Everest For Lung Cancer

Newstories, Presentations, and More

2007-07-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Any and Everyone that might still be paying attention to our blog,

I just wanted to give you the link to the news story Chicago NBC ran on our expedition.
http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=128141

Justin and I are both trying to get normal lives going on, and semi-distance ourselves from Everest which has been so time-consuming for the past 8 months. I have done a few presentations and have a few to come. I will be speaking at Jackie O's in Athens, OH this week during the brewfest. For those interested it will be at 4 pm on Friday in the main barroom. With any luck I will be selling quite a few t-shirts in the next few days. We now have them in red for those who are interested.

Well, thanks again for all the support and please don't hesitate to contact us at anytime.
Cheers, Brian

2007-06-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Our Fried Mr. Gnome checking weather on the summit before our ascent.

A couple of clown at the North Col.

Hanging stove in the vestibule at the North Col(23,000ft.)

Sunrise on the snow ramp(24,500ft.) on our way up to C2.

Brian on the summit ridge approaching the 1st step(27,500ft.)

Brian on the Summit(29,035ft.)

Justin on the summit(29,035ft)

Back at A.B.C. after a 23 hour summit day and 60 hour round trip from ABC to ABC.

Leaving ABC. Home for 56 days.

The Descent

2007-05-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

After a brief moment on the summit the long descent to ABC began. The ridge was an easy cruise and only took 1 hour and a half to get down and we were walking through Camp 3 around 2:30. Descending through C3 we stopped at the body of Libor Kozak, a memeber of our expedition that passed away suddenly on May 16th. Brian, Rachel, Katie, and I all got to know him well on the expedion and considered him a friend. It was a sobering moment and a reminder that the mountain can take a life in an instant. We continued to go down the fixed lines until our camp 2 sight around 26,000 feet where Brian began short roping the bag that we packed and left there the previous evening. At this point energy levels where getting low, water was only a distant memory, and my feet were beginning to feel like it was hour twenty of a day that just wouldn't stop. Brian managed to slide the duffel half way down the snow ramp to 24,000 feet or so. He clipped it to an anchor and I didn't even stop to look at the bag. I was actually moving at quite a fast pace down the ramp being I glissaded the entire thing, 1500ft, and my left bum cheek is still a bit bruised from it. We hit the cole, descended the fixed lines to the glacier, and landed at the base of the mountain at 7:30 pm on May 23rd. Katie Sherpani was waiting with cytomax and shoes. Brian and I proceeded to chug cytomax and our depleted bodies imedaitly rejected it on to the glacier. All we could do was laugh and suffer toether at that point. Our cook Razkumar and cook boy Buwan met us 30 minutes from A.B.C. with tea and carried our now not so heavy packs to camp for us. It was a relief to unshoulder the pack that had been on my back for the better part of 23 hours. We strolled into A.B.C. casually around 8:30 pm making it 23 hours and 30 minutes from our Camp 2(26,000ft, to the summit(29,038ft), and down to A.B.C.(21,300ft). We collapsed in the dining tent and our neighbor Big Tim Medved from the Discovry Channel came over congratulated us and joined for the best summit cake in A.B.C. It was a good end to the day and we were all sleeping before 10pm.

After the best night of sleep ever we pulled it toghether for a quick 14 mile jog down to B.C. The bags on the mountain we had picked up by Pemba sherpa for $100. It was an easy decision to make and not having to go up the mountain again made the future much brighter. B.C. was a sight for sore eyes, Mr. O and Uncle John were there so we spent a mourning talking and playing cards before they left for there trip up to A.B.C. We attended the Discovery Channel B.C. party in the obnoxious Hi-Mex Thunder Dome. It was a good night, fun to be back in a social setting and of course a well deserved night of celebraing on another expeditions tab was very nice. Drinks were good, pickles were great, and the company was interesting to say the least. The next mourning our CTMA(Chinese Tibetan Mountaineering Association) Landcruiser picked us up and we were out of B.C. and charging towards civilization.

Now we are back in Kathmandu where the day consists mostly of food, food, a bit more food!!! We will get some pix up today hopefull so keep checking the site.

Summit Recap

2007-05-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All!!! Unfortunately our camera cables are not compatable and so it will be another day before we get some of the pictures on there. Anyways, one of these days!!!
The summit day was definately a long one, and parts of it we were of course done in a sleeping walking state, but between the two of us we peiced it together pretty well.
The summit day of the 23rd was in fact easy compared to the previous day of 22nd spent just below 7,900 meters. We moved up to that elevation through the night and arrived at what we deemed camp Yoda at around 7:00 am. Later we heard the wind was clocked at over 130 mph, which was not hard to beleive from inside of the tent. Thanks to Appalachian Outfitters we were comfortable inside of the Mtn. Hardwear EV2 tent, which we stayed in for about 14 hours. We managed to get a few hours of sleep, which we did on oxygen, but for the most part we spent the time boiling water. Our stove troubles continued and so we were only able to use one Jetboil stove that could not be hung from the ceiling because of the raging winds shaking the tent.

It was also really tough to stay positive that day because we were truly feeling the 23rd would be our only shot at the summit because of diminishing resources, and the wind simply left a dim outlook. We originally planned to leave around 6pm but waited until 9 hoping the wind would die down, which it never really did at that elevation.
So, we decided to break the camp before leaving in order to save time on the descent, which turned out to be a struggle. We were barely able to shove all the gear in the duffle bag that we eventually locked at the site before heading up at 9:22.
At first it was a total nightmare for both of us getting used to moving with the akward regulators on our faces combined with both goggles and headlamps. The system, which is considered the best, is a complete nightmare that you constantly have to adjust and occasionally drain because of the buildup of condensation. You feel like your mouth and nose is sitting in a puddle. Justin was having an excess buildup of ice on the outside, and my tanks were running out 15%-30% faster than they were suppose to. Anyways, we eventually got use to it and the system was ultimately sufficient.
Because we chose to skip the upper camp, we added several hours to our summit day. It took us about 4 hours to reach the beginnning of most teams'high camps, which was partly because of our packs which I estimated at weighing 25-30 lbs. We started off with 2 4 liter oxygen bottles each and 1 3 liter. We also started with 3 quarts of water, and a gob-load of energy foods thanks to clif bar.
It was not until we reached camp 3 that we started to see other teams, and thankfully at that point we realized that it was not going to be a crowded day. The route was in excellent conditions due to an excess of snow this year that covered a great amount of loose rock and scree. I would say we reached the ridge around 6 a.m. and had a clear picture of the entire rest of the route. At this point we stopped for some water at mushroom rock, and I made the mistake of dropping a full liter of water, and the threads of another bottle iced which resulted in a half liter spilling through my bag(that certainly added to the sufferfest.)
We also finally made a much awaited dispatch to KT and Rachel around that time. We were slacking on our dispatches because of our focus of just putting one foot in front of the other, but were also frustrated at the interference caused by the rocks.
We also realized around this point that we were running a little late because other teams could already be seen descending, but we were not concerned because the weather was looking great and we were not cold or in jeopardy of running out of oxygen. We navigated through the steps and I would say we were actually slightly disappointed at how casual the famous 2nd step was. We both felt that the only difficulty or danger was avoiding the old ropes that were scattered throughout the entire route but especially risky on the rocky steps.
Its also worth mentioning that the number of bodies on the route between the 2nd step and the summit is truly noticeable and very much distracting at times. KT and Rachel were utilizing a spotting scope and could see our every movement on the final summit step. At one point they were freaking out because Justin had stopped and they did not know why. It turned out he was just switching out oxygen bottles. Due to this I summitted about 20 minutes before Justin who joined me about 12:25 pm on the summit. The wind was raging on top, and so we did not stick around long. In fact I would say we were on the summit together for less than 5 minutes, and very much just focused on the descent.

