USAF 7 Summits Challenge

Departing for Sydney, Australia

2011-09-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

Mt. Kosciuszko

7,310ft / 2228m New South Wales, Australia

We will update this blog and Facebook pages as the trip progresses. Stay tuned! And please spread the word to a friend, family, or co-worker. We want all Americans to know about this program, about our pride in being military members, and our desire to put the USA into the record books!

The highest peak on the Australian continent, Mt. Kosciuszko is the sixth peak in the USAF 7 Summits Challenge. Several Air Force members departed for Australia on Sept 26th, with the plan to meet with at least five more US Air Force members on Oct 4th for the climb. It is early spring in Australia, so conditions are expected to be cool, wet, and snow covered for the most part.

For the first time ever, the USAF 7 Summits team will be joined by members of the host country's armed forces. Several Australian Air Force and Army members will hike to the summit with our team- a classic show of unity and friendship between the two countries. It will make for an excellent 'combined forces' effort on what is the sixth peak in a bold and historic attempt to reach the highest peak on each continent.

If successful, the team will be just one peak away from making the US Air Force the first military in the world to have its flag flown from the summit of the famed '7 Summits'. This group of active duty Airmen is not funded by the USAF or DoD. Rather they use their own money and time to climb. By spreading goodwill and generating positive press about the Air Force, they hope to boost pride among military members and give the American public a program to rally around. They also climb in memory of fallen Air Force colleagues who have died in the line of duty since 9/11. On the summit of each peak, the climbers do pushups to honor the dead and to highlight the Air Force's focus on physical fitness.

--==Climb High, Fly Low==-- Rob Marshall

CLIMB RECAP OF MT. VINSON, ANTARCTICA

2010-12-19T15:41:00.000-06:00

Hello USAF 7 Summits supporters!! It's great to be back in the ol' USA. After several hot showers/baths, our bodies are ready to relax to the idea we are going to be frostbitten for not wearing gloves or covering our faces up! What an amazing experience the trip to Antarctica was. We've said many times that it was the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on Mars or the Moon.... the landscape and overall environment was otherworldly, to say the least. Of course, the adjective "beautiful" also sums things up nicely.

CLICK HERE FOR WEB GALLERY

On Dec 9th, 2010, team members of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge reached the summit of Antarctica's highest peak, Mt. Vinson. They were lucky to fly onto the Antarctic continent as scheduled, riding a Russian IL-76 cargo aircraft from Punta Arenas, Chile to the new blue-ice runway of Union Glacier. Upon stepping off the airplane, it was clear to the climbers this continent was as close to visiting another planet as they would get. Only three colors ruled the visible images: blue (ice and sky), white (snow), and a blackish/brown (rocks, depths of crevasses, shadows). After one night in a semi-permanent tent near the runway, the team flew onto Vinson Base Camp (~7,500ft) via a Twin Otter aircraft. The flight out was one of the most beautiful and inspiring- a serious claim for pilots that have flown throughout the world.

Upon landing on the Branscombe Glacier, the climb truly began. Camp was established and preparations for the movement up the mountain began. The following morning, the first 'carry' (transporting supplies to a cache higher on the mountain) was accomplished to Camp 1, aka Low Camp. Traveling up and down the Branscombe Glacier there were several open and very deep glaciers, but excellent weather made the carry go smoothly. Luckily temperatures throughout the climb were not as cold as they could have been. Between Union Glacier and Vinson Base Camp, temps were roughly in the 10F to 20F range. However, the 24hr sun baked everyone on the mountain, requiring dozens of sunscreen applications and the covering of as much skin as possible. While sunburn became an issue, it was a far better problem to face than frostbite!

The following day, the camp at Vinson Base was taken apart and the team moved to Low Camp, where they had established the beginnings of a camp earlier. Little did they know they would spend the next week there due to bad weather. This camp is just below 10,000ft, at the base of a steep icefall and face that leads directly to High Camp. Blocks of snow and ice were cut from around camp to build a protective wall around the tents. The following day, the team ascended the steep face using fixed ropes to reach High Camp at ~12,500ft. Views from the steep face were arguably the best of the trip.

A cache of gear was left at High Camp, with the plans to return in 36hrs on the way to the summit. However, a low-pressure system moved over the entire Ellsworth Mountain Range, bringing low visibility and high winds. Weather at Low Camp wasn't bad at first, but the two teams pinned at High Camp experienced winds in excess of 50mph and low temperatures. At Low Camp, ambient temperatures averaged around 10F, with temps dipping below -0F on occasion. Of course, any small wind made the windchill significant. After several days of waiting, a return to Vinson Base Camp was necessary to replenish food and fuel supplies from a cache left below. Upon return, the resupply team found Low Camp immersed in a powerful storm blowing snow at 30mph and reducing visibility to 20ft. Over the next 18hrs, climbers on the mountain reinforced snow walls and hunkered down in tents. Two tents in our climbing team's group had poles break, but they were repaired the following morning. As hoped, the strong wind storm disrupted the stagnant weather system and soon after the weather began to improve.

Two days later, after six days of poor weather, the team moved to High Camp. The window for reaching the summit was closing on the team due to diminishing supplies and return flights to Union Glacier and then Chile. However, the weather was perfect for a summit attempt, so on the 9th of Dec, the team struck out from High Camp for the summit of Antarctica. Temps were -8F leaving High Camp and there was only light wind on the ascent. Approx 1000ft short of the summit, the team decided to turn off the main approach route in favor of a more challenging variation to the summit. It took them up part of the Vinson headwall to a rocky ridgeline, offering amazing views of Low Camp, the Branscombe Glacier leading to Base, and all the rugged peaks in the area. Finally, after roughly 8hrs of work, the team reached the 16,077ft summit at the bottom of the world. Temps were approx -15F with very little wind- perfect for summit high fives, photos, and of course pushups.

After 40 minutes of celebration on the summit, the team made a quick return to Camp 2, slept, then packed up and high-tailed it in one long day to Vinson Base. Weather was quickly rolling in and the opportunity for the Twin Otter to land on the snow was soon to be gone. Carrying loaded backpacks and later dragging laden sleds, the team descended the steep face via ropes, dug out gear at Low Camp, and then wound back through the crevasse fields just in time to catch the last Twin Otter. The next three days were spent awaiting better weather at the semi-permanent Union Glacier camp. Finally, the weather broke and the IL-76 landed on the long blue-ice sheet, ready to return the climbers to civilization.

We'd like to thank the companies that donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation on behalf of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge: Antarctica. Click on the link to learn more about them, or check out our charity page (currently updating).

Bell Helicopter, BAE, Helen Back Cafe, ResortQuest, CrossFit Fort Bragg.

Additionally, a special thanks to Capt. H.H. for the impressive push-up challenge pledge. This individual pledged over $2000 to the Special Ops Warrior Foundation on her own.

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

Ready for Exfil!

2010-12-13T20:40:00.000-06:00

Rob just called and said the weather has improved and the airplane is on its way from Chile. They planned on departing Union Glacier at 2300 which will hopefully put them back in Punta Arenas at 0300. They've been playing cards, reading, and eating backup rations to help pass the time and can't wait to get back. They plan to continue on to Santiago, Miami and home as soon as possible. -Mark

Stuck at Union Glacier

2010-12-11T21:44:00.000-06:00

Rob and Graydon are stuck in Antarctica, despite their valiant efforts yesterday to make it back to Union Glacier in time for their flight back to Chile. The forecast is keeping the IL76 from leaving Chile to come get them. Our guys are first in line though, so as soon as the weather is good enough, they'll be heading home. -Mark

All the Way to Union Glacier

2010-12-10T21:21:00.000-06:00

Our team woke up early today, broke camp and descended the fixed ropes before the sun was out. They recovered their cache, loaded up their sleds and moved as fast as they could back to base camp. They were racing the weather, but made it in time to get the twin otter flight back to the Union Glacier. The weather caught up with them there though, and now they've got to wait for the IL76 to be able to make it in. -Mark

USAF7Summits Team Reaches Summit of Mt. Vinson!

2010-12-09T23:12:00.000-06:00

Our team made an 8-hour push to the summit of Mt. Vinson at 1720 today, December 9th. Rob said the weather could not have been better. Temps were approximately -10F to -15F, and the wind was calm. Our team completed a variation of the regular route and climbed the Vinson headwall to a great ridge that took them to the top. The climbing was "phenomenal," and at the summit, the team flew Old Glory, the USAF flag and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation banner. Rob wants to thank all of the donors who supported them on this epic journey. The legendary climbing guide Phil Ershler and Rob teamed up and cranked out 110 push-ups on the summit!

When I spoke to the guys, they were getting ready to rack out at Camp 2. They plan on getting a brief rest tonight and then they are going to pack up and haul ass down the fixed ropes to base camp. From there they will catch the twin otter to Union Glacier and then fly off the ice. Rob said he's ready for a hot shower, and Graydon said today was awesome; he really loved the Ershler variation they climbed to the summit.

Biggest hurdle left for our guys is getting back to base camp before the next storm roles in. Let's hope they don't have any extra tent time! -Mark

Going For It!

2010-12-09T00:44:00.001-06:00

Rob and Graydon moved up to high camp today. Rob said its beautiful at the 12,500' camp but cold (-10F). They plan on making a summit attempt tomorrow (9 Dec) and hope to be on top around 2pm Eastern time. If all goes well, they'll make a hasty retreat and attempt to catch a flight off the ice on 10 Dec! -Mark

Ready to Move

2010-12-07T23:08:00.000-06:00

Our team had to stay put at Camp 1 today due to high winds persisting higher up on the mountain. They plan on moving to high camp tomorrow and the forecast looks good for a summit push the next day. -Mark

Survived the Storm

2010-12-06T23:39:00.000-06:00

Strong winds and blowing snow slammed our team. "Heinous" blasts of Antarctic air broke poles in two separate tents despite the thick snow walls the team built to protect them. The wind was strong, and the tents flexed almost touching Rob and Graydon's faces. Rob thinks the storm may have blown itself out tonight though. He said it was calm now but very cold. The forecast is calling for better weather, and the team may push up the mountain tomorrow. -Mark

Getting Nuked

2010-12-05T22:18:00.001-06:00

Rob said high winds and blowing snow have moved in on the team. They're still holding at Camp 1, but they did complete a resupply run down to base camp today. They'll be staying put now until the weather breaks. -Mark

Weather Hold

2010-12-05T15:57:00.000-06:00

Rob and Graydon are staying put at Camp 1 until the weather outlook improves. They are enjoying light winds and mild temperatures, but there are strong winds higher up the mountain. They've taken the opportunity to practice their mountaineering skills such as cramponing, rope travel, anchors and belays.
-Mark

Rest Day

2010-12-03T01:34:00.001-06:00

Graydon reported that December 2nd was a rest day. The weather was great again and the team took the opportunity to improve the snow walls protecting their tents. They'll stay put at Camp 1 tomorrow and wait for a good weather window before they move to the upper mountain. Graydon and Rob are both feeling better. Graydon also said the views descending the fixed ropes yesterday were "spectacular." -Mark

Carry to Camp 2 Complete

2010-12-03T01:23:00.000-06:00

Rob did actually call last night; it was 2am his time and he said the sun was still very intense. The team completed the carry to Camp 2, which they said was long and tiring. He and Graydon are fighting colds, but are looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. -Mark

No News is Good News

2010-12-01T22:10:00.000-06:00

Well, sorry, but I didn't hear from Rob today. Don't worry though, because when it comes to expeditions, we always say no news is good news. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything. -Mark

Team Settled at Camp 1

2010-11-30T21:03:00.000-06:00

Rob said that the move to Camp 1 took 5 hours today. It was 0 degrees Fahrenheit and breezy in the morning. Fortunately, though, the wind died down, and it turned out to be another great day. Tomorrow the plan is to carry up to Camp 2, but the forecast is calling for winds that may keep the team bound to their tents. -Mark

"Another Perfect Day"

2010-11-29T20:44:00.000-06:00

Rob reports today was "another perfect day." He said the carry to Camp 1 was an "exhausting" 5-hour push, but besides being tired tonight, Rob and Graydon are both doing great! They plan on moving up to Camp 1 tomorrow. -Mark

Team at Vinson Base Camp

2010-11-28T19:56:00.001-06:00

Rob just called and reported that the flight from Union Glacier to Vinson Base Camp on the Twin Otter was the "greatest airplane ride ever," and the flight over the sea of ice was "magical." At Vinson Base they were treated to light winds, lots of sunshine, and a hamburger dinner. Rob says the sun feels really intense and they are applying sunscreen every hour or so to protect their faces from sunburn. Tomorrow they plan to make a 6-7 hour carry up to Camp 1. -Mark

First Report from the Ice - Rob and Graydon Land at Union Glacier!

