Sunday, May 30, 2010

Richard's redemption.

It has been ten months since Elbrus.
Richard called me last December to offer his best wishes for my upcoming attempt on Aconcagua, a climb for which I had been training and blogging. He said he too was preparing for another climb. This surprised me so soon on the heals of his meltdown on Elbrus. I could still remember how wiped out and nauseous he looked as we set out for the summit from our final hydration stop at 18,000 feet. "OK," he conceded wearily, "let's get this thing over with." There is no joy on his face in our summit photo. Instead his expression belies the conflicted emotions of a man who has suffered far past the point and price he ever estimated to have wagered.
"I'm going to climb Denali this spring," he announced. Denali, also known as Mt McKinley, is North Americas highest summit. At an elevation of 20,320, Denali stands almost 2,000 feet taller than Elbrus. More importantly, its location just outside the Arctic Circle invites bitter cold, typically dropping to -30 F at night in June. Massive storms from the Bering Sea pound Denali with such regularity that any given expedition should plan on digging in for a period of days or weeks. And the oxygen; that far from the equator the barometric pressure is low enough to create the physiologic experience of being still 2,000 feet higher than any given elevation. In short, Richard would be climbing a mile higher than Elbrus under much more severe conditions for a period three times as long while also carrying loads of 60-80 pounds. By way of analogy, he was the Guy who gets sick on a carnival ride then decides to become an Astronaut.
I was both astonished and concerned. Yet I did not attempt to dissuade him. I asked Richard several questions to test how thoroughly he had investigated the venture. I recommended several excellent books on Denali, including "Surviving Denali" , a study of accidents and fatalities. But I suspected I knew at least part of what was motivating him. Richard had learned of my summitting Denali early in our friendship. He was impressed and brought it up often in the company of other Climbers. I always appreciated the response this garnered, this minor celebrity, and wondered if I was as good a friend to him in return. One such time we were drinking beer in Russia with a Guide who had realized climbing fame the prior year by soloing K-2, arguably the most daunting summit on the planet. He said he planned to attempt Denali the following spring. "Dave has climbed it," Richard offered with a slap to my back. "You," the Russian Climber questioned, "You have climbed Denali?!" "Yes," I answered with a contrived aloofness suggesting more modesty than I felt. The Guide gathered me up in one arm. "Ohhhhh! Respect," he proclaimed.
I have spoken with Richard several times in the last few weeks. We debated equipment, psychological preparation, and conditioning. Richard had gone to the extraordinary length of purchasing a hyperbaric chamber to sleep in. This, at the obvious expense of his love life, would increase his VO2 count by tricking his body into thinking he was at high altitude. Much credit has been given to this approach by Lance Armstrong in the preparation for his superhuman cycling performances. Indeed, Richards account of his present fitness after eight months of intensive training paints a picture of superlative physical preparation. "Do you have any concerns," I asked the day before he left for Alaska. "No. I don't have the foreboding I felt on Elbrus," he answered, adding "I just feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness." I offered one of the big lessons I had taken away from my Denali climb, the same advice I give when speaking to groups, "Don't think about the summit until the day before you leave high camp. And try to find a little joy in each day.". Soon after the call it occurred to me that I had forgotten to ask Richard the single most important question. I left a voice message on his cell asking him to call me back, but no call came. I was consumed with self-loathing. Then, this morning, Richard called me during his layover in Seattle. "Why are you climbing this mountain," I asked. "To see if I can," he responded in a playfully flippant manner. I prodded further and he thought better of the question. "Let's just say I was disappointed in my performance on Elbrus. Its a bit of an experiment to see if all the things I have done to train and prepare can make the difference." "You could learn that by climbing a less daunting mountain," I challenged. "Yes, but it wouldn't be Denali," he concluded. Richard is climbing with the Guided Alpine Ascents group. I would imagine there will be periodic updates posted on their site. As well, Richards exact location will be tracked by signal beacon and posted via satellite to the following site; http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0WnrfN2NGSyS6EVkrlgRULoiEB4QAVzN3