April 11, 2008

I'm still not 100 per cent so I've stayed down the valley in Gorak Shep. I should be back up in base camp in time for the Puja in two days. A Puja is a buddhist ceremony performed by a Lama (one of the highest buddhist monks) that blesses the Sherpas and climbers on the team.

Speaking of Sherpas, apparently while I was away, they did do some play:

And I guess that our guide John felt the need to impress them with his technical ice climbing skills because apparently the Sherpas are much stronger climbers everywhere else:

April 9, 2008

We have about 5 or 6 days before we head through the icefall to camp 1. I have been having a hard time adjusting to the altitude of base camp so I’ve decided to head down the valley for 48 hours to let my body adjust to the lack of oxygen. I’ll then head back up feeling better and more ready for further physical adaptation to the thin air. I’m not going through anything unusual and am not alone. The team doctor did the same thing two nights ago, and my filmmaker Dave has decided to join me for this trip down.

When we start heading up higher, this will become routine; we’ll head up high and then come down low. In fact, the team leader has it as part of our plan for the whole team to go down the valley a bit in about three weeks time to get really ready for the summit push.

Altitude is the biggest challenge on Everest. While base camp may seem relatively low on the mountain, it’s important to remember that 17,500 feet or 5150 meters is not low at all. There are very few places in Europe and North America that let you walk this high, let alone climb to a mountain top.

I’ll write more soon when I arrive back in base camp, but I’ll publish some photos that you haven’t seen from our journey thus far.

Thanks to everyone for your continued support.

April 7, 2008

We arrived in base camp yesterday during a snow storm. Thankfully the winds and snow were both light so we could at least make out where we were headed across the huge Khumbu glacier. The Sherpa team had been here for about a week getting our camp set up and they did a fantastic job getting us close to the icefall and creating level places for our tents amongst the huge ice and boulders.

This place truly is out of this world. Our expedition organization has done a fantastic job anticipating our needs and we have a great big heated mess tent to eat and hang out in during the cold. And cold it is here, especially overnight and in the mornings until the sun comes up. It was pretty surreal waking up this morning to frost on the inside of the tent sparkling with the intense sunlight trying to burn over the mountain tops. When I stepped outside I was greeted to the most spectacular sight: this glacier seems to go on forever and is completely surrounded by mountains on all sides, none of which are Everest.

The icefall is the start of our climb. And it is literally right outside of our tents when you look at it. In actuality, everyone’s sense of depth perception is blinded by the sheer whiteness of this place and the icefall is about a half hour walk away. Which to put it at sea level terms is more like two city blocks; it really does take three or four times as long to get anything done here we are so starved for oxygen.
Every few hours or so you can hear, and sometimes see, the distant rumbling of avalanches. It’s spectacular.

There are two very real dangerous issues that climbers on Everest have to face: avalanches and the icefall. The icefall is becoming a safer zone thanks to the hard work of a team of Sherpas known as the Icefall Doctors. These guys work very hard to set up fixed ropes and a system of ladders across crevasses to ensure climbers safety through this treacherous zone. Avalanches are something we have to deal with on our own and we do so by climbing in areas that have natural protection from slide zones and by testing snow conditions regularly. Thankfully, the avalanches that often occur in this neighborhood aren’t usually on the climbing lines.

We’re going to spend the next few days resting and preparing for the inevitable push through the icefall to advanced base camp. The team is happy, if not entirely healthy and I think we’re all feeling a positive mix of apprehension and excitement for the next step of our journey.

April 5

After a short two hour walk in weather that gave us little visions of the beauty around us, we arrived in Gorak Shep, the last town before base camp. It's hard to call this a town, it's really only two tea houses. We're at 5100 meters above sea level, which is almost 17,000 feet. Everyone is feeling the atitude and we're all moving very slowly.

Tomorrow we move to base camp. There are many rumours surrounding communications on Everest this year. We know very little at this time. If this post should be the last for a while please understand that we are doing our best to get Rob's story out and that we will work within the restrictions set by the Nepalese government.

