And sorry Ab all the misspellings in my last post, first time on the iPad and it was late!
12.28.2011
Gear!
There will be an explanation of gear, but as for now...just enjoy this picture!
And sorry Ab all the misspellings in my last post, first time on the iPad and it was late!
And sorry Ab all the misspellings in my last post, first time on the iPad and it was late!
12.25.2011
Busy busy busy...
So I know I've been slacking... But I've been so busy and I guess it doesn't matter because I haven't left yet!
But in case anybody wants an update, I graduated last week (fam in town) then had three days to pack up my life in boulder. So needless to say, blogging wasn't a priority.
Tomorrow is the two week mark before our departure. We fly out the 8th and will begin the Aconcagua ascent the 10th of January. It will hopefully take no more than 16 days, but if you're not familiar with mountaineering, your life is in the hands of weather. So we will wait for clear weather forecasts etc.
I have met a lot of people and have spoken to friends who have been down and I can't stress to you all how excited and prepared I am for this epic adventure. I also recently watched the motorcycle diaries and Che Guevara literally did, the same route I will do, in the fifties, and it is what changed his whole life perspective. I'm sure you can imagine how stoked I was after seein a movie based on a similar journey I'm about to embark on. I also watched 180 degrees south again, which got me excited for the climb and the surf!!! Love those old dudes, because they lived in the moment their whole lives and really followed their passion and brought it to a much larger reality. Land conservation on a large scale in Patagonia.
This is also the first post with my travel/blog companion (iPAD) which is going to make everything easy! Pictures videos and blogs will be updated regularly and with ease.
Another update, I ordered and have received most of my equipment and let me tell you, it's makin me really comprehend the reality of how insane this climb is going to be. People get HAPE ( high altitude pulmonary edema) and HACE (high altitude cerebral edema) at around 8000 and we are summitting close to 23000 so as you can imagine t'is making me feel on edge. But in the end, I know we are being led by professionals who will not put us at anymore risk than us being on the mountain. They are highly skilled, trained professionals and my dad and I are perseverant animals!!!! We've both been training regularly and are trying to focus on staying healthy.
When I moved, I had to pack for three destinations, my storage unit, clothes to bring to dc, and my south America trip ( climbing part and travel part) and it was insane. I have so much more to do and will be train gig and packing vigorously for the next two weeks.
Anyways, I will update again in a week to let you know how planning, packing, and my nerves are doin! Until then, enjoy the holidays and family and remember if you want to join I'd love to have people meet me! Even if it's only for a few days, weeks. LIVE IN THE MOMENT... Live for adventure and unknowns, uncertainty. A lot of growth and discovery comes from these experiences and as much as a lot of it will suck, I know that I will talk of this trip for the rest of my existence, because when else in life (if u plan on joining the rat race) can you travel like this with no direction but adventure...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!
But in case anybody wants an update, I graduated last week (fam in town) then had three days to pack up my life in boulder. So needless to say, blogging wasn't a priority.
Tomorrow is the two week mark before our departure. We fly out the 8th and will begin the Aconcagua ascent the 10th of January. It will hopefully take no more than 16 days, but if you're not familiar with mountaineering, your life is in the hands of weather. So we will wait for clear weather forecasts etc.
I have met a lot of people and have spoken to friends who have been down and I can't stress to you all how excited and prepared I am for this epic adventure. I also recently watched the motorcycle diaries and Che Guevara literally did, the same route I will do, in the fifties, and it is what changed his whole life perspective. I'm sure you can imagine how stoked I was after seein a movie based on a similar journey I'm about to embark on. I also watched 180 degrees south again, which got me excited for the climb and the surf!!! Love those old dudes, because they lived in the moment their whole lives and really followed their passion and brought it to a much larger reality. Land conservation on a large scale in Patagonia.
This is also the first post with my travel/blog companion (iPAD) which is going to make everything easy! Pictures videos and blogs will be updated regularly and with ease.
