The Womens Conference

One Woman Takes on Mt. Everest

05/4/10 | Alison Levine | 1 Comments

 

 

 

 

 

This spring, Alison Levine is headed to Mt. Everest to climb the world's highest peak. She's no novice when it comes to extreme adventures  -- she has climbed peaks on every continent and has skied to both the North and South Poles. Now, she's determined to make it to the top of Mt. Everest to honor the memory of her friend Meg Berte Owen.

Alison will be blogging from her journey. Follow her story here, on WomensConference.org.

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June 4 - Parting Thoughts…
 
After a successful summit bid, Don Healy, Victor Vescovo, Mike Kraft, Vanesssa Folkerts, Jack Martin, Vern Tejas, Garrett Madison, Michael Horst and I returned to the South Col to rest. Our round trip time to the summit and back was less than 14 hours (we hung out on top for about a half hour) and I was SUPER PROUD of our team.  Of course we could not have done it with without our awesome team of Sherpas and our supportive base camp staff – Ellie Henke and Joe Kluberton. Congrats to Victor and Mike for completing the 7 Summits. For me it was the completion of what is known in the adventure world as “THE GRAND SLAM,” which is climbing the 7 Summits and skiing to both Poles. I think this accomplishment is extremely meaningful because it may actually help me talk my way into getting a free breakfast at Denny’s.

We spent a night at the Col and the next day came down to C2 and then finally returned to BC. LAST TIME THROUGH THE DREADED Khumbu icefall. We found out that a Spanish climber that we met earlier on the trip (named Ava) was severely injured in the icefall when a snow bridge collapsed. She fractured a few vertebrae, broke her hand and fractured her tibia. She may have broken some other stuff too, I can’t remember. We felt sorry for her for about 5 seconds until we found out that when she fell she was not clipped in to the fixed lines that were set up for safety purposes…because she wasn’t even wearing a climbing harness. HELLO???? Apparently she was able to walk out of the medical clinic unassisted, so apparently she will be just fine (as soon as she raises her IQ a few points).

The following day I started the trek out of the Khumbu and that gave me 2 long days to think about the past 2 months. I’d like to share with you the following parting thoughts:

FILE UNDER: THIS BROKE MY HEART
John Rudolph leaving the trip before the summit push. He was very sick and couldn’t kick his illness, even with cipro. I cannot even tell you what an important part of the team this guy was. He was smart, funny, strong and it was an honor to climb with him. If he had not fallen ill I know he would have made the summit. Now if only he weren’t such a rabid Gonzaga basketball fan…
 
FILE UNDER: THIS MADE ME LAUGH
During our first rotation up to Camp 3 we stopped on the Lhotse Face for a food/water break. We happened to park ourselves right next to a team from Kazakhstan that was also taking a quick break. One of the Kazakhs looked at my yellowish-green girlie-looking backpack (complete with pink duct tape-covered ice ax attached to it) and asked, “What is that on your back – a cosmetics case???” 
 
FILE UNDER: GET A CLUE
Numerous times during the trip I heard people chalking failure up to things other than a lack of proper skills or weakness. If you can’t perform well in a certain area, look for ways to play to your strengths. Be creative. I was one of the slower members of the team, and I could makes excuses all day about how I was the smallest/lightest, had shorter legs, could not carry as much weight comfortably, etc…but the bottom line is that regardless of the reason for being slower than many of my teammates, I was SLOWER and nothing was going to change that – so I tried to find other ways to contribute to the team since I knew I was never going to be out front breaking trail. People always like to find excuses for lack of performance – I didn’t get this or that because I am a woman, because I am older, because I am short, because I am this ethnicity or that religion or because of some kind of discrimination. Well, discrimination is a HORRIBLE, awful thing, but sometimes we don’t get what we want because we just aren’t all that good. Sometimes the guy next to you is just plain BETTER THAN YOU. Take responsibility for your own shortcomings and work on getting better rather than always chalking up bad outcomes to external factors. Think to yourself, “Maybe I just suck…” and then work really hard at not sucking.
 
FILE UNDER: OOPS
While rappelling down a 90’ rock face after our summit, my right crampon got caught in some old twine that was wedged in the rocks – and my right foot was jerked upward while the rest of me went upside down. My oxygen mask was knocked off in the process, and the tank in my backpack was putting pressure on my abdomen and I couldn’t really breathe in the awkward position I was in. I could not reach up to my boot with my right hand and I could not take my left hand off of the rope since it was my brake hand. I looked around to see who could help but there was no one behind me and Chewang was already pretty far out in front of me. At some point he looked back and saw that I wasn’t right behind him, and he came back to the base of the rock face and looked up at me dangling there. I yelled, “Um…little help?” He climbed back up the face and tried to get my boot untangled but he couldn’t do it either. As I still hung upside down he began to take my right foot and bang it against a rock in hope that the twine that was holding me hostage would brake. No luck. Now his hand was bruised/swollen from banging it against the rock. Finally, he was able to help me break lose from the twine and not a moment too soon because I was seriously struggling to breathe. I rappelled the rest of the way down and caught up to Chewang and thanked him and then started laughing. “Hey, that was sort of funny, no?” He laughed too and said, “I think you are TROUBLE.” I said, “Well I think YOU are trouble!” “No, YOU are trouble!!!” he told me. From that point on we never used first names again. We just referred to each other as “Trouble.”
 
After our summit bid we were all pretty tired, but the adrenaline was flowing so I had trouble sleeping. I shared a tent at C2 with Don and as we were getting ready to go to bed I decided that perhaps I should take an Ambien to help me sleep (base camp doctors told us that taking Ambien would be okay during the climb). I knew everyone was feeling pretty revved up after the summit so after popping my pill out of the pack I offered one to Don too. “Here… just in case you need it,” I told him. In the morning I realized I had given him a birth control pill.
 
FILE UNDER: CHIVALRY IS NOT DEAD
I cannot even begin to express what a class act (most of) the men on my team were. I felt like I got so much help from these guys. I will never forget how far out of their way people went to make sure I was okay on the more challenging parts of the route – ie,  waiting for me to get across the ladders (because no matter how many times I crossed them I was always nervous) even if it meant they had to wait around in the cold for me to get to the crossing. People were always asking how I was doing, offering to help me with the weight in my pack, holding out a hand when I needed to jump a big crevasse and encouraging me when I was dragging. And I know they would do this for any of their teammates, male or female. It was really about them just being SOLID human beings.
 
FILE UNDER: I TAKE THAT BACK
65 is the new 45 for sure. Don Healy, who turned 65 on our trip – summitted Mount Everest. He was amazing!!!!
 
FILE UNDER: BAD IDEA
After we got back to Kathmandu, Michael, Garrett and I went out for dinner/drinks with a group of guides and climbers from another group (no one else from our group was around – everyone had flown out by then). I wanted to celebrate in proper fashion, but wasn’t sure what to do. I asked the guy sitting next to me at dinner if tequila shots seemed juvenile. He said. “I definitely don’t think so!” So…that kicked off the first of several rounds of tequila shots (and it was BAD tequila). I later found out that the guy sitting next to me was 18 yrs old. Of course he didn’t think tequila shots were juvenile. I, however, ended up having to sleep in the bathtub that night in order to get my hotel room to stop spinning.
 
FILE UNDER: DUDE, GET A GRIP
As for my teammate who sent an email suggesting that someone other than he himself was responsible for his trip-ending “injuries” that caused him to leave the expedition after reaching camp 2 – I’d like to refer him to the GET A CLUE file above.
 
FILE UNDER: OTHER PEOPLE TO THANK
85 Broads (www.85broads.com) – thank you for all of the support and encouragement. I loved having 20,000+ virtual teammates with me. To my family/friends/loved ones who emailed/txtd and kept me motivated – you guys know how much you mean to me. Oh, and let’s not forget the guys at Penserra Securities  (www.penserra.com) – George, Robo and Lee – thanks for your support.
 
So…in closing, I feel honored to have carried an ice axe with Meg’s name on it to the summit of Mt Everest. I could never find the right words to properly express my thanks to my teammates, guides, base camp staff and Sherpas, but please just know how much I love and appreciate you.
 
After turning back from the South Summit (just a few hundred feet from the top) in 2002, I really didn't think I would ever try again. Part of me can’t believe I actually DID try again because I swore I never would. And trust me, there were many moments of self-doubt, but somehow I found myself on the top of that mountain. As far as calling the trip a “success,” I hope I can do that. Yes, I made it to the top of a big mountain, but that doesn’t really have all that much meaning when you consider that Mt Everest is just a big pile of rock and ice. Really – that’s all it is. We went up it. It was cold, it was steep, it was tough, blah blah blah. So what? What makes it meaningful are the people you climb with (that’s you too Meg). For me – the goal is never the summit. The goal for any of my climbs is for my teammates to feel glad that I was a part of their expedition. I hope they do indeed feel this way, because I know I am super grateful to have had the opportunity to share the mountain with them. Saying goodbye after the trip was really hard for me. I had sunglasses covering my eyes so no one could see just how difficult it was (I hate crying in front of people). God, I hadn’t shed that many tears since the Republicans lost Congress. XOXAL

 

 

 

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June 1 - Summit, Deconstructed

 

 

After our drop-back down valley we return to BC. We are told that there will be a good weather window with no jetstream from May 22-26th, and we want to beat the crowds up high, so we leave BC at 4am on the 17th so that we are in position at the Col to go for it when the window opens. It takes us 12 hours to get to Camp 2. We are not speedy, but we are solid. We go through the icefall for the 2nd to last time. I will not miss this thing. Several times we see helicopters flying overhead and I can make out human figures dangling from haul lines. Are the figures at the end of the ropes moving or not? Are these rescues or body recoveries??? One of each I am told. Either way, that is not a helicopter ride I want to take.