Back in Katmandu!!!

2007-05-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to say that we arrived back in Katmandu with more than a little culture shock. Its truly amazing to have a real shower after 50 some days and enjoy food cooked in something more than a nylon shelter!!!
We had the opportunity to get online and were absolutely amazed at the incredible feedback and support from everyone over the past few weeks. We've not been able to stop talking about it, and I can't say enough how much we appreciate the support. So, thank you everyone.
We're finally going to be able to put photos and some videos online tomorrow, so please stay tuned. We're also throwing together a full account of our summit day so keep an eye out for that as well. As for now we're focusing on mass amounts of eating so please excuse me!!!!!!!!!

Real Good

2007-05-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

The boys ate and slept slept well, and had a great interview/story on WKYC. They are READY to go (maybe its the lack of showers for 38+days or so now, but that is only a guess). Raw!!

Brian was a bit worried about going back to 7500 meters to retrieve some gear today, so a FedEx is picking it up for 100$, and then they're leaving for BC. Hankbert is also heading to ABC today so they may pass each other somewhere. However, Dad and Uncle John are apparently heading back down to sleep at BC tonight so they will get to hang out there for a bit.

Some notes I heard from the long day. They clocked winds of 130 mph at the final camp which is just one of those super wind tunnels (Mt Washinton like?) that mother nature has created. Savage was a term I heard, along with brutal, I believe. Two litres of water were inadvertently lost during the ascent, allowing some discomfort on the descent. The frisbee rolled itself over the edge during a well needed/deserved congratulatory hug between the best of friends. The FedEx guy is actually a Sherpa and the comment was written for a young lady at BHS. Last, but certainly lot least, the boys were able to pay homage in a very beautiful way to an international friend they met along the way.

All in all, what a story! Your support has been so amazing!! The phones have been blowing up all over the place for days with such wonderful thoughts/comments/prayers from such wonderful folks. I suggest a couple large "gatherings" in the coming months to get to see all you wonderful folks in the same places again. Details TBA. The crew will have some wonderful words and images in the next few days as well. Peace and Luv

Ya did good Mum! Real good. They made it!! Your memory will live on with us forever. Happy belated Mother's Day!

To hear one heckuva interview between Brian and Paul Thomas at WKYC go to:
http://www.wkyc.com/video/player.aspx?aid=35752&bw=
Thanks Paul!!

Another link from Jon @ Best of Everest, who said congrats boys, can be found at
http://www.therestofeverest.com/lungevitybonus.html

Resting at ABC

2007-05-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with one very exhausted Brian Oestrike. After a 23 hour Summit push; they guys are back at ABC and doing well. No frostbite, no injuries, no headaches. They just need a lot of rest which is exactly what they are doing! The wind delayed their departure; adding significant time to the day. At one point they were worried that the mountain just wouldn’t let them up. Their spirits remained high and well . . . the glorious ending has been written. Later today Chris will have an audio update to post. Channel 3 News in Cleveland also plans to air a story tonight during the 11:00 news.

Down at Camp 2

2007-05-23T03:25:00.000-07:00

Morning...Katie just called. They guys are down at Camp 2. In about an hour & a half, Katie & Rachel are going to meet the guys just above the North Col, where the fixed lines begin. Everyone should be back at ABC in about 3 hours! Brian & Justin are doing well and requested that Katie bring them lots of CytoMax.
Posted 6:30 am EST

Top o' the world!!

2007-05-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Summit happened!! Boo yah!! Yippy Kayay!! Yeah!!

Brian Wilfred Oestrike and Justin Joel Hewitt reached the top of the world at about 12:40 pm Tibetan Standard Time. Way to go boys, we are all so proud of what you have accomplished. Not sure what sort of ceremonial celebrations occured up there but we should be filled in very shortly. I suppose a frisbee could really get places.

It was a fairly late summit though and the wind is blowing pretty hard up there, so keep those thoughts and prayers flowing throughout the evening. Thanks again for everything all of you have done. I am sure Mom is grinning from ear to ear in pride, joy and honor in recognition of their incredible journey to the top of the world!

Posted @ 2:51 am EST. Look for further updates around 7-8 am EST

3 or so to go!!

2007-05-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

The boys just passed those weird steps(ladder?) that we saw in their presentations!! It is currently 5:58 AM in Tibet and they are still feeling strong and confident. Justin said three hours to go with Brian adding possibly 5 in the background on a radio dispatch. They are moving well and have lots of energy. They were a bit nervous of the wind this morning and got a bit of a late start.

KT & Rachel were really sleepy after poaching to the North Col and getting all but the shells of the boys tents and their trash. They drew the line there apparently.

Our hearts and minds are with you guys, I am personally one anxious Oestrike over here!

PS Dad should be arriving at BC today for a big shindig in a day or so.
Posted @ 9ish PM Eastern Time

8,300 meters / 27,390 feet

2007-05-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

7:30 pm on Everest; Rachel just called from ABC. She has been in radio contact with the guys for the past few hours as they've moved up to C4 at 8300m. They are rested, hydrated and have eaten a lot of food. They are packed up and ready to go but are waiting for the wind to die down a bit. They sounded conservative because of the wind yet are extremely positive. Katie brought some of the gear down from the North Col earlier in the day.
Will keep you updated. . .

Camp Yoda

2007-05-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Between the Cavs game & Everest updates; I don't even know what to do with all my energy!
I think our Everest crew is a bit slap happy as well. Katie called bright and early from ABC; which they renamed Camp ADD over a week ago. It was 8 am Tuesday and she had just received word from C2, better known as Camp Yoda. The guys are doing well at 7900 m & are on Oxygen. Katie couldn't say enough about Justin's excitement. Spirits are high all around! The guys are going to spend Tuesday boiling water and resting. They will leave Camp Yoda around 7 pm and hope to summit Wednesday 5 am-ish; just in time for the sunrise. I think a small bearded friend made it to 7900 but thumper, the Bagel Street Frisbee, Shauna's beads and all of our prayers will accompany Brain & Justin to the summit.

