The Mountains Are Calling and I Must Go

[The White Coat Investor]

August is the time for climbing in the mountains and I try to go every year. This year a partner and I did a one day ascent of The Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons. It was one of those objectives that I thought I could do, but wasn't 100% sure, so we did all we could to make sure it went perfectly. Still, we made some mistakes and were over 13,000 feet when night fell. I did a little write-up if you're interested.

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/how-mere-mortals-can-do-the-cathedral-traverse-in-a-day/

[MPMD]

a) I'm going to submit a guest post about the approach I used to get into 1st place in my Starcraft 2 league.

b) that looks awesome, glad you had fun

c) I no longer find your whining about increased disability insurance premiums to be compelling  :lol:

[Anne]

Very cool--I love a good climbing story even though I am not a good climber myself.  For anyone who likes to live vicariously through other's climbing adventures like I do, I highly recommend the movie "North Face" and the documentary "A Line Across the Sky"

[VagabondMD]

Perhaps my favorite WCI blogpost ever. Well done!

[The White Coat Investor]

Not a blogpost technically. There are a few little gems like that on the site that never ran as posts. Kind of a side benefit of owning a website.

[RocDoc]

I'm a hiker, not a climber, but I loved this post! Congratulations on the climb and the excellent report. As enthralling as I find your financial posts, this story topped them all!

[hightower]

The White Coat Investor wrote:

August is the time for climbing in the mountains and I try to go every year. This year a partner and I did a one day ascent of The Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons. It was one of those objectives that I thought I could do, but wasn’t 100% sure, so we did all we could to make sure it went perfectly. Still, we made some mistakes and were over 13,000 feet when night fell. I did a little write-up if you’re interested.

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/how-mere-mortals-can-do-the-cathedral-traverse-in-a-day/

Click to expand...

I envy your life out there!  Incredible stuff.  I'll keep working on convincing my wife to move somewhere close to mountains

[Complete_newbie]

hightower wrote:

The White Coat Investor wrote:

August is the time for climbing in the mountains and I try to go every year. This year a partner and I did a one day ascent of The Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons. It was one of those objectives that I thought I could do, but wasn’t 100% sure, so we did all we could to make sure it went perfectly. Still, we made some mistakes and were over 13,000 feet when night fell. I did a little write-up if you’re interested.

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/how-mere-mortals-can-do-the-cathedral-traverse-in-a-day/

Click to expand…

I envy your life out there!  Incredible stuff.  I’ll keep working on convincing my wife to move somewhere close to mountains

Click to expand...

Totally envious. Despite being fittest in my life, I am 'wasting' this fitness just doing exercises at home gym. How can I get started on rock climbing/conyoneering? Are there classes for it? I am in a state where there are no near by mountains. Sucks.

Great post.

[pulmdoc]

I had no idea what any of the technical jargon meant, but staying awake for 26 straight hours to climb mountains is either insanity or brilliance.

[Phoenixdown99]

I’ve been training and I’m planning to climb Mount Baker over Labor Day. I have climbed Kilimanjaro, a few mountains in the Alps, Mount Hood as well as a few other mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Pretty amazing that you’ve done Denali! Would love to do that some day, though I do have some concerns about the long term effects of such high altitude on the brain.
I plan to do Rainier and Mont Blanc as well but with a longer acclimatization for the same reason.
Have you seen the research?
I always go with guides as I feel they have more experience to handle hairy situations should they arise.

[Complete_newbie]

Phoenixdown99 wrote:

I’ve been training and I’m planning to climb Mount Baker over Labor Day. I have climbed Kilimanjaro, a few mountains in the Alps, Mount Hood as well as a few other mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Pretty amazing that you’ve done Denali! Would love to do that some day, though I do have some concerns about the long term effects of such high altitude on the brain.
I plan to do Rainier and Mont Blanc as well but with a longer acclimatization for the same reason.
Have you seen the research?
I always go with guides as I feel they have more experience to handle hairy situations should they arise.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting. Curious, does that mean like a person (guide) who knows the terrain and goes climbing with you or do you mean guide as in paper guide? If the former, how do you get a guide?

[Phoenixdown99]

lol a person...you dont want to bring extra weight (books)so hopefully you will have memorized the techniques by the time you go!

Being a mountain guide is a calling and an intense career similar to medicine. It requires years of training and dedication. Similarly, you are responsible for people's lives (though not paid as well ).

There are many guiding companies that are at your service. For the Pacific northwest, I recommend Timberline Mountain Guides

for the Alps, High Mountain Guides

In general, Alpine Ascents

Look for someone with certifications - IFMGA is the highest cert. level

[HikingDO]

Phoenixdown99 wrote:

I’ve been training and I’m planning to climb Mount Baker over Labor Day. I have climbed Kilimanjaro, a few mountains in the Alps, Mount Hood as well as a few other mountains in the Pacific Northwest. Pretty amazing that you’ve done Denali! Would love to do that some day, though I do have some concerns about the long term effects of such high altitude on the brain.
I plan to do Rainier and Mont Blanc as well but with a longer acclimatization for the same reason.
Have you seen the research?
I always go with guides as I feel they have more experience to handle hairy situations should they arise.

Click to expand...

What did you think of Kilimanjaro? I'm planning on doing that hike in the next few years, but haven't really done any planning or research at all. Are you from Phoenix too (I assumed because of your name)? It's almost hiking season here, getting tired of driving up north, can't wait!!!

[Complete_newbie]

Phoenixdown99 wrote:

lol a person…you dont want to bring extra weight (books)so hopefully you will have memorized the techniques by the time you go!

Being a mountain guide is a calling and an intense career similar to medicine. It requires years of training and dedication. Similarly, you are responsible for people’s lives (though not paid as well ).

There are many guiding companies that are at your service. For the Pacific northwest, I recommend Timberline Mountain Guides

for the Alps, High Mountain Guides

In general, Alpine Ascents

Look for someone with certifications – IFMGA is the highest cert. level

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I dunno, I am semi-seriously thinking of retiring somewhere where the mountains are so I can do this sort of thing alot. Such a great exercise+bucket list+mental peace activity.

[chrisCD]

That was a great read.  My dad did Mt. Climbing but didn't pass it on to my brothers and I.  Beyond me at this point, so far I am stuck with an Elliptical

 

cd :O)