April 4

Everywhere we go, we see prayer flags. Sometimes they are so high up and in places where you can't see any possible way to get to. Today, we even saw prayer flags hanging from yak's saddles. And if you were walking the trails we were on you'd understand why. We're definitely in the mountains now.

Yesterday we did a hike up to 5100 metres. It was the first time above 5000m for a lot of the trekkers and I think everyone was feeling the effects of the thin air. But they did well and I am happy to report that everyone is safe and healthy. We had stunning views of Makalu and Ama Dablum, two very famous Himalayan peaks. Afterwards we went back down to 4400m to sleep.

Today we moved up the other side of the valley to Laboche at almost 5000m. We're now 3 days and 500 meters away from base camp. We won't be able to see the mountain until we get to the icefall, but I know it is looming large on all of our minds.

April 2

The April fools jokes were flying yesterday. It's a good thing too because it signals the team is coming together nicely. This trip has been very different to other trips I've made in my Seven Summits campaign. We have a group of trekkers going with us to base camp. They'll continue on for a week or so after we arrive before heading out of Nepal, while the clmbing team stays at the mountain.

Amongst the group of trekkers are several really good friends of mine. And amongst the climbing team are guys I have climbed with before. I feel like we have a really strong team and if the weather cooperates we'll have great success on the mountain. And I am really glad to have close friends walking into base camp to distract me from the stress of what lies ahead.

We're trekking in really slowly. We have tons of time and the altitude takes some getting used to. Yesterday we arrived in a town called Dingboche. We're going to stay here for three nights. It's at 4400 metres and I don't think there is anyone on the team who isn't feeling the effects of altitude. Several of the trekkers are now at the highest altitude they've ever been. So today we take a rest day and just wander around this very small town. Tomorrow we'll go for a hike up higher, probably around 600 meters or so, then come back down to sleep.

We are really blessed to have a great support team with us. We don't have to worry about doing any cooking or setting up camp etc. Last night we had a great meal of Daal Blaat and Yak curry. In the mornings we often have toast and Tibetan omelettes with cheese. Lunchtime is different everyday and we have it at tea houses along our treking route. The tea houses are often owned by family members of the climbing sherpas or cooks, but our cooks do all of the cooking for us to ensure that we get foods we are used to--you wouldn't believe how your body reacts to different things at altitude.

The Khumbu region is amazing. The people here are super friendly. I was even invited into the home of one of our climbing sherpas. His mother is so proud to have a four-time Everest summitter in her family. It was definitely a great honour to be invited in for tea.

As we move up higher we see more and more yak trains because it is very hard for people to carry big loads.

Yesterday we visited the Tengboche Monastery. This place was originally built in the early 1600s. It was destroyed by fire but rebuilt shortly after. There are over 20 monks living and praying there for 8 hours everyday. They even let the team sit in on a prayer ceremony, which was incredible. Truly an amazing place.

March 29, 2008

Today is our first acclimatization day. We’re currently in Namche Bazaar at 3500 metres above sea level. Namche is a mystical town of tea houses, shops, internet cafes and just about everything else you’d expect to find in a hub town. Namche serves as the largest centre in the Khumbu region of the Himalayan mountain range.

Yesterday’s trek was a big push from a town called Pahkding at 2700 metres. We gained 800 metres in just a little over 7 kilometres. Most of that gain was in the last few kilmetres though where the trail seemed more like a staircase than a hiking trail. The trek included multiple river crossings using overhead suspension bridges, including one that was very high, much higher than the Capilano Suspension Bridge.

We’ve had really good weather, sunny skies with warm but not hot air temperatures. The wind is strong here, often gusting to 25-30 kilometres per hour. Mornings, of course, are crisp. This early morning in Namche it was just a degree or two below zero.

