way to slow for my body and even though I put myself in front to drive forward then stops to enjoy the surrounding area, I sensed I needed something different. I guess I have not made to sit in a pack at a slow pace especially when there is no danger. Sometimes the body simply wants to put the head down and drive forward. I confirmed with John I would continue to the point we would have lunch prior to Lava Rock. One of the Tanzanian guides offered to go with me as he also was feeling the pace. We took off and in no time were at the lunch break spot and grabbed a chair from the tent and position myself comfortably behind a large rock out of the wind and waited for the team to arrive.

Once the team arrived we had lunch and promptly were back on the trail in misty conditions and if snow was present it would have been a white out. The landscape took a different shape and was sort of like being on the moon. At this point knowing Lava Rock wasn’t a long way from where we had lunch I stayed next to the team in front of the guide. Once we reached the crest where the trail separated to either our camp or the harder section to the summit as Lava Rock loomed in the mist. There was a discussion as to climb the rock and the team concluded it was a good even though many were showing signs of fatigue. Lava Rock was slowly making her way out of the mist as the sky cleared showing her vertical face. We walked around the backside and climbed up with three sections definitely not a simple walk up. It's to a few friction holds but the climb energize the team as the view opened only a minute after being on the top to demonstrate how high we were. We were only up at the top for a minute or so and we started our way down to the base of the rock.

Once down we continued to drop back to our next camp at an altitude of 12,700 feet. The landscape moved back from the luna views of rocks and dirt to a greener landscapes including tropical trees, lush plants, and a small cascading river to our left with water falls in a few places. This sky remained cloudy with teasing views but by 5 p.m. we were at Camp. The entire team of porters greeted us with a 10 minute chant and warm water to wash up from the day of hiking. I took full advantage of one of our final nights and after cleaning very well put on jeans, cotton shirt, and fresh socks. They brought around tea prior to dinner and I reflected the next night we would be leaving at midnight from camp for our bid for the summit. The cotton on my skin felt great and I enjoyed dinner of a pasta chili and mango dessert. Usually I would stay for the entertainment but I wanted to see if my body was ready for a great night sleep. I could also sense that after spending multiple days as the foreigner I was feeling a bit lonely tonight. The conversation was always in either German or Tanzanian and even though I enjoy the comforts of my friends I could feel the solitude. No concern but anyone would feel the same even though everyone was incredibly nice. Tomorrow is the big day as this will be when we make our money during our Kilimanjaro climb. The plan was to leave at 7:30 am to get to camp at 3 pm in order to have plenty of time for early dinner and some sleep prior to the midnight climb. The summit night will be 7 kilometers up to 19,300 feet and back all the way down to our final camp 23 kilometers away. Long stretch of hiking as getting sleep anytime before midnight is not an easy task. Legs are great; no breathing issues, and need to continue to drink lots of water. Slight headache so I took another Excedrin. Hope to sleep well! Goodnight.

For the first time since leaving Los Angeles last week, I slept soundly all the way through the night. The Barranco Camp was amazing as to all sides offering spectacular views. To the north was Kilimanjaro, to the west was the breakfast wall which we're about to collide, and to the south the open sky as the clouds covered the countryside far below. The hike into camp yesterday gave the impression this camp with greenery all around it. The routine was in place with Kilimanjaro tea brought around by the kitchen crew, hot water followed to prepare for breakfast, and a main course of breakfast itself always including porridge, eggs, fruit, and some veggies.

We broke camp early for the 8 miles hike in order to get to Barafu Camp early enough for dinner and some sleep before the big night. We left camp to the west directly up a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall or also known as the breakfast wall because some say many lose their morning food due to a quick start up such a large wall in the morning. The trail started out as a class II climb and continue to provide better views of the camps, clouds, and the valley became from last afternoon. Heading up the ridge was straight forward but in many places where it hugged the facing rocks, it was tricky allowing the hundreds of porters to pass who broke camp after us

and keep our gear perfectly balanced on their heads. They continued to pass on the narrow rock as the valley below grew farther and farther away. It took about an hour to us in the top which in a instant became one of my top spots I've been in the world. The Plateau overlooked Kilimanjaro in all its glory, the landscape through the South which was barren as a ragged desert full of exotic trees, shrubs and cliff walls. I was in love with the area and spent a while taking in that moment.

Once the break was over we descended into the Karanga Valley and across the alpine desert providing a continuing fantastic view of Kilimanjaro. Everywhere was varieties of plants as I walked ahead of the team to provide my own climbing experience. I enjoy the company but the ability to stop, watch, listen, or take pictures which was needed. As the trail climbed out of the valley to another small plateau, I got my first glimpse of our lunch stop at 13, 779 feet and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail but before getting there, the trail dropped yet again into another deep valley to the last water source before final camp. We ascended the trail and we enjoyed lunch in the windy afternoon as other team were battling with there tents, we sat sipping tea through the flapping door exposing the south face of Kilimanjaro.

After lunch, we continued in a northeast direction to Barafu Hut at 15,100ft as this completes the South Circuit offering a constant view of the summit from many different angles. I took many pictures and enjoyed the three hour trip in my own world. Porters, porters, everywhere. As we approached the south flank of the mountain, the trail to turned east and I was in sight of high camp. We arrived in camp around 3:30 p.m. and immediately had tea and dinner in order to get to bed early for the midnight start on Kilimanjaro. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are in perfect view from this position and as the night starts to fall, the sun reflects off the prehistoric rock in a burning red color. Brilliant! During dinner I got a quick headache and became a bit concern about my ability of going over 19,000 feet in the morning like it is a walk in the park. I took the last of my Excedrin and the pressure quickly went away but still concerned of the morning, I got more aspirin from John and went to bed.

Surprisingly I got plenty of sleep in the four hours when they knocked on the tent at 11 am. No headache and I felt great and ready to go. The cook staff prepared porridge and tea which was perfect prior to the beginning of a great day. As we started up the trail for the 4.5 mile and 6-8 hour ascent, there only appeared to be only a few teams ahead of us but soon after a few others escaped from the dark. In 15 minutes of leaving camp, all other teams appeared below us with over a hundred headlamps glowing in the night. The start went well and I took to the back of the team deciding to climb well today, not concerned with speed as we worked as a team. The pace was slow and I knew my body would do well and enjoyed my experience to the top, not just making it by the sheer grit of my physical energy. As with all midnight climbs, time disappears and before you know it, the sun is rising and you're well on your way to the top. The stars were brilliant and I really enjoyed the presence of the moment as on this very early morning, I knew we were on our way to the summit somewhere between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers.

We continued on the stone scree path and I turned off my GPS preventing from a look at the elevation which I did not want to know so my body could feel the night with compromising my mental thoughts of how close, far, low, or high I was. It is kind of like taping a football game only to hear the score on the way home. It's at some point in the night I started feeling the effects of the altitude as a dizzy sensation making it difficult to control the moment. I became alarmed in my ability to handle the altitude at this pace and if my body was built for it. When I climbed Pico de Orizaba, even without acclimation I was able to achieve the summit but with shear will which I had plenty on the first climb of my life project. The more I began to think about it, many of the bigger climbs, the summits have been reached by sheer will and not by physical pursuit and enjoyment at the top. What am I taking about! This is mountaineering and comfortable is not a virtue.

We continue in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim which is told to be the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. I struggled a bit and moved to the front of the line behind the guide to bring focus. As I follow his steps, I know this is the moment of the entire trip and wanted to tell me something. As I noted before, this trip was huge for me and I sensed before leaving there was a life lesson was awaiting me to drive into the second half of my time on earth. I mentally step back and drove my earlier life thoughts of what I needed, to press on no matter what, live in the present, and to drive what I want. I took this approach and immediately felt the renewal in my energy. No doubt. Just feeling the moment and driving on. This held for a bit but I slipped back and forth over the next 30 minutes. I looked up at the moment and saw a shooting star racing across and sky and knew that galvanized the lesson I was here to learn. I soaked in the moment of where I was and where my life is heading and felt the pride of being on the right trail.

I knew we had to be getting close to the crater rim but that in “mountain time” can be over an hour or more. Soon after, the Eastern sky gave a faint hint of the coming morning. There is such a burst of energy you receive when climbing in the night as the sunrise returns from the other side of the planet as the glow in the horizon warms everything. My sense was confirmed and within 15 minutes as the tops of the clouds changed colors so slightly with sunrise at 6:30 am making it close to 6 hours on the mountain. As we approached Stella Point at an altitude of 18,652 feet, we stopped for a short rest waiting for the rest of the team. I was rewarded with one of the most magnificent views I’ve ever see as from Stella Point, the morning sun detailed the crater across to the summit, still 1-hour ascent away to Uhuru Peak and the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Ready to reach the true summit, John, I, and another team member started the final push to the summit still 650 feet above were we presently were.

