Hey this is TA calling in from day 45 of the great big climb. Definitely called the great big climb today. We are located at the foot of West kol at an elevation of somewhere between 5939 and 5959. I am going to call it 5959 which means we are sleeping on top of Mount Logan. We actually reached the summit and slept on the summit of Denali or Mt. Mckinley yesterday so that is the highest peak in North America and Mt. Logan is the second highest peak. That is the highest peak in Canada. Denali is the highest peak in the US.

I don’t know if you can hear the wind kind of rustling. The sun is just going down so the temperature is about to plummet. We started off with a beautiful sunny day. Both Marian and I are rosy peak cheeked and nosed because we only used our sticks today not our (inaudible) because it was epically frozen this morning. It was pretty chilly last night. After about we passed up camp fairly early and our climbing Sherpas went off to fix the descent ropes for the west kol and just as they finished getting those ready for both us and the porters, the weather changed dramatically and brought in some of the most epic conditions I have ever descended in. So we had lots of standing around in very brisk wind and cold conditions. So we were standing with our backs to the wind for probably 4 hours between the top of kol and the base of the kol while the loads where getting lowered. So a challenging day to be out here and that is one of the reasons we did not get as low as we hoped to tonight. It just was so zapping for everyone. Our climbing Sherpas are absolutely amazing. They were up on top of the kol probably about 8 hours in truly epic conditions. So I bow down to them. I am humbled by them each and everyday.

We did have someone get a little bit of hypothermia but the team bonded together and (inaudible) so they are fine. We crossed a little bit higher, got the west kol where sometimes the cross was covered in some pretty amazing blue ice so we crossed at about 6190 today and again fitbit is being in new locations. Mine was 6068, 19 floors and about 4 km. Marian’s was 3061, 3 floors and about 2 km so not sure how they fit into the reality but it was only about a 45 minute walk up to where we were going to cross the kol. A lovely little jaunt to get all warmed up and then probably half an hour walk down. So not a big day in the walking department but definitely a big day in the put your mountaineering skills to work with coming down so pretty hard blue ice over the kol and rocks and abseiling and stuff and as you can hear in my voice we are still at altitude. So we are going to have probably another cold night with maybe not the best sleep. Still Marian had a fabulous sleep last night so she’s amazing. I think she was so wiped from the night before. So we’re all hanging in. We knew these days would all be epic, those just from the kind of terrain we are crossing and the weather that could come and this part of the Himalayas is treating us to all that. We are earning our crossing here on the great big walk. Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts. We are appreciating those and hopefully you will head out on a great big walk of your own today. Take care. Bye!

Total Steps for TA: 6068 steps, 19 floors

Total Steps for Marian: 3061 steps , 3 floors

Total Distance for TA: 4 km

Total Distance for Marian: 2 km

Great Big Walk acknowledges the support of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Quick Start Fund for Public Engagement in making these updates from the field possible.