We can honestly say that Denali is a very tough and unforgiving mountain. For much of the expedition, the prospects of us actually making the summit looked very grim due to poor weather conditions. It took us 4 days to get on to the glacier to start the expedition, and then we were hit with more bad weather at 14,000ft camp. On an expedition like this, you only have 5-7 bad weather days up your sleeve to make a push for the summit.

After a few days of poor weather at 14,000ft camp, lady luck smiled upon giving us a weather break to move to 17,000ft camp, where we had a day’s rest. The following day presented us with a reasonable summit window, so we went for it. It is fairly unusual on Denali to get a clean run from 14,000ft camp, to 17,000ft camp and then have the right weather and snow conditions for a summit attempt. Many teams wait for days at 17,000ft camp for the right weather and snow conditions for a summit attempt given the instability of the weather at that high altitude. We definitely had some luck on our side.

Standing on the summit of this great mountain was an overwhelming experience. Given that we were constantly facing the prospect of not making it to the summit, we felt both very privileged, as well as perhaps even relieved that we would not have to make a return journey to have another go at this great mountain.

The completion of Denali which was mountain number No.5, now puts us on a collision course with the mighty Mt Everest on our quest to complete the ‘7 Summits’……….stay tuned.

The SPOT Device location map is viewed using the SPOT device locator page using Google Maps where you can toggle between various map types……personally, I love the satellite map view.

If you would like to follow our progress through the SPOT device locator page and Google Maps, please go to the link below.

Click on Link - Mt McKinley (Denali) Expedition “Live” Tracking Page

Click on Map to Enlarge

We are ready to go!!!

A similar headline was used by one media outlet in the lead up to our latest expedition. It certainly sums up the challenge ahead of us over the next six weeks.

Shane and I head off tomorrow morning but you can follow our progress at www.darrenwise.com.au  Our updates will keep you on the edge of your seats, but we hope they will also give a laugh and even inspire you to pursue your goals and dreams.

Many people ask us why we would put ourselves through such a tough physical challenge: not one, but two peaks in six weeks.

There are a few reasons, but first we want to thank everyone who has supported us leading up to this expedition.

Special thanks and love go to our families. When you are pursuing your goals and dreams, it is those closest to you who give the most encouragement and support – they are the wings beneath your wings.

We are very fortunate to have massive gusts of wind beneath our wings, and we are so grateful for that. Our families know us and understand that our adventurous streaks must come out and play from time to time, and they respect that.

We would also like to thank everyone who donated to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Your support has gone a long way in assisting the hospital to provide better care and facilities to help the sick and injured children who are admitted every day.

As we have said all along, the children are our heroes: they deal with pain, adversity and the fear of the unknown every day. To us, they are little brave warriors.

Special thanks to Art Equity

The donation facility will stay open until April 7, 2010, during our expedition. If you would like to make a further donation, or know of others who might support our cause, please pass on the following link.

 http://www.everydayhero.com.au/corporatemonk

We would also like to convey a very special thanks to Raj and the team at Art Equity. Art Equity has generously supported our expedition and cause by donating a beautiful painting that will be raffled during our expedition, with all the proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. We have recently gone through a global financial crisis, but it is generous gestures like this that bring us back to reality and remind us that we can always find a way to help others. Once again, thank you Art Equity. You can find out more about Art Equity at the following link: http://www.artequity.com.au/

The first reason we’re taking on this challenge is one not widely known, but in reality is it how this whole dream to complete the 7 Summits began.

It is my main motivation. Tragically, my sister Sharon was knocked off her bike and killed by a drunk driver when she was aged 12. It is one of those moments in your life that you never forget, but you can chose to move forward with your life and empower yourself with the emotions.

Sharon’s life was cut short before it had really begun. I decided it was up to me to live with enough passion for both of us, and to celebrate life.

Many people have lost loved ones in tragic and unfortunates circumstances, but I think the best thing we can do is to carry on their memory,   to live life with passion,   never forget and remember often, but leave the burden of the loss behind and move forward. As Terry Hawkins would say, “be a STICKMAN, not a pitman”.

About four years ago, I told Shane that I wanted to climb Mt Everest and carry a locket of Sharon to the top – to leave it at the roof of the world. The summit of Mt Everest is a special place on earth that very few visit and I could think of no better place on earth to leave the locket – what a beautiful view of the world.

