Adventure coaching blog, stories to inspire

This morning all our gear was packed, weighed and then transported by truck to Valley Camp where we are sleeping tonight. Valley or Interim Camp is the half way point to Cho Oyu's Base Camp proper, also referred to as Advanced Base Camp (ABC). In the past we have loaded our gear on yaks at CBC but in going with the flow and making life easier, the yaks only have one days hard yaker (terrible pun I know) and that is tomorrow from Valley Camp to ABC. I trust this all makes perfect sense! Everyone felt good during the four hour trek which has us sleeping at 5300m.

This afternoon sees Martin's reign as king of the chess board challenged by Lucas. Andrew continues to entertain the local Tibetan kids with Action Man. Snow showers make napping an enticing pass time.

Tomorrow we will trek to ABC (5600m), our base for climbing Cho Oyu and home for the next 4 weeks.

Hi to folks back home and with any luck email will soon be an option once we are settled at ABC.

Mike R for the AC Team

Cho Oyu Chinese BaseCamp

The End of the Road - Bye Bye Vehicles and Tour Guides

It was an early start on Sunday morning as we were on the road travelling towards Chinese Base Camp by first light. At the turn off to base camp we had our first views of Cho Oyu, the summit over 3000m above us.

For us this is the end of our journey by vehicle. We said goodbye to both our tour guide and driver that have been with us since entering Tibet.

The Sherpa team who have traveled overland from Kathmandu arrived a day before us. When we arrived our camp was already set up and our first loads of equipment including oxygen, food, and ropes were being weighed and loaded onto yaks for the trip to ABC.

As we are very close to the Nepalese border we have turned our watches back two and a quarter hours and will now be back on Nepal time.

Hanging around on ropes

Monday has been busy with the team making preparations for tomorrows move to Interim Camp and then Advanced Base Camp the next day.

In the afternoon the two Mikes and the Sherpas rigged a challenging ropes course on some cliffs near by the camp. We headed out into the showery weather and reviewed travelling on fixed ropes - jumaring, abseiling, hand rappelling, and changeovers, skills that are essential to have dialed higher on the mountain.

The plan was to review and practice the skills now to help prepare for challenging sections of the climb, for example the Yellow Band - a steep section of rock that we will climb on summit day.

The whole team is doing great and everyone sends a big hello to friends and family at home.

Mike M for the AC team.

Shegar and Shewee

Today we have been having an altitude acclimatization day at 4400 meters (which is around 15,500 ft). So we went on a short walk above the ancient walled city of Shegar. I turned on the spot tracker so you may be able to follow that on the map.

We made our gradual puffing way up to the top of a rocky outcrop which was decked out in a sea of prayer flags. As we plodded up we got a distant glimpse of Mt Everest which got everyone excited.

The thing about acclimatization is that how you are feeling is always changing. One minute I was feeling great and moving strongly. The next minute I felt queasy and lurching for air. I've been learning that the important thing is to simply notice what's going on and not get too worried as there is no doubt that things will change. Come to think of it this applies across a huge range of daily issues not just at 4400 meters.

Today's big event was the inaugural use of the "shewee". This device enables me not to have to bare my buttocks when I need to pee (ok I realize that for some of you this is far too much information!). Anyway things appeared to be going swimmingly until to my horror I detected a renegade stream coming out my left trouser leg! Gravity had beaten me. All was not lost as I discovered that black trousers hide an otherwise embarrassing appearance. Back at the hotel I vowed not to give up. It is proving one of the more unusual challenges of the expedition.

Tomorrow we head to our road end base camp. So tonight we are enjoying our last shower and comfy bed for the next 4 weeks. So when you have your next shower imagine it is your last until early October and see what difference it makes!

Cheers Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach

Acclimatisation really begins

Thanks so much for the many well wishes and notes that you have been sending through. It is humbling to know that sharing my journey is an inspiration, and motivating you to go for your big hairy audacious goals.

