In 2007 and 2008, I am undertaking a challenging goal: The Road back to Mt. Everest. This is a year long journey where I will attempt to summit Everest in 2008 plus raise $100,000 for Alzheimer’s research. In preparation, I attempted Denali in June 2007 and Shisha Pangma in September 2007 then summitted Aconcagua and Orizaba in January 2008 and finally will return to Everest in April 2008. In between I am climbing more of my Colorado 14ers. Using a system of a digital camera, PDA and satellite phone, I send dispatches directly from the climbs. Sign up for notification on the dispatch page. Alzheimer's is a horrible disease that impacts so many. Researchers are making great progress but more is needed. The Cure Alzheimer's Fund is a non-profit organization that raises money and funds targeted research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer's disease. The Fund is supported by grants from three families that covers all of their overhead. This means 100% of your donations go directly to Alzheimer's research! None go to Alan's climbing expenses. I encourage you to read more about the Cure Alzheimer's Fund at their website and to make your tax deductible donation today to Memories are Everything through the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

Visit the Everest 2008 page for live dispatches from Everest happening now!

Standing at 27,200' on the icy slopes of Mount Everest in 2003, I lectured myself between gags that this was it. No more. I was too old and my body was just not fit for high altitude mountaineering. After all it was only 363 days earlier that I had stood on this exact same spot suffering convulsions and made my own decision to return to the South Col before it was too late. Those experiences have come to shape my life in ways I never imagined. They are memories I never hope to forget. And now I am going back.

Those who have followed my site the past eight years know a lot about me ... perhaps too much! I appreciate the special relationship I have with my visitors. I have many new friends and in fact some of my best climbing partners I met by way of this site. So in that spirit, I will be chronicling the next year through a series of reports on my way back to Everest.

However, there is something I think is much more important.

As mentioned on the home page, I have two areas of interest now that I have retired: Alzheimer’s research and the environment. My Father passed away in late 2006 and my Mother is now 81 and suffers from Alzheimer’s. This is a devastating disease that we know little about. It impacts over 5 million Americans today and a new case is diagnosed every 72 seconds! The funding for research is very low compared to Cancer and heart disease. I want to use this site to raise money for research and raise the public's awareness of Alzheimer’s, the impact on individuals and their families and ways you can get involved before it is too late. To make this as real as I can over the internet, please visit my "Memories are Everything" page on my personal experience and I think you will see why this is a cause worth supporting.

Can you imagine not recognizing your children? Remembering where you live or that you stood on top of the world in your earlier years?

I am absolutely delighted to have found the ideal partner for my Memories are Everything fund raising. The Cure Alzheimer's Fund is a non-profit organization that raises money and directs targeted research. Their mission statement is:

Fund research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer's disease.

The Fund is supported by grants from three families and covers all of their overhead. This means 100% of your donations go directly to Alzheimer's research! I encourage you to read more about the Cure Alzheimer's Fund at their website and to give generously today. All your donations to the Memories are Everything fund will be tracked so we follow our goal of $100,000 together. All your donations are tax deductible.

They are currently funding 14 research projects ranging from an ACAT Inhibitor Study which is a two-part study focuses on the effect of a particular drug targeted at a cholesterol-related enzyme (ACAT I), with the objective of preventing or decreasing the production of neurotoxic Abeta in the brain; to their primary project of Alzheimer's Genome Project™ (AGP) initiative which has the objective of identifying all relevant remaining Alzheimer’s genes that have not yet been discovered, thereby identifying more targets for the development of therapeutic interventions.

At age 50, I fully understand what I am signing up for! And I am dedicating the next year of my life to these goals. However, my climbing priority, as it always has been, is to do my best and return home safely to my family. If it becomes obvious that I can no longer perform at altitude or some other factor enters into this plan, I will stop. It is as simple as that.

I will be doing a series of climbs to tune my body to be in the best possible shape for the Everest attempt. I have designed a schedule that provides time at altitude, builds new skills and allows for sufficient recovery times between climbs. Here is the plan:

First, I am so fortunate to live in Colorado. So Patrick, Robert - my closest climbing partners - will climb as many 14ers as we can throughout the journey.

