Carstensz Pyramid

My Memories are Everything climbs are to raise awareness and research money for Alzheimer's Disease. My mom, Ida, passed away from Alzheimer's in 2009.

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, with another person newly diagnosed every 69 seconds. It affects more than 5 million people in the United States and over 25 million worldwide. The burden on families and family caregivers are significant both personally as well as financially. With our aging population, these issues are increasing dramatically. Today, there is no reliable method of early detection and no cure. And there is hope with research.

100% of your donations got to your selected non-profit and none to Alan, his climbing expenses or supporters.

The Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program of Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy and Pfizer Inc. funded my climbs for the 7 Summits campaign and will continue to fund my ongoing campaign efforts. All money I raise from donations goes directly to the organizations I have selected. Click here to find official information about the campaign. As of November 9, 2010, content posted here is my own but subject to certain limitations in conjunction with the support of the AIP.

The Cure Alzheimer's Fund is supported by private grants thus allowing 100% of your donations to go directly to Alzheimer's research.

The National Family Caregivers Association, is an organization that empowers family family caregivers to act on behalf of themselves and their loved ones.

The Alzheimer's Association is the world's leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, and the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. The Association’s vision is a world without Alzheimer’s®. Visit the Alzheimer's Association to learn more.

Summited October 22, 2011

Oceania: Carstensz Pyramid (16,023'/4884m)

The 'newest' of the 7 summits when Reinhold Messner challenged Dick Bass's summit of Australia's Mt. Kosciuszko as the highest peak in Oceania. Carstensz Pyramid on West Papua (irian Jaya) in Indonesia's New Guinea is now consider one of the 7 but most 7 Summiteers try to bag the walk-up Kosciuszko as well.

The Dutch explorer Jan Carstensz first sighted the peak in 1623. It was first climbed by Austrian Heinrich Harrer and team in 1962. Carstensz is considered the most exotic of the 7 Summits surrounded by dense jungle and rumors of cannibals! Even though it is near the equator, snow sometimes graces the limestone slopes.

Click on any picutre to enlarge

The climbing is consider the most technical of the 7 Summits requiring rock scrambling a short section of 5.8 rock climbing with fixed ropes and a Tyrolean traverse across a 50' gap. This involves pulling yourself upside down across a suspended steel cable. But the real challenge is just getting there. Often the road is closed to climbers by the owners of the Freeport mine thus requiring a 5 day hike to reach to base of Carstensz. Instead many teams charter a helicopter. Obtaining permits and travel logistics can be quite difficult.

The second highest mountain in Oceania is Puncak Trikora also in New Guinea at 15,580'/4730m and is 100 miles east of Carstensz.

Summited October 22, 2011

Oceania: Carstensz Pyramid (16,023'/4884m)

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