If you want to get the inside information on my journey then you can sign up for the expedition updates here.

Yesterday the Team departed the city of Shigatse and continued our journey west along the Friendship Highway to the small town of Shegar (New Tingri).

We spent most of the day travelling above 4000m and crossed the Langpa La pass at 5220m. At most of the passes groups of enthusiastic Tibetans are waiting offer the sale of prayer flags, necklaces, fossils, and other souvenirs to all stopped traffic.

The scenery was again spectacular but it was a relief to arrive at our hotel in New Tingri after another 5 hours in the bus.

Over the last 3 days we have mainly been like Tourists with a lot of our time spent in buses traveling to our next destination, and then doing little wonders around to see some of the key Tourist attractions and to stretch our legs. While we have been over 4800 m a few times as we have traveled to New Tingri, we have been taken there by bus, so have not been doing anything at the time. So dealing with the higher altitude has not really been a challenge.

So it was good to head outside after lunch and get some fresh air and exercise with an adventurous acclimatisation climb of the hill overlooking New Tingri. Using our steam to climb the hill and return. Even though it was only a short hike, we were all puffing and panting. The affect of the altitude on our fitness and strength becomes apparent very quickly. Things we take for granted that we can do easily without loosing breathe, at lower altitudes, leave us puffed. It is a sign of what is ahead of us.

We will do some more short hikes over the next couple of days up similar hills stretching our legs and learning to become acclimatised ready for heading into Chinese Base Camp at the road end.

Wishing you all an inspirational life of adventure.

Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach

The Journey to Shigatse

I have just got off the bus after an 8 hour journey! Phew. It was a fantastic trip though.

So, I am doing well - we got up to 4800 metres today as we crossed a high pass in the minibus. And I seem to feel fine - a bit of a sore throat but really no big deal. IT is exciting to be getting closer to the mountain.

So here we are in the VERY remote city of Shigatse - it seem so far from anywhere! We drove through mountains and incredible plains where they were harvesting wheat or barley - not sure which. All the time on the onboard video there were violent chinese videos playing!! Quite hard to follow the plot!

Anyway, I will make this short as I am about to go up to the very impressive local monastary for a look. It has roof tops covered in gold and seems very well cared for.

We stopped at a small village along the way for pancakes and you can see the wall beside me is made of dung paddies which they use as fuel. These are resourceful folks.

It is really interesting having such a long lead-up to getting in to the climb. Most people are chilled and enjoying the journey. But all of us are very conscious of the climb coming and it seems to simmer away in the background. We are very attentive to any health issues and the slightest headache, throat issue or rapid trip to the toilet are watched very closely. Each one of us is doing everything we can to stay well. Of course there are very different theories about the best way to do this - in particular the guys from England are drinking as much beer as possible to ward off the lurgies... and actually it seems to be quite successful so far.

OK - I think I had best stop now and head to bed as I have another long day of travel tomorrow. It looks like communications in the next place - Tingri - are really basic so you won't get an update possibly other than the SPOT location messages for a few days. On Saturday we should head into Chinese Base Camp where we will meet up with the jeeps that have gone overland from Nepal with our gear. Depending on how people are feeling we will head up to Advance Base Camp on either Sunday or Monday. I think they may set up the Sat phone at Advanced Base Camp. So apart from the SPOT it is unlikely you will hear from me until around Monday.

So in the mean time, wishing you all safe adventures.

Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach at adventure location Shigatse, Tibet

Getting to Lhasa and Touring Around

Greetings from Lhasa Tibet!

Yesterday we flew from Kathmandu to Lhasa and of note I received a complementary upgrade to first class, along with Lukas, Josef and John . This came complete with champagne, red slippers and various other trimmings. Not that the rest of the team in the back were jealous or anything!

