Post Everest Recap: Part #3 (of 3) - The Aftermath

The final part of this 3-part series recapping my Everest climb culminates in drama.  Below, I recount that drama in as much detail as I had available either by first-hand account (from my own eyes) or from other's first-hand accounts.  Errors in the details are mine.  I verified all pieces from those who directly observed the events.  The purpose of me retelling them here is to provide you all a full story of what happened to us all on Mt. Everest this year.  I did not intend to impugn anyone by retelling these events.  If you feel your story was retold incorrectly, I urge you to submit comments (or ignore the post altogether).  If you stumbled across this blog post by search engine, I encourage you to read Post 1 and Post 2 before reading on.

NOTE:  Prior to posting this recap, I had my climbing mates comment on the material.  All but two commented after I sent requests (Franz did not reply and Jon was busy climbing Denali - and summited!).  After a few discussions via WeChat and such, I had to make some tough decisions.  Those decisions pertained to how much material to reveal to the public and what impact those revelations might have on the individuals.  Let me begin by saying that what I wrote below is my perspective.  Some material was edited because my perspective was incorrect.  In those places, I chose to report what actually happened rather than what I thought happened.  Those corrections are noted in bold.  Additionally, I do not want to implicate SummitClimb as a prime cause in the outcomes mentioned below.  These events unfolded organically and, I suspect, almost all expedition groups experience similar problems.  From the leadership at Kathmandu through the cook staff, all those employed by SummitClimb did a fantastic job and I would happily climb with them in the future.  Finally, I am reporting these events for completeness and not to raise the attention of the media.  If you are a member of the media and are interested in following up with these stories, look elsewhere.  You will find many others willing to engage you; I am not one of those people.  My friends, family, and followers who were loyally tracking my adventures are the primary beneficiaries of these stories.  Thank you for attending to this important disclosure. 

The Aftermath

Hopefully, I left you wondering what transpired with the rest of our SummitClimb team.  There were several climbers that remained in my thoughts - mainly Magnus because he was acting so oddly on the summit ridge.  Brendan and I sat for a good portion of May 20th - the day we arrived at ABC from the North Col - discussing the summit experience.  He pointed out that I was clueless on the summit.  He was right; I was clueless on the summit.  Not wanting to spoil the mood, I didn't go into my mask problems just yet.  Instead, we enjoyed (well, perhaps not really enjoyed) our first tastes of beer.  We talked about how our rehearsed script for pictures and video on the summit was an utter failure.  We never planned on windy, cold, and crowded conditions with no cell phone cameras.  After a few laughs, we turned back to our team.

Uhm...."enjoying" a cold beer.  Cold it was, good it was not.  Yes, I used this picture before.  Want another?  Check out the rest of my pictures here (careful, there are almost 1600 pictures and video with more to come)..

Where on Everest is Magnus?

We got to chatting about the rest of the group.  Magnus was fresh on our minds.  Before getting to Camp 3 off the summit ridge, we passed Magnus and Ang Pasang.  He was falling and seemed utterly exhausted.  I felt the same way.  My legs just stayed under me but Magnus stumbled a bunch and he had about 100m (vertical) to go until he reached the camp.  We could all see the tents below but it is amazing how hard it is to walk when that exhausted.  I recounted my discussions with Magnus where I said "Magnus, let's walk down together.  I am beat and will take my time."  He didn't respond at first but eventually said that he was going way slower than I was going and would just take his time.  Brendan, meanwhile, was almost at camp.  So I said to Brendan during our beer time together, "I wonder what happened to Magnus."  He wasn't in good shape.  I knew he was struggling and it appeared as if Ang Pasang continued on down to Camp 3 without him.  My guess was that Magnus told Ang Pasang to go ahead and that he would amble on at his own pace.  

Magnus (R) and Martin (L) in front of the famous "Big Plate Chicken"

Put this little exchange in perspective; Brendan and I were at ABC drinking beer and recounting events that were taking place above Camp 3!  My exchange with Magnus happened at or above 8400m or 27,500 feet - well above the start of the "Death zone" on Everest.  Magnus needed to get down or else he would run the risk of dying on Everest.  I started to worry about his safety.

Jon's Arrival at ABC

After about an hour of working through that horrific can of what Tibetans call beer, Jon arrived at ABC.  He walked in and was in great spirits.  Immediately, we asked him how the rest of the team fared on summit day.  What struck me as odd was that Brendan and I had no idea how things went with them.  The last time we saw Jon was after we summited.  We passed by the rest of the Summit Climb team as they headed up the snow slope just before the summit.  My guess is they had about an hour before the summit.  Everyone seemed to be doing well except Jon.  He is an affable guy; always quick to respond and almost always in a good mood.  When I passed by Jon, he didn't say a word.  That seemed really out of character.  Right next to Jon was Grant who was in his characteristically focused manner on the climb.  Grant "high fived" us both before we left them but we couldn't get anything from Jon.  I was curious to know how Jon fared.  My guess was that he summited and returned without incident.

Jon recounted the summit day with great clarity.  He opened up a Lhasa "beer" (3.3% Alcohol by volume doesn't warrant an unqualified beer from me) and we talked about the events.  The first thing he mentioned was some trouble with Franz.  Apparently, Franz had little problem on the climb up but had no energy for the descent - a full story that I shall recount below.  Jon then went on to explain that he developed a really bad cough and was coughing up green phlegm into his mask.  The thought of that made me nauseous.  Perhaps it was the Lhasa beer.  I don't know but it was disturbing to say the least.  Jon also said that he went on ahead - leaving David, Martin, Franz and their Sherpa behind.  He had no idea what happened to them because he descended without others.  It seemed like Jon was on his own or with his Sherpa for the rest of the descent.  

At this time I realized how fortunate I was to be climbing with Brendan.  We looked out for one another and made sure each was safe.  Jon didn't have this luxury but he did have a Sherpa (Chewang).  Brendan and I had one between the two of us and that was good enough given the fact that nothing went wrong.  Had one of us been in trouble, Gelje couldn't have done much for either of us - not because he was incapable but because the spare oxygen bottles were nowhere to be found and we were on a mad dash to get down.  Jon, apparently didn't have too much of a struggle with oxygen but his cough really hampered his climbing ability (Readers interested in Jon's first-hand account of his climb should read his blog posts).  Jon is a strong climber.  The fact that he was beaten down when we saw him on the ascent told me that something was wrong.  Indeed there was but I leave that for him to describe.  Again, read his blog posts (linked above).  David mentioned to me via email that Jon complained about his mask.  Jangbu carried two spare masks with him at the back of the pack.  After swapping out masks, Jon realized that the problem was his lungs and not his mask.  Jon just developed an upper respiratory infection that hampered his climbing ability.

