Chad Kellogg's Summit Attempt on Everst

As many are aware, Chad Kellogg was on Everest this spring with the goal of setting the speed record of Everest without Oxygen.  He's already set the speed records on other smaller peaks.  On Mt. Rainier, he set the speed record by going from the Paradise parking lot to summit to parking lot in five hours (the same amount of time it took our group to get from parking lot to Camp Muir).  On Denali, he went from basecamp to summit to basecamp in 23h 55min.  Absolutely incredible!  Did I mention he survived cancer somewhere in there?  Chad's goal for Everest was to climb it from basecamp to summit in under 20hrs and back to basecamp in under 30.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but he gave it a valiant effort, and I doubt it was his last effort.

Anyway, here is a link to the fifth and final installment of videos that OR was making to document his attempt:

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/video?utm_source=Outdoor+Research+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a5aab37033-Classics_Launch4_23_2012&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=a5aab37033&mc_eid=b239035502

Rainier Trip Report and Pictures

On Monday, May 13, 2012, Seth and I started the 12 hour drive to Mt. Rainier to attempt two routes, the Ingraham Direct and Liberty Ridge.  Unfortunately, I wasn't in good enough shape to handle the Liberty Ridge with as much speed as we needed to climb it so we decided not to attempt it on this trip.  The Ingraham Direct route was blocked by a large crevasse, so the Disappointment Cleaver became our objective.

On Monday night, Seth and I met up with my wife, Kelsey, and my father-in-law, Mark.  Because of other responsibilities, they were not able to drive with us and flew instead.

Left to Right, Kelsey, Seth, and Mark.  We started hiking from the parking lot at about 9am on Tuesday morning.  The weather was already really warm and once we got on the snow, the heat seemed to intensify immensely.

It took us about 6 total hours to get up to Ingraham Flats, 5 hours of total hiking time.  I underestimated the climb up to Ingraham Flats and took too much extra gear and weight.  I probably could've dropped 15-20 pounds of unnecessary weight and made the hike significantly easier.  

On the Muir Snowfield heading up to Camp Muir.  It was super warm on the snowfield.  Kelsey and I didn't do a great job at staying on top of our hydration and nutrition and Kelsey cramped up pretty bad as she was getting close to Camp Muir.  It took Seth and Mark about 20 minutes to hike the last stretch that took Kelsey and I about 60 minutes to hike (because of Kelsey's leg cramp).

Taking a brief break at Camp Muir.  Left to right: Me, Seth, Kelsey.  Kelsey worked her cramp out at Muir and was able to hike the rest of the way to Ingraham Flats pretty quickly.  I, on the other hand, was feeling pretty horrendous heading up and over Cathedral Gap and got way behind the group.  I continued to feel awful throughout the night and didn't sleep much.  Luckily, I started feeling better the next morning and by the top of the Cleaver I was feeling myself again.

Arriving at Ingraham Flats.  IMG guided groups below our camp.

Kelsey hiding in our bathroom hole with her toilet paper and blue bag :)

Kelsey and I.

Seth.

Little Tahoma from our camp at Ingraham Flats.

Mark hanging out at camp.  Mark was nervous that he wouldn't be in good enough shape for this climb, but he ended up doing really well.  He had no problem making it to the top.

Kelsey on the Disappointment Cleaver as the sun was coming up.

Kelsey and I moving up the DC ridge

Sunrise on Rainier.

Part of the Emmons Glacier, I think.  These crevasses are huge!  Last year when we were on Rainier, weather didn't allow us to get higher than Ingraham Flats.  This year really opened my eyes to how big this mountain really is.  In comparison, Rainier has about 3X the prominence that the biggest mountains in Ogden have.  It was an inspiring place.

Mark on the DC.

About half way up Disappointment Cleaver.  To get an idea of the scale, if you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see two tiny people above me on the cleaver and a long chain of people on the snow just right of the rocks.

More sunrise pics

Above the Cleaver

Looking down at a group that is a few hundred yards above the cleaver

Kelsey fueling up on Poptarts

Seth at a rest stop.  This guy is an animal.  At the speed he hikes, he probably could've summited in two hours from Ingraham Flats.  At our speed, it took about four hours.

Getting closer

Kelsey and I on the summit with our backs to the wind.  The Wind was blowing so hard and the temps were cold enough that our noses would turn white pretty quickly if they weren't covered.

Mark on the summit.  He didn't realize until later that the GEAR:30 sticker was upside down.  Nothing photoshop can't fix, I guess.

Descending.  On the way down we had an interesting experience.  Seth decided not to rope up with us so he could move at a more comfortable pace.  He's been up with route three or four other times and felt confident he would be ok.  On the way up the route, we crossed over a crevasse on a snow bridge that was about five feet wide.  On the way back down, the snow bridge had collapsed.  Seth said the bridge was there when he crossed back over (about 10 minutes before we got there), but had collapsed sometime shortly after.  We ended up having to jump over the crevasse which was kind of exciting.

