Maybe tomorrow?

We were to leave for Interim camp but the fixed ropes are not set above ABC.  Given that situation, we decided to stay in the comfortable confines of Chinese Basecamp.  Today we hiked up to about 5500m.  Brendan and I climbed with our full packs - full with our gear we plan to carry up to ABC in the next few days.  Both of us took it easy and felt great.  Now we're back at CBC and lounging around after another wonderful lunch.  Hopefully we leave tomorrow.... fingers crossed.

Thanks for following.

33 hours before departure: Some last-second thoughts before I head to KTM

I sit here somewhat anxious to get going.  Here is what I am doing....

1.  My body thinks it is about 11:30am and yet my watch says 11:30pm.  Why?  I shifted my sleep time by 30 minutes each day over the past 20 days.  Before that shift, I went to bed every night at about 9pm and woke up at 5am.  Tonight, I go to sleep at 7am (tomorrow) and wake up at about 3pm.  Given the fact that I have a meeting at 3pm tomorrow, I intend to get up a little earlier but not by much.  Why shift time zones now?  I often battle sinus infections when jet lagged.  Anticipating this stress, I decided to behave a bit proactively and ward off the stress by slowly shifting the jet lag away.  Now, I am a vampire.  

2.  Working out is done!  I am resting.  No sense trying to squeeze in any last-second workouts to just tire me out.  I am in full blown recovery mode.  I don't rest very well.  The energy I typically burn up by training has no outlet.  Instead, I am getting work done.  My late nights get consumed with work-related tasks and expedition planning/preparations.  

3.  Packing is done!  Yes, more stuff that is done.  

Not much more to say other than I do not need to worry about any gear.  All is packed and ready for my flight.

4.  Sleeping at sea level.  What a concept.  Boy does it feel good to get out of the hypoxic tent.  Don't get me wrong, I love sleeping in my tent but after a few months, getting a break feels so good.  I logged over 40 days at or above 20,000 feet (6100m) and I suspect my blood is chock-full-o red blood cells.  All of that sleeping at altitude prepared me well for the harsh demands ahead.  There is not much benefit of pushing the envelope any further.  Best to get a few really good nights of sleep before I fly.  Oh, speaking of flying, I will sleep on the plane; I can sleep anywhere in any position.

5.  My friend interviewed me for his podcast.  If you have the time (an hour), be sure to listen to my conversation (iTunes link - sorry fellow Android people) with Scott Sehon about swimming and climbing.  Scott is a great guy and a great friend.  He is no slouch himself.  He ran across the US.  No kidding.  I have some great friends.  Listen to our discussion.

Thoughts before I depart:

I leave this year with a full heart and climb for many friends.  My climbing friends (Sam, Alex, and John) who cannot accompany me this year will be with me every step.  All of you who support me and have supported me over the past few years are with me.  

Left to Right:  Sam, Alex, me (with gum as usual)

My friend John - never ages...ever

I look forward to climbing with my good friend Brendan.  He plans to keep his own blog (written partly in Chinese and perhaps even some Japanese - show off!).  Together, we will update you all on our adventure.  Brendan has real skills with his camera(s); I simply point and shoot.  We make a great team.  Speaking of team....here we are:

Brendan:  Post-climb celebration in Talkeetna, AK - after Denali

The ol' fat me.  Looking scary.  NOTE:  picture taken 6 months ago

See what happens after not sleeping?  I get crazy with the pictures.  I'd say we make a great pair...

I intend to post once more to my blog before I take off on Thursday morning.  Expect some instructions on how to follow us while we climb.  Thanks for reading along...

9 Days to my KTM Departure: My gear for me head, hands, and body.

Yes, I am inside double digit days until my flight takes me to Kathmandu (KTM).  Things are starting to get real.  Yeah, they were always real but I now feel the time pressure.  Today, I provide the last details about my gear - the stuff that covers my head, hands, and body.  First, my hands....

