HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED

Hello and thanks for visiting my climbing blog!

My name is Scott and I live in Atlanta, GA. I always had an interest in climbing mountains, but never really knew how to get started. In January of 2005, the company I was working for decided to open an office in Memphis and I volunteered to move and help get things kicked off. When I arrived in Memphis I only knew one person, whom I met a few years prior at a wedding, so I gave him a call. He agreed to meet me that evening, but couldn't stay out late because "...he was heading to Africa the next day." Upon meeting him that night, I learned he was leaving the next morning to try his hand at climbing Kilimanjaro.

The next morning, I was talking to my mother and telling her about the conversation from the previous night. During this conversation she asked me if I realized my Uncle Steve had been a climber for years. "No," I responded. She gave me his phone number and the following weekend I made a call to a relative I hadn't spoken to in years. Little did I know how much that call would change my life!

In the 6 years since, I've been to Africa (Tanzania & Kenya), Russia (Moscow & Mineral'Nye Vody), Mexico, Georgia (The country, not the state), and South America (Chile & Argentina), summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus, and Mt. Rainier, made two attempts at Cerro Aconcagua, an attempt at Ixta, made quick stops in London and Quito, Ecuador, met an endless number of extraordinary people, and developed a new relationship with my uncle.

The blog entries, pictures, and details below are my attempt to share my adventures with the rest of my friends and family. I hope you enjoy!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

And the winner is.....

After much research, deliberation, phone calls, and emails, I have made my selection for the Aconcagua trip this January.....(Insert drum roll sound here)....And the winner is:


I really couldn't go wrong with any of the 3 companies, but after all my research, my gut told me to go with IMG. After I talked to people that have climbed with them, I placed calls directly to the guiding companies to answer my final questions. When I called IMG, I talked to a gentleman named Tye and he was more than willing to chat. Our initial phone call lasted 25 minutes - usually if you can get 5-10 minutes you are lucky - and that was followed up by a quick email from one of IMG's Directors the next day providing his personal cell in case I wanted to ask him any additional questions. A very small gesture, but something I saw as important in the competitive world of mountain guiding.

Even though some of my questions were basic, I never got the feel from IMG that I was bothering them. So, this is a major decision out of the way and one Im very happy with. The deposit has been made and I will depart for Argentina exactly 8 months from today!

SZ
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