I fall into my tent at C2. I am tired. I miss my friends Squash, Wosh and Ritta who I have shared a tent with on previous expeditions. They are my favorite climbing partners as we always laugh our heads off  when we are together. I wish I were in the mood to laugh right now. Cramming 4 in a tent is of course a bit crowded but Ritta and I are small so we always make it work. I wish I had someone to encourage me as I am feeling insecure about whether or not I can actually make it to the summit. Meg, where are you? Oh, here you are. I need you to hold my hand. I am sorry I wasn’t there to hold yours before you left. I am holding it now…

We are scheduled to spend 2 nights at Camp 2 before moving up in order to recover from the long climb from BC. Decisions on when to move up are not only made based on weather but also based on what other teams are doing because we want to avoid the crowds as waiting on the fixed lines for too long can be dangerous and can jeopardize a summit bid. What is up with this weather??? Blasting snow, high winds… We end up staying at C2 until the 21st. We leave at 3:30 am for C3.The Lhotse Face is steep and icy and we are clipped in to the fixed lines for safety the entire time. I remember Peter Legate who slipped on the Face and died when I was on my last expedition in 2002. His climbing partners ran to our camp for help as we were still down at C2. But there was nothing anyone could do. His body was in pieces.  He was a Brit who worked for the BBC. I will not slip and die as I am not British. This is good logic.  It takes me 9.5 hours to climb that Face. I arrive at C3 and Garrett tells me I did a great job getting there. Liar. I am so slow. But I appreciate his encouragement. Always a smile and a pat on the back. It helps. We spend a night at C3 and I have a much better night there than I did during the last rotation. Thanks to sucking oxygen all night. We sleep on oxygen and will continue to use it from this point on until we get down from the summit. The scary thing is that once you start burning through your Os, the clock is ticking and your timing is no longer flexible. You have essentially started your summit bid because you have a limited amount of oxygen.

May 22nd. We make our way through the Yellow Band and across the Geneva Spur and we land at C4 at the South Col in about 6.5 hours. For the first time we can really get a good look at the summit pyramid. How the hell am I going to make it up THERE??? Now we are in the death zone. Yikes. We tuck ourselves into our tents and suck on oxygen. Rest day the next day. I am good at rest days.

May 23rd. Rest day for us, but many teams are moving up already. Anxious. We hear reports of long lines of people waiting at the Hillary Step. Apparently the delays are more than 90 minutes. People can get frostbite waiting around like that. I need to eat and hydrate all day so that I have the energy for the big push tomorrow, but it is so hard to get food/liquids down once you are in the death zone because your body is slowly starting to shut down and you have no appetite whatsoever. Best to eat foods that you really like and that are easy to digest. The Sherpas serve us some kind of spicy lentils over rice. Are they kidding with this food at Camp 4? Who can eat this stuff??? Not me. I can’t get it down. But I remember the story Michael shared with us about the guy who didn’t eat the day before his summit attempt and threw his food out the back vestibule of the tent.  He didn’t have enough energy to climb during the final push and he didn’t make it to the summit. I knew I should not toss my food out the back vestibule of the tent. I’ll toss it out the front.  Weather reports are still good for tomorrow, so we plan to head out at 11pm this evening. Mid morning radio call comes in to our sirdar Lakpa Rita. There is a climber from the Altitude Junkies team who is in trouble at the South Summit and his guide has left him. Lakpa grabs an extra tank of oxygen and some syringes of dexamethasone and prepares to go help with the rescue. He is one of the strongest climbers on the mountain. Everyone knows he has what it takes to save lives up high. Please don’t leave us Lakpa. We need you. Within minutes of the call coming in he is on his way up to help. He is a hero. He makes it back to the South Col in the late afternoon. He is superhuman.

10pm weather report – high winds and up to a foot of snow are expected. WHAT THE ???? Our weather guy SUCKS!!! Okay…I need to relax…We probably won’t go this evening. 10:30pm.  Everyone is asking if I am ready to go.  You guys are KIDDING, right???  Winds are howling and it is snowing and visibility is sh*t. But we are already burning up our oxygen supply so we need to make a move. I get to climb with Chewang Nima Sherpa who is going for his 19th summit. One less than the record held by Apa Sherpa. I am honored to be climbing with such a famous guy. He looks me in the eye and asks me if I am ready to climb. Not really. I tell him yes.

Chewang: ”Are you good?”

Me: “Yes, I am good. What about you?  Are you good?”

Chewang: “Yes. I am good. Good that you are good.”

Me: “Good that you are good too.” Who’s on first?

We have lost radio contact with base camp. They have no idea of the weather conditions up high where we are. In order to not worry people reading their blog they report on the cybercast that the weather is pretty good but there is an “increased chance of precipitation.” This is like saying that there is an “increased chance” Lindsay Lohan will be found passed out drunk of the floor of Les Doux. The reality was that just about every base camp manager of every major expedition on the mountain was worried about us and many stayed up throughout the entire night in their attempts to check in on us.  It’s a tight group on the mountain. Everyone pulls together to help everyone. The good folks do anyway…

We leave the Col and start climbing in the howling winds. The snow is really coming down now. I am wearing clear goggles so that my eyeballs don’t freeze. Frozen corneas are often a problem for climbers on summit day. Within minutes my goggles fog up and are worthless. Arghhh. I scrap the goggles and just try to close my eyes for a few extra milliseconds in between steps. I am getting pelted in the face with snow. I can feel little icicles forming on my eyelashes.

There is no way we are going to climb for long in this weather. We keep moving. Lakpa is first in line and is leading the way, followed by Chewang and then me. They are breaking trail and are kicking in steps since there is a decent amount of new snow. Their steps are too big for me. I hate being short. Trying to use their steps is exhausting so I do my best to kick in my own. I look ahead and I see a few groups on the trail up ahead. Relatively speaking, not many people are going for the summit tonight which is good because it means we won’t have to deal with crowds on the fixed lines or at the Hillary Step. What do they know that we don’t know???  About 90 minutes into the climb I look up and see a big group of headlamps ahead of us. It takes me a minute to realize that the headlamps are pointing TOWARD us. That’s not the way to the summit guys. They finally reach us and their guide tells us that the weather conditions are too extreme for them to continue -- they are calling it quits and are heading back to camp. He says, “I hope we don’t regret this decision.” There is a part of me that is hoping that we will turn around in the crappy weather too as the winds and snow are making me nervous. I don’t know if I can do this. I want to be able to blame the weather rather than my own weakness. We keep climbing. Visibility is horrible. I know Meg would tell me to ignore the pain/discomfort and to just put my head down and keep taking steps uphill. She was a fighter. Much more so than I am.

We stop at the Balcony (27,500’) to switch out oxygen bottles. We have been climbing for about 5 hours. Surprisingly, I am staying pretty warm – even my hands and feet. I don’t understand how I am not an ice sculpture at this point but I’ll take it. I am glad it is dark because I think I would be even more intimidated if I could see the steepness of the route. I down a chocolate Gu and drink some water. Obviously you have to take off the oxygen mask to eat and drink. My lungs hurt. If Meg can cycle across the entire country on one lung, I can get up this mountain on two.

We keep climbing throughout the night and the early morning. The weather has started to actually get a bit better as we get higher. One step at a time, we are getting closer to the top. We reach a 90’ vertical rock pitch. No one told me about this!!!  Apparently the fixed lines sometimes go around it but this year the lines go straight up and over. One by one, so do we. I am out of breath, even with my oxygen tank feeding me. We reach the South Summit (28,500’). This was where I turned around back in 2002 and was the highest point I had reached on this mountain. I don’t remember ever being here AT ALL. I have no idea how I even got this far on my last trip. I have no idea how I got his far on THIS TRIP. I am feeling totally dehydrated and I need calories. It’s so cold and the terrain has been steep, so we haven’t stopped much for food or water. Someone is right next to me all of a sudden. Michael Horst (mountain guide extraordinaire) is climbing alongside of me and pulls off his mask and starts to talk to me: “Hey… I need you to make me a promise…” He has to yell so I can hear him over the wind. WHAT do you want Michael? This is no time to be asking me for ANYTHING. Don’t you get that it is all I can do to put one foot in front of the other right now???  I am not strong and tough like you are. I wish I had your long legs and your powerful lungs.  I am huffing and puffing. I reply: “What???” He is still without his mask as he climbs next to me and speaks: “I need you to promise me…that you are going to go further than THIS (referring to where we were -- the South Summit – my previous high point). I start to laugh and cry at the same time. We shake hands on the promise. I never break a promise to a friend. Now I HAVE to keep climbing. We keep moving. I look down. Southwest face on one side and Kangshung face on the other. Slipping is not an option. Up ahead, the Hillary Step. 40’ of vertical but much easier than the other rock face we already climbed so no sweat -- and no lines! Because the weather was so marginal, few teams chose to climb on the 24th so there was no waiting at the Step. SCORE. Now I realize that the timing for our summit bid was perrrrfect because there are so few people on the route. This was a gamble that totally paid off. Brilliant you guys!

