Here is an interview I did recently with Jeremy Dobish for the Backcountry Coalition. This is a cool, grassroots community of backcountry skiers from around the United States who share information, trip reports, photos, and the general enthusiasm of getting off the beaten track. If you enjoy off-piste skiing, you should join them. Best of all, it’s free!
Erik
Recently, I returned from a unique adventure in Canada where we filmed a television commercial for Quaker Oats. I had spoken a couple times to the Quaker team, and told them that we religiously ate oatmeal at midnight in our tent before a big climb. It’s light to carry, easy to heat up, and fuels you for an amazing day ahead. So simulating this ritual was the plan for the ad.
I was joined in front of the camera by my friends Jeff “No Limits” Evans and Rob “Are You Going To Finish That?” Raker. Behind the camera, it seemed like dozens of people were involved over the two full days of shooting, from production managers and the awesome lady who coordinated our clothing and gear to the snow mobile drivers and caterers. Our safety rigger was famed ice-climber and wild-man adventurer Will Gadd, who holds records like paragliding 423 kilometers and ascending and descending a frozen waterfall for 24 hours non-stop as a fundraiser.
The shoot took place at a closed ski resort 70 miles west of Calgary called Fortress Mountain under some very brutal conditions. The weather was cold and the winds were absolutely howling—well over 100 miles per hour up high! I was really impressed at how hard working and hardy the entire production crew was in the face of this adversity: setting up shots with numb hands, cooking steaming pots of oatmeal with the wind almost taking down the tent, and carrying tons of equipment up and down the mountain.
The first day, we left before dawn and took snowmobiles up to the top of the resort where we set up “camp.” For the purposes of filming, both ends of our tent were wide open so the wind was gusting through and depositing several inches of snow inside. But the effort paid off because I’m told they got some spectacular sunrise scenes as we were eating oatmeal.
We sat around with our sleeping bags wrapped around us for much of the morning, about six hours, eating spoonful after spoonful of oatmeal. Jeff regaled us with stories from his randy bachelor days, which had Rob and me cracking up. But we had to do a bunch of reshoots because Jeff kept talking with his mouth open!
Rob, who is a cameraman himself, demonstrated his lack of acting skills with some corny overly-dramatic head-nodding as he looked out towards the rising sun, but he redeemed himself by teaching me a new skill. Since I can’t see, getting the perfect scoop of oatmeal that wasn’t too large proved quite a challenge; as I brought the spoon towards my mouth, oatmeal often dribbled onto my down parka, oops. Fortunately Rob taught me how to make the perfect spoonful on the edge of my cup so I could direct it into my mouth with no spillage.
That afternoon, we walked up and down a ridge while an amazing helicopter pilot hovered above us to blow wind and spindrift snow in our face for dramatic effect for the camera. It made us all a little nervous with the rotors spinning fifteen feet off the side of the ridge, and eventually the winds proved too fierce so we all retreated to the comforts of a nice hotel and awesome dinner.
The next day, the winds were at their full fury—one time Rob was picked up and thrown twelve feet, landing on his butt. Normally, we’d never climb in this kind of weather but it made for great filming! So we ended up changing plans and moving over to a nearby rock face.
The problem with alpine climbing from a filmmaker’s perspective is that it’s usually a very slow deliberate process, especially when you’re climbing a rock face with tons of huge loose rocks and you’re blind. Will came up with a solution by setting up some fixed lines on which we could use ascenders so that speeded things up and looked more exciting. Well sort of…Mountain Man Jeff had forgotten how to rig his ascenders properly and was having a mini-epic. He ultimately figured it out after some teasing from me of course, and they got some incredible shots with the helicopter coming around the mountain to see the three heroes ascending up three fixed lines, all nicely spaced, on a big rock face with a steep vast snowface below.
Eventually we retreated to the tent for more shots of us eating. Lucky thing I love oatmeal because I got another tent session, taking bite after bite for another hour. Sometime next year you may see our bearded mugs on your television.
In exchange for my participation in this commercial, Quaker Oats made a significant donation to No Barriers USA. Many thanks for supporting this organization that helps people with significant challenges shatter barriers to live more active and adventurous lives. Currently, we’re recruiting a team of disabled soldiers for a life-changing program called, Soldiers to the Summit. Learn more at www.nobarriersusa.org
Erik
Here is a recent article that features my friends Tricia Downing and Malcolm Daly, as well as myself. All of us are outdoor athletes, who happen to have disabilities, living in the Colorado Front Range and this is distributed at hospitals and doctors offices in the same region. It should provide some hope for people facing their own adversities.