Audio Update: Let the climb begin!!

2007-05-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

Justin called last night and left a message describing their plans for the final push.

Click here to listen to Justin's message.

Here is a picture of Everest from the Nepalese side. While looking at this photo I'm reminded of how Justin described the mountain to me when I was in Nepal. He said, 'There she is - that big, black pyramid.' I can't wait for the guys to conquer this bad boy - I wouldn't be surprised if Brian decided to jog it just for the bragging rights.

Here Justin and Brian sit with Everest in the upper left corner just poking through - go get em' boys!!!!!!

Here's the plan Stan. . .

2007-05-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Justin & Brian arrived at ABC on Saturday night. They'll be hanging there until early Monday morning when they depart for the North Col. They plan to sleep all day Monday and depart for Camp 2 around midnight. Similar agenda; sleeping most of Tuesday at C2. Then, around 6-7 pm on Tuesday. . . To The Moon Alice. An estimated summit will be around 3-4 am Wednesday morning. (Tuesday afternoon- East Coast Time) If you are thinking that it will be dark when they summit; you're correct. There will be less traffic at the top if they leave early. They hope to hull tail down to the North Col. Brain informed me that they will be using oxygen. Katie and Rachel will be at ABC with the sat phone ready to send word home. Andy & I will be making calls, sending text messages and updating the blog once we get word. Keep sending the love. Your support is AMAZING, thanks!

Cleveland News Update, Friday Night

2007-05-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks. Paul Thomas, with WKYC Channel 3, in Cleveland is giving an Everest Update during the 11:00 News Broadcast tonight. He will be playing an audio update from Brian.
Enjoy the weekend.

Big Hello from Us at Base Camp

2007-05-17T04:16:00.000-07:00

Hello All!!! We’ve finally managed to get online thanks to our French friends and the services of Windhorse Trekking. Although it has been impossible to read through all of the comments in the last 40 days, we are absolutely delighted to see the number of comments and support from so many of you out there!!! I have to sincerely apologize for not having been able to put any photos online, but don’t worry we promise to make up for it once we reach civilization again. So, again thanks so much for all of your support, it’s truly a great honor to be climbing for such an excellent organization.
For the quick update: We are still back in base camp resting up for what we hope to be our final push up the mountain. I can’t say enough how much better the sleep quality is here at 17,000 ft vs. the 21,000 ft. of A.B.C. Although we are becoming annoyed with the 28 mile roundtrip walk (which I am about to do for the 4th time), it is more than worthwhile in terms of overall rejuvenation. Many of the other members of our expedition are starting to rap things up and so it is finally beginning to feel as though the expedition is coming down to the wire.
So, our plan is to leave here on the morning of the 19th, rest one day in ABC, and then move onto the upper mountain. This time we will not be exposing ourselves to the intense sun, and so intend to climb to camp 2 at approximately 26,000 ft through the night arriving in the morning for a full morning of rest. Then we will move to the high camp at 27,000 ft. for a few hours of rest, but mostly to just boil water. So with any luck we should be reaching the summit on the morning of the 22nd. However, as always our plans are extremely flexible and constantly subject to change. Katie and Rachel will be doing voice dispatches from ABC to keep you all informed during our summit bid!!
Well, that’s all for now, thanks again for all of the support, and especially to Halle, Andy, and Chris for your diligent postings.
Happy B-day Melinda!!!!

12 hours of sleep!!

2007-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Brian seems in awesome spirits after a huge dinner and 12 big hours of sleep. He never sleeps 12 hours. He feels extrememly confident after sleeping for 4 hours the previous evening at 7900m(26000 ft) from 745 until 1145 before flying (moving fast) back down to ABC. Brian said, and I quote "we slept in true alpinist form in our jacket and pants without sleeping bags." Seriously? Wow! Apparently they discovered a missing(stolen) stove and took out their anger on the mountain by climbing to camp 3 (7900m) with 45 pounds of gear each.

A big indicator of successful acclimization can be seen in their ability to get some shuteye in the most difficult situation they have ever been in. Brian slept four strong hours with Justin just behind him. They awoke and kicked it in high gear back down. After another long hike they are in BC looking to shoot again in 6-10 days. Brian refused to give that definite of an answer, but that seems to be what he was thinking. I added this photo to spice things up a bit even though it is not Everest. It is actually Mt Ranier.

Katie and Rachel send their luv and wish all of you the best and everyone is so thankful for your comments and prayers. Halle Macrae actually forwarded several of your comments onto the boys today as well so keep em comin!!

The next step is on their Friday when they will head back to ABC for another go. More info coming soon.

PS Brian was very happy to find out that the Cavs have a great chance to reach the East Finals tomorrow.

Slowly, Slowly

2007-05-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Got a message from Brian last night, which was Tuesday morning for them. After making an ascent to C3 on Monday, they are back at ABC and heading down to BC. The weather held out but the team wasn't feeling 100% so they are playing it safe. As the Sherpa's say, "Slowly, Slowly." The good news is that Brian spent abut 4 hours at C3 and felt great.
The guys are tough and smart. . .The window for a summit is still open.
Peace.

Learning the game of Hearts

2007-05-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

And its about time, because Brian was never that great at hearts. The boys have been at ABC with the girls for four days waiting out some weather. The weather has been sunny for a day, after a few cloudy ones, which prompted some teams to head back down to BC. Its up to ChomoLungma at this point.

Rest hasn't been so great, but its due to lack of exercise, not altitude says BWO. Because of the break in weather, they are moving up to North Col and leaving the ladies with the phone. But they will be in contact via walkie talkie. The plan looks like this. If weather is kind, they could go for it in the next three days. If it ain't so kind, they are headed all the way back to BC after hanging out at Camp 3 for several hours. (acclimization) Living above 20,000 feet for more than 10 days can be detrimental to overall health and BC allows for better rejunivation possibilities. Crazy sentence, Sorry!

They sound very positive, upbeat and ancy. Katie will be keeping us updated.

PS Happy Mother's Day-We wouldnt be here without Ya'll

It's Up To The Weather. . .

