Power of Visualization!

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In September 2008, I was sitting in a workshop at the National Association of Women MBAs (now MBA Women International) conference in Stamford, CT.  The workshop was called something like “Using Visualization to Achieve your Goals.”  It was run by a woman who was a professional at Microsoft and was interested in visualization, but she was not an expert.

As is customary in any MBA workshop, she began with a flurry of data and statistics regarding the effectiveness of visualization, for athletes in particular, in order build credibility and grab our attention.  Once our minds were opened to the possibilities, she led us in a guided imagery exercise.

She asked us to focus on our breathing, took us way up above the atmosphere, and then dropped down back onto the planet five years in the future.  She walked us through visualizing every aspect of our lives –

How did we feel?  I felt happy, relaxed, and fulfilled.  I was smiling

What were our surroundings?  I could tell I was in a mountain town in a cozy house that was my own.  I felt at home and at peace.  There was lots of sunlight.

What were we wearing?  I was at home wearing casual clothes.

Was there a man/partner in my life?  That part was fuzzy, but I knew the boyfriend at the time was not in the picture.

What were we working on?  I felt I was working on presentation material to do an inspirational talk and making plans to take a group of women out backpacking.

Where were we going?  I was packing up a bag to head to a coffee shop to do some writing (I LOVE working in coffee shops!).

I walked out of that workshop totally perplexed.  That vision was SO different than my daily reality.  I was working hard in a new sales role at a quant analytics firm called Axioma, Inc.  However, I had become an avid outdoorswoman and was very involved in supporting women in leadership, but to not have a regular job, be guiding, be speaking, be living in a mountain town were radical concepts…

This September will be five years EXACTLY!  The other day I looked around and I was stunned as I realized I was now living in a mountain town, in a cozy home of my own, working on presentation material for upcoming talks, planning an upcoming trip with women the back country for my new company, Call of the Wild, and heading to a coffee shop to do some more writing.

Emilie guiding a Yosemite snowshoe weekend

Emilie guiding a Yosemite snowshoe weekend

A lot happened between then and now and there were many supporters along the way, but I can point to that workshop as the moment that the seed was planted for the life I am living today.

One small detail I forgot to visualize was that my activities would be profitable enough to cover my living expenses.  I’m working on visualizing that now.  :-)

Twitt

Walking the Walk

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For four years, I’ve been doing talks for professional audiences about the lessons I’ve learned from mountaineering that I apply to my professional endeavors in order to be more effective and successful.  I expounded on stories and themes to demonstrate that the risk I faced in the mountains reset my concept of risk in my career, making me much less afraid to go for that job, pitch to a new client, present tough investment results to an anxious Board.

And I have often felt like a poser.

I knew that I was not facing my own greatest fear – financial insecurity.  Most don’t know that my mother died when I was young, I had an absent father, and I put myself through college mainly on credit cards until I could prove financial independence in my last year of college (I received a grant just weeks before I was planning quit college because I had no more room on my credit cards to charge tuition).

I have gone through life with a heightened awareness that I had no financial safety net.  Throughout this last financial crisis, I have seen friends move back in with parents, rely on their working spouse who retained their job, receive a down payment for a house from family members when they got married, receive a one-time gift to extinguish their debt, get help with child rearing from their parents, etc etc.

I admit that I feel a bit of envy and sometimes wonder why I am not deserving of the support that I see others receive, but in reality, I know no different so I can only chart my own path based on my own experiences.

However, this awareness of no safety net has held me back for many years.  I chose finance and investments as a career, not only because I was good with numbers and also good with clients, but because I knew I needed to pursue a lucrative career as there was no opportunity for familial support.  I am on my own and am alone responsible for the results of my choices.

Great joy on top of Cloud's Rest in Yosemite!

Great joy on top of Cloud’s Rest in Yosemite!

Three months ago, I left the corporate world and took over a small women’s adventure travel company called Call of the Wild Adventures, Inc.  The transition did not go nearly as well as I had hoped, and the first few months have been challenging working on all the back office items (insurance, national park permits, website upgrades, setting up the accounting).  I knew it would be tough, but I truly did not expect it to be as tough as it has been.

To compound the challenges with the business, I have been hit with a series of large, unexpected expenses for car repairs, house repairs, computer repairs, medical expenses, etc.  It’s made me question whether the universe is on my side in the new venture – I view all of these events as unnecessary tests of my resilience!

Even with all the challenges and doubts, I wake up everyday without an alarm.  I get up and make a healthy breakfast and get to work in my home office in my house that I love.  There are amazing mountains on the horizon and high desert that beckons for exploration.  I talk with clients half the day and I am energized by their enthusiasm and excitement for the trips they are planning!

I still believe and have faith that the universe is on my side.  I must hold tight to that belief or I would not be able to continue forward. I didn’t make these major life changes to get rich.   I am following this new path simply to align my passion and my vocation for the first time and to reap the satisfaction that I feel at the end of a trip when I see a group of women’s smiling faces after a great experience in the outdoors.

Pointing at the Sisters - mountains I hope to climb this summer!

Pointing at the Sisters – mountains I hope to climb this summer!

And I can now look into audiences’ eyes and speak the truth when I tell them that I have faced my greatest fear.  I have followed my own advice to pursue my passion no matter what the financial risk.

So far it has been worth it!

Twitt

Resolutions be Damned!

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I’m writing this on my way to Thailand for three weeks of communing with elephants, getting Thai massages, eating Thai food, and visiting temples, hiking, and rock climbing to work off the Thai calories. One my way, I spent New Year’s Eve in the air and in the Bangkok airport. Not a particularly exciting way to spend NYE, but the downtime provides an opportunity for reflection on the coming year.

I’ve never been a fan of resolutions. Resolutions are notorious for not being followed for long. People quit smoking for a few weeks, gyms are unusually full during the month of January, etc. I find that vague resolutions like “get healthier”, “spend less,” “spend more times with friends” just don’t cut it because they aren’t well defined – no time frame, deadline, definite marker that the goal has been achieved.

One of my previous goals had been to “look good in a bikini.” As someone that has never worn a bikini in her life, this is a lofty goal. How do I look good in a bikini? What’s the time frame? How will I know I’ve arrived? Is it really enough motivation to win the battle with the snooze each morning to get my lazy arse to the gym? Alas, no…The obvious wear of the snooze button is sad evidence.

Training for Denali was so much more fun that hitting the gym just to try to look good...

Training for Denali was so much more fun that hitting the gym just to try to look good…

Contrast that to setting a lofty but achievable goal. Mountains have always worked well for me. In 2008, I set a goal of climbing Denali. It’s a huge goal and Denali is considered a “mountaineer’s mountain” for the well rounded challenge it poses. However, it was relatively easy to achieve that goal, that is compared to the goal of looking good in a bikini…

The timeframe was distinct with a deadline – I trained from January to May. It was clear what I needed to do – train to be able to handle a heavy pack and sled at altitude for many days in a row. I went public with it – all my friends and climbing partners knew I was prepping for Denali and they joined me for training hikes and planned climbing trips with me.

