Mounts Jefferson & Washington - Part 2

By Isabelle Privé

Here's the second part of my article about our weekend on Mounts Jefferson and Washington.

Last night, after a huge meal, a lot of laughter and some great beer, we walked to the lodge at the foot of Mount Washington, ready for an early start. A quick shower then bed!

I'm up at 6h30 and join the others in the dining-room where a good breakfast awaits us. I realise that I'm not the only one to have discovered new muscles!

We're all a bit anxious as we still feel tired from yesterday. Although Mathieu our leader told us that the climb would be " less technical" than Mount Jefferson, I have a feeling "less technical" doesn't necessarily mean "easier".

Whatever .... we're off!

After walking for 10 minutes, we start to climb. Up and up and up! After a few hours, I start hearing  muttering.... "I'm sick of climbing"...."Me too".... "I thought it was supposed to be easier"......"Sure"....

Happily, a few minutes later, we come on an incredible panorama!

Another half hour and it's the lunch break. What a magnificent view. Honestly, when you see all that, you feel privileged to be able to experience it with your friends.

Off again!

We take a rocky path, often on the edge of a precipice. We're still climbing but the path isn't as steep as Mount Jefferson. Our goal isn't to reach the top but, rather, to go round the ravine then come down. Nevertheless, it's a much longer hike than yesterday.

The sky is beginning to cloud over. Never mind, we're prepared, with our "Goretex" coats and pants. We're cheerful and optimistic. All is well.

Suddenly we come on an area covered with little piles of stones left by other hikers over the years. They're everywhere - it's magnificent. Yet again the scenery enchants us.

Then I hear... "I just felt a spot of rain"...."Me too" from someone else.

We don't have time to say any more before the rain pelts down.  A real cloud burst! No time to put on our coats or pants. The wind has got up and buffets us mercilessly. In no time at all, my boots are full of water. The wind is so strong that we can't tell if it's rain or hail that's stinging our faces.

Important lesson: raincoats and pants should be easily accessible!

Mathieu doesn't hesitate and decides to turn back as we're on a part of the mountain that can be dangerous in bad conditions.

When the rain stops, we rest long enough to dry ourselves a bit, change our socks and put on a tuque (yes, a tuque) because the wind is strong and it's cold.

We take a shorter route for the return. Shorter also means steeper than the ascent and, unlike yesterday, the rocks are wet and much more difficult to negotiate.

We descend for about a kilometer, in groups of 4-5 again. We encourage, help and wait for each other and laugh in spite of everything, But we're finding it really hard.

At last, we get to more level ground along a dried-up river bed. We still have to be very careful on the large stones that go on for 5 km.

Personally, I find this part of our return harder than anything that went before. My muscles have had enough and my feet are so sore.

We're aching all over and the route seems endless. It's going on forever. The only thing that keeps me going is the company of my team-mates. I know I'm not alone. Special thanks to Lucie who sticks with me right to the end. And thanks to André who finds a spring to fill my water bottle.

I'm not ashamed to say that I broke down when I saw my friends who had arrived at the bottom already and were there to welcome us. The tears were spontaneous. Tears of exhaustion, of pride and of relief to have reached the end.

The second day was long.... and very wearing! But so very rewarding as well.

Later, Mathieu confided that we had just experienced something similar to the long days of walking that we'll be doing on Kilimanjaro.

Our adventure ended with another feast with the gang in a restaurant. We've passed our hardest test. Another successful step before the great adventure. The last important step before getting the plane to Tanzania.

I'm so happy to have been fortunate enough to have this experience and to have pushed myself beyond anything I thought possible. To have confronted my fears and to have surmounted them. To have seen such extraordinary scenery. And especially to have done it with my friends.

Kilimanjaro... here we come!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Mounts Jefferson and Washington - what an adventure! Part 1

By Isabelle Privé

We're now 50 days away from the great adventure.

I want to tell you about our weekend up Mounts Jefferson and Washington and, as I have lots to say, my article will be in two parts.



Climbing Mounts Jefferson and Washington two weeks ago was a test of endurance and mental and physical strength amid breathtaking scenery.

