Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
Ben Nevis
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Since I started climbing in 1992 I have climbed on peaks around the world, from Colorado to K2, which I summited in 2014 at age 58. These pages cover my climbs beyond Everest and the 7 Summits, with trip reports, dispatches, FAQs and photos. See all of my climbs.
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 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 March 5, 2012
Scottish Highlands : Ben Nevis (4,409'/1344m)
I am excited to continue to climb the world to end Alzheimer’s. I summitted the highest in the UK, Ben Nevis on March 5, 2012. I was in the UK speaking at the Alzheimer’s Disease International annual conference. I told the story of my mom, Ida, her struggles and my sense of helplessness at the time.
However since her death in 2009, I have channeled those feelings into raising awareness that Alzheimer’s is a disease, just like cancer or diabetes but unlike many disease, has no cure, no effective treatment and no simple means of early diagnosis. This all must change and it will come with more money invested in research, education and awareness. That is the message I sent from the highest peak in the UK.
Known as simply Ben by the local, it is steeped in history and acclaimed as one the primer climbing spots in all the UK. It is located in the Scottish Highlands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains. The nearest town in Fort William and also Glasgow.
The first summit was recorded in 1771 by a botanist, James Robertson. In 1883 an observatory was built on the summit and is no longer in operation today but the trail aka the Pony Track, remains popular and is used by tens of thousands each year. The John Muir Trust bought massif and surrounding area in 2000.
Ben is climbed year round but is famous for difficult weather with clouds covering the summit nearly 80% of the time in winter and 50% in summer. It is said the summit is clear one out of every ten days. The average summit temperature is around freezing and it receives twice as much rainfall as nearby Fort William. However I had a rare, prefect weather day on March 5, 2012!
I climbed the classic Tower Ridge, an 1800′ ridge line with significant exposure and several tricky parts. It is graded as a Scottish level iV, 3 meaning the route has steep ice with short vertical steps or long pitches up to 70º, or mixed routes requiring advanced techniques. I climbed with Ken Applegate arranged by Mike Pescod of Abacus Mountaineering
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