Jon gave us a hint about Franz but we had no idea the impact it might have on others.  Brendan and I remained concerned about Magnus and figured Franz was in good hands.  Jon mentioned seeing Ang Pasang at the higher camps but did not know where Magnus was on the mountain.  At that point, I grew really concerned.  The last time I saw Magnus was when he was slowly working his way down off the summit ridge above Camp 3.  Magnus was meandering off the beaten path and seemed rather lost but certainly exhausted.  I understood his exhaustion and felt it first-hand.  Franz remained a mystery to us all.  

After sitting in the dining tent for some time, our teammates slowly showed up at ABC with more details.  Everyone sung the same tune; Franz stopped in his tracks after the summit and refused to continue down.  Jon summed it up perfectly in his blog recap where he said "Franz, while focused on gaining a ‘first’ had clearly not left anywhere near enough in the tank for the descent and was now looking at a less than sympathetic David for answers.  Along with two other fellow climbers I moved onto another rope to continue descending with full expectation that that would be the last I’d see of our Paraguayan friend."  Wow!  That is a powerful summary in my book.  We all know when a climber is in trouble.  When we are that high on a mountain, we must find the energy to carry on.  Nobody is capable of saving you (or me).  Franz believed in his Sherpa and expedition leader (David) but that belief is misplaced.  We must believe in ourselves to get down.  Climbing up is optional; climbing down mandatory.  Despite the common tune sung by all, we still lacked the whole story.

The tune became crystal clear when David and Martin showed up later that night.  They were obviously exhausted and equally irritated.  David retold the events in sequence and we all sat riveted to his every word.  The way he described the event was that Franz essentially gave up.  He claimed to be snow blind, scared, and incapable of moving.  We all experience some level of fear in these events.  Some of us ignore it while others get consumed by it.  Apparently Franz felt anxious enough where he couldn't overcome it or cover it up from others.  I suspect fear is not something that most men like to show other men.  None of us want to appear weak.  In some countries, accusing another man of being weak might be the equivalent of stealing his horse or sleeping with his wife.  At any rate, Franz was scared and could not see well enough to keep going.  David then described his efforts - along with "my" Sherpa Jangbu - of placing Franz's feet in locations to ambulate him down the hill.  Yes, one step at a time they guided him down; together they required 12 hours to descend from the summit to Camp 3.  

Franz waving hello on the climb to the summit.  Given the number of read suits, I presume the boys are surrounded by the 7 Summits (Russian) team.  Photo by David O'Brien.

Time for a little perspective.  The highest mountaineering rescue ever happened on May 19th (!), 2013.  Yes, the same day 5 years prior to this day, a mountaineer was rescued near Camp 3 at 7000m or 23,000 feet on the south side of Everest via helicopter (thanks David for pointing that detail out).  No high rescues were ever reported higher than 7000m by any means.  The summit of Everest is 8848m or 29,035 feet meaning that David and Jangbu rescued Franz at the highest point anyone could be rescued.  I want to emphasize that point because as Jon pointed out in his blog post, Franz would not be alive had it not been for the selfless effort put forth by these men.  Real heroes I would say.  Why they were put in that situation I plan to go into detail below but suffice it to say that they acted as good humans for a cause that many might find questionable.  Saving a human is a good cause for sure; I would never question that point.  Saving a single human from a preventable situation where three others lives were jeopardized complicates matters.  Saving a human who has no appreciation or gratitude for the efforts of others further complicates matters.  Let me expand upon all three points below.

Saving Humans on Everest

A 7000m rescue record on any mountain is both rare and amazing.  There is a certain feeling of helplessness that we all feel above even 6000m.  We are preoccupied with our own lives and the safety of those around us.  Helping another person sounds honorable but in reality it is not possible for most of us.  We can barely walk let alone climb.  I know some of the strongest, most accomplished climbers who have been in horrible states.  They struggled for many odd reasons but they were not capable of helping others.  Even the Sherpa have limits.  They get exhausted.  Saving a human on Mt. Everest is both rare and amazing.  Saving a human above Camp 3 is unheard of on the Tibet side of Mt. Everest.  Here, on our team, we had two heroes who saved one climber.

An ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure

Every error on a climb is preventable.  I believe that to my core.  We all make mistakes or errors during a climb but most of them are inconsequential.  My slip on the descent of Step 2 only affected my pride (and ribs) but did not jeopardize my life.  I clipped into the fixed ropes, regained my composure, and kept my wits about me when things went sideways (literally and figuratively).  Preparation helps us all prevent those errors and recover from them.  Years of being in the mountains, skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and camping made me prepared.  Franz had little to no preparation for Everest.  He showed up in Kathmandu without any of the essential personal climbing equipment such as a harness, carabiners, crampons, boots, helmet, summit suit, etc.  Something as basic as a climbing harness and setup should be fixtures by the time someone attempts a big mountain like Everest (or any other 8000m peak).  Learning to use these pieces of gear on a big mountain is just asking for trouble.  

The real evidence for Franz's lack of preparation wasn't merely with his gear.  We had a gear test on the ice pinnacles the day before our first rotation up the mountain.  If you read my summary, I conveniently omitted some details simply because I was not sure if what I saw was accurate.  Now, we can pull back the curtains and reveal what really happened.  Most of the team scaled the pinnacles with ease; some, like Martin, helped others gain insights into better technique.  None of the team members stood out from the rest other than Franz.  He obviously never climbed before.  Magnus noted (via email exchange) that he observed Franz's ability and decided to avoid him when on the mountain.  There were times during the rotations that Franz's lack of preparation were abundantly clear.  Case in point - he fell into a small crevasse opening while descending from the North Col on rotation one.  In Magnus' words:

My initial thought was to stay as far away from him on the hill as possible.  With that [the events during the previous day recounted above] fresh in my mind, during the first climb to the North Col, I found myself just in front of him when getting on the ropes at the bottom. I tried hard to push away, but he kept coming up behind me. When I decided to turn around, of course he also decided the same thing… You know this already, but on the way down there was a little crevasse around 30% up the hill. Franz was right behind me and so around 10m before the crevasse I started running (running is relative up there) down the hill and managed to get a 25m gap between him and me. Having never done an arm-rappel in his life, he slipped, fell on his ass and slid right into the crevasse. As he held is legs up, he managed to slide like on the bottom tip of a letter “U” and stopped with his calves on the bottom side of the crevasse and shoulder blades on top, like a plank.....  He was yelling Help and “What should I do”. I yelled to him to get out his axe or attach the jumar or anything to get an anchor set, but he was unable to do anything. Dorjee came running down from above and pulled him out quite quickly, but I am still surprised over how little this incident seemed to affect Franz.