2007-05-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings are sent to you from Advanced Base Camp. Katie, Rachel, Justin & Brian are together at ABC and doing really well. Brian & Justin ascended to C3 (7,900 m) a few days ago. They stashed two bags there for the summit push then returned to the North Col. It’s not uncommon for climbers to have difficulty sleeping at altitude but the guys are getting plenty of shut eye at the NC which is a good sign.
According to various weather reports the window to summit is a few days away. Brian & Justin are planning to depart ABC on May 13th. With a bit of luck, lots of stamina, purpose & inspiration in their hearts and . . . Katie’s brainpower via radio . . . they anticipate a summit on May 15 or 16. I’m not clear on the exact details of their stay at each of the high camps. For now it looks like they will spend one night at the NC, then one night at C2, move up to C3 the day before summit then shoot for the moon after dark!
Again, thank you for your support of the LUNGevity Foundation and the expedition. We’ll hear from the guys again before they leave ABC.

ABC and Movin' Up

2007-05-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Brian called today with a quick update. He & Justin have been back at ABC for 2 days. They will be heading up to the North Col on Monday. The plan over the next few days is to ascend, establish ground, and eventually sleep at Camp 2 (24,750 ft). Once they feel comfortable a big acclimatization day awaits; they will start at the North Col and move up to C3 (7,900 m/25,600 ft) then descend back to ABC. Katie & Rachel will be at ABC to meet them.

Brian & Justin are feeling strong and doing well. It's tough to be exact on the mountain but they plan to make their summit push in the next 8-10 days!!! WOW, putting that into words is just crazy!
These two guys are amazing. . .gotta love them.

Updates

2007-05-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Got a quick shout out about this PB&J and crepes as well. On Everest? Hilarious. Seems like the food is pretty good. Lots of people sharing goods up there, including some wonderful cheese and tea from the foothills o' Appalacha (in fact another Constantine was met who loves Constantine's cheese).
Their camp at North Col is set and ready for use. Brian said 7-8 days of hard work were on the way, including 2 trips to Medium Camp before their last few days of rest at BC or possibly ABC. Then they shoot for the moon.
Confidence and spirits seem to be in high gear as always. Thanks again for all of your wonderful support for such a worthy cause.

PS-Martha-please call me when convenient

BC Update

2007-05-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

I got a quick call from Brian just after a breakfast of crepes, hard boiled eggs, and a pb&j sandwich. I passed along the love and good vibes that have been posted lately. The crew will be leaving BC tomorrow. Brian & Justin will make a straight hike to ABC; while Katie & Rachel will spend a night or two at the interim camp before ascending to their new home at ABC. They are feeling great, eating well and thank you for the support.

Back at Base Camp

2007-05-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

I got a call last night from the Everest crew; they sounded great. Brian & Justin are back at Base Camp hanging out with Katie & Rachel. They are chilling at BC; taking some day hikes and making friends with other expeditions. In the next few days they are going to start the trek up to ABC. To ensure Katie & Rachel are properly acclimatized; the group will spend 2 nights at an interim camp between BC and ABC.

Brian & Justin send a big thanks to all the folks who participated in the Satellite Climb this past weekend. Please leave a comment with your story so we can fill them in they next time they call.

WKYC News Channel 3 in Cleveland is going to re-air the Everest story during their 9am broadcast on Saturday or Sunday. (More than likely on Sunday) Keep checking http://www.wkyc.com/ and http://www.therestofeverest.com/ for updates.

Audio Update: Justin and Brian back to base camp - Katie and Rachel arrive!

2007-05-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Justin called and left a message two days ago but unfortunately I was experiencing some technical issues and couldn't get it up until today.

Click here to listen to Justin's update - Voice mail received April 28 (the connection is kind of lost at the end of Justin's message)

Brian just left another message last night (May 1) and also called to say that Katie and Rachel had arrived safely.

Here was what Brian had to say

China with open arms

2007-04-25T23:51:00.000-07:00

We headed into china yesterday with our new friend Dawa Sherpa who is in charge of Asian Trekking. I convinced Rachel that the big sign on the border written in chinese said "China welcomes you with open arms".

We parted ways with Dawa this morning and now we are in the hands of the chinese for 3 more days until we arrive in basecamp. The hotel we are staying in tonight has duct taped walls, smells a little rancid, and the food is a rather interesting (check out the photo in the On Our Way post). We are tough, so we will make it through.

This morning we went on an amazing acclimization hike to the top of a mountain right next to town. It was a little tough with the altitude, but now we both feel a lot better. At the top we were surrounded by huge mountains and hundreds of prayer flags.

Today is probably the last day we will have internet for the next month. I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all of your hard work and help with raising money and awareness for LUNGevity. Halle made us a wonderful flag with Lungevity's logo and Jackie O's pub and brewery so our goal is to get it on the discovery channel to raise as much awareness as we can.

And all of you satellite adventurers it looks like rachel and i will just be arriving at base camp and going for a hike. We will be thinking of you all. Thank you for everything, be safe, and nothing crazy (this means Daddy McGee no jumping off of any bridges).

Audio Update: Brian calls from ABC

2007-04-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

Brian just called to say that he and Justin have returned from North Col, and that they will head up there again in a couple of days.

Click here to hear Oestrike's report.

Also, I'm including a photo I took of Brian trying to use his satellite phone just so you have a visual.

On Our Way

2007-04-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

Leaving Kathmandu in our Land Cruiser with Dawa Sherpa

This is Katie and I's schedule for the next few days!!!!
Whhooo!!
22-23-Apr= In KTM for Tibet visa procedures
24-Apr= Drive Ktm-Zangmu 2350m
25-Apr= Drive to Nylamm (not sure of spelling) 3750m
26-Apr= In Nylamm for acclimatization

Our classy hotel in Nylamm

27-Apr= Drive to Tingri 4350m
28-Apr= In Tingri for acclimatization (Yeah Satillite Adventurers we will be hiking with all of you!!! Thanks for your support!!!!!!)
29-Apr= Drive to Everest BC 5200m and join the International Group.
Right now we are scueduled to leave June 3rd however it could be sooner!!!

We will make sure to get all new comments to Justin and Brian that we receive in the next few days!!!!! As we will not have internet after that!

Wishing you all well!

Upcoming News Broadcast, April 27th

2007-04-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

I got a quick call from Brain yesterday. He & Justin are doing well at ABC. On Friday, April 27th, Cleveland's NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3, will air a story about Brian & LUNGevity on the 11pm news. Paul Thomas, a reporter for WKYC, quickly took interest in Brian's cause and has been avidly working on this story since. If all goes as planned, the guys will be live via satellite phone during the broadcast. Hopefully there will be a video link at http://www.wkyc.com/. I'll keep you posted.

Kathmandu

2007-04-21T06:31:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I have made it safely to Asian soil. It was a very long journey (50 hours) with not much sleep, but it feels great to finally be here. It felt like we played Skip Bo 100 times, and of course Rachel is still undefeated.

It is very hot, humid, and rainy with lots of craziness on the streets. It is definitely not the cleanliest city we have been to but its pretty exciting to see cows, monkeys, and goats roaming freely with all the people in the streets.

