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Mt. Everest......the "Holy Mother" is calling!......or my aching joints!


hiker01

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I have only recently finished reading 'Paths of Glory', the story of George Mallory and his attempts at Chomolungma - Goddess Mother of the Earth (Everest) and I have to admit I envy you the chance to climb her.

However at my age any window of opportunity would have slammed shut long ago.

Maybe you can take us all up the mountain with iPhone updates?

Well at least to the base camp anyway.:)

Ken

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F, come out to CO and practice on a 14'er with me. (Although I must admit, I am a fair weather hiker when it comes to doing a 14'er).

Also, if you want a Find Me Spot satellite tracker to let your friends, family, and forum know your whereabouts when out of cell phone range, or to dispatch a helicopter if you get into $%^, ping me. I have one collecting dust.

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OK, so if you hold the right button for one second, the helicopters come, but if you hold it for five seconds, it sends a friendly reminder that all is OK?

That's really confusing, and will probably need a read of the instruction manual, much as I don't believe in such things :)

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I have only recently finished reading 'Paths of Glory', the story of George Mallory and his attempts at Chomolungma - Goddess Mother of the Earth (Everest) and I have to admit I envy you the chance to climb her.

However at my age any window of opportunity would have slammed shut long ago.

Maybe you can take us all up the mountain with iPhone updates?

Well at least to the base camp anyway.:)

Ken

I will!

F, come out to CO and practice on a 14'er with me. (Although I must admit, I am a fair weather hiker when it comes to doing a 14'er).

Also, if you want a Find Me Spot satellite tracker to let your friends, family, and forum know your whereabouts when out of cell phone range, or to dispatch a helicopter if you get into $%^, ping me. I have one collecting dust.

I've done six of your 14ers and it was a hoot!

I'll take you up on that Spot sat track. You know where to send it.

Thanks, S!

you're friggin nuts!... :wacko:

Most people think of high altitude hikers/sky divers/scuba divrs are nuts.....I guess you're one of them.......lol. tsoke, nothing wrong with that, but nothing could be be compared t your feeling when you,re high up there on thin air watching the sun rise or set.

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Most people think of high altitude hikers/sky divers/scuba divrs are nuts.....I guess you're one of them.......lol. tsoke, nothing wrong with that, but nothing could be be compared t your feeling when you,re high up there on thin air watching the sun rise or set.

lol...jealous, i am, my friend...i just thought i'd state the obvious...if people weren't slightly "nuts" where would all the adventure and discoveries be...may god be with you - you'll be close enough to him up there!

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Wow, this will be an epic adventure! Where to start?

Old-school rules in my book. Screw the synthetics for bottom layers, they get clammy and are never really warm. Same with silk. Get some Smartwool zip tnecks for against the skin. Dale of Norway makes good thin bottom layer pants.

Middle layer can be fleece, get good elastic at the waist and wrists. You can freeze it and shake it out to "dry" it.

Outer layer should be down, but it HAS TO BREATHE. Your exertion will produce so much sweat that it will saturate the down and you'll lose your insulation. Bring duct tape for when you tear it, 5 wraps around the water bottle.

Your pants can be down (like TNF Nuptse) but I really prefer the Mountain Hardwear Mountain Tech pants. You can kneel in snow and not get wet, and they dry quickly. They're tough to fit over mountaineering boots. A rain shell over them weighs nothing and it's crazy warm.

I wear Montrail Verglas boots, thoroughly treated with wax for waterproofing. They're pretty light, VERY stiff and warm. Make sure you rub your feet down with antiperspirant before you put them on.

Wear windproof hats and thin wool gloves inside thick down mitts. Outdoor Research makes some good ones.

Eye protection is critical, I use Julbo Sherpas and love 'em. The leather pieces at the corners won't fit right so soak them in water and shape them to fit your face.

Stick with the "3 Ms" Marmot, Mountain Hardwear and Moonstone. Can't go wrong.

I use a King Tut bag by Mountain Hardwear, but it's the old one with Goretex shell rated to -40F. It breathes really well, and again that's critically important... otherwise the down will saturate with your humidity and freeze,

Look at Possumsoft for socks. They're from New Zealand and are made from the NZ "possum" fur. They weigh nothing and they're crazy warm. Also not very durable so bring extras. Layer them under Norsewear knee high socks. Note these will fill your boots quickly and the Montrails I mentioned are very low-volume so size them up.

