Working on the Colorado 14ers
It has been a good summer for climbing my beloved 14ers – I have 8 new climbs with a few repeats. My goal is to climb the 58 peaks above 14, 000′ however more importantly I am working on various aspects of my climbing skills for the upcoming 7 Summits journey to raise $1M for Alzheimer’s research. This week, I will be traveling to southern Colorado to climb 3 peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Range: Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point and Little Bear Peak. My regular partners, Patrick and Robert will join me for two of these. These are not difficult climbs but Little Bear has a scree coulair that takes you to a feature called the hourglass that most people prefer to climb when snow is present. This is due to potential rockfall. Also it is sufficiently steep that there are ropes in the hourglass. However, few people use them since you have no idea how well they are secured or how old they are – nylon lines can become weak and fail after a short time in the direct sunlight. If I get these three, that will leave only 5 to reach my goal – a nice way to spend next summer – in between Aconcagua, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro and Vinson! Climb On! Alan
Himalayan 2009 Fall Updates
The Fall 2009 Himalayan season continues with teams on Cho Oyu, ambulance Manaslu, capsule Shishapangma and Everest. It is still early in most team’s acclimatization schedules. For example, prescription IMG’s Cho Oyu team has spent only one night at Camp 1 and Altitude Junkies have just reached base camp on Manaslu. I believe there are only two teams on Everest is Fall, a Basque and an Indo Tibetan Border Police team who is attempting to ski down from the summit. The weather has relaxed a bit with no reports of heavy snowfall or high winds – but you know what they say about weather! Many teams have had their Pujas to ask the mountain Gods for permission and forgiveness to climb the mountain. At least the lowest high camp is established and Sherpa are hauling more tents, sometimes oxygen, food and more to the mid-level camps. We should look for summit bids in late September. As usual, I find individuals who posts have the most introspective and revealing accounts. My good friend, Jim Davidson is on Cho Oyu with IMG and posted this recent update after his climb to Camp 1 at 21,00′: It was tough going. I had felt sick all day. My stomach problem had cleared up, but I had picked up the cold/cough/virus going around. So I was suffering and slow. At 20,000 feet I had to take 2 breaths per step. At 20,500 feet, three breaths per step. Any faster and I went anaerobic. It was a sufferfest. He is one of the strongest climbers I know and will do well. Climb On Jim! Some teams and individuals with blogs to monitor include: Cho Oyu: Alpine Ascents Adventure Consultants IMG Jagged Globe Jim Davidson Summit Climb Manaslu: Altitude Junkies Himalayan Experience Shishapangma: Andrew Lock Nick Rice Everest spring 2009 Follow-up Bill Burke, the oldest American to summit Everest just sent out a sad follow-up from the spring season. Again, my sincere condolences to Lhakpa Nuru friends and family. Bill’s message: As you know from my expedition reports, the first death on Mt. Everest this season was Lhakpa Nuru, our Sherpa, who died in an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall. Here is a message I just received from Dawa Steven, the Managing Director of Asian Trekking: Dear Friends, I hope this email finds you all well. Yesterday, we received a call from the Sirdar of an Expedition on Everest who had reached base camp a few days ago. They informed us that they spotted the body of Lhakpa Nuru in the icefall. They couldnt give us any further details but said with certainty that it is Lhakpa Nuru. Today, we sent up 4 sherpas under the leadership of Naga Dorje to retrieve the body. They will reach Base camp tomorrow morning. I am taking Lhakpa’s widow with me to Khumbu and help with the arrangements of the funeral. Unfotunately our flights were cancelled this morning due to the weather in Lukla. We hope to fly tomorrow! Though its difficult for his family to have old wounds opened again, I hope that having a proper puja and cremation will give them the needed closure and bring peace to Lhakpa’s soul. If anyone would like to contribute to help Lhakpa’s young family, their bank details are: Himalayan Bank, Thamel. A/C holder: Urgen Tenzing Sherpa (The account is in his Son’s name) A/C No. 01902302580011 SWIFT No: HIMANPKA Please let me know if you make any contributions and I will follow it up from here. Thanks to many of you who have already contributed. I will keep you informed you about the retrieval and the funeral. Best Wishes, Dawa Steven Good luck and safe climbing to all the teams this Fall. Climb On! Alan
Success on Capital Peak
A full trip report is now on the site but here is a teaser for now. I summited Capital around 11:00 AM on September 10, 2009. I was solo all the way and then joined by father, son team Scott and John Scott on the summit. John took this video of my return across the Knife Edge on the summit ridge. I found Capital to be one of the top 3 toughest Colorado 14ers. Please read the full trip report for more details on a great climb. Climb On! Alan
Another try at Capital Peak
After last week’s mixed results – summited Snowmass but tweaked a knee stopping my bid on Capital; I will try again on Thursday. This time I am watching the weather carefully. September in the Colorado mountains is a dicey time. It can be sunny and warm one minute and harshly cold with snow the next. A cold front is passing through today (Tuesday) and the lows are around freezing at 12, malady 000′. I expect some icy conditions at 14, 000 near the summit. Capital is known as one fo the more difficult 14ers since the standard route involves traversing a knife-edge ridge line that has significant exposure on both sides – as in over 1,000′ feet! A climber died earlier this year after a fall on the ridge. This is a picture I took last week from the summit of Snowmass. You can see the ridge to the right of the summit. I’ll post a full trip report upon my return! Climb On! Alan
