Author: bartw55

Overnight layover in Inchon, Korea.  Forty-one years ago, in March of 1974, I had just arrived in Inchon as a young missionary eager to learn a new language and culture. Instead, I found myself puking my guts out, sicker than I had ever been or have been since. Fortunately, I recovered after a week or so and went on to fall in love with this beautiful land and people. It’s so nostalgic to be back – if just for the night.  Too bad I don’t have enough daylight to go out, but it will be nice to get horizontal for a few hours, and then on to Nepal.

They say tomorrow never comes, but it feels a lot like tomorrow is bearing down on me like a freight train. Up till now it has always been in the future, never close enough to be nervous, but now it’s here. I’m packed and ready to go.

Though I’m nervous about many things, none of them, at this point, have to do with objective risks associated with the climb.  It’s more about just getting there.  Will I be charged a bunch for over-sized duffel bags?  Will they make it to Nepal without getting lost somewhere around the world? Climbing gear isn’t inexpensive and I’d hate to have to repurchase in Kathmandu – besides the airlines give a miserly $1,000 to replace everything.  Sorry, that wouldn’t cut it!  I worry about Judy.  She’s had knee issues and I wonder whether she’ll have problems getting back down from EBC to Lukla after she leaves me.  The Sherpa who will be with her are wonderful and some of the other trekkers are apparently from Utah, so she should be in good hands.  I shouldn’t worry – but, I do.  One of my grandchildren, three-year-old Rowan, just broke his collar-bone.  It will heal.  Ty broke his a few years back at about the same age and it healed quickly.  So many things a father/grandfather can worry about.

Once we’re on the trail with all our gear, I will settle down and enjoy the wonders of the Khumbu region, the Nepalese side of Mt. Everest.

On a brighter note, Judy made a flag out of the picture above for me to carry to the Summit!  It’s really cool!  The picture itself is cloth and sewn onto a blue fabric backing between two wooden dowels.  It will be like having my family with me, because it will go everywhere I do.  We took this picture last Saturday and all are there except Jason who is in Australia.  Wait a minute!  As I look a little close, I do see Jason. Hmm.. I wonder how he got there?

Our flight tomorrow stops over in Seattle for two hours, then on to Seoul, Korea for a longer layover, where Korean Airlines will put us up in the airport hotel overnight before continuing on to Kathmandu the next day – for a total of about 19 1/2 hours in the air.

It’s finally here.  Bring it on!

The question I get the most is about training.  How does one train to climb Mt. Everest?  It was foremost in my mind when I decided to do it a little more than a year ago.  I studied various well-planned and thought-out programs from reputable guide companies, and decided on one from Alpine Ascents that I tweaked to fit me.

I’d just spent several months with a physical therapist getting over a chronic case of plantar fasciitis, so I was very careful not to undo all of that.  As a matter of interest, I was trying to fast track preparations for an attempt on Denali by spending several weeks running in a swimming pool.  Though that trip fell through, it was a good start for Everest training.

One of the key goals, regardless of how one gets there, is to reach a point where the body can endure back-to-back days of strenuous climbing at high altitudes.  So, to be more specific, most of the recommendations I studied suggested being able to carry 60-or-so pounds up 4,000 feet on any given day, followed by another 40 pounds up 3 or 4,000 feet the next day – and that with little to no physical after effects, such as being overly tired or injured, etc.  I peaked two months early and increased both my pack weight and elevation gain by 10-15 percent.  I spent time during the week in a gym doing everything from interval training on the gauntlet with a 65-pound pack to one-hour-tempo training at 90 percent heart rate, breathing only through my nose.  I also worked on daily strength training targeting upper, lower, and core exercises.  I did some yoga, as well, just to mix things up.  I tried to force myself through mental barriers to simulate what I’d undoubtedly encounter on the mountain.  I also rented an altitude tent for two months, designed to build my red blood cell count and ability to move oxygen through my body more efficiently.

I’ve felt like a kid at Christmas for a year!  It has surprised me how fun it has been working out and getting into the shape of my life with a fun and interesting and exciting goal in mind!

You might ask, why Everest?  Well, that is a good question.  I love climbing, and have managed a few beautiful, historic peaks around the world.  I have always had a latent interest in climbing Mt. Everest but never thought it was in the cards for me – too long away from work and family, too expensive, too much worry for loved ones –  in short, too selfish.  I don’t know what changed, maybe age, but the interest turned dream started to become a reality when Judy and I accompanied friends to Everest Base Camp in 2012 where I could visualize the possibilities.