I was a bit perplexed as to how a person who never used alpine climbing gear could feel prepared to climb Everest.  Some of us tried to help where we could but we all felt somewhat uneasy that a climber with us was not able to ascend or descend a small ice pinnacle.  I felt bad for David and for the rest of the climbing team who were responsible for Franz.  They had to shoulder the burden of Franz but neither I nor anyone else realized how much they would have to eventually shoulder.  NOTE:  At this point, I feel obliged to weigh in on this material to absolve SummitClimb for any direct responsibility.  We all know weaker climbers who manage to find their way onto these expeditions.  If you took the time to read past recounts of expedition teams, then you will certainly know that not all high alpine climbers are equal.  Some climbers are bold and unprepared and others are well seasoned and prepared.  That continuum exists on every expedition.  The price one pays for their expedition team does not ensure that all fellow climbers are equally prepared; that price ensures that all are equally well-off financially to pay for the expedition team.  The services that we had from SummitClimb were equal to or better than most other teams.  We know; we visited every team while at Basecamp.  So if you think that weak climbers get excluded from the high-priced teams then you are sorely mistaken.  Every climber must assume responsibility for himself or herself. 

We're all victims of our own hubris at times -- Kevin Spacey

What Franz showed in the weeks leading up to summit day was a lack of preparation prior to his arrival combined with a lack of care to prepare while he could on the mountain.  I encouraged him to practice clipping into a fixed rope, learning to use his ascender with gloves and mittens, and getting his gear in order.  If you read my previous posts then you will realize how funny it is for me to encourage others to get their gear in order when it was my poor preparation with my oxygen setup that almost cost me my climb and potentially my life.  Hypocrisy aside, I encouraged him to learn and practice.  He did no such thing.  Instead, he spent countless hours watching videos on his phone inside the dining tents.  Not once did I see him do anything but eat and watch videos.  He showed no interest in learning more.  I believe, in retrospect, that he thought he knew everything he needed to know to climb Everest.  No way was he going to ask for help from anyone else.  

That false sense of competence and air of confidence came out in almost every conversation and even when he returned from the summit.  When Franz stepped into the dining tent at ABC, most of us had several hours to process the entire recap from David, Martin, Jon, Grant, and even Magnus's points of view.  All those perspectives told us one thing:  Franz was lucky to be alive and yet he felt no gratitude about the efforts to save him.  Imagine saving a dog from a burning house only to be bitten by him.  Well, that imaginal example might be a bit extreme but I assure you that David and Martin felt (yes, felt) the lack of gratitude.  David seethed during the recap.  Both David and Martin are mild-mannered guys and they were visibly angry when retelling their stories.  I don't think anything could feel worse than saving an ungrateful person.  

Why are you guys punishing me?

When we finally got down to Chinese Basecamp, we had a full day to process the series of events.  The emotional responses were raw for most if not all.  Some did not chime in to the discussion while others were quite vocal.  David and Martin - the two most vocal - had many words to say on the matter but most not suitable for little kids ears or eyes.  I won't repeat them here but suffice it to say that I could easily infer that they felt an internal conflict between helping an ungrateful person and doing the right thing.  After repeated discussions, we all realized that the conflict was deepening.  David and Martin felt strongly that Franz needed to show his gratitude by providing Jangbu a sizable summit tip.  It was Jangbu, afterall, who did a fair portion of the "lifting" when Franz was being almost carried down the mountain.  The efforts by David and Jangbu made me quite convinced that had they not intervened then Franz would not be hailed as the first Paraguayan to summit Everest.  My sense is that he would not have survived.  Jon saw it first-hand and reported to me that he thought that was the last time he would see Franz.  Again, powerful statements.  Just like Mallory and Irvine before us, he would have failed to return from the summit and his attempt would be deemed a failure.  I figured the failure needed to be reflected somehow or another and the best way for it to be reflected would be in the Himalayan Database by recognizing Franz as a German climber.  His climbing permit was issued under his German passport because Paraguay has no diplomatic relations with China (they recognize Taiwan).  Thus, Franz became the first by a technicality and by luck.  I suggested to the team that we honor Franz and the efforts of his three rescuers by recognizing the four as two Germans, a British guide, and a Sherpa.  Franz asked "why are you picking on me" and then preceded to tell David that he created a hostile environment throughout the climb.  

That latter comment made us all boil.  David is an excellent guide by all measures. I have climbed and done all sorts of adventures throughout my life and few people would equal David in his skills, patience, and diplomacy.  Count me in for those who would sign up to climb with David any time.  David was the champion for Franz to continue climbing - a point David recounted as a source of guilt.  I don't believe for a second that David deserves a shred of guilt.  Everyone on Everest makes a decision to go up based upon his or her experience.  Some climbers do not have sufficient experience to make informed decisions.  Franz was one of those climbers.  David did his best to guide Franz but apparently Franz did not listen.  He climbed to the summit without any eye protection despite repeated directives from David to put on glasses or goggles.  Franz did not know enough to turn around when he was fatigued nor did he know enough to communicate his level of fatigue to either David or his personal Sherpa.  These failures were Franz's and Franz's alone.  The fact that David did not run him off the expedition team is not a failure on David's part but rather a failure of the system that allows complete novices to climb big dangerous mountains.  I favor the open system that allows any and all to climb.  What I do not favor is that those who are unwilling to prepare for such challenges do not take full responsibility for their actions.  Franz never owned up to his lack of preparation.  In fact, he said that Jangbu should not be thanked or paid because he "was doing his job."  Sorry Franz, Jangbu risked his life for you and you barely had the courtesy to thank him.  

I was so thoroughly disgusted by Franz's behavior that I wanted nothing to do with him.  He lost equipment I loaned him (four brand new locking carabiners), never thanked me for even loaning it to him (on record by several accounts), and skipped out on paying for things when he was responsible (later in Kathmandu).  I might sound bitter but I am not at all.  What I am is sorry that two men had to risk their lives for an ungrateful person.  I am sorry that one person - David - feels one ounce of guilt for something he deserves to feel proud.  I am sorry that Jangbu cannot gain the recognition he so deserves for risking his life for someone who did not value his life.  Sorrow is what I feel more than anything else.  If by writing this missive I can offer those guys an opportunity to feel some gratitude from others then I have succeeded in my objective.

