Up with Wes

 

We were greeted with about 4 inches of snow on our rest day in Pheriche and clouds that made taking pictures the activity of the day. I personally found myself victim to a minor stomach bug, but fortunately it was much less severe than the one I got while in Bolivia last summer (another story for another time). As we struck off for Lobuche base camp it was mostly on the wane but made for a slightly smaller appetite. This is one of the reasons for bulking up before the trip. Some type of stomach bug is almost guaranteed on this trip and the extra weight helps keep up with the energy demand being placed on the body.

The trek to Loboche base camp was our first cold day in the Himalayas. High clouds blocked most of the sun and we no longer had the benefit of trees to help block the stiff wind. Oh, and did I mention it was a head wind? Even with a rest day the day before most of us were fairly tired as we made our way up to 15,500’. As we rolled into camp it marked the end of our stay in tea houses. From here on its tents. Not that I’m complaining. One doesn’t sign up for a trip like this expecting all the pleasantries of everyday life. However, think about what you were doing on March 10^th. Now imagine sleeping in the freezing cold every night since then with half or less of the oxygen you are used to getting. Anyone ready to sign up for next year??

The camp was lively that evening despite the snowy ground and howling winds. IMG’s Team 2 (we are on the 3^rd and final team) had been delayed by a day on their climb of Lobuche and were also in camp. It was our first time meeting anyone from one of the other two teams so we took the chance to shake hands and tell stories. Following dinner, which was surprisingly good given the remote location, most of us were quick to bed as the sun and temperature both dropped. The same cannot be said of the wind which only grew in strength through the night. For anyone who has slept in a tent in freezing conditions with blustering winds you’ll know the quality of the sleep we got that night.

The next day was an active rest day for Team 3 and saw the early departure of Team 2 bound once again for Everest Base Camp. I woke up feeling recovered from the minor stomach bug and was able to join the rest of the climbers and a few trekkers as we made the 1,600’ walk up to Lobuche high camp to both take in the views and help with the acclimatization process. The winds were stronger up higher so we didn’t stay long. In fact, we were back down to base camp by lunch. The afternoon saw the winds and clouds lift and we were finally able to enjoy some warmth. With no internet, cell service, and limited activities most of us napped or talked in the dining tent. Another fairly uneventful evening gave way to early bedtimes and a better night’s sleep for most. Oh, to be one of them.

A true rest day, and our last as a full team at Lobuche base camp, brought out our creative (or maybe bored?) side. We spent the morning planning, practicing, and filming a music video to the song “Ain’t no mountain high”. It was absurd but we literally had nothing else to do. The absurdity of it all, combined with the willingness of all the trekkers, climbers, AND Sherpa made it a continuous laugh fest the likes of which have probably never been seen in that small and remote valley. We did some early editing and are sending it off for refinement now that we are back in service. As soon as it’s ready to go I’ll be sure to send a link. The rest of the sunny day saw more sleeping, relaxing, and packing for our departure the following day for Everest Base Camp (EBC). It also melted off the last bit of snow from the storm 3 days prior.

We were up and eating by 7:30 and were on the trail 40 minutes later. This final stretch was the longest yet and gained the final 2,300’ to EBC. The forecasted called for a 70% chance of snow but I don’t know that there were more than 60 minutes when we felt like the clouds were less than 100% threatening. However, as we made our way up the valley the precipitation stayed at bay. We passed through the village of Lobuche (on the other side of the mountain) then up toward the moraine of the Khumbu glacier and the last village called Gorak Shep. It was just before we reach this final settlement that we caught our first glimpse of EBC. The yellow tents dotted the top of the mostly rock and dirt covered glacier. Still a solid two hours away we stopped briefly in Gorak to take in some calories and water and give the feet a break. From there on in was a march over boulder and gritty dirt as we paralleled the glacier on the south side. There were no shortage of EBC day trekkers making their way to and from the seasonal village that houses several thousand climbers, guides, and Sherpa at its peak. Just as the trail became perpendicular to the lowest of the tents the trail shot down to the base then back up on top of the glacier were it snaked its way around small ponds, over small ridges, and across boulders. The IMG camp is set up toward the lower end of EBC and the view of us who are feeling particularly good rolled into camp about 5 hours after we started.

