Island Peak: Summit and $25,000++ for Alzheimer’s!

What a short journey this has been!! Kami and I summited Island Peak around 10 am on October 21, 2018 but what I will remember more is that YOU donated over $25,000 to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

I often say that you never know which donation will fund the breakthrough that solves this conundrum. The Crowdrise site is now at $16,275 BEFORE the $10,000 match from Jim and Carol Beers thus taking the overall donations to $26,275 exceeding the stretch goal of $25K.

If I never climb again, this is the way to go out.

Speaking of climbing, I will do a complete report soon but all I can say is that Imja Tse exceeded my expectations. There was more rock, more “glacier” and more “headwall” than I anticipated. Diane already hinted at my respiratory issues and yes, once again, my lungs said no to anything above 18,000-feet. For those interested, I’ll go into detail later but suffice it to say, this summit was a real “push”.

What drove me? Again, more later after I’ve had some time to process but I’ve learned in these situations to ask myself three questions:

• Is this hard or impossible?
• Am I hurt or just hurting?
• There are a 1,000 reason to turn back and only 1 to keep going. What is the one?

As I stood stationary, crampons dug into the snow on the headwall, I went into an out of body experience pondering these three questions. Needless to say, I took another step higher; Kami just behind. I had written in a previous blog that I had unanswered questions after my Twin Sisters event last year, as well as Lhotse in 2015.

Thanks to the miracle of satellite phones, I “phoned a friend”, and my wife, Diane, at key moments to seek advice and support. Without Jim, Di and of course Kami, I would not have summited. – full stop.

Without getting too introspective, my life has provided me with many lessons through great and sometimes, not so great experiences. I will get to the “so-what” in the final trip report, however I drew upon these life lessons on Island Peak.

Let me end this here and add a few pictures of the summit push.

Again, thank you so so much for supporting research to prevent, slow, stop or reverse Alzheimer’s. After all creating and remembering our life’s experiences is what it is all about.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Can we break $30,000???

Please consider a donation to wrap-up this October 2018 event. For those in the US, your donation is tax deductible as it goes directly to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.