Ending on a good note

Remember Magnus?  I sure do.  He is a fine man.  Apparently Magnus was preoccupied with experiencing what made Everest unique.  The summit is not unique.  Well, that is not true.  The height of the summit is particularly high but not unique.  Most mountain summits are rather boring, flat spaces where people stand atop while posing and preening about.  Magnus wanted none of that.  He merely wanted to experience the three steps.  Once he got atop the 3rd Step, he felt satisfied with the experience and turned around.  Apparently Magnus, Ang Pasang and David chatted about Magnus turning around.  They agreed that Magnus ought to turn around after the 3rd step - something Magnus felt quite good about in retrospect.  Contributing to that decision was the fact that he felt pretty tired and wanted to live a long life.  I applaud him for that decision.  Dominic made a similar decision.  Dom - as he preferred to be called - decided against risking his life and turned around when his oxygen mask failed.  Both of these guys made wise decisions.  I felt for them afterwards only insofar as they didn't achieve what I believe both set out as their objectives but I think they both achieved something far greater - a life beyond the mountains.  I gained more respect for these guys than anything that Franz ever did on that mountain.  These men made tough choices and decided to take matters in their own hands.  I respect them for those decisions and would gladly climb with both in the future.  Magnus and Dom are alpinists - individuals who dare to be different but also accept responsibility for their daring behavior.

Epiloge

We are happy to be done and headed back to Kathmandu to party.  Oh wait, we started already.

Everest was quite an adventure.  My journey started many years ago when I decided I wanted to do my own triple crown - not one to brag about or create a list where I invited others to compete with me.  I wanted to be weird and do three totally incompatible things that would allow me to be me.  Those things?  Swim the English Channel, climb Mt. Everest and sail around the world.  I achieved two of the three.  The question most people ask now is "what is next?"  To them, I tell them I want to sail around the world.  My brother and I plan to make it happen.  We don't aim to sail continuously around but rather in "legs" between interesting destinations or waypoints.  Friends are welcome on certain legs but we want to have fun so we welcome those who wish to have fun with us.  I feel satisfied with my individual achievements and do not plan any specific climbs or swims in the near future.  Perhaps I will climb in the Karakorum and swim where sharks dare not go.  I invite you all to follow along with my adventures.

Credits and Acknowledgements

Everest was a huge endeavor.  I thank my friends and family for their support.  Yes, I realize that hearing my plans to return to Everest after a few tough trips without success made them uneasy but I thank them all for believing in me.  Your support meant the world to me.  Thanks to Brendan for making this trip better than I ever imagined.  Without his presence, the climb would not have been the same.  In fact, I suspect I would not have as many fond memories.  My teammates on the climb were fantastic.  Simply fantastic.  David O'Brien, Martin Szwed, Brendan Madden, Jon Lawrie, Grant Maughan, Dominic Renshaw, Magnus Nerve, Heikki K. and even Franz Rassl made the trip unforgettable.  Each of these guys contributed to the team dynamics and made it all a real treat.  Thanks for your support guys.

From L to R:  Grant, Magnus, David, Franz, Dom, Martin, Jon, Brendan, me, and Heikki

I encourage all of you to read the summaries from the other climbers.  To date, I have these recaps posted online:

Jon:  Sand To Summits
Grant:  Dingofish Express

A few hours before I depart: How to follow us on our climb

I take off in a little under 14 hours.  Before I depart for Kathmandu, I wanted to alert everyone about the various ways you can follow us while we climb.  We intend to post updates to Twitter because the Garmin InReach allows us to post to either Twitter or Facebook.  The former gives us more flexibility and allows us to reach a wider audience.  Every time we post to Twitter, my blog will be updated.  If you are averse to Twitter then just check in here for the latest updates; otherwise, follow us on Twitter.  I intend to test out this Twitter to blog functionality shortly so stay tuned for a test post.  Finally, here are the outlets you can easily find our update links:

1.  My blog (here).  Every time I post to Twitter (@pem725), this blog gets updated with the appropriate map link and any message I include.

2.  Twitter.  The updates will be brief but always include a link to MapShare.

3.  Facebook.  If you are friends with me, check out Facebook.  I doubt I will post much directly to my account while away but all my Twitter posts go directly to Facebook.

4.  MapShare.  Go here for the latest location mapped only a cool Google map.  If you really want to see a cool map of the entire route, check out this Google Earth map.

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...

33 Days Remain: Monster days on the AT last weekend

I spent the past few days in the great outdoors hiking portions of the Appalachian Trail.   For those interested in the trails I hiked, check out these links:

1.  Weverton to Gathland State Park (out and back).  I started from the parking lot in Harper's Ferry for a total round-trip of just a shade under 20 miles.  The terrain was flat initially and then offered a nice climb up about 1200 feet then continued along an undulating ridge.  Nice hike and certainly worth the effort and drive.

An AT shelter in the distance.

2.  Maryland Heights Loop (loop with great views).  I hiked this loop fairly quickly and enjoyed the scenery.  

The view from above.  Little, charming Harper's Ferry down below.

There were other trails but I decided to show you two of my favorites.  Lest you think I had a night off from my hypoxic tent...fear not!  I brought a unit and tent with me and slept each night at my prescribed altitude.  These were tough days followed by a great night sleep (at altitude).  Also, the weekend was a great adventure and offered me some good feedback about my preparation.  I have no doubt in my mind now, I am fit.  What I need to focus on now is getting my gear ready, finishing work projects, getting my study setup and ready to deploy, and resting.   Still having fun....

Thanks for following.  More gear on Thursday.

47 Days Remain: Hypoxic sleeping....in a tent...indoors.

As promised, I am going to take you on a tour of my hypoxic sleeping setup and routine.  Here is my tent:

Inside the tent, I have all the luxuries including a fingertip pulse oximeter (for measuring my spO2 in the morning), an oxygen meter (for measuring the ambient oxygen level), toilet paper (for blowing my constantly running nose throughout the night), heart rate chest strap (for measuring my morning heart rate variability or HRV), Nalgene bottle (to quench my thirst through the night), comfortable pillow, and snacks (for obvious reasons).  All of these items fit snugly along with my upper body in the tent.  

Every night, I go to sleep between 8 and 9pm and plan for at least 8 contiguous hours of sleep.  Well, I say plan because I rarely sleep soundly for 8 hours.  Often, I wake up every other hour to drink some water or pee.  A side note for the latter activity might be necessary to explain how I stay in the tent for at least 8 hours.  Peeing requires a bottle.  I'll leave the gory details to your imagination.

