Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Antarctica: Vinson Massif


Vinson Massif is the tallest mountain in Antarctica at 16500 feet, making it one of the famed 'Seven Summits.' It was named after US congressman Carl G. Vinson, one of the first government officials to push for an exploration of Antarctica. The first ascent involved a team of four explorers and scientists led by Nicolas Clinch in 1966. Climbing was commercialized in 1985, when Adventure Network International began guiding peoeple to the top, a contract which is now valued around $33000.

This mountain is only about 700 nautical miles from the South pole, which means that the weather and cool temperature are the largest obstacles for alpinists who want to climb the mountain (the mean summer temperature on the Antarctic ice cap is -30 degrees). It is heralded by experienced climbers as the most pristine of the Seven Summits, and provides a view into the vastness of the Antarctic interior. Due to the intensity of the weather during most of the year, any Vinson ascent must occur during February. Interestinly, there are no permits required to summit this mountain. The main cost of climbing is an expensive flight from the southern tip of South America, a service which is monopolized by climbing companies.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Achieving goals...


So I realize that some people who come and visit this site are probably thinking that anyone can say that they or going to climb Everest, or even make a blog about it. A statement of grand intent must carry with it a testament to my own ability. So what can I say to convince my audience that I have a reasonable chance of accomplishing my goals? I can assure them, for one, that I am going to the gym at least four days a week, running 3 to 5 miles at a time and maintaining a healthy diet. But more than that, I want to convince those who are interested by my endeaver that I am capable of accomplishing a goal. There are many I've come across in my life, including myself, who talk big but don't deliver. A good friend once started a business, only to quit after three weeks because he did not want to put in a lot of effort for small start-up return.

My teachers always taught me that people who go places in life must be goal oriented. While Everest is the ultimate goal, I figured out I would start with something more immediately achievable. In my last post, I talked about climbing Denali. Even before that however, I have set another goal for the remaining three weeks of my summer: I am going to build a boat.



The model I have in mind is called the Swift Swoose, and was retrieved online. It is a 10 foot boat with a streamline twin hull which seems fairly easy to make, albeit the sparsely written directions. Building this boat before the beginning of the school year will show both me, and hopefully my audience, my ability to accomplish the goals which I set. I will keep you posted.

Monday, August 3, 2009

U.S.: Denali


Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is the tallest mountain in the U.S. at about 20,300 feet. While Everest is higher above sea level, Denali has greater volume and rise (Everest climbers start on top of the Tibetan plateau at about 17,000 feet. Frederick Cook, who heralded himself as the first man to reach the North pole in 1908, claimed the first ascent of the mountain in 1906. It was later discovered from journal sketches that Cook had reached a lower peak, paving the way for Hudson Stuck who climbed to the main peak in 1913 and likened the view to looking down from heaven.

Many climbers use Denali as a stepping stone to higher mountains, such as the Himalayas, due to its relatively good weather and ease of access. Several companies such as Alpine Adventures offer Denali climbs for prices in the 6000 dollar range. While certainly not cheap, this beats the 65000 that is usually charged for an Everest climb. Given these aspects I have decided to climb Denali in the summer of 2010, provided I can raise 6000 to climb the mountain and another 4000 for travel, gear and a prerequisite course on climbing. This should be good preparation for my potential Everest trip, and an interesting trip in general to the tallest mountain in North America.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Chile/Argentina: Cerro Torre


Many mountaineers view Cerro Torre as the most difficult to climb in the world. It sits at the southern edge of the Patagonian Region. Ceasare Maestre lay claim to the first ascent of this mountain in 1959, although his claims are among the most controversial in the mountaineering world. The mountain is notorious for its bad weather and pin-like shape, and has been ascended less than 100 times. Recent challanges have involved finding a new route to the top, all of which involve steep granite faces.

There was a great deal of skepticism about Maestre's initial claim to ascent. A climb of such magnitude done in alpine style in such bad weather seemed unlikely given the state of the art of alpinism in 1959. Maestre attempted the climb again in 1970 with the help of over 100 locals and a compressible bolt gun, which fires a bolt with a preclipped hanger directly into the rock. The bolt gun is viewed by many mountaineers to defy the mindset of mountaineering--to respect the forces at nature. Many climbers at the time felt that Maestre had 'desacrated' the mountain. To this day, his initial claim to ascent is still doubted, with his further ascent in 1970 simply adding another complication.

While Everest has certainly seeped a lot of fame in the non-climbing world, it is difficult technical and weather-plagued climbs like Cerro Torre which inspire awe in even the most accomplished Alpinists.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Goal

In my reading on Mt. Everest I came across a webpage for an eighteen year old girl who has already climbed the tallest mountain on every continent. Albeit the girl, Samantha Larson, had a father who was already an experienced climber, there is still something to say about finding out that someone your age has already accomplished your own dreams and then some. Nonetheless, the fact that she climbed these mountains gives me a firmer belief in my own capability. But what does it mean for my own goals? Do I have to raise the ante of my own dreams? Has glory been seeped or made more acessible? I guess I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that there is always someone better than you at anything you do. Whether this is good or not is up to you, but it often does not seem to bide well with ourNeanderthal tendencies towards competition.