2010-11-28T00:01:00.004-06:00

Great news! I just received the first call from Antarctica. After a 4-hour flight, Rob and Graydon landed on Union Glacier at 11pm. They will sleep there tonight, and tomorrow they are looking forward to making the 1-hour flight to Vinson Base Camp in a Twin Otter.

The satellite phone reception was great. Rob and Graydon both sounded like they were in high spirits and were really excited to be there. Stay tuned for more...

-Mark

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

Ready to Fly to Ice

2010-11-27T11:27:00.000-06:00

This may be the last update we send until returning, as we are preparing to depart for Antarctica this afternoon. The last day and a half in Punta Arenas, Chile, has been a great chance to do a final sort of gear, get some sleep, and mentally prepare for the trip ahead. Yesterday the IL-76 made a cargo run to the Union Glacier ice strip and safely returned. The weather today is forecasted to be acceptable for another flight, however the winds are currently too strong on the glacier. In an hour we will receive another update from the logistics company as to whether or not we launch, but chances are likely we do. It is a four hour flight in the Russian cargo aircraft to the 'blue ice' runway. If we do make it this afternoon, we plan on making camp at Union Glacier, then flying via Twin Otter tomorrow morning to the base of Mt. Vinson. Since we like to think positively, if that goes well, we even plan to make our first gear carry up to Camp 1 and then return to sleep at the Vinson base camp the same day (tomorrow, 28 Nov). I'm (Rob) fighting a bit of a cold I picked up from the many nights of little sleep brought on by the last week of prep, long days at work, and travel down here, but it should be kicked soon. Either way, it won't slow me down. Graydon is feeling great now that he had a few nights of sleep. Our gear is already strapped down on the IL-76 Ilysuhin and we're simply on 'alert', awaiting the phone call to head to the airport.

The mountain will be pretty much empty, as no other mountaineering teams have been flown out yet. Other than our group of climbers lead by the famous Phil Ershler, there is a small brother and sister group who has two guides with them (including well known guide Wally Berg). That appears to be the extent of climbers heading to Antarctica at this time. I look forward to the relative solitude of such a small number of people in the area.

Attached are some photos from the slideshow we received yesterday from Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. The presentation covered a lot of Antarctic programs- as there is a small number of people flying onto the continent to do research, cross country ski the last 50km to the South Pole, or just spend a few days watching and photographing Emperor Penguins.

If we do leave for the ice today, we'll check in with Capt. Mark Uberuaga via satellite phone once there. He'll then take over updates and occasionally keep you informed as we're able to feed him details. If you have any questions, Mark should be able to answer them or find someone who can, as he's not only a sharp guy, but also spent several years as a professional mountain guide!

Best wishes to everyone on your Thanksgiving weekend. (Sorry to hear Boise State choked and lost!)

Cheers,

Rob Marshall and Graydon Muller
USAF 7 Summits Challenge: ANTARCTICA

Charity Inspiration

2010-11-26T06:16:00.000-06:00

Just woke up after a restful sleep here in Punta Arenas. Looking forward to a hot breakfast and then a meeting with Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions. It's mostly sunny here, windy, and just slightly chilly- nice.

I wanted to write about two people who recently made donations/pledges to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation on behalf of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge. The most recent one came from Emma Prior, a high school junior from WI that we met on our flight from Puerto Mott into Punta. She is an exchange student in Chile and after hearing our climbing story, said she wanted to make a SOWF donation. She says, "I'll just give you everything I have right now"... pulls out her little purse and hands Graydon a wad of 6,100 Chilean pesos, roughly $13. The kindness of a stranger can be unbelievably uplifting!

The other donor I'd like to mention will remain 'Anonymous'... this person is of average means, making no more than most people. However he/she wrote us as we were in Miami and said, "I'll give you $25 per summit push up and $35/pushup for each one over 50!" Talk about motivation!! The donations will be made in memory of SrA Danny Sanchez, a Hurlburt Combat Controller who was killed in Afghanistan this Sept. While Danny didn't have any children, the donor says he was an amazing person who could really play the drums well, made them laugh/smile, and they are sad terrorists took him away. There is a chance we'll be able to get a recording or two of Danny going to town on his drum set played on Antarctica... we're told he'd like to be coming on the climb with us, so maybe the drum tribute will let him know he is.

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

Trying to Smell the Ice from Here...

2010-11-25T15:21:00.002-06:00

Arrived in Punta Arenas. Windy! Plane had to go-around due to wind shear. Hotel is literally 70yds from cold, gray Strait of Magellan. All gear arrived in great shape. Breaking it down and resting b/f dinner with others. After we tromp around this unusual and interesting town, we'll update everyone- post some photos. Likely tomorrow morning or so!

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

Bienvenidos

2010-11-25T07:04:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it to Chile! Can I get a little, "CHI CHI CHI".... "LEY LEY LEY"?? Muy bien! The 8hr flight from Miami was easy. Graydon, who only had one hour of sleep the night before, was out quickly. He almost had a huge problem when his night training flight was diverted to Alabama due to dense fog in Florida. Somehow a hole opened up in the fog and he landed back at home base just as the fog came back-- someone's looking out for us.

I told him we needed to get a 'good luck' beer here in Santiago, as we had several of 'em before the Aconcagua climb and that was a great success. So, here we are enjoying a pint of Cristal cerveza. Mmm... delicioso.

Funny side note- we saw two people in line for visas that looked at us and said, "We're on your Vinson trip." I'm thinking- I don't recognize you! But they said they saw a Tweet about our trip and knew it was us by the 'USAF 7 Summits' shirts we are wearing. Funny how that works, I didn't think anyone saw those Tweets. Guess I'll have to keep up with it now! The couple is going with the famous owner of Berg Adventures. Should be a good time for them, but I have to admit getting to spend time with the famous (or infamous?) Phil Ershler is where it's at.

More to come once we get to Punta Arenas. I have some great news about a person who made a sizeable pledge/challenge for the # of pushups knocked out on the summit... it has me motivated! --Rob

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

Solar Success!!

2010-11-20T14:04:00.000-06:00

The team received a set of solar panels from Goal0, a company out of Salt Lake City that wanted to support the Antarctica climb. I don't have much experience with powerful solar cells, so was very surprised when I walked outside today and heard my iPhone start charging before I even set the things up! It's cloudy out today (about time- it's Nov after all) and this little sucker was pumping 7W of juice to the phone, which is quite finicky about the power it receives.

Bottom Line: I'm impressed!! Goal0 started from a guy's need for better power while doing humanitarian work in the Congo. From that came some pretty amazing (light weight) tools. We're going to use one of these Nomad 7's in Antarctica to charge our SAT phone, cameras, and iPods, so we wanted to test it out and get familiar. It passes the test big time. Now to see how it works in -40F!

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

12 Nov, 4pm New Coverages

2010-11-16T09:49:00.003-06:00

Here is more regional TV coverage of the 7 Summits Challenge and Antarctica! The local station has an average audience of ~800,000+ people, so this is fantastic promotion of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Air Force.

--==Climb High, Fly Low==--

AF 7 Summits: Prime Time TV

2010-11-13T12:03:00.003-06:00

We generated some great media coverage on the largest local TV network: WEAR in Pensacola (ABC). Here is a link to the segment they aired last night during the 6 o'clock news. There was another piece on earlier at 4pm, but we don't have that yet. Hopefully we'll have a high-quality copy of this and will then post it to the website.

I've got to tell you- Laura Hussey, the reporter, grabbed that pack full of 65# weight and started walking around with it in high heels on soft dirt. Impressive!! We also got to teach them about the 'rest-step' while shooting the stairmaster part.

Our favorite part is how it ended with the 'Special Operations Warrior Foundation' bit... perfect piece of earned media!

Click below for the WEAR page: http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_12142.shtml

Great Article from Top Local Paper!

2010-11-13T11:43:00.005-06:00

Check out this great article just release from the NW Florida Daily News. It came out on the front page of Saturday's paper, just one day after they interviewed us. I think it's one of the best written we've seen in a very long time!

Click here for the actual article- it includes video and photos.

Veteran's Day: Fun Filing Crampons!

2010-11-11T22:12:00.000-06:00

AF FLAG GOING TO SUMMIT OF ANTARCTICA!!

2010-11-07T10:20:00.003-06:00

We are excited to announce the USAF 7 Summits Challenge will be taking on the fifth peak in its bid to climb the highest peak on each of the Earth's continents. On Nov 24th 2010 (less than a month!), two active duty airmen will take the Air Force flag south to the frozen continent of Antarctica. Over the three week trip, they will endure temperatures averaging -25F in order to climb the 16,067ft Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak. To date, the team has successfully climbed Mt. McKinley (N. America), Mt. Aconcagua (S. America), Mt. Elbrus (Europe), and Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa) and are on track to being the first American military team to climb the famed 7 Summits.

Many of you already know the goal of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge: to not only put the Air Force into the record books, but to give both military members as well as the American public a positive event to rally around. Since the World Cup and the Olympics aren't on these days, cheering on this mountaineering team is an exciting way to get a little dose of patriotism!! We climb in memory of those Airmen that have fallen since 9/11 and in honor of all those who serve, both past and present. Additionally, we want to promote personal fitness and a sense of adventure, as the combination of these encourage people to expand their horizons and challenge themselves physically and mentally.

      The first peak the team climbed was in 2005, after the crash of a USAF MC-130 and the loss of all 9 crewmembers.  However the idea for the project began in 2001 after one of our member's visit to Everest Base Camp.  It was there that the vision of the US Air Force flag flying from atop the highest point in the world was born.  We can think of no better way to showcase the teamwork, camaraderie, pride, fitness, professionalism and drive found in America's Airmen than through this historic challenge.  With your support, we will continue to gain the momentum necessary to climb Mt. Everest and hopefully lay the foundation for an ongoing adventure-fitness program throughout the Air Force.

      There are three important ways to show your support! 

==1st==  If you use Facebook, link to the 'USAF 7 Summits Challenge' page.  Our goal is to reach 1,000 supporters in the next month.  The more support we can raise, the better position we will be to get the Air Force support necessary to climb Everest!

==2nd==  Make a pledge or donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the charity we have supported for the last 5 years.  You can do so at:www.firstgiving.com/USAF7Summits.  Sadly, we’ve seen it in action up close and in person, but it does an amazing job to help families when a love one is lost working in the dangerous Special Operations community.  To date we’ve raised nearly $50,000 and we hope to double that soon!

==3rd==  PASS THIS ALONG!  Forward this e-mail to your family/friends/co-workers/anyone!  How can we get people excited about American's pushing their limits and flying the US and Air Force flag around the world if they don't know about it?!  Plus, we're always in need of sponsorship (everything is out of pocket so far), so if you know someone's company that might be interested in advertising through us (fly your company logo from the summit of Antarctica?!), send this their way!

      Thanks for your support, whether you have been with us for the last five years or if this is the first you’ve heard of our program.  We are EXCITED for the opportunity to take on this challenge and sure hope you’re along for the ride, as it’s more fun/rewarding with a crowd!

Re: Final Denali '09 Email

2009-06-10T16:42:00.001-05:00

Hey all- I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU for keeping up with the Denali climb e-mails and sending me your well wishes. I certainly wish all of you could have joined me on this climb, but alas, many of you have your hands full with other exciting things (like new babies and/or jobs!). The good news is that I will one day be returning to Denali for what will hopefully be an uninterrupted climb of the mountain. That means I'll be looking for some good friends to join me!! It was disappointing coming off the mountain early, but at least there is always an upside to it. It is a truly amazing part of the world and I think you'd all enjoy it. Who knows when I will return- hopefully in the next two years or so (depending on other climbs in Asia, Antarctica, Australia, or back to S. America). I'll make sure to let you know!

