Great training run!

I leave for Nepal in just a few days. There are so many things to do and I figured a great way to start the day was to spend some time in the mountains. I drove up to Boulder this morning for an ascent of Bear and South Boulder Peaks. It was so beautiful and peaceful to be the only one on the trail. I figured I would try to go as fast as I can in order to keep the heart rate up. In the end I covered 8 miles, gained 3,425' of elevation in 3 hours flat. Not bad I suppose.
Tomorrow morning I will go on a fantastic 48 mile bike ride and the rest of the day will be spent with my family. I will start packing my bags on Monday and then it's off to the airport super early Tuesday morning.
I ask for your prayers as I embark on this challenge. Prayers for my family's safety as well as mine. I'll provide updates as soon as I get to Kathmandu.

Anticipated Manaslu Itinerary

It is now less than one week until I leave for my attempt to climb Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world. I am so very excited! What an awesome adventure I am about to embark upon. I realize how truly blessed I am to be able to pursue my passion like I do. I do not take a single day for granted.
I have had several people ask me for an expedition itinerary. The dates shown below are a best case scenario. As anyone who has traveled to a third world country knows, rarely do things go entirely to plan. Ahhh the joys of travel! Honestly, I am addicted. I believe God created this beautiful world and I am so  eager to see every square inch.

 

Tuesday, August 25-27, 2015 – Depart Denver – Chicago – Abu Dhabi – Kathman

Friday, August 28, 2015 – Kathmandu

Saturday, August 29, 2015 – Helicopter flight to Sama Goen (11,565’)

Sunday, August 30-31, 2015 – Rest / Acclimitization in Sama Goen

Tuesday, September 1, 2015 – Hike to basecamp (15,750’)

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 – Rest at basecamp

Thursday, September 3, 2015 – Climbing begins

                          Camp 1 – 18,700’

Camp 2 – 21,000’

Camp 3 – 22,310’

Camp 4 – 24,445’

Summit – 26,775’ 

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 – Climbing ends

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 – Hike from basecamp to Sama Goen

Thursday, October 8, 2015 – Helicopter flight from Sama Goen to Kathmandu

Friday, October 9, 2015 – Leave Kathmandu

Saturday, October 10, 2015 – Return Home

Happy Anniversary!

Twelve years ago today I became a married man! I not only gained a "wife", I gained a best friend, a help mate and someone who makes me a better person. I love you Diana. Happy Anniversary!

In a little more than 3 weeks I leave for Nepal. Training is going well and I am so excited. I can hardly wait.

A Wife's Perspective

Hi blog readers. It is Diana. Ben has frequently mentioned my support for his climbing in his blog entries, but I thought it might be helpful for those who care about him and our family to hear my thoughts directly.

When Ben & I met, he was a climber. In fact, one of the first emails he sent me before we started dating was after an abandoned attempt at Denali. The conditions that year were unsafe, as he would also find in years to follow. Ben made several trips to Denali before he was able to summit.

I grew up with a dad who was a dreamer. He was the happiest when he was dreaming or pursuing his dreams. My mom is very practical but also a very supportive wife. I am also very practical and try to follow my mom’s example as a supportive wife. Being supportive has become much easier for me over the years. In fact, as I have listened to countless stories about other mountain climbers, Ben’s dreams have become my dreams.

There are risks with pursuing dreams, especially with dreams as big as Ben’s. In my job, I work in a very risk-adverse field and I weigh and manage risk every day. For example, Ben knows I REALLY don’t want him to climb K2. That is a risk I am not willing to take.

Ben has always had safety in mind. He has abandoned several summit attempts because of bad weather or physical or mental health of teammates or himself. “The mountain will always be there” and “going up is optional, coming down is mandatory,” he tells me. There are many stories he could tell that prove these are more than just words to him.

In 2007, Ben made his first trip to Mt Everest. While he was gone, we found out I was pregnant with Alexander. When Ben called off his first Everest attempt, which was his Big Dream, I was so overwhelmed by his love for me and our baby, whom he had not even met! He was willing to put a long time dream on hold to support my dream of having children. I know that he now thinks of Alexander & Annelyse constantly and would not intentionally do anything to leave them fatherless. I trust Ben’s climbing skills and his judgment. I know he puts himself through mental tests while climbing at high altitudes to ensure he is still thinking straight. (If he can remember our anniversary at 20,000 feet, then he will never have an excuse for forgetting it at home!)

So what about accidents? What about avalanches or other situations out of his control? My response to that is... first, situations happen every day that are outside of our control. We all come across situations every day where we are 30 seconds away from an accident. I can’t worry about these. I can only pray. Which brings me to my final response. My trust is in God. God controls Ben’s life and my life and the lives of our kids. If God’s plan is for our children to be fatherless, I only have the option to trust that there is a reason for that. I know it sounds morbid. But it doesn’t feel morbid to me. If feels like complete trust.