And my training motivated me to go to beautiful places! Mt Whitney

And my training motivated me to go to beautiful places! Mt Whitney

I made obvious and measurable progress by carrying heavier packs and cutting my time on my training hikes. When the alarm went off, a vision of Denali popped in my head and I would jump out of bed. A side benefit was losing weight and building muscle. I tried on a bikini before heading to Alaska and thought for the first time in my life, “I think I could actually wear this in public.”

Set a big goal, even if you don’t know EXACTLY how you’ll get there. Could be a half-marathon, finding a job you love, saving money for a special vacation…As long as you really know what it means to achieve the goal, get support by going public to your friends and family, know what the first step is, and then take that first step, you would be surprised what you can achieve!

Back in 2008, I broke my collarbone three weeks before the climb and could not go to Alaska and join Mountain Trip guided climb. I trained again in 2009 and had a flawlessly executed climb with my partner, John, but on the last day I pulled a muscle or tendon in my intercostal (rib) region preventing me from breathing without pain. We had to retreat without making a bid for the summit.

Being prepared for this sort of terrain was enough to help me win the snooze battle

Being prepared for this sort of terrain was enough to help me win the snooze battle

Not a day has gone by when I haven’t thought about returning to that spectacular mountain. I’m making it public here that I’m heading back this May for another attempt. It’s a daunting climb for which to prepare over the next five months – food prep for 21 days, flight and shuttle logistics, permits, individual gear, group gear, refreshing crevasse rescue skills, and of course, rigorous training. I have taken the first steps of putting together a team and hiring the trainer, Courtney Schurman of Body Results, who has written training programs for me in the past.

A side benefit, I hope, will be to look good in a bikini.

What will you do in 2013???

Twitt

Wilderness Skills for Daily Life…

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I can’t tell you how many times I am grateful for my wilderness skills…in the urban environment! It’s true that survival and outdoor leadership skills have a powerful, confidence building aspects. The impact and transferability of those skills on my daily life is amazing.

Let me share a few recent examples how these skills translated into dealing with emergencies and building my self-confidence…

Stranded in a Winter Storm

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was driving north on Hwy 97 to complete my move from the San Francisco Bay Area to Bend, Oregon. I was driving alone, save for the company of my cat, Espresso. Espresso is an excellent companion and very talkative, but I had low expectations of her ability to contribute problem solving skills should an issue arrive during the drive.

Luck would have it that I was driving into a major winter storm, but I could no longer delay the drive as I simply had to get to work on my new business (www.callwild.com). I was a bit anxious about what the drive would have in store and how my little front-wheel drive Mazda 3 would handle driving in snow, even with tire chains, for such an extended period of time.

About 8 hours into what was supposed to be a 10 hour drive, the traffic came to a complete halt. I could see that I was about 10 vehicles back from the impasse in the road. A trucker, with whom I had chatted with while putting on my chains some miles back, got out of his rig and checked on me and make sure I had food, water, and warm clothes. He said there was another big rig across the road and there was no telling how long it would take to clear the accident.

Ten vehicles back from the accident. What if I had been a bit faster getting my chains on???

Ten vehicles back from the accident. What if I had been a bit faster getting my chains on???

I did a quick inventory of supplies for both myself and Espresso…food – check, water – a bit low, but check, warm layers – check. In fact I happened to have a duffel full of snowcamping gear as I was prepared to lead a snowcamping weekend for the Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU). I have a rule that when I am driving alone, I never let my gas tank fall much below half. I had plenty, but turned off the car to save gas. I posted a few updates to Facebook about the eventful drive and then turned off my phone to save battery.

After an hour had passed, a long time to sit in a car talking to your cranky cat, another trucker came up from behind to check on me. He said he had lots of food and water if I needed it. I took him up on the water offer (although I had a stove and fuel and could have boiled snow if need be). Later one of my girlfriends from BAMRU, Rachel, joked that I should have asked him if he needed rescue! However, I thought his generosity was touching, did indeed need more water, and generally try to be sensitive with the fragile male ego.

Espresso, the cold and cranky cat

Espresso, the cold and cranky cat

Another half hour slid by, darkness set in and the temperature dropped to 25 outside the car. I thought of all the stories about people that had become stranded in the snow and perished waiting or going for help. I wondered if other people alone in their cars were getting cold or worried. As I happened to have all my snowcamping gear with me, I literally could have slept outside for days and been fine, but it was really all that snowcamping experience that made me feel comfortable in the situation. I know how to avoid hypothermia (eat, drink, move to generate body heat but not enough to sweat – staying dry is almost more important than staying warm), how to build improvised snow shelters, how to make tracks in the snow that can be seen from the air… I have felt extreme cold before so I know how much it sucks, but that it won’t kill me even if it’s uncomfortable (of course, it IS possible for cold to kill you, but I have survived some pretty cold environments in Alaska and the Himalayas).

As my friend, Stephanie, put it on my Facebook page, “I’m not worried about you, Em. If you can survive at 20,000ft on the side of a mountain, you can definitely survive this!”

After more than 3 hours and a scurry of flashing yellow lights on Oregon DOT vehicles, the traffic began to move. I checked in to a motel that night, deciding that 11 hours in a vehicle was enough for one day, but I went to sleep with the satisfaction that I had the confidence to get through a potentially epic night.

It wasn't exactly clear sailing the next day, but I got a couple beautiful breaks in the weather

It wasn’t exactly clear sailing the next day, but I got a couple beautiful breaks in the weather

Crash on Hwy 101

Many avid outdoors people take the Wilderness First Aid certification, a two day course that covers the treatment basics of common wilderness injuries and illnesses. It’s a great certification to have. However, if you are spending longer periods of time in more remote backcountry settings, especially if you are responsible for leading trips, the Wilderness First Responder is the way to go. It’s a real commitment at 10 days and a higher price tag, but the WFR (pronounced “woofer”) takes your wilderness medicine skills to a new level.

For those 10 days, you learn all every possible ailment or affliction that could occur in the backcountry (I exaggerate a bit, but that’s what it feels like!). It’s a great combination of reading, lecture, discussion, practice, and scenarios. By the end of the course, everyone feels “scenario’d out” and groans when the instructors announce to prepare for another scenario…however, those scenarios have a purpose – to create the muscle memory so that automatic pilot kicks in when you are full of adrenaline.

Practice makes perfect at my NOLS WFR course in Boulder, CO

Practice makes perfect at my NOLS WFR course in Boulder, CO

After getting my WFR cert, my BAMRU friends warned me of the “WFR curse.” The WFR curse is that you will suddenly start coming across accidents and medical situations in the urban environment. Sure enough, that has happened several times in the last year, but the most intense one occurred on Hwy 101.