Pictures of the climb can be found at: www.flickr.com/photos/sundownr01/sets

Also, thanks to those of you that were able to make a donation to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. This climb raised almost $2000 for the SOWF, which is great considering my last second attempt to generate interest!

I'm still in Vegas, waiting for the chance to fly back to Florida. For those of you that aren't in Florida (almost all of you...), I hope to get the chance to visit you over the next month or later in the year as winter approaches since I miss hanging out! Until then, I wish you all the best of luck and health. Congratulations to all the new moms & dads out there!! Take care and keep in touch...

Love and High Fives- Rob

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 7:28 AM, Mark Uberuaga <markuberuaga@hotmail.com> wrote:

A final note from Lara:

Hello Everyone,

      This will be the last time you will open you inbox and see my Denali '09 emails, just waiting to be opened. A sad moment, i know but I hope there will be more emails to comprise and more memories to share with you all.

Let's do a quick recap, shall we?
     June 4th: After a long a tedious day of walking in the Kahiltna glacier the group finally arrived at Base Camp at 10:30 PM. Dehydrated, hungry, wet and amazingly tired, the Team set up the tents under a misty veil of rain, then proceeded to melt some snow and a prepare (hardly) a healthy dinner consisting of cold tuna. The survivors of this long march went to bed, then they were tucked in bed by the strong and unforgiving harms of Morfeo.
     June 5th: The team woke up to a foggy day with visibility no more than 100 to 200 feet, as expected, no planes will be landing today. Everybody spent the day in a semi-lethargy state of laziness. The highlight of the day was breakfast of turkey burgers cooked by Karim, yes you read correctly, Karim was cooking. I wonder if maybe this will inspire him to cook more meals when he gets home!... Not likely. During the rest of the day however, there were no change on the weather. So unfortunately to our climbers they would have to spend another day on the nonamusing base camp.
     June 6th: Our team awoke to sunny skies and in record time everything was packed and ready to go. The first flight took Karim, Tim, John and Andrew, while Dan followed 45 min later in the last flight. by noon the team was in Talkeetna sorting and drying all the gear in the backyard of the hostel. Then the team spent the rest of the day taking much needed showers, eating burgers, calling families, eating ice cream, checking out whit the park services, eating pizza, and etc.
     June 7th: The team woke up from a deep and renewing sleep, and took care of the first necessity of they day...eating breakfast (of course), after that they finished to packing and were picked up by the shuttle van that would take them to Anchorage. They made a stop in Wasilla, Alaska and met Ralph and his wife Susan, then continued directly to the airport to drop off Dan for his flight home, finally arriving at Anchorage's hostel where they will stay until their time of departure comes.

      Basically everybody is packed and counting the hours for their respective flights.

I need to be honest and tell you that what I know about Tom Mahoilc and Tom Valentine is what my father has told us at home, so I asked Art and Will to send me some information about them. What they send me is very special and I want to share it with all of you.

"Thom Maholic! He was my best friend and could always count on him. I miss him every day and have no doubt that he would have been on that mountain as well carrying someone else's memory...

Thom Maholic was killed on 26 June 2006 in the Kadahar Providence of Afghanistan. He had risen to the rank of Master Sergeant and was the Team Sergeant for ODA 765, an elite Special Forces "Scuba Team" of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) when he was Killed In Action. Thom was so well liked in the Special Operations Community, the Firebase he had been operating out of at the time of his death was called Firebase Ghecko. It is now named Firebase Maholic.

Thom was an athlete by all means with a very competitive spirit but usually not with others but more competitive with himself. He liked to find "his limits" and push them a little further. Thom enjoyed climbing a small mountain within the Firebase Ghecko area. One day, it was discussed that the next morning, the entire team ODA 765 would climb up it together. To attempt to get one up on Thom, one of the team members decided to get up a little earlier and get climbing it solo before everyone else did it together. To his surprise, half way up, he was met by Thom, who was already on his way back down!!! He was awesome!

Thom was born in Bradford, PA in 1 February 1968. He was the son of the late William Maholic and Dorothy Maholic who survives and lives the spring and summer times in Bradford, PA and winters in Texas. She is a super woman and is very proud of all her children, especially of Thom and his achievements as a young man.
On December 27, 1993 in Bradford, PA, Thom married his high school sweatheart, Wendy. They lived together on Ft. Bragg along with their son, Andrew Gregory, who was born on 3 April 1996. Andrew is quite the athlete like his father and has recently taken a liking to any kind of hockey! (Karim and I are planning to take Andrew up to summit Mt. Rainier, which Thom did in 2001, so he can see what his father has seen from on high!)

Thom graduated Bradford Area High School in the class of 1986. He enlisted in the National Guard after high school and attended Basic combat training and advanced Individual training at Ft. Benning, GA. He later went on to active duty, serving in Panama. He attended the Special Forces Medical Sergeants course in 1993 and spent the remainder of his time in the Special Forces. Thom had graduated from Special Forces Scuba School, Airborne Jump Master's course, the Special Forces Search, Escape, Resist and Evade (SERE) course amongst other courses and certifications. He was an excellent person. A great Husband, father, son, brother and friend. He is deeply missed and very much remembered."
                                                                                    -Art


"Tommy V or "Val" for short was a Man full of life. He had a wife and two young children when he gave his life in a Parachute training accident in Yuma Az last year. He had just returned from his 3nd tour in OIF and had 5 previous tours in OEF. Needless to say he was a seasoned Combat Vet as a Senior Chief Petty Officer/ E-8. He had over 18 years of service in the Seal Teams. He was awarded the Silver star and 3 Bronze stars with Combat V for his actions in Combat thru the years. Many of the actions he was involved in where national headlines. He always had smile and something positive to say. He was a long time Skier and Mountaineer. He summit ed Denali in 2006 with other members of his Team. He was a great man and a true hero. Proud to call him a friend. He is with boys on the climb in spirit for sure."
                                                                      -Will

Thank you both for your words. It really and truly means a lot to me to be able to share just a little of the lives with everyone reading these emails.

Also... For those of you who are interested in knowing a little about the writer behind these emails, I would hate to leave you wondering who i am. So without further ado....
     My name is Lara Mella-Jansen and I have just been promoted to the 11th grade. The thrill that i receive from writing and expressing my own sense of inspiration through words, is what sometimes i do the least. I love reading the classics or pretty much any type of literature. I have yet to know what I would like to study and pursue for the rest of my life... but i am sure i will eventually find it. My favorite hobby is Tennis, it has been the only sport that i ever kept with, between Karate, Ballet, Volleyball, Track and even Triathlons (sorry dad), the only thing that i find totally stress ending is Tennis. I sadly have no brothers and sisters, but i don't mind it much... I really couldn't imagine having to share my amazing parents with anyone else. I am also the biggest animal lover you will ever meet :) I am actually terrible at writing about myself but I hope it wasn't too disappointing.

One thing though, is that i would like to Thank everyone who has helped me along with this experience and I hope you guys have enjoyed reading these emails. I would also like to Thank the team for all your bravery and all you willingness at making a difference, it has shown me that it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do it with all your heart and a little bit of courage, then anything I do can be something great. Thank you again. :)

                                  "As he was drawing near—already on the way
                                  down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude
                                  of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God
                                  with a loud voice for all the mighty works that
                                  they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King
                                  who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in
                                  heaven and glory in the highest!'"
                                                 -Luke 19:37-38

                                                                                        -Lara<3

Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.

Final Denali '09 Email

2009-06-10T06:28:00.001-05:00

A final note from Lara:

Hello Everyone,

      This will be the last time you will open you inbox and see my Denali '09 emails, just waiting to be opened. A sad moment, i know but I hope there will be more emails to comprise and more memories to share with you all.

Let's do a quick recap, shall we?
     June 4th: After a long a tedious day of walking in the Kahiltna glacier the group finally arrived at Base Camp at 10:30 PM. Dehydrated, hungry, wet and amazingly tired, the Team set up the tents under a misty veil of rain, then proceeded to melt some snow and a prepare (hardly) a healthy dinner consisting of cold tuna. The survivors of this long march went to bed, then they were tucked in bed by the strong and unforgiving harms of Morfeo.
     June 5th: The team woke up to a foggy day with visibility no more than 100 to 200 feet, as expected, no planes will be landing today. Everybody spent the day in a semi-lethargy state of laziness. The highlight of the day was breakfast of turkey burgers cooked by Karim, yes you read correctly, Karim was cooking. I wonder if maybe this will inspire him to cook more meals when he gets home!... Not likely. During the rest of the day however, there were no change on the weather. So unfortunately to our climbers they would have to spend another day on the nonamusing base camp.
     June 6th: Our team awoke to sunny skies and in record time everything was packed and ready to go. The first flight took Karim, Tim, John and Andrew, while Dan followed 45 min later in the last flight. by noon the team was in Talkeetna sorting and drying all the gear in the backyard of the hostel. Then the team spent the rest of the day taking much needed showers, eating burgers, calling families, eating ice cream, checking out whit the park services, eating pizza, and etc.
     June 7th: The team woke up from a deep and renewing sleep, and took care of the first necessity of they day...eating breakfast (of course), after that they finished to packing and were picked up by the shuttle van that would take them to Anchorage. They made a stop in Wasilla, Alaska and met Ralph and his wife Susan, then continued directly to the airport to drop off Dan for his flight home, finally arriving at Anchorage's hostel where they will stay until their time of departure comes.

      Basically everybody is packed and counting the hours for their respective flights.

I need to be honest and tell you that what I know about Tom Mahoilc and Tom Valentine is what my father has told us at home, so I asked Art and Will to send me some information about them. What they send me is very special and I want to share it with all of you.

"Thom Maholic! He was my best friend and could always count on him. I miss him every day and have no doubt that he would have been on that mountain as well carrying someone else's memory...

Thom Maholic was killed on 26 June 2006 in the Kadahar Providence of Afghanistan. He had risen to the rank of Master Sergeant and was the Team Sergeant for ODA 765, an elite Special Forces "Scuba Team" of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) when he was Killed In Action. Thom was so well liked in the Special Operations Community, the Firebase he had been operating out of at the time of his death was called Firebase Ghecko. It is now named Firebase Maholic.

Thom was an athlete by all means with a very competitive spirit but usually not with others but more competitive with himself. He liked to find "his limits" and push them a little further. Thom enjoyed climbing a small mountain within the Firebase Ghecko area. One day, it was discussed that the next morning, the entire team ODA 765 would climb up it together. To attempt to get one up on Thom, one of the team members decided to get up a little earlier and get climbing it solo before everyone else did it together. To his surprise, half way up, he was met by Thom, who was already on his way back down!!! He was awesome!

Thom was born in Bradford, PA in 1 February 1968. He was the son of the late William Maholic and Dorothy Maholic who survives and lives the spring and summer times in Bradford, PA and winters in Texas. She is a super woman and is very proud of all her children, especially of Thom and his achievements as a young man.
On December 27, 1993 in Bradford, PA, Thom married his high school sweatheart, Wendy. They lived together on Ft. Bragg along with their son, Andrew Gregory, who was born on 3 April 1996. Andrew is quite the athlete like his father and has recently taken a liking to any kind of hockey! (Karim and I are planning to take Andrew up to summit Mt. Rainier, which Thom did in 2001, so he can see what his father has seen from on high!)

Thom graduated Bradford Area High School in the class of 1986. He enlisted in the National Guard after high school and attended Basic combat training and advanced Individual training at Ft. Benning, GA. He later went on to active duty, serving in Panama. He attended the Special Forces Medical Sergeants course in 1993 and spent the remainder of his time in the Special Forces. Thom had graduated from Special Forces Scuba School, Airborne Jump Master's course, the Special Forces Search, Escape, Resist and Evade (SERE) course amongst other courses and certifications. He was an excellent person. A great Husband, father, son, brother and friend. He is deeply missed and very much remembered."
                                                                                    -Art


"Tommy V or "Val" for short was a Man full of life. He had a wife and two young children when he gave his life in a Parachute training accident in Yuma Az last year. He had just returned from his 3nd tour in OIF and had 5 previous tours in OEF. Needless to say he was a seasoned Combat Vet as a Senior Chief Petty Officer/ E-8. He had over 18 years of service in the Seal Teams. He was awarded the Silver star and 3 Bronze stars with Combat V for his actions in Combat thru the years. Many of the actions he was involved in where national headlines. He always had smile and something positive to say. He was a long time Skier and Mountaineer. He summit ed Denali in 2006 with other members of his Team. He was a great man and a true hero. Proud to call him a friend. He is with boys on the climb in spirit for sure."
                                                                      -Will

Thank you both for your words. It really and truly means a lot to me to be able to share just a little of the lives with everyone reading these emails.