My Hypoxico units sit along the wall in my exercise room (adjacent to my bedroom).  I ran the hoses through the wall so that I could keep the units away from the bedroom and in a cooler location.  Also, these units generate a ton of heat when they run overnight.  Locating them one room away allows me to have a sound night sleep without the additional heat and noise.  Here are the units:

See the hose that runs from the right-most unit?  That hose runs through the wall and into my bedroom.  These units strip the oxygen from the room air and pump that oxygen-depleted air into my tent.  The units have setting numbers that do not correspond exactly to the oxygen percent or any other value that makes sense.  I found that the units could loosely be calibrated by simply tracking the settings and plotting those settings to the observed oxygen percentage inside the tent.  Below is a snapshot of that calibration:

You'll note that the variability of the oxygen percentage varies quite a bit for each setting value.  I noticed this variability the more I observed the correspondence between these two variables.  Perhaps a more interpretable figure is the one that shows the relationship between the unit settings and the simulated oxygen levels (in Feet):

I have a few more setting units left on the scale to go but you can see clearly that my sleeping altitude is now about as high as these Hypoxico machines go.  What do these values mean in terms of my adaptation?  Well....they make it tough on my body for sure.  For those of you with extensive medical training, avert thy eyes.  You might get a shock from some of the numbers.  Fear not!  I am alive and doing quite well.  Here are spO2 values for each of the unit settings:

Yeah, some days are harder than others.  You can see that my spO2 drops with each successive value on the Hypoxico unit.  Over time, however, I tend to acclimatize to the oxygen levels and my spO2 improves.  How much does it improve?  Not enough to keep me out of the emergency room for those who know what these numbers mean.  A healthy person has an spO2 in the upper 90 percent range (I measure about 99% at sea level).  On setting 5 (as indicated in the figure above) using the high altitude adapter on full, I have a median spO2 of about 84%.  Contrast that number with my median spO2 of 71 on setting 6.5 with the adapter on full.   You can see that the response to the oxygen depletion is quite dramatic.  On about the 4th or 5th day of sleeping at each setting, I typically wake up with higher spO2 values and feel great; the first days on each setting can be quite rough.  So I feel an improvement even though I cannot observe that improvement by my spO2 values.  

All of these figures fail to tell the real story.  I need to explain what I am doing.  Here is a snapshot of my hypoxic acclimatization process.  I began my hypoxic sleep training in earnest on January 8th, 2018 by setting my Hypoxico unit to "9" (without the high altitude adapter) and sleeping blissfully for 9 hours.  NOTE:  I actually began sleeping in the tent on July 23rd, 2017 when I returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland.  OK, back to my "earnest" training. Setting 9 resulted in a oxygen concentration in the tent air of 13.6% or an equivalent altitude of 11,100 feet (3383m).  My spO2 in the morning was 88% or good enough to land me into the emergency room for most normal people.  Most of you realize I am not normal so that hospital trip would be a waste.  After about 5 days, I changed the unit setting by 0.5 to simulate a slightly higher altitude.  Each increase leads to a slight decrease in my spO2 (see figure above for some idea about how much change I observe).  

By sleeping every night at a simulated altitude, I increase my red blood cell count and potentially increase the oxygen carrying capacity of those red blood cells (by increasing the hemoglobin).  There are some conflicting views on the effectiveness of this process but I assure the most ardent skeptic that there is no way I could trek to Everest Basecamp in 2 days had it not been for the hypoxic sleep training I did in 2015.

Hopefully these tidbits provided you with some glimpse into one aspect of my training routine - my hypoxic sleep training.  During my next "rest day," I intend to describe some of my gear - starting with my feet.  With 47 days left, I have approximately 11 more full rest days to report on my preparation.  My sinus infection is now gone and I feel great.  With 43 days remaining, you will learn what I plan to wear on my feet.  Each successive post focuses on another part of my body's gear until I end with my head.  So, stay tuned for a foot to head detail of my gear.  

Thanks for following my adventure.

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.

59 days left: Listening to my HRV and resting when necessary

Well, the Super Bowl ended with great fanfare.  We enjoyed both the game and the outcome.  Sorry to you Patriot fans but those Eagles fans needed the taste of victory - for once.  I sit here on Tuesday evening nursing my weary body after another unplanned rest day.  Why unplanned?  I decided to stick closely to the recommendations my body makes as I continue to prepare for this climb.  The training routine I planned to implement was both ambitious and flexible.  Thus, I continually strive to push myself with built-in regular rest time every 4th day.  Throughout the entire training cycle, I monitor my recovery by checking my heart rate variability (HRV) every morning.  

How do I measure HRV?

Every morning, before I do anything, I don a chest strap heart rate monitor (transmitter) and record my heart rate via two apps.  Why two?  I use two to corroborate this important measure to ensure that no oddity in either the software or in the algorithm interferes with my recovery or training.  These days I use hrv4training and EliteHRV.  Both produce fairly dependable results but there are some slight differences.  For one, the EliteHRV app provides guidance on breathing rate and alerts me when there are too many artifacts for the reading to be useful - something I wish the hrv4training app provided.  Despite these differences, I found the ratings to correlate highly (r > .95) and most mornings they offer me similar suggestions with respect to training (to train, to go hard, to cut back, or to rest).  So, once I take these recordings, what do I make of the numbers?  Well....read on!

HRV in a nutshell

The basic idea behind HRV is that our hearts beat from two mechanisms - the sympathetic (when you exercise, your heart rate increases due to stress load) and the parasympathetic (when you rest, your heart beats in the background to supply your body with needed oxygen).  These two mechanisms often indicate some level of continued stress your body must accommodate before it recovers.  Let's look at heart rate to give you a better idea of what I am talking about.  Thanks to the internet, we have tons of images that display the effect.  The image below came from the ithlete website (one of many HRV programs available for download and used on phones and tablets).  Each heart beat takes place at a certain time:

The heart rate "trace" above shows the different electrocardiogram or ECG signal patterns represented by the P, Q, R, S, and T signals in the overall heart beat wave.  We are interested in the R or peak waves and more specifically in the time between each R signal.  A beating heart that is stressed will have a consistent R-R interval or a low variability for the time between R signals.  That low variability is a sign that either 1) you are under stress and your sympathetic nervous system control of your heart is high or 2) you are in a state of active recovery and your parasympathetic nervous system is not contributing much to your overall heart rhythm.  Either of these two outcomes is not good.  Low HRV predicts mortality - among other things - and often is an early warning sign for overtraining.  "Cardiovascular autonomic balance as measured by HRV may be considered as a valid sign of short-term but not long-term fatigue."  Thus, we want our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems to be in balance while we recover and, as a result, our HRV should be relatively high.  

How high do we want HRV?

HRV is a relative measure that must be "calibrated" to every person.  One person's values do not relate at all to another person's values.  Each of us needs to record several days to get an idea of trends between days and over time.  High values or rather relatively high values are what we wish to see to ensure that we have that balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity - all indicative of proper recovery.  So high is a relative term.  Over the past month, my HRV average was 75 (a standardized value obtained from the natural log of the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences in R-R intervals - yes, very technical but the numbers range from 0 to 100 with higher being "better").  Today, my HRV was 78 and both apps indicated that I was "good to go" even though today is my planned rest day.  Below is a graph of my R-R intervals this morning:

And the figure below shows my weekly "Readiness" trend.  As you can see, the bars tell me that I needed to rest and I did.  I'm being a good boy.