Another update, I ordered and have received most of my equipment and let me tell you, it's makin me really comprehend the reality of how insane this climb is going to be. People get HAPE ( high altitude pulmonary edema) and HACE (high altitude cerebral edema) at around 8000 and we are summitting close to 23000 so as you can imagine t'is making me feel on edge. But in the end, I know we are being led by professionals who will not put us at anymore risk than us being on the mountain. They are highly skilled, trained professionals and my dad and I are perseverant animals!!!! We've both been training regularly and are trying to focus on staying healthy.
When I moved, I had to pack for three destinations, my storage unit, clothes to bring to dc, and my south America trip ( climbing part and travel part) and it was insane. I have so much more to do and will be train gig and packing vigorously for the next two weeks.
Anyways, I will update again in a week to let you know how planning, packing, and my nerves are doin! Until then, enjoy the holidays and family and remember if you want to join I'd love to have people meet me! Even if it's only for a few days, weeks. LIVE IN THE MOMENT... Live for adventure and unknowns, uncertainty. A lot of growth and discovery comes from these experiences and as much as a lot of it will suck, I know that I will talk of this trip for the rest of my existence, because when else in life (if u plan on joining the rat race) can you travel like this with no direction but adventure...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!
12.09.2011
Gregory Canyon- Saddle Rock Loop 12/5
I was finally able to put it up directly. This was Monday and it was about 0 degrees. I wore my mountaineering boots which are like ski boots. Not fun, but it helped give me an idea of how it'll feel. By the end, in that tree scene, we were all literally frozen and the temperature was dropping pretty fast.
12.08.2011
More Training Vids
Couple more videos of what my current workout looks like and the beautiful geography of where I live! "Snowdown" is from Monday (12/5). The 1st snow hike was from last week. Both were brutally exhausting!
SNOW-DOWN 12/5
SNOW-DOWN 12/5
Training Breakdown and Video!
So, I had been really procrastinating the training for Aconcagua, dreading it.....seriously. I don't know what came over me, but with the help of @samsonthewarior, I have been going on daily hikes with about 60-65lbs on my back. It's been killer, but I couldn't be in a better training environment, especially with the cold/snowy hikes. But its also become something more than training. Its given me a real chance to get outside and appreciate the beauty of Boulder and Colorado.
Its a way of me saying bye slowly. It has also just given me so much more energy and makes me feel fulfilled. I haven't decided what I'm going to do after I head to DC but I'm guessing it'll be doing the treadmill at an incline, in a gym... (TERRIBLE). Really not looking forward to it. I'll never forget when I was 12 and started training for Kilimanjaro with my dad. Every morning he'd wake me up around 5:30 or 6am and we'd go to the basement and rotate lunges, walking at inclines, and lifting. I mean...I was twelve...it was absolute hell.
What is most important to understand is how incredibly important training is. As bad as it sucks sometimes, it'll make the "suffer-fest" that much more endurable. It'll increase your chance of survival. It will make my experience so much better. So I gotta keep truckin'. I leave in exactly one month, so from now on I will be hitting it harder than ever. I also need to cut back smoking, all of you who know me, know I have a bad habit. It'll happen, its just going to be hard. And again, it'll be something that makes my climb a lot less challenging.
Here's a video of one of our hikes. @samsonthewarior kills it with the camera
Sundown Hike- by @samsonthewarior
PS, I havent decided whether Ill keep blogging updates on my trip itinerary and training, or wait until the traveling starts...seeing as how this has become somewhat addicting, you can expect to hear a lot more from me!
Its a way of me saying bye slowly. It has also just given me so much more energy and makes me feel fulfilled. I haven't decided what I'm going to do after I head to DC but I'm guessing it'll be doing the treadmill at an incline, in a gym... (TERRIBLE). Really not looking forward to it. I'll never forget when I was 12 and started training for Kilimanjaro with my dad. Every morning he'd wake me up around 5:30 or 6am and we'd go to the basement and rotate lunges, walking at inclines, and lifting. I mean...I was twelve...it was absolute hell.
What is most important to understand is how incredibly important training is. As bad as it sucks sometimes, it'll make the "suffer-fest" that much more endurable. It'll increase your chance of survival. It will make my experience so much better. So I gotta keep truckin'. I leave in exactly one month, so from now on I will be hitting it harder than ever. I also need to cut back smoking, all of you who know me, know I have a bad habit. It'll happen, its just going to be hard. And again, it'll be something that makes my climb a lot less challenging.