Also... For those of you who are interested in knowing a little about the writer behind these emails, I would hate to leave you wondering who i am. So without further ado....
     My name is Lara Mella-Jansen and I have just been promoted to the 11th grade. The thrill that i receive from writing and expressing my own sense of inspiration through words, is what sometimes i do the least. I love reading the classics or pretty much any type of literature. I have yet to know what I would like to study and pursue for the rest of my life... but i am sure i will eventually find it. My favorite hobby is Tennis, it has been the only sport that i ever kept with, between Karate, Ballet, Volleyball, Track and even Triathlons (sorry dad), the only thing that i find totally stress ending is Tennis. I sadly have no brothers and sisters, but i don't mind it much... I really couldn't imagine having to share my amazing parents with anyone else. I am also the biggest animal lover you will ever meet :) I am actually terrible at writing about myself but I hope it wasn't too disappointing.

One thing though, is that i would like to Thank everyone who has helped me along with this experience and I hope you guys have enjoyed reading these emails. I would also like to Thank the team for all your bravery and all you willingness at making a difference, it has shown me that it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do it with all your heart and a little bit of courage, then anything I do can be something great. Thank you again. :)

                                  "As he was drawing near—already on the way
                                  down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude
                                  of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God
                                  with a loud voice for all the mighty works that
                                  they had seen, saying, 'Blessed is the King
                                  who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in
                                  heaven and glory in the highest!'"
                                                 -Luke 19:37-38

                                                                                        -Lara<3

Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.

Summit!

2009-06-04T22:48:00.001-05:00

Great news from Lara:

This is it! Our team has summited Denali successfully! Congratulations One Voice One Call, you have finally reached your goal!

June 4, 2009 Thursday
I received a call from my father today informing me of their very happy news. Only three of our team were able to summit though, (out of the original 6) they were: Karim, Tim, and Andrew. Dan stayed at camp 17000 with symptoms of dehydration. With the Lord's protection, yesterday at 7:20 pm they summited Mt. Denali. Even though they were only 3 physically, the team felt the presence of two more souls at that mountain top. Thomas Maholic and Thomas Valentine were present in the hearts and memories of their friends. This is where our team realized that our greatest heroes will always live on, through their actions, words, and their remembrance. Not only has the group reached their goal of summiting to the top, but they have also fulfilled their call. Looking out at the Mountain range surrounding them, the team took pictures of the majestically, icy landscape and smiled at each other. The unrealistic beauty of the blue-white snow peaks seemed to smile back too. Pulling themselves away from the image of staying on that summit forever, they packed up their cameras and pictures and started to descend back down to their camp. On their way down they met up with the Dutch group that they had previously met at camp 14000 during the storm. Many congratulations and touching words were passed, then the two groups went their own way, our team back to camp 17000, while the Dutch group went up to the summit and to experience the same emotions our team went through just before. Then our team arrived at camp 17000 (where Dan is) at 10:40 pm, they rested, packed up their equipment, and plan to then descend back to 14000 where John is. Finally each of the men will make their way down to base camp and be on their way home, each following their own paths back to civilization.

RE: Rob is Off the Mountain - Team goes for the Summit

2009-06-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

I spoke to Rob last night and again this morning. He arrived at Talkeetna a day ahead of his flight out of Anchorage. With a guide, he went fly-fishing. He said the water was high and cloudy from recent runoffs, but he still managed to land some nice-sized fish. Yesterday evening he caught the train for a three-hour trip to Anchorage, and spent most of the time in an observation car where he met a young doctor with whom he ate dinner once in Anchorage. He caught the red-eye from ANC to Houston, which stopped briefly in Seattle. He expects to be home in Destin this afternoon.
Dad Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Uberuaga [mailto:markuberuaga@hotmail.com]
Sent: Thu 6/4/2009 3:33 AM
To: usaf7summits blog; Marshall, Mark; cmarshallrd@mindspring.com; jetsetvet@hotmail.com; scrapadoo11@hotmail.com; abarr@ucdavis.edu; Sam Glaser; Marcel Bieg; mark.rockefeller@gmail.com; demgm79@gmail.com; helmscp@gmail.com; ferrellje@hotmail.com; courtball@earthlink.net; paqit@hotmail.com; taryn_mcdonald@hotmail.com; rmckinney@bankandoffice.com; Rob Marshall
Subject: Rob is Off the Mountain - Team goes for the Summit

Thursday, June 4:

Rob called yesterday from Talkeetna to let me know he'd made it back off of the mountain safely. We didn't get to talk about the trip much, but he sounded like he was in high spirits.

Below is an update from Lara regarding the rest of the team:

Hello Everyone,

I Just wanted you all to know that the day that we have been waiting for has finally come! Today our men are attempting to summit the mighty Mt. Denali!

June 3, 2009 Wednesday
Today i got a quick message from my father updating me about the previous days. On Monday the Team stayed at Camp 14000 because the weather was still bad. It snowed a lot and was sad to see how Rob said goodbye to the mountain. He left to base camp and is hoping to arrive at Anchorage sometime this week. Good luck Rob and we hope you make a safe and successful descent! Tuesday was the day that our team again packed up all their equipment and moved to camp 17000, John however, had to descent along with Rob. The blisters on his feet got so bad that he couldn't climb the challenging Walking Ridge. It is said that the Ridge is very hazardous, thanks to the high winds and unsteady pathway, also climbers have the feeling of being blown off the mountain (literally!). The group arrived at Camp 17000 at 7 pm after a long and aggressive trek. They quickly made igloos of snow and ice, heated up a quick meal, and rested their tired bodies into a peaceful and deep sleep. Today they woke up excited to actually be thinking in their heads "Today we will reach the top!... Finally!" When my dad left me the message he said that they would be leaving at around 12 pm or 1:00 pm. I will hopefully receive a call tonight informing me of their success and I will send out an email either tonight, or if it's too late, tomorrow! Let's keep them in our thoughts tonight and pray the weather doesn't interfere.

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Rob is Off the Mountain - Team goes for the Summit

2009-06-04T05:33:00.001-05:00

Thursday, June 4:

Rob called yesterday from Talkeetna to let me know he'd made it back off of the mountain safely. We didn't get to talk about the trip much, but he sounded like he was in high spirits.

Below is an update from Lara regarding the rest of the team:

Hello Everyone,

I Just wanted you all to know that the day that we have been waiting for has finally come! Today our men are attempting to summit the mighty Mt. Denali!

June 3, 2009 Wednesday
Today i got a quick message from my father updating me about the previous days. On Monday the Team stayed at Camp 14000 because the weather was still bad. It snowed a lot and was sad to see how Rob said goodbye to the mountain. He left to base camp and is hoping to arrive at Anchorage sometime this week. Good luck Rob and we hope you make a safe and successful descent! Tuesday was the day that our team again packed up all their equipment and moved to camp 17000, John however, had to descent along with Rob. The blisters on his feet got so bad that he couldn't climb the challenging Walking Ridge. It is said that the Ridge is very hazardous, thanks to the high winds and unsteady pathway, also climbers have the feeling of being blown off the mountain (literally!). The group arrived at Camp 17000 at 7 pm after a long and aggressive trek. They quickly made igloos of snow and ice, heated up a quick meal, and rested their tired bodies into a peaceful and deep sleep. Today they woke up excited to actually be thinking in their heads "Today we will reach the top!... Finally!" When my dad left me the message he said that they would be leaving at around 12 pm or 1:00 pm. I will hopefully receive a call tonight informing me of their success and I will send out an email either tonight, or if it's too late, tomorrow! Let's keep them in our thoughts tonight and pray the weather doesn't interfere.

FW: Denali '09

2009-06-01T17:55:00.001-05:00

Here is the latest update form Lara. I haven't heard from Rob yet, but I'll update you all as soon as I do.

May 31, 2009 Sunday
Congratulations to our team!! They did the half carry to camp 17000 and it was very successful. Once in Camp 17000 they unloaded the food and equipment and cashed out the food (meaning digging a hole and stuffing everything in there). It was a hard climb because it was the first time they had crossed the headwall. The highest obstacle on the mountain. The team needed to climb with ropes and that was also the most technical part. The wind was high and the temperature was extremely cold! Then the group returned back to camp 14000 to wait for the storm to pass. On saturday they awoke to high winds in the high camp so they just stayed put. The highlight of the day was when John honored and carried out the ceremony of Tim's promotion. This was done in Camp 14000 in Denali, Alaska. The team has been amusing themselves by joking around with Tim. Finding out the biggest honor of your career by Pinkkitty1214... but hey I think that's an honor in itself! Just kidding, Congratulations to Tim! The ceremony was very nice and unique, Tim was holding a flag in 50mph winds, everyone was in bright yellow and orange snow suits, and don't forget the beards. The weather on the other hand is not being very nice, the storm is said to continue on it's very unwelcome trek for 4 to 5 days more. The team is waiting for a break to climb up to camp 17000 and then prepare for a break in the weather to summit. Rob however will be descending to Base camp tomorrow. His time has run out and all the planes are stopped, so no planes into the Glacier and zero coming out. Let's wish Rob a safe return. I wish everyone a blessed week!

Out with the Low and in with the High

2009-05-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Saturday, May 30th:

Rob called again today! I was able to pass on your encouragements and messages from home if you asked. He said that the low pressure system that had brought all of the snow was being replaced with some new high pressure. This means that the weather will be improving. The only drawback is that there is expected to be cold temperatures and strong winds during the transition period.

Rob said though that it was sunny today when we were talking and that the team might make the move to 17k tomorrow potentially setting them up for a summit bid on Monday.

This is hopeful news! I'll pass more when I get it.

Mark

From Lara:

May 30, 2009 Saturday

Our team hasn't received much good news lately. The weather is said to continue on it's storm mood until monday or tuesday. Don't worry though because even though our team has been backed up a couple of days, they are still on schedule. Yesterday our team attempted to do a half carry to camp 17000 (or 16800.) My father called me at around 4 pm telling me they were going to try to do the half carry and that they would return in about 7 hours. I still have not received a call from him, so I am not aware of whether or not they succeed in that. Even if they were not able to go all the way up, this attempt will help them on their acclimazation. I wish there is more I can tell everyone, but to compensate for the lack of information on the climb, I will provide more information about the mountain.

Our mount Denali (also known as Mt. Mckinley) is known as one of the seven summits.
Denali- North America
Kilimanjaro- Africa
Aconcagua- South America
Elbrus- Europe
Carstensz- Oceania
Vinson- Antartica
Everest- Asia (Tallest mountain in the world)

Mount McKinley has a larger bulk and rise than Mt. Everest, although the summit of Everest is higher measured from sea level 29,028 feet (8,800 m). Everest's base sits on the Tibetan Plateau at about 17,000 feet (5,200 m), giving it a real vertical rise of a little more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). The base of Mount McKinley is roughly a 2,000-foot (610 meter) plateau, giving it an actual rise of 18,000 feet (5,500 m).

The forces that lifted Mount McKinley—the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate—also raised great ranges across southern Alaska. As that huge sheet of ocean-floor rock plunges downward into the mantle, it shoves and crumples the continent into soaring mountains which include some of the most active volcanoes on the continent. Mount McKinley in particular is uplifted relative to the rocks around it because it is at the intersection of major active strike-slip faults (faults that move rocks laterally across the Earth's surface) which allow the deep buried rocks to be unroofed more rapidly compared to those around them.

The first recorded attempt to climb Mount McKinley was by Judge James Wickersham in 1903, via the Peters Glacier and the North Face, now known as the Wickersham Wall. This route has tremendous avalanche danger and was not successfully climbed until 1963.

The mountain is regularly climbed today, with just over 50% of the expeditions successful, although it is still a dangerous undertaking. By 2003, the mountain had claimed the lives of nearly 100 mountaineers. The vast majority of climbers use the West Buttress Route, pioneered in 1951 by Bradford Washburn, after an extensive aerial photographic analysis of the mountain. Climbers typically take two to four weeks to ascend the mountain.

