mountain

Mount Shasta, northern California.14,162 ft. Many summits, many misses, a lot of visits. It's where I would go to wash my Karmic Underwear. This is where it all began for me. www.shastacam.com

In 1995 I got seriously into Mountaineering. A few close associates and I travelled all over California, Mexico, Argentina and Chile looking for higher and higher peaks to scale.

The pinnacle of my climbing career so far was an expedition to Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, clocking in right under 23,000 ft. Meeno and I spent 7 days & nights at 20,000 ft. holed up in a single wall assault tent trying to wait out an el nino induced storm system which would'nt go away in order to make a go for the summit.

It never happened and we were to later learn that 15 people were killed during the 1998 climbing season on the mountain. It was an experience I'll never forget and as crazy as it may seem whetted my appetite for more.

My Favorite Summits
Mt. Shasta, California. (Avalanche Gulch, Sargents Ridge, Casaval Ridge)

Mt. Whitney, California. (Mountaineers Route-Solo)

Ixtaccihuatl-Mexico

El Pico de Orizaba-Mexico

and the one that got away...

Aconcagua-Argentina (Polish Glacier route, stopped by storm at 19'500 ft.)

Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere at 22,834 ft., the Polish Glacier is the snow covered section at the right.

Mount Whitney-14,494 ft. The Mountaineers route moves up the ice couloir to the right of the east face. I did it solo and it was one of the most spectacular & scary days of my life

Ixta was my first real foray to high altitude and I felt it. After touching the top (see photo at the right) I became violently ill due to the onset of Acute Mountain Sickness and the descent was epic. Meeno watched me through the night at our camp at 15,000 ff. though by the time we got down I was alright. I would have no problems on Orizaba later that week and which at the time would be a personal altitude high point for me.