Up at 3h30 am to be ready for my lift to the meeting point. Everybody's there! Hugs all round. The whole gang together at last. Yes! Even Nadine is with us after a long convalescence following her knee surgery in January. Let's go Wong!

We leave in a procession of 6 cars - the journey begins.
We've known about this trip for over a year.

An hour's wait at customs - a drawback of going to the USA.

So, we get to Mount Jefferson at 11h00 and we're ready to set off.
Personally, I've no idea what's in store. Only one thing to say - it's steep! Very steep!

Mount Jefferson tests our muscles to the limit. I think about my trainers Hermann and Dany who made me suffer through boot camp and interval running and I'm so grateful because my muscles hurt so badly, worse and worse and, when I look ahead, I realise there's still a very long way to go. I'm pleased with myself too for training so hard and always pushing myself to do more. Learning to live with burning muscles and learning to trust your body has turned out to be a valuable lesson.

The mental challenge is just as daunting. When there are no more trees and you have to climb rocky mountain slopes. Our walking poles are no use and we have to depend on our hands and feet. You have to relax, breath and stay concentrated as you can always slip. You have to resist the instinct to look back and imagining what would happen if you fell.

Fortunately all that is offset by magic moments when you are absorbed by the beauty of the scenery - the Appalachians as far as you can see. You feel completely one with nature, with the beauty of the universe. It still gives me goose bumps!

On we go! Burning muscles. Concentrate. One step at a time. Another psychological hurdle: the mountain doesn't go up in a straight line with the summit always in sight. You think you see the summit - get that far and it's over. But -  as soon as you get there, there's another one. I think Mount Jefferson had 4 summits! Each time I had to dig deeper to find the energy to carry on.

Another thing I learn: you can actually talk to your muscles! Really! At the 3rd summit, my muscles have been telling me for a good hour that they can't go on any longer. I then realise that there's a 4th summit and maybe more after. So I get mad and say to my muscles "Just shut up and move!" Well, I could swear that all the pain went away. I believe that's what sportsmen call breaking through the wall. And that's how I got through mine.

At last  - the final summit! What joy! What pride! All the pain, the fear, the exhaustion are forgotten!
Victory!

Then you remember you have to come down again. Ouch!

If the ascent was difficult, the descent is just as bad. Perfect concentration is needed just to keep your balance on the rocks. Every ounce of strength and agility is essential for climbing from one rock to another all the way down.

That's when the collective strength of the team comes into play. We're in small groups of 2, 3 or 4. We encourage each other, saying that no-one is alone. We try not to show our exhaustion, knowing that everybody's just as tired. We laugh to take our mind off things, we encourage and support each other. I don't know why but the way back seems so much longer that the outward climb.

Finally - we're down! It's about 6 pm. We collapse and take off our boots. Oh for some flip-flops!

Next up - food!

Honestly, the best beer in the world is the one you drink after a day up a mountain.

That was just our first day. Mount Washington is still to come.......

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Countdown - 4 Months!

By Isabelle Privé


That's right! Only 4 months to go! The time is really flying! Our preparations, fund-raising, volunteer work and training have been going on for 14 months already and we're more motivated than ever to carry on till we reach (we hope) the top of Kilimanjaro.

Volunteer work

On Saturday April 28th, six girls from the team met up to participate, with over 1000 runners, in the second edition of the 5 km ARATED-M  Autism Marathon. Socializing and raising awareness about autism and PDD (pervasive developmental disorder) were the order of the day. The team is always proud to participate in these activities and to encourage the organizers who are so devoted to their different causes. Our next volunteer activities: Accueil Bonneau on May 6th, the Dystrowalk on May 12th and Relais Pour la Vie in Deux-Montagnes on June 1st.

Training

We are persevering with individual and group training. Some are sticking religiously to their weekly Sunday stair-climbing on Mont-Royal (Keep it up, Richard!). For others, it's jogging, boxing, boot camp, stairs, cycling, kung-fu, ellipticals, mountain trekking - anything goes if it helps to improve fitness and get us up Kilimanjaro! We are at the most intensive stage of our training and we're accomplishing a lot of steps on the way to the summit!



Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Kili-2012 Stair Challenge - 4000 Stories by September!

By Isabelle Privé

Preparing to climb Africa's highest mountain means persistent training and unflinching motivation. I don't know about you but, for me, maintaining motivation isn't easy. That's why I've launched a challenge for Team Kili-2012.

How did I get the idea? Last autumn, at the office, several members of the team took part in the SCD stair-climbing challenge - climbing 600 stories in teams of 4 in 10 days.  We took up the challenge enthusiastically. One Kili team even managed 4000 stories!

We all thought it would be a good idea to carry on with the activity afterwards and we found that it was relatively easy to climb 20 to 30 stories a day. So I got to calculating. With the number of weeks' training left before leaving for Kilimanjaro, and counting about 30 stories a day, now many stories could we climb in that time?  The answer was 4000 stories per person!

That's all it took to put the challenge to my fellow team members. After all, stair-climbing is one of the best exercises available before mountain-climbing. And as Team Kili-2012 is always ready to do things differently and take on new challenges, 10 members answered the call. So 11 of us will be counting our steps and accumulating stories until August 31st. The objective: 4000 stories per person between February 6 and August 31 2012.

For the sake of the challenge, everything counts - stairs at home, at work, in the Metro, on Mont-Royal.  Every 20 steps count for a story. If you work it out, by taking the stairs all the time, it's easy to do 15 - 30 stories a day!

We started on Monday and, already, we've found all sorts of ways to make it add up. Thanks to everyone who's signed on to this crazy project. Another step on the way to the summit!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

A Weekend Outdoors!!!

By Isabelle Privé

                                          "Snowshoes, Port and Chocolate" at Ste-Adèle

That's right - another Team Kili-2012 adventure, preparing for the big adventure of September 3rd. As we all have our -30 degrees sleeping bags, we decided to put ourselves to the test over the weekend to see how we'd cope with cold and fatigue.

So, this was our plan - meet at Sylvain and Janie's chalet on Saturday morning for a mountain snowshoe trek; spaghetti supper; another snowshoe outing in the evening; return to the chalet, then sleep outside! Sunday: get up at 7 am, typical Kilimanjaro breakfast, return to Montreal for our regular training session on Mont-Royal.

Talk about client satisfaction! Our daytime snowshoe outing was a joy. Just 5 minutes from the chalet, we found marvellous mountain tracks with fairytale scenery, sunshine and ... Lucie who was rather hot!!

After snowshoeing 7km, we returned to the chalet to pitch our tents ready for the night. Some of us put up tents and others built an igloo - yes, an igloo! It was hilarious, trying to set up tents in 2 feet of snow (supposedly firm) but - we sank, made a lot of holes and laughed ........

Followed by supper - mmmmm - spaghetti sauce made by mixing several home-made offerings - it was the best in town! By then we were just about dead but we still had to go on another snowshoe trek with the group from Eco Aventure Monde for the activity called "Snowshoes, Port and Chocolate". This meant getting back into our boots which were still damp from the previous trek, then piling into our cars en route for Ste-Adèle.

It was absolutely magical, snowshoeing in the dark, on a 3 km path marked by little red lamps.  We had our own head lamps but didn't need them as the snow was bright enough to show up the path perfectly. We ended up all together around a camp fire with a glass of port and chocolates. Pure bliss!

Then came the time to return to the chalet and go to bed in our tents. Well, we can't really say we were very enthusiastic about sleeping outside at -10 degrees. One group was in the igloo, another in the family tent. The problem was that it wasn't really a tent made for the winter and it was windy - very windy!

Did we sleep well? - NO!! Were we cold? - YES!! Did we nearly die laughing? - YEEES!
Ever tried taking off your coat inside a sleeping bag? I hadn't either. Then there were the ground mattresses - excellent, if they hadn't been so narrow. The "mummy" type sleeping bags needed some getting used to, not to mention the tuque that wouldn't stay on, the head lamp that was always round your neck, the need for a comfort stop and snow getting inside the tent. Nobody had an alarm clock but, strange to say, everybody got up at the same time!!