Click the link below for a great article in Chicago Magazine about my friend Steve Baskis. He was one of the soldiers on our Lobuche expedition in Nepal last year who made it to the summit. Since we are both blind, Steve and I have a special connection. This article was written by Brian Mockenhaupt and talks about Steve’s recent ascent of Kilimanjaro in Africa that was led by my friend Kevin Cherilla; both Brian and Kevin were on our Soldiers To The Summit expedition too.
Steve approaching the summit of Lobuche. Photo by Didrik Johnck.
Here in the United States, we are about to celebrate one of our most important holidays — Thanksgiving. Thursday isn’t about a religious celebration or national pride, it’s simply a day to pause and give thanks for all that we are blessed. This seemed an appropriate time to check in with some of the team from last year’s Soldiers To The Summit (S2S) expedition. Over the next few weeks, you will hear from some of the injured soldiers, and the climbing team who supported them, on what the program means to them.
Nicolette, a K9 handler in the Navy, spent over 3 years in a wheelchair after a wall collapsed on her in Iraq. For a frightfully long period, they weren’t even sure she would walk again. Despite this daunting adversity, she has much to be thankful for.
Erik: It’s been a year since you returned from Nepal, looking back, how do you view your experience?
Nicolette: As each month passes I am in awe of the blessings that came with the climb. The fact that so many people, including climbers and sponsors, were involved in the expedition is amazing. The Everest team worked so hard to prepare and guide us along the way. The fact that they wanted to give back to strangers when they could have easily decided to grab a beer or do a climb for themselves was very kind. It was an amazing experience and I am blessed to be part of it.
Erik: The goal of S2S is to help disabled soldiers redefine their sense of self after life-changing injuries. Do you feel this mission was accomplished?
Nicolette: It definitely gave another title or accomplishment between my name and my injury. I am not just the injured girl, I am a mountain climber as well.
Erik: Another goal of S2S is to help participants develop the tools and mindset to persevere and innovate their way through obstacles. Do you feel your Lobuche experience moved you in that direction?
Nicolette: I feel Lobuche was a test. There are so many people that are worried about disabled soldiers failing that they refuse to let us take risks. By allowing us to take this risk we were able to be successful. Even for those people that did not summit, the expedition allowed them to focus on accomplishing that goal. Setting small goals and working hard is a good life lesson and after we are injured many organizations seem to deprive us of it. The challenge was very hard and a wonderful opportunity.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Erik
At the No Barriers Summit this summer, I had the pleasure of meeting Kyle Maynard. He is a true inspiration to me and countless others. Why? Because Kyle is a quadruple amputee who hasn’t let his birth defect slow him down! In fact, on the spur of the moment and with almost no preparation, we climbed a 12,000-foot peak together…Kyle used towels and packing tapes on his stumps as we crossed sharp rocks, mud, and snowfields.
Kyle crabbing to his first high altitude summit. Photo by Clyde Soles.
Now Kyle has his sights set on climbing the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. I don’t have the slightest doubt he is capable of this task! After all, Kyle operates a gym in Atlanta and is a champion wrestler. I am proud to support this historic ascent and sincerely hope you will contribute too.
If you aren’t convinced yet, check out this great story and video that Dr. Sanjay Gupta made for CNN.
Reach!
Erik
I am a proud supporter of K2 Adventures and Mission Kilimanjaro. If you are in the Phoenix area, I highly recommend this event! It’s organized by my good friend Kevin Cherilla and his associates. Kevin will be leading my friend, Kyle Maynard, on his historic ascent of the highest peak in Africa this winter.
November 19th, K2 Adventures Foundation 2nd Annual Masquerade Ball
Time: 5:30pm Cocktails, 7pm Dinner
Location: Doubletree Resort, Scottsdale, AZ
Summary: On Saturday, November 19, 2011, K2 Adventures Foundation presents its second annual Masquerade Ball at the Paradise Valley Doubletree Resort in Scottsdale. For one evening the ballroom will be transformed into a whimsical, magical and mysterious setting. Come in disguise, costume or in your favorite cocktail attire along with your favorite mask.
Kevin Cherilla and Kristen Sandquist have graciously invited the Mission Kilimanjaro team to take part in their event and live auction. Please feel free to join our team and K2 Adventure Foundation at this special event!
The following is a wonderful sentiment and news update written by my good friend and Team No Limits partner, Jeff Evans. Since my father is a former Marine combat pilot, this article echoes many of my own feelings.
Erik
I always feel very fortunate and blessed… that I was simply, out of mere dumn luck, born in a country that provides basic needs to MOST of it’s inhabitants. Where I can enjoy the freedom to vote, to outwardly quench my spiritual thirst without fear of condemnation as well as make a living by doing something as ridiculous as climbing mountains and talking about it to companies. Not many countries in the world where all of these pursuits are available to it’s citizens. For that, I am grateful.