Storm at 14k

2009-05-29T10:41:00.001-05:00

Friday, May 29th

I received another call from Rob yesterday afternoon. He said it is supposed to snow another 6-12" in the next 36 hrs. He said they're expecting 30mph winds and highs of -10F until Sunday. He thinks Monday may be the first window of oportunity to press ahead to the upper mountain. He expressed concern that he might not have enough time to stick it out because of work.  Let's hope for the best!

Below is a message I just received from Lara too:

May 28, 2009 Thursday
Just to get everything up-to-date, on Monday, our tired mountaineers woke up to find themselves working against the weather. They had to do a half carry of equipment to camp 14000 before the storm hit. They had a succesful half carry that took 6 hours for the climb and an hour and a half for the descent. My father told me that when they reached Windy Corner (a famous crevasse) it started to rain, and continued raining for the rest of their journey until reaching back down to camp 11000. When they were in camp 14000, Rob and Dan started to make the snow holes to protect the equipment, but once they shoveled away the fresh rain and snow, they encountered already-made snow holes. That is the best part about climbing during the most crowded part of the season. Reusable items are found everywhere and previous climbers give advise about the landscape and climbing conditions. On Tuesday our team woke up at around 10:00 and at 11:00 they started to pack up all the equipment and take out their new snugly snow shoes to start the long climb back up to camp 14000. The weather was fine until they reached windy corner and then it stared to snow. It snowed all the way until they reached camp. Everyone unpacked and started the process of setting the tents for the storm. Everything was all dandy and in order, until someone noted that the tent poles were missing. Panic and confusion went straight into their minds, this was not going to go down very well after a 6 hour hike, when all they were thinking about was serving up dinner and laying down to rest. This was also a problem because if they would have left it in the previous camp, then someone would have had to gone back and run the risk of getting stuck in the storm. But luckely, the contents of the missing items were found in a random food bag. Everyone then proceeded to take a deep breath and relax, and fall back into the routine. The weather forecast for the next five days are High winds and snow. This means that the team will stay in Camp 14000 until the weather calms down and they acclimatize to the altitude and lack of pressure. Once the mountain is safe enough to continue climbing, the team will proceed to do another half carry to camp 16000. Camp 14000 is where teams get ready to summit. There is a permanent park rangers station, and people from around the world pass throught this Camp. Whether they pass through in dissapoinment or in victory, this is where all the teams come together to rest, prepare or quit. One Voice One Call has many interesting neighbors, from Italians to French and many other countries like Armenia, Germany, and Russia. All these people have one goal in there heads from the time they wake up to the time they pass out in exhaustion. All of them are brave people just accomplishing each one of their personal and different goals. There is never a boring moment in this camp, chatting around and even learning how to speak russian, are just a couple of the oppurtunites for entertainment. Even sitting on the toilet (which is in the middle of the camp and in the open) can be an uneventful experience, but forget the newspaper! "Look at how those Germans clean out their tents, how very sanitary!" Not only is the group being distracted from the terrible news of the storm but they are also healing from little injures. John has a blister that is healing and everyone is in fine spirits, even though Dan and karim have a strange sense of "deja vu" from last years Expedtion ,which ended in having to climb back down the mountain without reaching the summit,  we have hopes that this year however, they will succeed and reach their "call." Also, big thanks to Ralph! his support to the group has been great! he is keeping them imformed of the weather and is always there when they have needed him.

     Note:
      - Here is a link of a map with the route and camps that the team is awaiting to conquer......

               http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/99/denali/graphics/map-climbingroute.jpg

Safe at 14k - Riding out a Storm

2009-05-28T11:13:00.001-05:00

Thursday, May 28th

I received a brief call from Rob yesterday at about 2pm Denali time. He said they had made it up to their 14,000' camp and now it was "nuking". He said it was snowing a lot and the wind was blowing hard, but he seemed to be enjoying it! We got cut off after about 30 seconds, so I wasn't able to pass any words on to him or to get any more information out of him.

In my experience being at 14,000' feet is the best place to be for a storm. The team is high enough on the mountain that they are benefitting from the extra time and acclimation. Its a lot warmer and easier on the body than being up at high camp too. If they've got enough supplies to sit it out for a few days they'll be looking really good when the weather clears for a shot at the upper mountain.

Mark

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T23:56:00.001-05:00

This just in from Lara!

May 25, 2009 Monday
On Sunday our team woke up at around 10:30 am and started walking from camp 9700 to camp 11000. After a hard night the night before, in which they fell asleep at 3:30 am, the group started walking to camp 11000 at 12:30 pm and arrived at 5:30 pm. Everyone is fine and in good spirits. The weather has been good to them, and the beauty of the mountains is breathtaking. The sun is a main contributor to the "warm" weather. Sometimes if climbers don't wear skin protection, they can get sunburn on their noses, (thanks to the sun reflecting off of the white snow, kind of like the tanning reflectors the teenagers use to get their already golden skin to a more prominent brown.) Can you imagine getting sunburn on your nose while climbing in -20 degree Fahrenheit weather?! I would also like to share that the team saw two military helicopters flying over the area, which is unusual unless they are on a rescue mission. Today, the team woke up at 6:00 am and carried half of the equipment to camp 14000 then they walked back to 11000. Now they will have to wait because the officials are saying that they are expecting a storm Tuesday and Wednesday. They say that it is getting very cold but it is still not incredibly cold. They planned to leave the snowshoes at 11,000 and switch to crampons. The goal of the team is to leave to camp 14000 today, before the storm hits. If they are delayed however, right now they are one day ahead of schedule. But I do not yet have the information to be able to tell you guys if they are leaving or if they are going to wait out the storm at camp 11000. From now on the climb gets tougher. Whether it's from weather conditions or tricky crevasses, the team will face some of the most challenging situations in their overall climbing experience.

Moving to 11k Today!

2009-05-24T13:14:00.001-05:00

Sunday, May 24th, 8:30 am:

I just got a sat phone message from Rob! He sounds great and seems to be doing really well. He said that is has been really hot and that getting up ski hill was brutal hard work. The team has been making great progress up the lower mountain under blue skies. On Denali's lower flanks, even though the ambient temperatures are around freezing, the sun's radiation is intense and it's reflected off of the snow, making it "feel" like it's 80-100 degrees!

They're moving from their 9700' camp up to their third camp located at 11,000' today! Hopefully they'll get a little rest when they get there.

Mark

At Camp 2 9700' Tonight

2009-05-24T00:08:00.001-05:00

It sounds like our guys have had a couple big days! Here is another dispatch from our team written by Lara:

May 23, 2009 Saturday
Yesterday, Friday, our team finally were able to catch a flight into the Kahiltna Glacier. Here is what helpful Ralph sent me, saying, and i quote, "I met the group early yesterday morning in Anchorage and helped transport them to Talkeetna. What a great bunch of guys. I think they are a strong group and the group dynamics look good. I called Hudson Flying Service this morning and their pilot Jock Bondurant said he finally got them into Base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier around 6:00 p.m. They are on their way now!" The first group left on their plane to the Glacier at 7:00 pm (with Karim, Dan and Tim), while the second group left at 8:30 pm (with John, Rob, and Andrew). When the second group arrived and the sleds were packed and ready, the group started their ascent to Camp 7,800 at 10:45 pm. My father informed me that the weather was good, not too cold and they very much enjoyed the view of the mountains and icy landscape. They arrived, after a long and treacherous walk, at 3:20 am. (This walk was very hard and challenging because they had been awake for over 12 hours.) As quickly as they could, each in their own dreary sleepwalk, put up their tents and fell into a dreamless, deep sleep trying to recover from the ordeal of the day before. They awoke at around 8:00 am (Saturday) and broke their fast with partially frozen bagels and a hot drink. (Yummy!) Once getting everything ready (around noon) and in its place they started walking to Camp 9,700. Once reaching Camp 9,700, the team will rest for a little bit and then proceed to take half of the equipment up to Camp 11,000. Then they have to walk back down to Camp 9,700 and rest until the next awaking. Then i will have more information to contribute to everyone.

RE: The Fog Lifted

2009-05-23T09:33:00.000-05:00

This should be called the "Snake Eaters' Summit", as all but one of the group are SOC personnel. (For those unfamiliar with the term, dating back at least to the days of the Green Berets in jungles, special operators have been called "snake eaters.")
Mark Marshall

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Uberuaga [mailto:markuberuaga@hotmail.com]
Sent: Sat 5/23/2009 2:19 AM
To: usaf7summits blog; Marshall, Mark; cmarshallrd@mindspring.com; jetsetvet@hotmail.com; scrapadoo11@hotmail.com; abarr@ucdavis.edu; Sam Glaser; Marcel Bieg; mark.rockefeller@gmail.com; demgm79@gmail.com; helmscp@gmail.com; ferrellje@hotmail.com; courtball@earthlink.net; paqit@hotmail.com; taryn_mcdonald@hotmail.com; rmckinney@bankandoffice.com; Rob Marshall
Subject: The Fog Lifted

I heard from Rob Friday evening too and now it sounds like the weather has cleared enough for the pilots to make it up to base camp and back. So, now they've loaded their planes and are on their way!

Below is more from Lara.

Mark

May 22, 2009 Friday
       So our group of excited mountaineers woke up at the early hour of 7:30 am, and started packing the much needed gear in Kevin and Ralph's vehicles. The Jeeps were so packed that it occurred once or twice in their minds to leave behind one of the group members, but that would be cruel, so everyone piled in as best they could. Once arriving at Talkeetna, they went straight to the NPS briefing and experienced a couple of hours of sleep-educing chatter and regulations to keep in mind. The highlight of the educational briefing was when they received The Green Bucket ,this is where the men will keep their bodily waste until the they climb back down the mountain... in June. (Mountain regulators are apparently very serious about littering!) The Team was supposed to leave on a flight to Kahiltna Glacier but due to fog, they will be stuck until the weather conditions become acceptable again. Kahiltna Glacier is the base camp where the men will be starting the expedition. To pass the time, they are going to town to eat a generous meal of pizza and burgers. After their lunch they will continue to check for updates and flight departures to see if they can leave tonight. Yesterday the men participated at a Crevasse Rescue Training, where i have been told, they enjoyed themselves very much, and ended the day with a night on the town and a nice dinner.

      I would like to add that this expedition is in memory of the fallen comrades in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two of whom, our mountain climbers are keeping close to their hearts and minds as they progress up the side of the thunderous Mt. Denali. They are Tom Maholic and Tom Valentine. Both were great outdoorsmen and amazing men. One Voice One Call is dedicating this to their memory.

Again i would like to clarify the identity of our team members:

Karim - Army Special Forces
Tim - Navy Seal
Dan - Civilian
John - Navy Seal
Rob - Airforce Special Operations - Pilot
Andrew - Army Special Forces

                          "I look up to the mountain - does my help come from there?
                           My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
                           He will not let you stumble ; the one who watches over you
                           will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never
                           slumbers or sleeps. The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord
                           stands beside you as you protective shade. The sun will not
                           harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you
                           from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch
                           over you as you come and go now and forever."
                                                                                              -Psalm 120

                                                     - Lara <3

The Fog Lifted

2009-05-23T04:19:00.001-05:00

I heard from Rob Friday evening too and now it sounds like the weather has cleared enough for the pilots to make it up to base camp and back. So, now they've loaded their planes and are on their way!

Below is more from Lara.

Mark

May 22, 2009 Friday
       So our group of excited mountaineers woke up at the early hour of 7:30 am, and started packing the much needed gear in Kevin and Ralph's vehicles. The Jeeps were so packed that it occurred once or twice in their minds to leave behind one of the group members, but that would be cruel, so everyone piled in as best they could. Once arriving at Talkeetna, they went straight to the NPS briefing and experienced a couple of hours of sleep-educing chatter and regulations to keep in mind. The highlight of the educational briefing was when they received The Green Bucket ,this is where the men will keep their bodily waste until the they climb back down the mountain... in June. (Mountain regulators are apparently very serious about littering!) The Team was supposed to leave on a flight to Kahiltna Glacier but due to fog, they will be stuck until the weather conditions become acceptable again. Kahiltna Glacier is the base camp where the men will be starting the expedition. To pass the time, they are going to town to eat a generous meal of pizza and burgers. After their lunch they will continue to check for updates and flight departures to see if they can leave tonight. Yesterday the men participated at a Crevasse Rescue Training, where i have been told, they enjoyed themselves very much, and ended the day with a night on the town and a nice dinner.