We were greeted by both the western guides and Sherpa and shown to our tents where our climbing duffels had already been delivered. I spent the cool afternoon getting my tent and gear sorted and may have even caught a brief nap. I went back over to the dining tent area to join most of the rest of the team as we caught all 3 minutes of the snow that seemed to be looming all day. The last of the team pulled into camp at about 6:30 marking a 100% completion of the trekking portion of the trip. More commonly than not at least one person leaves early for health issues, family emergencies, or something else. It was great to see all 12 people complete the trip and enjoy a celebratory dinner at 17,300’. However, the elation soon gave way to exhaustion and we soon found our way to our tents as the temps and energy levels dropped. If I were a betting man I would have guessed my sleep last night would have been less than favorable at this new elevation. Maybe it was the 3 previous nights of terrible sleep, the long day on the trail, or the feeling of reaching the EBC milestone, but I slept better than I had since we left the trees almost a week before.

The new day brought mostly sunny skies and refreshed faces to the team as we gather for a slow and leisurely breakfast. At 10 the climbers met with our guide to dial in our harnesses, ascenders, safety backups, and a few other things that will keep us attached to the fixed lines and therefore mountain. The rest of the day has been purposefully low key as we recover from the previous day and adjust to this new elevation. At 17,300’ the oxygen pressure is about 47% of sea level. Just walking up a few feet or bending over to tie your shoe leaves you short of breath. However, the human body does an amazing job of compensating as it builds more red blood cells to increase the oxygen intake in the lungs. Our rest days give us the chance to recover and rebuild….oh, and to enjoy the views of this amazing landscape.

Tomorrow will be another relatively easy day with the climbers taking the afternoon to do an ice “obstacle course” to practice using fixed lines, traversing ladders, and rappelling. The following day will see the departure of the 7 trekkers who will start back down the valley toward Lukla via a few different routes. The climbers will return to Lobuche base camp for one night, then Lobuche high camp the next night before our summit attempt on Lobuche. We will then drop back down to Lobuche base camp for one last night before returning to EBC around the April 25^th. Since we will be out of contact again I’ll make another post when we return from our Lobuche climb. I’ll also try to update this post tomorrow with some pictures so you can get the visual.

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of support and encouragement. I’ve received several messages on both FB and my blog. Its both humbling and encouraging and I hope I’m doing the trip justice (my proofreading skills seems to be at an inverse to the altitude). The internet is available but slow here so my response times are unfortunately equally slow. However, know that I’m reading them and will reach out when I can to say thanks!

As expected, the second day in Namche was purposefully uneventful. At least physically. Some folks got massages, most of us did some perusing around the town, and we all did our secret Santa shopping. After lunch, we had a quick high altitude discussion to talk about the myriad problems we could as we head up higher. This of course was a huge downer and even the most optimistic of us left feeling like a bit of a hypochondriac. It was a good thing we had the secret Santa exchange shortly thereafter to take our minds elsewhere. The theme was “not serious but comedically useful”. I ended up with a pair of briefs that, while stylish, will likely have to wait until I get back to civilization to utilize. Just kidding, underwear is for suckers!

Anyway, I think we were all ready to get to bed that evening so we could wake up and knock out the next leg of trip. While Thyangboche is only about 1,000’ feet higher than Namche the trek involves over 2000’ of climbing since we had to drop back down to the river to get to the other side of the valley. While this may sound less than fun the views the entire way were stunning. When the trail wasn’t affording views of towering peaks (to include Everest peering out over the top of the Nuptse ridge) the rhododendrons with their full bloom where more than enough to keep our necks craning. In fact, about the only thing that has been less than pleasant has been is the dust. It has been a dry spring

in the Khumbu. The trails, the fields, and even some of the peaks seem to be a bit devoid of moisture. The climbers in the group are hoping for some snow up higher to make the climbing a little more manageable. The treks are hoping for the same but only after they head back down the valley toward warmer climates.