Hand Gear

Each person must decide how to combat the cold and where to focus their attention in the effort.  I find that my hands are the least affected by the cold.  Well, actually, that is not true.  My hands sweat almost constantly when I climb - even at high altitude.  Sweating is deadly because wet hands lead to frozen gloves which, in turn, lead to frostbitten hands/fingers.  Today, there is no excuse to have frostbitten hands because the gear technology is so advanced that we can eliminate most risks.  The best way to eliminate frostbite risk is to have plenty of gloves/mittens so you never need to climb with wet ones.  Here is my hand gear:

From the bottom right going clockwise, I displayed my hand gear according to weight.  My trusted Mountain Hardwear light-duty gloves (bottom right) are my most versatile piece of gear.  I cannot recall the model but they are no longer manufactured.  After I wore my first pair, I went to the store and purchased 3 more pairs.  Each pair lasts me about 3 seasons and I am on my last pair - tells you how long I have been using them.  These gloves are light enough to keep my hands warm until about 20F (-7C) provided I am moving.  I love these gloves, wear them for all winter climbs, and rely upon them to keep my hands from getting sopping wet with sweat.  My guess is that I will wear these gloves from Chinese Basecamp (CBC) until probably Camp 1 - weather permitting.  Next, I have my Helstra Heli Ski Gloves.  These beasts are great for colder weather (for me at least).  They keep my hands toasty warm from about 20F (-7C) to about 0F (-18C) and allow me to use my fingers.  I can climb and ski with these in the most challenging conditions without much fear of my hands getting cold.  When the air temperature warms up though, my hands tend to sweat a ton in these gloves.  Thus, I probably will alternate early on between these gloves and my lighter Mountain Hardwear gloves.  My Helstra gloves would be my cold weather hand gear - probably used between Advanced Base Camp (ABC) until at least the North Col (Camp 1) or even Camp 2.  I prefer to have my fingers available while I climb so gloves are a priority for as long as possible.  Once I get up higher than Camp 2, I intend to switch to my mitts.  The first mitt (top row to the left) is my lightest mitts - the Norrona trollveggen dri PrimaLoft 400 long mittens.  I love these mittens because they keep my hands dry and warm but do so without sacrificing too much in my hand dexterity.  Typically, I wear these mitts when I finally get going on a long, high climb.  I can easily maneuver my jumar and access all my gear without taking my mitts off when I wear these.  My best guess - although I don't keep track of this detail - is that I would wear these mitts after I get a full head of steam past Camp 3.  Before I put these on, I probably will wear my warm mitts - either my North Face Himalayan Mitt (center top row) or my beastly Outdoor Research Alti Mitt.  The North Face mittens are decent for colder climes where I do not need much hand dexterity.  I tend to favor slightly smaller mittens for the Himalayan mitts - I wear a medium in these whereas all my other hand gear is a large.  The cold killer is definitely my OR Altis.  These mittens keep my hands warm for all temperatures at or below -20F (-28C).  I feel absolutely nothing but warm, coziness inside these mittens but they offer me almost no dexterity with my fingers; even my thumb feels somewhat restricted in these mittens.  

As you can see, I have a hand protection progression with some redundancy.  If a pair of my lighter gloves get wet, I must move to mittens while my gloves dry.  Drying gear on the mountain can be a challenge but we have ways to hang our gear inside the tent while we sleep.  With the heat coming from our bodies, we can dry most anything.  Still, wet hand gear is a huge drag.  I intend to dry all my gear almost daily - especially my hand gear.

Head Gear

A popular saying is "Cold hands, cold feet?  Put a hat on."  I abide by this saying without hesitation.  Alan Arnette asked me what piece of equipment is my favorite and I knew exactly what to say: my watch cap (center top in picture below).  

I wear this cap almost every minute I am on the mountain - even when sleeping.  When it is warm, I wear my trusty visor (with wind leash to keep it attached to me at all times).  Unless it is dark outside, I wear my Nativ glasses (with interchangeable lenses) as eye protection or if the weather really turns sour, I wear my Julbo Explorer Mountain Sunglasses.  These glasses are great when the weather is uncooperative.  I find that these glasses tend to fog in the heat so I only use them in windy, inclement weather.  Yes, I do wear goggles too - Oakleys (not pictured) - but I find they fog up when I climb and I end up spending more time trying to clear them rather than focusing on the climb.  The final pieces of my head gear are my buffs.  On the left (picture above) is my daily light buff that serves two purposes: 1) keeps the sun off my face and offers some warmth and 2) keeps the dust from getting into my lungs during the approach.  I intend to use this buff almost daily to keep my skin from getting too much sun and my lungs clear from the dust.  The right most buff is my heavy duty one that replaced my balaclava.  In years past, I would wear a mask during climbs that kept my face warm, however, the balaclava mask was unwieldy and often caused my glasses/goggles to constantly fog.  I now use my thicker buff and find it almost never fogs my eye protection.  Plus, the buff extends down to my chest to keep the cold from entering through my neck area in my summit suit or parka.  

