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About me :
Q: Who are you, Alan?
A: I am just a guy who likes challenges and accomplishments. I
am 51 years old and recently retired from an almost 30 year career at
a high-tech company. I started climbing in 1995 with a summit of Mont Blanc being
my first big mountain. I don't pretend to be anything special or particularly
gifted but I am ambitious and have some common sense. I think I know my limitations
and my potential so I like to test myself in many areas. Alpine mountaineering
is a great sport for me since it tests my physical, emotional and mental strength.
Q: Was was your motivation for climbing Shisha Pangma?
A: I am raising $100,000 for Alzheimer's research. My Mom has
this horrible disease and I am seeing first hand her forget all her life's precious
memories. I have dedicated the next year of my life to this project and it includes
four climbs: Denali, Shisha Pangma, Orizaba and Everest in 2008. Shisha was a
true test for me at extreme altitude.
Q: Aren't you too old for this, especially an 8000m mountain?
A: Could be. But I won't know if I don't try. I know my body performs
marginally at altitude so that is why I am going with a proven team with strong
Sherpa support. If I start to get in trouble, I'll stop. It is that simple. I
do know that many climbers of 8000m mountains are well above 50 years old and
do OK so I don't think age in and of itself is the primary limiting factor. I
think each person reacts differently to altitude and I know myself very well
by now. This was my 5th 8000m climb.
Q: I thought you had given up on Everest . You did not summit Everest
two years in a row, what makes you think you have a chance?
A: Yes, I had given up on Everest. But now is not the
time to go into it. There will be more on all this in an updated Everest FAQ
in early 2008.
The Expedition:
Q: Who ran the expedition?
A: Jamie McGuinness of Project
Himalaya.
Q: What is their history on Shisha Pangma?
A: Jamie had run three expeditions to Shisha reaching the Central
summit twice. He is based in Kathmandu and uses the same Sherpa team for many
expeditions including Everest and 8000m climbs in Pakistan.
Q: How did Jamie and his team do?
A: The logistics from Kathmandu and Lhasa to and at Advanced
Base Camp were outstanding with no surprises. The on-mountain leadership
was dependent on each individual since this was not a "guided" climb
with a formal Western Leader or Lead Sherpa (aka Sidar). So there was some
confusion from time to time on who was going where, when. However there was
never a shortage of tents, stoves or fuel at the high camps. Jamie ran the
expedition enabling each climber to be very independent and the team in a consensus
manner. There was minimal direction as to the on-mountain activities. The food
at BC and ABC was excellent. We had freeze dried food at the high camps and
cooked it ourselves.
Q: How many climbers were on the expedition?
A: It was too big. We had two teams of 8 people plus Sherpas,
cooks and kitchen help. There were over 25 in camp. But the team dynamics
were the best I have ever experienced and everyone got along well. All
Base Camps camps were comfortable except for the small 2 person tents at
the high camps. I would not recommend the Mountain Hardware EV-3 tents
due to their narrow size and poor ventilation. However they are lightweight
and I never had to carry one up so I can appreciate the trade-off.
Q: Was there web site coverage?
A: Yes. On this site on
the dispatch page. Also
on Jamie's site.
Other team members posted Blogs and they are listed on Jamie's site.
Q: How do you communicate back home?
I used a satellite phone from Thuraya for
my personal use to transmit both voice and data from anywhere on
the mountain as well as during the trek in. The phone works extremely
well but I experienced some surprises with my subscription since the SIM expired
two days after I arrived. I was unaware that this would happen. My service provider
tried and failed to get it resolved but my wife was able to work miracles to
get it renewed. I used Jamie's Bgan data only satellite station for dispatches
from ABC. It was faster (128KB vs 9600 baud) but more expensive than the handset
($11 per mb).
Preparation
Q: What was your training like?
A: Aerobic capacity, muscular
strength, balance and attitude. I ran, lifted weights, stretched and used
visualization techniques to address these areas. I climbed Colorado 14ers regularly.
I had to reduce my running since my knees just would not take it anymore so I
used an elliptical machine instead. When I did run, I changed from long 8 mile
runs to 3 miles runs with intervals. I climbed to 17,000 on a three week Denali
expedition in June 2007 and felt fantastic until a mysterious abdominal cramp
stopped me cold. More details can be found on the Denali
2007 page. I firmly
believe this was a fluke and not associated with altitude since my blood-oxygen
level was around 90 when I got sick.
Q: Can you prepare for the altitude?
A: As you go higher, the barometric pressure decreases, although the air
still contains 21% oxygen, every breath contains less molecules of oxygen.You
cannot do much to acclimatize at low altitudes but there are companies that claim
to help the acclimatization process through specially designed tents that simulate
the reduced oxygen at higher elevations. I have no personal experience or knowledge
of these systems but you can find more details at the Hypoxic website. They cost about $7,000.