So, closure for me will be to complete the 7 Summits, to show Sharon how much I love her and miss her, and that she will always be part of my life.

In life it is not about how hard you hit

It’s about how hard you can get hit

How much you can take

And keep moving forward

That’s how winning is done

So next time you feel that life is getting a bit tough, ask yourself the simple question: “Am I a winner?”

The second reason is that I believe adventures, challenges and the unknown are part of the journey of self discovery and personal growth. We commonly call it stepping outside our comfort zone. We achieve personal growth and forward momentum in life when we discover and learn new depths of our own inner character.

It is said that the greatest leaders are born when the headwinds are the strongest. Much of our character, self-belief, confidence and overcoming our fears are developed through our life experiences.

It is difficult to learn and develop these character traits through a text-book.

Life experiences and stepping into the unknown go a long way toward answering the following questions.

1. How do you handle adversity when times get tough?
2. What are your fears?
3. Can you grow beyond and conquer your fears?
4. Are you are team player?
5. Are you a leader?
6. Are you confident?
7. Do you have self-believe and motivated to succeed?
8. Are you persistent?
9. When would you, or would you give up?

The above list is not exhaustive, but these questions can be answered the more you experience in life and the more you step outside your comfort zone. Unfortunately, most of the questions cannot all be answered when times are good and easy, many of these questions are answered when the times in your life or the surrounding environment is the toughest. The more you answer and the deeper you delve into your own heart and soul, the more you will discover about yourself and life.

I think the quote below about sums it up.

“It’s not the mountains we conquer – but ourselves”.  Sir Edmund Hillary.

Both Shane and I have had our own fair share of adversities and challenges in our lives. It has definitely not been smooth sailing, but we have always found the strength to rise above and fight on.

In the end, we are the sum of all our experiences. On our last days, not too much will matter other than the reflection of your own life and how you lead it. Shane and I dream big, but everyone can dream big, you just need the motivation and the passion to make it happen.

Australian RSL flag is making the journey

I coined the quote, “dreams without actions are just illusions”. If you want something in life, fight for it and be passionate and persistent, but more importantly … take ACTION, if you don’t, it is just an illusion built on false hope.

Dreams without action will burn the motivation candle for a while, but then life will fall back into the same routine. If you want to change something in your life or fulfill a goal or a dream, just do it, take action, own it and remember…. ‘NO EXCUSES”   

Setting and completing challenging goals in your life develops habits of motivation, dedication, passion, persistence and overcoming fear. Completing goals also increases your level of confidence and self-belief. You will find that these character traits are required to achieve success in any part of your life or business, no matter what your goals or dreams are.

The third reason is that through “extreme” adventures, we can help others along the way.

With this expedition, we have thrown our support behind the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. We are still waiting on confirmation of a couple of deals, where we receive donations based on the metres we climb, but we are hopeful that we will raise a significant sum.

Everyday Hero web portal will remain open during our expedition, so we are hoping more donations will flow in to help the hospital.

If you can make a donation, or know others that may like to support our cause, please go to the following link: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/corporatemonk

Live Large,

Darren and Shane

CONTINUED FROM (PART TWO ) – It was a day that would not turn out as expected…..

Shane and I had a restful sleep that first night….but with the day that was in store for us, we were going to need it. Around 6am, we rose and began our trek to Barranco Huts, a staggering 13,074 feet above sea level. It was still dark, and the air had a crisp chill about it. At this altitude, very little wildlife survives on the mountain, so nature was eerily quiet as we took our first steps into the darkness.

The Umbwe Route is not a common route for climbers given the steepness and limited time for altitude preparation. Compared to some of the other more common routes, the Umbwe Route rises far more quickly towards the summit. Our spirits were high after a good night’s rest, and the excitement of moving higher towards the summit push came over us.

As we pushed higher, daylight finally arrived revealing the sheer enormity of this magnificent mountain. Kili is one of the largest dormant volcanoes in the world and the highest peak in Africa. Its summit stands out like a magnet to climbers.

The jungle was getting noticeably thinner with the increasing altitude. Soon the vegetation disappeared and we scrambled over rock and dust.

