Training (Focus on intervals but be careful not to over-train)

• When you train for the climb, focus most of your energy on cardiovascular training and do as much interval training as you can without over training.  I usually do two days/week of hard interval training on a Stairmaster and then fill in the other days with lower intensity aerobic and weight training.  Try and go for at least one 5-7+ mile hike/month between now and your trip (which I assume is about six months from today).  Make sure your pack has about 20-25 pounds in it so you get used to the weight.
• Scale back your training a few weeks before you leave so you don’t injure yourself.  Any lost endurance will be regained in the early days of the climb.  Your goal is to peak on summit day.

On the Mountain (These are very simple tips but they are also extremely important factors in having an enjoyable and successful trip)

• Set a slow pace (It’s a marathon, not a sprint and your goal should be to be in your best shape on summit day.  Every climb I have been on, there are people who push too hard early and they wind up paying the price later.)
• Stay hydrated (keep your pee clear by drinking all the time)
• Eat as much as you can (this is no time to diet.  You need as much energy as you can get)
• Stay healthy (bring enough hand sanitizer to last the entire trip and use it liberally.  The last thing you need at 19,000 feet is a cold.)
• Maintain your body temperature (don’t ever let yourself get too hot or too cold – this means pulling off layers during your hike before you start sweating like a pig and it also means putting on a warmer layer when you stop for a break even before you feel cold)
• Don’t get sunburned (apply sunscreen liberally and often)
• Stay on top of headaches (have some ibuprofen handy to pop if you feel a headache coming on)

 Useful Tips/Gear Suggestions

• If you’re not sure whether you want to climb other big mountains, consider renting some of the pricier gear (i.e. sleeping bag and down jacket, which would could easily cost you $400+ each new).
• Bring your most important gear on the plane with you.  You don’t want to have your trip ruined before it begins due to lost luggage.  Normally, I wear my hiking boots, my hiking pants (the kind that zip off into shorts), my synthetic t-shirt and a long-sleeved fleece shirt on the plane.  In my carry-ons, I pack as much gear as I can in my backpack and bring it on the plane with me.  I also have a smaller bag with reading materials in which I also bring my camera, sunglasses, money, itinerary, I-pod shuffle, medications, etc….
• Buy the boots and break them in before the trip.  I am a big fan of the Asolo GTX
• Bring Wet Wipes (great way to clean up at the end of the day)
• Crocks are super lightweight and great for walking around in camp
• Be serious about water purification.   I am a big fan of the chlorine dioxide tablets as they tend to kill everything (although you need to give them 3 hours to work).  If, however, you drink up the boiled water in the mess tent at breakfast and dinner and then fill up and treat all three bottles before you go to sleep you should be set for the next day.  To help with the taste, I bring a baggie filled with grape flavored Cytomax and put a scoop into each bottle AFTER the chlorine tablets have done their thing.
• Designate one of your nalgene bottles as a pee bottle (put a piece of duct tape on it so you don’t get it mixed up with your regular water bottles), and use it at night so you don’t have to leave your tent
• Wrap about 10 feet of duct tape around your trekking pole for easy tearing off.  It will come in handy when you need to cover “hot spots” on your feet before they become blisters.
• If you buy gaiters, the ¾ length version should suffice.  Also, consider keeping your gaiters on (even when you are in shorts) as it prevents blisters by keeping sand from working its way into your boots.
• Buy some heavy-duty garbage bags to wrap your gear in.  This will keep you high and dry if the rain hits.
• Bring extra cash to pay porters for other things such as filtering water for you.  I did this a few times and it was a nice convenience.
• Insurance.  For every trip I buy insurance through Multinational Underwriters (MNUI.COM) with the sports rider included.  The cost is about $60 and gives good peace of mind in the event of health problems and/or evacuation.

Hope this helps!

Cheers, Dave

Cheers,  Dave

As some of you have seen from the jagged globe website, I managed to reach the summit of Everest at 07.15 on the 23rd. Many thanks for your messages.