8:00am. I see something up ahead --  a mound of snow, prayer flags, a small statue…I think I am hallucinating. 8:10am. I am standing on the summit of Mt Everest. I think ??? I am waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell me I have been punk’d. People start hugging me and congratulating me. It still hasn’t really hit me that I am where I am. I whip out the Team Meg t-shirt for a photo. I think about her family and loved ones and how lucky we all were to have her in our lives for the time that we did. She definitely taught us all about guts and grit. Now it hits me.

After photos and team hugs we head back down. It is important to remember that the summit is only the half-way point. Getting to the top is optional, getting down is NOT.  Most of the accidents on Mt Everest occur on the way down from the summit because some climbers use every ounce of energy they have to get to the top and they have no reserves left to get back down.  That isn’t going to happen to us. We make it back down to camp before noon.

I sit in my tent at the South Col thinking about the past 2 months and how hard it was. FRICKIN’ HARD.  I was feeling drained as I had just climbed for nearly 14 hours on 3.5 packets of Gu and about 1/2 liter of water. Not recommended.  At this point I think it still hadn’t sunk in that we actually made it. But…the  climb is not over until you walk in the front door of your house. We still had to get all the way down the mountain. That meant one more trip through the icefall, so we could not yet let down our guard…

STAY TUNED FOR ONE LAST UPDATE and parting thoughts… Is anyone still even reading this thing??? No idea…

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May 28 - Can I Borrow Your Towel For a Sec? My Car Just Hit a Water Buffalo.

 

 

I couldn’t think of a title for this blog so I just quoted my favorite movie line of all time from Fletch. Gail Stanwyk answers the door wearing only a towel, and Chevy Chase uses the above quote when he sees her. CLASSIC.

On May 24th, 2010 at 8:10am I reached the summit of Mt Everest (29,035’, 8848m). Meg was with me every step of the way and I could not have made it to the top of that mountain without her strength and sprit.  I also have to credit our amazing team of guides and Sherpas. Tagging the top marked my completion of the “Seven Summits” (climbing the highest peak on each continent) and one of my teammates told me that I am the 1st American woman to achieve what is known as the “Grand Slam” (I thought this was a breakfast at Denny’s ????  But apparently the Adventure Grand Slam refers to climbing the Seven Summits and also skiing to both the North and South Poles).

Our team made it back down to base camp on May 26th and everyone is doing great.  I am exhausted and I have a 30 mile hike out of the valley in order to get back to Kathmandu and I could not possibly do justice to a blog right now, so I promise to give you a “real update” in a few days when my body and my brain recover and I am breathing the thick air back in Kat. I know some of you followed the play-by-play cybercast of our summit bid on various websites, but I have to tell you that much of the information was erroneous because we lost radio contact with base camp before we left the South Col, and our base camp managers did their best to guess what was going on as they did not have the most accurate/up-to-date information.

I know you are wondering WHY they would post incomplete/inaccurate info…Well, just think the reactions if they had posted something to the effect of, “We have lost all contact with the team up at the South Col and we have absolutely no idea where they are or how they are doing.”  A statement like that would have caused a lot of unnecessary panic, and I can only imagine the line that would form around the building where I live in San Francisco as people vied to take over the lease on my rent-controlled apartment.

I don’t really have the details of our summit bid organized properly in my head yet, but the real scoop is coming (along with summit day photos). Any previous details that were posted did not come from me directly – so I apologize for any confusion this may have caused and I will do my best to get a write-up out soon. People on our team who had been to Everest before claim we had the worst summit conditions (weather-wise) they had ever gone up in, and we have a few folks with some minor frostbite, but no one will lose toes or fingers (I lost a fingernail actually) and everyone was healthy enough for beer and champagne when we got back down to BC.

This summit was special for many reasons, and I’ll spill my guts on all of the reasons why in my next blog when I have gathered my thoughts. Many thanks to the 85 Broads network for all of the support. I love you gals to pieces. So for now all I have left to say is, “GO TEAM MEG!!!!”

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May 26 - Team Back in Base Camp

Today our team descended from Camp 2 through the Western CWM and down the Khumbu Icefall to our base camp. We have now had our lunch and much needed showers, and we will be walking out tomorrow.

We had a spectacular summit day, having to push hard through winds and snow storms until we reached the summit, when we had a brief clearing of the weather before descending.

Our expedition was a success and everyone has returned healthy, happy, and excited to see their friends and family!

Here is a summit photo of me with Chewang Sherpa.

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May 24 - SUMMIT!
 
SUMMIT! The Ice Ninjas have done it, through very taxing conditions. The first group arrived at the summit at 8:10 this morning: Lakpa, Garrett, Vanessa, Alison, Chewang Nima, Fura Kancha, and Dorjee. They were followed shortly after at 8:20 by Michael Horst with Victor, Jack, Thapkee, and Mingma. The last group of Vern, Mike Kraft, Don, Da Nuru, and Ang Passang arrived at 8:50. A huge congratulations goes out to all of them for sticking with it for the last two months (not to mention the months and years that went in to preparing for this trip) and keeping their motivation to the very end. And another huge thank you goes to our sherpa and guide staff for helping make it all happen. This has definitely been a team effort. The only disappointment may be that after all the work to get there, the views from the top of the world were minimal at best.
 
This has been a very challenging summit day. It has been snowing heavily between Base Camp and Camp 2 for most of the night, which has drastically interfered with radio communications. Up high the Ice Ninjas had less snow but more wind. But they persevered and pulled it off. We're really, really proud of them.
 
Now the next step is for the whole team to get back down to the South Col safely. We will continue to monitor the team as they make their way down the mountain, and we'll report their progress to you as we hear it, especially when they all arrive safely back at the South Col. So stay with us just a little while longer.

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May 17th

Base Camp Paralyzed by Fear

An unspeakable crime was committed at BC a few weeks ago (unspeakable, but not untype-able), and the perpetrator has still not been apprehended. Spike, the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ mascot was being carried up the mountain by one of my teammates, John Rudolph. Needless to say, JR is a big big BIG Gonzaga basketball fan (the team actually spends time at his lake house in Idaho). There is an athletic center on the Zags’ campus that is named after his father. JR is my only teammate who loves college hoops as much as I do and he has been hassling me nonstop about being such a huge Duke fan. Well, I regret to inform you that someone kidnapped Spike, duct-taped his mouth shut, bound his paws behind his back, and THEN this sicko cut off little Spike’s ear ala Reservoir Dogs style and left the bloody ear wrapped up in a ransom note demanding one million dollars in exchange for Spike’s safe return (some people believed the blood to be ketchup that was swiped from the mess tent, but trust me – it was REAL BLOOD!!!!!). I have no idea who would do such a twisted thing. The only clue we had was that the perp (if you don’t know that this is short for perpetrator you aren’t watching enough CSI) is someone who had bright pink duct tape, but other than that we have no solid leads. In his search for the guilty party JR actually conducted a handwriting sample analysis but I could not participate because my carpel tunnel syndrome has been acting up and the doctor said I could still climb but that writing could really be harmful to me. The crime remains UNSOLVED. Terrible, just terrible.

 

 

 

Okay, so…We are starting our summit attempt at 4am!!! Yeah, I know, it comes as a bit of a surprise to me too as I thought we would have a few more days to rest at BC, but the weather window opened up a bit sooner than expected and we just found out TODAY that we are going to move up right away.  So here is the plan:

Leave at 4am and head up to camp 2 (should be apprx 12 hrs of climbing). Spend 2 nights at C2, then head up to C3 (9 hours of climbing) for one night. Next morning climb up to C4 which is at the South Col (the photo below shows the approach to the col during my my 2002 expedition) which is over 26,000’. No idea how long it will take – 8 hours I am guessing. Getting to the South Col entails climbing up and over the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur (I realize these terms mean nothing to you but the names make it sound more exciting vs just saying that we are “climbing to the South Col”). Once we are at the Col we are in the death zone. Our bodies will slowly be dying so we have to make sure that we are force-feeding ourselves and that we are staying hydrated. We will also make sure that we check our hands/feet for frostbite regularly because if you lose all of your fingers you don’t have a lot of options for rock-paper-scissors and you have to go for rock every time and it’s totally predictable. The current plan is to rest a day at the Col (weather permitting) and then go for the summit on the 22nd. No clue how long this will take. 12-15 hours perhaps??? 18?? Depends on weather and traffic up there. Please say prayers for our team. This is what we’ve been working toward for nearly 7 weeks. It’s all or nothing at this point.