Bring a thin mechanical watch and a manual compass. Bring a "real" GPS. Don't trust your phone, it will freeze and kill your battery in minutes. Bring a real digital camera and keep it in your inside pocket.

I use a Black Diamond Icon headlamp and love it. Bring 3 extra alkaline batteries (not NiMH) and wear it under your hat. Plan on an oversized hat for this.

Remember this is an expedition and your life is at risk. Get only the best gear and prepare it well. Go slow and THINK. Get a climbing partner you can trust with your life. Then have a blast!

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Nanuq.......what took you so loooooooooooong??? Thanks a lot, Bud! I know you'll have the best and complete list!

The longest I experienced in Below 0 Temps above 10,000 ft. is overnight @Mt rainier Basecamp and then the climb the next morning......nothing like this!

In Colorado, I usually go down to tree line to camp and it's an overnight.

Your tips are well taken and I will look for those. I got about 60% of what I need and still looking to update some old equipments/tools/clothing.

Now shopping around for Emergency Evacuation Insurance....so, if anyone knows or have taken this out before.....let me know.

Thanks again! Namaste!

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Yeah this will be as different from Rainier as the moon. It's a whole 'nother world up high.

There is no shelter up there, no treeline, so you'll depend on snow caves or stacked snow for windbreaks if it all goes sideways. You'll want to spend a lot of time acclimating to the cold.

It's one thing to have a climb go as planned, it's another when the weather goes bad. You can realistically plan on spending a few days in your feathers inside a shelter with wind hammering you. That means you have to stay dry as you stay warm. Lots of people plan for one and not the other, their gear gets saturated with perspiration and freezes, and they're done. We have a great climber here named Vern Tejas and his first attempt of the north face of McKinley in winter he had to call it off when his ultra warm sleeping bag iced up. By the time he pulled out it was like 10 lbs of ice.

It's hard to believe but hyperthermia is a very real danger at high altitude. When I take my scouts out in ultra cold weather I warn them to watch for that... it's easy to overdress and then the exertion overheats you badly. Use your layers and run those zippers up and down constantly! Micromanage your heat and perspiration continuously to stay dry and comfortable.

Don't forget your spares... lash extra boot laces around your ice axe. Wax your zippers. Ziploc your spare socks and inner gloves so they stay dry. And though it seems gruesome, have someone write your SSN on the small of your back above the belt line with a sharpie.

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I must say F that I admire your ambition and zeal for life. Some people talk about what they want to do but you just go out and do it.

I certainly can't help you with advice but I do wish you the best on this epic journey.

If you need a good cook at base-camp, I'm your man!

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I am speechless, nothing on earth beats an Everest summit, if you make it you will be the coolest person ever on any existing rep forum in the known world 8). I know extra weight is bad but i would fall of my chair if i saw a photo of a small flag with the text "Reps for sale" on the top of Everest :D.

Edited by Stefanp67
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Hand and body warmers? Nope not a good idea. That's "false" heat and it doesn't solve the problem when you're cold and getting colder. If you're in trouble and need to warm up, you have to somehow exert yourself enough to create heat from the inside out.

I bet Miss Understood would come along as your climbing companion. :whistling:

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Wow! Best of luck. When you are standing at the top think about the fact that only 500 people will have stood still and looked down on the Earth from above you...

Oh and I am sure that as long as you wear more clothes than the lovely ladies in your sig you will be fine :)

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Thanks.......I don't know if that documentary was suppose to change my mind or encourage me..........I'm set.......we'll see what happens when I get there. I'm adventurous, but not stupid. I'm the type that always analyze my chances and if the odds are against me, I'm out! Though the effects of high altitude to the brain could alter everything.......but, hey if it's time for you to go, it's your time. What a better place to be in on your last breath.

I bought travel/extraction insurance with all the options available.......my wife and kids will be ok if my name will be called!

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I have the utmost respect for you my friend, I sincerely hope you reach the summit. Life is all about challenging yourself.

Just a thought, but couldn't we do an inter-forum thing to sponsor you to the top? Hell even the dealers would get in on this one!

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11/11/11 - Today, training officially begins.......

Nordictrack - 1 HR warmup

My first Hike - 5 miles

50lbs Backpack - Kelty, Asolo Hiking Boots and Leki Hiking Sticks:

hikepack.jpg

Local Trail about half a mile from my house:

hikepath.jpg

hikepath1.jpg

Feeling good! The right knee is a little bit sore, I could feel some pain on un-even terrain for the first 2 miles......

More of the same tomorrow!

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