Training and Training

 August 13

With a goal to climb Mt. Manaslu comes the responsibility to train hard and be prepared.  This is why I’ve been carrying a cast iron pot, two cast iron lids and a variety of other heavy things around in the mountains of Colorado.  So, in the company of my wife Kriss, our Doberman Tessa and our good friends Alan and Debby, I put my heavy pack on, and we set out to climb up Mt. Parnasus. 

The trailhead is beyond overcrowded and one of my least favorite to visit but we were after a strenuous day with lots of elevation gain and this route fit the bill.  The climb is almost 7 miles round trip with 3,300 ft of elevation gain.  It follows a trail mostly until well above treeline after which people tend to pick their way up the final steep ridge to the summit.  Ever the competitor, Alan wouldn’t let me catch him on the steep pitch with my burden and my heart was pounding hard by the time the slope eased and the summit was in view. 

Happy to reach the top and take that pack off, I shared a moment with Tessa to look around and enjoy the view.  Our group lingered for longer than normal on the summit.  It was a fantastic Colorado day with sunshine and little breeze to interrupt our restful lunch.  We had less than two weeks to go until starting the long journey to Nepal and my thoughts were beginning to turn inward, steeling myself for the path that lay ahead.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pulling the Plug

Image
September 28   It is with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to end my expedition on Manaslu.  We’ve had significant snow over the past weeks which has loaded up the mountain beyond normal levels.  Now we’re in a high-pressure weather cycle with clear skies and strong sunshine during the days and cold temperatures at night which can create instability in the snowpack.  The avalanche above Camp 3 two days ago was an indication of this instability and the consequences were dead and critically injured climbers.  The weather forecast is for increasing winds starting yesterday through October 2 nd with a direction from the SW which is on the opposite side of the mountain from our climbing route.  The winds from this direction will transport snow onto the mountain directly above the climbing route, further loading the snowpack and creating additional instability.  We have been watching the snow transport yesterday and this morning and can actually see the co...
Read more

Ready to Launch

Image
September 25 Yesterday was an uneventful rest day with our typical mix of clouds, rain, snow, and some watery sunshine.   I’ve been sleeping great and waking up just before sunrise for the past couple of mornings and today was no different.   That first hour of the day is peaceful and gives me a chance to sort through my thoughts before everyone wakes up.   We had a little snow last night which always gives Base Camp a good look.  Today is our last rest day before heading up the mountain on our summit push.   Besides the usual daily tasks, we have a mid-morning training on the oxygen system that we’ll use on the upper mountain.   Pasang does a great job with the instruction, and everyone gets their rig adjusted properly with their complete head and face covering worked out so as not to expose any skin.  Once we have our gear settled, Pasang reviews the method for swapping oxygen bottles and adjusting the regulator during the process.     We...
Read more

Samdo to Samagaun

Image
September 4 th Today will be a much easier day than yesterday.   We’re heading down the valley to Samagaun which will be a larger village.   This region is an historical place for Tibetan Buddhists because Samdo is only a 3 hour walk from the border.   Just above Samdo is a trading center where Nepali and Tibetans would barter for each other’s goods.   The bazaar is closed now because China has closed the border to Nepal over politics.   It’s a mostly clear morning and we set off with sun on our faces.     Along the trail we see many more signs of traditional Sherpa culture.   There are stupas, gompas, and lots of stone walls covered in mani prayer stones.   This place feels more like the Khumbu Valley which leads to Everest base camp.  During a short rest break, we get our first glimpse of Manaslu.  It’s so high above us that it seems impossible to reach it.  After the initial “whoa” response, our excitement mounts for r...
Read more