Our climbing pace was fast and the track that wound up the side of the mountain was still steep. Our accent was so fast we hit Barranco Huts by about 11am.

Park Rangers occupy Barranco Huts to sign climbers through to the next camps. We needed to make a critical decision: head to the Lava Towers Camp site and make a push for the Summit from Arrow Glacier via the Western Breach, or push across to Karanga to make our summit attempt via Barafu Huts.

An avalanche had recently killed several climbers on the Western Breach, so we decided to push on to Karanga which was another 6-8 hours of climbing. With Karanga at the same altitude as Baranco Hut, the risk of altitude sickness would also be considerably less. The path to Karanga traverses around the side of the mountain. We had only been climbing for a day and a half, so as long as we remained below 13,200 feet, we had a good chance of avoiding severe altitude sickness.

We lunched at Barranco then pushed on towards Karanga. We were still feeling fresh, but we knew this next leg would test us our fitness. We pushed higher from Barranco Huts towards an altitude of 14,150 feet – at this altitude you could start to feel the effects of the higher altitude given our rapid accent. Breathing was getting harder and our heads were feeling light.

It now looked like we were walking on the moon, the vegetation had disappeared and the landscape was made up of dark volcanic crushed rock. The traverse through the cliffs high on the mountain was a little hairy. Our heads were light and our 25kg packs were tipping us off-balance on some of the outcrops.

We made it through the cliffs unscathed and started to descend. The descent was a welcome relief to our heads – we started to feel strong again. It was now a matter of just completing the traversed walk – another 3 hours hiking to Karanga.

We could now see Karanga in the distance, but what was between us and a good night’s sleep and a meal was a massive canyon. It was extremely deep and very steep but we had to cross it to get to the other campsite. We were both totally exhausted, but we knew this was the only obstacle we had left for the day. It was time to dig deep into the energy reserves and get it over with.

We put our heads down, dug deep and powered on. It was a massive canyon and we thought we would never get to the top, but we finally made it. We set up camp and settled in for the night to reflect on what was a huge day.

From Karanga, we could see the summit behind us. We both sat there and stared at the peak. As the sun set, it was an amazing and beautiful sight. Again, butterflies and a sense of excitement came over us knowing that our summit attempt was within days.

This day was a demanding push, but tomorrow was a fairly easy climb to Barafu Huts, an altitude of 15,360 feet. There we would set up camp, rest for the day and go for the summit at 12.30am in the morning.

That was how the next day was meant to play out, but it did not go quite to plan. It would turn out to be one of our greatest challenges of the climb with plenty of drama.

TO BE CONTINUED….. (Make sure you subscribe by email or RSS feed to receive the rest of the series)

If you would like to view more photos from our adventure, please go to the Corporatemonk facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/corporatemonk/58164569715

CONTINUED FROM (PART ONE) – “There is a sharp pain in my knee “, he said”  

Shane was carrying an old army injury, a knee injury that has plagued him since tearing it open on a star picket on a grenade assault course. He was in a lot a pain and the thought raced through my mind that our adventure may end as quickly as it had started.

It was always in the back of our minds that Shane’s knee could be a problem on the ‘7 Summits’. Thankfully, there is not much that can hold Shane back. He is the best mate you want by your side when the chips are down. In the mountaineering environment, with the many challenges and dangers that await us, teamwork is essential. You need to know that you can trust your team-mate with your life. Shane and I have no doubt this trust exists between us. We’ve got each other’s back covered, not just on the ‘7 Summits’ journey, but in life.

We pushed higher. Hesitantly, I said to Shane “how does the knee feel now?”.

He replied: “It is starting to feel much better the steeper the track gets”. We both had a laugh as that outcome seemed illogical – a sense of relief came over us. Shane was not out of the woods yet, but there were signs the pain in the knee was easing.

Not too far up the track we came across a group of local children, high on life. They were laughing and smiling, and only too willing to pose for a quick snap. It was obvious they had limited means, but their contentment and loyal bond as friends and family was obvious. It was a great reminder of the happiness that can be found in the small joys in life.

The track became steeper and steeper and it was not long before we were leaning forward, scrambling up the slope on all fours. There was not too much to see during this first part of the climb, the terrain was mostly dense rainforest. The rainforest thrives on Kilimanjaro between 3,300 feet and 9,000 feet.         