Here's a video of one of our hikes. @samsonthewarior kills it with the camera
Sundown Hike- by @samsonthewarior
PS, I havent decided whether Ill keep blogging updates on my trip itinerary and training, or wait until the traveling starts...seeing as how this has become somewhat addicting, you can expect to hear a lot more from me!
12.07.2011
Men's Journal: Article On Aconcagua
Just thought this would be cool to share. As you could probably have guessed, I won't have internet during this three week period. I plan to keep a hand written journal, and either transcribed them or scan them directly onto the blog. This article takes you literally day by day, and camp by camp. Hopefully this will get people excited, and also less worried :) Enjoy
Men's Journal: Aconcagua
Men's Journal: Aconcagua
Why, Hello!
I wrote my first blog, and it was my trip plan. But What I forgot was to introduce myself. I forget that my audience may not know me.
My name is James. I am 24 and am about to graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree (long overdue) in Sociology. I have always dreamed of traveling to South America because there is so much culture down there. So much Adventure! I decided I needed to make it happen. When, if not now, will I be able to just get up and leave...indefinitely...with no direction? I have never been this excited in my entire life. This will be my story. It will be my way of documenting my trip. It will be journalling, as well as a photo and video blogging. I love pictures...as the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. And how else will I make you all Jealous?
In order for you to decide whether you will read on or not, I want to tell you what I like to do and what kind of vibe this blog will have. I am an outdoorsy person, and tend to have thrill-seeking tendencies. So I like a rush...who doesn't. I'm a very easygoing, low-maintenance guy and so this blog will reflect that. I do pretty much everything there is to do outside, and so you will see quite a bit of that. I love love love music and will learn any instrument or form of music. I actually am going to take advantage of this time to hopefully write a lot of music. I am bringing a travel guitar down and will be playing and writing regularly.
Besides all this hippie shit, I also love city life, going out, and experiencing new cultures. I want to learn how to tango. I want to experience these bar-b-ques I keep hearing about. I want to eat fresh produce. I want to bargain with streetvendors. I want to Jam with panhandlers. I want to meet locals. I want to make travel buddies, I love meeting people. I love being in an uncomfortable, unknown place. I love the idea of getting to choose my own adventure. I am going to share all the prettiest beaches, oceans, mountains and rivers South America has to offer. Lastly, I look forward to sharing all the good and the bad that will come with traveling.
I AM READY FOR IT ALL
PS...I'm doing this for me, and will write anything I feel I want to write. It may get weird because...well I am a weird guy. But just check in and see where I'm at every once and a while!
Enjoy!
My name is James. I am 24 and am about to graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree (long overdue) in Sociology. I have always dreamed of traveling to South America because there is so much culture down there. So much Adventure! I decided I needed to make it happen. When, if not now, will I be able to just get up and leave...indefinitely...with no direction? I have never been this excited in my entire life. This will be my story. It will be my way of documenting my trip. It will be journalling, as well as a photo and video blogging. I love pictures...as the cliche goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. And how else will I make you all Jealous?
In order for you to decide whether you will read on or not, I want to tell you what I like to do and what kind of vibe this blog will have. I am an outdoorsy person, and tend to have thrill-seeking tendencies. So I like a rush...who doesn't. I'm a very easygoing, low-maintenance guy and so this blog will reflect that. I do pretty much everything there is to do outside, and so you will see quite a bit of that. I love love love music and will learn any instrument or form of music. I actually am going to take advantage of this time to hopefully write a lot of music. I am bringing a travel guitar down and will be playing and writing regularly.
Besides all this hippie shit, I also love city life, going out, and experiencing new cultures. I want to learn how to tango. I want to experience these bar-b-ques I keep hearing about. I want to eat fresh produce. I want to bargain with streetvendors. I want to Jam with panhandlers. I want to meet locals. I want to make travel buddies, I love meeting people. I love being in an uncomfortable, unknown place. I love the idea of getting to choose my own adventure. I am going to share all the prettiest beaches, oceans, mountains and rivers South America has to offer. Lastly, I look forward to sharing all the good and the bad that will come with traveling.
