Tag Archives: Seven Summits

Antarctica Countdown 49 Days and Counting: Seven Weeks Sounds Longer

49 days! Seven weeks. Somehow seven weeks sounds longer. That it takes longer to live a week than seven days. Until a week zips by. I’m appreciating the countdown. It keeps me on my toes. It reminds me that every … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 51 Days and Counting: Slowing Down for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I’ve had a great long weekend in Twillingate visiting my friends Deb and Wilma and their new adventure, The Anchor Inn. As I got five out of five training days in last week, I was able to take … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 56 Days and Counting: Where the Rubber Hits the Road

I love this shot that Natelle took this morning! The blurring of the pavement as I drag the tire ever upward. It was one of those morning where, when the alarm first went off and the house was shaking in … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 58 Days and Counting: Life in the Freezer

I’ve often thought about doing a climbing fundraiser by spending some time in a freezer…it would also make good downsuit practice time. Anyone got any deep freeze connections or grocer connections for such an event? In the meantime, my mind … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 60 Days and Counting: It’s Not About the Mountain

It’s not about the mountain. But at the same time, it is. I spoke to a conference of 1000 youth leaders yesterday and have been reflecting on why I climb mountains since. My mind keeps stealing the title of Lance’s … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 62 Days and Counting: Flat Out

Today’s training session, number 18, was a tough one. It was the first of (I suspect) many that will combine sand-bag get-ups with step-ups. In this instance, it was also “for time” which I suspect is a practical guarantee that … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 63 Days and Counting: Wheel Dark

As though of you who have followed a few of my climbs will know, I often love climbing in the dark. There is something strangely comforting about only being able to see only what my headlamp lights in front of … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 64 Days and Counting: Diamonds and Stones

How does that John Denver song go…”Some days are diamonds, some days are stone.” Today initially felt like a stone day. Tired. Sore. Worried and scared about what seems quickly to becoming an acute tennis elbow. IT band threatening to … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 66 Days and Counting: Just Around the Corner

One of the things most I love about exploring a new area is wondering (and wandering) what is just around the next corner. I am insatiably curious and always thinking about the next bend and what might be beyond it. … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 72 Days and Counting: Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

One of the things I love about being in an active training phase is having the discipline to get up early out of bed. With that early deliverance from slumber comfort, comes the rewards of early morning light and sights. … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 74 Days and Counting: Six is so Much More than Five

Up early on a Saturday morning and already have my workout in-wahoo. I have a date with three Signal Hills later but for now, I’ll enjoy being done with another strength training session. I’m already seeing dividends of the work … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 75 Days and Counting: Hurricane? Improvise…

I’d planned my workout for today for the afternoon since we had the official opening of our new lecture theatre this morning at work. I forgot to account for the fact that Hurricane Maria was supposed to be barrelling down … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 76 Days and Counting: En”tire”ly Easier

What a difference a week makes…Today’s tire pull was entirely easier (forgive the pun). Instead of needing to stop for exploding calves, it was my max heart rate that called for pause. I can already see and feel progress of … Continue reading

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Antarctica Countdown 78 Days and Counting: “Finding the Groove”

Started my second week of training today and could tell I’d had a few days of rest. I saw a small increase in work capacity today and I enjoy feeling stronger already. I’ve been visiting Johnson State College in Johnson, … Continue reading

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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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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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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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Aconcagua Photo Gallery

Here are some of my favourite photographs from my climb of Aconcagua in December of 2006.  To read the dispatches from the mountain, please click here.

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Everest 2010 Photo Gallery

Here are some of the favourite images from TA’s Everest 2010 expedition.  To read training updates, dispatches from the mountain and follow-up posts, please click here:

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A New Adventure

Howdy from Deer Lake, I am typing my update in the Deer Lake Airport as I await the flight back home. I presented to the Newfoundland and Labrador Fire Service Association this morning and enjoyed sharing how climbing Everest and … Continue reading

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A Study of White and Blue

Howdy, I was signing some paperwork this morning and realized that today is a fine “odometer moment” in that it’s 8-9-10. It’s not everyday that has such fine numeric sequencing and we won’t see another for about thirteen months or … Continue reading

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Look Where You Want to Go

Good Morning, First, please accept my apologies for not posting last week. I’d led an expedition for my class and the weekend just got away from me (as did the week). We backpacked from Portugal Cove to Bauline on the … Continue reading

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Just Right

Good Evening, Another rich and full week has come to a close and I’ve dropped into my chair to reflect on the many adventures, big and small, that the past seven days has delivered. As I’m “fist and eyes” into … Continue reading

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Fence Boards and Paneer

Congrats to Spain, Condolences to the Netherlands, Another seven days has quickly passed and I find myself stealing a few moments in my chair once again. I’m a bit tired from my biggest day of riding yet and I’m going … Continue reading

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Motorcycle Satori

Happy Fireworks Day, It was a busy week fitting back into the routine of teaching and trying to get out on my bike as much as possible. I’m teaching two courses this summer: one in park management and one in … Continue reading

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Settling Back In

Happy Father’s Day, Today will be a day I miss my dad more than most. Yesterday hundreds of motorcycles rode down Duckworth Street in the “Ride for Dad”, a prostate cancer fundraiser and tears rolled down my cheeks as the … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Good Bye Kathamndu

Hi this is TA calling in from the rooftop of the hotel Horizon here in Kathmandu; we are trying to get all our bags in one spot, so we can get them packed up and pray that they are not … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Heading Home

May 19 – Goodbye EBC…For Now Hi this is TA calling in from Everest base camp for the last time on this expedition. We welcomed home our summiteers from all points higher than this, and hearing their stories, and seeing … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week Six

This week TAs pesky urinary tract infection forced her to seek refuge at lower elevation in the village of Pheriche. But now, feeling better TA is back at base camp and is preparing to head back into the ice fall. … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week Five

Resting 4/27/2010 Hi this is TA calling in from the village of Pheriche at 4220m, and look I can talk in full sentences down here in the thick air. Mango and I walked down in about 5 hours today and … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week Four

April 15 – Housekeeping Hi this is TA calling in from Everest base camp, the sun has just set behind the ridge so the temperature is about to plummet. I’m sitting in my nicely reorganized tent, today was a rest … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week Three

Another week and another round of Everest 2010 updates. TA and the crew made it all the way to Everest base camp this week, so now the real climbing begins. As always these updates are being brought to you by … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week Two

March 29 – Good Morning Nepal Hi this is TA calling in from the Gumpa at Bouksa at 2340 metres, I couldn’t get a signal last night to call in the update so I’m calling in this morning. We jus … Continue reading

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Everest 2010: Week One

March 25th – Kathmandu How Are You? Hi this is TA and Marian calling in from the rooftop of the Nirvana Guest Hotel in Kathmandu, we had a long day of flights and now we are getting settled in and … Continue reading

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In Between a Rock and a Gear Place 

Happy Daylight Savings Time, My apologies to Saskatchewanians and Arizonans for the exclusive greeting but you are probably used to it at this time of year! I’m bathed in the low angled light of dusk and a thick blanket of … Continue reading

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Road Trip

Happy 2010 Olympics! Another seven doors are open on the Everest advent calendar and I’ve had a good trip out west.  After months of wrangling with various bureaucracies, it finally worked for me to pay a visit to the University … Continue reading

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Cyrillic Adventures: Elbrus Update #2

Hello from Moscow, I probably knew just enough to get myself in trouble.  Not enough to know which station I was heading for or which one to transfer at or even if I needed to transfer.  Perhaps I should have … Continue reading

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