I was leaving a dental appointment in San Carlos heading toward my job in Menlo Park. I was stressing about the backup getting on to the freeway as my former boss was a real timekeeper and I had only requested a half hour block of time off for my appointment that morning. As I began to enter the freeway, I drove through the cause of the hold up – four banged up cars scattered around. It looked like everyone was OK as they were all standing outside their cars talking on their cell phones. I sighed with relief…until I drove past the last car and looked in. It still feels like slow motion. I turned to my right and saw a sedan with the side smashed in, air bags deployed, and a gentleman sitting fully erect glued to his seat with the impression of being paralyzed or unconscious. No one was attending to him.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but the thought actually occurred to me to keep driving so as not to incur the wrath of the timekeeper boss. Fortunately, the thought was fleeting. I pulled over and ran back toward the car, surveying the scene as I approached. Responder safety is #1 – last thing you want to do is give the paramedics two people to treat rather than one!

I crawled in the back seat continuing to survey for broken glass, blood, anything that could harm me. A fellow was shouting at the driver, who was clearly in bad shape, to turn off his car. I looked the driver over, calling on my WFR protocol. I turned the car off, introduced myself (name, qualifications, permission to touch him), and began to ask questions, including his name in order to establish rapport.

I won’t go into all the nuances, but there are things you are not allowed to do in the urban environment that you can do in the wilderness environment, so my focus was simply on stabilizing him until paramedics arrived. I determined there was nothing that needed immediate attention (i.e., major bleed that needed direct pressure), but that there was a Mechanism of Injury (MOI) that could have caused a spinal injury. I explained to Gino why I was holding his head still and kept talking to him. He was in a lot of pain and could not move. He began to wail in a disturbing primal tone from deep in his throat. I asked him to listen to my voice and focus on breathing with me to calm him down – miraculously it worked. Thankfully the paramedics arrived quickly and asked me to continue holding his head while the got the C-collar on him and transitioned him out of the car.

Nothing I did was brain surgery, but it was still pretty intense to me and my adrenaline was definitely flowing. Based on the lack of reaction and general cluelessness of the others standing around, I really credit those bloody WFR scenarios with the ability to remain calm, think through protocols and determine what I could do to help. Who knew the WFR could come in so handy in an urban setting?

Tough Audiences

In 2010, I joined a small expedition to Makalu, the world’s fifth high mountain. We didn’t summit due to weather issues, but I gained a ton of experience attempting to climb my first 8000 meter peak.

Makalu is known as one of the tougher 8000ers. It’s particularly remote, the trek is one of the more challenging, the base camp is higher than most at 18.5k ft, and there is no real retreat from base camp. On Everest, where base camp is around 17.5k ft, you can hike down around 3 hours, get a hot meal, sleep in a bed, and give yourself a break from the ailments that tend to plague you at high altitude. Porters have carried injured climbers down to clinics in the Khumbu for treatment and helicopter rescues are common to take serious cases back to Khatmandu. In contrast, on Makalu, there are no clinics along the trek, in fact there are almost no villages! Once you arrive at base camp, it is a 7 hour arduous trek over glacial moraine boulders just to drop 2,000ft to get back to Hilary camp – not much of a respite from the altitude. Helicopter rescues are only possible out of Hilary camp so you would need to be carried by a poor porter over that terrain!

View of Makalu from Hilary Base Camp - we still need to circumnavigate it to get to ABC

View of Makalu from Hilary Base Camp – we still need to circumnavigate it to get to ABC

It was an intense experience knowing that rescue was unlikely, or at the very least difficult, if the caca hit the fan. The climbing was tough over rock, snow, and glacier. I spent one night alone at Camp 1 with avalanches raining down around me and slept one night at Camp 2, setting a personal altitude record at ~23k ft. I was challenged both physically and mentally on the headwall and the small ice fall.

When I came back from the Makalu expedition, I presented a slideshow of my trip to my new coworkers (the owners had allowed me to extend my start date in order to go on the expedition). At the end, the President of the company said, “No wonder you aren’t afraid of the Trustees!!!” Indeed, even presenting poor investment returns to a room full of curmudgeonly Union Trustees can never seem as intimidating as looking up the 250ft headwall on Makalu and beginning to jumar up the headwall’s fixed rope starting at ~21k ft.

Not quite halfway up the Makalu headwall. Over 21k ft here. Grueling.

Not quite halfway up the Makalu headwall. Over 21k ft here. Grueling.

Indeed, I keep these intense experiences in the mountains near and dear to my heart. They help me keep perspective in my daily life in civilization. How bad is that parking ticket, really? Will it be the end of the world if this conference presentation isn’t well received? What if a client asks me a question for which I’m not prepared The perspective I gained provides me with more self-confidence, helps me think about risks differently, and provides more calm during emergencies and high pressure situations. Most importantly for achieving my personal and professional goals, I’m much less likely to hold myself back out of fear.

Now you don’t have to get yourself dropped off by a ski plane on a glacier in the middle of Alaska to develop these confidence building skills. Start small by getting your CPR or WFA cert. Go on a hike in a new spot with a map – figure out where you want to go and how to get back. Take some courses like the annual Sierra Club backpacking or snowcamping training series.

However you chose to do it, the important thing is to get out of your own personal comfort zone to stretch yourself. If you can do it in the outdoors, it suddenly feels so much easier to do back at the office!

Twitt

Journey versus Destination? Whitney Set Me Straight

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It’s often said “the journey is more important than the destination.” I’m not sure what wise man, or wise ass, coined that phrase, but after three failed attempts of the Mountaineer’s Route on Mt Whitney in winter conditions, I called bull shit.

I set about to summit on my fourth attempt. Making it to the top allowed me the luxury to look back on a five year relationship with Mt Whitney (2006-2010) to see if an learnings had penetrated my thick skull. Talk a walk back in time with me…

ATTEMPT #1

In April 2006, I attempted my first big mountain. The climbing bug had just bitten me and I spent 6 months acquiring the skills (basic mountaineering course, Sierra Club Snowcamping training series, training with Courtenay Schurman of Body Results) to prepare for a four-day winter ascent of Mt Whitney’s Mountaineer’s Route.

Mt Whitney is the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states standing at 14,505 and the Mountaineer’s Route is 8,000ft of steep snow slopes requiring a heavy pack with provisions, climbing equipment, and winter worthy gear (clothing and sleeping system). I was a newbie climber and I chose to go with International Mountain Guides just based on the price and itinerary

Those four days were the most physically challenging in my life at that point. The 52# pack felt back breaking and the shortest day was 6 hours of ascending. Down lower on the mountain, the temps were higher and the snow created a sauna effect that threatened heat exhaustion. Higher on the mountain, the temps lowered, wind picked up, and a storm blew in causing me to struggle to stay warm. The steep slopes and sense of exposure looking down then forced me to focus my awareness on each step in a way I had never had to focus before. My competitive side struggled with the fact that I had prepared diligently, yet the others seemed so much stronger and faster than me.