Not all days are great.  Yesterday, my HRV was 84 and was strongly influenced by more parasympathetic activity than sympathetic activity - an imbalance.  Both apps told me to rest yesterday and I did rest to a degree.  I worked out "lightly" compared to the 5 hour day I had planned.  Thus, high is not always the best.  Balance is what we aim for and often that balance results in higher HRV scores.

Does HRV work when sleeping at simulated altitude?

We don't know.  I certainly don't know.  There are no systematic studies on the use of HRV with hypoxic sleep training.  I found to date that HRV corresponds well to my overall fatigue (perceived level of fatigue in the morning) and often my HRV scores are affected by two things - my rate of respiration and any abrupt changes in simulated sleep altitude.  Let me address each in turn.

Respiration rate greatly influences HRV scores.  If I pant heavily when I wake up, I will have abnormally altered HRV scores - sometimes elevated but often suppressed.  Calm, regulated breathing at about 6-8 breaths per minute result in optimal HRV scores.  Thus, if I have a huge change in my simulated sleep altitude, I often wake up breathing in more rapid, shallower breaths that result in lower HRV scores.  Breathing rate is extremely important to optimal HRV recordings.

Simulated altitude via the Hypoxico unit appears to alter my HRV moderately but not to the point where I can no longer use HRV to monitor my recovery.  If I have a huge increase in simulated altitude, I find that it is difficult for me to disentangle recovery from hypoxic stress.  One way around that conundrum is that I often increase my altitude on rest days where I know my body will not be stressed that day due to training and almost all the HRV changes would be attributable to oxygen changes.  I also need to take into consideration the combination of training stress (as measured by both intensity and duration) and hypoxic stress (as measured by relative oxygen saturation in the tent and morning spO2 levels upon waking) to fully appreciate the HRV changes on days when I do train and do sleep at very high altitudes (low oxygen levels).  

To give you a better idea of the complexity, consider today.  I woke up at 10.3% O2 or a simulated level of 18,500 feet or 5750m and I have been sleeping at this altitude setting for 5 days.  Usually, 5 days is enough for me to get "used" to the hypoxia and I increase the setting.  Since I had to take a few days off this week to fully recover, I decided to keep the level consistent and measure my HRV today after a relatively restful day - not complete rest mind you.  Once I post this material to my blog, I have about an hour of light training and then I'm off for rest of the day where I will sit in meetings, rest, and recover.  Tomorrow, I intend to wake up at about 9.7% or roughly 20,000 feet or 6200m (by increasing the Hypoxico unit from 6.5 to 7 with the high altitude adapter on full) and workout for about 4.5 hours.  That increase in simulated altitude alone will push my HRV lower but hopefully not enough to warrant a rest day after today's recovery day.  We shall see....

In short....

I use HRV now to monitor my rest and recovery.  The research to date shows some promise but I realize that the application of this tool cannot be done in isolation of other factors.  Hydration, nutrition, stress, breathing, and sleep affect HRV readings and often in ways that I cannot understand - at least not yet.  HRV helped me to rest when I normally would push through the fatigue.  Work + Rest = Success.  I have no problem with the "Work" part of the equation but the "Rest" part eluded me for some time; HRV seems to help so far.  

Expect more updates regarding my progress, recovery, and overall preparation.  Thanks for following.  Hope you found this material thought-provoking.

67 days and counting: Four rules for training specifics to eliminate surprises

Another 3 days down and I am resting again - this time I really needed the rest.  Over the past few weeks, I started to focus on training for very specific instances where most mountaineers struggle.  We all struggle.  If you found the time to watch Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards ascend Everest (from the Tibet side) without oxygen, you will see that they both struggled.  Climbing without oxygen that high is a huge feat - not one that I wish to accomplish due to the fact that I have too much invested in my brain already and I make my living by thinking.  That aside, those two expert mountaineers struggled with parts of the climb.  The more we prepare ourselves ahead of time for those struggles, the less likely they will affect us.  Sure, these climbs might still affect us or we might overlook something and get bitten by that oddity but nothing beats preparation to eliminate surprises.  I prepare for any adventure the same way...by following these four simple rules:

1.  Focus on the little things:  Everyone seems to focus on the big aspects of an adventure.  We need gear, fitness, and such but it is often the little things - often routine things - that interfere with our success.  Many forget to train themselves to go to the bathroom without making a mess, to change clothes quickly without much light to help guide the way, to organize your gear so everything can be found easily, and to eliminate any obstacle that interferes with optimal performance.  I try to train for all these little things (and many more) while at home.  I create checklists that I affix to the inside of my bags to eliminate any cognitive load while packing between camp sites.  These small steps help me immerse myself in the environment well before I even step on the mountain.

2.  Prepare for every scenario:  In most adventure sports, the odd scenarios are the ones that are most dangerous.  I try to the best of my abilities to prepare for both the good and the bad.  What happens if....and I think of contingency plans.  As Yvon Chouinard (the founder of Patagonia) said "[t]he word adventure has gotten overused.  For me, when everything goes wrong - that's when adventure starts."  We can all prepare a bit for the adventure though.  If we let everything unfold without much preparation, then we might find ourselves in adventures where and when none should exist.  

3.  Focus on the process - not the outcome:  I find more enlightenment in the process and experience of the outdoors and of adventure rather than the attainment of some goal within that environment.  You may differ from me but I think most of us who go outside, stress ourselves, and come away wanting more are those who enjoy the process.  I like the stress.  I like the preparation.  I like the discomfort.  I embrace it all.   Each of my adventures includes all and more but I find the most memorable aspects of every adventure are those that involve the struggle - not the culmination of the effort.  Sure, I celebrate the end but I live in the moment and enjoy every step, stroke, or surge forward.

4.  Eliminate surprises:  Most surprises come from inside - not outside of us.  If you know yourself and know how you will fare in every situation, you can both prepare yourself but more importantly you can prepare your mind.  I try to eliminate surprises to the best of my ability by experiencing the stress and strain of every adventure BEFORE I depart.  I start from my feet and move upward to the top of my head.  What can my feet withstand?  Apparently not much these days.  Then, my legs; how do they fare after long days?  Can they withstand more stress after 3 or 4 days of hard slogging?  Eventually I move up to my head.  What does it feel like to be truly tired?  How does it feel to be exhausted, dehydrated, malnourished, or spent (all combined)?  I like to feel and know how I react before I leave so I can also learn how to prevent these situations from occurring.  It is one thing to say that you know how you feel but it is another to say that I both know how I feel in those situations and I know how important it is for me to prevent them (and here is how...).  