The people here are amazing. We have had incredible interactions with our porters and hosts at tea houses. We’ve been sleeping in tents, but using tea houses for eating in and toilets. We choose to avoid lengthy time inside buildings because most are heated using wood stoves and burning yak dung. The combination is hard on your breathing and at this altitude we need our lungs as clean as possible. The air is starting to feel thin up here.

Porters are the backbone of the Khumbu economy. Ours are carrying our climbing and trekking gear. But many porters we encounter on the trail are carrying fuel or building materials. We were amazed yesterday by a dozen or so porters who were carrying no less than 200 pounds of four by four posts, most ten feet long. The people of the Khumbu are quite small in stature too: few are over five foot eight inches and fewer still weigh more than a hundred and fifty pounds. To see these hardened people carrying more than their body weight on trails steeper than our staircases back home is simply humbling.

My first word that popped into my mind in Namche was thriving. Here we are in a mountain community with no road access and an economy too small to support air lifting of heavy materials, yet it is literally booming. From sun up to sun down we can hear the chipping of stones for building. Our Sirdar, who is the lead porter, told me last night that it takes two days to chip each stone. With no trees up here, all of the buildings are made of chipped stone.

Our acclimatization day will be spent in a morning hike, moving up about 400 metres. We’ll see our first glimpse of Everest today, which I can’t wait for. This is what the whole trip is about. Everest: The highest mountain on Earth and the last of my Seven Summits campaign. I walk into this adventure with excitement and trepidation. Each step we take is a new one for me. Each corner we turn reveals something new. I have to remind myself to take in the stunning scenery; right now I’m focused on preparing myself mentally for the greatest challenge of my life; outside of challenging society to think differently about intestinal disease of course.

Flight to Lukla: March 28

We left Kathmandu today and flew into a mountain side town to begin our trek to base camp. The landing in Lukla may be the most spectacular and exciting of any passenger flight anywhere. The plane flies right into a mountain, literally landing uphill.

Of course, the plane flies right off the mountain downhill when it leaves.

We arrived early in Lukla, walked over rolling terrain that took us mostly downhill for about an hour before stopping in a local teahouse for a lunch of beans, toast, canned ham, coleslaw, cheese and bananas. The food here is different than back home; it's hard to get things fresh, but the local people do a really good job of treating us to the best they can offer.

I think I'm really going to like the Himalaya and the Khumbu region. The people here are some of the most gracious and warm I have ever met. Our porters work hard to carry all of the gear we need. It is amazing that we carry so little compared to them. It is important for expeditions like ours to hire local porters because it adds so much to their economy. Judging from the way they welcome us and the respect they receive from our guides, I'd say they appreciate the opportunity to help us.

Tomorrow we gain some serious elevation: we'll move from about 9,000 feet all the way up to 14,000 feet and Namche Bazaar. This Himalayan town is famous in the cimbing community. I can't wait to see it. We'll spend two nights there and do some day hikes to help us acclimatize. By moving up during the day and then coming down to sleep we can give our bodies what they need in order to adapt to the thinner air. Next post from Namche!

March 25, 2008

After what seemed like a never ending journey, I am in Kathmandu, Nepal. We arrived late last night and went straight to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Leaving Vancouver was hectic. The last two or three days were spent trying to do too much with too little time, and waiting for courier deliveries. The gear we use on Everest is very specialized and hard to buy. We had to order much of it—down suits for up high, a big tent for communications—directly from the manufacturer, Mountain Hardware. The last pieces of gear, and arguably the most important, arrived on a delivery truck only half an hour before we left for the airport. Thanks to Mountain Hardwear for making that happen.

The most direct route between Vancouver and Nepal is through Hong Kong. It’s a little over 14 hours to Hong Kong, then another 5 to Kathmandu. My communications guy, John, and I chose to overnight in Hong Kong to break the trip up and try to get some sleep. Turns out it was a good idea.  We were able to grab a shower, get about eight hours of good sleep and couple of decent meals before leaving the busy Asian hub city. I’ve been to Hong Kong before in my work with the Great Comebacks program and ConvaTec. I’d love to get a chance to wander around the city more. But this trip is about getting to Nepal, and to the top of Everest.