A few of us made it to Thyangboche by lunch and enjoyed a quiet meal in our tea house watching trekkers crest the ridge. On that same ridge, and across the trail from our perch, is one of the biggest monasteries in the valley. After dropping our bags in our rooms my two fellow speed demons and I headed over to have a look. It was quite the set up with the large spinning cylinders (whose names I will remember and post later), ornate wood work, stone walkways, and a courtyard that most school kids would be jealous of. The best part was the main room (vacant of any monks at the time) where most of the chanting takes place-or so I’m told. The walls, ceiling, columns, and statues were all brilliantly painted. The craftsmanship and detail of the décor was exactly what you’d expect to see in the heart of Buddhist country. Were it not for the fact that my mom would probably come over and drag me home I’d think about getting a rob and taking some vows.

By the time we got back to the tea house the rest of the crew had arrived. We chatted for a bit before people peeled off to take naps, read books, go to the bakery, or tour the monkery. With only about six buildings in the village of Thyangboche the happenings tend to be on the slow slide. As such, the social event that is dinner was highly anticipated and welcomed when it finally arrived. More chatting, ribbing, and general tomfoolery ensued followed by another early bedtime.

The next day brought a bit later start as we were only moving up to about 12,500’ from 12,200’. Of course, the actual trail was probably closer to 1,000’ of gain but even the horizontal distance to Pangboche was only about 3-4 miles. Setting out at 9 AM most of us were enjoying a hot drink at our next tea house by 11 AM. The sky was a bit hazy in the morning which gave way to low clouds as the day went on. By the time we went to see the local Lama at 3 PM it was trying to snow. Luckily, the 30-minute walk up to his residence stayed mostly dry despite the threatening clouds and low temperature. We were received after gifting the recommended 1,000 rupees ($10) apiece and received a blessing from Lama Geshe himself. It was quite a unique thing to get to experience a Buddhist ritual in person. Hopefully it will bring us a little luck up higher. Nothing like trying to pay off the gods 😉

With the blessing over and the trek back to the tea house complete we settled in for dinner and another uneventful and early evening. Or so I thought. Getting ready for bed at about 9 PM I was headed out of my room to brush my teeth when I overestimated the height of my hobbit door. I stumbled trying to keep my balance as the world slowly came back into focus. Fortunately, one of my teammates was walking down the hall and witnessed the whole thing. From what I’m told I make minor head injuries look good. I don’t think I got a concussion but my world was definitely spinning for a few seconds and I got a shallow cut across the top of my head.

This morning was a bit of a later start. The trek between Pangboche and Pheriche gains about 1,500’ over about 6 miles and is actually a pretty gentle grade. The climbers and a few of the trekkers set off a little faster and made the trip in about 2 hours. For those of you following along on the elevation charts that puts us right at 14,000’ here in Pheriche. As you would expect the temps have gotten progressively cooler-especially at night. We also left the last of the trees at about 13,500’ and the grasses and shrubs won’t last much longer. For the next 40 days it’ll be rock, ice, wind, prayer flags, tents, and maybe a yeti if we are really lucky.

Pheriche is the last place I’ll have connectivity until we get to base camp in 5 days. Between now and then we have an active rest day tomorrow followed by the trek to Lobuche base camp (15,500’). We will spend two days there doing some day acclimatization hikes before making the final push up to base camp at 17,500’. When I get in and settled up there I’ll make a final update on the trek. From there the trip turns to climbing and I can’t wait to get up!

Hello from the Khumbu valley! What a great start the past 3 days have been. I was up earlier than expected on the 8^th thanks to a partial prank phone call wake up from our guide (the game has been started and the bar has been set!). From there it was pretty much like a little kid at Christmas getting all my bags together and downstairs. With a bit of food we loaded up the vans and headed to the airport.