Alas, we reached the infamous “notch” less than 500ft below the summit, and the two guides decided to turn us all around. They could see a storm blowing in from the west and wisely assessed that there was not enough time to get us all up and down the final exposed chute safely. I was supremely disappointed that all the months of physical preparation, skill building and logistical planning failed to result in a successful summit.

However, I recognized that it was an excellent lesson to learn early on. No matter how much you have prepared, how much you have spent, how bad you want it, the mountain may have other ideas.

Heading back down the gully to Iceberg Lake with IMG in 2006. Check out all that rental gear!

ATTEMPT #2

In April 2008, I went back with three swell fellows – Rob Martin, Chris Alger, and Bill Kish. We were well prepared and well suited for each other. We planned an ascent over three days and the first day we blasted up to the moraine around 12,500ft. I felt strong and was happy with my climbing partners. Unfortunately, Bill started feeling bad when we arrived into camp and his headache worsened over night. Typically symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) improve with time at altitude so Bill wisely chose not to ascend further and Rob wisely chose to stick with him.

Chris and I set off at around 4am and crossed the slope that is the one major avalanche risk. We knew that the avalanche forecast was relatively stable with the exception of southeast slopes with sun exposure – just as this slope had. We saw some horizontal cracks which are not a good sign and another guided group we chatted with said their shear tests were positive.

We had worked backwards with the timing to try to be back down and off the slope before 10am, but I really got the heebie jeebies going across it. Chris and I were slower than we had expected due to the altitude and Chris’ lack of experience on snow with crampons. I kept thinking about the fact that the slope was a terrain trap. Even if someone were able to dig us out quickly, we could be decimated by the volume of snow that could accumulate. I was also thinking about Chris’ wife, a dear friend and maternal figure, and felt it wasn’t worth the risk to keep going. As we were about half way up the main chute on the way to the “notch”, I decided to listen to my intuition and turn around. Thankfully, Chris seemed very relieved when I made the call and did not protest.

Chris descending at lower left as the alpen glow hits in 2008

We rejoined Bill and Rob and descended to a set a lower camp for our second night before hiking out. I remember having the best time joking around with those guys and singing and dancing to random songs blasting from tiny iPod speakers. We may not have summitted, but we definitely had a blast.

ATTEMPT #3

April 2010 rolls around and the four of us – Rob, Chris, Bill and myself – are back for more. We were joined by Bill’s new climber girlfriend, another gal named Sonni, and a dude named Jason.

Chris and I had packed a rope and some rock and snow gear to set protection in the final exposed chute; however, my pack was around 55# and I wasn’t in as good of shape that year. I felt that my ability to even get to the chute would be compromised if we carried all the technical gear so I convinced Chris we should jettison it. He agreed and we carried onward up the mountain.

Everyone seemed to suffer a bit more with their heavy packs this time so we camped at Upper Boy Scout Lake (below the moraine camp). This meant a bit of a longer approach on our summit day. We set off dark and early and made good time up to the “notch.”

Fortunately and unfortunately, the weather was fabulous and there were several teams ascending and descending the final exposed chute. Sonni quickly and wisely decided not to climb the chute as she was the least experienced of the group and making a mistake in the chute could result in a 1200 ft fall. Bill and Cindy were like mountain goats and seemed to float up the chute. Rob, Jason, Chris, and I started off on the steep slope together.

The snow was thin over the rocks and it was disconcerting to me. I couldn’t get full purchase of my axe or my crampons in spots and there were sections of rock sticking through the snow. I climbed up a slabby section of granite with my crampons skittering and realized I would have an awful time downclimbing if I kept going. I’m a snow climber and not much of a rock climber, having very little experience down climbing. I told the boys I was turning back and they forged on.

The last frontier on Whitney in 2010. I turned around soon after I took this shot.

I was disappointed with myself to have come so far for the third time and turn around, but I felt the mountain simply wasn’t worth dying for and I had to recognize my experience was not in sync with the route conditions. Later Rob told me that he and Jason sat at the summit for a while contemplating their descent and almost regretting that they had pushed on to the top. They carefully descended and I watched on pins and needles as they kicked some steps in three or four times before feeling comfortable to weight each foot.

A guided group was being lowered and I also wished I had been strong enough to carry the extra gear and rope so that we could do the same. One of the guided clients dropped a water bottle and it nearly nailed Jason right on top of his helmet as he finished the last few tenuous moves descending back to the notch.

We all regrouped at the notch and descended together, me with a heavy heart knowing the third time was not the charm. However, the party we had back at Upper Boy Scout Lake really lifted my spirits!

ATTEMPT #4

At this stage, it was beginning to feel personal. I was frustrated with all the supportive comments from friends about how it’s really about the journey and not the destination. I would exclaim in frustration, “F@#k the journey. The whole point of the journey is to get to the destination!!!”

In September 2010, I hatched a plan that *just* involved hiking the peak, but it wasn’t exactly easy. Given I decided just a few days before the weekend and the Whitney permit lottery was closed out many months prior, I chose to enter via a trailhead 36 miles south of the summit of Whitney. My plan was to start at Horseshoe Meadows, hike cross country up Old Army Pass and camp, summit Mt Langley (14,026ft) and continue around the backside of Whitney to summit. It would involve traveling a total of 48 miles at altitude to summit two 14kft peaks, and I would do it alone (also see Sierra Journal “Taking Whitney from the Backside”).

The first day I hiked 8 miles and camped on the moonscape of Old Army Pass pitching my tent into strong winds. I arose and began hiking at 6am to summit Langley by 9am. As I was descending back toward the trail, I startled a group of three male hikers. We struck up a conversation and they were somewhat incredulous about a female soloist but friendly and good-natured. They were on the same itinerary as me and we were all uncertain how far we would get on day 2. I bid adieu and pushed hard to reach Crabtree Meadow at sundown logging a brutal 18-mile day.

On day 3, I only hiked 6 miles to a small alpine lake above Guitar Lake both to recover from the tough previous day as well as the sleepless night caused by the coyotes yipping around my campsite. That small lake was also the likely last water source before heading up the backside of Whitney. I settled in and was enjoying the views when I see the three musketeers come over the horizon. They were joking that they were convinced I was really just a myth – they were wondering if they would ever see me again or if I was just a figment of their imagination.

They became my new best friends when they shared their cheesy quesadillas with me for dinner and we decided to team up the next day. My plan was to get up at 1am and get hiking by 2am in order to time the summit as close to sunrise as possible. Once at the top of Whitney, I would still need to hike the last 11 miles down to the Whitney Portal and beg for a ride back to my car at Horseshoe Meadow.

We arose according to plan and I paced our new little group up the switchbacks leading to Trail Crest. We were slow and steady but made amazing time and summitted together around 7am. The shadows of the Whitney crest were cast in alpenglow on the mountains to the west.

Self-portrait at the summit of Mt Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states.