The flight to Kathmandu was uneventful, which is a very good thing. We arrived at around 9:40 pm local time. Walking off the plane a wall of heat and stifling air hits you—this airport has no gates so you descend down a flight of stairs and out onto the tarmac. Kathmandu is a big valley surrounded on all sides by the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range. This seems to trap the heat and humidity, and the smog.  

After a relatively short time waiting to go through immigration and arrange our visas, we were pleasantly surprised to find all of our baggage waiting for us. We collected it up and headed outside to find our transportation to the hotel.

The streets of Kathmandu are narrow. There are no sidewalks. Most don’t have curbs either. Just deep gutters, then tall buildings, four stories or more. It really feels like you’re traveling down the back alleys. But you’re not, because there are very few real two lane roads. And everywhere you go, horns are sounding. They’re not aggressive horns of angry drivers. They are polite gestures from drivers of cars, trucks, buses, rickshaws, taxis, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and just about every other wheeled vehicle, with or without an engine, you can think of.

We’re still trying to get used to the time difference. Kathmandu is 13 hours ahead of home. But when I awoke this morning at 5:30 am, I was rested despite the early hour. I not so quietly asked “John, are you awake?” And when the “I am now” came out from under the snoring, I suggested we head up to the rooftop patio on the hotel to watch the sunrise over the city.

John hasn’t been to Kathmandu before. I have, so I knew the treat he was in for. We went upstairs, out onto the roof and headed higher up to the highest point, and seemingly is the highest point of any of the rooftops around us, to look out at the city of 700,000 people below. I waited patiently in silence for John’s reaction. He must have been awestruck because it took some time for him to say anything.

“Rob?”

“Yah,” I replied.

“This place is magical.”

“Yes, it really is.”

“Even with the never-ending honking of car horns at 6 am.”

March 21, 2008

We leave tomorrow for Everest. For now, I give you this short video.

February 22, 2008

In my line of work I get the pleasure of meeting intestinal disease patients from time to time. It's what makes this whole endeavour possible and provides the motivation to succeed.

This past week, I spent some time with a young man that I'd been e-mailing back and forth with for a while. We'd originally met a while back at an education day in May of 2007 that was put on by the GI Clinic of the BC Children's Hospital and IDEAS. It was great to get to spend some one-on-one time with him again.

It took me a long time to get used to the idea of living life with an ostomy. I tell people I wasn't comfortable with it for the first eight years. I was in my twenties when I had my surgery. Can you imagine going through that kind of life changing experience in your teen years? It's hard enough being a teenager these days, let alone having to deal with being sick, then having surgery that changes the way you go to the bathroom, and living in a society where talking about this sort of stuff isn't really out in the open. IDEAS is working hard to change this, but until that happens, guys like Clinton have to suffer through it.

I've been so focused on physical training and logistics related to the fast-approaching Everest climb that I haven't had any time to think about the mental challenges of what I do. I know going into a climb that there will be times when it will seem very challenging to keep going up. In those times, a person needs to have a little something extra to find inside themselves that gives them the motivation to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Life has a funny way of working out: I needed that interaction with Clinton this week more than he needed it with me. I needed to be reminded why I climb. I needed to be reminded that I'm going to be challenged to the edge of human limits and the images of kids like Clinton, fighting to overcome their challenges, are reason to find that place in all of us that gives the mental strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

February 10, 2008

Sunday morning: what set out to be a mellow training day, just an hour and a half on the bike with a 15 minute run off the bike. As I sit having my chai, checking e-mail, I start thinking I should head out on my mountain bike and see what the trails are like; sounds like a plan, plus it hasn't started raining, so things are looking good.