As I closed on to the summit, tears started rolling down my cheek as I felt the emotional side of what I just accomplished as to what this trip meant to me. The many first but most of all the first of the seven summits and the fact life has allowed me to be at this point. It was a prideful moment as I reach the plateau crowded by many of the other teams looking for the glory shot. It was one of those first on the summit and spent a fair amount of time taking pictures including the one with monkey and thinking of what I had overcome to be standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro. Once the rest of the team arrived we took a group shot and I started to head down. There were still many on their way up well past exhaustion as I started back down to Sella Point.

The trip down was much quicker than the way up and I paid the price closely following the guide as he kicked up a large volume of dust. It got into my eyes, mouth, clothes, and anything else with an opening. The six hours up took less than hour and a half down beating in the record ratio I may have previously had. The time flew by and I never thought how long it took as I again was the first to reach camp. I paid the price with a sore throat, cloudy eyes, and general sick feeling. I took in an hour nap before lunch and the trip to our final camp and night on the mountain. I was able to grab a few minutes rest but woke up to a growing headache. Luckily my tent partners saved the day with more pills to keep it at bay. A bit before 11 am I started packing my gear had had lunch for the final time high on the mountain. I kept my contact out on the way down to give me eyes a rest. Before heading down, I regretted packing so light and wanted a fresh feeling on the hike to Mweka Hut in the upper forest at 10,200 feet and a 14.3 miles descent. With rain expected in the late afternoon, I also thought about wearing my jeans or white cargo shorts but decided otherwise and put back on the same clothes I worn to the summit.

I kept out my iPod which was very attractive to all the porters thinking it would be needed to get down quickly over the next 14 miles but I got into many conversations with both Hans, Jenny, and the guides. In no time we reach the high camp with beer to purchase. Yippee! The place looked like a train wreck with old buildings and rickety boards for places to sit. The porters also looked beat down but we stopped and enjoyed the beer in the sand. The rest of the way to Mweka Camp was rocky and a bit less dusty. I continued my conversations the rest of the way down talking of places I want to live, places I want to visit, and life in general. As before, we reached Mweka Hut in no time and the porters were ready with a final chant assembly that brought climbers from adjacent camps.

I set up my bed in the tent and went to the mess tent for tea and dinner knowing tonight would the final dinner and a short night for me. I brought my journal to the table and tried to catch up on my days on the trek but good conversation again took over which I always prefer. Dinner was great and plentiful as usual and we finished, I said my goodnight and I headed to bed. It had been a long day waiting up at 11 am and I needed some rest. Wasn't terribly tired but knew sleep was needed to keep the crisp awareness I was looking for in life. I played a quick game of suduko on the small computer and jotted a few pages in the journal. As a joke in the tent, my partner joked I could pump up his mattress which proved difficult on the high mountain only to find there was a trick, but I wanted to return the favor for the medicine which if without, would still have a headache. I turn off my headlamp to get some sleep while listening to my iPod. The team continued singing to the guitar and German songs I did not know.

Rest came to me quickly and the next thing I knew I heard the porters making the familiar noises of the morning I came to expect. I spent a bit of time consolidating and separating the gear I prepare to get give to the porters. I knew I would give everything except my pack as I needed it to get my gear and other possessions home. I placed the gifts in the top pack which I wore the entire trip on the mountain. After breakfast and before heading down to the gate our porters gave us a final song that would impress any recording studio. The songs were perfect and continued for some time. We all shook hands and made our way down the trail for a final leg of his successful trip.

We continued the descent a bit over 9 miles to the Mweka Park Gate at an elevation of 6000 feet. The timing was to be less than three hours and my trip were mostly spent with Jennifer who I had little time to talk to you on the trip. We also spoke about where we love to live, our work life, world travel, and what we were to do in our normal life. Through good, bad, and muddy trails we were at the gate in a short period of time and the legality of the trip was required with our passport as we signed the final roster. The hike to the Mweka Village was 15 minutes away and it was then the commercial side of the Tanzanian culture took over from the greenery of the roads with merchants and souvenirs of all sorts. They were aggressive but we held the cards as they wanted to sell us stuff not the other way. A simple no and firm walk usually worked as nothing was sold on the trail. We came to the Mweka Village which was lined with small victory bars in the Tanzania fashion and we picked out one to have a drink including buying the entire team of guides and porters a round. This is where the pressure came out with quite enjoyable. We sat in our hooded protection from every Tanzanian whom had something to sell and the team came in one by one to get two beers. Good news is the dusty camp above charged $4 a beer and when presented with the idea to by everyone just one, I quickly agreed to participate in the gesture but know it would be costly. The beers at the bar were only a $1.25 making the deal easier to offer two instead of one and my share was $10 which I was all more than happy to do. Once the team was through, the defenses of the guides lifted and merchants found their way in and the dealing began.

The interest being part of any deal is if you wait with a little patience, you can always find a better deal. Not only that but the belief all things are made locally and crafted by an old lady in hut around the corner sold by merchants high in the mountains. I found this out in Mexico sometime ago and learned it again on the foothills Kilimanjaro. Case in point was the wooded picture of Mazi women preparing a fire with Kilimanjaro in the background. One in particular was intriguing to me and I was told they were asking $40 for the crafted image on cotton. Not even thinking of paying that as one of the gals from the Austria had just done, I found the one I liking and held up a $20 which he quickly accepted. Stepping forward sometime later in the afternoon a team member would buy the same pictures in Moshi for three for $10 which she persisted so I would not forget. I still have not more to the thought it was handcrafted which it still does.

I knew we were ready to go and I had yet to gift my gear. Feeling a bit of a beer I was surrounded by both the merchants and porters as I made my way to the bus. Hoping my pack made it on board, I sat down still being pressed by the merchants through the bus window. Quite the moment of fury and a bit disappointed I was not able to stay longer and control the situation. It points out an area of improvement during times of conflict whether at work or the hills of Kilimanjaro, I need to maintain a quiet focus understanding what other are looking for and respond in a direct focused way. This also leads to my focus of communication at work. I can learn anything anywhere! The bus pulled away and just like that, the Kilimanjaro trip was over and the only thing that remained was a memory.

I must reply this to date is the best trip that I've ever taken on so many levels and so many first. It was the first time that I've ever traveled south of the equator, it's the highest I've ever been to day, it's the furthest west that I've been in the world, is the first time that I ever used porters for a expedition, it’s the longest on any one mountain, and the first of my seven summits. I know this project will continue to take a life it’s own and continued to grow legs through more adventures. I want to keep it simple, live in the moment, and enjoy the people around me. I can feel I'm learning and sensing what I need to do to continue moving forward as I need to learn new languages, understand new cultures, and educate myself with history prior the trip. I sense my desire to live a crisp life without other factors. I have to say I'm extremely satisfied to be going home for the first time to Los Angeles which is also a big change for me. I think of the additional 2009 virtue of life balance with a trip like this coming trip back to a challenging career creates a contrast of excitement.

Kilimanjaro is a huge mountain and a huge commitment which to be on the top by means other than sheer grit with partnership of others from opposite sides of the world. That leads me to another life focus of ensuring my quest is shared with others as well. To this day there is no question this adventure is most memorable, most mentally clear, most planned, and most enjoyed with others. I look back at climbing on so many mountains and the time I spent on Kilimanjaro with world citizens across many languages sharing a moment of our lives. I shared it with Tanzanians, I shared it with Kenyan’s, I shared it Switzerland's, and I shared it with Austrians. This is what ProjectEarth360 is all about, sharing cultures, lives, and experiences. Life is great. Off to Gnoro Gnoro and dancing with the Maki Tribe....

Blue Mountain Peak - Jamaica

2009-09-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

I left Seattle on an early Saturday morning for the final 360 adventure of the year and the seventh climb to Blue Mountain Peak in Jamaica. The first night was spent on Diana Beach near Fort Lauderdale and enjoyed a cheeseburger and cold draft beer at Rick's Bar on the beach before flying out the next morning.