It was glorious to be at the top of the highest point in the lower 48 after more than five years of trying. I loved that I made it there with my new friends (and to this day, they continue to invite me on their annual boys climbing adventure!!!). I have a tough time describing the swell of emotion that typically overcomes me when I reach a summit, and the feelings were amplified many times given the long history I had with Whitney. I can only say that I had to hold back tears of joy.

EPILOGUE

Now that I have reached the destination of the summit of Whitney, it’s easier for me to look back on the long journey and smile. I can see how far I have come as a climber, a leader, and a person. Whitney has tested my physical strength, my mettle, and my decision making. It has provided me with the opportunity to connect with other wonderful human beings in a situation where all barriers and pretenses are removed. And it has shown me the beauty and power of nature.

The journey has indeed been worthwhile, but never would have happened if I had not focused obsessively on that destination.

I’d like to climb the East Buttress route next, a full-on multi-pitch rock climb (Jeff B! Still got my eye on you!), but now it will purely be about the journey. The destination has been reached.

Twitt

Guide to Bay Area Climbing Groups

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When I first started climbing in 2004, I knew no one that climbed and all my friends thought I was completely insane.  I relied a lot on guided trips to gain skills and experience, but that was expensive and the fabulous people I met on those trips were scattered around the country.  In the years since, I have slowly built a network of great climbing partners, many of whom I have met through local organizations.

As I often get the question “How can I meet climbing partners?”, I thought I would write this brief guide to Bay Area climbing organizations and provide my personal perspective on them.  I welcome others’ perspectives on these groups as well as any groups I may be missing.

American Alpine Club Sierra Nevada Section – this regional section of the AAC is chock full of super experienced climbers who are also very social.  It can be difficult to break into the AAC community as you need to attend one of the periodic events such as the Pinecrest Climb In or the ice climbing weekend at the Lost Trail Lodge, but as a climbing groupie, I appreciate the opportunity to meet legendary climbers such as Royal Robbins, Jack Tackle, and Allen Steck.  They also have a great annual holiday dinner at Spengers in Berkeley.  The AAC offers many other great member benefits such as Global Rescue insurance for the nominal $75, but you can sign up and attend most of the events as a non-member as well.

Legendary Fred Beckey and Allen Steck at the annual holiday dinner

Annual ice climbing weekend at Coldstream Canyon near Donner

American Himalayan Foundation – although not a true climber organization, the AHF is increasingly reaching out to the climbing community to raise awareness of the issues faced in the Himalaya.  I never miss their annual AHF dinner as a chance to meet others, both climbers and non-climbers, who are passionate about the Himalaya.  They typically put on a good show with interesting speakers and this year they’ll be featuring Ueli Steck, Alex Honnold, and Jimmy Chin.  The dinner price is steep at $200; however, you’ll get a receipt for the portion of your dinner that is tax deductible (it was ~$135 in 2011).

Everest summitters John Gray, Tom Burch (former AAC SNS Chair), and Apa Sherpa (world record holder for # of summits) at the AHF annual dinner

Jim Wilson and author Emilie Cortes with Sue and Phil Eshler, the first couple to climb the seven summits together

Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit  – a mountain rescue unit for climber networking?  Indeed, if you are interested in putting your climbing skills to good instead of evil, consider joining BAMRU or another mountain rescue team.  The trainings will keep you fresh, you will meet lots of other civic-minded and technically competent folks while building positive karma by helping locate lost hikers and climbers.  If you don’t want to join, don’t forget to donate in case you need their help some day!  Membership is $40 (yes, you pay for the honor to rescue others!), but the community is priceless.

Personal Rock Skills training in Tahoe

Rock Rendezvous – I have been a member of RR for a few years, but truthfully have failed to take full advantage of their benefits.  They are focused more on technical rock climbing, offer a monthly slideshow meeting, and priority camping in high demand locations like Tuolumne Meadows.  I have met some other great partners that were members of RR.  Their membership fee is very reasonable at $35.

Sierra Club Peak Climbing Section – this activity section of the Sierra Club focuses on non-technical peak bagging, although technical rock, snow and ice trips may be offered as private trips.  They hold a monthly slideshow meeting the second Tuesday in Palo Alto which gives you a chance to learn about a new region or climb, get to know other members, and hear about upcoming trips.  Amazingly, membership and trip participation is free.  It’s a friendly open community and most of the members are extremely active climbers.

Peak climbers at the annual PCS BBQ & Gear Swap

At the top of Mt Morgan with PCSers

Sierra Club Snowcamping Section – since when was snowcamping considered climbing?  Well, having mad snowcamping skills is critical on a snow or glacier climb, and could just save your butt if you ever get stuck out in a freak winter storm.  Many of my best friends and climbing partners have come from my involvement in the snowcamping section.  Seems like folks that have a penchant for suffering also have a lot of patience, tolerance, and are easy to get along with.  They offer an annual snowcamping training series for as low as $100 (Sierra Club members early sign up) to $125 (regular sign up for non-members) and alumni trips for a nominal fee of ~$25 (note: you may be able to attend alumni trips if you can demonstrate mastery of skills elsewhere).

Snowcampers on Echo Peak summit during record breaking low temps

A few others I know exist, but haven’t had much direct experience with, are Rock Ice Mountain Club in Santa Rosa, Bay Area Mountaineering Meetup, Berkeley CHAOS, and Stanford Alpine Club.

I hope this helps you on your personal quest to form a great group of climbing partners.  Don’t forget though that the responsibility goes both ways – you need to be a great climbing partner in order to foster lasting partnerships.  You don’t have to be the strongest or fastest climber out there, but you should 1) be at your personal best, 2) accurately represent your skill level and fitness, 3) consider the needs of the team/group as well as your own, and 4) follow through with your commitments.

Happy and safe climbing!!!

Twitt

Baby Steps on a Baby Peak

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Pickett Peak stands at 9,118 ft and is a “baby peak” by my standards now.  Funny as I look back and remember training for my Half Dome hike – I was thinking at the time, “Wow! 8,842 ft!!!  I have never been THAT high before!  We REALLY need to prepare for the altitude.”

Now I have climbed above 15,000 ft twelve times and the highest I have reached (and stayed overnight) is 23,000 ft.  However, the last 14 months have been challenging to say the least with my ACL reconstruction recovery.  Learning to walk again, dealing with a host of complications, and frustrated by pain dismissed by the traditional doctors.  Starting in early June I turned to a surgeon for a second opinion and began exploring alternative therapies (chiropractic, acupuncture, and the likely most effective, Graston therapy).  The pain finally began to abate and I was able to venture back into the mountains!

Nevada Beach campground

For my birthday weekend, John and I went to Tahoe for the weekend.  We camped at Nevada Beach – a fabulous campground with great facilities, lots of space, and right on the beach!  Saturday morning we got a ridiculously slow start.  Decompressing from my stressful job and travel schedule seems to take longer and longer, but we eventually rallied and headed south to the Hwy 88 and 89 junction.  As you head south, two pointy peaks jut into the sky – Hawkins and Pickett Peak.