As expected it was a bit of hurry up and wait but not near as bad as it could have been. In a little under two hours we loaded onto the cramped twin engine prop job and took to the skies. However, I think our jaws never left the ground. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the Himalayas were on full display. Flying at around 12,000’ we were only clearing some of the ridges by a couple hundred feet with peaks shooting up thousands of feet on either side. About 25 minutes into the 30 minute flight the reason for this trip came into sight. For about 60 seconds everyone on the plane was starring out the left side at the snow being blasted off the tallest peak in the world. Even as other peaks obscured our view the excitement level only went up as we looked ahead at the mountain we were aimed directly at. The ground came rushing up to meet us as the pilot flared the plane up the 12% graded runway bringing us to a stop just as the 1,600’ runway came to an end.

With bags and passengers deplaned we rounded the corner and went up on the wall overlooking the runway in just enough time to see the same plane lining up to fly back to Kathmandu. Maybe it’s the pilot in me but I could have watched the planes come in a go all day. However, after a quick tea it was time to trek. The valley really starts to shoot up on either side pretty dramatically as you leave Lukla and we were quickly making our way into the Khumbu.

Surprisingly, the trail is mostly downhill the first day. Weaving along and crossing our first steel cable suspension bridge we made our way to our lunch spot at one of many tea houses along the way. It was a good expectation setter as far was what our food options will be over the next 2 weeks as we make our way to base camp. Certainly not bad, but there are limits to what can be carried in a timely manner on a yak.

Stomachs filled we set off again and reached our first stop in Phakding around 3 PM. With more hot drinks we got settled in and enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains. This started our now routine of ordering dinner right as we roll in so that the tea house owners can coordinate plates and eating times for all their guests that evening. In between arrival and dinner there was quite a bit of down time to continue to get to know the other trekkers and climbers. I have to say that I lucked out being on this team. Such great people! The afternoon, dinner, and evening pasted with lots of laughs and some great story telling. However, with the early morning and the lingering effects of jetlag we were soon settling down on what must be one of the hardest “beds” I’ve ever slept on. But with an en-suite bathroom we might as well have been in a five-star resort!

The first wakeup in the valley was fairly uneventful. We woke, packed, ate, and had a quick team meeting about the day. The Sherpa and our western guide took positions and we headed off on the beautiful cool morning. This leg saw more river crossings, yak and mule trains, and small villages as we started a gentle uphill stroll. After almost an hour and 45 minutes we had apparently earned our lunch break. We sat down around 10:30 and leisurely ordered put in our order. This particular tea house was like something out of a dream. The courtyard we sat in was shadowed by a blooming cherry tree with views through the glass dining room across the valley at mountains that housed trees then rocks then ice as your gaze went up from the valley floor. Not a bad place to spend an hour and a half taking in the sights and sounds.

With lunch wrapped up I set out a little ahead of the rest of the folks to stretch my legs at a slightly increased pace. It was great to get a little solitude as I started the hike up Namche Hill. This 2000’ gain leading into the largest village in the valley is pretty infamous as the sun can be relenting and the “reprieve” of a rainstorm invites mud that can make feet heavy. Fortunately, there was a strong breeze that kept the heat at bay. Other than making dicey the crossing of another steel cable bridge about 400 hundred feet above the river below, it was a welcomed companion.

I strolled into Namche about 2 PM and found our home for the next three nights: the Khumbu Lodge. I checked in, showered up, and sipped on some tea as the rest of the team filed in over the afternoon. Being a much strenuous day, most folks headed to bed shortly after dinner. I was also tired as well but was able to get in a quick call to my brother Clint on his birthday before turning in for the night.

Today was a scheduled active rest day which saw us set off for the Everest View Hotel shortly after breakfast. It was an hour and a half hike gaining 1,200’ directly out of Namche. And what a difference in views that relatively small gain makes. Ama Dablam quickly came into view followed shortly by Everest itself. Having made the gain we traversed over to the hotel perched at 12,500’ where we ordered tea and watched in awe as the snow whipped off the peak jutting into the jet stream. A few of my fellow climbers and I started laughing as we realized we still have over 3 vertical miles to gain before we get a chance to put our boot prints on top.