 

 

I can’t write much more as I have to go pack and have to try to sleep for a few hours since we have a 2am wake up call. Breakfast at 3am and then we’ll be walking out of camp by 4am.

A few last thoughts before I go:  Congrats to Emma and Matthew Schlenker’s classes at Christ Lutheran School in Phx, and congrats to Gracie’s class at PCDS. A big hello to the students and faculty at the Benjamin School in FL. If any parents have been following this blog my apologies for any material that was PG-13.  And most of all, a huge congrats to the graduates of USMA/West Point, especially the BS&L majors. I am so proud of you all I can’t even put it into words. Just so you know that I have been thinking of you, I am also posting a photo of the puja altar that stands in the middle of our base camp. GO ARMY!!!!!!!!  And as always, Go DUKE (2010 Nat’l Champions)!!!

 

 

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May 12th

65 Is the New 95

I know. That’s a horrible thing to say and I am expecting nastygrams from the AARP. But before you get all undone about how politically incorrect this blog title is, let me say this: Sometimes 65 is the new 45. Just not in the case of one of our teammates that left the expedition early and is now headed home. She was 65 years old and a veteran of multiple Himalayan climbs, but unfortunately her past experience did not help her on this expedition because it seemed she had forgotten many of the rules about climbing big mountains and everyone was worried about her safety and well-being. What a bummer as we all would have liked to have seen her attempt the summit. But it was too risky for her and for the rest of the team, because in this sport one team-member’s actions affect everyone else’s safety. I will also add that I have climbed with plenty of people in their 60s and they are some of the strongest, fastest, most talented people I have had the privilege of climbing with, and most of them can smoke me on the trails. I love to learn from climbers who have been around a lot longer than I have and who have more experience than I do in the mountains and in life. But in the case of our eldest team member, her prior experience just did not seem to help her climb safely and efficiently on Everest. That’s the tricky thing about these big mountains – sometimes it doesn’t matter what you did last year or last month – it’s all about how you are performing RIGHT NOW. We have all seen those disclaimers about how past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results when it comes to the markets, that’s true on Everest too. There are many, MANY unpredictable factors that affect outcomes. That’s what makes it challenging, and interesting.

The crazy thing is that this 65 year-old woman was a strong climber much of the time, but the problem was that she was not a safe and responsible climber, and that meant she was a danger to herself and also to the team. It was so bizarre, but she somehow always forgot important pieces of gear and equipment that were absolutely essential to safe and successful climbing, and this worried everyone on the team (not to mention her guide who had worked tirelessly with her from day 1). The stuff she would forget on a routine basis was VERY BASIC. Think of Tom Brady showing up for a game without his helmet. Or Oscar De La Hoya stepping into the ring without his gloves. Or Elin Woods showing up at the dinner table without her golf clubs. We are talking equipment that you would never think of being without. I’m still puzzled on how she could always forget this stuff – especially after multiple reminders to make sure she had it.  Maybe it was partially a language barrier thing given she was from Australia ????  While we were all sad to see her go because we admired her spirit, we are relieved to know she will be safe now that she is off the mountain. Pretty rough for her emotionally to have to call it quits, which was hard for us too. But hopes are dashed and dreams are crushed on this mountain every day. There isn’t a lot of room for error on an expedition like this, and team safety trumps ALL.

So, now 5 of us are in the village of Deboche breathing the thick air at 12,700’. Part of our climbing strategy was to descend to a lower elevation than BC in order to regain some strength. So far it seems to be working. Our coughs are subsiding, cuts are healing, appetites are returning, and sleep is happening. We have a great view of the top of Everest from here and at the moment the jetstream looks pretty scary – winds over 100mph. The weather forecasts call for the jetstream to move out around May 23rd, so hopefully we can position ourselves for a summit bid when the time is right. As far as our other 3 team mates who chose to helicopter from BC all the way back down to Kathmandu (btw, taking a helicopter to/from BC is never a good idea unless there is a medical emergency because helicopters often crash due to the thin air and high winds, and there are remnants of past crashes scattered all over camp as a reminder of this), we will see them in 2 days in the village of Lobouche when we pass through there on our trek back to BC. They will helicopter right to Lobouche so we will see how they do with the altitude jump from 6000’ to 16,000’ after 5 days in Kathmandu (OUCH).  Most altitude experts believe it is a mistake to go all the way down to Kathmandu, but only time will tell whether our strategy or their strategy was best as far as preparing for a summit push.

I am excited for our team to be reunited. I miss 2 of the 3 climbers who split from the group. The 3rd guy needs to be voted off the island. I am not sure what is bigger – his ego or this mountain. He is rude, crude, inconsiderate and arrogant. The other day we heard him making a business call on his satellite phone (because he was in the main dining tent when he made the call), and he was screaming at whoever was on the other end and he actually said (wait for it…), “If you don’t fix this situation I am going to come to where you live and I am going to f--- your dog and then I am going to burn down your house.” Classy. You know, it’s been a while since I’ve skimmed through Covey’s 7 Habits, but I’m pretty sure that stuff is NOT in there (also, for my Godkids or the Lonergan kids or anyone else under 18 who might be reading this, the “f---“ term used above in conjunction with the statement about the dog was “FEED”. He was going to go FEED the guy’s dog and then burn down his house). I want this guy to quit the team. Now. And, I am making a donation to the SPCA in his honor.

But the rest of the team is considerate, fun and intelligent. We are never lacking for heady dinner conversation and I am continually pleased to discover so much common ground amongst us. The other night Victor was praising Warren Buffet during a discussion about the markets and the economy – and I was delighted to announce that I had seen him in concert 6 times and never ever get sick of Margaritaville. Last night Jack brought up Sir Isaac Newton and where we would be without his work, and I couldn’t help but smile as I thought about how much I love those little fig cookies. Vern, an artist/performer mentioned the talents of John Denver and I assured him there was no bigger Gilligan fan out there than yours truly.

I hear Greece is still on the verge of collapse. Buy feta.

PS – Sorry I don’t have any pretty photos for you guys this time. But I bet some of you have read entire books that don’t have any pictures.

PPS – GOOD LUCK TO MATTHEW SCHLENKER who has the lead in his school play next weekend. You are going to be an AWESOME. Oliver and I can’t wait to see the video when I get home kiddo.

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May 7th

Kate Moss - I Feel Your Pain.

Dear Kate -

You and I have not met, but we have much in common. I know that for years people have scrutinized your eating habits and have criticized your weight. Well, I know just how you feel because after so many weeks at altitude I am also really having trouble getting my food down and keeping it down. I realize that the difference between your situation and mine is that you are pushing away plates of food at Per Se and Il Molina and I am staring down deep fried Spam covered in some kind of unrecognizable gravy. Also, you are puking into toilets at the Four Seasons and the Ritz and I am throwing up in my tent vestibule.  Please pass along my greetings to Calvin Klein and tell him that I can now also fit into size 0 jeans. xoxAL

 

 

 

Altitude is starting to take effect on my body in many ways – most of them NOT good. I have completely lost my appetite which is dangerous here because we need to be consuming about 6000 calories on the days that we climb. I try to supplement my meals with candy bars and have better luck getting those down vs. the food we have been eating during the main meals.  Not unlike many high altitude climbers, I have developed a severe cough which may actually be exercise induced asthma. The doctor tried to put me on an inhaler but it made my heart race so I had to stop using the Advair. Bummer. I coughed so hard the other day that I damaged the intercostal muscles on both sides of my ribs which makes breathing both difficult and painful. I cough so much at night it feels like I’ve burned a hole on the inside of my throat.  I also bruised my kneecap going up the Lhotse Face when I slammed it while climbing a portion of vertical ice, but I think the Aleve has got that under control.