We will give some more updates after we get some much needed sleep. Thank you so much to everyone for all of your hard work helping us get ready for the adventure.

More News from ABC

2007-04-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

I hope this finds each of you well. Brian called earlier today and says hello to everyone. After spending some time down at Base Camp he is back at ABC. He sounded fantastic and is feeling great. He and Justin have a lot of energy, are in high spirits and “eating like horses”. I feel for the cook tent folks after seeing their eating display on the trek! (Chris you’re included in that one)

The weather at ABC is rather windy and about zero degrees with the wind chill factor. The night sky has been exceptionally clear making for unbelievable views of the stars from 21,000 feet. As Justin said in his call, they had to build yak ‘barriers’ around their camp so the beasts don’t mangle tent lines. Just a side note; the Discover Channel camp is set up next to them at ABC. My fingers are crossed that the TV crews will air a shot of the LUNGevity flag.

They guys will ascend to the North Col (23,000 ft) on Monday or Tuesday. Brain indicated that they will make 2-3 trips up with gear before staying overnight at the NC camp. The numerous trips help ensure they are properly acclimatized. They are excited that Katie and Rachel are en-route and are waiting patiently to continue up the mountain.
As always, thanks for reading and take care.

Audio update: Justin calls from ABC

2007-04-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

The guys are going to leave periodic voice mails with me that I am able to upload for everyone to listen to (yeah, I'm a geek).

Here is the first update from Justin.

In his message Justin references a Pooja, which is a blessing to the Deities of the Hindu Religion in the form of prayer, offerings and sacrifices. It is customary to have a Pooja for a new home, new car, when a family member leaves or for any other occasion one wants blessed.

In other multimedia news, I uploaded a short video from Kala Patar on Google Video. Kala Patar is a small 'hill' (5545m/18,192ft) at the base of Everest. You can see Justin talking on the satellite phone (the very same phone used for the audio clip). After Justin you can see Mt. Everest (the black pyramid). The shot then pans to Brian, in his sunglasses (er, glacier glasses as he calls them) and orange jacket.

Click here to watch on Google Video (you will be redirected from this site)

ABC

2007-04-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

After two grueling days Brian and Justin are relaxing in their tent at Advanced Base Camp (ABC). Brian said it was slow moving and a pretty difficult hike to get up to ABC. They sounded a little tired and said they are feeling the altitude, so they will stay and get acclimated for a few days. They will hopefully move up to the North Col in the next couple of days when they are feeling strong and ready. Besides that the food is great, but ABC is extremely crowded.

Interim Camp

2007-04-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

A quick call from Brian and Justin yesterday said "We are feeling strong and healthy. Today we will move up to Interim camp, halfway between Basecamp at 5200 (17,060 ft) metres and ABC (Advanced Basecamp) at 6400 (21,000) metres." They will have a rest and acclimatization day today day at 5800 (19,028 ft) meters, while they wait for the yak train to move up to ABC.

Brian and Justin are on the 11th post on the Rest of Everest. http://tibet2007.therestofeverest.com/

Finally at Base Camp

2007-04-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Brian just called and they just made it to base camp. They are very relieved to be out of the car and the disgusting towns on the way to camp (he says to brace yourself Rachel). They had to bribe their driver to leave for base camp earlier.

It is a beautiful sunny morning and they are charging up all of their equipment with their solar charger. Camp is really crowded with a ton of climbers, but they are really excited to have arrived at there new home. The food so far is pretty tasty, including egg sandwiches and oatmeal. They also did another podcast that I don’t believe is up yet, but make sure to check again soon. http://tibet2007.therestofeverest.com/

Also, Rachel and I leave in 10 days so it’s the last chance for any prayer flags or care packages that can be brought over to Brian and Justin. Feel free to contact me with any questions koestrike@hotmail.com Thanks for reading.

Himalayan Humor

2007-04-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

The following pictures bring a smile to my face, and I figured now was a good time to share them while the boys are still making their way to base camp.

Mmm Mmm Good!

With the exception of eggs, we were all vegetarian while in the mountains. Some of you carnivores out there may wonder how this was possible. Well, when the menu looked like the one below it was actually a lot easier than you'd think.

Because there are no trees, the tea houses burn dried yak dung for heat. The dried dung has no smell, and seemed to provide the same amount of heat as wood.

It was always interesting to watch a tea house owner place dried yak dung in the stove (as seen below), and then walk over and pick up our dinner to serve us in one fowl swoop - as if the two activities were always meant to go hand-in-hand.

It's a....uh, kangaroo rat deer thing?!?!?!?

Part of the fun of being somewhere for weeks without cell phones, TV, radio, newspapers, or even other English speaking people, is that you have to find things to talk about in order to stay entertained.

The following is my favorite example of this principle. This is a picture that we found on the wall of a tea house. I have no idea what the animal is, or what the text below the animal says. However, for twenty minutes we all debated over what the animal was, or rather, what various animals were used to create this one. We eventually agreed that the animal had the head of a kangaroo, a rabbit's ears and hind legs, the back of a rat, but the spirit of a dragon (did you notice the two enormous teeth?) - har!

I challenge any of you readers out there to come up with a better name than we did, which was The Himalayan Sabre-Toothed Kanga-Rat!!!

Please post your replies, haha.

Brian Oestrike Captures a Yeti

Another fun thing to do when trekking through the Himalayas is to tell Yeti stories to as many local people as possible, claiming that the Yeti has been following you on your trip. This is especially easy to do when you have your own gorilla mask.

Here we see Brian with the first ever photo of a Yeti, as captured on the summit of Island Peak.

More Island Peak Pictures

2007-04-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings all and apologies for the interruption,

Before the guys start their climb I wanted to take a moment to post a few pictures and fun info from the acclimitization trek they just completed.

ISLAND PEAK PHOTOS

Island Peak, or Imja Tse (20283 feet / 6183 meters), was selected as Justin and Brian's acclimatization peak because it offers an easy and accessible means of sleeping at high elevation. I now realize that my definition of 'easy and accessible' differs slightly from Justin and Brian's. I hope you enjoy the following Island Peak photos:

Our yellow tent sat at approximately 17,500 feet

Justin and Brian demonstrate that it's important not to forget about one's sense of personal style and fashion even when going two weeks without a shower.

Justin and Brian on top of Island Peak with Lotse Shar in the background ->

<-Justin descends from Island Peak after soloing the steep face.
.........Watching the sun go down from high camp

The Aspen Times

2007-04-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

There was an article in the Aspen Times today, make sure to check it out at http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20070408/NEWS/104080073

Thank you to Charlie Agar for writing a great article!!!