Unfortunately, due to the continuing heavy monsoon still affecting Nepal and vast areas of Asia, mountain views were not forthcoming. At Lhasa airport we were met by our Tibetan guide Pema who will accompany us overland on our journey to Cho Oyu. After moving into the Himalayan Hotel, we all went for a walk around the old Tibetan Quarter of Lhasa and checked out the Jokhang and general scene. We then had dinner at a restaurant called the Lhasa Kitchen and most folks opted for yak steak. Lhasa is at an altitude of 3600m and so we are all feeling the affects of tiredness that accompany an altitude jump.

Meanwhile, this morning our Sherpa Team left Kathmandu with a truck to transport all our cargo over the Friendship Highway. The news today was that a huge landslide had closed the highway. The slide was on the Nepalese side of the Friendship Bridge that forms the boundary between Nepal and Tibet. Land slides are not unusual and our schedule allows for potential delays.

Tomorrow we have a day of tourism planned in Lhasa which includes visiting the Potala Palace and the Sera Monastery.

It is great to be under way and and to have begun this journey in earnest.

After heavy rain last night and a grey morning, the sun lit up the Potala beautifully for our visit. Not withstanding the politics and tragedies that have beset Tibet, the Potala Palace is certainly a mighty, majestic and awe inspiring structure. In order to comply with the regulations of a one hour maximum visit we were constantly being shepherded along by our guide. The Potala is a giant commemoration to the history of Buddhism in Tibet, most specifically the Dali Lama lineage, and contains numerous, statues, tombs and works of Buddhism art. This afternoon involved visiting a working monastery called Sera and then chilling out. Tomorrow we will be on the road to Shighatse. The direct route is closed for road works and so we are expecting an early start and an eight hour drive.

Wishing you all a life of adventure and inspiration.

Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach and Adventurer

Getting Honest about Fear

It's 4am and I'm dimly aware that my jaw is clenched my stomach churning. My mind is a waterfall of thoughts. A swirling cascade of images and fears.

What do you do when fear takes a grip? And why am I telling you this?

In taking on this climb I know I am taking on a very significant challenge. It forces me to confront my fears - both real and imagined. These updates are about dealing with the very real highs and lows of my adventure. I guess my hope is that I can share not just the physical journey with you but also the voyage of inner discovery.

So how did I respond to my 4am challenge? What I did was pause and become aware of what was actually going on around me. The gentle tapping of rain on the roof, my breath going out and coming in. Less attention on the story factory in my head and a gentle redirection of my attention onto sounds. Staying with this for about 15 mins was tough. Gradually my clenched hands began to relax. And fresh air wafted into my cluttered mind.

It was by no means a quick fix. What was most important was to simply and calmly place my attention on what was real. Without judging. It is something that I have total control over and a tool I can use anytime, anywhere to move me from FEAR to peace, from OVERWHELM to calm, from FROZEN to enabled.

It is a mind tool that I will practice over and over. So that at the toughest times it is already a pattern that clicks in. On the mountain there will be times, when the only tools I have to fall back on will be those in my mind. This is one of many key tools I will be using on the journey.

Would it work for you? Give it a try and let me know what you find out.

Thoughts from Kathmandu

Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach

Kathmandu Krush

Sarah outside Hotel Shanker - Kathmandu

After 24 hours of flights and managing excess luggage I am now in the magical chaos of Kathmandu. After a very smooth passage through Nepal customs (the guy on the first security screening machine was busy chatting to someone. And there was a power cut at the second machine. So I think the scanning process was pretty much smoke and mirrors).

I then met up with one of my guides "young Mike". It turns out that both of the guides are called Mike. Which I think is very well organized of them. I am gradually meeting the climbing team which consists of 8 blokes and me! I'll introduce them properly later.

We then traveled through the wonderful craziness of the narrow streets packed with vans, tooting cars, dogs, cows and people. And piles of rubbish- apparently the rubbish collectors have been on strike for some time.

So I am now at the Shanker Hotel which has a rich tradition of climbing expeditions that have passed this way over the years.

Tonight we are thrown straight into checking and packing our base camp gear that will be sent ahead of us by jeep. So not too much time to be a tourist.