Full Body Gear

I have two pieces that cover my entire body.  The first piece is a mid-layer (bottom in picture below) that goes between my base layer and my summit suit (top in picture below).  

These two pieces are critical for my success.  The summit suit is basically a down sleeping bag with legs and arms.  When I put it on at home, I start sweating immediately and don't stop sweating until about an hour after I take it off.  Seriously, this suit is HOT!  The suit fits very well, has tons of pockets, and will keep me toasty warm from Camp 3 and higher.  I even plan on sleeping in the suit when I reach the highest camp.  No need for a sleeping bag when I wear it.  What really seals the warm deal here is the mid-layer, farmer john suit that clings to my body like a second skin.  That layer offers me just a little bit of added warmth and stops and "leaks" of air from hitting my skin and causing a chill.  

Keeping warm when high up on a mountain requires this type of equipment.  It is not the cold that really affects us but rather the altitude.  When we are struggling to acclimatize to the low oxygen environment, our bodies shunt blood from our periphery to our core - hence, we tend to get frostbite in our hands and toes.  The purpose of the equipment is to keep our hands and toes warm in spite of the poor, peripheral blood circulation.  Additionally, a slow, gradual exposure to high altitude (and low oxygen) alleviates the blood restriction in our periphery.  So preparation from both the gear and the acclimatization process protects us from frostbite.

There you have it!  My gear list is now complete.  Time to start packing.  I will show you how all this gear goes into my two expedition bags.  Pictures of packing come shortly.  In the meantime, I have two other posts to share.  My next post shows you the before and after of my training.  I began training for this climb in mid-July after I returned from Cork Distance Week (a wonderful open-water swimming event held in Kinsale, Ireland).  At the time, I weighed 198 lbs (90 kg) and now I weigh 176 lbs (80 kg).  Yep, I lost a ton of weight.  Moreover, I also gained a fair bit of muscle mass in my legs.  Come see for yourself in my next post.  After that post, I intend to test my Garmin InReach device by posting several tests on my blog.  Feel free to check out the maps and such; don't hesitate to ask me questions.  I intend to update everyone so that you can follow Brendan and me during our climb.  

Thanks for following.  Hope you found this material interesting.  Be sure to note from the pictures we post how I use the gear I detailed in these post.  Oh, one other thing.  For those of you interested in learning about my sleep shift, I am doing well.  Tonight (ahem, perhaps tomorrow is more appropriate) I go to sleep at 4am and wake at noon.  If you are wondering how I am faring, I feel great.  Nothing quite like starting a workout at midnight to really keep the spirits up!  Thanks again for your interest and support.  See you soon....

23 Days Remain: Gear sort resumes with my legs

As promised, I am detailing my gear again - resuming with my legs.  I noticed as I gathered up all my gear that I really do not have much to cover my legs.  Actually, that point is not true.  What I do have in gear covers my legs just fine but I do not have many articles.  I guess that is a good situation.  More gear is not necessarily better.  Below, I sorted my leg gear by layer starting with the base and moving outward.

Trusted Ex-Officio Underwear

Base Layer

I have three pieces of clothing for my base layer.  First, I have underwear (an obvious and rarely overlooked item) and that underwear is made of synthetics so I can wash them out quickly when the begin to stink.  I tried Merino wool before but they tend to be too hot and, while the stink a lot less than the synthetics, they are difficult to wash/dry when needed.  Underwear is an essential item that takes up little space in my pack and is the one item that I wear continuously throughout the climb.  Mind you, I don't wear the same pair - that would not sit well with my climbing mates.  The second layer I have on for most of the climb is my long base layer pants.  Several years ago I stumbled across these base layers and I doubt I would ever return to the constantly sagging Merino wool or synthetic base layers.  Here is a good picture (on the right below) of my X-Bionic base layer pants.  They offer both compression and warmth and can be worn every day for a month and never stink - I promise.  Even after a hard day of climbing where I sweat many liters, these things just seem to take in all my wonderful smells and turn those smells into something much more pleasant.  You'll note that when I discuss base layers, I will constantly harp on smell.  Expeditions produce rather ripe individuals and I am no exception.  Best to have many redundant base layers and be prepared to clean them when your climbing mates start looking at you with the evil eye.