The team dynamics are proving to be as interesting and challenging as the mountain.  After 7 nights at camp 2 and 1 night at camp 3 (23,600’), I can tell you that the team that will finish this climb together will look very different than the team that started out together. A failed attempt on the Lhotse Face (see photo) was what really started things in a bit of a downward spiral. We spent several nights at camp 2 acclimatizing, and then at 5 am on May 3rd we made our way up the steep face of hard blue ice. About 5 hours into it we got hit with some pretty brutal weather and we had to abandon our attempt and return to camp 2. It was incredibly demoralizing and by the time we had reached the safety of our tents back at camp 2 the team was exhausted both mentally and physically. The weather was supposed to remain poor for the next 2 days – and we had already been delayed by weather for a few days at the beginning of this rotation, so rather than wait another 2 days and then make another attempt at reaching camp 3 several people decided it would be better to go BACK DOWN to base camp where our bodies could recover at a lower altitude. The problem was that several other people decided the best thing to do would be to wait another 2 days and go fight our way back up that face that had just shut us down. There was discussing, there was reasoning, there was arguing, there was pissed-offedness. In the end, 5 of the climbers decided to pack up and go down to BC the next morning, and 4 decided to stay up at camp 2 and give that face another whirl. I stayed. I climbed. For nine hours I fought my way up that Lhotse Face and made it to camp 3 along with Jan, Vanessa and Jack. Alpine Ascents guides Vern and Michael came up too – and of course our awesome sirdar Lakpa was with us every step of the way. Of course I threw up in my test vestibule that night – but you don’t get any extra points for that as puking isn’t all that unusual at nearly 24,000’. I was miserable all night, but I am SO glad that I stayed with the group that went up to camp 3. Climbing that Lhotse Face was a good confidence builder. PLUS, those who did not go up with us are at a big disadvantage from an acclimatization standpoint, because now they will have to make a summit attempt after only having only gone as high as camp 2. Funny thing is that I DID actually think about going back down to BC with the others who abandoned the attempt, but my kneecap was so badly bruised from the day before (injured during our failed attempt on the Lhotse Face when I slammed it into the ice on a vertical pitch) that I didn’t think I COULD get down, so that helped make up my mind to stay, take a rest day at camp 2, and then try it again. Luck was with me this time.

We will sleep at BC tonight and then head back down valley in order to let our bodies recover at a lower altitude. Yeah, we want to go lower than BC to breathe some of that thicker air. Maybe my appetite will even come back. Oh, and FYI -- of the 5 guys who came down from camp 2 after giving up on Lhotse, only 2 of them are still here at BC. The other 3 were not feeling well and took a helicopter (dangerous and $$$$!!!!) all the way back to Kathmandu where they are relaxing at the Hyatt and are deciding whether or not they will continue on this expedition. I really hope that they do.

We will spend about a week down valley and then it’s time to return to the mountain for a summit attempt. I have absolutely no idea how things are going to go. NO IDEA. But I will give it my best shot...for myself and for Team Meg. Signing off for a few days. Will write more when I get to back Pheriche or one of those other little villages that we pass through during our recovery. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

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April 27th

Friends in High Places

Best surprise EVER 2 days ago when my friend Leon Watts from Tampa, FL stopped by our camp to say hello. It’s always nice to get a visit from an old friend at 17,600’. Leon was leading a group on a trek to BC and managed to wander around long enough to find our digs (not easy, as it takes over an hour to walk all the way through base camp). Not only did he bring warm greetings, but he also delivered an awesome care package to me – jelly beans, chocolate, earplugs, Emergen-C, tiger balm for sore muscles, etc.  All very practical stuff that will be put to good use (but if anyone else is planning to come here and surprise me please bring me a fooz ball table, diamond tiara, chia pet and some spanx).  Seeing Leon and meeting his trekking group really made my day. Check out his company Adventure Outfitters (www.adventuretampa.com). They do really unique and interesting trips – everything from Machu Picchu treks to multi-day scuba trips to spear-fishing.

We have been resting peacefully at BC for the past few days, and the plan is to head back up the mountain for our second rotation around 4am on the 29th. We will stay at camp 1 for one night, camp 2 for two nights, and then we will push it all the way to camp 3 which is everyone's least favorite camp. No one likes this camp because it is situated on the steep, icy Lhotse face and you can't walk around at all (too steep/icy) and you have to clip into a safety line just to go to the bathroom. We'll spend a night up at the dreaded camp 3 and then we'll come down to rest at camp 2 for a night before returning to BC around May 4th. The reason for going up the mountain and then back down again is all related to acclimatization. You want to climb up high to get used to the altitude and to allow your body to produce more red blood cells, but the problem is that the human body starts to deteriorate more rapidly above 18,000’ –  you lose muscle mass, lose your appetite, sleeping becomes very difficult --  so you have to keep coming back down to a lower altitude (back down to BC) in order to recover, sleep and to regain your strength.  It’s a crazy catch 22 of wanting to spend time up high to get used to the altitude but having to keep coming back down low to recover in order to be ready for a summit attempt when the time is right. Maintaining this practice is both physically and psychologically exhausting.

 

 

 

 

I continue to be impressed by the physical preparedness of this team. Everyone clearly trained hard for the climb. We all discussed our various training regimens. Vanessa is probably the best prepared as she has spent the past year climbing all over the world and has done private trips with many of the world's finest mountain guides. If you have the time and the financial resources, there is no better way to learn the ropes (literally).  She is incredibly strong and she is also VERY bright (that’s exactly what you want in a teammate). I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to climb with her.  I nicknamed her REMARKELY because she is a combination of remarkable and lovely (one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met). The rest of us will be working hard to stay on her heels. I could go on and on about how amazing she is, but my computer only has 4 hours of battery time left.

The rest of us all complain that we have these things called "jobs" that interfered with our training, but everyone did their best to get to the fitness/skill level they needed to reach in order to give this bad boy of a mountain a real shot. My teammates asked how I was able to train given I travel so much for work, so I explained that in order to prepare for the climb I watched the movie Vertical Limit. Everyone looked slightly concerned (make that mortified) when they heard my response so I assured them that I watched it multiple times...but for some reason the looks of anxiety remained on their faces.

Actually, when my travel schedule allowed, I managed to do a bunch of hiking in CO and would like to give a shout out to my favorite hiking partners Erikapedia and Kristin “Aloha” Knous. Also big hellos to Dave G, Mike Z, Tim K, and the other folks from the Colorado Mountain Club (www.cmc.org) that I had the privilege of meeting and hiking with (I know I just ended a sentence with a preposition but get over it because this is a blog and is not a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature). But yes, most of the time I am stuck in hotel rooms for work, so in order to train when I am on the road I always take the TRX Trainer (www.fitnessanywhere.com) with me and this allows me to keep my fitness level up regardless of there I am.

Okay lastly, I would like to address a subject that has been troubling me for the past few days. I have received a ridiculous amount of emails and txts from people who are skeptical that the photo from my last blog is really me. Many of you mentioned that the Alison you know would never be caught dead in those shoes. I would like to remind the disbelievers out there of the fact that we have been in a recession and therefore I did not have time to run to the shoe dept at Barney's before heading to BC. I tried shopping on the trek in to BC but nothing was on sale. As far as the other parts of the photo supposedly not looking like me and perhaps appearing "enhanced" -- I freely admit that I recently  had "some work done" and you can call Dr Michael MacDonald (plastic surgeon in San Francisco) and he can confirm that last August he took cartilage from my septum and rebuilt the sides of my nose so that I could breathe better (thanks Dr Mac -- so far the new nose is holding up brilliantly), so I am guessing the slight difference in the shape of my nose is what is throwing people off when they look at the photo. I didn’t think anyone could even spot the difference, but I guess you guys have a pretty keen eye and given you could detect that slight nuance I’m betting bet you’re awesome at Where’s Waldo!

PS -- Happy birthday to my dad on the 28th and my brother Adam on the 29th.

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April 23rd

Altitude Adjustment

We are just back down at BC after 4 nights up higher on the mountain -- 2 nights at camp 1 (19,600') and 2 nights at camp 2 (21,300'). It took us 8.5 hours to get from BC to camp 1, because the Khumbu Icefall is just plain HARD to climb through. The terrain is challenging enough on it's own -- but the worry about the moving ice chunks/collapsing seracs creates a LOT of anxiety (a gigantic one collapsed yesterday matter of fact but luckily no one was injured). About 30 minutes into Monday's climb Derek had to turn back because he was having trouble breathing, so he did not continue up the mountain with us.  And after 8 hours of climbing when we were about 30 minutes from camp 1 Vanessa (who is normally VERY strong) had some kind of respiratory attack and had to be put on an inhaler. Michael Horst, who is Jan's private guide, took Vanessa's backpack from her and helped her into camp 1, and she recovered quickly after a few hours of relaxing in a tent. But the important thing to note here is that altitude can affect anyone at anytime -- and it has nothing to do with how fit you are or how strong you are or how experienced you are -- altitude sickness can strike at any time (more details on causes/treatments in a future blog). Sure, there are things that you can do to prevent altitude sickness  -- proper acclimatization, good hydration, plenty of calories (difficult to do at altitude because you really lose your appetite), proper clothing to stay warm, but still with all of the precautions there are still absolutely no guarantees. The climb on Wed. from camp 1 to camp 2 took us about 6 hours, and although there aren't any large overhanging seracs there are indeed massive crevasses all throughout the Western Cwm (pronounced "coom') as you can see from the photo above. One of the most accomplished climbers in Everest history, Babu Chiri Sherpa (who held the speed record for climbing this mountain) actually died a few years ago when he fell into a crevasse at camp 2 while out taking pictures. Sometimes no matter how good you are, and no matter how experienced you are -- things can still go wrong.  You can never let down your guard anywhere on this mountain. FYI, the mountain you see in the center of the photo above is Lhotse which is another 8000 meter peak right next to Everest. Our camp 3 which we will hit on our next rotation is two-thirds of the way up the Lhotse face.