Will be in touch as things progress. Watch my progress and get updates by going to this link.

Wishing you a life if inspiration and adventure.

Sarah

Follow the Expedition

Cho Oyu,8200m "Turquoise Goddess"

In a week's time I will be landing in Kathmandu and my expedition will have begun!

And over the next 6 weeks I will be attempting the 6th highest mountain in the world - Cho Oyu (8200 metres)!

It is going to be an incredible journey and I will be blogging here as well as updating my position on google maps, sending through updates, photos etc.

Quite a few of you have been wanting to know how to follow the expedition.

If you are interested then there are several ways you can follow my progress:

You can follow this blog as I update daily or as regularly as the technology will allow
You can sign up to be sent updates weekly - or at summit time this will be more frequent to keep you up to date
You can follow me on Facebook or Twitter
I will also be including maps from the Spot Adventures site which will be receiving a signal from my Spot GPS tracking device.

OR - you can do ALL of these! The easiest will be to get on the priority list for updates

So, basically you can join me on the trip - at least virtually.

And your comments and support will be hugely valuable to me as I take on this significant challenge.

This is also a great testing ground for what works and what doesn't - prior to going to Everest next year. So let me know what you think... and be patient with me as I learn how to drive this baby!

Wishing you a lifetime of inspiration and adventure

Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach

click to follow

Packing dilemma

A dilemma (Greek: δί-λημμα) is a problem offering at least two solutions or possibilities

Today's packing dilemma seems to sum up the challenge of going to high mountains...

On the one hand I was helping my partner pack to go to Bali for a week.
What do you need?
Togs, shorts, T-shirts, lots of stuff for balmy evenings by the pool...
(you get the picture)

Meanwhile - on a different planet and in a different time zone - my brother in Canada is helping me with a shipment of high altitude clothing to New Zealand. I will be needing this stuff to go and climb Cho Oyu at the end of this month. (that is a pic of him in his basement filled with down clothing).

What do I need?
Down suit, 5 different types of gloves, a sleeping bag rated down to -40 degrees (got it?)

So... why on earth would I head for land of freezing cold, not enough oxygen, hard slog... blah blah blah... when I could be heading to Bali to be by the pool?

Well that is the climber's dilemma. It seems so crazy.

And yet, my hunch is that I am taking on a challenge that inspires me. And hopefully inspires others to not just do the easy things in life but also take on gritty challenges that stretch us to whole new levels.

There are moments when it seems like our goals are simply too hard. Those are the moments to remember what inspires you.

Take a look at Everest 2011 if you are interested in coming to Base Camp with me and all my down gear!

Wishing you a life of inspiration and adventure
Sarah Wilson

p.s. The guys at Marmot have been unbelievably generous in helping me get my high altitude gear. They are helping me out because I am supporting the dZi foundation.

Determination is not enough

Ever heard of Cho Oyu?... no? How about Tibet? yup.. well that is where I am heading in about a month's time. The thing is that in order to climb a big mountain I have to climb a big mountain. Sound weird? And what's that got to do with me? I hear you saying...

When we set ourselves a big goal, we launch into it and get excited. Then reality hits - we need to face the pain of getting fit, or we need to have a challenging conversation, or maybe we simply need to ask for help. At that point we are faced with the question "do i really want this? I mean REALLY?" At that point many of us crumble.

Those who keep going are determined. But being determined is not enough.

We can be determined, AND going backwards and not even know it.

Its like a few months back when I was training like crazy. I was determined that I was going to be fit enough to climb Everest and I was throwing myself into it. The problem was that I was not actually training, I was wearing myself out! There was a key ingredient missing and I didn't even know it.

I was missing a way of measuring where I was relative to my goal. When I started working with an awesome Osteopath called Lawrence Cartmell (based in Wellington New Zealand) and using his advice at "The Gym" (the best and friendliest gym ever in Waikanae) things took a whole new turn. I had an amazing team helping me to objectively measure my fitness and give me feedback.