We left top camp at 9pm on the 22nd, and travelled up the mountain in small teams. I was with my guide Adele, and we had two very strong sherpas with us. We did a good job of overtaking people, until my crampon fell off – a lot caught up with us again while we sorted that out. It took us under 6 hours to the balcony – the number of people then dropped off as people turned back. We progressed on to the south summit, and then along the scary summit ridge to the top. It was cold & windy, and the sherpas were worrying about our oxygen supply so we didn’t stay for too long. Descent was long and painful. The next day, still tired we descended to camp 2 – my crampons did even better – one broke into two – but the day was saved by Tim the builder carrying a piece of wire, and some good repair work by Minga one of our sherpas (13 times Everest summiteer!!!!)

Today we came down from camp 2 to base camp, all exhausted but pleased to be back safely. Tomorrow we leave for the trek back to Lukla, and then hopefully a flight to Kathmandu.

Best wishes to all
Janet x

Cheers,

Dave

MOUNT EVEREST SUMMIT ATTEMPT & ADDENBROOKE’S CHARITIES

As you may be aware, I am attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest
(29,050 feet) in May of this year and in doing so raising money for both
maternity and children’s services at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. I have been
resident at Everest base camp on the south (Nepal) side since the beginning
of April and have climbed progressively higher on the mountain. Tomorrow, my
summit attempt will begin in earnest – base camp and upwards to camps 1-4
and then the long and potentially very cold summit day.

Thanks to the generosity of many of you, fundraising for maternity and
children’s services is already well underway. For those of you who are
planning to donate, but haven’t yet donations can be easily made online at
www.justgiving.com/janetpickett.
Any amount is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. The climb
itself can be followed at www.jagged-globe.co.uk/news.

With thanks and best wishes Janet

Dear friends and family,

As the summer nears, Kari and I are gaining enthusiasm and logging many training hours in preparation for our Mt. Kilimanjaro climb on 9/17/08. After being inspired by my friend Dave Goehl, who is climbing Denali (as we speak) and his fundraising efforts honoring Pat Brandt’s lost cancer battle, Kari and I have decided to do something similar. In honor of our adventurous climb, we are asking friends and family to please make a tax-deductible donation to the Cancer Kids Fund honoring my son Drew who is celebrating his 10th anniversary of beating Leukemia with the help of Children’s Hospital. These donations directed to the Cancer Kids Fund will go to the hematology/oncology program at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

Cancer Kids Fund is an essential part of Children’s ability to deliver medically-advanced care to pediatric cancer and blood disorder patients and their families in a family-centered environment. Services supported by the Fund include patient, family and staff education, hospice accommodations, wigs, nutrition support, zoomobile visits, and meal and parking vouchers. In addition, the Fund supports the vital Parent to Parent program, which allows parents to share their experiences with cancer treatment to other parents facing similar experiences. For more information about the Cancer Kids Fund, please visit the Cancer Kids webpage. (if you cannot link directly- hold your control key down as you click on the link)

Donating to the Cancer Kids Fund is as easy as it is lifesaving. Click here to give now! (again if you cannot link directly- hold your control key down as you click on the link)

If you donate online, please enter Drew Fernholz-Kili in the “In Honor Of” section of the form. This will ensure that your gift to the Cancer Kids Fund will be directed to the hematology/oncology program. Or if you would like to make the donation honoring/memorializing anyone else just reference the loved one you would like to honor/memorialize along with Drew.

If you prefer, you can make your donation via check (made out to Children’s Foundation) at Children’s Foundation, 2910 Centre Pointe Drive, Roseville, MN, 55113. When mailing your check, please include Drew Fernholz-Kili on the memo line.

If you have further questions about making a gift or the Cancer Kids Fund, please contact Children’s Foundation at 651-855-2800, or me directly at 952-807-7465.