Once I arrived in Kingston, I by chance met my taxi, soon to become driver for the trip, a great Jamaican named Eric. He suggested a hotel in the depths of the historic town which was perfect to what I was looking for. I spent the first day walking around the quiet Sunday town as the deluge of rain created flowing rivers in the streets in search of a place to watch the Indy vs. Seattle football game. After a few hours of searching with no luck, I ended up spending a relaxing day at my hotel with my room open to the fresh tropical breeze and the courtyard, a six pack of Red Stripe, and great conversation with some locals. The next morning I walked to the home of Bob Marley and was blown away by his life and the parallels to many things I cherish such as simplicity, spiritualism, and depth of the bigger picture. As evidence, Bob's owned a old LandRover even in the day, simple lifestyle including tracking his performances on maps on the guest bedrooms walls, single denim shirt he cherished for concerts, and entrepreneur sprit by building his own recording studio and record production line in his home. In addition, his transformation from his 20's to what he became in his 30's demonstrates anything is possible by following your beliefs as the entire world found strength through his Jamaican lifestyle.

Once back at the hotel, Eric was waiting for me to start my journey to the Blue Mountains and as we traveled through the city, he pointed out countless historical spots thru his lifetime of learning about the island and never to have stepped off the land. As the land transformed from city to jungle, the rough dirt road become small patches of huts where Jamaican's maintain similar living styles over the past hundered years. My point of drop off was Mavis Bank, but Eric continued on to Hagley Gap were 4x4 are required. With locals desperately asking questions and my need of a guide, Eric bought a couple of beers and sent me off with a warm salute and agreed to pick me back up in Mavis Bank in three days. I was still 3.5 miles and 2000 feet from Whitfield Hut and started to step journey in the hot afternoon. I quickly discovered every Jamaican male carried a machete that if desired could sever my head and push me off a cliff, but thank God the Jamaican’s are a friendly culture whom looks favorably to American’s. As I continued my stroll, I took in the primitive lifestyle including one room schools, livestock, vintage Landrovers, and warm smiles. Once at the hut, I was disappointed to learn a elderly Jamaican man named Vinnie was the only one there and did not know of my arrival. He also was not prepared with food which I did not bring as requested in my emails to the hut's owners wife. I shrugged off my concern and explored the dark hut that has remained as it was in the early in the century including classic furnishings, vintage books, and oil lamps. I enjoyed the solitude of the moment and took a walk back to another hut I noticed on the way up named the Wildflower and Rose welcomed me in and I was impressed by her accommodations including the porch fitted with a hammock overlooking the Blue Mountain valley. I decided right then to climb in the morning verses the next night and decided to stay there the following night including dinner once I got down from the climb. She asked if I like chicken and I smiled thinking of my reward the following day and walked back to the Whitfield for the night. When I walked into the hut, Vinnie tapped into his food provisions and prepared a dinner for me only of sardines, bread, and bananas over the flickering oil lamp on the large wooden table. It took me awhile to go to sleep this night but I listened to the exotic Jamaican night outside my open window.

I woke up at 5am and started on the trail in the dark leading to what is known by locals as “The Peak”. The trail was straight forward with permanent signs leading the way and steeply traversed its way up the initial slope. As morning came, the landscape revealed itself in a lush green blanket and sweet aroma with a mixture of coffee, bananas, and tropical flowers. In the countless hours I’ve been deep in the wilderness, I’ve never experienced such a distinctive aroma. The trail lessen and made a long traverse across the lower front of the mountain range until it reached Portland Gap at 5100 feet and still 3.5 miles to go to the summit. At this point I saw the first glimpse of the peak even though much of the summit was covered clouds. I refilled my water bottle with the piped facet and made my way on the trail heading east anticipating the trail to steepen the rest of the way.

From this point the jungle become mystical in its depths and I become engrossed it’s beauty. It seemed like minutes until I reached upper plateau at Lazy Man's Peak (also know as East Peak) at 7000 feet with a sign confirming I had only 500 meters to go. The clear morning sky offered a brilliant view of Kingston in it's entirety, Port Royal, site of an earthquake that helped form the island's Palisadoes formed be sand deposits where waves meet, and Kingston Harbour one of the largest natural harbours in the world. It is at this point I read many hikers turn around and head back down due to the difficulty but in my "jungle zone" I reached to summit soon after where I hoped for a spectacular panorama at the top. The summit of every mountain usually holds a surprised and Blue Mountain Peak was not different as a triangular structure and monument marked to spot of my adventure. The summit was still engrossed in a thick clouds preventing any chance of a view so I waiting for about 30 minutes while eating the last bread and bananas Vinnie gave for the trip and decided my chances were slim to none for a glimpse and started to head down. I’ve seen many spectacular summit views and was not disappointed in the least as the fog itself offers the mind a chance to sense the depths like a ocean and I could envision what it would be like on clear days when one can see Cuba in the distance over 130 miles away. I enjoyed the “Doors” on my iPod on the way back to the Portland Gap which enhanced the mystic of my surroundings. From there, I slowed the pace and soaked in my final lifetime experience of the Blue Mountains including eating some unripe fruit from a bananas tree.

I was made in back to the hut at 11 am and said my goodbyes to Vinnie and moved onto the Wildflower Hut where a hot meal awaiting me in the coming hours. I enjoyed my hammock overlooking the Blue Mountain valley and the Peak. Rose gave me a beer and enjoyed the lazy afternoon after climbing 16 miles watching the peak and any chance it would reveal itself it the afternoon. Being the only person in the hut, Rose had dinner ready around 5 pm and my authentic Jamaican chicken with beans, rice, cooked vegetables, and pastery was amazing. The night came quickly along with the deep thunder and lighting bugs. In the morning my host followed up with her authentic style with a large plate of Jamaican greens, fried eggs, and wheat rolls. After packing my gear, I was off to Mavis Bank eight miles below where Eric would be awaiting but I secretly hoped to catch a ride for a lesser amount than the quoted 50 bucks. As I turned past Hedley Gap another future Jamaican friend named Stanford gave me a ride not only past Mavis Bank, but to the Blue Mountain Coffee Company where I needed to pick up fresh coffee beans. Not only that, he was on his way into Kingston for errands and since I was now well ahead of schedule he gave my a ride all the way into town to meet Eric. We enjoyed a deep discussion regarding God and our purpose and it was then I realized this might not be the last time I ever step foot in Jamaica. Life is good when you live it Jamaican style...

Once back in town, the suggestion was Hellshire Bay, a native beach on the outskirts of town. The beach was everything BUT a tourist tramp which was exactly what I wanted. I spent the afternoon walking the beach, swimming in the Caribbean, and taking in the culture from another part if the Jamaican island. For dinner I enjoyed a hand fresh hand selected lobster that was prepared over a open fire as I waited in a small hut held up by anything and everything you could possible imagine. No question, this was the best lobster and seafood I may ever have.

The next morning I met Donald, yet another future Jamaican friend, whom in talking with is a musician and artist on the island, whom inspired my future business and marketing model which I first envisioned on the European adventure. He allowed me to take his picture as long as I mailed him a copy of it and I agreed. He gave me his address and urged my to looking into drinking Noie, a Jamaican fruit drink that cleanses the body which I agreed. The next morning Eric was perfectly on time and provided an enlightening tour of the Kingston including the farmers market, historic buildings, craft market, and “Beverly Hills” district which holds the same name as in America. With an afternoon flight, we made our way to the airport and said my goodbyes to a newly found Jamaican friend… It was perfect timing and I felt I could have seen no more on this trip.

Once back in America, customs was backed due to multiple planes but luckily there was a separate line for Americans with lesser interrogation than foreigners however it still took over an hour to get thru. I then walked the 4 miles to the hotel I stayed before and bought a 4 pack of beer on the way and ordered a large pizza for dinner. In the morning, I decided to rent a Harley which turned out to be a fantastic idea. I started with a black classic Fat Boy and after 100 miles or so, went back to the dealer and exchanged it for black classic Road King which I was a bit scared to lay down as it is a monster of a bike however even though slow turns requires extremely care, I found to my surprise riding the Road King was like floating on air as it carried its own weight and I was simply being transported in the comforts of a leather reclinder. It humbly loves to find an open road and take off for the afternoon and at 80, it is truly the king of the road. I however look forward after 300 miles on these bikes and the warm Florida coastlines to feel and hear the sound of my custom ’72 Harley shovelhead hardtail chopper. The sound and feel is truly distinctive like that of the jungles of Jamaica…

Ben Nevis - United Kingdom 4,409 ft

2009-02-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

I flew into London on a last-minute business trip and decided to extend my flight over the weekend to make a trip up Ben Nevis the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Once I finished my final meeting in London on Thursday afternoon, I found a hotel to ditch my gear and jumped around London using the Underground seeking all the spots I remember almost 20 years ago during my college years including Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster, and Hyde Park.