After tea with a view we made our way off the beaten path to the Edmund Hilary school in Khumjung. This school was set up by Hilary himself and there is a bust of him prominently displayed near the football (soccer) field. With the tour complete I headed back to Namche with one of our Sherpa to have lunch and catch up on the blog. As I was writing this post who would walk into the same tea house as me but Ueli Steck! Such a cool thing to be sharing the mountain with such an accomplished climber.

Tonight over dinner we are going to establish some rules for a mock gift exchange tomorrow night curtesy of the myriad shops here in Namche. It will be a true down day so we should have plenty of time to relax, get some laundry done, and get ready to head up the valley on the 12^th. That’s it for the past 3 days. Cheers from Namche!

 

The sometimes logistical nightmare of transoceanic travel seems to have been avoided! I landed in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday with both duffels and no issues with connections or customs. On the first leg from Seattle to Frankfurt we overflew the artic ice sheet and Greenland which were in full view on the cloudless night. Unbelievably stunning! The other two legs were pretty mundane expect for the fact that I was actually able to get a few hours of sleep (I usually can’t sleep on planes).

I arrived at the same time as two other folks who will be joining the trek to base camp and together we made our way over to the Hotel Tibet in the north central part of town. After getting checked in and meeting my roommate for the next two nights I immediately went into a gear check with my IMG guide. I had a minor freak out when I couldn’t find my dark goggles but finally found them inside my down booties. Nothing like a fun game of hide and seek to start the trip. Other than getting laughed at for the “ridiculous” amount of food I brought everything else got the thumbs up.

Ignoring the urge to take a nap, the roommate and I headed out to grab some lunch and found a surprisingly good pizza joint. We each had a Nepalese beer to help cool down during the heat of the day and, as you would expect, talked at length about climbing. We spent a little time after pizza exploring a local touristy market before heading back to the hotel. According to the locals the city has been exceptionally dusty over the past couple of weeks from a large construction project taking place somewhere in the city. Combined with the crazy traffic it makes the thought of trekking in the mountains where there are no roads all the more exciting.

I spent the next two hours trying to get gear sorted and put into separate stacks for the different duffels. The task was a bit slower than it would have been normal due to jet lag and lack of sleep. I eventually gave up and just cleared my bed and passed out around 6:30 p.m.

The exhaustion from travel helped me sleep pretty solid through the night. I got up around 6 to get ready for our first team meeting at 7. We all met on the roof top of the hotel to go over the next couple days and to get to know each other a bit. We broke from there to enjoy breakfast together downstairs. From there it was back to my room to finish getting gear packed into their corresponding base camp duffel, trekking duffle, and trekking back pack. The weight limits for each are 30kg, 15kg, and 7 kg respectively for a total of about 114 lbs. Fortunately, most of that gets carried via yak or porter. As was said in our meeting this morning: you are here to climb; let the support staff support.

That brings me up to the moment where I am still trying to avoid taking a nap. There is a team dinner at 6 tonight followed by another early bedtime. We’ve got to leave the hotel at 5:45am tomorrow to go catch our flight to Lukla (if anyone wants to see one of the craziest airports in the world search Lukla on YouTube). I’ll make another post in about two days from Namche Bazar to update on the first two days of the trek to base camp!

The trip has officially started! My good friend Heather was nice enough to bring me over to Sea-Tac International and the good folks at the USO were nice enough to let me spend a few hours there before my flight leaves. My routing takes me to Frankfurt, Germany (on a 747 for the first time!) where I will spend 5 hours then its on to Delhi, India. I get in just after midnight and don’t leave for Kathmandu until the next morning so I’m hoping to catch a few hours of sleep at the airport. Once I get to the hotel in Nepal on Thursday afternoon (6 April) I’ll post an update about the travels to the other side of the world.