Big crevasses above Disappointment Cleaver.  I didn't get any other pictures of our descent, but it took a little less than two hours for us to get down to Ingraham Flats from the summit.  It took about an 1h 15min for Seth, and that was including him waiting for us a few times.  It took us about 2h 15min to get from Ingraham Flats to the Paradise parking lot.  It took seth about 1h 30min.  That was the theme of the trip.  Seth's comfortable pace was significantly faster than ours.

When we got back to the parking lot, the summit was covered in a big lenticular cloud.  When we were on the summit, wind gusts were probably around 70mph.  According to a climbing ranger, the winds were supposed to intensify on the summit and stay high for a couple days.

It was a very enjoyable trip, except for the sunburns.  I'm excited to get back there and do the Liberty Ridge, hopefully later this summer after I get a bit more training in.

Just Got Home From Rainier

I just got back from a somewhat successful trip to Rainier.  The plan was to climb the Ingraham Direct and Liberty Ridge route.  We weren't able to climb either.  Instead, we climbed the Disappointment Cleaver route and then decided not to try Liberty Ridge.

 The weather was great on Tuesday and early Wednesday, but the wind picked up later in the day and was supposed to continue for the next few days.  On the summit on Wednesday morning, the wind was so strong and cold that exposed noses quickly turned white and it was difficult to stand.  Our guess was probably 70-80mph gusts.  The wind intensified later in the day and a big lenticular cloud formed over Rainier.

Though my friend, Seth, probably could've cruised up Liberty Ridge in a day (he's soloed it in a day once before), I wasn't feeling nearly as strong as him (because I'm not).  I figured that me slowing our pace on Liberty with high winds and bad weather approaching sounded like a recipe for trouble, so we decided to postpone Liberty for a few months so I can get more training in.

Anyway, we got back to the Paradise parking lot yesterday afternoon, grabbed some dinner, and then drove home.  Seth and I drove non-stop through the night and arrived home this morning.  I haven't had a chance to sleep yet, so I'll keep this short so I can get to bed.  Pictures and a full trip report will be coming soon.

Mt. Rainier Gear List

Next week I'll be headed to Mt. Rainier with my wife, father-in-law, and a friend. The goal is to climb the Ingraham Direct route as a group of four, and then my friend, Seth, and I will head over and climb Liberty Ridge or Ptarmigan Ridge, assuming the weather cooperates.

As part of my preparation for this trip, I have been making a list of gear that I plan to carry on the routes.  I thought I would post the list on the blog so that others could either make some suggestions for me or hopefully learn from what I am taking.

Because this trip is a May trip, the gear that I am taking now is not the same gear I would be taking for a July or August trip up Rainier.  Keep in mind, the average daytime temperatures on Rainier have been between 20 and 35 degrees F and nighttime temps have been between 0 and 20 degrees.  So far the temperatures for next week look like they'll be on the higher side of those ranges.

Here's the List:

Ingraham Direct Route:

Clothing

• La Sportiva Batura Evo or Scarpa Phantom Guide (Testing them both out this trip)
• Mountaineering Socks and Liner
• Lightweight Merino Blend Baselayer pant
• NWAlpine Fast/Light Pant
• MHW Compressor Pant
• NWAlpine Black Spider Light Hoody
• Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody
• Arc'teryx Alpha SV Jacket
• Rab Neutrino Endurance Jacket
• Merino Glove Liners
• BD Torque glove
• Arc'teryx Alpha SV Glove
• Sunglasses

Equipment

• Cilogear Worksack 60L w/frame and lid
• Stephenson's Warmlite 3R Tent
• Marmot Couloir Sleeping Bag
• Thermarest Neoair Pad
• MSR Reactor Stove
• BD Raven Pro Axe
• Grivel G14 crampon
• MSR Coyote Picket
• BD Ice Screws (2)
• Petzl Myo Headlamp
• Petzl Elios Helmet
• Mammut Infinity 60m Rope
• Arc'teryx I340a Harness
• Prussic Cord (2)
• Cordelette
• Alpine Draws (3)
• Garmin GPS
• Small First-aid Kit
• BD Hiking Poles
• GoPro and Camera
• 1-liter water bottles

Liberty or Ptarmigan Ridge

Clothing

• Sportiva Batura or Phantom Guide
• Mountaineering Sock and Liner
• Merino Base Layer
• NWA Fast/Light Pant
• NWA Black Spider Light Hoody
• Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody
• OR Helium Jacket
• Rab Neutrino Endurance Jacket
• Merino Glove Liner
• BD Torque Glove
• Alpha SV Glove