The best part of any adventure is one that is keep versatile with little planning. A few weeks ago when I discovered I needed to go to the UK for business, I started researching all the ways possible to get from London to Fort William at the base of Ben Nevis. My travel window was a mere 2 1/2 days which required me to travel over five hundred miles to the northern tip of the British Isles as quickly as possible on a budget. I first researched the train system as this method would be idea with a sleeper train leaving Thursday night with a return trip Saturday night back in time to catch the Underground for my afternoon flight from Heathrow. Unfortunately one leg of the journey going north was full which prevented me from booking my trip online. My second option was to find a charter bus to Fort William but with my short window of opportunity, this was not feasible due to the fifteen hours of connections and with no hopes of an overnight trip. Finally I could always rent a car and drive the eight hours giving me additional versatility to see the country side, however I quickly discovered gas prices in the UK are three times that in the US and my calculation of driving thousand miles round trip in 2 1/2 half days including climbing a mountain seemed a bit excessive. Therefore, I flew on my British Airways 747-400 direct flight from Seattle to Heathrow with no plans on how I would make the trip north but reasoned to myself that worst-case without a solution, I would be forced to spend the weekend in London as a consolidation prize.

Once in the UK, I started asking around on the best ways to get from here to there. My first advice was to use Europe’s low-fare airlines EasyJet. The benefit of flying is of course time and the flight would be a little over an hour long. I searched online and found a flight for £120 but before booking the ticket, I checked one last time for any chances of using the train but all was still hopeless. As I turned to book the flight, there was a catch. First, the flight north did not fly into the small village of Fort William but to Glasgow, 100 miles short of my destination. Second, the flight back did not fly back into Heathrow Airport where my return flight was departing. Heathrow is the territory of 747s which are a predator to the smaller A319s whom like to security of regional airports such as Gatwick and Luton. The distance between Luton and Heathrow was about 40 miles and the first flight back on Sunday landed in Luton at 11:15 am, a mere 3 hours before the departing flight at 2:20 pm giving me a very tight window to make my flight. Knowing this was my best option; I booked it and put that worry to another day. I was committed and now guaranteed I would not spend a weekend in London, but potentially Glasgow where there is far less to do.

When I arrived in Glasgow, the trains and buses worked well to get to Fort William on Friday being I had all day but not on Sunday morning when I need to be at the airport at 8 am to catch the first leg of my flight back to the United States. I “gave in” and decided to rent a car for the weekend costing £113 plus gas to cover the 200 miles round trip. This decision also gave me the flexibility to stop to see sites throughout Scotland. All was well but first things first, I needed to get out of Glasgow with a car that had the drivers’ seat on the wrong side and not only that, the entire population of Scotland seemed to be driving on the wrong side of the road. After I made my way out of the airport I quickly got the hang for driving in the UK with hopes of finding a long lonely highway up to Fort William. As I made my way through the towns and busy roundabouts toward Crianlarich, I passed Loch Lomond and the West Highland Railway finally finding my highway. Now that all the planning was done, including the Luton to Heathrow leg on Sunday, I was on my way to climb Ben Nevis. As it turned out, a pier from the UK was coming to the States and had a hired car to take them to the airport on Sunday. They just happened to be driving next to the Luton Airport at the exact time of my arrival. The car was a Mercedes with leather seats. Life is great!

The beauty and treasure of Scotland’s landscape includes mountain, glens, and lochs. Scotland’s unique landscape called the Highland Boundary Fault and is the most mountainous in the British Isles. Hundreds of famous “Munros”, Scottish mountains exceeding three thousand feet, lie in the Highlands and Islands. Only a small fraction of the Highlands’ hills qualify as Munros, with lesser peaks numbering more than a thousand. The lower slopes of the Highlands are extensively wooded. In addition, there are hundreds and hundreds of freshwater lochs including the famous Loch Ness which lends the mystery of a legendary monster hiding in its depths. Another vital part of the Highland landscape is Rannoch Moor, a natural marshland surrounded by towering mountains, crossed by the West Highland Way, the popular 100 mile footpath from Milngavie to Fort William. As I made my way north, the hills continued to grow into Munros with the presence of snow on the upper slopes. The Munros appear forbidden in the low cloud cover giving the presence of why many say Scotland is the true birthplace of technical mountaineering. I continued on and stopped at a small store in a local village and an old church that most likely was built back in the early part of this millennium. As I crossed the bridge separating Loch Linnhe and Lock Leven on my final stretch to Fort William, I realize how lucky I was to live in this time in history when adventures can still be balanced between modern conveniences that allow travel in days when it took month’s only centuries before while still maintain the isolations of the high peaks.

As I arrived at Fort William it was raining heavily on the small town with anger clouds all around. I use my Blackberry to Google the hostile I planned to stay, but interesting enough it pointing me to the wrong area in town as I obeyed my directions and drove up a steep road into the hills above. Clearly in the wrong area, I drove back down into the village and did what was done before GPS was available and asked someone in town. They pointed me in the general direction to Achintee and I made my way on a back road next to Allt a' Mhuilinn river to my base camp for this adventure, the Glen Nevis Youth Hostile.

Staying in a hostile is a treasure of life that brings you together with other like minds from all over the world. It is sort of like high camp with conveniences such as group lounge area, warm beds, full kitchen, and much more. I paid my £14 and moved into my 8 bed bunkroom which nobody was in at the moment. I explored the other areas of the hostile then took a quick break after a long day of travel. As a reward, I drove back into town and found an old Scottish pub serving fish and chips and stout beer. The pub was not busy but included a group of climbers speaking in a European language which their clothing spoke of their day of climbing. They drank and talked passionately about whatever they were talking about, left, and then came back for a few more beers as I sat enjoying my meal. After settling my tab, I cruised through the outskirts of town then decided it was best to head back and prepare for my morning climb up the Ben Nevis.

After traveling for a week throughout the UK, I lay in my bunk half way across the world with the rain pummeling the window above me; I felt the loneliness of the moment in a Scotland winter. I realized that even though my experience has taken me on many challenging peaks, these sorts of trips when you're so far from home truly test your mental muscles. My mind wondered to the climbing protection I was without that might be vital on the upper slopes if the weather continued as it was. I had earlier in the day tried to find a climbing store in town to rent an ice axe, man's best friend on any slippery slope, but nothing was open. As I lay there, I decided my best bet was to make a “wooden ice axe” from a tree near the river before heading up in the morning. There are many ways up Ben Nevis and I decided earlier in the week that I might try another technical climb verses the standard “hike” up the summit. As I laid there the night grew on and I had a hard time sleeping.

The standard route up Ben Nevis is Ben Path; a Pony Track built in 1883 that is the most popular ascent in the summer. It begins on the east side of Glen Nevis at 20 meters above sea level and can be intercepted via a bridge from the youth hostel. The path climbs steeply to the saddle by Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe at 570 meters where a decision was to be made. I could continue to the right up the standard route and ascend the series of zig-zags up the remaining 700 meters to the stony west flank of Ben Nevis or I could descend slightly to the left toward the CIC Hut, a private hut owned by the Scottish Mountaineering Club, and ascend the Carn Mòr Dearg, a lesser peak connected by the Carn Mòr Dearg Arête to a summit of Ben Nevis requiring modest scrambling ability (in summer) and a head for heights.

As I laid there listening to the heavy rain on the window sill, I knew exactly why these trips mean so much to me. I remind myself of why I climb which is “On great mountains all purpose is concentration on the single job at hand, yet the summit is bit a token of success, and the attempt is worthy in itself. It is for these reasons that we climb, and in climbing find something greater than accomplishment...” When you test yourself with the unknown, it heightens your ability to handle stress in your everyday life and brings you to a place of peace in the mist of turmoil. I am reminded of the words penned so well by Charles Houston in the book K2 The Savage Mountain, “The pleasure of physical fitness, the pride of conquering a steep and difficult rock pitch, the thrill of danger – but danger controlled by skill - are also there. How can I phrase what seems to me the most important reason of all? It is the chance to be briefly free of the small concerns of our common lives, to strip off nonessentials, to come down to the core of life itself. Food, shelter, friends - these are the essentials, these plus faith and purpose and a deep and unrelenting determination”.