However, the common approach is to take several on-mountain weeks to prepare
for the summit bid on a big mountain. The body needs to create more red blood
cells that carry oxygen. By climbing higher than the previous day then returning
to a lower altitude, your body creates these red blood cells. This process cannot
be avoided otherwise you will suffer from cerebral edema (the brain swells) or
pulmonary edema (fluid build-up in the lungs). The only cure is to get lower
fast (at least 1,000 feet) but if you are high up on the mountain this is often
impossible and death is the result. Most of used Diamox aggressively on this
climb and that seemed to help with the acclimatizion.
The
Shisha Pangma Climb Plan
Q: Which route was used?
A: The north ridge route. This is what is considered the "normal" route.
There are four camps established at roughly 18,300', 21,000', 23,000' and 24,600'.
The summit is 26,335''. An interim camp named the Depot Camp was used on the
early climbs to store gear and for one night. It was at 19,200'. The route follows
the Shishapangma glacier to the Eastern Cwm, up the North Ridge then traverses
the North East face to the summit ridge.
Q: Anything special or unique about Shisha?
A: Shisha is often called an "easy" 8000m mountain in the
sense that there is almost no technical climbing (e.g. vertical walls). However
there is always avalanche dangers plus the biggest challenges is that it actually
has two summits. Many climbers who claim they have summited Shisha have actually
only attained the fore-summit (Central Summit). The true summit (Main Summit)
is another 3 meters (12 feet) higher but requires a traverse
of a knife edge ridge or a circuitous route from the Central Summit Ridge to
reach it.
Q: How was the climbing?
A: The climbing was straightforward. The route to Camps 1 and 2 were
on snow slopes that varied in angle. There were some steep sections near the
top of both slopes or just below the Camps. The route to the Depot Camp followed
the glacier and was sometimes on a sharp angle of loose rock or scree. We had
to cross the glacier and a series of 20 to 30 foot ice spires or Penitentes.
This was a little of a surprise and took 1.5 hours the first time. We had a
few people slip into the icy cold waters but no serious damage was done. The
climb to Camp 3 on the Central Summit Ridge was on a steep snow slope that had
avalanche danger. No one even tried it in 2007. From C3 you follow a ridge to
the Central Summit.
Q: What kind of weather conditions did you have?
A: We climbed in late September and early October after
the annual monsoon season has ended. So generally it was clear but colder than
in the spring.We had significant more snow than in previous years and thus stopped
all the summit bids from all teams. The winds were strong from time to time and
thus cold.
Q: What kind of gear did you use?
A: I have used the same gear for many years now - lot's of layers
and down. It was critical to protect my toes, fingers and face since these were
most susceptible to frost bite. I have a gear
page for reference. I am very pleased with all my gear but have a few standouts
items. I note these on my gear page.
Q: Anything new - this time?
A: I switched from a capiline base layer to merino wool. I
have found it to wick faster and stay warmer than capiline. It worked great.
Shisha Pangma Facts
Q: Exactly where is Shisha Pangma?
A: In south central Tibet a few miles from the Nepalese boarder
and about 75 miles east of Mt. Everest. The nearest airports are Lhasa and Kathmandu.
It is the 14th highest mountain on Earth and the lowest 8000m mountain. It is
unique since it is the only 8000m mountain 100% located in Tibet and not on a
boarder. Similar to Everest's north side, there is a road that goes to the base
camp sometimes call DC or Driver's Camp. But after that it is all on foot and
Yak.
Q: What does Shisha Pangma mean?
A: It is a Tibetan name meaning “crest
above the grassy plain". The Chinese call it Xixabangma which is translated
to mean "bad weather" or "severe climate".
Q: What is the history?
A:The first recorded ascent of Xixabangma
was in 1964 by a mammoth size Chinese Expedition consisting of 195 climbers.
Since it is one of the 14 8000m mountains it been climbed
by famous mountaineers from all over the world including Ed Viesturs, Reinhold
Messner, Doug Scott, Roger Baxter-Jones, Alex MacIntyre, Alan Hinkes Jerzy
Kukuczka and Erhard Loretan.
Q: How many people have summited and how many people have died trying?
A: According to MountEverest.net,
as of 2003 there have been about 201 summits (compared with approximately 3000
on Everest). 19 climbers have died, including 1991
when six Japanese climbers were buried in an avalanche and in 1999, when top
mountaineers Alex Lowe and Dave Bridges died on the mountain. statistically,
Shisha is more dangerous than Everest in modern times with a fatality rate of
17% versus 4.4% for Everest.
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