Compression pants (R) & base layer (L)

Another important layer is my compression pants.  These pants help my legs recover after a long day of climbing; they really work - at least for me they do.  I put these on in place of my X-Bionic pants.  Compression pants do not offer much insulation but boy do they help my legs feel like new the next day.  I love wearing these compression pants in my sleeping bag at night after a long, hard day.  Talk about creature comforts!  

Speaking of creature comforts, I often wear my puff pants around camp when it is cold and windy.  These pants are like walking around with a sleeping bag on my legs.  I wear my compression pants under them and these on top as I stroll around trying to recover.  Nothing beats a good pair of puff pants for creature comforts.  You can just feel the warmth coming from these pants, right?  

Puff pants (MH)

Finally, I have my every day hard shell pants that just work.   There are many different styles to choose from but these pants work and they put up with a ton of abuse.  Hard shell pants are a climbers best friend.  Don't worry about spending money on the "top" pants.  Try them on and look for some critical features such as 1) full-length zips on each leg so you can take them off without taking off all your footwear, 2) water proof enough to keep you dry from the outside and not soaking wet from your own sweat, 3) rugged material that withstands a beating on snow, ice, and rock, and finally 4) low profile suspenders that do not cause you to have chafing marks while climbing with a pack.  I purchased these GoLite pants about 6 years ago and have patched them about 20 times.  They are tough and still hold out most of the water.  I ski, climb, and sail in these pants - they are that versatile.  Once you figure out how often you use a piece of gear, I strongly recommend you consider the cost per use.  A good pair of hard shell pants may run you about US$250 but over their lifetime, you may spend US$1 per use - at least that is what I figured I would spend.  These hard shell pants come in handy on most climbs and will be on my legs until I put on my summit suit.  

GoLite Hard Shell pants - a necessity for all climbs

Well, that is about it!  I have a few things that I rely upon almost daily and they keep my legs warm and ready for another day.  

Given the short time before I depart, I intend to catch up a bit and post every two or three days.  Sometime this weekend, I plan to cover my upper body and then full body gear.  There might be a few omissions simply because I am starting to feel rushed.  Soon, I must pack all my gear - well, at least pack it after I check it, check it again, check it a 3rd time, and then figure out where it might be best packed.  In the meantime, I thank you for following along with my adventure.  

If you are wondering what I am doing these days with respect to training, I am tapering off my training schedule and focusing more on recovery and healthy living.  With a little over three weeks before I depart, I have a ton of things still left to do.  Wish me well and see you shortly....

55 days to go: Three random and recurrent thoughts

Well...actually 54 days now.  Time sure is flying by.  I am chomping at the bit to head off but a few more things remain for me to sort out.  Below are three randomly recurring thoughts from the past few days.

1.  No matter how fit or prepare I am for these expeditions, there is always something that sneaks up and bites me.  That something is likely to be my sinuses.  I get sinus infections about 3 to 4 times each year.  The only year I successfully avoided them was when I prepared for my marathon swims.  For some odd reason, I seem to be able to fight them off when I am swimming every day for many hours.  Right now, I have a raging sinus infection.  Hopefully this one is the last infection I get before I leave.

2.  Training my brain is probably more important than training my body.  I spent the past 208 days training hard for this climb.  What I gained from it was more than just physical fitness; I gained mental fitness to help me overcome those points in the climb when I really need to dig deep.  My recent training days consist more of higher intensity training and less long, moderate slogs.  These higher intensity days test my mental resolve but no more so than the long "Summit Saturdays" I spent over the past few months.  I am ready mentally and know I am fit physically for any challenge.  The only problem...I have 53 more days until I depart.  My objective now is to stay healthy and refine any training to be ready for most if not all the mountain has to offer.

3.  Days off are just as important as days of training.  I am learning in my 5th decade that rest is just as important as exercise (and diet).  Combined, these facets of training offer me the most in preparation for this climb.  I take the rest when I schedule it and when my body seems to need more.  My recent sinus infection could be traced back almost two weeks ago (65 days remaining or 11 days ago) when my HRV readings started to indicate that my body was not fully recovering. Had I rested fully then, I might not be fighting this infection today.  Perhaps.  Maybe I am not that disciplined but I do plan to be more judicious about my rest moving forward.