Thanks again to everyone for the well wishes. It’s such a powerful feeling knowing I’ve got so many people thinking about me and joining me on this trip through the blog. Feel free to send updates on your lives or notes of encouragement through the “Contact” link above or just comment on any of my posts (any message from the contact page will go straight to my email). It will be nice to stay connected to you all back home over the next two months.

Finally, its worth saying that no news tends to be good news as it pertains to Everest. Wifi can be spotty and GPS tracking equipment can malfunction or the batteries freeze. So if its a few days between updates or if I’m live tracking on a particular day and the dot stops moving between camps please don’t assume the worst. I am likely just as frustrated as you that I can’t update you all :-p As a backup for information you can check out the daily Everest posts on International Mountain Guides’ page: IMG Everest 2017. They are the guiding outfit I have partnered with for this climb. And with that I’m off to Nepal. Thanks again for the support!

As I was hoping, I’ve been having some good conversations with some great people leading up to my departure. A lot of those conversation have focused on what I’ll actually be doing for the two months I’m in Nepal. Since I probably won’t have time to reach out to all of you before I leave I thought I’d post the rough itinerary for the climb. It will likely change up a bit due to weather, physical health, and whether or not I can stand my tent mate (obviously not vice versa). Take a look at the attached PDF and leave a comment with the day you think I’ll actually be making my summit bid. If you guess right I’ll make sure you get a signed copy of my next album!

Everest 2017

Happy spring everyone! Just wanted to take a few minutes to give a quick updates on prep and next steps.

First, we FINALLY saw a few sunny days in the PNW!!! Knowing they wouldn’t last I took the opportunity to get out in the mountains and kick my butt yet again. I threw on a 50 pound pack to make sure I didn’t feel too good and laced up the 8,000 meter boots I’ll be using on Everest above base camp. With taped heals, sunglasses, and some music I was able to knock out Mailbox Peak via the older steeper trail in just a few hours (4,000′ and about 3.5 miles). Despite some serious hot spots the tape did its job and kept blisters from reforming in the places I got them last time. #mountaineeringwin

I took the InReach SE+ with me to try it out and it looks like it did ok. You can use the “Tracking Map” link on my homepage to see my route. I still need to learn how to send/post messages on the map but on the whole it seems to work pretty well even in densely forested areas.

The next thing is final gear acquisition. You’d think that I’d have had almost everything I need for this trip already but as I lay everything out and go through things piece by piece (to include trying on different combinations of things I’ll be wearing) I’m having to make a few tweaks which means my REI dividend will continue to grow. I’m hoping to do a video walk through of all my gear before I leave so you can see what all I’m taking. We will see if time permits both the filming and editing.

Finally, with 10 days until departure I’m finally feeling like this thing may just happen. The first IMG team arrived in Kathmandu today and the posts on their blog (IMG Everest 2017) are really getting me excited. However, I’m glad I’ve got a few extra days to take care of a few last minute items and maybe let the Kumbu Valley warm up a degree or two. Plus, its a few extra days to continue to rest my body and keep up my ice cream training regimen.

This video does a good job explaining the acclimatization profile for Mt. Everest. The guiding company I’m using (International Mountain Guides) does one thing different. Rather than go up through the ice fall, staying at camp 1 for a night or two, then coming back down, we go just down the valley and spend a few days climbing Lobuche (~20,000′). Everything else is roughly the same.

When people find out I’m headed to attempt Everest I get a few inevitable questions: “are you crazy”, “why”, and “are you trying to give your mother a heart attack” (the answers: “likely”, “because its there” (George Mallory reference), and “yes, she is loaded and I want my inheritance”). Then after a few seconds of contemplation I usually get a followup that goes something along the lines of “what do you even do to get ready for that?”

I usually like to give joking answers to this question as well. Its not because I have a secret to hide. Its just that I don’t know. Seriously. I’ve never climbed it. I’ve never even tried. Not even once. So how can I give an honest answer to something that may end up proving I didn’t do the right things to get ready for it?