So what has that got to do with Tibet?

In discussion with Guy Cotter from Adventure Consultants it became clear that I need to measure my performance at altitude before I put it to the test on Everest. Again, just being determined is not enough. So I need to go really high - above 8000 metres - to measure how I do. So, I am heading to the world's sixth highest mountain, Cho Oyu which is 8200 metres high.

It will require ALOT of determination, courage and warm socks.

Sarah and Cho Oyu

Here is a pic I took a few years ago with Cho Oyu in the background - little did I know at that time that I would be climbing it!

I will be leaving for Tibet at the end of August so things are really ramping up now. Make sure you stay tuned to hear how things develop, and as I learn lessons that might also be powerful for you and your goals.

Make sure you sign up to get the enews when it is hot off the keyboard. And you can join me on my facebook group.

Wishing you a life of inspiration and adventure
Sarah Wilson
Adventure Coach

Breaking the Silence

It is time. I have some big news and I'm gagging to tell you about it.

I have not hounded you with emails, newsletters or actually any communication for a while now (ok, I don’t want to admit how long it has been). I guess I got tired of being hounded and got crystal clear that blogs are best when there is something useful to say.

So.. What's up?

I have started 2010 with a fierce determination to make a difference. Both in my own life and in the lives of the people I have the privilege to be involved with – including you J

OK – so what am I actually DOING? – well... I have set myself a goal so big that it keeps me awake at night. This is probably too much information but I actually get into a cold sweat when I think about what I am committing to.

It is spine-tingling fear, incredible anticipation and an over-whelming awareness that I cannot do it alone.

This time next year – March 201- – I will be on a flight to Kathmandu with the mission of climbing to the summit of Mount Everest and returning safely.

I am a mountaineer, so I understand the challenge of climbing the world’s highest mountain.

I am under no illusions that it will be a test of endurance, courage and determination beyond anything I have ever done.

And.. I am a lot like YOU.

Like you I have fears, bills, and the need to feed myself and my family.

Like you I want my life to count.

And possibly like you I dream big and want to make a difference. In particular, I want to inspire others – maybe like you – to go for gold, to stretch out to those things that you think are beyond you, to not “settle” for what others expect or to simply ‘get by’. We are capable of so much more.

So that’s why I am aiming for the summit of the highest mountain on the planet. So that you might catch a glimpse of what is possible when an ordinary person sets a goal that is extra-ordinary.

If you want to follow me on my journey and be inspired to act on your own dreams...

then join the “Everest Dream Team” on Facebook, by clicking here

And let me know what you think in the comment section below.

Let the adventures begin!

What would you do... if?

Recently I was giving a presentation to a group of savy property managers.

I asked them one question:

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"

I also told them about my most recent climbing expedition to the depths of Fiordland and showed them pictures of snow, white-out and climbing on the front points of my crampons. In fact, I am just about to write more about that - with pics - in my next eNewsletter so make sure you are on the list to get it.

But it was what happened AFTER I had left that really blew me away.

Here is the email that the Manager sent me a week after the presentation (the person's name is changed so that she doesn't freak out too much!):

"Hi Sarah

Many thanks for the awesome presentation – the team loved it. You are a remarkable person.

You’ve touched Helen's life – she came into my office after the meeting and said, “That was great – I’ve always wanted to tandem skydive but I have been too scared to try it – I think I’d like to try that next year”.

When she left my office, I hopped on the internet and booked her an 8,000 ft tandem skydive which arrived on her desk the next day with the message “Dear Helen, Go For It”. The look on her face was priceless! Anyway, her boys are saying that if you don’t do it mum, we will. There is no way she is letting them! Haha! - Professionals, Oxygen Property Management"

How cool is that?? It certainly made my day.

So what about you? What would YOU do if you knew you could not fail? And if you knew that the only thing holding you back from doing it was fear?

Let me know what comes up!

Wishing you adventurous holidays
Sarah Wilson