Arrival in China

2007-04-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

We've had an interesting couple of travel days and now find ourselves in Nyalam, China. I could'nt use the T-word there because Hu Jintao does not approve of that word. Both Zangmu and Nyalam have been relatively disgusting towns with a total lack of decent hotels and restaurants. We're hoping to speed up our itinerary to base camp by a day or two because of our previous acclimatization. Not sure if this will be possible, and if it is it will probably involve traveling with all of the team's equipment, so basically a tight fit.
We had the opportunity to meet Jon Miller in Katmandu who has been kind enough to include us in his everest podcasts, which have a respectable audience. So basically Justin and I will be able to do direct voice dispatches to his website in order to update everyone on our progress. The address is www.therestofeverest.com , and hopefully we will get a satellite feed tonight to make another posting.
Well, we hope all are well and look forward to updating you further!
Namaste, Brian

The Rest of Everest

2007-04-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hey guys- Brian and Justin are in route to Base Camp, which will be home until June 1st. Also, Halle just told me about the podcasts that Brian and Justin have been doing with The Rest of Everest.

"A Colorado filmmaker Jon Miller who created “The Rest of Everest,” an award-winning podcast about an Everest expedition, will return to Tibet this month to broadcast more climbing adventures. In this groundbreaking effort, Jon Miller will be the first to travel to the Himalaya specifically to document expeditions through podcasting." therestofeverest.com

Brian and Justin will be doing dispatches through "The Rest of Everest" which includes interviews and stories from the mountain.
http://tibet2007.therestofeverest.com/ is where you can listen to all the updates. You can also see their video from the Denver news at www.therestofeverest.com and click on podcast episodes and then click on the top story.

Thanks to Jon Miller and The Rest of Everest, and once again thanks to Major King from the Denver News!!!

Clean in Katmandu

2007-04-05T02:48:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in Katmandu this morning after an excellent acclimatization trek. I really don't think it could have gone better for Justin and I. We were able to breathe increasingly thinner air with a great group of people, and managed to stay healthy throughout the journey. We just left the Asian trekking office and are excited to say that everything is in place with the million details somehow sorted out. Speaking for both Justin and I, I can sincerely say that any pre-climb jitters were definately worked out over the past two weeks, and that our confidence towards Everest has only increased. The goal for the next two days is about 9000 calories a piece per day, and if we keep up at this rate it should not be a problem. Also, with any luck we'll have an excess of photos coming soon!!!!
Namaste!!

Island Peak Success

2007-03-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Brian left a message and he said that they were successful on the climb of Island Peak. They ended up doing a different route that was a little more difficult and longer. He also said that they have slept at 18,000 feet for the last 2 days and are feeling extremely acclimated. Tonight they are sleeping at 20,000 feet and are going to try to summit again tomorrow. It sounds as if they are in really high spirits and feeling strong.

Also there was a story on the Fargo news last night and i will get the link up really soon.

News

2007-03-30T16:10:00.001-07:00

Here is an article and interview with Justin that was in the Fort Collins Coloradoan on March 18th. http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070318/ENTERTAINMENT06/703180301

If you are in Fargo make sure to watch WDAY tonight Justins parents will be on the news. That section will air tonightat 5,6 or 10PM.

Island Peak

2007-03-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Brian and Justin called Jusins mom and myself yesterday. They were sitting around drinking tea and eating some cheese at 7:30 in the morning. They said it was a beautiful day and were just relaxing at 18,000 feet. Unfortunatly, it sounded like Todd was having some trouble acclimating so he was hanging out at a lower teahouse. Brian, Justin, and Chris will make a summit attemp today If the weather and everything is good. Hopefully one of us will hear more today or tomorrow. Katie

Lobuche

2007-03-26T21:32:00.001-07:00

Hello again,
Well I missed another call from Brian, but it sounds like they are having a really great time. They are in Lobuche, which is at 4900 meters. Tomorrow they will head to Kalapatter at 5550m or 18,000 feet. From there Brian will descend with halle so she can head back to the real world to return home. The others and eventually Brian will go for Island Peak (which is said to look like an island in a sea of ice) for a summit attempt at 6165 meters. I’ll post more when I get the word.

Halle I hope you had a great time, I can’t wait to talk to you all about it! And we are all excited to see some pictures on the blog.

News from Nepal

2007-03-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

Unfortunatly, I just missed a call from Brian and the crew from the satellite phone. He left a message saying that they are all in high spirits having a really great time. They are in the Khumbu region around 4600 meters or 15,000 feet. They are about two and a half days away from the Everest Overlook in an area called Dugla. That is about all the info i got, but hopefully we will hear more soon when they get some more satellite minutes. I will make sure to update as soon as I find out more informaion. Cheers, Katie

Namche Bazaar

2007-03-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

We have made it to Namche Bazaar(about 11,500ft.) on the second day of our trek. The plane ride into Lukla was as amazing as I remembered it to be. Seeing the Himalaya in all there glorry really makes a guy feel quite small, yet very motivated. Once on the ground we met up with our porters Dindi and Nema who are on there second trip as porters and are trying to learn English. Since we used to be English teachers we may be able to teach them a few things. We walked to Bengkar and stayed in a small tea house with a 200ft. waterfall right outside our bedrooms. After our first solid night of sleep, in what seems like months, we proceeded up to Namche where we are staying the night. We hope to move up in elevation for the next two days and then plan a full two nights and rest day and some sight seeing at Denbouche(16,000ft I think). We hope to be high enough to start satellite dispatcheds soon so keep checking up on the blog. Everything is going great and we hope all is well at home.

Entering the Himalaya

2007-03-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

We just found the pleasent surprise of our first fast connection since arriving. Wahoo, we are checked through to Lukla, and once again managed to get all of our baggage through. Justin used the legendary "heel hook" to help with the baggage weight. We are ecstatic to finally be heading into the Himalaya, and have the transportation and luggage logistics behind us. Its been almost a week since properly excercising and so we will have to use restraint to not sprint at the mountains, and use a safe acclimatization schedule. Wahoo, its time to jump on board for one heck of a flight.!!!

Kathmandu

2007-03-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

After a long, long, long, long, couple days travelling, including a splendid night in the Delhi Airport, we have stormed Kathmandu. 3 days of contstant planning, packing, and preperation has finally ended and we are ready to head into the Khumbu Region of the Himalaya. Chris, and Tod will be joining us for the an acclimization trip up to Island Peak with hopes of summitting around April 1st, while Halle will be heading back to Kathmandu around the 31st. It will be a nice change of pace and we will be able to really start focussing on our climbing and what we are here to do. Hope all are happy and safe. Updates from the sattelite until our return to Katmandu on April 5th.

Denver News

2007-03-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

Major King a reporter from the Channel 7 News in Denver did a story on Brian and Justin last night. You can watch the story online, but I think that it will only be up for about a day so make sure to have a look. www.thedenverchannel.com/video/11288616/index.html

Also, after the clip the newscasters talked a little bit about LUNGevity and gave the address's to the websites.