Most mountains in alpine conditions require a midnight departure in order to climb on firm snow up and return before heat of the day warms the slopes causing weaken snow bridges, slab avalanches, or loose footing. Being on Ben Nevis, I wasn’t planning on leaving that early up since the mountain was technically easier, but I still wanted to give myself plenty of time with either route I decided to take. As I continued to lie there, I decided to get back up and went into the living area where many others were drinking, laughing, and having a great time watching comedy on TV late into the night. I grabbed a beer and sat with my computer flipping through previous adventures which reminded me of why I love what I do. After midnight, I made my way back to my bunk and discovered I was not alone in my room. Not trying to disturb them, I lay quietly down and went to sleep.

With a planned departure of 6 am, I rolled over in the morning and to my amazement it was light outside and a bit past 8 am. I quickly jumped out of bed and prepared for my climb up Ben Nevis. Directly across from the hostile, I crossed the footbridge over the Allt a' Mhuilinn river I started my climb on the stony footpath to intersect the actual trail. I was happy to see that the rain was held back but the clouds to the West were packed with potential to soak me to the bone. I continue to climb a the trail on the lower section of Ben Nevis as it turned southward heading toward the saddle of Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe. Path was very straightforward and easy to maintain a nice pace upward. I reached a point when the path leveled out and turned from rock to dirt letting me know that I was close to the decision of either left or right. I took a quick break with a Snicker bar and contemplated my decision on which way to go. Go left to the CIC hut to the north face of Ben Nevis taking a direct route up the ridge or right on the footpath that zigzags up the west slope. Either way, the conditions were harsh, windy, with little visibility. I did not have a climbing protection needed to insure my safety and either route way would require precise route finding, and above all I was alone. Ben Nevis's maritime location leads to frequent poor conditions which poses danger with fog on the summit most of the time and temperatures hovering in the 20s °F.

Once I left the saddle to the right, I traverse up in a series of zigzags which I counted on the map to be nine. Before I got to the end of the first traverse, the snow exposed its intent from this point on including the stiff wind driving into my core from the cold North Sea. I continued up and as I approached the fourth zag, I saw through the mist a lone climber coming down with his spaniel. As we met, he quickly told me that the route disappeared above and he could not find the way up. He searched and searched but being the only one on the mountain without a compass he thought it was best to turn around even though he had driven a long way to make this climb. I offered we partner to find the summit which he quickly agreed.

A few steps forward, the trail did disappear onto extremely hard ice leaving no traces of any previous climbers. The wind continued to drive against my gear as I search for clues up the route. I estimated we were half way up the western slope with the summit directly above us about 500 feet. I could climb straight up to intersect it however the danger of Ben Nevis is the summit plateau that is a narrow plateau and any deviation off the route could put you on a dangerous cornice overhanging the 2000 foot drop on the north face or south face. I continue to search for the standard route and made a decision to follow the route my new climbing partner he had just come from. From experience when searching for a route in the conditions such as these, you cannot forge ahead without thinking through every decision. You must stop, wait, and decided the next steps using all the clues around you. Fortunately, many rocks were exposed through the snow keeping the horizon in view and my orientation fairly clear. A true white out is when the sky and the snow blend into one and you can’t touch anything with your mind. Studying the route earlier and knowing the zigzags narrowed as we approached the summit plateau, I decided to continue back to the left to try to intersect the route. After a series of dead reckoning attempts, I found the original route indented into the mountainside. It was also at this point that we discovered a large cairn that was strategically placed due the constant foggy conditions of Ben Nevis.

As we continued up, I thought about the difference in climbing in the winter at latitude equal to Alaska near the North Sea. Even in the summer, Ben Nevis gets little opportunity for clear skies with amazing views of the country side requiring this cairn placement for the protection of the thousand of hillwalkers whom visit the peak every year. I read the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team had erected two posts on the summit plateau in the late 1990s in order to assist walkers attempting the descent in foggy conditions. These posts were subsequently cut down by climbers, sparking controversy in mountaineering circles on the ethics. Supporters of navigational aids pointed to the high number of accidents that occur on the mountain with 13 fatalities in the earlier 1990s. The climbers voiced the aids on the summit are an intrusion into the natural landscape, which creates a false sense of security and lessen mountaineers' sense of responsibility for their own safety.

Knowing before leaving camp the conditions would required accurate navigation skills, I was extremely surprised as I neared 3800 feet to find more cairns to the summit. As we continued up, I cannot say I was upset but it definitely took the guesswork out of climb. That being said, you could still take 20 paces from one marker before it disappeared in the clouds without any sights of the next one leaving times when we were all alone between points. Not concerned from my mountaineering experience I choose the strategy of “fanning forward” having my climbing partner waiting in view of the previous marker as I continued to find the next marker. There was only a few times when even this approach did not maintain marker views but my trusty GPS was always tracing my steps if needed. As we approached the narrow summit plateau connecting to the true summit, it dropped in elevation enough to give wind relief as we approached the true summit point.

The summit of Ben Nevis is a large stony plateau of about 100 acres with the highest point marked with a large cairn. The summit also includes the ruined walls of the 18th century observatory, emergency shelter for those caught by bad weather, and a World War II memorial. I took some summit photos and stepped to the edge of the north cliff wall, the birthplace of technical climbing that that spurred the advance of modern mountaineering tools and techniques. I could only see a few feet below but knew it dropped over 2000 feet making it the largest in the UK. I fantasized my view as if it was a clear day that would be extensive reaching such mountains as the Torridon Hills, Morven in Caithness, Lochnagar, Ben Lomond, Barra Head and to Knocklayd in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. I spent about 15 minutes on the summit and turned to head down.

As we dropped off the summit plateau still in a whiteout condition we encountered the first group of climbers heading up to the summit after us. We let them know they were close to the top and to follow the large cairns to the summit. During the descent we encountered a half-dozen more teams including a few with “white” faces hinting at their chances of making the top. As I continued the descent, I started to reflect my second climb of this life project. By no means is Ben Nevis the hardest mountain I’ve ever climbed, however the point is not always the climb but the adventure and experience itself. Living near the Northwest Cascades has taught me what it takes to be a mountaineer; however I realize as I hiked down Ben Nevis, there will be more that are easy, more that are hard, and more that are downright impossible. I know based on my 10 year experience I must continue to learn, to grow, and appreciate the mountains as I move forward in this venture. It includes a mental focus, physical challenge, and dedication that I’m willing to give. I know 2009 for me is about continuing to get deeper in my life and that’s what Ben Nevis taught me. It taught me how far I have come but how far I need to go whether on the mountain or elsewhere. We must never stop striving, learning, and testing ourselves how far we can truly go.

I arrived back at the hostel a little after 2 pm and decided after a quick shower to head into town for some exploring. There are castles everywhere in Scotland but I found my castle outside of Fort William. I spent a large part of the afternoon exploring the Inverlochy castle and reflecting those that walked this area over the last millennium. This castle originally belonged to the Comyns of Badenoch and was constructed in the 13th century, however the Comyns were destroyed by Robert the Bruce at the turn of the 14th century and the castle went to the Gordons of Huntly. Inverlochy castle has been the setting for two major historical events, the first and second battles of Inverlochy. The moat that surrounded the castle is long gone but the defensive position against the River Lochy gave the castle its advantage. In addition, the Inverlochy castle last played a part in Scottish and English history during the Civil Wars of the 1640's when royalist Earl of Montrose routed the forces of the Campbell Chief Duke of Argyll at the second Battle of Inverlochy. In 1650’s the Castle was "replaced" by a large timber fort built by Oliver Cromwell which in the 1690’s it was replaced by a stone fort named Fort William after King William III. The town which grew around it was named Maryburgh after the Queen, Mary II, though eventually it took the same name as the fort.

It is amazing to ponder that we all stand together in time with similar core struggles in our daily lives no different than those that lived in this castle such a long time ago. The reflection of time gives me the ability to pull myself forward from my daily life to know that at some point a long time from now, my life will be lost in time. This reflection confirms my core purpose to find a passion, make a stand, and live a life truly worth living. I gaze across the river sensing the ships that pulled into the port of this old castle such a long, long time ago. As I reflect, I know I’ve only climbed two peaks to date with many more to come, a smile comes across my face...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Nevis http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150801/ben-nevis.html

Pico de Orizaba - Mexico 18490 ft

2009-01-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

Flew into Mexico City and immediately looked for an Autobuses Unidos to Puebla were we could transfer to Tlachichuca where we had accommodations at the Servimont Hotel which is century old soap factory that was converted into a classic alpine lodge in the 195s. The hotel included a collection of mountain photos and climbing gear from the 50´s and climbers´ log that goes back to the 1930´s capturing stories of climbing Orizaba. In the 1930’s, Gonzalo Reyes and a group of climbers from Tlachichuca organized a local expedition to Citlaltépetl or Pico de Orizaba which they traveled by horseback several days to get to the base of the mountain. This hotel is still owned today by the same family offers an experience a perfect service and quality of the visit. We arrived at the hotel around 10:30 pm but Dr Reyers still open the kitchen and prepared dinner for us anyhow.