Progress in Alzheimer's Research
Some very encouraging news was recently announced that scientist identified new genes that are associated with late stage Alzheimer’s. While other researchers have identified over 70 genes thus far (see link), this helps the understanding of the disease and will help all researchers. This from the National Institute of Health: In the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) reported to date involving Alzheimer’s disease, scientists have identified two new possible genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer’s, the most common form of the disease. The study, which pooled DNA samples from a number of European and U.S. groups, not only associated variations in the sequence of the CLU and PICALM genes with increased risk, but also found another 13 gene variants that merit further investigation, according to findings presented in the September 6, 2009, online issue of Nature Genetics. Involving more than 16,000 DNA samples, one feature of this research was its use of publicly shared DNA samples and databases, including several supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and other components of the National Institutes of Health. To date, only four genes have been definitively associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Three mutated genes — amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the presenilins (PS1 and PS2) — have been shown to cause the rare, early-onset familial form of the disease, which mostly occurs in middle age. Only one gene variant, apolipoprotein e4 or APO-e4, has been confirmed as a significant risk factor gene for the common form of late-onset Alzheimer’s, which typically strikes after age 65. GWAS studies look for genetic associations with a disease in the DNA on all of the chromosomes in a specific population of individuals. To date, such studies have been done on relatively small numbers of samples and have not been able to identify genetic variations of smaller effect. But now, GWAS studies in very large sample sets are able to identify these elusive genetic variations. “GWAS research is entering a new phase of discovery, with much larger sample sizes made available for analysis due to highly collaborative researchers and rapid DNA sample and data sharing,” said Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Ph.D., director of the NIA Division of Neuroscience. “Identifying gene variants like CLU and PICALM advances our understanding of the many genetic factors that may contribute to overall risk for this devastating neurological disorder and how these genes affect the development of Alzheimer’s. This knowledge may then lead to novel disease pathways that can be targeted to develop new ments.” You can read more at this link. While this news is encouraging, more research is still needed but hope for a world without Alzheimer’s grows. Climb On! Alan Please remember: Memories are Everything
Best Laid Plans Busted by a Knee
My grand plan was to knock off a quick climb of Snowmass Mountain then backpack later that day to climb Capital Peak, one of the more difficult Colorado 14ers. Well I accomplished half my goal. You can read about my climb of the 14, 092 Colorado mountain on my trip report. During that climb, my 53 year-old knees kind of said “enough”. That is not too much of a surprise since it happened half way down a 2,000 gully that was covered with small pebbles or scree – kind of like ice without the cold. You see back in 1979, I was playing pick up football in a church yard. The quarterback passed me the ball. I made a spectacular catch (weren’t they all?) and set my sights on the goal line. My brother set his sights on stopping me. We locked eyes. I faked left. My knee faked right. And as they say, the rest is history. As I limped up to our front door, my mother looked at me simply looked at me and said “What now?”. After surgery, 1974 style by Theodoric of York, they not only removed my torn ACL but also all of my medial meniscus cartilage thus leaving me to life of bone on bone. Not all the blame is on Theodoric but as an invincible 18 year-old, I totally blew off rehab thus permanently damaging my good left knee as well. I did visit some modern doctors last year and they looked at the x-rays and MRIs only to laugh and ask what happened to you? Where did all your tissue go? All I had to start saying was “1974 surgery” and they nodded in empathy then shared with me the benefit of their $1M education – “If it hurts, don’t do it.” So today, I climb my mountains knowing at any time the knees will say “Seriously Dude, what the hell do you expect from us?” So back to Snowmass, I limped down after an incredibly satisfying climb to the summit along a sharp ridge thinking this is why I do what I do. Climbing a 2,500′ ridge to 14,000 on a clear Colorado summer morning overlooking aqua lakes, green pine forests, blue skies and nearby mountains summits is what it is all about. Capital will have to wait but I will be back. I just hope my knees are kind enough to stay with me for a few more years. After all, I have plans!
Climbing more 14ers with all my parts
Colorado has 58 mountains over 14,000 feet (4,266 meters) in height but only 53 are noted as ’14ers’. To qualify as a 14er the peak must be 300 feet higher than saddle of an adjacent peak.
Cho Oyu 2009 is underway
In spring it is Everest, in the fall it is Cho Oyu serving as the most popular 8000m climbs. With unrest in Tibet and their own Olympic torch agenda, the Chinese restricted access the past two years but 2009 is back to normal with over 10 expeditions.
Welcome to the new Blog
I have traditionally used this space for posting dispatches during my mountaineering expeditions and for updates on Alzheimer’s news and my fund raising activities. That will remain.
Update on my Mom
Ida Arnette passed away from Alzheimer’s disease on August 16, 2009. She struggled for over 8 years and was under hospice care at the end. We celebrated her life with friends and family this past weekend.
While it was expected, it is both a time of deep sadness for us and relief for her. She had lost her identity and independence towards the end.