Educo

2007-03-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Educo Colorado posted an article about Justin and Brian. If you go to www.educocolorado.org and click on Educo Volunteer Climbs Everest.

Off they go

2007-03-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Katie took Justin to the airport this morning where we enjoyed some bloddy marys and took lots of pictures. They just got on there flight to India so hopefully we will hear more when they arrive.

Phase 1

2007-03-14T15:22:00.001-07:00

It's time to take the bull by the horns and let it rip. Well... almost we have been working extremely hard to bring things together for this trip and it looks as though we are finally ready to go. Tomorrow we will be departing from our respective homes in Denver, Cleveland, Fargo, and San Fransisco(a day or two behind from here)and will be meeting up in Chicago for the 14 hour hop across the Big Pond. From there it's a two week trek and climb of Island Peak to acclimate. Our friends Tod, Chris, and Halle will be joining us for this part of the trip. Lot's of lists, packing, and a bit of fattening before the trip the past two weeks. We did manage to get out and climb some when Brian visited me in Colorado which was good for the confidence and a bit of gear testing to boot. I am still trying to set up streaming audio for our dispatches so keep checking the site and I will let you know when and if I get it set up in time.
I can see I am rambling so at this point I really don't have much more to say than YAAARRRRRR!!! Let me at it!!!

The Bombshelter

2007-03-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I (Katie) set up the new 4 man tent called the Bombshelter in the Rankin Ranch Kitchen that will head to Nepal on Thursday.

Back to Cleveland

2007-03-05T05:55:00.000-08:00

Justin and I had an excellent couple of weeks sorting through the million tasks that we have going on. I'm heading back to Ohio from Colorado today with only 10 days until departure for Nepal, ahhhhhhh. To try and sum things up from the last few
weeks:
The fundraiser in Fort Collins was great with an amazing number of people helping us out and generally just being extremely supportive.

Although we did not spend as much time in the mountains training as we would have liked, we did have an excellent couple of days in Rocky Mountain National Park. Major King from Channel 7 news based in Denver did some filiming of Justin and I on an approach to Mount Lady Washington, which is next to Longs Peak. He also managed to get a solid ways up our route (Marsha) and get some solid coverage of us getting ready to head up the more interesting pitches of the climb. Most notably we were able to go unroped for the majority of the climb due to the relative security of the route with a ton of snow on it. At times we were post-holing up to our chests in snow (not sure if that is postholing or just straight swimming). Anyways it made for an excellent day which all in all took us over 13 hours.
We've finally managed to finish off our t-shirts which are now for sale and looking pretty good. We should have some pictures online in a day or so, but if you are interested please let us know.

As for the next ten days, its going to be hectic and I'm sure to make a serious mess of the house as the real packing begins. I have a slide show in Bainbridge this thursday at 6:00 pm at the Hunt Club. Mostly I'll be talking about the climb ahead, LUNGevity, and our overall itinerary.
The Hunt Club
8370 E Washington St
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
(440) 543-4823

After that I'm headed down Athens, OH to pick up the rest of our equipment and some food from Athen's Own.
As for Justin I'm sure he'll be doing way to much in too little time. I beleive he's headed back to Aspen to pick up the rest of his gear and hopefully get some more training in.
We're expecting to be on Channel 7 news sometime this week, and we'll let you all know as soon as we find out.
Have a great day!!!!!!

Nutrition & Supplement Game Plan

2007-02-25T17:20:00.000-08:00

We are sitting here sorting out our high-altitude menu, and looking for input from others. As for now we have:
Clif Items = about 700 servings of various products including bars, blox, shots (gu), and recovery powders. We figure this to be about 700,000 calories, ummmmmhhhh.
Snacks = Athens Own is helping us out with their locally based products from Athens, OH. We're looking at the tastiest stuff this side of the Himalaya including: 15 pounds of cheese , 7 pounds of jerky, coffee, tea, chocolate, and plenty of other tasty norsels.
As for our supplements and vitamins its all about keeping our immune systems indestructable which we hope to do: with multivitamins (advice), vitamin C, vitamin E, Vitamin A, selenium, gingko biloba, ginger, garlic, cayenne, and antioxidants.
We hope to also utilze several high-altitude specific supplements. Our goal here is to promote circulation in order to avoid frostbite and improve our energy level at altitude. Most notably a plant based adaptogen, eleutherococcus senticosus or EC, was tested in pressure changes on rats and was found that they lived 60% longer when utilizing this supplement. Asprin has also been found to keep blood flowing and so we intend to take a 325-mg dose every 12 hours.
I hope to receive as much feedback as possible and so please don't be shy!!!!!

Road 34 LUNGevity Everest Benefit

2007-02-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of Brian and Justin doing what they seem to do most to get ready for Everest, which is plan plan and more planning. They are hanging out in Aspen staying at the Rankin Ranch and doing some training before they leave in less than 3 weeks. Hopefully they will have some more photos to post in the next few days, so keep on checking back.

We are having a benefit for my brother Brian Oestrike and Justin Hewitt at Road 34 Bike Bar in Fort Collins on February 28th. At 7 pm Brian and Justin will be having a presentation about LUNGevity and Everest 2007. We will be having a silent auction, and also will be selling t-shirts and prayer flags. The prayer flags can be personalized and then they will be taken to Tibet and hung at base camp. Angie Stevens and Savoy will be the bands playing at the event starting at 9:15. All proceeds will go to LUNGevity the only non-profit that raises money for lung cancer research.

LUNGevity Fundraiser and Other Matters

2007-02-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

Namaste,
Justin here to let people know we have a LUNGevity Everest Expedition 2007 fundraiser that will be held at ROAD34 in Fort Collins February 28th. Lots of fun stuff including live music, silent/not so silent auction, raffels, and other surprises as well.

Would also like to correct Brian's last post. The boots I am using and can be seen wearing around town on occasion are the Asolo Manasalus and they are sooooooo nice.

Other matters of note: LIFE IS GOOD LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST!!!! Lots of gear coming in. Brian is picking up a tent this weekend, his boots have also arrived, and we may be getting a laptop to use at the lower camps. We will be using another expeditons internet while we are up there so we should be keep'n ya'll posted on our progress. One last thing, we have another adventerous soul coming along for the Island Peak climb which Brian and I will be leading from March 20th to April 5th in the Khumbu region of Nepal. My Friend Tod Dwyer is now on board making it a party of five. Four of which hope to summit Island Peak 20,226 feet(6,165 meters)about 1,000 feet lower than Advanced Base Camp on Everests NE Ridge. We hope this will give us a jump on our acclimazation allowing us to move up the mountain before the herds of other expeditions.

So, I guess that's all for now stay tuned for more in the near future.