I leave you once again with just a few tidbits of what inhabits my head these days.  All is well - despite feeling exhausted from this infection.  Over the next few weeks, I plan to do more strength training and maintaining my already strong aerobic base.  Next update (on Friday) will include some video of what I actually do on most of my workout days; come back and check them out.  Remember....

Work + Rest = Success!

Thanks for following.

Day 1 (travel) & 2 (waiting) in the books - my typical non-swim day

I left Fairfax in a flurry.  Unable to focus on anything but the swim, I slept most of Friday.  Naps rock!  The only problem was that I was not tired at all when we boarded the plane at 10pm.  So, I watched two movies and managed a paltry 1.5 hours of sleep during the tail end of the flight.  I was beat tired when we landed.  Kathy and Patrick had taken Dramamine for the flight so they passed out before the plane even took off and slept the entire 6-hour flight until right before we landed.  I was jealous.  Typically, I have that sleep pattern during long flights.  Not this time.  

We landed, cleared customs and gathered our things for our hired car trip down to Dover.  Initially, Kat and I were thinking of taking the "cheaper" route down via trains and taxi.  I did the math and in no way was it cheaper than a £110 (roughly US$150 at the time) - ride for the family. Plus, we were in no shape to grab the train from London - Heathrow to Paddington station, take a cab to St. Pancras, board a train to Dover, switch at Rochester, and then carry on to train station where we would lug our bags to the Churchill Guest House. Nope, no shape. Kat and Patrick were still a bit dazed from their drug-induced plane naps while I could barely keep my eyes open from sleep deprivation. We landed at 10am local time or 5am our time and thankful that our trip to Dover involved nothing more than greeting our driver, crawling into the car and crashing for the 2-hour ride. Without any sleep during the night, I needed to nod off.

Did I sleep? Nope. I spent the entire car ride down chatting up a storm with our driver - Rob. We talked about Brexit, the US presidential election, UK tourism, Ireland, and tourist destinations. All in all, it was a mighty craic. The time flew by and we were at the Churchill in nothing flat - at least that is what I recall. Toward the end of the trip, I was falling asleep while talking. Yep, I was beat and ready for bed. Unfortunately, it was only 2pm and I had no reason to crash that early. We headed out and grabbed groceries instead. It might be a long wait before bedtime calls.

A quick trip to the grocery store followed by a quick pint at the White Horse, and then an early dinner at Il Rustico ended our day at 9pm. Now, I was ready for bed. Really, I was and fell asleep about 20 minutes after we returned from dinner. That sleep lasted just 3 hours when I awoke from the slumber and felt totally rested. I have no clue why but I just couldn't get to sleep. I tossed and turned then decided to read email, check Facebook, and organize my photos. Some of you benefited from that last step. Once I got to 5am local time, I fell asleep and slept until our breakfast time of 8am. In total, I logged in 6 hours of sleep - not bad but not good enough to really feel rested.

Breakfast at the Churchill Guest House is an event. I hurried off to sit at the "big table" where we could meet other guests, strike up some good conversations, and talk about and with Alastair and Betty - the proprietors. Alex - their son - runs the place now because Alastair and Betty are getting older but they all have a strong hand in the day-to-day operation. Our interactions are similar to those observed in the John Cleese serial "Fawlty Towers." I posted this observation last year but this year just confirmed it. We have a great time. Well, 2 hours later, our breakfast time ended to give way to our swim.

Kat and I walked down to "the beach" at Dover Harbor where all the marathon swimmers congregate. It is a great event every day during the summer but particularly well-attended on the weekends. Today was no exception. We were met by countless people either training for, preparing for or waiting for their EC swim. Everyone rolls out the Dover welcome mat for any swimmer. The Dover harbor swims are truly one of the best parts of marathon swimming. The people, the location, and the conditions make it ideal for training.

I wasn't interested in training per se. Instead, I just wanted to get in, get a few strokes into the 17C water (sans cap today to boost the exposure) and restore my feel for the water. The harbor was warmer than I expected and quite choppy. All of the pilot boats were out with swimmers today. Despite that draw, I counted no fewer than 50 people at the beach. Kat and I swam for about an hour and then got out to socialize. It was great. We had a fun time chatting with the folks. I had the great pleasure to chat with the Honorable Secretary Kevin Murphy. We chatted briefly about my upcoming swim and my Catalina Channel swim. He is a lovely person - always supportive and interested in every swimmer who attempts or even dreams about a marathon swim.