I always feel a great sense of gratitude… to the “greatest generation”…my grandfather and his colleagues. Men (as well as their families that supported them) that fought against tyranny with a sense of bravery that we very rarely see anymore. It was because of their actions that we live the way that we do. They were selfless and committed to a cause that was far beyond them as individuals….before the era of social media and big screen documentaries. They are how I define hero and I feel we owe it all to them.
I always feel a sense of regret… wondering what my life would have been like should I have chosen to enlist out of high school after many meetings with the recruiters. This was Top Gun time…so flying jets in the Navy sure seemed like a cool job. I think I was scared. Scared of what it would take to make the military my life…perhaps I wasn’t strong enough or brave enough to see it through. Watching my cousin Jean fight like hell to become one of a handful of female fighter pilots in the Air Force proved to me that with an extreme level of dedication as well as what can only be determined a high level of skill, one can achieve those far off dreams. Jean went for it and was rewarded with countless hours of flying some of the most sophisticated machines that we have ever built. I am awed by her commitment to her career and part of me wonders…what was keeping me from following that same path (one thing is clear, Jean is smarter than me by an order of magnitude).
I always feel a great sense of respect… to the men and women that have recently or currently serve. Without a draft, everyone that wears or has worn the uniform in recent decades signed on the dotted line and committed to put service before personal needs. I respect the sense of loyalty to the guy (or gal) that serves right next to you. How it really all comes down to putting your team before your own aspirations and in their case, safety and wellbeing. I respect and honor what it takes to be away from family for months on end…to voluntarily put yourself in harms way, although service men and women do it for a far more honorable reason than simply climbing a big peak.
For all of these reasons, I know that I need to do something to say thanks in the only way I know how… to take some of these remarkable folks up to the high places and provide them the venue to challenge themselves and in some cases reclaim what was once theirs.
Last year’s Soldiers To The Summit (S2S) project was born from all of these emotions. Erik Weihenmayer and I, with the help of World TEAM Sports and some of our Everest buddies, brought together a group of injured vets to climb a big Himalayan Peak. The resulting documentary, High Ground should be released to the public next summer and will capture the challenges that many injured vets experience when they return from combat.
We are currently in the planning stages of the follow up on last years project that will take place in Ecuador. We will be bringing a few of the participants from last year’s climb to serve as mentors for a new group of injured soldiers that represent the spirit of S2S to climb Cotopaxi in December 2012.
If you happen to experience any of the emotions that I mention above when this day of recognition rolls around and would like to show your own gratitude…our S2S project is a great opportunity.
Do you know an injured vet? Send him/her over to the S2S website to apply for one of the spots for next year’s adventure.
Do you have a relationship with a company that is looking to participate in a social responsibility project with a backbone to it? There are many ways in which corporate America can get involved in our project…sponsor a soldier, promote the trip, secure corporate relationships… and the list goes on.
To show gratitude is important…saying thanks is great. Acting on it is felt deeply. Tell a veteran that you are grateful in a way that is impactful.
If you are a student or teacher, or know someone who would be interested, next year could be very exciting! Global Explorers, a great nonprofit organization, is sponsoring three opportunities for adventure and education–with a chance you can go for free!
This past year, Global Explorers sent a group of students and teachers to Cambodia for American Youth Leadership Program. This pilot program is funded by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Youth Programs Division. It was such a success that they are going to do it again. Five educators and 30 high school students will be selected for full travel scholarships for this unique and exciting program that features a 26-day expedition to Cambodia in June 2012. Apply here: http://www.globalexplorers.org/programs/destinations/cambodia/
But that’s not all! Global Explorers is also leading another Peruvian Highlands Expedition, which will visit Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. I lead this trip a few years ago and it was truly fantastic. Blind and visually-impaired students will team up with sighted students for the trip of a lifetime. This program costs $3,510 plus airfare to/from Lima, Peru. However, full scholarships are available, including special scholarships designated for participants from Massachusetts and the Pacific Northwest. The expedition is July 8-17, 2012 and will spend the first three days experiencing culture in the magical city of Cusco and the breathtaking Sacred Valley and the next five days hiking through spectacular mountain vistas and ancient Inca ruins.
Another exciting Global Explorers opportunity is the Rim to River Expedition in the Grand Canyon. This adventure will be July 20-31, 2012 and costs $2,250 plus airfare to/from Phoenix, AZ. Again, full scholarships are available for exceptional students. Spend the first three days engaging in service and experiencing the vast culture of the area on the South Rim of the Canyon and the next seven days on the upper half of the world-renowned Colorado River. The team will raft exhilarating whitewater, float through calm stretches and journey by foot through slot canyons.
Although I won’t be able to join these expeditions, I am a proud supporter and firm believer in the Global Explorers mission. Please spread the word!
For more information about Erik, call Leading Authorities at 1.800.SPEAKER