Anyway, a browsing of other blogs tell me that adventuring the world or climbing mountains just don't cut it when it comes to public interest. Audiences seem to like tangible goals and paths that they can follow there. It is for this reason that I have decided to make a declaration: I will climb Mt. Everest in March 2010. That is to say, I am going to do everything in my power to get to the top of this mountain before I reach drinking age. I have no money. I have very little climbing experience. Thus, the internet is one of my only means to solicit support and advice.

With a computer, camera and a dream I am curious to see whether the childhood mantra--that someone can do anything they set their mind to--will hold true.

Uganda: Mt. Stanley


In 1888 African explorer Henry Morton Stanley saw a peculiar looking cloud in an otherwise unobstructed Ugandan sky. While he eventually realized that this object was not a cloud, but the sixth tallest mountain in America, the mountain was not fully ascended until 1906 when Luigi Amedeo, an Italian prince and mountaineer led the first successful mission to the top. Where dense vegetation and disease made climbing the mountain, it is now plagued by political turmoil. Since Museveni took power in 1986, rebel uprisings have diminished, but reports of "cannibals with AK-47s" still circulate today.

Mt. Stanley is one of the only peaks in Africa which still contains extensive glaciation. The mountain consists of two twin summits at around 16,700 feet and several smaller peaks that are all part of the Rwenzori range. It is often hailed as one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, and is located involves a 6 day hike through the wilderness that prompted made Amedeo feel like he was in a different world:

“No forest can be grimmer and stranger than this. The vegetation seems primeval, of some period when forms were uncertain and provisory. The silence is profound, and the absence of any sign of life completes the image of a remote age before the beginning of animal existence.”

PS. If anyone has any advice, comments or requests for what they would like to see on mountain descriptions or this blog in general feel free to post.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

US: Mt. Whitney


As part an educational branch to my blog I am going to try to make a daily post on a specific mountain with a brief descriptive paragraph. Today I decided to talk about Mt. Whitney. Whitney was named after the famous explorer and geologist Josiah Whitney, who in 1860 led the first effort towards a comprehensive geological survey of the state of California. Located in Sequoia National Park, Whitney is the tallest mountain in the U.S. at an elevation of 14,505 ft. Interestingly, this mountain is within 100 miles of Death Valley, which contains the lowest point in the US at 262 feet below sea level.


Without any requirements for technical climbing, this mountain is the most ascended member of the Sierras. In fact, the trail used to become so crowded that the National Park Service has issued a permit requirement to any hikers that venture beyond the base. Crampons and ice axes may be needed while climbing during the off summer season. The hike to the top is 11 miles, and during the summer month well fit climbers have been known to reach the summit and then come back in a single day. Given that Whitney consists primarily of exposed granite without perils such as glaciers and with an otherwise unimpressive view, many experienced climbers lack interest in this mountain.

Humpback Pictures

While the main focus of this blog is my mountain climbing goals, I could not miss the opportunity to share another one of my passions--nature photography--especially since I was given a great opportunity to take pictures last Saturday.

Part of my job in marine research involves perks such as watching humpback whales get tagged in Stelwagon Bank Marine Sanctuary. You never really realize how big a whale is until you see it up close.
These photos were taken by my personal camera, a Canon XSI, with a 55-200mm lens. Note: the tagging activities depicted in these photos are sanctioned by NOAA and the federal government.

Humpbacks are part of a group of whales known as lunge feeders. These animals, which are among the most intelligent in the cetacean family, will often feed cooperatively. They swim in tight circles underwater, gathering choice fish (usually American Sand Lance) which they then force to the top of the water column with giant bubbles of air. Then, each whale takes a turn swimming to the top, taking a giant gulp of water, and forcing it out with a tongue that can weigh more than an elephant. Breaching, the moment when the whale breaks the surface, is a coveted shot in nature photography. Unfortunately, it is notoriously hard to capture on film because it is very difficult to ascertain where the whale will emerge. More pictures coming soon.

First post

Hey,

I am a motivated college student who has always wanted to travel around the world. This blog was created a a tangible way to meet my goals, where I could chronicle the steps to my dreams with the world as an audience and a source of hope at times when the vision of my future seems impossible. My goal right now is to climb Mt. Everest, which has been an object of fascination since my childhood. As an amateur photographer, I intend to photograph my journey, with a lot of side tracks along the way.

My current training consists of lifting weights and running four days a week, which additionally helps in college athletics, where I am vice president of the University Rugby Team. I plan to enroll in a climbing class this school year, although my residence in Florida means that anything that I climb will be artificial. This only gives me more inspiration to transcend the boundaries of my daily world. While I love the area where I go to school, and the options it gives me as a major in marine science, I am constantly irked by the feeling that what I see is only the surface of worldly experience. In addition to taking classes, I am also surrounding myself with literature on Mt. Everest and climbing in general. I was particularly enticed by Into Thin Air, an Everest narrative by Jon Krakauer which--among the immense pain of life's lost on the mountain, and challenges endured to reach the summit--depicts a feeling which cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Anyway, this blog will include everything from personal photographs to book reviews to documentation on my progress. I am trying to live under the mantra that anyone who sets their mind to a goal can accomplish it, but am not so naive to think that I can climb the tallest mountain in the world without outside aid. It is ultimately my audience--family, friends and readers who believe in me--that will push me to the top. This is why I welcome advice and suggestions.

Pictures and progress coming soon.