Afterwards, we retired back to our guest house accommodations to nap. I was done eating and just needed some sleep. My nap lasted from about noon until 4pm - some nap, eh? I needed it. We topped off the day with a quick meal at Blake's of Dover and then a stroll down to the harbor beach to cool off with the sea breeze. The boats are still out so I don't have any news about my swim tomorrow. Tomorrow will likely follow the same routine as today. I'll keep you all posted as I learn more about the potential to swim. More than likely, if conditions hold, I will swim on Tuesday. Stay tuned for more updates as they come. Thanks for following.

Two more opportunities to swim....and the outlook is not looking favorable

Hey all.  I just got off the phone with Neil (my pilot) and he gave me the run down for the upcoming days.  Today is bad.  The winds and waves are not favorable today - at least not this morning.  Later today may work out but it doesn't look promising.  Tomorrow, the forecast is about the same as today.  No sense stressing about it.  I plan to go for a swim this morning, retire to our favorite restaurant for a bite to eat and then chat with Neil to see if the conditions change.  Maybe afterwards I squeeze in a nap to make today perfect.  

Don't worry about my mental state.  I am in good shape and look forward to this and other adventures.  The aim here is to make the most of what I have available.  How many times do I get to swim in Dover harbor?  Not many.  Off I go!  See you shortly with any updates.  See below?  I'm smiling....sort of.  OK, off to swim.

Coming down to the wire - 2 days left to squeeze in a swim

Title says it all.  I am down to two more mornings (and one afternoon) and tomorrow morning doesn't look promising.  Just got off the phone with my pilot boat captain - Neil Streeter - and he gave me the go-ahead to enjoy a pint tonight.  The morning does not look good.  I trust him completely.  We just ran out of luck so far.  Monday was a dream day and the days following turned sour for us.  Oh well.  I have two more chances - tomorrow afternoon and Friday morning.  Fingers crossed that something works out.  I remain hopeful even if the odds are shifting out of my favor.  On the bright side, I get to see my friends Sam and Alex in just two days.  That reunion will be special.  

The swimming in Dover harbor was simply amazing today - just as it had been the previous days.  Reflecting on my time in Dover and the training proceeding my trip, I have a few things I learned.  First, I am fit and ready to swim on three months training post climbing in Nepal.  I think any more time preparing might have lead me to burn out.  Also, gaining the extra weight helped a ton because I can tolerate the cold(er) water without any ill effects.  Second, marathon swimmers are an awesome group.  I cannot believe there are so many nice people who do one sport.  If we all took a few tips from the folks here in Dover, my LOST friends in Oakville, Ontario Canada, and the countless English Channel swimmers I met along the way, the world would be a nicer place with less hate and more love.  I cannot express in words how grateful I am for all the support and kindness shown to me and my family over the past 5 months.  Thank you all.  

Here are a few pictures from today just so you can see the harbor with a bit of a breeze filling in.  Looks rather calm, eh?  Well, the winds were really building and I doubt it would be much fun out in the channel.  I snapped these photos late this afternoon well past my early (11am) swim in the harbor.  During my swim this morning, I felt the chop that is commonly referred to as the washing machine.  It was a blast!  I can't wait to bob about in the channel for the real swim.  OK, without further delay, here are some pictures....

A great view from the swimmer's beach in Dover harbor.

There I am...smiling while waiting my turn.

Today's choppy conditions gave me a good taste of what might be in store for me while crossing the channel.  Hopefully I get that chance this year.  If not, I am already thinking about what lies ahead for me.  Perhaps Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) followed by Catalina Island Marathon swim and another shot at the English Channel.  Hey, now that is an idea!  A triple crown in one year.  Kat would prefer I not return to Everest this year just to give us all a break.  I agree with her; I need a break and so does she.  We were just talking about this idea during dinner tonight.  She seemed somewhat psyched about this challenge.  So, what do you think?  I know my friends in San Diego would lend a hand for Catalina Island.  Swimming around Manhattan might be a little creepy.  

OK, more thoughts on that challenge soon.  Time for bed and then another morning dip in the harbor.  Fingers crossed I get a chance to swim the channel this year.  Expect another update shortly.