      I would like to add that this expedition is in memory of the fallen comrades in Afghanistan and Iraq. Two of whom, our mountain climbers are keeping close to their hearts and minds as they progress up the side of the thunderous Mt. Denali. They are Tom Maholic and Tom Valentine. Both were great outdoorsmen and amazing men. One Voice One Call is dedicating this to their memory.

Again i would like to clarify the identity of our team members:

Karim - Army Special Forces
Tim - Navy Seal
Dan - Civilian
John - Navy Seal
Rob - Airforce Special Operations - Pilot
Andrew - Army Special Forces

                          "I look up to the mountain - does my help come from there?
                           My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!
                           He will not let you stumble ; the one who watches over you
                           will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never
                           slumbers or sleeps. The Lord Himself watches over you! The Lord
                           stands beside you as you protective shade. The sun will not
                           harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you
                           from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch
                           over you as you come and go now and forever."
                                                                                             -Psalm 120

                                                     - Lara <3

News From Talkeetna

2009-05-22T17:56:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm super excited for Rob and his team and I hope you are too. I'm going to pass any information I get on to you all throughout the climb. First news has already come in from Lara. Her father is Karim and she said that fog on the mountain precluded the team from flying on today. Hopefully we'll have another chance to hear from Rob if this is actually the case.

Below is a message she just sent out.

Mark

ps Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions or concerns about what Rob is up to. My number is 520-400-5060.

News From Talkeetna

2009-05-22T17:49:00.001-05:00

Hello Everyone,

          My name is Lara and i was asked by my father, Karim, to keep you guys in touch with the Denali expedition. I will be sending continuous emails letting you know of their progress. If anyone would like to be taken off of the list, please just send me an email telling me to do so. :)

Our team members:
Karim
Tim
Dan
John
Rob
Andrew

            In case anyone is unfamiliar with One Voice One Call, (name chosen by me) this team is a group of 6 men who are going to be climbing the famous Mt. Denali (the highest mountain in North America) in the course of the next month (hopefully). Right now, the team has arrived at Anchorage. Kevin flew in on the weekend (one of the biggest supporters in this expedition!) , while Tim and John arrived Tuesday night, Dan Wednesday morning, followed by Karim, Andrew and Rob on Wednesday night.
            Kevin, Dan, Tim and John spent most of the day (Wednesday) purchasing the expedition food, what a sight, "Four guys trying to find their way in the intricate labyrinth of a grocery store".

       May 21 2009, Thursday
                Todays schedule includes, organizing and packing all the food and equipment, as well as getting any hard to find, missing climbing gear ready for the trip. They finished the preparations at 3 pm and are going to have a group meal later on. Last minute preparations will be after, and resting for tomorrow will proceed. Tomorrow they plan to leave at 7:30am. Ralph Baldwin (another major supporter, who lives in a small town in between Anchorage and Talkeetna. Also where Palin is from!) and Kevin will be taking them to Talkeetna. At noon there will be a NPS breifing and if the weather permits they fly to Kahiltna Glacier and begin the adventure...

* Quick Note: The name One Voice One Call represents the overall motivation of the team members. All the men are climbing together as one voice, but all of them have different calls or motives for climbing and being heard. This climb is a very important time for each and everyone of these men. I am personally very proud of this group and i wish them the safest, most exciting and fulfilling climb of their lives :) *

          Please if anyone would like to add anything or have me post something just reply, telling me what to write and what you would like to say!

                        "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messanger
                         who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation,
                         the news that the God of Israel reigns!"
                                               -Isaiah 52:7

                                                                    Thanks,
                                                                            Lara <3

Climbers in Anchorage

2009-05-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

26th St Hostel, Anchorage

Leaving for Talkeetna

2009-05-22T09:53:00.001-05:00

Howdy everyone! Just a quick note to say we're doing great here in Alaska. It's early morning on the 22nd and we are just about to leave for Talkeetna. Once there, we will get a briefing from the National Park Service on Denali rules and safety issues. Then we'll load up into planes from Hudson Air and fly onto the glacier. From here on out, Mark Uberuaga will be spreading the news we send out. If I can upload a picture in time, I'll try it!

Hopefully I'll run into several other Air Force climbers who are flying onto the glacier this morning. We will have quite the mixed group climbing near each other- Air Force, Army, and Navy special operations... quite the joint effort!

Climb High, Fly Low- Rob

Return to Alaska!

2009-03-29T20:47:00.003-05:00

In an effort to gain more training for Mt. Everest and Vinson Massif, we've decided to make a return to the highest mountain of North America: Mt. McKinley of Alaska! While the team already carried the Air Force flag to this summit last spring, this group will ascend to keep their skills sharp and to continue to build momentum for the two big peaks remaining.

The plans have the team arriving in Alaska around May 20th, with a start of the climb on the 22nd. As with all our climbs, the weather and team health dictate the exact number of days necessary to reach the summit, but we're predicting a return no later than June 10th. We'll have four Air Force members climbing on this trip. On the same schedule will be five special forces team members: two Navy SEALS, two Army Rangers, and one member from of the Dominican Republic SOF.

We'll be looking to use this climb to start fundraising for our planned Everest climb. Originally we were set on a 2010 attempt, but a new baby in the life of one of our lead climbers and a operational deployments during the best climbing window might delay it to the latter part of '10 or the early party of '11. In the mean time, we are incorporating the USAF 7 Summits Challenge as a not-for-profit organization. This should help us to raise the money necessary! Many thanks to Mark Rockefeller for his legal assistance in this important venture.

If you can offer any assistance, advice, website support, or sponsorship, please don't hesitate to contact us at: usaf7summits@gmail.com.

Climb High, Fly Low- Capt Rob Marshall

Planning Future Climbs

2008-12-21T10:19:00.002-06:00

Capt Uberuaga and I have been doing a lot of talking about what's next. With the great success on Denali in Spring of '08, we found ourselves looking at just three more peaks in the challenge: Vinson, Everest, and Kosciuszko. We've always planned on using Australia as either a fill in peak to bridge gaps in the schedule, or as our final climb- a way to give everyone a chance to climb the last peak on the challenge with the team (regardless of experience level).

We've decided to put our best foot forward and put Spring 2010 as our benchmark for... Mt. Everest!! Between now and then, we'd like to climb Vinson and we also forsee a return to Denali (June 09?) and/or Aconcagua. What does all this mean for us and our supporters? It's time to get the fundraising and public realtions machine into gear again! In concurrence with our goal of bringing positive media attention to the Air Force and its members, as well as raising awareness for the Special Ops Warrior Foundation, we'll be looking for as much help spreading the word and gathering donations as possible. Everest will be especially important for fundraising, as the team members climbing it will need to raise $30k a person to help cover the climbing expenses. On that particular climb, we'll also be looking for corporate sponsorship to help make our biggest climb the biggest success to date!

If you have any ideas, suggestions, pledges, or support for us, please contact us at: usaf7summits@gmail.com.

Thanks again for the great support we've received in the past. This is a dream that is on pace to becoming reality: the US Air Force being the first military in the world to reach the 7 Summits and the first American military team to climb Mt. Everest!!

--Capt Rob Marshall

SUCCESS!!

2008-06-12T06:54:00.007-05:00

At 8:30pm Alaskan time, on the 11th of June, all six members of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge stood triumphantly on the summit of North America!!!

I just got off the phone with the elated team. They are back in their tents at the 17,000ft camp with high winds buffeting their tents. Nearly continuous strong winds with blowing snow made reaching the summit a challenge, but they took a few breaks and made a press for the top when the weather was right. Other than the windy, cold weather, all went off without a hitch.

As the team climbed on, just a thousand feet from the summit, they were treated by a visit from the Air Force's F-22 Raptor. Mark Uberuaga said they all stopped and watched with pride, "as everyone on the mountain knew the Air Force had reached the top". He said that with a lot of emotion in his words, clearly moved by the moment and the gravity of this accomplishment. Our hats go off to the men and women of the 90th Fighter Squadron for the great show of Air Force support!

On the summit they were able to get pictures and videos, as well as enjoy the view. It didn't take nearly as long to descend back down to camp. They plan on staying on schedule (listed in a previous post) and should be to the base camp by the 14th and possibly flying out by the 15th. I don't expect to hear from them for the next day or two, as they focus on getting down the mountain safely.

So that's #4 out of 7!! We really only have two serious climbs left: Antarctica and Asia, as Australia's peak isn't very difficult and the logistics of that trip will be fairly simple. From here we'll be looking to build even more support for the 7 Summits Challenge, as we're going to need a lot of it from the Pentagon and some sponsorship from organizations to reach the rest of our peaks. I'm can't express how proud I am that this mountaineering challenge continues to gain steam thanks to the effort of our climbers and all of those who support them. What's especially impressive is the fact we have maintained a 100% success rate since this project started. That's practically unheard of with the number of climbers we have and the wide variety of experience. It's a great sign of Air Force member's fortitude, fitness, and drive.

Here's to our six climbers and all their hard work - Congratulations! Once again the Air Force prevails.

--Rob--
Climb High, Fly Low

Standing By...

2008-06-12T00:12:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know I haven't received a phone call from the team yet. No need to worry, as they are most likely returning from the summit and more focused on getting back to camp then calling me! But you can bet that I'll post an update as soon as I hear from them, regardless of what time they call.

I'm off to bed and wish you all a good night!

--Rob

Climb High, Fly Low

Air Force Team Near Summit!

2008-06-11T19:06:00.007-05:00

The team is currently at 19,000ft on their way to the 20,300ft summit of Denali! Mark called to say they were well underway and that he expected to reach the top at 6:30pm Alaskan time. He reported there were broken clouds and moderate winds, but nothing that looked to be a real issue. Everyone on the team is feeling healthy- no symptoms of altitude sickness, which is great news as it's the most significant factor that can stop an individual from ascending. I hate to say it again, but the team is in high hopes!!

The 90th Fighter Squadron has an F-22 that is in the area of the mountain and they will be looking for the team. If the weather permits, our folks should be getting a highly encouraging flyby from the world's most advanced fighter!

Stay tuned for final word as to todays exciting outcome-

Rob

High Winds, No Rush

2008-06-11T08:41:00.002-05:00

I flew until 1am last night, but when I got back I had a voice mail from the team. It turns out they were really pressing ahead and planned on going for the summit yesterday (Tues). They ended up staying at the 17,000ft camp due to strong winds on the high part of the mountain. So, today, Wed the 11th, as scheduled, they will be pressing for the summit. If the weather holds and the winds aren't too high, I hope to get a call from them this afternoon.

It's actually a good thing the strong winds kept them in their high camp, as we would have missed out on a great F-22 Raptor flyby that I've been working on for the past week. The 90th Fighter Squadron out of Anchorage is doing training today that would have one of their jets near the mountain, so if Mark and the team can pass the word via sat-phone, we'll have two awesome shows of Air Force pride and strength! I'm really hoping we get some sort of photo as well!

That's it for now- I'm off to work. We've got the local ABC station coming by my office here in FL to do a piece on the USAF 7 Summits Challenge, so I hope that helps to generate more coverage of this great program. As always, if any of you have contacts with the media we could use, please let us know!

--Rob Marshall--

Climb High, Fly Low

Preparing for the Summit

2008-06-10T13:37:00.002-05:00

I got a call around midnight from the team. As in previous calls, Mark says everything is going very well and everyone is healthy and in high spirits. The team is at the 17,000ft camp, just 3,000ft below the summit. The weather has been great and the storm they were worried about didn't impact them. The highlight of the short call was Mark said they were getting ready to push for the summit. He said, "We'll go for it tomorrow if the weather holds out". I'm not sure if he meant today, Tuesday the 10th, or tomorrow as in Wed the 11th. Our conversation ended as the phone disconnected, so that's all I could get from them.

That means it's time to stay tuned, as the team is almost there!!!