In June, 2007, I will return to Alaska for Mt. Mckinley or Denali, as it is better known. I climbed Denali, 20,320 feet or 6,193 meters, in 2001 but was forced back due to bad weather at 17,200' at Denali Pass. So the first step on the Everest road is to reach the summit of Denali.

Next I will be climbing the 14th highest peak in the world, Shisha Pangma in Tibet. Shisha is 26,335 feet or 8027 meters. This will be a true test of my ability to perform at high altitude. I will take my time and carefully acclimatize to give me the best possible chance. The expedition will start in Kathmandu, fly to Lhasa and the drive over the Steps of the Tibetan Steps. The six week expedition will be my fifth climb on an 8000m mountain.

January 2008 I will return to Aconcagua and then, along with my closest climbing friends, we will travel to Mexico and climb the 18,880 foot, 5754 meter volcano, Orizaba. This will be a nice warm up for Everest but it will be great to spend time with my friends who will go for their personal altitude records.

Finally, comes Everest. I have not made my decision on which side to climb or who to go with. There are many details still to be worked out.

Please make regular visits to the site for updates and especially consider donating to the Alzheimer’s fund when it is established. The goal is to raise $100,000 before my summit bid in May 2008. 100% of all donations will go to Alzheimer’s research - zero to fund the climbs. If you are already make donations elsewhere, perhaps this is a year you can consider an alternative or a little bit more for this important cause.

If you are interested in making an early donation to the research fund, pursuing sponsoring this effort or joining a climb, please contact me. Or just say hello!

A 2007 holiday letter to my readers:

Hello,

I am not a professional fund raiser or mountain climber for that fact. I am just a 50 something guy trying to combine two passions in my life: family and climbing.

Earlier this year when Cathy and I discussed me trying to return to Everest something gnawed at me. Climbing is an intensely selfish sport that usually benefits only the person who does it. When I think back to my second attempt on Everest, I think I was guilty as charged. Maybe that is why I didn’t summit. Who really knows?

As the raw seriousness of my Mother’s situation set in, I saw her disease – Alzheimer’s – like I never had. She was losing everything that she had experienced over a lifetime. And it would get worse.

As I deeply considered tying my climbing with fund raising, I didn’t want to take advantage of my Mother’s situation. I didn’t want to take advantage of friendships. I didn’t want to be that person everyone avoids.

I did want to be a champion for raising awareness of Alzheimer’s. I did want to be that person who took risks and accepted hard challenges for a good cause. I did want to help millions who would suffer from this horrible disease.

Thus The Road Back to Mount Everest: Memories are Everything was born.

With two climbs completed and two more ahead before Everest, I want to thank everyone who has donated or sent me encouragement.

I spent some time with my Mom this past week. She is doing well. Her physical health is holding and she has recovered from her broken leg a few months ago. Her mind continues to slip and she knows it. In her words she tells me, “it is all washed away” as she rubs her forehead.

I am grateful that I was able to video her remembering her childhood and life. It seems that her oldest memories are the easiest to recall. I am also grateful to the staff that takes care of her on a daily basis.

I am told if I don’t ask, then people don’t know so once again I am asking for your donation to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. Remember that 100% of your money goes to research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer's disease. No monies go to me, my climbing expenses or the Fund’s overhead.

My Everest climb has been finalized and I will share the details when I get back from Aconcagua and Orizaba. Please check the dispatch page for updates directly from the climbs.

Until then, I want to wish everyone a great holiday season. Please enjoy the time with your friends and family and make lots of new memories.

Please remember: Memories are Everything.

Climb On!

Alan

I think this is going to be the disease, and maybe one of the biggest health care political issues of my generation, says Robert Essner, 59, professorial chief executive. hard for anyone to envision how to provide health care in the United States if you’re going to have to deal with the burden. You just start to add up the cost, 20 years from now as my generation gets old it phenomenal.