Equipment

• Cilogear Worksack 60L no frame or lid
• BD Firstlight Tent
• Marmot Couloir Sleeping Bag
• Thermarest Neoair
• MSR Reactor Stove
• CAMP Awax Tools
• Petzl Dartwin Crampons
• MSR Picket
• BD Ice Screw (3)
• Petzl Myo Headlamp
• Petzl Elios Helmet
• Mammut Infinity Rope 60m
• Arc'teryx I340a Harness
• Prussic Cord (2)
• Cordelette 
• Alpine Draws (3)
• Garmin GPS
• Small First-aid Kit
• GoPro and Camera
• 1-liter Water Bottles (2)

A couple days later:

There is probably some gear that I am missing from this list, but I think it's mostly the odds and ends.  The weather is looking good for next week, though possibly a little snow later in the week while we are hopefully headed up our second climb.  I have a new pair of Scarpa Phantom Guide boots (1/2 size smaller than the previous Phantom Guides that I have used) and a new pair of Sportiva Batura Evo boots to try out.  I will be wearing one pair of these boots and my father-in-law will be wearing the other boots.  We both have the same size feet so we can swap boots out if we want to get a good feel for how both boots work side-by-side.  Both my father-in-law and I have used the Phantom Guides for hiking and ice climbing in the past, but the Baturas will be new to both of us.  I'm excited to see how they do.

Anyway, I won't be posting for about a week because of this trip.  Sorry.  Thanks everybody for reading the blog and I hope to have some good pictures and stories when we get back.

Metamucil Therapy

Without going into too much detail about my own digestive system, I want to share something that makes my multi-day outdoor outings much more enjoyable.  One of the many great outdoor innovations (debatable) of our time is the freeze-dried, just-add-boiling water backpacking food.  It is light, easy to prepare, pretty tasty, etc.  But like most food you find today, one thing freeze-dried food lacks is fiber.  Most people get the majority of their fiber from vegetables and some fresh fruits.  In the mountains, however, it is difficult to take fresh fruits and vegetables.  Vegetables generally don't have enough calories to be worth their weight and bulk to carry.  Fruits are usually heavy and sometimes hard to keep from spoiling or getting smashed.  Combine this with the fact that many foods that are great for the mountains, especially during winter (proteins and fats, like cheese, meats, etc), often have the opposite effect of the fruits and veggies, and you have a recipe for, at the least, discomfort, and at the most, digestive disaster (which isn't pretty on multiple levels).

Last year, while camping at Ingraham Flats on Mt. Rainier, our group was sharing a camping area with a guided group of about 15 people.  Of course, while camping on a glacier, there aren't too many places (one, to be exact) to go to do your business.  That one place is right out in front of everybody.  So, when you walk over to, well, you know, you simply inform everybody that you're dropping your pants and everybody else turns around (hopefully).  I don't know about you, but I enjoy my privacy while #2ing.  So, I hope, when I get over to take care of business, it goes quick and clean and nobody sees anything.  Well, imagine (figure of speech, probably not worth really imagining) you just hiked up to Ingraham Flats (or 14 camp, or any other glacier with other people), you have to go to the bathroom, you've eaten a lot of cheese and other calorie-rich, fiber-poor foods, you haven't been able to eat many fruits or vegetables, and there are people around.  In your head you're praying that the whole process takes less than 30 seconds, but you know that's not likely.  Bad situation.  You'd probably almost rather hike back down to Camp Muir to use the solar toilets.

Ok, so when you're in the mountains and not on a glacier and it's time to find some privacy, maybe it's not as big of a deal to keep it under 30 seconds, or a minute.  It is, however, much more enjoyable when the process is clean and comfortable.  It makes hiking more comfortable, cleaning up leftover bathroom supplies easier, etc.  A nice, comfortable two-zy can be quite an enjoyable process, especially if the view is good.  It's a nice change from staring at the wall of a bathroom.

A poo with a view, Avalanche Canyon, Tetons

Digestive health is simply a small detail that nobody talks about that can make a trip more or much less enjoyable.

In order to minimize my bad outdoor bathroom experiences and take full advantage of potential good experiences (i.e. good views), I do what I call, "Metamucil Therapy."  The idea is simple.  About a week before the trip, start taking metamucil.  Don't go overboard, but be consistent.  Make sure your digestive system is working well.  Then, when you get into the mountains, keep taking it.  You may need to up the dosage a little to get the same desired effect as you did at home with a healthier diet.  Metamucil is not like most other laxatives on the market.  It doesn't cause diarrhea (at least it shouldn't).  It's bulk-forming and softening.  That's why I use it instead of other fiber supplements while in the mountains.  And it tastes better than a lot of other fiber options, in my opinion.

It's a good idea to try it out before your trip.  It may take some time for your body to get used to it and there's a small chance that it just won't work well for you.  But if it does work, what a great outdoor skill to improve.  I use this system on pretty much every trip I go on that is over more than about 2 days.  It has allowed for consistent sub-30 second bm's, which is key when other people are around and there's no escape to seclusion.