Mountaineering is not just the physical challenge of climbing a mountain. It is also a test of one’s mental spirit and determination. Sir Edmond Hilary coined the words “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves”. As humans, we need a sense of personal growth in our lives. Personal growth is sometimes the most obvious when you have overcome adversity, or challenged yourself and achieved a goal that we may have thought was beyond our physical or mental reach.

We had been walking for about five hours and the sun was starting to settle when we came across a clearing. Emmanuel our guide told us that this was our first camp site. We were now 9,400 feet above sea level at the Umbwe Cave camp site, a great spot for a meal and a hot brew.

We were having a look around the camp site when Emmanuel  pointed to some flattened scrub. He explained that a Jungle Leopard most likely attacked a buffalo here, taking it down the hill. Shane and I were not totally convinced, but what were we to know?  We went along with the story. Leopards are common in the dense jungle at these heights and the Swahili name for the leopard is chui chui.

It was dark and I was sitting in the outhouse when I heard the guys shout, “chui chui!”  They were only joking, just trying to scare me as I sat on the loo in complete jungle darkness. At this stage, we did not know that chui chui would be adopted as the calling sign for our team for the remainder of the expedition.

It was a beautiful night as we sat around and got to know each other better. We were miles from civilisation, sitting around a small fire on the side of the highest mountain in Africa. None of us had a worry in the world. Some people cannot understand why people embark on these adventures. But until you have, it is difficult to explain the calming and peaceful feeling that overcomes you. It is in these moments that you feel fully connected to nature and your forefathers that may have lived and hunted off the land in years gone by.

The rise of information technology and multi-media entertainment is anchoring more and more people to the lounge room or home office. As humans, we have evolved over millions of years and there is a deep inner sense of connection with nature and the sense of freedom and peace it creates within us. People are drawn to the mountains and it is not hard to see why. Climbing a mountain is the perfect way to reconnect with nature and re-test your physical and mental boundaries.

We settled in for the night and drifted off to sleep, taking in the beautiful jungle noises. Our thoughts turned to tomorrow’s tough trek to Barranco Huts, almost 13,200 feet above sea level. It was a day that would not turn out as expected.

TO BE CONTINUED….. (Make sure you subscribe by email or RSS feed to receive the rest of the series)

If you would like to view more photos from our adventure, please go to the Corporatemonk facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/corporatemonk/58164569715

The temperature was down to minus 20 when we made the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in South Africa. At almost 19,350 feet above sea level, the scene was breathtaking — a severe snowstorm and low fog had lifted like a veil to reveal the beauty and power of the mountain. It felt like we had won the trust of the mountain and earned the right to stand on the summit that day.

Shane and I hugged and congratulated each other as we stood on top of the Africa’s highest mountain. We took our summit photos as the bitter cold started to cut through our clothing like a cold knife. We were tired and exhausted, and the sun was starting to set  –  it was time to head back down.

It was two days earlier that we set off for the summit of the mighty Mt Kilimanjaro. This adventure to South Africa was one of apprehension and anxiety. Mt Kilimanjaro was our test of physical and mental strength to continue with our dream of completing the “7 Summits”. If we failed on this mountain, the dream would be over.

You never know how your body is going to react to high altitude conditions. There are many fit and mentally strong people that have succumbed to the effects of altitude sickness on Mt Kilimanjaro. Shane and I were fit and mentally strong, but did we have the genetics and physiology for high altitude climbing? Only time would tell.

On our first day, we made a cracking pace as we headed up the Umbwe Route. It was 1.30pm as we made our way towards our first camp site at 9,350 feet with our guide and small support team. The Umbwe Route is steep and the terrain is difficult – it is one of the most challenging routes up the mountain. Our starting elevation was 4,500 feet, and our packs weighed just over 25kg. The track was wide with little incline, but this was soon going to change. Our spirits were high, but butterflies filled our stomach as we thought about the journey that lay ahead.