That being said, I feel like I am doing the things most people would do in this situation: I’ve watched all the Youtube videos I can find, I can now operate the butt zipper on my big down onesie with my mitts on, and have spent hours practicing my summit selfie pose. You might think that last one is easy but the oxygen mask really presents a challenge.

Ok, I promise there is a serious answer here. I just like to joke about it because I really don’t think its all that cosmic. In fact, I think a lot of my friends that stay in good to great shape are probably not all that far off (if at all) from my concept of what it takes to get physically ready. For this climb in particular I’m focusing on three main areas of training: high intensity cardio, leg strength, and endurance.

High intensity cardio: From everything I’ve read a good guess of your max heart rate is  about 220 minus your age (in years). This formula says I should keep my heart rate at or below 187…..ooops. Admittedly, I have gone above this and have seen my heart rate as high as the the lower 190s. This hasn’t been my goal but on occasion I get to working really hard and let myself slip. Generally speaking I only aim for short duration at my highest levels of output so these peaks would have been blips. Most of my cardio work is done for longer duration (30-60 minutes) aiming for the upper 170s to lower 180s. This is requiring my body to absorb and circulate oxygen at a very high rate for periods that really push my limit. I have generally stayed in good shape for the past several years so starting at that heart rate was not a challenge for me, however, the same cannot be said of the duration. I’ve slowly built up to the point that an hour’s worth of 180 beats per minute it completely doable. A vast majority of this cardio has been running on flat level ground mixed in with a few steep trail runs.

Leg strength: Wes Morgan’s quote on skinny jeans: “I don’t buy skinny jeans. But I never skip leg day.” For anyone who has ever worked their legs to the point they couldn’t walk up the steps on their porch you’ll know what I mean. Lunges, squats, calf raises, jump rope, leg curls, ankle weights, high knees, butt kicks, repeat. Add weighted backpacks, dumbbells, or intervals to this mix and you’ve got the makings of legs so sore you’ll need a wheel chair to get back to the gym two days later to do it again. And again. And again. At some point I thought I’d get to the point that my legs would no longer hurt/be sore after leg day. But then you keep pushing yourself hard, faster, and for longer. This one thought always makes me push myself harder: If I quit before failure at the gym and I don’t make it to the top I’ll always wonder if that one day is what cost me.

Endurance: Think trails, heavy backpacks, and hours on your feet gaining thousands of vertical feet. Throw in a pair of boots that are breaking in your feet more than the other way around and you are starting to get the picture. The only thing to add here is that this has been an exceptionally wet winter in Washington which has made it especially…..”fun”. **Disclaimer: on occasion there is a stair master stand in.

I also throw in about 1 day of upper body/core per week but its not to build muscle so much as to maintain current strength and to get my heart rate up on a leg down day. On any given week I give myself 2 rest days to make sure I’m recovering between workouts and also so I don’t get any overuse injuries. I’ve been in this routine for the past 13 months but have been training for high altitude climbs for the past 2.5 years. This starting level of fitness was definitely helpful as I didn’t have to start a regimen to first get out of bad shape.

Finally, one thing that is very particular to this climb is the amount of weigh lose one typically experiences. Something in the 10-15% body mass range seems to be average (spending over 6-7 weeks at or well above 17,000′ is very taxing on the body). My normal weight is around 190-195 pounds which means I’m expecting to lose around 20-30 lbs. To counter this I’ve been trying to tack on a few pounds over the past month but as the intensity of the workouts has increased so to has the calorie burn. I will keep trying to pack on as much as I can but one can only eat so much ice cream and fast food before you simply are what you eat: disgusting.

So that’s it. That’s what I’ve been doing/dealing with from a physical stand point getting ready to climb Mt. Everest. It has been a challenging and painful year but as my departure date for the climb gets ever closer it’s finally feeling like all the work is paying off. Lets hope it was the right prep!