These four steps served me well over the past few decades.  Thanks for following my adventures.  Hope you have a lovely day.

10 lessons learned in 100 days of training: 160 days left before I head off to Everest again

Greetings family, friends, and followers.  I am not one for lists.  The internet click bait of "7 reasons" or "10 most..." are just that - bait.  I actually learned things in the past 100 days and figured I would share them with you.  Further, my aim is not to pursue things because they serve some purpose of filling out a dossier of collected experiences.  Instead, I prefer to experience them and let others keep track if they desire.  After careful reflection during the past 100 days of preparation, I figured it might be mutually beneficial if I provided you (and me) with a written account of what I learned.  Some might find these lessons rather trite while others might never expect that training for an expedition would lead to such insights.  Regardless of the impact, I list the top lessons with a little explanation following each.  Here goes...

1.  Nothing beats a routine - find one that works for you.  I attempted to integrate several new training procedures into my preparation and slowly found that the procedures that really taxed me the most - the stuff that made me maximally uncomfortable - were those I often neglected.  I am no different than anyone else.  Comfort, relaxation, entertainment, and such drive me toward acceptance whereas the opposite often requires a greater effort to practice daily.  Lifting weights and core exercises for me are not my cup of tea; I do them because if I do not lift, my muscles will atrophy and if I do not keep up my core strength my back causes me fits.  Thus, lifting and core exercises are important parts of my preparation and yet these are the most often skipped portions of my daily training.  So, what did I learn?  I found that doing these right away ensured that I completed them during the day.  I wake up now, check all my vitals (spO2, heart rate variability (HRV), weight, etc), complete my breathing exercises, and then head straight to the exercise room to do movement prep (warm-up exercises), core exercises, and lift - all before breakfast.  By sticking to this routine, I have yet to skip these important aspects.  I also know if I don't do them right away, I find too many life events (work, family, email, etc) interfere with me getting them done.  So, my new routine helps me stay on top of these oft-neglected parts of my training.

2.  Rest and stress go together to make us (me) better.  I do well under stress.  The harder the training session, the longer, more taxing the session, the better I feel.  My HRV even shows this effect so it is not a cognitive distortion.  I was built to go forever and when I rest too long, I feel flat, uninspired, and often react paradoxically.  What I learned from these past 100 days is that my morning HRV does not lie.  If I stress myself and my body is ready for rest, my HRV scores reflect that readiness to rest.  That might not sound very insightful but consider the depth of what I learned.  My HRV scores tend to go south (low is bad) when I do not sleep enough, eat poorly, and don't drink enough water throughout the day.  Yep, nothing really insightful there either.  These scores predict how I will perform 2-3 days later.  I ignored them (a bit) early on in these 100 days and later found myself sick and struggling with sinus/ear infections.  As I licked my wounds throughout the recovery process, I saw a trend.  The rest my body needed was more subtle and was easily detectable by a slight downward progression of HRV scores until the floor fell out.  Yes, the trends are what matters - not just the individual scores.  For more on this point, I intend to post my data so you can see where I saw the trends.  Stay tuned for a future post with data.  The point is that rest and stress go together but in ways that may escape detection.  We all need to monitor what we do, how we do it, and when we do so to understand the complex relationship between rest and stress we benefit IF we actually change to adapt to that relationship.  

3.  Nagging injuries often reflect many problems - not just one.  I learned this lesson when training for my marathon swims.  My shoulders and back were aching before, during, and after my long swims and I figured it was more due to training load than anything else.  Dominic Latella - my wonderful stroke mechanics fixer-upper - noted some really bad tendencies I had with my freestyle stroke and, after I worked with him and complied with his drills, all those pains went away.  Preparing for Everest over the past 100 days, I learned that my nagging right knee pain was due to my running.  Previous years where I put in equal amounts of training did not involve as much running.  I would run between 10-30 minutes but often just jog around the corner and through the neighborhood to breathe the fresh air after too many hours of gym training.  Those runs convinced me this time that my body was ready for 30 minute runs - at least every other day.  Boy was I wrong!  My knee pain never subsided and I attributed it to too much pounding with too much weight (I was fat to begin with due to my swimming preparation).  As my weight decreased, my knee pain diminished but it remained present enough to affect my sleep.  Sleep changes, training load increases, and more pounding left me concerned that my knee might be fouled up for good.  Nope!  Thankfully, I can report that the knee pain was solely attributable to running.  I now intend to reduce running to the bare minimum, stick to no pounding exercises, and stay physically healthy.  Sometimes the pain is due to the obvious and others, the pain is more complicated.  Listen to your own body and test what might be the cause.

4.  Losing weight is easy if you have a purpose.  When I began my training in earnest, I weighed 198 lbs (almost 90 kg).  That weight was largely in my upper body with a good portion of both fat and muscle.  Upper body weight is useless in climbing.  We climbers want large legs to carry us up and small upper bodies - strong enough to hold our packs but not much more than that.  The shift in body weight is an important and difficult change for many and I found it tough initially to lose the weight because I had an inclination to keep some residual weight on to later lose while climbing.  My aim was not to lose weight while climbing per se but rather I know I lose about 1 lb (1/2 kg) per day above 15,000 feet (approx 4600 m).  Yes, that weight loss is inevitable so I plan for it accordingly.  Doesn't matter how much I eat, I lose that weight.  So, back to my weight loss at home.  I knew I needed to lose weight to train effectively and to redistribute that weight to be more productive for climbing.  Once I started the 100 days, I figured I needed to see the purpose of my weight loss.  Every day, I read about the route of my climb.  That reading lead me to internalize the purpose of my weight loss - to make every step easier.  The lighter I am the easier my climb would be provided I was not too light and too frail to maintain my strength.  I want excess weight to lose but not too much weight where I get injured training.  So, my lesson here - pay attention to the purpose and you will realize your goal.  Oh, for those who want to know how much weight I lost...stay tuned for pictures.  I went from 198 lbs (90 kg) to 177 lbs (80 kg) in these 100 days.  Not bad.  I would like to be in the low to mid-170's (78 kg) for the next 100 days to give my joints a break.  Also, I could afford to lose a few pounds of muscle in my upper body and move it down to my legs - a change that requires me to lift more with my legs (ugh!).  

