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!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Last Post Till....?

Hi Everyone,

This will be my last post from the comforts of the Embassy Suites. Ill be catching a cab over to the Maria Cristina in an hour or so. Our lead guide, George, emailed me late last night when he got to the hotel, so I'm fairly certain Ill have email at least until tomorrow - unless he has some sort of fancy Internet device.

I slept in this AM, went for a quick 2 mile jog to open the lungs up, and then grabbed breakfast.

Still plugging away with the Diamox & Aspirin and, as you can see by the picture, I'm doing my best to stay ahead of the effects of the Diamox. Since you pee so much it tends to dehydrate you if you don't drink a lot of water. If the dehydration does catch up with you, forget it, you're done. The water bottles above represent probably half of what Ive drank in a day and a half. Peeing so much obviously keeps you up a bit more at night, but it beats the alternative.

I will only be taking the Viagra on summit day now because my insurance only allows 6 pills a month. The doctor ordered 14 so I could take two a day, however, it would have cost me $700!! No thank you. Getting older is going to suck. Haha.

Ok, gotta get everything packed, looks like a bomb went off in here. If I don't talk to anyone after this point, please follow along on IMG's site.

http://www.mountainguides.com/wordpress/

Peace out,
Z
Posted by at

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)