In 2010,  I climbed Hawkins Peak (10,024 ft) with my friends  Sonja and Enrique.  This was the hike I planned as their Death Ride recovery hike.  Boy, were they cursing me as we bushwacked to the base of the summit and then scrambled to the top on class 2/3 terrain.  Ever since then, I’ve kept the other pointy peak in the back of my mind….

Enrique & Sonja lamenting our friendship and they will their Death Ride legs up Hawkins Peak (Pickett Peak in background)

Pickett is shorter than Hawkins and doesn’t get a lot of attention; however, the climb to the top is solid class three.  We didn’t have any beta or a map, but it would be pretty tough to get lost.  From the intersection of 88 and 89, we drove due South on a dirt road.  Doodlebug, my low clearance Mazda 3, struggled along and we stopped once we lost confidence we could safely go on without getting stuck.

It was nearly 3pm by now, but the summer days are long and the weather was ideal with the exception of some strong winds.  We packed our day packs and headed up the fire road with the peak on our right.  We continued until we hit a fork in the road and it became obvious that we needed to leave the fire road and head cross-country due West to aim for the Pickett Peak saddle.

Bushwhacking on the saddle

Once you leave the road and become engulfed in the trees, it’s a bit difficult to keep your sense of direction without a compass or GPS, but we had faith in our route finding and continued until we began to go uphill in earnest.  We began ascending a blocky talus field but then realized we had overshot the saddle to the South.  As we gained the saddle, we were blasted by the wind and intimidated by the better view of the Pickett Peak summit.

We made our way across the saddle, the exposed part of my legs below my capris getting scratched to pieces by the brush.  Thankfully, the good ole foreshortening effect was in force and as we got closer to the summit, the slope looked less and less steep.  It was still bonified scrambling, so we donned our helmets as a precaution against a fall or being hit by a dislodged rock.

John carefully working his way through the rocks

I was still not sure of my limits between my knee and my lack of fitness, so I focused on moving efficiently and conscientiously.  We navigated upward always picking the path of least resistance, traversed a false summit, and surmounted the final summit block.

Happy Em on summit of Pickett Peak

As we found the highest piece of rock, the sense of accomplishment, exhilaration and peace washed over me just as it had with countless summits before.  It didn’t matter that this was a “baby peak,”  this was a true accomplishment and I was elated!  We celebrated at the summit, took care of the obligatory summit shots, and took a few moments to pause and soak in the 360 views of the South Lake Tahoe mountains.

Emilie down-climbing

The summit is only half way, even on a baby peak, so we carefully down-climbed and retraced our steps back to Doodlebug.  I realized it’s a long way from 9,118 ft to the heights I have been and want to return, but every step you take gets you just one step closer to your goals…

We spent the evening cooking on a Coleman stove, breathing in the smell of evergreens, and watching the sun’s rays fade over Lake Tahoe.  It was all that much sweeter thanks to Pickett Peak.

Sunset over Lake Tahoe

Twitt

Come and Get Me!

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I am mad as hell when I read about the attack a young woman who was rowing around Lake Michigan to raise funds for her breast cancer awareness charity. She was sexually assaulted during her 1,500 mile adventure.

Jenn Gibbons, founder and coach of Recovery on Water, left June 15 from Chicago to become the first Lake Michigan solo rower. Her two-month trip was designed to raise awareness for the role exercise plays in the fight against breast cancer.

Gibbons was allegedly attacked in the early morning hours on Sunday, July 22 in an area south of Gulliver along Lake Michigan in Mueller Township, Schoolcraft County, Mich.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Woman-Rowing-Around-Lake-Michigan-Attacked-163501786.html#ixzz21kNJtMPn

I am realistic that there are crazy people out there and bad things can happen to good people.  Just look at the recent tragedy at the Aurora, CO movie theater.  These events are distressing to everyone, but I’m even madder as hell at the reaction from some of the “Internet Trolls” as we call them.  These are the often, but not always, anonymous posters of comments to articles on the web.  Many comments have been supportive, but many have been viscous and stated or implied that she “deserved it” for traveling alone as a woman.

Why is it so shocking that a woman would want to forge out on a solo journey anywhere, let alone the back country?  I have traveled to Africa and South America alone, climbed Mt Shasta alone, completed a solo 48 mile backpacking trip in four days that included summiting Mt Langley and Mt Whitney.  My friends are of similar ilk…Kim Z did the entire John Muir Trail solo – 211 miles in the High Sierra at altitudes never dropping below 8,000ft.  Kristina V. hiked from San Francisco to her home in Mendocino traveling 140 miles on foot to get in touch the land where she lives and appreciate the distances we take for granted while traveling by motorized vehicles.  They don’t seem like superwomen, freaks, or potential victims to me – they are strong, generous, introspective women who chose to use solo travel to dive deeper within.

Traveling solo requires a special kind of bravery.  It’s not necessarily being strong in the face of physical challenges, the threat from natural elements (weather, animals, etc), or enduring the sideways looks of fellow sojourners that can’t hide their surprise of a woman traveling alone (shocking!!!).  It’s being alone with your thoughts that is the tough part.  Hours and hours slip by as you are hiking, kayaking, climbing alone.  You have no one to make idle chat with.  There is no one with whom to work through potential issues.  There is no distraction from music or TV to dull your senses and lull you into comfort and complacency.  There is no one to listen to you express your fears.  There is no one to reassure you.  You must do this for yourself.

Don’t get me wrong – most of my climbing has been with partners and teams.  There is great camaraderie in the mountains and I am a sponge when I am with others – I learn a ton from watching how others deal with stress, I debate the finer points of this piece of gear versus that piece, I analyze different leadership styles as well as my own for future refinement.  My best friends have all been the result of bonding in the mountains where life and interactions are broken down to the basics.

But there is something really special about having the courage and giving yourself the space to do a solo trip from time to time…to do something that really stretches you to work through your doubts…and this is not only reserved for men.

