Category Archives: Vinson

Antarctica Countdown 81 Days and Counting: “I’m Getting Better”

Monty Python fans will remember the line from the scene where the town cryer calls out, “Bring out your dead” and the one guy being carried, thought for dead, says “I’m feeling better!” That’s me today with workout five under … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 82 Days and Counting: “Oh Me Legs”

I’m four days into the new training plan and I can hardly walk. In a good way. Left sitting for any length of time, the lactic acid re-exerts it’s painful magic and I can barely make my legs work. I … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 84 Days & Counting: Sand Bagged by the Sand Bag

I’m testing a new training program and it’s a doozie! Today’s training session started with 10 minutes of sand bag get-ups. What’s a sand bag get-up you say? Glad you asked. In my case, I took a favourite stuff sack … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 85 Days and Counting: Out of Retirement

In light of the need to pull loads from Mount Vinson base camp to Camp One, I have come out of re”tire”ment and began training with the tire once again. Natelle was gracious enough to get up early to be … Continue reading

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Of Maps, Penguins, and Toques

I love maps. I love to look at them and dream of being there. Recently, a map of Antarctica I ordered arrived, and already, the corners of the folds are starting to tear because I open and close the map … Continue reading

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Mount Vinson or Bust (and Bust)

Every spring since 2005, I’ve scrutinized all of the major climbing outfitters websites looking at their Mount Vinson offerings. And every spring, summer, and fall since then as well, I’ve decided that Mount Vinson’s mountain of a price tag was … Continue reading

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What’s TA Climbing Next? Hvannadalshnúkur, Yding-skovhoj, and Mont Blanc

Congrats to Trien…She’s taken my set of wild clues and solved the puzzle. I’m climbing to three (no, actually four) country high points in the next few months. In April, Marian and I will be climbing Hvannadalshnúkur (the highest peak … Continue reading

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Running Towards the Biting Phone

The Tibetan Plateau muted my senses. Its colour palette draws most strongly from the autumn family of ochres, tans, beiges, browns, but there are also the most intense sky and water blues imaginable. Other than blue, there were no bright … Continue reading

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Everest 3.0

One of the first questions I’m asked when people find out that I wasn’t able to summit Everest is, “Will you try again?” I wonder if they ask people who make it to the top the same question. Typically not, … Continue reading

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