I get chatting over skype with my buddy Jonathan Caron, Ironman triathlete, just getting caught up. He is down in New Mexico, training, he tends to follow the sun to make sure he can take advantage of good weather training days. We chat for a bit and he lets me know he has to head out for a run, in the desert heat and we can chat later, sounds good I am off for my ride anyway.

So I load up the bike, runners and off to train; I head up to Seymour demonstration forest to hit some trails. For anyone that doesn't live in Vancouver: we have had more snow then usual. So we pull into the parking lot and the snow is pilled up and all over the trails, well too late to abort so I figure why not. When I say we, I am out with my best training partner, my dog Ronin. He is an 8 month old chocolate lab, don't want to let him down.

So we go, what should have been a 1.5 hour wind trainer ride turns into 2 hours on snow cover trails, it was slow with a lot of slipping, sliding and tire spinning, but one great work out and a lot of fun.

At times it was more like that sport they have in Quebec: the winter canoe races, where one foot pushes and the other foot is in the boat or in my case bike. This starts me thinking of Jonathan, he is from Quebec, out on his desert run, me out playing in the snow. Him getting ready for his next Ironman and me getting ready for Everest and I start thinking how much I would rather be training in the cold than in the heat, which might explain why I climb.

Ronin and I get back to my jeep, I change shoes to head out on my 15 min run off the bike, once I hit the snow covered trails I know it is going to be hard to turn around in 7 minutes, an hour and many trails later Ronin and I are back at the car, soaked to the skin and loving every minute. I should see if Jonathan wants to do one of those winter canoe races, hope you had a good run in the heat buddy, I still like those cold mountains better.

If anyone is interested in checking out another athlete living and striving despite Crohn's disease, you have to check out Jonathan, he will amaze you. All I did when I was sick with Crohn's is visit the hospital. Jonathan lives with it and races Ironman, not just races the guy is good, elite level, top-of-the-food-chain, come second overall at Ironman Canada in 2007 good. Check him out at www.jonathancaron.com he is so cool his website is his name, that is sweet!

February 9, 2008

I had a rare day away from serious training today, which gives me some time to update this blog. My communications guy came over from Victoria and we spent much of the day discussing and planning the products we want to develop from the upcoming Everest climb. And of course we took some photos and shot some video so that we can get the story out in an interesting and informative way. So check back soon to see some of the video footage.

I'm really gratefull that I have a coach for training right now. I'm actually registered to race at Ironman Canada in August, which means that much of my training right now is going to serve two purposes: the first, getting me to the top of the world and back down safely, and the second, getting me to Penticton and across that finish line. Triathlon training has proven to be really good cross-training for my climbing. I feel really priviledged to be training under a great coach with tons of experience, Clint Lien through Peter Reid Peak Performance. That's a mouthfull so I'll be saying PRPP from now on.

Anyway, Coach Clint has me on a great program that is custom tailored for me and fits in all my weight sessions at Fitness World. Normally you don't do to much weight training when you're training for Ironman; a little certainly helps, but not too much, you don't want to put too much weight on for triathlon. But because I'm going to Everest, I need to have some strength and bulk because I can expect to lose a fair amount of weight on the mountain. So right now, it's a big mix running, swimming and biking with weight training too. I have to manage my body very carefully from here on in. Everest is a little over two months away, I can't afford to get sick. My coach keeps me in check, it's been really good for my training.

January 12, 2008

Rob was recently featured on CBC's The National and on CBC Radio One. Here's what he had to say about this experience:

It is always sad when someone you look up to passes on. The climbing world is mourning the recent loss of Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealander who along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, became the first two people to stand on top of the world. Hillary went on to be instrumental in transforming the lives of sherpas in the region through his charity work for one of the world's poorest regions. I had just walked through the door from training when the CBC called to get me on their shows. I hadn't heard about Hillary's passing. I felt like someone punched me in the stomach. How do you talk about someone you've never met but can't help feeling a deep respect and admiration for? Going into Everest will be something special. Hillary's impact on the climbing world will definitely be at the forefront of my mind.