I’m ECSTATIC that Jenn came forward about her attack and has vowed not to let it derail her mission to row around Lake Michigan to benefit her charity, Recovery on Water.  I’m saddened, however, that this woman now feels the real threat to her safety, will no longer travel alone to complete the journey, and will not earn the title of first person, male or female, to row solo around Lake Michigan.  Her brave message on Facebook:

I have always tried to be transparent and honest about the obstacles of this trip in the hope that my openness and vulnerability might give someone strength or inspiration in their fight against cancer, or in pursuing a dream.
I know that I had a choice in telling people about the details of my attack, particularly that it was a sexual assault. To go through this at all, let alone publicly, is extremely difficult. I chose to talk about it in the hope that someone might be able to provide more information about the person who did this to me.
Thank you for the endless amounts of support, prayers, and love. Please know that I am in the best of hands–with my family and in the protection of the Michigan State Police.
I still believe that there are more good people in the world than bad.
I still believe that life is a gift, even when it’s scary and unfair. I still believe that life offers us the privilege, the opportunity, and the responsibility, to give something back, even when people try to take things away from us.
Regarding the trip, one thing hasn’t changed: I’ve still got this. But the trip plan will change in a few ways to ensure my safety.
Most importantly, I will no longer be alone.
Tomorrow, Liv will be trailered to a secure location in Muskegon, Michigan until I can continue the trip on water sometime next week. From that point to Chicago we can ensure my safety on water since we’re confident that there are enough harbors and enough resources and volunteers to make it possible. Because we are unsure that I can be kept safe on the water in the miles between where I am currently and the point at which I will start rowing again, I will tackle them on land.
With thanks to a generous donor and the support of amazing volunteers, later this week I will continue traveling Lake Michigan’s perimeter by bicycle. A support crew will accompany me and ensure my safety day in and day out. When I get to Muskegon, Liv and I will reunite and keep pushing to get to Chicago sometime in mid-August, as we had originally planned.
My chin is up, my eyes are open, and we’re going to get this show back on the road (then water).
GO ROW.

Source: http://row4row.org/

Reading out her amazing adventure and the strength she has shown in making herself vulnerable and sharing the fact that she was attacked publicly, gives me faith in the human spirit.

But reading some of the comments from the Internet Trolls makes me loose faith in mankind…and most of the worst ones from the first couple of days have been taken down.  This is a sample of what remains:

Jerry Renfroe22 hours ago
I know this won’t win me many friends but my gut tells me she’s lying. The whole story just doesn’t add up. For starters, she gives an extremely vague yet poised description of the attack, which conveniently occurred during one of the most remote stretches of her trip, not to mention one of the most grueling. Second, the description of the alleged perp is even more vague as most people who drive Wranglers are 30-something, white and male (most men are also b/t 5’8″ and 6′). Most alarming, however, is the peculiar exuberance she displayed in telling people about it. Why?? Even if she’s telling the truth, this seems like a very odd thing for a sexual assault victim to do.

MCJNY122 hours ago
I strongly suggest that you people stop telling the world about your private life and doings thru these various social media services. Just a suggestion

Rachel Carrera6 hours ago
We, especially women, have to stop detailing our whereabouts on social media sites. No matter what good you are doing.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/indefatigable-rower-jenn-gibbons-sexually-assaulted-boat-back-article-1.1121456#commentpostform

She should have just shot him. Someone breaks into my boat and my cabin is not getting out breathing, especially in these circumstances. More women seriously need to learn that sometimes we are preyed upon and it’s up to us to take out our attackers. I fmore women were prepared, more guys would be scared.
Posted by: skinny_minny2 Jul-25

helico, I agree that this is detestable and hope that they catch convict and put this guy away, but without testosterone, you nor I (a guy here) would be here.
Posted by: Storck78

Source:  http://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-rowing-lake-michigan-cancer-fundraiser-sexually-assaulted/comments?type=story&id=16854523

These comments all have a common theme that we have seen before in our society dealing with victims of sexual assault – it’s the woman’s fault, she got what she deserved because she was alone or was dressed a certain way, she was outspoken and public and drew attention to herself, she wasn’t responsible by being armed or better versed in self-defense.  Where, oh where, is the criticism of the attacker here?  The deranged person who tracked, her plotted and planned, and carried out an attack!  Women cannot walk around and live their entire lives not stepping out of their comfort zone, preparing for a potential attack, and looking at every male with a suspicious eye.

I am also proud that Jenn is reportedly continuing as an advocate for victims of sexual assault.  Continued visibility into the wacky (could have easily used multiple expletives here!!!) treatment can only help illuminate our culture’s continuing perspective that all women are potential victims and then those who do become victims somehow deserve it.

I, for one, will keep an eye on Jenn’s progress and how she continues to be an inspiration working through her fears:

“This is an experience that changes my trip. Because I need to be safer. But it doesn’t mean that it has to become such an overwhelming aspect of what I’m doing that I can’t go on,” she said. “I’m absolutely going to continue and continue to share.”

She admits she’s scared, but said that’s not unusual.

“I get scared everyday,” she said. “I get scared by six-foot waves.”

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/rower-jenn-gibbons-sexual-assault-163633006.html#ixzz21kNhAxBP

In the name of Jenn and other victims of sexual assault, and to defiantly ignore all the advice of Internet Trolls, I declare that…

I WILL keep traveling solo in both the front country and back country
I WILL continue to support other women (and men) who wish to do so
I WILL keep assuming that each man (or woman) I meet along the way does not intend harm
I WILL keep broadcasting what I am doing on the Internet
I WILL NOT live in fear.

This weekend I am heading to the Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival in Squaw Valley to get my zen on…alone.

I am camping at the Silver Creek Campground in site #28.

Come and get me.

Twitt

Lessons for Life – The Smell of Fear

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Recently my friend Susan expressed an interest in doing some more adventurous activities, and she definitely thinks of me as the “go to gal” for adventure.  In particular, she was really interested in via ferrata; however, the only via ferrata in California is Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.  Reaching the cables on Half Dome entails a 17 mile round-trip hike with 4800ft elevation gain.  Instead, I came across a more convenient option – ziplining through Sonoma Canopy Tours in Occidental, CA.  For $99, you can zipline among the tall redwoods of Northern California.  The course has seven ziplines, two rope bridges, a spiral staircase climbing up a tree, and a rappel.

Susan jumped at the chance when I proposed it.  We met at the tour on a Sunday afternoon and Susan seemed full of nervous anticipation.  She had even bought a special scone at a local Occidental bakery as a reward if she was able to complete the ziplining course.  This surprised me!  Susan had seemed so gung-ho, but now as the reality was setting in, so were her nerves.  She was about to do something that few people do and is by most standards considered really scary.

I had some nervous excitement as well, but more the anticipation of doing something fun and different.  She brushed it off that “miss mountaineer” couldn’t possibly understand her fear.  It made me realize that when I talk about my fears and how I work through them in the mountains, the average person, and by that I mainly mean “non-climber”, has a tough time identifying with the situations that elicit fear in me.

I took this photo to capture my fear as I camped alone at 21kft on Makalu and listened to avalanches crash down around me all night…can you identify with this fear?

Two young fellows guided us through a gear fitting (full body harness, helmet, and gloves) and short instruction on how to brake on the zipline (just putting one gloved hand on the cable behind the pulley is enough friction to slow you down).  I could feel the nervous vibes coming from Susan and the other five people (a couple and a mother with her two kids).  We rode up to the first tree platform in the back of a pick up truck for the first short zipline called Victory Circle, almost a practice run except that there was no retreat once you let go.

We were standing high above the ground.  The woman in the couple almost could not let go.  She was paralyzed by fear at first.  The guides coached to relax her breathing and I think the peer pressure helped her find the courage to let go.

Here we go!!!