We all felt pretty rough up at camps 1 and 2 during this past rotation up high. Most people had trouble sleeping, some nausea, slight headaches, loss of appetite, etc. But we powered through 4 days of pain/discomfort and made it back to BC by lunchtime. We were even treated to hot showers (we have a portable shower tent at BC) when we got back down which was quite a luxury. Not only do I feel much better, but I also look much better. But I'll let you be the judge of that (see photo).

 

 

 

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April 19th

Ice Fallies

Yesterday was our first foray into the dreaded Khumbu Icefall, which is 2000 vertical feet of massive ice chunks that can be as large as school busses or apartment buildings. The terrain is nonstop unevenness and just about every step you take has to be carefully positioned. What makes this area so dangerous is not only the challenging terrain, but also the fact that the icefall is in constant motion and moves at a rate of about 4 feet per day so it's continually changing shape. As the sun comes out and the ice starts to melt, these massive ice boulders shift around and climbers are in constant danger of being crushed, so you want to make sure that you move through this area swiftly and efficiently. To make things more complicated, there are gigantic crevasses (big gaping holes in the glacier) everywhere that can only be crossed by walking across shaky aluminum ladders in your crampons (tricky), so balance is key because no one wants to fall hundreds of feet into the abyss.  Not surprisingly, this is the area where most of the accidents occur on Mt Everest. Our first camp (one of four that we will eventually establish above BC) is on the other side of the icefall. We did not climb all the way there today -- we just went about halfway through the icefall for the purpose of further acclimatization and to get a better feel for the terrain.

 

 

 

The team did really well navigating the icefall. We were really prepared and that's because ever since we arrived at BC we have spent every day practicing our ice climbing and ladder crossing skills. Being in good climbing shape is only one small part of the equation for success on a big mountain like this -- technical expertise is also important. Because the icefall is constantly changing shape, you can't always count on ladders being where you want them to be. For example, there could be a 30' vertical wall of ice that has a ladder going up it one day and as the icefall melts that ladder could fall  into a crevasse the next day, so you have to find a way to get up and down that pitch minus the assistance from any Home Depot accessories. So, in order to prepare for this type of situation, the guides found a 25' ice wall just outside of BC and set up a practice area so everyone could take turns going up and down it with just 2 standard ice axes (vs. proper ice climbing tools, which we do not have with us). It was challenging to say the least given we are at 17,600' of elevation here at BC (actually, EVERY activity seems challenging at 17,600' and I get winded just walking from my tent tot the mess tent. And much to my disappointment there is no room service here. I must have misread the brochure). We spent hours practicing our icefall skills -- ascending the ice wall and rappelling down the backside and also practiced going across/up/down aluminum ladders in crampons. At one point my teammate Derek was descending the ice wall and somehow managed to...um...well, let's just say the family jewels may have lost some of their value. How much, I'm not exactly sure.  All I know is that I was standing on the other side of the ice wall practicing my rappelling techniques and I heard him screaming out in pain (unusually high-pitched) --- must have been a problem with the way his carabiner was positioned on the front of his harness, not sure really -- didn't want to ask as I figured it was a sore subject). He came down from the ice wall and was doubled over in pain.

 

 

 

ANYWAY... the ice wall was not our favorite thing to practice on -- just hard to do without the right tools and at 17,600' of elevation, but we all knew we needed to do it in order to be able to travel quickly through the icefall as a team. After all 9 of us all went up and down the ice wall once it was time to cycle through a second time. I was dreading doing it again because I was pretty winded after several hours of ice climbing and rappelling and ladder practice. One by one 7 of my teammates went up and down that ice wall a second time and it was now down to Derek and me to finish up the rotation.  Vern (our awesome guide who set up the ice climbing course for us) said, "Your turn to go up again Derek."  Derek replied, "No can do. My balls hurt."  I knew it was my turn next, but I was so comfortable sitting on a rock nursing my bruised knees from some of the previous exercises, and I didn't want to move. Vern looked over at me and called for me to come over and give the ice wall another shot, but before he could get the last syllable of my name out of his mouth I looked up and quipped, "Uh, my balls hurt too!!!!!" thinking I might be able to weasel my way out of having to climb again. But he didn't buy it for some reason (guess I don't have a good poker face, I don't know) and rolled his eyes and laughed and motioned for me to get myself tied in to the end of the rope and climb up that ice wall again. I huffed and puffed as I struggled up the frozen wall with an ice axe in each hand, strategically placing the pick of each axe so that it would hold me as I struggled to find a good foothold... I jammed the front points of my crampons straight into the ice and moved my way up, and eventually I made it up and back down in one piece. It really wasn't all that hard -- it's just that EVERYTHING seems like a huge effort at this elevation. And of course we never like to practice the skills we are weak in because it is always more fun to perform the things we are good at -- especially when there is an audience there (my teammates). But there is an old saying that my great great great grandfather used to share with me, and it goes like this: "If you can't get your lazy *ss up a 25 foot ice wall at BC, you stand no chance in the Khumbu Icefall." So remember that.

 

 

 

Monday at 3am we head out for our first rotations at camps 1 and 2 -- two nights at each camp.  It should take us about 9 hours to get to camp 1. We leave at O'dark-thirty because it's best to move through the icefall when it's cold and things are still frozen and therefore more stable. Less melting means less movement of the ice blocks, and also when it's cold the crevasse bridges hold up better. I will check in again later in the week when we are back from this first rotation. That should give you plenty of time to catch up on the Jersey Shore.

 

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April 14th

Paradise at 17,600'

I am really enjoying our time at base camp (BC). One big reason is that we have an awesome team of Sherpas cooking for us, and another is that we all get our own tents while we are here. We will be sharing tents at the higher camps as we move up the mountain, but for the nights we spend here we get to sleep solo which is nice because it is always easier to sleep without someone rolling on top of you, tossing and turning all night, snoring, and/or waking up every 3 hrs to go to the bathroom.

It's also nice to have a much smaller group now that it's just the climbing team together at BC. For the hike in we had a group of 12 trekkers with us who were just going as far as BC and then were turning around to head home.  I really enjoyed having most of them along with us, but one in particular ended up driving me nuts. See, I actually prefer some solitude along the trail (at least some of the time -- lots to think about with a big challenge ahead), and one trekker who was hiking behind me kept singing Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell, and this was annoying everyone on the trail. Now, had he been singing Toby Keith or Tim McGraw I probably would have had a higher tolerance level, but it was just Neil and Glen for HOURS. Well,  many of us were at our limits for listening to him sing (if you could call it singing),  so I finally turned around and asked him if he happened to know anything by Marcel Marceau. He thought about it for a second and then said, "Hey...Wait a minute...Isn't that guy a mime?" Bingo dude.

The day after we arrived in BC we had our puja ceremony. A puja ceremony is a ritual that is unique to Himalayan climbing and no one dares go up the mountain without having first participated in this ceremony. During the puja, the entire climbing party sits around a stone altar against which we place all items that we want blessed. Typically people place crampons and ice axes against the altar. I put my ice axe up there, but I also threw in a few extra items including some photos of Meg, a necklace that Meg's mom sent to me, a St. Christopher medallion that the Schlenkers gave me, an 85Broads hat, and a Swiss army knife and an American flag patch (that has seen 3 combat tours) that Pat gave me. I also included a Duke Basketball banner and a GO ARMY/BEAT NAVY banner. Oh, and a coin from the dept of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership that Col Tom Kolditz (dept head) gave to me.  After everything is placed on or against the altar the Sherpas recite a series of prayers, burn juniper, throw rice, and then raise the most beautiful, colorful prayer flags that attach to a pole on top of the altar -- and these strings of flags stretch across our entire base camp. The flags will fly over our camp and will not be taken down until all members of our climbing team return safely from the mountain. Okay, so here's a really cool thing that happened -- as soon as the prayer flags were raised a bird landed on the pole at the top of the altar -- this is considered VERY GOOD LUCK. I am certain it was Meg's spirit that made that happen. After the flags were raised the Sherpas finished off the ceremony by wiping flour on our faces -- again, considered an act of good luck...and then we all drank beer. No really. We all cracked open some cold ones -- this is a part of the tradition.  The final part of the ceremony involved dancing arm in arm in a circle with all of the Sherpas. I had trouble following the steps involved in this ritual dance. I suggested that in the future they rearrange things and teach us the ritual dance BEFORE they give us the beer.

Next few days will be all about practicing walking across ladders so that we can move through the Khumbu Icefall quickly and efficiently.  I'll let you know how that all goes.

I am about to crawl back into my tent to go to sleep. Tomorrow is April 15th. Six months since Meg passed. All my love to Meg's family, Wes and his family, and to all of the members of Team Meg who are scattered all over the world.