I fell in love with the Khumbu region and towering peaks with their hanging glaciers. We also found the site where a picture that captivated our imaginations years before at the Park City Arts Festival had been taken. It moved us both tremendously.

As we trekked out of the Khumbu, I promised Dorjee, our beloved head Sherpa, I’d be back in three years to celebrate my 60th birthday for a summit attempt of Mt. Everest, health permitting. I didn’t really believe it, but a seed was planted that sprouted 14 months ago when a planned Denali climb fell through. In planning that climb I began to get a vision of how Everest could be possible.

Another key element that motivated me was a chance meeting Judy had with a woman she met hiking Malan’s Peak. She was a young cardiologist who had quit her practice for a couple of years to train for Everest! If she could make that sacrifice to accomplish her dream, why couldn’t I?  More importantly, why wasn’t I? Would I be happy with my self at age 70, realizing it was now no longer possible?  I decided Judy and I needed one more great adventure.  She was all for it. Of course, she would only be interested in going as far as EBC (Everest Base Camp) to wish me well from there.  Her summit will come in the form of a new kitchen next fall.

The following describes the trekking and climbing schedule.  It is rare that this is adhered to precisely due to unforseen circumstances.  Weather, sickness, acclimatization, and route fixing are examples of things that commonly set an expedition back anywhere from a day to a week, and in some cases even more. With any luck we should stay within a couple of days of the following:

3/27 Arrive Kathmandu 3 days

3/30 Phakding 8,500

3/31 Namche Bazaar 3 days 11,286

4/3 Tengboche 2 days 12,696

4/5 Pheriche 2 days 14,340

4/7 Lobuche Base Camp 3 days 16,210

4/10 Everest Base Camp 3 days 17,500

4/13 Lobuche Base Camp

4/14 Lobuche High Camp

4/15 Lobuche Summit 20,000

4/17 Everest Base Camp 4 days

4/22 Camp 1 19,685

4/23 Camp 2 for 3 days 21,000

4/26 Camp 3 touch n go 23,635

4/27 Everest Base Camp 5 days

5/2 Camp 2 2 days

5/4 Camp 3

5/5 Camp 2

5/6 Everest Base Camp 5 days

5/11 Camp 2 2 days

5/13 Camp 3

5/14 Camp 4 26,085

5/15 Summit 29,035

5/16 Camp 2

5/17 Everest Base Camp 2 days

5/19 Pheriche

5/20 Namche Bazaar

5/21 Lukla

5/22 Kathmandu

It’s common to spend a few of days in Kathmandu waiting for a flight back home.  Typically, once a climber’s expedition has ended, travel agents do their best to find a flight home as soon as possible, since it’s rare that the early itinerary still matches the climber’s desired time frame to get back home.

Judy and I spent the last two days in Fort Collins, Colorado listening and meeting with Alan Arnette.  We watched his presentation of his climb on K2 and it was amazing!

Alan Arnette is this incredible guy that started climbing when he was 38.  Even though he started late in life, he has now, at age 58, been on 37 expeditions, including a successful climb of Mt. Everest and K2.  He became the oldest American at age 58 to do so and the 18th American to climb K2.  He also has a website, alanarnette.com, where he not only blogs but keeps track of all of the different groups on Everest each year.   This allows everyone with a friend, relative, or simply an interest to know where members of an expedition are, and at which camps, along with summit success rates, etc.

It took us a little over six hours to drive from Ogden to Fort Collins, and we spent the night at the Hilton which is close to the Colorado State University Campus where the presentation was held. There were about 500 in attendance at the Lore Student Center Theatre. We introduced ourselves and arranged to meet him and his best friend, Jim Davidson, for breakfast the next morning.

Jim survived a crevasse fall in which his partner died and was featured on “I Shouldn’t Be Alive.”  He will be on my IMG Classic team on Everest, so Alan thought it would be good for us to meet.  We had a delicious buffet breakfast and shared many ideas and thoughts about our upcoming climb. I couldn’t thank Alan enough for setting it all up and for his wonderful presentation last night which left us feeling we had been on K2 with him!  He made it real, documenting with video and photos almost every step of the way, and even his near-death experience.

We drove home after breakfast the next day.  We were very glad we took the time and effort to go there.  I think it will be extremely helpful for me while I am on Everest.