Susan was similarly nervous but seemed to do a better job at recognizing and voicing her fear, and she worked through it to zip to the second platform.  In the mean time, I had been busy checking out how the tree platforms and lines were rigged.  Steel cables can handle many times the force of a body and all the systems were redundant so if one fails, there is always a backup.  This setup appeared to be many times stronger than those that I trust my life with when alpine climbing, so it was actually easy to relax and just enjoy the ride.

Why am I doing this again?

One of the other zip liners made a remark that it must be boring for me if I wasn’t afraid at all.  Quite the contrary.  Indeed, it was missing the adrenaline most of the others were experiencing, but because I wasn’t overcome or distracted by fear, I was able to relax and take in the sights.  It was a unique perspective to spend time in the top of the trees instead of looking up at them.  The light was beautiful as dusk approached.  I’m also really interested in interpersonal dynamics, especially in times of stress, so I was enjoying watching everyone interact and cope with the stress in different ways.

Susan coming in for a landing

As I was standing on a platform waiting for my turn, an image came into my mind buried deep in my memory.  I remember being a teenager at some ropes course (maybe at a Girl Scouts camp), climbing up a rope ladder on the side of a tree, and being absolutely petrified.  I could recall the feeling of paralyzing fear to the point of having difficulty breathing and feeling my heart bound out of my chest.  It was rewarding to realize how far I have come with controlling my fear of heights as I noticed my pulse and heart rate were nearly normal.

Happy Susan

But back to Susan, who was still under the impression that I am super woman and was born without a fear gene…Each time Susan let go and flew down the second through the seventh zipline, she conjured up the will to do something that was scary for her.  That is much more impressive!  At the end, she was exhilarated and proud of herself.

Weeks later, Susan said the ziplining experience had really changed her perspective about what was possible and how far she could go, into areas where other people may not have the guts or passion to go.  This is EXACTLY how I feel about expeditions in the mountains – opportunities to stretch you mentally about what is really possible.  It’s not that I don’t feel fear – I’m afraid of failing, not being fit enough, falling, avalanches – it’s that I try to distinguish the good fear (that will keep you alive) from the bad fear (that will keep you from your dreams).

I realized that Susan learned how to identify good fear versus bad fear and work through it via the zip lining adventure.  Now she’s using the experience to conquer her fears that would otherwise limit a world of limitless possibilities (AND encourage others to do so – check out her perspective on our adventure and what she does for a living at http://www.workfromwithin.com/2012/07/ziplining-an-innovative-way-to-release-fears/).

Whether through ziplining, climbing, public speaking, whatever YOU find scary, I hope that you, too, can become aware of the role that good fear and bad fear is playing in your life and the pursuit of your goals.

Now go find your own adventure!

Twitt

The Case for Backpacking – An Excellent Lifelong Exercise

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You may have the impression that backpacking is an activity for only the young, fit, adventurous and with a distaste for basic hygiene.  However, backpacking is one of the best lifelong exercises that has the highest impact on your health with the lowest impact on your joints, and your wallet.

Is a room with this view a dream or nightmare for you?

In 1997, my little sister gave me an annual membership to the Sierra Club for my birthday.  I *thought* I was in good shape until I started doing weekend hikes led by a woman who was approaching 80.  I could not keep up with her to save my life.  I was so impressed that I decided “I want to be like that woman some day!” and thus began my foray into hiking and backpacking, first with the Sierra Club and later on my own.

Backpacking is great exercise.  It burns anywhere from 400-800 calories per hour depending on your exertion rate, size, and how much weight you are carrying.  A typical day can range from 3 to 12 miles, and the calories I have expended (measured using a heart rate monitor) typically ranges from 2,000-4,000.  Can you imagine trying to hit that burn in a gym?

In addition to the mega calorie burn, one of the reasons that backpacking is considered such a good “lifelong” exercise is the effect on your joints.  There is much less impact from walking on dirt trails than walking or running on pavement.  Using trekking poles lessens that impact even more.

Carrying packs up the trail to Mt Morgan

Additionally, carrying weight on your pack strengthens all of your muscles, including those of your posterior chain which is essential for good posture and mitigating back injuries from lifting. Further, weight bearing exercises are critical to maintain bone density, and having strong muscles around your joints protects them from injury as well.  The improved balance from walking on uneven surfaces lessens the likelihood of injuries caused by falls down the line.

Backpacking is also VERY inexpensive compared to many other active pursuits.  Sure you need an initial investment in a good backpack, boots, poles, tent, sleeping bag, and stove, but truth be told, most of these items can be acquired used, borrowed, or purchased at a discount (think REI monthly used gear sale!).  It costs just as much in the way of gas to arrive at a destination whether you are staying in a hotel or camping, but the per night permit fees range from free to $15-20.  I would venture a guess that the average meal at a restaurant while on vacation can easily top $50, but with backpacking you prepare all your own meals.  Even if you opt for the freeze-dried boil in a bag route, your meal cost would usually be less than $10.

Wilderness First Aid skills may come in handy!

Backpacking is also a great opportunity to keep your skills fresh.  Unlike slaving away under fluorescent lights of a gym, backpacking gets you outdoors and tends to ignite curiosity in our natural world.  People often become more interested in learning about the flora, fauna, and geology of different regions.  They become more curious about weather patterns and how they are formed (as you get to experience the pleasant or unpleasant aspects of being surprised by weather!).  There are opportunities to build map reading and navigation skills or learn survival skills if you get more ambitious.

Spectacular Cottonwood Lakes

Finally, if you are not yet convinced, the beautiful scenery, in my humble opinion, is reason enough.  There is something incredibly peaceful and stress relieving about connecting with nature and disconnecting from our daily lives and over-reliance on technology.  Additionally, the time you spend with people out on the trail is truly quality time when there are no distractions and you can really get to know each other.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, but I’m not fit enough.  You can start off easy by not carrying much weight, picking easier flatter trails, and not going in very far.  Age is no excuse either.  Remember the 80 year old woman who showed me who was boss when I was in my twenties?  And many of the people out on the trails are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s.  Gender is no excuse either as many women hit the trails each year, even solo.  You would need to learn how to put up a tent or work a camping stove, but given all you have likely navigated many personal and professional challenges up to now, I’m confident you can master these tasks.

Girl power in the back country

How to would someone with no backpacking experience get started?  I am very lucky to live in the Bay Area, a hub of outdoor activity.  It just so happens the SF Bay Sierra Club chapter holds an annual beginner backpacking training that starts people with a  basic hiking level of fitness of and teaches them all the basics about gear, map reading, cooking, etc.

Learning map reading and navigation is an important skill!

Once you have the basics of backpacking down, you have many options.  You can go on shorter more local trips to build your confidence.  You can do the Sierra Club snowcamping training and take those skills to the winter environment.  You can also join guided backpacking excursions such as trips run by the Outdoor Adventure Club or Call of the Wild, a women’s only travel outfitter.

So, no excuses!  Hit the trails and let me know how it goes!

Sunset and moonrise on the way to Mt Langley

Twitt