So for those that have asked questions and voiced concern, thank you. Thank you for caring for our family enough to be concerned. And thank you for joining me in prayer as Ben continues to pursue his climbing dreams this fall.

Climb on Ben! Your biggest fans are supporting you! We love you!

The Manitou Springs Incline

One of the more awesome aspects of training for an 8000 meter peak is the variety of lung busting options that can be found in Colorado. Going to the gym Monday through Friday is nice, but by the time the weekend arrives I want to get outside.
Today's challenge was the Manitou Incline near Manitou Springs, Colorado. This beauty of a trail is an old rail bed that hauled pipeline supplies directly up the lower portion of Pike's Peak many, many years ago. The rails have since been removed and a lot of work has gone into reconstructing the trail to ward of the inevitable erosion that is sure to happen on a trail this steep. The Incline has become a training ground for runners, climbers, mountaineers or simply anyone wanting a great workout. The Incline itself is only .87 miles long but it rises almost 2,000'.

There are some portions that rise to a 60% incline - thus the name. Going down the same way you come up is discouraged and so a nice scenic trail option starts from the top and quickly descends to the Barr Trail on Pike's Peak. The way down is almost 3 miles and it is a nice  and easy run. A perfect cap to a sweet workout.
The time required to ascend 2,000' varies from person to person. An old rule of thumb used in hiking is 1,000' per hour. That makes the current record of close to 18 minutes attainable by only a few. A more normal time is anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on fitness level and acclimation abilities to altitude.

Today my time was just over 40 minutes. Not too bad, but I know I can do better. I will push myself this summer and I hope to be in the mid-thirties by the time I leave for Manaslu. Speaking of Manaslu, I leave in 72 days and I am so excited! What an awesome and spectacular challenge I am about to embark upon. With the unwavering support of my wonderful wife, I take time to pause every day and remind myself how truly blessed I am.

100 Day Countdown is Underway!

Time is flying by so quickly. I am now at my 100 day countdown before leaving again for Nepal and my attempt on climbing Manaslu, the 8^th highest mountain in the world. So much has happened  in Nepal over the last few weeks that I am often asked if I still plan on returning so soon considering the 2  recent, devastating earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks that have rattled this Himalayan country. The short answer is yes, I still plan on visiting this great country again and I leave in late August. The long answer on why I look forward to returning is a bit harder to explain to the non-climber. With the never-ending support of my wife, Diana, we have discussed the risks of returning and at this time we deem those risks acceptable.

I’m often times asked, why climb? Why take such great risk and threaten the very make-up of my wonderful family? Why risk frostbite, avalanches and crevasse falls? My reply is, “why not”? An answer that surely is not acceptable to many and understood by very few. All of us dream about one thing or another. At some time all of us wonder what if? What if I had taken that chance? What if I had made that career move? What if I nurtured that relationship further? What if?

I often times wonder what I am physically and mentally capable of. High altitude climbing affords me the forum to answer that question. As with all of my climbing expeditions, I prioritize safety at the top of my list. Second is fun and third is summit. My trip will be 100% successful upon my safe return to my family regardless of whether I stand on top or not. If I am fortunate enough to stand on the very pinnacle of Manaslu it will just serve as another reminder of how truly blessed I am.

Still dreaming...Still climbing!

Wow! It's hard for me to fathom that it has been more than 4 years since my last post. Much as happened in the last 4 years. Our family has grown by one more member. Our daughter Annelyse Joy was born on May 16, 2011. Diana and I have continued to travel the world and I have continued to climb when possible.
Expeditions to Kilimanjaro in Africa and Denali in Alaska coupled with local climbs around Colorado have kept me active and yet I continue to dream of the Earth's highest mountains. The siren call of the high Himalaya beacon me. While I have continued to dream of one day returning to Nepal, life in general has dictated otherwise. With the continued, unwavering support of my wonderful wife, we have decided that 2015 is an appropriate time to give another Himalayan giant a shot.
In late August I will once again leave for Kathmandu, Nepal and eventually on to attempt the 8th highest mountain in the world, Manaslu. Standing at 26,781' this mountain is one of the 14 mountains in the world over 8000 meters or 26,240'. I will be attempting this peak without the aid of supplemental oxygen. The challenge of doing so is daunting and the task at hand requires enormous amounts of physical and mental strength.
I continue to build physical strength and endurance by going to the gym, running and climbing whenever possible. I continue to work on improving mental strength by focusing on how blessed I am and my favorite Bible verse. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Phillipians 4:13
These next 6 months will fly by in a flash. I will prepare to the best of my ability. Will you keep me in your prayers? I hope so.