Weekend Update: Good News Continues

2008-06-08T15:24:00.007-05:00

I just got cut off while talking to Mark, but I still got the gist of things. All continues to go very well for the team!! Everyone is healthy and in high spirits. They are taking a scheduled rest break at the 14,000ft camp today. Yesterday they successfully did a cache-and-carry (took some supplies) up to the 15,400ft camp and then came back down. Mark says they are loving some sunshine and playing in the snow today, including some skiing and even building an igloo.

A storm is forecasted to hit soon, so their schedule might be slowed down depending on how strong and sustained the front is. At best, the team will reach the summit on the Tues the 10th, but they're saying their window is anywhere from Tues-Friday (all dependent on the storm).

The request was made for a very-Happy Birthday wish to Rebecca Deering from Erin VanOosten! That's a pretty lofty birthday greeting if there ever was one! Congrats to you Rebecca.

Stay tuned for more details, especially as the team pushes towards the 17,000ft encampment before tackling the summit!

--Cheers--

Rob

_______________________________________

Weather report for McKinley (at 14,000ft and above) during their summit window looks to keep things interesting for the team:

SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW AT 17,000 FT...NEAR 10 BELOW. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH.

MONDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SNOW LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 6 INCHES. HIGH AT 17,000 FT...NEAR ZERO. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH.

OUTLOOK TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH PERIODS OF SNOW AS AN UPPER TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DROPS SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN ALASKA AND REMAINS WEST OF THE MOUNTAIN. SUMMIT WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE EAST TO SOUTHEAST 30 TO 40 MPH TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

4 June Update

2008-06-04T21:17:00.003-05:00

I got a call from Mark late last night. As always, it's tough to communicate, as the SatPhone doesn't let us talk very easily (hard to understand each other). But that's far better than no communications at all!! The team is still doing great. Mark told me about the fantastic weather and even went into detail about the little puffy clouds that were around their camp and the bright sunshine they were spending most the day in. He also mentioned the 'diamond dust', which are tiny ice particles that are suspended in the air and sparkle in the sunlight, was especially impressive.

What I wouldn't give to be there with the team right now!! My cold-weather body is aching to get away from this 90-degree heat and humidity of Florida.

Anyway, they were still on schedule, having just down-climbed to 9700ft, picked up their cache of food/fuel/equipment there, and returned to their camp at 11,200ft. Hopefully today they were able to take some gear up to 13,500ft or 14,200ft, see how everyone was feeling at that altitude, and then descend back down to 11,200ft. Tomorrow, as you can see by the schedule below, they will be sleeping about 14,000ft if all goes according to plan.

I'm also happy to mention that the Air Force fighter squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska is working on a flyby of this historic climb. A F-22 flyby would be fantastic, though any aircraft will be a great addition. We're really hoping for a good picture of the team on the summit with the flags and maybe even a plane in the background (or a picture from the air, capturing the team on the summit).

So, everything continues to go well. Thanks for all your support!!! If you have any media contacts, we'd love to get this story out to more people. I'd even be happy to just have a few extra people send out letters to their local newspapers/television stations/ and any other organization you think might help (including Congressmen/Senators!).

--Rob

Climb High, Fly Low

Team Itinerary

2008-06-01T23:40:00.001-05:00

I forgot to post this earlier- It's Mark's itinerary for the climb. Obviously dates can change to an earlier or later date, but this should be a great guide to see where the team will go next. As of the time of this post, they have just reached Camp III.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

28 May - Meet at Anchorage Int Airport at 430pm.
Drive to and stay in Talkeetna (Talkeetna Motel).

29 May - 0800 Breakfast at the Roadhouse.
1100 NPS Registry and Briefing.
Gear Prep/Crevasse Rescue Review/Packing at Hudson Hanger
Second night in Talkeetna

30 May - Fly on to Denali Base camp with Bush Pilot.
Leave cache at BC and then proceed single carry to first
camp at 7,800'

31 May - Dept 7800' up "ski hill" to 9700' Camp II - single carry

1 June - Move from 9700' to 11,200' Camp III - half load

2 June - Rest day at 11,200'

3 June - Down carry to get cache from 9700'
Stay at 11,200'

4 June - Carry to 13,500/14,200'
Stay at 11'200'

5 June - Move from 11,200' to 14,200' Camp IV

6 June - Down Carry to get cache at 13,500'
Stay at 14,200'

7 June - Rest Day at 14,200' -Hike to edge of the world.

8 June - Carry to 16,200'
Stay at 14'200'

9 June - Rest Day at 14,200'

10 June - Move from 14,200' to 17,200' Camp V our high camp

11 June - Summit Day
Dept 17,200, climb to 20,320' summit and return to high camp
at 17,200'

12 June - Descend to 11'200'

13 June - Descend to Base Camp

14 June - Fly out with Hudson.

15 June - Check out with NPS.
Drive to Anchorage and fly home

CAMP III UPDATE

2008-06-01T23:35:00.002-05:00

I had my first contact from the team since they started the climb. They were able to leave me a voice mail using the Sat-Phone they rented before they left. The quality was fairly good and Mark said they are currently at Camp III, which is at 11,200ft. Everyone is healthy and working very well as a team. He sounded very enthusiastic and happy, which doesn't surprise me, as it's a great group of people!! I'm obviously looking forward to hearing more from them as each day goes by, and I'm sure many of you are also excited for any bit of info!

Mark also wanted me to give a big congratulations to Tim Gannon, who just got promoted to First Lieutenant! I don't know what they're doing on the mountain to celebrate, but you can bet 'pinning' on rank while climbing Denali will go down as one of the best promotions Tim could have.

-Climb High, Fly Low-

Rob

McKinley Climb Begins!!

2008-05-31T09:55:00.005-05:00

I'm very excited to say the USAF 7 Summits Challenge has started it's ascent of the fourth mountain in our bid for the famed 'Seven Summits'- Alaska's Mt. McKinley!!

On the 28th of May, five active duty Air Force officers flew to Alaska. Most had never met before, but we've found that such a group of Airmen form into a very strong team immediately. There's no question this is the case with this group of people. Captain Mark Uberuaga, the trip leader, sent back an e-mail and picture just as the team left on a ski-plane for the base of the mountain. Here is the message from Mark:

The weather in Talkeetna has been great. Our team is looking really good and a few days of high pressure should give us a good chance of getting a good start at the climb. > > Tavis, Tim, Graydon, and Erin have just taken off and they should be arriving at Basecamp shortly. Andrew and I are going to be right behind them, We'll spend only a couple of hours there caching some gear and getting all rigged up, then we'll hit the trail and hopefully make it to our first camp sometime this evening.

Here is a picture of the team just before they departed from Talkeetna.

Updates after this will likely be few and far between, but I'll make sure any information I receive reaches this blog. The team procured a SAT-Phone, so they should be able to make occasional calls out to me and family members. If you receive any updates, please don't hesitate to e-mail them to USAF7Summits@gmail.com, so they can be added here. The gang will also use the SAT-Phone to try and coordinate a fly-by from an Air Force aircraft when they are on the summit of the mountain. We're hoping to see an amazing photo from that if it works out.

So, that's the news. It sounds very good to me. We have a strong group of people that all have great skills and personalities to bring to this team. Let's all keep them in our mind and keep spreading the word about this exciting challenge!

By the way- thanks to so many of you donating to our program, I predict we will raise around $20,000 for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation on this climb alone!! That will bring our total for the Challenge to nearly $40k! Thank you so very much, each of you truly make a difference.

--Capt Rob Marshall

Co-Founder, USAF 7 Summits

Denali 08

2008-01-21T23:19:00.001-06:00

Everyone- Here is an E-mail from Mark, who will be leading this Denali expedition!! Please spread it out to anyone you think might be interested. Remember, if you are interested, please let us know ASAP by filling out the registration and sending it into Mark. Start talking to your bosses to get June free. I'll be working Permissive TDY so hopefully no one will have to use leave, but there's not guarantee. Talk to you all soon- Rob
Ok everybody - let's do this!

Rob and I have started making plans for our next climb to continue to push our AF team to the top of the 7 Summits! We are really excited to have set some dates to climb the highest mountain in North America -Mt McKinley! (Known to the natives and a lot of climbers as "Denali"). There are a lot of details to be worked out for us as a team, so we're jumping into it full swing early enough to make this a monster success.

Climb dates are as follows: May 28th: Fly to Anchorage, AK. May 29th: NPS Orientation/Gear Prep. May 30th: Fly on to Denali base camp with Hudson Air. June 28th: Schedule your flight home from Anchorage.

The climb usually doesn't take 30 days, but this extra time helps to increase our chances of success. The weather is often bad, and we need to be flexible enough to wait it out. If we finish early we change our tickets and get back whenever we can.

We are looking for climbers who are motivated, fun to be with and have experience with roped glacier mountaineering. Preferably everyone on the team will have had some expedition training-- in other words, they've climbed a mountain where it was necessary to set and move camp more than once and practiced crevasse rescue.

This climb, as with our others in the past, will be a fundraiser for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Our goal is for each climber to raise $7,000. $5,000 of this will go straight to the Fund and $2,000 will be for the climber to buy a flight to AK, our shuttle expenses, the climbing permit, the cost of our air taxi/bush pilot, food, and gear. We'll help you with pamphlets and fundraising ideas, but it will be up to each person who joins the climb to raise the $7k (this climb we'll be looking to corporations for help, so it shouldn't be hard to do at all!).

If you want to be part of the team go to http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/registrationinfo.htm and read through the registration requirements. Read the National Park Service publication, Mountaineering - Denali National Park and Preserve, which covers search and rescue requirements, clean climbing requirements, high altitude medical problems, glacier hazards, and self-sufficiency. Then download the registration form, fill it out and mail it to me at: Mark Uberuaga, PSC Box 92, Kirtland AFB, NM 87117.

If you're not sure if you have enough of or the right experience, but you really want to go, don't judge yourself. Read the info, fill out the registration form and send it to us. We'll see what kind of interest we have and if and how we need to mitigate for less experience. Our team application is due to the park service by March 28th. I need your applications no later than March 15th, the sooner the better though, because there are a finite number of spots on the team!

Look forward to hearing from you,
Mark Uberuaga

NEW 7 Summits E-mail Address

2008-01-11T13:39:00.001-06:00

Folks, just b/c it's far easier, we're switching to a new e-mail:

USAF7Summits@gmail.com

When we're on the mountain, gmail loads much faster and therefore is more reliable and cheaper (darn sat phone costs!). Please update accordingly. This hotmail account will remain open, but won't get checked very often (that's no surprise, eh?!).

Thanks everyone!

Rob

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Nichelle in Everest Base Camp

2007-07-05T15:28:00.000-05:00

Hey Seven Summiters! I just got back from an awesome trip to Nepal and the Mt Everest Base Camp! Another USAF officer and myself signed on with a Brittish expedition called Caudwell's Xtreme Everst. As part of their team we got to trek to the base camp and help out with the largest medical research expedition ever to visit Everest. If you'd like to read more about that expedition and the research, visit www.xtreme-everest.co.uk. The expedition took more than 200 volunteers to the base camp and put 10 doctors on the summit to study the effects of altitude and low oxygen levels on the body and how that might relate to ICU patients dealing with their own hypoxia issues. The research was truly fascinating and should produce some excellent medical advances! While on the trek to base camp we also had some great opportunities to do research for a future USAF 7 Summits Climb. We made some good contacts and got a first hand look at what base camp and the Khumbu Valley are like during prime climbing season. As well as taking note of some good places to stay on the way to base camp and other logistical tidbits, we also did some reasearch on what it takes to put together an expedition to the summit of Everest. Things like obtaining permits and organizing help from the Sherpas are just small examples of the hurdles that need to be crossed early. Forefront on our minds after returning from Nepal is the need for AF sponsorship in order to make the USAF 7 Summits expedition a success. Our "short" trek to the base camp and back required us to take 26 days of leave. Everyone we talked to returning from the summit had been in Nepal for at least 60 days. Obviously, leave will be an issue. Money will also be a huge factor. This year, a Nepalese permit for 4 people to climb the South Col route to the summit cost nearly $70,000. That's just the permit. Food and supplies will undoubtedly send that figure through the roof. Despite these challenges, we still firmly believe that the USAF 7 Summits can find a way to make an expedition to Mt Everest a success. We returned from Nepal eager to go back and help put our coworkers (or ourselves) to the summit! -Nichelle Brokering

Summer Update

2007-06-13T21:13:00.001-05:00

Greetings USAF 7 Summits Challenge fans,

This is just a friendly hello from the team to all our supporters and to the general public!