Pheri bhetaunla.(See you soon in Nepalese)

-justin-

Home Sweet Home

2007-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I would call it that but its slightly less than ideal for training. In fact jogging in Bainbrook and ice climbing in the Metropark's is starting to get a little old. It's definately opened up sometime to get all the equipment and fundraisers in place which I think we are starting to make some excellent progress on.
As for Gear, it looks like everything has come together, and I would say that 98% percent of the orders are in. For all the gear heads out there we are going with: Marmot 8000 meter pants and jacket in a tangerine orange, Justin has the Millet gigantic boots, and I'm going with the La Sportiva Olympus Mons. Those are the most exciting new pieces but the list goes on and on. It might be a good idea to remind us that we're not suppose to be wearing that stuff in public, as it is so sweet it will be hard to avoid.
We definately appreciate the support of Wild Mercantile out of Athens, OH, and Ute Mountaineer out of Aspen, CO, for sorting us out on everything.
Its looking like we have some sweet events coming up. Andy (Art) is doing a little party at Jackie O's in Athens on Feb 17th with door proceeds going to the expedition. Also, he's releasing ChomoLUNGma honey nut brown ale that day with the entire batchs' sales going to our cause. Lastly, I'll be doing a slideshow presentation on the 18th consisting of previous climbs, and the logistics, preparation, and overview of the Everest climb ahead. Justin's working out the details of a similar event at Road 34 in Fort Collins sometime in late February.
We're also hoping to get this blog a little more updated, as well as a blog on lung cancer support community (LCSC), and even thinking about being myspacer's, wahoo.

Ecuador

2007-01-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

Brain on Cayambe Photo by Ricki Sheldon

Brian just finished a couple of weeks of climbing in Ecuador, which kicked off the beginning of serious training for Everest. In Venezuela Katie and him tried to summitt Peako Bolivar but had some problems getting a permit to climb, which seems to be the normal problem for foreigners. Instead we camped at around 15,000 to get aclimated for Ecuador. After a couple of weeks with the fam in Colombia Brian and Katie headed to Ecuador. We both successfully climbed Cayambe (the picture up above) at 18,996 ft. Next Brian went on to climb Chimborazo twice which is the tallest mountain in Ecuador at 20,703 feet.

Justin is also planning a bunch of trips to climb some 14ers around Colorado. The plan for both of them is to get 2-3 hours of training in a day and a couple of long days a week with heavy packs on. We will try to keep updating the training with photos.

Organization's Donations

2006-12-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

Summit of Rainier
Summit Donor $10,000
High Camp Donor $5,000
North Col Donor $1,000
Oxygen Bottle Donor $500
Advanced Base Camp Donor $250

We plan to express our gratitude for your contributions in a variety of ways based on the amount contributed. Special requests are welcome, but the following options exist.
-breatheDEEP Cancer wristbands
-Expedition T-shirt
-Patch of respective organization on Summit Suits
-Organization’s name in Lungevity’s Newsletter that reaches 17,000 people
-Personal Photo Presentation and Slideshow
Donations can be made at www.lungevity.org/site/epage/42200_447.htm - 10k

Lungevity Expediation Itinerary

2006-12-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

March 15th Depart Chicago O’Hare
March 17th Arrival in Kathmandu (KTM)
March 18th-20th Organize Equipment, & Logistics, Acquire Tibetan Visa
March 21st-April 4th Acclimatization Trek from Lukla, Nepal
April 5th Return to KTM
April 6th Purchase Additional Equipment, & Meet Support Member
April 7th Drive to Zangmu (2350 m)
April 8th-9th Drive to Nyalam (3750 m)
April 10th Drive to Shegar (4350 m)
April 12th Drive to Everest Base Camp (17,000 ft)
April 13th Acclimatization around Base Camp
April 15th Trek to Interim Camp (19,500 ft)
April 16th Arrive at Advanced Base Camp (23,000 ft)
April 17th- May 29th Climb to the Top of the World (29,028 ft)
(The climbing itinerary will involve ferrying
equipment up Everest in a conservative manner,
establishing high camps, and descending for
rest at appropriate intervals. The summit day
is dependent upon the “weather window” but
will be between May 10th and the 29th. Please
inquire for additional info.)
May 30th- June 4th Travel by Land to Kathmandu
June 5th-7th Preparation for Departure
June 8th Arrival in Chicago
June 9th Liquidate Expedition Equipment

Oxygen

2006-12-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Brian, Justin, and Jared on Condoriti, Bolivia

In an effort to raise both awareness and capital for Lung Cancer Research, Justin Hewitt and I are working in cooperation with LUNGevity to climb Mt. Everest in the spring of 2007. It is our belief that the publicity gained from such an expedition can be used for the greater good of informing the public of the desperate need for further lung cancer research.
We intend to climb the Northeast Ridge of Everest with logistical support from Asian Trekking as far as Advanced Base Camp (ABC). Crucial to the goals of our expedition, we are to climb Everest in an environmentally conscientious manner while respecting the rights and needs of the Sherpa people. Although we will be bring
supplemental oxygen for emergency purposes, we hope to climb in purist style avoiding fixed lines whenever possible. In order to achieve this goal without oxygen we have allowed an additional two weeks of acclimatization that will allow our bodies to adjust to the high altitude.
Through my climbing experiences I have found a distinct similarity between lung cancer and the affects of high altitude. Basically, the human lung is put under the most extreme stress possible in both scenarios. However, only one is a celebration of the strength of healthy human lungs.

Walt, Justin, Brian, and Jared in Nepal

Climb for Everest

2006-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Over the past year my family and I have gone from knowing almost nothing about lung cancer to being brutally familiar with the disease and its treatments. My mother was diagnosed in early January and within 6 short months she died leaving us wondering what we could have done. The truth is that presently there is very little that we could have done being that she never smoked and lived a healthy active lifestyle.

After trying everything from traditional treatment supplemented with alternative, spiritual, and dietary healing remedies we realized the sad reality that the only hope for future patients is further research.

Over the past five years, my family has lived an unconventional American lifestyle with family trips to Machupicchu and road-trips across Australia. My mother selflessly supported us (her three children) as we studied, taught, and explored the world with ever-escalating plans. Therefore, I know my mother would support my plans to climb Mt. Everest in the spring of 2007 in effort to raise money and awareness for LUNGevity.

Justin Hewitt (climbing partner and close family friend of six years) and I plan to climb the Northeast ridge of Mt. Everest via the Tibetan side. We hope to accomplish this while maintaining strong climbing ethics towards the environment, local culture, and the style in which we climb. For this purpose, we do not intend to utilize high-altitude Sherpa support in any way, and strive to avoid using fixed lines whenever possible. Although we are bringing an emergency supply of oxygen, our goal is to climb the mountain within our own abilities in order to celebrate the strength of healthy lungs.