Woke up this morning at seven o'clock with breakfast to be served at 9am so we took a walk into the small village of Tlachichuca looking for coffee with no luck. Arrived back at the hotel and had a great breakfast that included fruit, eggs, Mexican burrito, fresh bread with homemade butter and sour cream. The cost to stay at the hotel was $170 that included two night’s accommodations, two dinners, two breakfasts, and a roundtrip up to the base camp of Orizaba in a 1950s Dodge power wagon. After breakfast Maritiza whom is Dr Keyes assist was able to get a bottle of tequila for us which are an essential part of our climbing gear.

After packing up the wagon, we set out from the hotel at noon for the two hour trip to the base camp at 14,000 feet by way of a very rough and winding road passing through even smaller villages tucked in the hills that surround Orizaba. Once we finally approached camp, we sorted our gear and made our way into the public shelter that would be our home for the coming days. The hut conditions were better than we were used to being it was dry, clean, and not too cold even with the harsh wind coming from the north. After sorting out gear, we took about an hour break to settle in and decided to hike up 45 minutes up the route as climbers were still coming down for the previous night summit attempt. There was a team of eight climbers that were still not off the mountain with three failing to make the summit and one with altitude sickness and spitting blood. This is a big mountain and but to be taken lightly so I knew the right approached is to pace ourselves and take the edge off so we can make the summit the morning.

Once back at the shelter, we prepared dinner including a coffee and tequila for dessert. I went outside the hut to write my journal via voice recorder and prepared mentally for the 1 am ascent under a brilliant sea of stars. This ascent is a monumental climb which is the first of ProjectEarth360 that will set the tone for the rest of my life. As I sit here and think of the coming year being it is New Years Eve, I am reminded of an expression that I have learned to appreciate and trying to instill in my life which is “life in every breath” which is life in every cup of tea, life in every meal, life in every conversation. The coming year for me is to get deeper in my daily life including more discipline for my body and spirit with a very lean lifestyle. Tonight is beautiful and this is the first adventure of ProjectEarth360. Not sure how far I will get in this phenomenal project but it's a perfect goal for the rest of my life and nothing as far as I know can match it. Life is grand as I realize what my life is about with this new chapter starting off by sitting on a rock at 14,000 feet in another country preparing to climb a challenging peak. The wind is amazing and I look forward to getting deeper and deeper and deeper. What a way to come into 2009!

I woke up at 11:55 a.m. Mexican time which is 9:55 p.m. in Seattle and watched the New Year come in from Mexico. A major goal of this trip was to be on the summit of Orizaba on January 1, 2009 which has slowly become a tradition over last year as we also spent the first day of the year in the mountains (not to this extreme). This is becoming a great habit that I enjoy and a much better way to celebrate the New Year over a hangover from a late-night party (even though we still had tequila).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines acclimation as “physiological adjustment by an organism to environmental change” and “to adapt to a new temperature, altitude, climate, environment, or situation”. Yesterday we ascended from Seattle to Mexico which went from 500 feet to 9000 feet, and then the next day quickly ascended to 14,000 feet with plans to ascend to the summit at 18,490 feet. Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS) is a condition that is caused by exposure to low air pressure usually above 8,000 feet and occurs in low atmospheric pressure conditions not necessarily due to low oxygen conditions but rather by the low CO2 levels causing a rise in blood pH, alkalosis. The percentage of oxygen in air remains constant with altitude but the air pressure and number of oxygen molecules drops as altitude increases.
Headache is a primary symptom used to diagnose altitude sickness, although headache is also a symptom of dehydration. A headache occurring at an altitude above 2,400 meters combined with any of the following symptoms; lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue or weakness, dizzness, insomnia, pins and needles, shortness of breath upon exertion, persistent rapid pulse, drowsiness, general malaise, and swelling of hands, feet, and face. Symptoms that may indicate life-threatening altitude sickness include Pulmonary Edema (fluid in the lungs) with a persistent dry cough, fever, shortness of breath even when resting and Cerebral Edema (swelling of the brain) headache that does not respond to analgesics, unsteady gait, increased vomiting, and gradual loss of consciousness.

Altitude acclimatisation is the process of adjusting to decreasing oxygen levels at higher elevations in order to avoid altitude sickness. Orizaba’s base camp is slightly below the height of Mount Rainier which requires rigorous training to summit and we are going to 18,490 feet tonight so it is an extreme test on the body to move quickly to the summit. We had the goal to climb Orizaba on January 1, 2009 and all of the climbers in the hut had been then there a few days or more or climbed another mountain locally just to get prepared to climb Orizaba we arrived on the 31st. We understood it's not the best way to climb because of the difficulty and effect on our bodies and most challenging, but that was the plan. We had an extra day if needed but the goal is to climb on January 1.

We made oatmeal and including fresh coffee for breakfast and prepared our packs with a simple rope, harness, and rescue gear. I drank a full liter of water and with a total of three litters the water for the climb, couple of Cliff bars, and some sweet candy. We set off at 1:05 am and started making to our way op the trail. The trail from the hut started on a water aqueduct a few hundred feet that in many places is broken no longer provided water to the lower mountains. From there, it becomes a fairly steep dusty path for 500 feet that leads toward high camps if one wishes to have a “solitude” experience on Orizaba. Not being able to see them in the dark, there were dozens of great spots to pitch camp but we only saw a handful of tents, I provide if I can to stay in the public shelters if for the reason only of whom you meet from other cultures and countries. One we leave the hut early, we saw what appeared to be a group of climbers whom we thought were leaving at the same time we were but only from there higher base camps but as we continued in the night we realized we were wrong and they were just moved around with headlamps with the exception of one lone climber.

We continued on and we came to the point called the labyrinth. The labyrinth is a very complex, jumbled maze of rock and ice that is extremely difficult making route finding a challenge. It included only a few markers from previous climbers that have found their own only to confuse the situation. We continued up as best we could by scramble through a series of clues that at first we failed to follow. In America a sign with a circle bypassed by a line means “don’t go” so that’s what we did but as we climbed further, it will apparent this marking in Mexico holds the keys to the route. We came to a point near the top of the labyrinth that climbing the rocks was impossible and we needed to use the ice to continue up. We stopped and put on our crampons in the night and grabbed a quick drink of water. The crampons barely purchased the hard ice which a slip and quick fall would be hard to self arrest causing a hard fall into the rocks below. We finally made it to the top of this labyrinth and from there followed a rocky traverse that leads its way to the glacier itself.

We reach the glacier at 16,500 feet not sure what time it was but it was extremely dark. This millions of stars were brilliant and bright as we were in the Pueblo state of Mexico with no light pollution. In addition elevation we were makes one feel even closer to the stars themselves. It's fitting that this night is one I have never seen because we are a territory that I've never been. My previously altitude record was Mount Rainier at 14,441 feet and I pass that point when I past the camps far below. At that moment I saw of shooting star and wished that we would be successful in this climb.

As we climbed the glacier directly toward the summit from the North Side, the glacier is a 35 to 40° degree of and steep slope that gains 2000 from the base of the glacier. Standing at this point and throughout the remaining climb proves a very formidable an image of the mountain with the silhouette of Orizaba blacking out the stars behind it. The impression truly defines how big the upper region of the mountain is with one lone headlight a few hundred few above us. This was one of the headlamps we saw earlier would turned out to be a climber whose partner did not even make it out of the tent. We continued to follow the direct path up the glacier following both the silhouette and lone light.