Our goal is to raise $19340.00 or the equivalent of $1 for every foot to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We have donated $2000 to get the climb started. We understand that opportunities to donate to worthy functions come along all the time. We thank you in advance for your consideration of a donation to the Cancer Kids Fund benefitting the hematology/oncology program at Children’s. Your donations will support us in honoring Drew’s 10 year anniversary. We are inspired not only by Drew winning his battle, but of our friends and family who provide support for us as we embark on this trek to the “top of Africa.”
Asante sana – “Thank you very much”

Kwa upendo – “With love”

Jim and Kari

Denali Documentary Trailer

“Everyone that met him liked him. Everyone that knew him loved him. Patrick Christopher Brandt was a son, a brother, an adoring husband, devoted father, and best friend to all. He wore his heart on his sleeve and shared it with the world. In the fall of 99′ Pat was diagnosed with brain cancer. Though he didn’t know it at the time, he would be embarking on a journey that would touch the lives of thousands, and inspire all that knew him to live out the rest of their lives with passion and meaning.”

“Through countless bouts of chemotherapy and multiple surgeries Pat never lost his smile. Pat didn’t run from his cancer, he embraced it. Pat was a strong promoter of the White Bear Lake relay for life, and the American Cancer Society. He was called upon as keynote speaker, and shared his story to all. His employer LexisNexis was so moved by his story that they had him speak to hundreds of co-workers at one of their sales conventions. Though married with kids, and carrying a heavy work load Pat always found time to council other cancer survivors, and listen to their story.”

“On March 2nd 2008 at the age of 37 our dear friend Pat lost his battle with cancer. Pat left behind a wife Jessica, and two beautiful boys Wesley and Charlie ages five and two. In his passing Pat left us with many precious memories, and life lessons learned. Pat passed the torch and now it is our turn to continue his legacy of survival, living life to its fullest, and giving love.”

Copyright © 2008 Bret Hedican’s Whatever It Takes Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Steve Mills and David Goehl on Denali summit

On June 26, after three weeks of climbing and eight days of hunkering down at 17,000 feet to wait out the nasty weather Denali threw at us, my friend Steve Mills and I were able to carry the Climb for Cancer banner to the summit of the tallest mountain in North America and pay tribute to my dear friend Pat Brandt who lost his battle with brain cancer on March 2, 2008.

During our nine-hour descent, we encountered what one Denali pilot said was the fastest moving storm he had ever seen. Through whiteout conditions, whipping winds and some very tricky terrain, we managed to find our way back to high camp where we spent two more days battling storms before finally heading down the mountain.

Every step of the way and throughout our ten-day stay at high camp, I was inspired by the battle my friend Pat Brandt fought and by the many stories you told me about how cancer has touched your lives. Thanks to your generosity, we met our goal of raising $10,000 for the Climb for Cancer Foundation and an additional $2,500 for Pat Brandt’s family.

For those of you who can make it, I encourage you to attend a special tribute to Pat Brandt on August 21 at the Myth nightclub in St. Paul, Minnesota. Following is a sneak preview of our 22 minute documentary of the climb:

Thanks again for your support and for your inspiration. May your life be filled with love, laughter and plenty of new adventures.

View photos of the Denali expedition.

We are just four short weeks from the start of the Denali expedition and planning is well underway.  Thanks to many of you, we have raised $5,995, which puts us at about 60% of our $10,0000 goal.  For those of you haven’t contributed yet but were planning to, I encourage you to donate today.  You can make your tax-deductible donation online at: http://www.cfc-foundation.org/goto/goehl

The money we raise will help to fund cancer research, it will give children an opportunity to attend Camp Sunshine (a camp for children with cancer), and it will alleviate some of the financial burden patients and their families face when they must travel to obtain proper cancer treatment.

In addition, the Climb for Cancer Foundation will be making a special donation in my friend Pat Brandt’s name to the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation (http://www.gulliksonfoundation.org)–a major supporter of brain tumor patients and their families. Also, I plan to personally donate 25% of the amount we raise to the Pat Brandt Memorial Fund, which will help support Pat’s wife Jesse and their beautiful boys Wes and Charlie during this difficult time.

For those of you interested in monitoring my team’s progress, we will be providing periodic reports from the mountain which will be available online.  As the June 6th departure date approaches, I will provide more details on how to access these reports.

Until then, may your life be filled with love, laughs and new adventures.

All the best,

Dave

Washington, DC