As is the norm, life for all of us has been very busy, though sadly not from climbing more peaks. Currently the vast majority of the people involved in the 7 Summits Challenge are deployed around the world, actively engaged in the War on Terror, humanitarian operations, or other military related work. We're happy to say that everyone is doing very well and all remain happy and healthy. As the heat increases for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, our minds drift more and more towards the snow peaks of Mt. McKinley, the next peak we hope to tackle. The timeline still has us shooting for a Spring '08 ascent. Naturally we're all just hoping to find a break in our schedules to take on the fourth peak in our challenge! Keep your fingers crossed.

Also, some cool news: Nichelle Brokering (Kilimanjaro) and Jason Somers, both Air Force officers, headed up to Everest Base Camp, which sits on the rough and rocky Khumbu Glacier at 17,000ft in the Nepalese Himalaya. These two champs volunteered to take part in one of the largest high-altitude medical projects ever put together. The last time we heard from them they were leaving Namche Bazaar on their way up to base camp, though we expect to hear a full story from them any time now. Of course we'll post it here as soon as we find out!

Mark Uberuaga and Rob Marshall are considering a follow up attempt on Switzerland's Matterhorn after they had to abort their mid-winter attempt. There are no firm dates, but maybe in early September. As always, if you're interested in joining, let us know.

Finally, if you are in the Albuquerque area, Rob will be living there throughout the fall and winter and is looking to meet up with anyone that likes to tackle 14'ers, mountain bike, climb, or fly fish. Contact him at the e-mail below.

That's all we have going on for now. If you have any media/sponsorship contacts, fundraising ideas, or general comments, please don't hesitate to contact us at usaf7summits@hotmail.com!

PHOTOS & VIDEOS ONLINE!

2007-03-04T14:25:00.000-06:00

Thanks to a 9 hour layover here in Santiago, Chile, I've been able to get a good chunk of photos online for all your viewing pleasure. CLICK HERE for the photos and a new window with a slideshow should appear. If it doesn't, the link is at the bottom of this blog entry. Please leave comments and let us know what you think of them! More pictures (from Heidi and Justin's cameras) will be added as we get them organized. It's 1730 over here and we still have 5 more hours until we board the red-eye flight back to Dallas. We sprung for the entrace fee to get into a VIP lounge... well worth it, as there is unlimited internet, quite seats to read in, and lots of food and drinks. We can't wait to get back to America. This has been a lot of fun, but we're worn out and ready to get back to friends, family, and yes, work!

For two videos from the summit, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGj10U8uhUo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RDN3OMrCig

Photo address, incase link doesn't work above: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundownr01/sets/72157594569580693/show/

Hot Shower and Real Beds

2007-03-02T06:27:00.000-06:00

Hello from Mendoza, Argentina! Wow, all we can really say is that it feels good to wash off the 2 weeks of dust and sweat, though that still doesn´t make the image in the mirror any better looking! haha... really though, we´re feeling great. The fact that we were the only three people in our group to summit, and that we did it as a team, is still filtering through our heads. How great is that?! This accomplishment keeps the USAF 7 Summits Challenge´s record at 100% success on all the mountains we´ve done so far. That in itself is a huge testament to the strength, determination, and pride the Air Force members bring to the climbs!! Yesterday we did over 20 miles of hiking to get out of basecamp and reach the highway. I´ll tell you what, that is a LONG hike after using much of your strength on the summit push. It was beautiful though, and we did it in less than 8 hours!

Right now Justin and Heidi are catching up on some Z´s, but I couldn´t pass up the free breakfast and a quick jaunt on the internet. Thanks to all of you that have writen us or made blog comments. All of us have over 100 unanswered e-mails, so please be patient as we try to catch up on all the letters!! Since we summited on our first day, we now have two days in Mendoza before our flight home. We´re going to use the time for some wine tasting (the annual wine festival is this week... all the grapes are being harvested and it´s quite a celebration!), sleep, a few hours to shave, and try to find some stuff to bring home to ya´ll.

As for the pictures, sorry they didn´t show up. The sat link from base camp was very touchy and it seems it didn´t like pictures too much. I´ll grab a camera and put some of the best photos online today or tomorrow. I´ll also add a link to a large online gallery that all our photos will be at (plus some videos!). That´s it for now. We´ve got to get ready for some romping around Mendoza. As you can imagine, we wish all of you were here with us, but we know you´re here in spirit! Thanks again for all your support. We are overjoyed at the amazing success of this expedition and that we were fortunate enough to be some of the few people on the summit of Aconcagua over the last 2 weeks.

Take care and have a great weekend everyone!

Rob, for the slumbering Heidi and Justin
Climb High, Fly Low

SUCCESS!!

2007-02-28T14:54:00.000-06:00

Great news everyone, at approx 5pm Aconcagua time, on the 27th, the three of us reached the summit of South America's highest peak!!!

It was an extremely long day, but we pressed on through wind chills of -30F, very high winds, and almost 10 hour of ascending through snow and loose rock. Sadly, no one else from our group made the summit. I guess that is a testament of our group strength and determination!!! The views were awesome and the experience was, well, hard to sum up in words, but we say it was another life-time achievement for each of us.

We're back in Base Camp right now and will be making a long hike and then drive into Mendoza tomorrow. That's when we'll be able to reply to many of your comments and e-mails. We just wanted to get the word out about our success to all of you, and to thank ya'll for your support and wishes.

Oh yeah, and to the boys of the 71SOS, time to pay up, as Rob knocked out 50 pushups, so get that money ready for the SOWF!

Hopefully there is a picture attached to this one.

Take care all, and we'll be in touch soon!

Rob, Heidi, Justin,
Climb High, Fly Low

Base Camp Part II

2007-02-23T08:57:00.001-06:00

Buenas Tardes everyone. This is our second, and most likely last blog from the mountain until after we return from our summit attempt. What has changed since the last blog: Weather! We no longer have snow every day. In fact, the sun has been shining like it's supposed to and people are starting to summit again. They are still calling this the worst summer in 30-40 years, but it looks like there is a chance we'll have weather safe enough to take a shot at the summit... not that we're jinxing ourselves right now. We plan to take our first attempt at the summit on the 27th, with two to three days of weather back up if we need it. Right now the winds are still quite high and some tents are still getting damaged. Anyway, our hopes are still high, as in 23,000ft high!

Twice over the past three days we've been over 16,500ft, once on a peak called Cerro Bonnete (sp) and one trip up to Camp 1 (Canada) and beyond. Heidi, Justin, and Rob are all feeling great, with O2 levels in our blood right as they should be and no signs of altitude related illness. In fact, check out the picture that is hopefully on here of the three of us on Cerro Bonnete.

That's it for us. once again the sat connection is expensive and we don't have long. I don't think we'll have a chance to write again until we come back down from the upper camps, so keep your fingers crossed, knock on lots of wood, and drink a cerveza or four for us.

Take care, be safe, and enjoy life-

Rob, Justin, Heidi
Climb High, Fly Low

Base Camp Info!!

2007-02-20T15:48:00.001-06:00

Grettings Friends and Family! We're reaching you via a sat uplink, so time is precious AND expensive!

All three of us are doing very well, especially with health and strength. No issues with the altitude and our spirits are high. It's been a great experience so far and we hope it continues to go well. The only issue we have right now deals with weather. We have been snowed on every day on the mountain, and greeted by quite high winds most the day as well. This is quite unusual, as in our last camp most people would normally wear shorts and t-shirts and sit outside talking, but we had on many of our clothes and had to battle the below freezing temps, not to mention the blowing snow.

We're now at base camp, which sits under the steep ascent to the high camps. Each day we see groups coming off the mountain with news of destroyed tents and right now one missing climber (but not part of a guided group). A group of 10 people literally had to all huddle in one small tent two nights ago since all their other tents had failed under the high winds. Anway, this is a very unusual weather to have on Aconcagua this time of year, but it doesn't seem to be something just passing by. It's been a problem for some time, preventing most groups, well, pretty much every group for summiting. We're hoping to catch a break in the weather or maybe just have it blow itself out. Until then, we will be taking on the winds, snow, and frozen conditions as we slowly work our way up the camp.

We want to make a shout out to Mark Uberuauga, wish you were here buddy (Vern Tejas passed through today... w/o his banjo!), to all the people that helped to get us here (esp our military commanders and supporters who made the time avaliable), and most of all, to our family that is out there thinking of us. So, keep us in mind when you see the sun and are warm throughout the day... all for now from 14,500ft!!

Vaya con dios!

Rob, Justin, and Heidi
"Climb High, Fly Low"

We´re Off!

2007-02-16T07:44:00.001-06:00

This is the last post from Mendoza, as we're just about to hit the road. All is well! We've got a big, yet very upbeat and happy group of people to climb with. Mostly made up of American's, we have one Brit, one Dane, and one guy from Holland (who is actually American now). We have more people in the group than expected, but plenty of guides and our lead guide is a nice American named Tom Torkelson who has a very good background in mountaineering.

The winds were high last night and the temps came down (from the 98F high in the day!), which means we'll be a little bit colder than avg on the first few nights, but that's a blessing, as we all have warm sleeping bags and the warm nights would cook us! So, hopefully we'll be able to send out a blog from base camp, which is about 5 days away (Plaza de Mulas). Between now and then we'll be hiking up a valley, enjoying the views and a relaxed pace. That will take us to the base of the mountain (base camp), which will be just around 14,000ft. From there we will do a few cache-and-carry trips, where we just move our gear up to the next higher camp in stages, eventually sleeping at about 18-19000ft on our last night b/f summit.

So, really nothing out of the ordinary! Keep your fingers crossed we run into good weather and low winds. If we don't, no worries, we'll press on and fly that flag anyway!

Take care everyone.

--Rob and the Gang
Climb High, Fly Low

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Buenas Dias!

2007-02-14T13:56:00.001-06:00

Greetings from Mendoza, Argentina!! Everyone made it into this beautiful town without incident and we even have all of our bags (far better luck than we had w/ luggage on the Russia trip). The weather is nice, with temps in the 80s and slight breeze to keep it from getting too sticky. The flights down here were long, but the layovers were the hard part. We were lucky to all meet up in Santiago, Chile, where we spent 8 hours in the airport terminal eating and drinking while catching up on each others´ lives. Justin and Heidi had never met, though they got right to telling all the stories they had on me... gotta love when friends bring out some stories you had either forgotten or hoped would never come up again! After quite a few beers we ended up in Mendoza, but not after getting a view of Mt. Aconcagua from the airplane (looks big!). Here in Mendoza we are staying at El Portal Hotel (http://www.elportalsuites.com.ar/). If anyone needs to reach us, this will be the place for the next two nights.

So far we´ve been walking all over Mendoza, enjoying some delicious food and drinks. The people are all real friendly and we're enjoying the fresh warm air! Today was just a laid back day of sleeping in, getting food, and soon we´ll be meeting up with the folks on our climb and heading out to a gear store to pick up any last second items and rent any gear we might need. Our guide, Tom Torkelson, is a nice dude from Jackson, Wyoming. Seems like we have some good folks to climb with, so it should be quite enjoyable to get to know them all.

That´s about it from Mendoza! All is well, though we wish the rest of you were here with us, enjoying the local steak and great weather. I´m sure many of you wish you were here as well! Have a great day and stay tuned for more info as it comes!

Cheers- Rob
Climb High, Fly Low

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GREETINGS FRIENDS AND WELCOME!

2007-02-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

So, this is the first blog of what will hopefully be a great collection of writings. Thanks for stopping by and supporting the USAF 7 Summits Challenge. Hopefully we'll get a serious website makeover this spring so everything will be contained on our mainpage. Until then, check into this blog for updates on our current and future climbs.

Tomorrow we'll be leaving for Mendoza, Argentina and our 18-day climb of Mt. Aconcagua. There won't be any chances to update the blog from on the mountain (unless we get really lucky and mooch off someone w/ a sat uplink), but you can bet we'll keep it up to date as much as possible.

Thanks again for stopping by and here's an e-toast to a safe and successful summit!!

Climb High, Fly Low-
Rob