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March 28

As I boarded the plane from SFO, I had a lot on my mind -- did I pack everything I needed? Did I pack too much? Will there be enough sun to power my solar charger so that my satellite phone will work? Does my sunscreen block both UVA and UVB and which kind is worse anyway??? Did I remember to pack toilet paper?  My mind was racing...But as I tried to mentally prepare to climb the world's highest peak, one thing weighed more heavily on my mind than all of my logistical/organizational worries -- it was a question that I would not know the answer to until I completed the first leg of my journey: Would my Duke Blue Devils win today and go on to play in the Final Four? I would sit on a 10 hour flight (one of three legs of my journey to get to Kathmandu) and would not get an update on the game until I landed in London....Well, I am at Heathrow and just found out that --- SCORE!!! DUKE IS GOING TO THE BIG DANCE! WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!! I think the Blue Devil patch on my backpack was good luck.

Oh, okay, back to the climb (because if you wanted to read about basketball you'd be on the CBS Sports website or on espn.com). Here is an approximate schedule:

March 30th -- arrive Kathmandu
April 1: Fly to Lukla
April 2 - 12: Trek to base camp. On the way there we will pass through Phakding, Namche,  Thame, Khunde, Tengboche,  Dingboche, Lobuje, Gorak Shep, and Kala Pattar.
April 13 – May 23: CLIMB THE BIG HILL.

More detail on the rest of this schedule in the next update as I have GOT to catch my next flight. And am happy to get out of London as no one here cares about college basketball in America. Can you IMAGINE???

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March 22

I really never thought I’d go back to Mt. Everest, but this time I have a huge advantage going into the trip, and that is because I have a secret weapon. My friend Meg Berté Owen is coming with me– in spirit. Meg passed away on October 15, 2009 of a lung infection. AT AGE 37. Her lung complications were a long-term consequence of the chemotherapy and radiation that were a component of her treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1997.

Meg was such a fighter–and in the 10 years I knew her she taught me all about determination, mental toughness, motivation, and busting through barriers. I am climbing Mt. Everest in Meg's honor, and I know she will be with me every step of the way.

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Part of Everest preparation/training is obviously to be in tip top physical condition, because the human body deteriorates quickly at altitude, especially above 18,000' of elevation (more detail in a future posting). There are things that have to be added to a normal cardiovascular and weight training regimen that wouldn’t come into play when training for any other type endurance event. Two months at altitude is a whole different animal. One of the most important things is weight gain–especially for someone like me who is of smaller stature (okay, I’ll say it–I’m SHORT). You lose weight and muscle mass very quickly during an extended high altitude expedition, and when you are smaller to start out with (I am 5’4”) you are at a disadvantage because you still have to carry the same amount of weight in your pack as someone who is 6’ 1” tall and 210 lbs–this is just the law of physics (not that I know anything about physics). So, several weeks ago I started on a weight gaining program that consisted of hot fudge sundaes twice a day (I incorporated coffee ice cream in the mornings) and a rib eye steak (rare) for dinner–this was supplemental to my normal meals during the day. Adding some extra body fat is crucial because it helps keep you warm in sub-zero temps. This worked well for me before my Antarctic expedition in 2007, but for some reason this time my weight gain plan totally backfired. I went to the doctor to get a physical and not only had I barely gained any weight (2 lbs), but my cholesterol had also gone up to an unhealthy level. And I know you are going to say, “But there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol,” yeah yeah, I know that–but this was my bad cholesterol. The doctor left me a voicemail and told me she was concerned. I am going to fire my personal trainer immediately! Oh that’s right–I don’t have a personal trainer. I leave in a week. Is it too late to get one do you think?

Regardless of the crappy eating, I do feel like I am getting some good training in and am hiking in Colorado on the weekends when my travel sched allows it. I have about 85% of my gear packed/organized. I got Meg's name engraved on the shaft of my ice axe (that's it in the photo below) - which I will carry with me every day on this climb. I figure this is going to give me more strength than some super fancy personal trainer and nutritionist anyway.

 

 

Alison Levine is the founder of consulting firm Daredevil Strategies and is the President of the Climb High Foundation -- a nonprofit organization that trains jobless women in western Uganda to work as porters and trekking guides in the Rwenzori Mountains. She currently serves as an adjunct instructor at the US Military Academy at West Point in the Dept. of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership. When she is not living in a tent somewhere she resides in San Francisco.

Brains on Bikes: Help Us Outsmart Brain Cancer

04/8/10 | Anne Feeley | 2 Comments

 

 

 

 

I didn't start long distance cycling, competition rowing, or mountain climbing until after I was diagnosed with brain cancer. Before that I was living a normal life in Prague as a mom, wife and baker, who exercised to keep reasonably fit. My husband and I moved to Prague when our two children were young, figuring if we didn't do it then, we never would. We lived there for fifteen years, and I opened and ran Bakeshop Praha, which remains a popular landmark for locals and tourists.

My name is Anne Feeley and four years ago I was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer. In San Francisco this Friday I will kick off a journey cycling with my trainer and friend Gundula and my dog Walter across the USA to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer patient support and research. We are Brains on Bikes.

Last spring while attending the American Brain Tumor Association Path to Progress 5K I realized I had to do something to help. With four years under my belt I am now a longterm survivor, but at events like this I didn't meet anyone alive as long as me. We survivors are too few. The grim survival rate of the most common brain cancer hasn’t changed in over 100 years, and only three new drugs have been approved for brain cancer in 35 years.

I started excercising after I got out of hospital following my brain surgery. I was weak but determined. I am lucky to be able to do this because many brain cancer sufferers have balance and coordination problems. I didn’t. People have said that exercising daily through cancer treatment is remarkable, but I think it is what many mothers would do. I didn’t want my daughters' final memories of me to be of their mother giving up. Besides love, our example is all we really have to give.

Training began for the Brains on Bikes effort last fall when I asked Gundy to join me to cycle across the USA. Happily she said yes, as I thought she would. This event is right up her alley. She has taught me that preparation is key in anything you try to achieve. For the journey we have focused on developing my stamina and staying power (she already has it!). We worked up to 90-minute intense cardio bike sessions, training side by side, which really helped us egg each other on. I trained at least once a week in a hypoxic chamber that mimics the air in higher altitudes. I also learned to use clip on bike shoes.

We are now in San Francisco as I write this, doing the final checks and double checks with Gundy, my husband and our mothers. Training here has been wonderful. Cycling in Sausalito is inspiring because it brings home the amazing beauty of natural America we’ll see. We are so excited to see more of California and our country in the coming weeks.

It’s determination and luck that will get Gundy and me to the finish on July 15 in Washington DC. Please join us online - we'll be providing updates on our blog, Facebook and Twitter. We also have an iPhone app and Flash game available at brainsonbikes.org -- check it all out and help us outsmart brain cancer!

 

LIVE FROM THE CONFERENCE: Blogger, Astrid Sheil

10/27/09 | Astrid Sheil, Blogger | 5 Comments

Coming to you live from The Women's Conference 2009 where an unprecedented 25,000 are gathering for two days of inspiration and transformation.

Day 2: Afternoon Reflections

In the afternoon, the conference turned serious as it focused on the most universal of human feelings—grief.

If you watched the main session on streaming video, you had a chance to hear two extremely moving and powerful speeches about grief, healing and resilience. Katie Couric spoke eloquently about losing her loving husband, Jay, and then four years later, her sister.  Both died from cancer. After her standing ovation, Couric quipped, “Now, if just a third of you would watch the CBS Evening News…where are you guys when I need you?”

After Couric departed from the stage, Maria Shriver walked out slowly, stood at the podium, and delivered the most personal speech of her life. She got through it okay, but many of the rest of us—thousands of women in the arena—quietly wept as Maria described her ongoing and deeply painful walk through grief from the death of her beloved mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, eight weeks ago, followed by the death of her larger-than-life uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy.

When Shriver finished, she introduced the rest of the “grief panel” to the audience.  Susan St. James, actress and entrepreneur, lost her son in a plane accident. He was 14 years old. Elizabeth Edwards, senior fellow, Center for American Progress, lost her son in a car accident. He was 16. And Lisa Niemi, widow of actor Patrick Swayze, recently lost her husband and best friend of 34 years to pancreatic cancer, less than two months ago.

The conversation flowed as each woman offered simple, but profound descriptions of their journey through grief. Susan St. James said she wondered if she would always think of herself as “the mother of a dead child.”  Lisa Niemi described her sadness as being on a cellular level.  Elizabeth Edwards noted that it was important for people to talk about her son and to keep his memory alive. “He didn’t just disappear from the Earth.”

In the audience was another woman who knows a lot about grief. Valerie Sobel’s son Andre died of a brain tumor when he was 19. Valerie cared for her son for 470 days and witnessed helplessly as Andre slowly and painfully lost his battle with cancer. She said, “Caretaking a child that you know is going to die is a completely different experience. The grief is beyond anything you can imagine. “

Within a year, Valerie also lost her mother and her husband. To honor Andre, and to help other families experiencing the debilitating personal effects of a child with a catastrophic illness, Sobel established the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation (www.andreriveroflife.org). According to the website information, “Seventy-eight percent of families whose child is diagnosed with a critical illness will experience divorce or separation. The ordeal of a child’s grave illness tests these families far beyond their endurance, and they become bankrupt financially, emotionally and physically.”

