SUCCESS!!

At 8:30pm Alaskan time, on the 11th of June, all six members of the USAF 7 Summits Challenge stood triumphantly on the summit of North America!!!

I just got off the phone with the elated team. They are back in their tents at the 17,000ft camp with high winds buffeting their tents. Nearly continuous strong winds with blowing snow made reaching the summit a challenge, but they took a few breaks and made a press for the top when the weather was right. Other than the windy, cold weather, all went off without a hitch.


As the team climbed on, just a thousand feet from the summit, they were treated by a visit from the Air Force's F-22 Raptor. Mark Uberuaga said they all stopped and watched with pride, "as everyone on the mountain knew the Air Force had reached the top". He said that with a lot of emotion in his words, clearly moved by the moment and the gravity of this accomplishment. Our hats go off to the men and women of the 90th Fighter Squadron for the great show of Air Force support!


On the summit they were able to get pictures and videos, as well as enjoy the view. It didn't take nearly as long to descend back down to camp. They plan on staying on schedule (listed in a previous post) and should be to the base camp by the 14th and possibly flying out by the 15th. I don't expect to hear from them for the next day or two, as they focus on getting down the mountain safely.


So that's #4 out of 7!! We really only have two serious climbs left: Antarctica and Asia, as Australia's peak isn't very difficult and the logistics of that trip will be fairly simple. From here we'll be looking to build even more support for the 7 Summits Challenge, as we're going to need a lot of it from the Pentagon and some sponsorship from organizations to reach the rest of our peaks. I'm can't express how proud I am that this mountaineering challenge continues to gain steam thanks to the effort of our climbers and all of those who support them. What's especially impressive is the fact we have maintained a 100% success rate since this project started. That's practically unheard of with the number of climbers we have and the wide variety of experience. It's a great sign of Air Force member's fortitude, fitness, and drive.

Here's to our six climbers and all their hard work - Congratulations! Once again the Air Force prevails.

--Rob--
Climb High, Fly Low

Air Force Team Near Summit!

The team is currently at 19,000ft on their way to the 20,300ft summit of Denali!  Mark called to say they were well underway and that he expected to reach the top at 6:30pm Alaskan time.  He reported there were broken clouds and moderate winds, but nothing that looked to be a real issue.  Everyone on the team is feeling healthy- no symptoms of altitude sickness, which is great news as it's the most significant factor that can stop an individual from ascending.  I hate to say it again, but the team is in high hopes!!

The 90th Fighter Squadron has an F-22 that is in the area of the mountain and they will be looking for the team.  If the weather permits, our folks should be getting a highly encouraging flyby from the world's most advanced fighter!

Stay tuned for final word as to todays exciting outcome-

Rob

Weekend Update: Good News Continues

I just got cut off while talking to Mark, but I still got the gist of things.  All continues to go very well for the team!!  Everyone is healthy and in high spirits.  They are taking a scheduled rest break at the 14,000ft camp today.  Yesterday they successfully did a cache-and-carry (took some supplies) up to the 15,400ft camp and then came back down.  Mark says they are loving some sunshine and playing in the snow today, including some skiing and even building an igloo.  

A storm is forecasted to hit soon, so their schedule might be slowed down depending on how strong and sustained the front is.  At best, the team will reach the summit on the Tues the 10th, but they're saying their window is anywhere from Tues-Friday (all dependent on the storm).

The request was made for a very-Happy Birthday wish to Rebecca Deering from Erin VanOosten!  That's a pretty lofty birthday greeting if there ever was one!  Congrats to you Rebecca.

Stay tuned for more details, especially as the team pushes towards the 17,000ft encampment before tackling the summit!

--Cheers--

   Rob

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Weather report for McKinley (at 14,000ft and above) during their summit window looks to keep things interesting for the team:

SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW AT 17,000 FT...NEAR 10 BELOW. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH.

MONDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SNOW LIKELY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN 6 INCHES. HIGH AT 17,000 FT...NEAR ZERO. WINDS FROM 17,000 FT TO THE SUMMIT...SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH.

OUTLOOK TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK WITH PERIODS OF SNOW AS AN UPPER TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DROPS SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN ALASKA AND REMAINS WEST OF THE MOUNTAIN. SUMMIT WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE EAST TO SOUTHEAST 30 TO 40 MPH TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

Nichelle in Everest Base Camp

Hey Seven Summiters! I just got back from an awesome trip to Nepal and the Mt Everest Base Camp! Another USAF officer and myself signed on with a Brittish expedition called Caudwell's Xtreme Everst. As part of their team we got to trek to the base camp and help out with the largest medical research expedition ever to visit Everest. If you'd like to read more about that expedition and the research, visit www.xtreme-everest.co.uk. The expedition took more than 200 volunteers to the base camp and put 10 doctors on the summit to study the effects of altitude and low oxygen levels on the body and how that might relate to ICU patients dealing with their own hypoxia issues. The research was truly fascinating and should produce some excellent medical advances! While on the trek to base camp we also had some great opportunities to do research for a future USAF 7 Summits Climb. We made some good contacts and got a first hand look at what base camp and the Khumbu Valley are like during prime climbing season. As well as taking note of some good places to stay on the way to base camp and other logistical tidbits, we also did some reasearch on what it takes to put together an expedition to the summit of Everest. Things like obtaining permits and organizing help from the Sherpas are just small examples of the hurdles that need to be crossed early. Forefront on our minds after returning from Nepal is the need for AF sponsorship in order to make the USAF 7 Summits expedition a success. Our "short" trek to the base camp and back required us to take 26 days of leave. Everyone we talked to returning from the summit had been in Nepal for at least 60 days. Obviously, leave will be an issue. Money will also be a huge factor. This year, a Nepalese permit for 4 people to climb the South Col route to the summit cost nearly $70,000. That's just the permit. Food and supplies will undoubtedly send that figure through the roof. Despite these challenges, we still firmly believe that the USAF 7 Summits can find a way to make an expedition to Mt Everest a success. We returned from Nepal eager to go back and help put our coworkers (or ourselves) to the summit! -Nichelle Brokering