As we steadily gained altitude, we climbed with a constant rest step technique with acclimatisation starting to show its effects with slight headaches and dry mouths. I started taking longer breaths as I continued on the glacier and I got to a point that it required maintaining my same pace, it took for four breaths before every step I took. The other thing I noticed as we continued to climb was the cold. Usually I climb with only three layers that included my lightweight outer shell but I could feel and see how cold it was. The jacket was brittle and ice accumulated on my gloves like being on Rainer in winter conditions. The difference was there was no wind and everything was calm. I quickly put on my down jacket under my shell and continued on. We got to a point where the slope most likely increased from 35° as my ankles prevented me from duck walking up a stepper angle. I started a traverse back and forth up the mountain in this one step four breath fashion and we were in such a zone climbing in the night, we did not stopped for any water and food, and before we knew it, the horizon gave hints that morning was coming and the sun was about to make its only first appear of the day. Sunrise was at 7 am clueing us that we had been climbing for about six hours or so and I welcomed the support of the sun with its beautiful light and warmth. We still hadn't seen that lone climber that was in front of us as he disappeared and we continued up. There came a point when we were less than 500 feet from the summit that I could feel my heart, my lungs, and my body screaming in a survival mode due to the elevation and lack acclimation, lack of water, the lack of sleep which we got only an hour the night before.

The body was on red alert and I could feel it, feel my heart coming through my chest. It was an amazing experience because this is the only body you have and you must take care of it. Many people make new years resolutions and I am no different. My resolution in 2009 is to get deeper in life with every breath and to get deeper into my daily life. This includes what I eat, how well I sleep, my retention of what I read, and clarity in everything I do. This was a defining moment for me on the first day of the year as my body was showing what it takes to truly live and the preparation behind it. I know we should have waiting a few days before we climbed but at any point we could have simply turned around and call the night “acclimization”. But there is also another point which I believe and that is pushing the envelope of life of little farther than you think you can go. T.S. Elliot said it best “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”. At this point my body is not happy with Mr. Elliot.

Being in an environment with features to distinguish distance, it is hard to tell how far anything is. The proven bet is to assume it is four times farther than you think it is and I must confess that that I had a small inkling of doubt that we would be able to make it to the top on this day but at that moment. We met that lone climber coming down from the summit and he told us that we were only about five minutes away from the crater rim and obviously nothing was going to stop us from there. The other test of this climb was seeing if my body could handle higher elevations as we continue to climb around the world. Is my body designed to handle these elevations above and beyond the act of acclimization? Some people just can't and get sick at altitudes less than 10,000 feet. Orizaba considered a stepping stone for high elevation climbs worldwide and was attempting to pass the test.

As we crested the summit, I leaped and hugged the crater rim with repeated shots of a certain four letter word in pure raw adrenaline. At that moment in time, we had Orizaba to ourselves being the only climbers on top of the highest point in Mexico. The crater rim is a quarter-mile a cross by a fifth of a mile wide and extremely deep. The central plains seem so far away you could tell in feel that we were 18,490 feet up in the sky. A fallen historic cross that was brought up in the 1920s was on the summit included a smaller one pointing out high above the clouds. The sky was brilliant and beautiful and we were on the top. We spent 15 minutes on the summit knew we needed to get down with our bodies still in survival mode. Come to find out later, my partner took a quick picture me as I hugged the crater rim then started laughing which turned to crying because the moment was so unbelievably deep.

We turned around and started to make our way down the step, icy slopes which required the body to exert a different type of force than going up. The body was still in survival mode and my heart was racing at a constant pace. I felt dizzy and nauseated and needed short breaks after only 20 steps to prevent possibly fainting, falling, and flying all the way down the slopes to the rocks far, far below. About half way down the glacier, I desperately needed water and had to stop to get it out of my pack. I cut some steps with my ice axe a sat down for the first break of the day. My Cliff bar was frozen solid and I gnawed on half of it and put the rest back in the wrapper. I failed to mention that I did purchase an old vintage ice axe that I bought off eBay earlier in the year which I decided was going to support me during the first climb. I received some pretty good feedback from the veteran climbers at camp which I was proud to have. We continue down and came to the labyrinth and decided it would be safer to down climb the ice instead of the rocks. We continued on which took us a few hundred feet above the high camps. We stopped and took off our crampons in what felt like extreme heat, and made our way down the dusty, lose rocks. It seemed like it took awhile to get through it but we made it down to the hut at 12 o'clock.

Our complete climb of Pico de Orizaba took us 11 hours (7 to the summit) on the first day of 2009. Even though we climbed slower than we usually do, we maintained a constant pace up the mountain that allowed us to be the first team back to camp with most groups arriving back between 3 an 5 pm. We did pay the price with head splitting headaches excruciating, however one member of the team that road up with us yesterday was in the hut become a very good friend.

Joseph, whom is from England that now lives in San Francisco, went up part way last night but returned to the hut (they had already climbed Itza a few days prior) had exactly two packs of Motrin. We traded a little tequila which he did not ask for but we wanted him to have. We got into our sleeping bags with our backs rested on the back wall and we were STOKED! Our bodies were not tired physically but our hearts continued at a higher pace as we sat in our warm bags at 14,000 feet with down fill booty’s on our feet on New Years Day 2009. Life is great!

We spent the rest of the day talking with climbers and capped the night, as most went to bed early in preparation of the coming days climb, in the dark hut with good conversation and tequila. The next morning, I woke up and enjoyed the sunrise as it slowly worked its way up the surrounding valley. I watched the climbers far above steadily move up the glacier to the summit which I know what beautiful views they are about to see.

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Wikipedia.org/Pico De Orizaba
Summitpost.org/Pico De Orizaba

Orizaba is the third tallest peak in North America. The mountain is considered a stepping stone for high elevation climbs worldwide and is popular to climb in the winter being Mexico's dry season.

Itinerary
Day 1: 12/30/08 Flew into to Mexico City and took the Autobuses via Pueblo to Tlachichuca "tlahn-chee-CHOO-kah" and stayed at the Servimont Hotel.
Day 2: 12/31/08 Travel to Piedra Grande Hut 4260m (13,976 ft) and set up camp
Day 3: 1/1/09 SUMMIT DAY via Jamapa Glacier route to 5636 m (18,490 ft)
Day 4: 1/2/09 Descend back to Servimont Hotel in Tlachichuca
Day 5: 1/3/09 Explored historic Puebla and stayed in Mexico City Airport.
Day 6: 1/4/09 Flew back to Seattle

Mount Saint Helens

2009-01-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

Mt Saint Helen's - Solo Summit

Glacier Peak

2009-01-01T05:26:00.000-08:00

Glacier Peak 10,541 ft
48°6′45.05″N, 121°6′49.70″W

A true adventure is a team of four with only one with any glacier experience. We left on Friday with the goal to return by Sunday night, a bold effort for the most remote mountain of the five major volcanoes in the Cascades in Washington. The first 5 miles to Old Mackinaw Shelter was flat and ran along the river. We camped there for the night, and in started bright and early on the switch backs that took us to Red Pass over looking a beautiful valley on the Pacific Crest Trail.

We continued onto the actual mountain and camped on the glacier for the night. We awoke at 1am, cooked breakfast, and left for the summit around 3am. It was evident as we started that our team would not break any speed records due to the glacier rope leaning curve. We continue through the morning and arrived at the high saddle sometime after sunrise. As we pressed onto the crest toward the false summit of Disappointment Peak, the air was fresh and the sun was brilliant.

We rounded the the false summit for the final push for the saddle, and after a lengthy delay, we carried on and made it to the summit nearing 2pm. The views were breathtaking and we enjoyed the our time on the summit.

The moment we descended off the summit, the sky closed in and the weather changed for the worst. As we arrived back at the lower saddle beneath the false summit, one climber was not feel well and another long rest was required. The descent proved just as slow but we continued on. As we approached an area from early in the day, a "shortcut" was decided that proved otherwise. We made it around it anyway with tempers flaring but continued down the final slope to camp. The sky closed in further and we found ourselves in a white out condition near dark, no sleeping bags, and camp no where is site. Lucky, at the final moment of light, we found our shelter, jumped into our bags and went to sleep. It was a long day and it was good to be at camp. We arose the next day, broke camp, and made our what to the trail head 18 miles away.

The descent was painful in my old boots and by the time I got back to the car, six layers of skin we gone from the back of my heal with blood everywhere. Climbing in 10% physical and 90% mental requiring ever conscience effort to make it the final 5 miles from the Old Mackinaw Shelter. I had no choose with a job interview in the morning which I desperately needed. We made it with yet another story to tell.

Mount Rainier

2009-01-01T05:25:00.001-08:00

Mt Rainier 14,410 ft
We left Paradise on a sunny morning afternoon for Camp Muir. As we approached, the mountain could be touched with our fingertips, being so close in the sky. We continued on the Muir Snowfield that was desperately exposed of rock due to the lack of snow. I have been on the mountain many times and never seen the snow field as rocky as it was. Even the rangers as we climbed affirmed my thoughts of the bare rocky exposure.