5.  Nothing beats a little distraction on long, boring training sessions.  I worked my way up steadily to 90 minute sessions on the elliptical and bike - all indoors without much distraction.  The TV in the exercise room along with my computer provided me with hours of distraction.  When on the elliptical, I read/replied to email, kept abreast of research articles, posted to my research group, wrote several articles, and even ran some data analyses.  I am not that adept at typing while on the elliptical machine or on the bike but I can muster about a 6-10 words a minute.  The slow typing allows me to think.  When I am not able to think or type, I resort to the TV and consume something that keeps my mind off the drudgery of endless hours keeping my heart rate between 130-145 bpm.  I wish I could see the outdoors but remaining productive or entertained is a reasonable trade-off to the outdoors when I know I can mix activities.  Many of my students even endured meetings with me while I train.  I thank them profusely for putting up with my oddities during the Google Hangout sessions.  Without their acceptance, I might find it harder to fit these long sessions into my work-life balance.

6.  Our bodies may not fit the 7-day cycle but our lives require us to fit training into these 7 days.  I tried to the best of my ability to fit a training cycle of 10 days into a 7-day life without much success.  Early on in these 100 days, I found it easy because the maximum time demands were small enough that I could easily fit in 2 hours spread throughout any day.  Now, I have 4-5 hour days and life just interferes with those training demands.  Even if I break up the time into smaller increments, I could not accommodate the training load when I had a busy day.  Thus, I am returning to my 7 day cycle.  I know my body does not fit with the weekly cycle but my time demands require me to work with the hours that work for me.  My next phase of training (Strength Building) will be based upon 7 days and will incorporate more pre-planned rest days (see next lesson).  

7.  Looking forward to a rest day is a huge motivator for me.  I tried to schedule a rest day every 10 days.  That schedule worked for me with respect to my physical functioning and recovery but it did not work for my psychologically.  I need more frequent rest bouts where I know rest is coming.  When we climb, we know rest times well ahead of them.  We can put in an effort to get us to the rest point and then keep going afterwards knowing that the rest we had was the rest we needed.  I need both physical rest and psychological rest; the 10-day rest cycle was just too psychologically taxing for me to ever feel rested.  So, my plan is to build in rest based upon my 7-day work schedule.  Busy work days will only have brief workouts that energize me (movement prep, lifting, core, and stretching) and no long cardio sessions.  On days where I can really devote my day to training, I intend to put in my "summit" days - the days where I train for 8+ hours and get the real feeling of fatigue experienced during summit pushes.  

8.  When increasing workload, it is extremely important to limit hypoxic sleep.  I decided to experiment during these 100 days with both increasing my workload and increasing my hypoxic sleep altitude.  What did I learn?  Hypoxic sleep is very taxing and does not allow me to both increase my workload and increase my altitude.  I figured this might happen but the point really hit home when I failed to recover from several rather pedestrian days of training AND I got sick twice in the process.  My HRV scores were horrible, my motivation to train waned, and my morning spO2 really suffered - all as a result of pushing myself too hard and too quickly without adequate recovery built in to the process.  My aim now is to get strong at 11,000 - 12,000 feet (3350 - 3650m) and fully recover from my training routines.  Once I enter the final 100 days of preparation when my fitness and strength are both optimal, I intend to gradually increase my sleeping altitude and carefully monitor my HRV (recovery) and acclimatization (spO2).  When I experience a recovery setback, I intend to decrease my sleep altitude AND reduce my training intensity.  I learned from my two 10-day illness recoveries that hypoxia and training need to be carefully coordinated.

9.  Expedition planning with climbing buddies makes the entire process much more enjoyable than being a member of a group that plans everything for us.  I never really liked field trips as a kid nor do I enjoy their adult versions like tours and such.  Planning adventures are part of the adventure and when things to wrong, I feel part of the experience - not just a person who is affected by the events.  I remember in 2015 when Sam, Alex and I were trying to arrange our schedules when we returned to Everest together.  That process of collaborative planning reminded me of why I so enjoyed expeditions that I planned with friends rather than these types of climbs where we are obligated to climb with an organization (Everest climbers must register with a Nepali or Tibet organizer to be permitted to climb).  Still, even if we are dependent upon an organization, I found that interacting with Sam, Alex, and Brendan (my climbing buddy for Aconcagua and now for Everest-Tibet) made the process much more enjoyable.  I wish Sam and Alex could join us but we shall climb together again in the future.  For now, I have a pal to coordinate plans and I so much enjoy that process than to think that I am going along with a huge group without much required of me to sort out.

10.  My dalliance as a "non-fan" came to an abrupt end for a good reason.  Many of you know me as a die-hard Notre Dame Football fan.  I yelled at my TV for many Saturdays over the past 3 decades.  The weight of each play, each win, and more so of each loss often affected me for days and often weeks following.  Yes, I was a fanatic.  The fanatic in me was starting to affect me in ways that I felt the need to give up sports for a year.  I took the entire 2016 off from fandom.  For the first time in that 30 year span, I didn't plan my life around the ND football season.  Saturdays were just another weekend day filled with activities that did not include yelling, celebrating, sitting, watching, traveling, pining, hoping, praying, or anything else that we fans typically do during games.  I filled my life with reading, listening, and thinking about science and other areas outside of sports.  My cash flow benefited too.  I unsubscribed from all the paid publications that were central to the fan of ND football.  Also, I cut the cord with Verizon's cable service.   All told, I figured I saved about $1000+ just by eliminating all these expenses.  Moreover, I devoted my time to learning new skills.  During that year, I developed a keen interest in programming Arduino modules, integrating sensors into my home automation, and mastering Python and Java (after many years of just dabbling in those languages).  So, I gained a lot from the time away from fandom but I felt I was missing something in my life.  My friends and family who are also die-hard fans no longer had me as a conversationalist.  I didn't read the sports pages, kept up with no race, ranking, or happening that would soften the blow to the "hey, how are you doing?" conversations that guys struggle to honestly answer.  I needed the fandom but I didn't need the stress.  So, this year, I decided to rejoin the ranks but do so without the same stress.  My son and I watch college football every Saturday - together.  We arrange our schedules to spend the time together.  He now yells more than I yell.  I'm not sure I am proud of that but obviously the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.  I need the distraction.  I need the connection with my friends and family (mostly my cousins who I share so much in common).  I need to be a fan but not one who gets polluted by the bile that comes from the immersion into the sports.  No, I am no longer following recruiting (as I used to) and I didn't resubscribe to those publications.   I now just watch the games and I watch them with much greater appreciation for why being a fan is important for me - it gives me something to look forward to every week.  How does this lesson relate to the past 100 days?  I learned that some distractions that might appear as "bad habits" are probably more beneficial than harmful.  Bring on the Olympics in Feb and Let's Go IRISH!!!

I have many more posts to share my thoughts as I enter the final 160 days of preparing for Everest.  My flights are almost booked, my climbing adventures for this December are planned, and I am nearing the fitness I had prior to the previous climbs.  Here we go!  Expect more frequent updates.  I have a ton to talk about and hope you continue to enjoy the posts.  Thanks for following along.