Rest Day @ Camp 2 (Day 21)

Our tent worked out great, despite our original skepticism, and allowed us another good night of sleep. Geoff and I spent the entire morning watching movies and editing pictures on my iPad. Garrett popped in our tent and we ended up chatting for about an hour,...
Move to Camp 2 (Day 20)

Move to Camp 2 (Day 20)

Two great nights of sleep in a row! Sleep is so critical in the mountains to maintain health, as well as peak physical and mental performance. I regularly check my O2 saturation and I’m currently running around 65%. This might sound alarming to most but considering...
Rest Day @ Camp 1 (Day 19)

Rest Day @ Camp 1 (Day 19)

It’s amazing what good sleep does for your psyche. Usually, sleep when moving up in elevation can be a real challenge, especially during the first night and when making a big leap, like 4,000 vertical feet. My night’s sleep was just the opposite of difficult, I was...

A Sobering Reminder (Day 18)

I’ve always done my best to be honest with you, regarding the events that transpire on the mountain and how they affect my psyche. What you read is my personal journal, I don’t keep any side records. The problem with this approach is that my emotions are tied to these...
1st Rotation (Day 17)

1st Rotation (Day 17)

I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous before a climb, especially on the “Mountain of Mountains”. The nerves are some combination of the eager butterflies before a football game, self doubt, and fear of the unknown. For that reason, I have a kind of ritual...
Remembering the Past (Day 16)

Remembering the Past (Day 16)

First things first. I want to wish my wonderful Sister a happy birthday! Even though she is 2 1/2 years younger than me, she has always been my rock. Believe it or not, when I was younger, I was incredibly shy. At the ages of 6 and 4, I was often too afraid to ask...