Thanks for following along.

Been about 6 days here in Dover and here is where we stand....(or swim)

Greetings,

I am laying down in our awesome room nestled deep in the heart of the Churchill Guest House.  It is breezy today and I feel completely comfortable after my morning dip in Dover harbor followed by another outstanding meal at Il Rustico.   Each day - save for one - I swam in the harbor for at least an hour and then enjoyed a leisurely day of naps and meals.  We are ready as a crew to tackle this swim but the wind and waves seem to have different plans.  As we wait, I wanted to give you a brief update.  Below are some pictures from the past few days.  As you can see, we are enjoying ourselves.

A view up Castle Street - the street that amazingly enough heads up to the castle.  Go figure.

One of our early meals at Il Rustico.  I believe we ate there every day so far.  If you find a winner, stick with it.

Dover Harbor - the place where all the channel swimmers come to get accustomed to the water (wind, waves, and temperature).

Hey, I know that guy.  I am relaxing today because I thought I might swim the next day.  No use tiring myself out.  Kat swam for the family.

There she is...Kat swimming in one of those seal costumes.  

...and she was playing the part of seal very well.  Here, Sean is lending a hand and helping Kat and her new friend out of the water.  Actually, he just offered them their shoes so they wouldn't have to walk upon the tough rocks with cold feet.

I have no idea if I will get off for my swim.  The beauty is that I remain optimistic and relatively care-free.  It has been an outstanding event so far even though I remain uncertain.  The people here are wonderful.  I met the King of the Channel (aka Kevin Murphy - the Honorable Secretary of the English Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation) along with many swimmers - both old and young (well, relatively young and certainly young at heart).  Also, my family and I have become fast friends with the proprietors of our B&B (Alastair, Betty and Alex Dimech); they are gracious hosts and tell outstanding stories - some that will crack you up for years to come.  If you have any interest or ever watched Fawlty Towers, then you must come and spend time chatting with them.  They are wonderful people who love to laugh and have stories that will remind you of Basil Fawlty - all good stories.

At any rate, I am just biding my time.  I hope to be able to swim before I head off to Sam and Alex's wedding.  The swims in Dover harbor have been magical but they don't satisfy my yearning to swim to France.  If the swim doesn't materialize, I will return to Dover in the near future to give it a real go.  Yes, these setbacks can be expensive and irritating but if Mother Nature forces my hand to abort, then I must and return I shall....soon.  Everest will be 3 times (I hope no more) - fingers crossed the channel does not take that many tries.

Stay tuned for more updates shortly.  Tomorrow is another day but the weather looks foul.  Perhaps I get out on Thursday.  Don't know yet.  I think I'll take a nap.   Thanks for following along.

Three days and counting....

Greetings,

I hope this update finds you all well.  The past few weeks were extremely busy with work, climbing, and travel.  Sorry to stop the updates but something had to give and I figured I would give everyone a little break before I bombarded you with updates.  We are heading out late Wednesday night for Dover, England.  I am in great swimming shape.  My body withstood a huge training effort so far and I am now just resting these final few days - with a little swimming thrown in to keep me fresh.  There is nothing more I can do to prepare myself other than rest while I await a long day on the water.  If all goes well, I will be able to swim during my tide.  The weather doesn't look terribly promising but forecasting errors increase the further we move out from the date of interest.  Right now, we are almost 5 days away from the beginning of my tide (Sept 4th).  Cross your fingers and hope for good weather, smooth waters, and a nice tail wind pushing me towards France.

During the next week, I will post updates on the blog.  Kathy will post a definitive update when I start my swim.  She will post on the blog so be sure to follow along here.  The best place to follow my track is on the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation's website.  They post live tracking on this page.  The ship's name is Suva just in case you wanted to know the specific boat to track.  We will be sure to post as much information as possible.  Due to the nature of the swim, there is no way to give you much notice.  I may have little to no notice before I swim so your alert may be more relaxing than mine.  In the meantime, sit back, relax, and hope for the best.

I promise no earthquakes or avalanches for this adventure.  Thanks to my brother-in-law (Kevin McGovern) for providing me with a little bit of humor prior to this adventure.  Here it is for you all to enjoy....

Three days and counting.  See you tomorrow for more updates.  Time to pack.