I AM READY FOR IT ALL
PS...I'm doing this for me, and will write anything I feel I want to write. It may get weird because...well I am a weird guy. But just check in and see where I'm at every once and a while!
Enjoy!
Overview of "The Plan"
I have a very loose plan. It may seem organized, but who knows which of those things I will actually do. That's why it's hilarious that I'm even putting this up. So head's up, I'm calling myself out now.
What I know for sure is, My dad and I are attempting to Climb Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, 6962m (22841 ft), in January. We will, if completed, have climbed three of the Seven Summits together.
After our HOPEFUL summit, we will fly to Buenos Aires and relax, soak up the argentinian culture and just blow off the steam. My dad only gets to stay a week. When he leaves, I'm enrolling in spanish school and staying in student/hostel housing. I am pumped to spend some time in Buenos Aires because I've heard only amazing things. There are a lot of places I want to see though, so I have to keep moving.
From BA I will either head north to Rio, then Down to Patagonia or head South to Patagonia for some arctic adventures, and fit Rio in later. I am not sure I am going to be into much more cold weather after Aconcagua, so we'll see how long I last down there. I definitely want to spend some time down there.
From Patagonia, I'm gonna bus back up the west coast of Chile, hitting some snowboard spots, surfing spots, kayak/rafting spots, climbing spots and any kind of safe, healthy fun I can find. I am truly up for anything and everything along the way. I have a job opportunity as an outdoor kayak/hiking guide at the base of the Andes in Chile. My taking that job will depend where I'm at, how I'm feeling.
I plan to hit Peru and hike the inka trail up to Machu Picchu. Take a ride through Peru's Capital, Lima, and hopefully crash beaches along the way.
Then into Ecuador. I have another job/volunteer opportunity teaching english and music to local children. This is probably what I'm most excited about. I've always wanted to do this and just looking forward to workin with children. It's in the North in the Cloud forests of Ecuador, and there is a Eco-Lodge with a volunteer focus there. The amount of time I volunteer will depend on my passion for what I find there.
I will most likely finish my trip diving off the Galapagos Islands!
But Let's be real, this trip is a blank canvas...and I'm just going to paint it as I go :P
What I know for sure is, My dad and I are attempting to Climb Mt. Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, 6962m (22841 ft), in January. We will, if completed, have climbed three of the Seven Summits together.
After our HOPEFUL summit, we will fly to Buenos Aires and relax, soak up the argentinian culture and just blow off the steam. My dad only gets to stay a week. When he leaves, I'm enrolling in spanish school and staying in student/hostel housing. I am pumped to spend some time in Buenos Aires because I've heard only amazing things. There are a lot of places I want to see though, so I have to keep moving.
From BA I will either head north to Rio, then Down to Patagonia or head South to Patagonia for some arctic adventures, and fit Rio in later. I am not sure I am going to be into much more cold weather after Aconcagua, so we'll see how long I last down there. I definitely want to spend some time down there.
From Patagonia, I'm gonna bus back up the west coast of Chile, hitting some snowboard spots, surfing spots, kayak/rafting spots, climbing spots and any kind of safe, healthy fun I can find. I am truly up for anything and everything along the way. I have a job opportunity as an outdoor kayak/hiking guide at the base of the Andes in Chile. My taking that job will depend where I'm at, how I'm feeling.
I plan to hit Peru and hike the inka trail up to Machu Picchu. Take a ride through Peru's Capital, Lima, and hopefully crash beaches along the way.
Then into Ecuador. I have another job/volunteer opportunity teaching english and music to local children. This is probably what I'm most excited about. I've always wanted to do this and just looking forward to workin with children. It's in the North in the Cloud forests of Ecuador, and there is a Eco-Lodge with a volunteer focus there. The amount of time I volunteer will depend on my passion for what I find there.
I will most likely finish my trip diving off the Galapagos Islands!
But Let's be real, this trip is a blank canvas...and I'm just going to paint it as I go :P
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