We arrived at Camp Muir to a busy public shelter of many foreign climbers including Russian. and made camp on the common bunk area. The public shelter is a treasure of the world with the simplicity of the bunks, the camaraderie of the group, and the thrill of the coming adventure. We set up our stoves and prepared of dinner of Mountain House. After cleaning up, we prepared our gear and settled into our sleeping bags for the night.

We woke around 12:00 am and started the stove for coffee and oatmeal. It was clear that one of the climbers in our group was not in great shape with vomiting and dizziness. We slowly got ready for the summit bid including harness and snow protection devices. As we left the shelter around 2:00 am, the sky was clear and the stars were brilliant. We started from the high camp via the Cowlitz Glacier to the Cathedral Gap. From there, we arrived at the ridgeline and our partner could go no farther. After a "tempered" discussion, we climbed back down and as we hit the Cowliz Glacier, a charge came across me to "spin" the right way. We guided our climber to a safe zone and quickly unclipped and worked back up the Cowlitz Glacier to the Cathedral Gap. It was approx 3:30am.

Once on the crested ridgeline, we traversed to Ingram Flats, and descended under the Disappointment Clever (DC) due to extreme exposure of crevasses on the mountain. The end around was long, but around this time, we could up with the last party to leave Camp Muir well ahead of us. As we continued on, we encountered a 30 foot vertical climb know as "Hillary Step" for this climbing season and pushed toward the top of the DC nearing dawn. From there,
we continued to pass large parties on out way to the summit and arrived to the crater around 9:30 am with the winds howling from the west toward us. We dropped into the rim and made the 20 minute hike to the true summit. The wind was fierce, but it was a life moment standing on the summit of the most challenging mountains in the lower United States. It is a point in time I will never forget.

Mt Rainier (Again) June 13th, 2009
A friend asked me if I was up for climbing Rainier via the Emmons glacier route and of course I could not say no even though I had no plans to set foot on this beautiful mountain in the year of 2009. Funny thing, the friend whom suggested the climb cancelled last minute but our minds where set to spend the weekend on fresh glacier snow.

Driving to the trailhead, the rain sporadically hit the windshield hinting the day would be less than idea as we headed up to Camp Shurman. In addition to the weather, I reflected of my 2009 New Year goal to deepen my daily life including acute mental conditioning. However for many reasons in the recent months, I have backslid by not bike riding to work in my usual frequency, my love of beer seemed to take a stronger hold than usual, and my daily work outs faded with my nightly indulgence. I could sense after a night of too many beers, dizzy headache when I woke up in the morning, lack of physical conditioning, and lack of daily water intake, my ability to perform was much less than desired. As I continued to climb the step slopes of Glacier Basin, the sun exposed through the cloud layer as I neared the 8000 feet mark. There was no question that even with my mental toughness, my body wasn't into making a climb like this without preparation on so many levels. As I continued at a steady pace, my heart gave me a lesson on what I need to do to maintain this level of exertion throughout my life project.

I reached camp, barely, as the wind plowed from the north at 40 miles per hour. In my dizzy state, I set up my bivy sack and climbed inside for a much needed rest. Dinner helped but I still went to bed with a bad headache and concern that I could not even leave the tent in the early morning. Knowing the weather outside of my thin shell was less than idea for a summit attempt, I nested in thinking we would pack up earlier and make our way back to the truck for an unsuccessful attempt.

When the alarm went off at 1am, to my surprise the conditions were remarkably calm and crisp. Even though I still felt the repercussions of my previous drinking and climbing day, I could not turn my back to such a beautiful night of climbing. We had a quick breakfast, climbed into our gear and headed up the step face toward to summit faintly held in the midnight backdrop.

I climbed in the rear of my climbing partner which is a change of our normal climbing cadence as I tonight needed to rely on his strength and steady pace up the step face. We climbed on without any reference to our progress up the mountain in the endless sea of white except for the distant peak of Little Tacoma at 11,138 feet. In comparison to other Rainer routes, the Emmons more than makes up for its lack of technical hazards with its unrelenting constant physical demands without offering much deserved breaks of level points.

As daylight came with full force, we approached the summit plateau with the crater rim in view. I’ve never “hit the wall” on mountain but today was the day my summit was right where I stood as she “Rainier” has already taught me many life lessons during my numerous ascents. I urged my climbing partner to run to the summit while I dug in to grab a quick rest and knowing my state, I secured a snow fluke in the glacier and clipped in for protection of the vertical drop at my feet. I dreamed as I dozed off and woke up as the first party made their way back down the mountain and the last party made their way up. Soon enough I was all alone again. As the minutes past, I became a bit concerned about the time elapsed but just at that moment my climbing partner arrived back with a satisfied smile on his face. As I stood up, my xTrex GPS inside my down jacket pocket somehow slipped put and demonstrated what it would be like to cartwheel down the steep slope of a mountain like Rainier. We watched it disappear and laughed at the humor of it...

It was a long, sloppy, and exhausting descent back to camp but like any summit bid, the mental toughness sets in when the mind and feet are in the most venerable state. Once back at camp, the sun was beating down on our backs but we quickly broke camp and continued to the trailhead through Glacier Basin. I glissaded a record of 2 minutes down the slopes and as I looked back up from the base of the basin and the immense sloping terrain, an eerie feeling came over me of what it would be like standing in the bottom of ocean without water. As I turned my back to the mountain and continued on, I knew the final 4 miles would seem like eight and they did...

Mt Rainier 14,410 ft (Direct from Paradise to Summit) May 24/25th

We left Paradise Lodge at 8pm in rainy conditions and lighting in the western horizon. As we continued through the night, we were met by another intense lightning storm toward the SE with a thunder delay of 21 seconds, but closing. After a hour huddle under a exposed rock, we continued our climb in the dark of the night both cold and wet. We arrived at Camp Muir near 1am and dug our way into the public shelter for a hot meal before continuing on the climb. We packed up a little after 2am with the sky was clear and promising.

As we continue to Ingram Flats, another climbing team approached us whom had one climber needed to return to base camp. The remaining climber, a Rainer (12x) and Denali veteran, clipped into our rope and continued onto Disappointment Cleaver (DC). With fatal exposures off the DC due to cliffs and crevasses below, fixed ropes were required most of the way to the top to 13,000 ft. At sunrise on the top of DC, the weather turned for the worst, the winds accelerated, and visibility went to zero. From that point on, our climb was in white out conditions route finding wands on the glacier, requiring individual kick steps because the our tracks were taken by the wind in the short 20 meters between us.

Nearing 9:30 am, we were only 400 feet below the crater rim (13,800 feet) with no wands in sight. After a intense 30 minute search, the weather overtook our bodies with frozen faces, fingers, and toes. Leaning in driving icy winds, white out conditions, and 13 hours of constant climbing, the decision was made to "spin". Always tough to do, but summiting any mountain is only half the climb.

As we started down, it was a short time before the next wand we not be found. We "scanned" the area as one climber kept a visual of one wand, but again nothing could be found. As we continued to look for the next 30 minutes, we realized we might be lost high on the mountain with our winter survival skills required. It was decided before digging a snow cave for the night to plot the DC coordinates (13,000 ft) in my GPS and follow the signal. As we started down at that moment, another party higher on Rainier came through the white out blizzard also looking for the route to safety. We rescanned the area together and found the next wand. To note, our GPS coordinates were pointing us in the right direction.

Getting down the mountain to Camp Muir was extremely difficult in the wet, soft snow including a moment of hallucination on the Cowlitz Glacier of a guy riding a bike with his dog. Once back to Muir, we took a hour to rest and continued on. In my 10 year experience of climbing Mt Rainier, I've not experience worst snow conditions to Paradise from Muir. It was deep, wet, slippery, awkward, painful, and broken. We were back at the truck at 5pm, a mere 21 hours of continued climbing.

Looking back, we climbed direct from the Paradise, dodging lightning storms, ankle turning snow conditions, sleeting horizontal winds, and zero visibility the entire way, but we made it a mere 400 feet below the summit. The success of any adventure is not always the prize, but the stories on the way. What I have written above is merely a summary of that story.

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2005
Mt Rainier - "Climb for Clean Air" 13k and turned around due to severe storm
Mt Rainier - Climbed to 13.5k and turned around due to another climber condition

Mount Adams

2009-01-01T05:25:00.000-08:00

Mt Adams - Solo Summit