 Anne Swire, CEO of the Sobel Foundation said they had just received a substantial grant from Genetech to assist families who have children with cancer. “We often receive urgent requests from social workers at our affiliated children’s hospitals to help families in financial crisis due to the illness of the child,” she said. “Genetech’s generous donation will allow us to meet the needs of many more families.”

There was something sobering and cathartic about this afternoon’s session. Yes, it is hard to talk about grief. As Maria Shriver noted in her comments, “In the United States, we are grief illiterate.” Many of us get tongue-tied when we try to offer comfort to someone who has lost a loved one. But through conversation, compassion, and caring, we can help each other through the very darkest of passages that ultimately, each of us will experience.

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Day Two: AM Reflections

Another exceptional morning at the Women’s Conference!  Not surprisingly, the energy throughout the convention center is electrifying, but apparently, the energy is pretty darn kinetic through the streaming video on the website! Text messages from friends in Portland, Denver, Houston, and Knoxville who are watching the conference online indicate they are feeling the energy, too!

It’s nearly impossible to capture the power of the conference in an itty-bitty blog. This is definitely one of those “the sum is greater than the parts” kind-of-event.   Instead, here are some of the more memorable quotes of the morning.

Host and Executive Producer, Discovery ID, Paula Zahn: “The Shriver Report has clearly detailed that we’re exhausted and overwhelmed, but we don’t have to keep that secret anymore!”

Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger: “When I have really tough decisions to make, I ask the Almighty…my wife, Maria!” And, “Maria is not only a beautiful woman, she’s smart and determined—she is the female terminator.”

Sheila C. Bair, Chairman of the FDIC: “The key to success is to be yourself and focus on the job at hand.”

Sir Richard Branson, Founder and President of Virgin Group: “We have to get into the mindset of providing more flexible work arrangements for people.”

Robin Roberts, Co-anchor, ABC News’ Good Morning America: “My mama always said, ‘Make your mess your message!’”

Katie Couric, Anchor & Managing Editor, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric "I love the smell of estrogen in the afternoon."

Cheryl Saban, Author and Founder of the Women’s Self Worth Foundation: “None of us can afford to be muzzled—use the internal compass you were born with.”

Courtney from Oakland, CA: “This conference is teaching me that the only obstacle to success is in here” (she points to her head).

Nick Vujicic, President and Founder, Life Without Limbs: “The greatest disability is fear,” and “If you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness will be temporary.”

Gayle Haggard, Author, “Why I Stayed”:  “Never write a person off. Whenever possible, choose forgiveness.”

Elizabeth Smart: “We’re never truly left alone.”

Here at the conference, thousands of women are learning that we’re never truly alone because we have each other.  

Stay tuned! More to come.

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Day 1: Transformation with Dr. Martha Beck

With tears streaming down their faces, the two women walked arm-in-arm out of this afternoon’s keynote address by Dr. Martha Beck. They didn’t even know each other’s names, but intuitively they knew they had just shared a profound experience.

Beck, a monthly columnist for O and the author of several international bestsellers, began her session by talking about transformation. Square 1 of transformation is the stage where our identity has been taken from us, but we have yet to figure out whom we are and where we’re going.  She compared it to the incredible metamorphosis that a caterpillar goes through in order to become a butterfly. In her description, Beck said that once a caterpillar goes into its cocoon, it literally liquifies—completely changing itself all the way to the molecular level before it can recreate itself into a butterfly.  

In a very real sense, when we begin a cycle of transformation, we have to experience the disintegration of our old self before real change can take place. The meltdown can take many forms, but often it has to be cataclysmic—break up of a marriage, loss of a job, or a deep physical crisis like a diagnosis of cancer or a very sick child. For many of us personal shock sends us into the cocoon.

At this “Day of Transformation” Beck’s words resonated universally through the audience. She said, “Here in square one, we have a tendency to want to become bigger caterpillars.” In other words, we try to hold onto the status quo as long as possible. Maybe if we just work 80 hours a week instead of 75, we won’t get fired. Maybe if we subsume our needs, we can keep a failing marriage from coming apart at the seams. But of course, we are just fooling ourselves. When it is time to begin the transformation process, there is no capitulation or compromise that can divert the process. However, transformation can be delayed if we are unwilling to accept ourselves the way we are. The key to beginning the process is to “totally” accept ourselves and the reality of our situation.  We must surrender to the truth—the old way doesn’t work anymore, we can’t go back, and the future is unclear and unknown.

We have all experienced these dreaded feelings. Limbo is scary.  Not knowing is exhausting. Loss of identity can lead to depression.  Why would anyone choose to go through the process of transformation? According to Beck, we have no choice. This is a cyclical process and we all go through it at different times and for different reasons. But like the caterpillar, when we get through the four stages of (1) crash and burn, (2) expansive imagining, (3) this is harder than I thought, and (4) the promise land—we are forever changed and expanded. 

Back to the women walking out of the auditorium…why were they crying? Recognition and Acceptance. At the end of the standing ovation, one woman turned around and with arms raised over her head she powerfully announced, “I am liquid!!” It was a rallying cry—a recognition that it’s not only okay to be lost—it’s absolutely mandatory if we are going to transform into empowered women. The other woman burst into tears as she felt a huge sigh of relief and acceptance.  All the pain, fear, loss of identity and meaning she had been going through for more than a year was actually normal, which meant that she was normal. Hallelujah!

The two women hugged each other, introduced themselves and furiously began discussing their parallel journeys of transformation. Rita and Marlene exchanged cards and walked out of the session clearly stunned and enlightened by the experience. 

 

Astrid Sheil, Ph.D. is the Associate Chair of the Communication Studies Dept. at Cal State University San Bernardino. Originally from Washington, DC, she graduated from Georgetown University.

Getting a Grip

07/20/09 | Monica Seles, Author & Former Tennis Champ | 9 Comments

Who knew that so many people cared about my weight? When I decided to go on the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars” last year, it was the first time I was in the public eye after playing my last tennis match in 2003. So many people started asking, “OH MY GOD, how did you lose all this weight?” Book publishers started calling my agent. They wanted me to tell my story about winning the weight battle. 

Weight is such a big component in so many women’s lives – for stay-at-home moms, athletes, businesswomen. It doesn’t matter who you are. Meanwhile, since leaving tennis, I’d given a lot of talks to women’s organizations about eating disorders and how to keep food from controlling your life. So with all of this media attention, and my own interest in sharing this story, I decided to write a book, Getting a Grip on My Body, My Mind, My Self.

Writing the book was almost like therapy. I’d gone through so much. Looking back at myself in 1999 and 2000 – my stabbing in Hamburg, my father’s illness and then his death, and my subsequent weight issues - I wish I had some women to talk to. I was surrounded by men, who didn’t understand my issues with food. They thought, “What’s the big deal? It’s such a little thing to let have so much control over you.” I felt ashamed. I retreated into myself. 

In tennis, you have to be so strong. You can’t let your opponents see your weakness. And in tennis, eating disorders are rampant. My friends & I would go out for dinner. They’d eat nothing. Then they’d go home and binge on potato chips, brownies -- anything. I know, because I did it too.

My eating issues were wrapped up with an identity struggle, with that question – “What do you want to do in life?” All of us want to make some impact. There are so many choices, but my entire identity was wrapped up in tennis. I’d ask myself, “Will anyone even like me if I don’t play tennis?”

At 30, I realized, I’m tired of lying to myself. I had to make this change with food and my weight; I had to do this for me. 

How did I do it? I started to take care of myself first. I was the typical caretaker – worrying about my mother, my father, my coach. I had to be honest with myself, and

I had to do this – lose the weight -- for myself -- not for my job, my ex-boyfriend, my coach. I had to do it for Monica. When I talk to women, I say – “If you are happy being heavy, that is great.” I wasn’t. I wanted to be healthier.

Finding balance with food – and with myself – came with experience. As I got older, I thought, “Gosh, I travel so much – these European women, these Asian women – they eat all this stuff.” I realized I could do it too and still be in good shape. Since that realization, I’ve never restricted myself. I eat everything. I don’t have to stuff myself with pasta because I know this is not my last chance. I can eat it tomorrow, too.

Back when my trainers would tell me I couldn’t touch pasta and I could eat egg whites only, I would think, “Wouldn’t that pasta be so great?” Pasta became the forbidden food – and I wanted it so badly. In the end – I don’t believe in restrictions. To me, life without a piece of bread or pasta – it’s not worth it.

The lesson – for me – is to really be comfortable with who you are. In my profession I was surrounded by women sized 0. I’m 5’9” and I don’t have to be a size 0. I truly believe that in my 20s I would have understood that, had I had more strong, powerful role models.

One woman who did play that role for me was Billie Jean King. I talked to her for the first time when I played in the Federation Cup in 1996. She was remarkable for her sport, but even more for what she did off the court. She stood up for her beliefs. I was a two-handed forehand and backhand; I was a strong, grunting female. Talking to Billie about it, she would say, “Monica, be who you are.” 

Billie, like others, has done so much for this generation. Hopefully I can give back in my own little way, and keep that giving going.