Shane and I have shared many adventures as soldiers in the Australian’s Elite Paratrooper Regiment. This was our first major adventure together since our military service. As we headed off, my thoughts drifted back to when we both served in the Army. Our packs felt just as heavy, and we had some challenging walking in front of us, but this time it was very different. We were free of the soldier “fighting” mentality, and we were not carrying weapons and searching for the enemy. We were there – free – as best mates to absorb the magnificent beauty of this mountain. Our only shooting device was a camera. Sure, it was going to be challenging, but the challenge was now on our terms, not the army’s.

As we headed up the track, it became gradually steeper and steeper. I looked across at Shane and a look of pain came over his face. I said “mate, what’s wrong”?

“There is a sharp pain in my knee “, he said”

Shane was carrying an old army injury, a knee injury that has plagued him since tearing it open on a star picket on a grenade assault course. I could see he was in a lot a pain and the thought raced through my mind that our adventure may end as quickly as it stated.

TO BE CONTINUED…..(Make sure you subscribe by email or RSS feed to follow the rest of the series)

If you would like to view more photos from our adventure, please go to the Corporatemonk facebook page http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/corporatemonk/58164569715

Mt Aconcagua (21,955ft) - South America

Mt Elbrus (18,510ft) - Russia

Shane and I have planned our next expedition which is in the final stages of implementation. This next expedition is the next stage of our “7 Summits Challenge” 

We spoke on the phone a few nights ago, and we both had a chuckle and shook our heads on the challenge we have set ourselves.

In the end, we resolved that we have never done anything in our lives in halves, so why would we start now?

Our next expedition in March 2010 will involve climbing two of the 7 Summits Mountains in one expedition of 5 weeks. Our adventure will take us to Mendoza in South America to climb the 21,955 foot high Mt Aconcagua. We will then fly over to Caucasus in Russia to climb Mt Elbrus which stands 18,510 feet high. In 5 weeks, we will have climbed a vertical elevation of 40,465 feet.  

The climb of Aconcagua is remote and will take just over 3 weeks. Mules and horses will be used to carry equipment and supplies to our base camp. Given its height of just under 22,000 feet, acclimatisation will be important factor in a successful summit.

The climb of Mt Elbrus is different to Aconcagua. Given that it will be the start of the climbing season in April, the mountain will be covered with plenty of snow and ice. Crampons will be required for the accent to the summit. Given that we will already be well acclimatised from our accent of Aconcagua, we should be well adjusted to the effects of altitude.

On this expedition, we are supporting and raising funds for the Enough is Enough Charity Foundation in Australia, as well as the Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney Australia.  Both Shane and I love children and would do whatever we could to help them. Many of us are lucky to have avoided illness and injury as a child, as well the children in our immediate families……but many are not so lucky. Courageous children battle with illness or injury every day, but at least with all our support, it sends the message that they are not facing their battles alone and receive the best care. 

You can make donations to support the children at the following website:

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/corporatemonk  

The Enough is Enough charity and its cause has a personal attachment, as my sister who was aged 12 was knocked off her bike and killed by a drunk driver. Enough is Enough performs work in educating the public on the dangers of drink-driving, but they also offer counselling and support services to families that have had loved ones killed in road trauma incidents. They also have fantastic social projects to prevent schoolyard bullying, and to help juveniles in corrective facilities to rehabilitate and establish themselves back into the social community.

Please find out more about the Enough is Enough Charity Organisation at the following link:

http://www.enoughisenough.org.au

To make a donation to this worthwhile cause, please follow this link:

 http://www.enoughisenough.org.au/help/

After our 3-day summit of Mt Kilimanjaro up the Umbwe Route, we thought it necessary to continue to test our fitness and mental resolve. We are going to need all our fitness and mental resolve as we work our way up to climbing the mighty Mt Everest, which stands at a height of 8850m. Doing two high altitude mountains in the one trip will test our fitness and physiology in preparation to climb Mt Everest.

Our fitness training never stops, but it has started to intensify as we understand the magnitude of the challenge that lay ahead in the next 12 months. The great Sir Edmund Hillary said “It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves”. I would have to agree with that statement as each time Shane and I climb, it is not the mountain we are conquering, but we are challenging our own character and mental resolve. 

I believe that everyone has inside them the power and ability to achieve whatever they want in life and to fulfill their dreams. It may take some soul-searching and digging around inside, but believe me, the potential is there.  

'Mates on an Adventure of a Lifetime'