Breakfast was the same as we'll be getting on Kilimanjaro - eggs, toast, porridge, instant coffee, tea, bananas and honey.

Then, after only a few hours sleep and feeling the effects of the previous day, we were back in our cars and on the way to Mont-Royal for our training session with Mathieu. On the programme -  up 254 steps to the top, a warm-up walk, then 10 times up and down the 254 steps. Help!!!

A very tough weekend but we learnt that, just being together, we were so much stronger. I don't think any one of us would have been able to do all that alone because you'd get discouraged so quickly. When you're with others, you see that everyone is as cold as you, as tired as you and you feel you haven't the right to give up. You just carry on. The same thing for Mont-Royal - you see that everyone has as much pain as you and if they can go on, so can you. It's true, as part of a team, everyone can reach a higher level. You learn that you can stand a lot more hardship than you thought.

Another step on the way to the summit!

Bravo everyone!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

First Mont-Royal Training Session - Ouch!!!

By Isabelle Privé

.







Last Sunday was the first of a series of 11 training sessions on Mont-Royal with our Expé partner-guide, Mathieu Fleury.

Ouf..... that should be ouch!!! After an hour walking on the mountain paths, we started a series of going up and down the stairs leading to the top.

We practised the "rest-step" technique, stopping on each step, but with a difference - we had to take 2 steps at a time for muscle work! Next came a "normal" climb - 1 step at a time. The aim was to do a series of 10 climbs. After that, I must admit, my poor legs were shaking with fatigue but we still had to do a last climb - running!!!

With Sunday's extreme cold, we had our first experience in getting used to our equipment. Removing layers of clothing when you're hot, to prevent humidity accumulating, putting them on again when you stop, glasses steaming up, water bottle freezing, changing socks so your feet won't freeze.

It was a very good group activity to start the year with. It made us realize just how much work still needs to be done before Kilimanjaro.

In spite of the cold, we weren't alone on the mountain by any means. We shared it with a community of very fit people who were snow-shoeing, cross-country skiing and jogging. I was really impressed by the joggers on the stairs!

We certainly appreciated "breaking the ice" like that. We're now more motivated than ever to continue!

Another step on the way to the summit!

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

January - Back to Work Again

By Isabelle Privé

2012 has come at last, bringing a new sense of purpose to the team.

After a well deserved break for the holidays, after family reunions, good food and champagne, it's back to the drawing board!

The count down has started! Now and for the next 9 months, we'll be increasing the intensity of our training. In January, and every second Sunday, we start a series of sessions on Mont Royal with Mathieu. We have to improve our cardio-vascular capacity as much as possible to be able to recuperate efficiently during the climb. Muscle strengthening is important too, to ensure that we can produce the required effort for climbing while supporting the weight of a back-pack.

As adapting to the altitude will make sleep difficult, intensive training is essential for keeping going, day after day, and reaching the summit.

For some of us, it's the gym, for some it's training alone, for others it's in a group. Some climb stairs, others run, walk, weight-lift or do abs. Any excuse serves for training and getting fit for our expedition.

A special thought for Nathalie who has injured her knee and has to undergo surgery in January. She's a great example of perseverance and courage. She could easily have given up on the adventure as many of us would have done. But no - she's determined to have the operation as soon as possible and get back in shape in time to leave with the gang.
                                                     

.. Personally, Nadine, if I ever get fed up with training, I'll think of you, then I'll just shut up and carry on.

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Hiking on Mont Brassard

By Isabelle Privé

On Saturday, October 15, Team Kili-2012 got together on Mont Brassard which is in the Sept Chutes Regional Park, Lanaudière.

Environment Canada forecast 13 degrees, rain and winds gusting up to 70 km/hour. A perfect test for us and our equipment.

And what a day we had! Wind and rain. We even had hail. Put your hands together for Mother Nature for providing perfect conditions to challenge us. Put on your hat and gloves, take them off again, take off your jacket .....oops, put it on again, it's raining. We can't stop for long - when you're walking you get hot, when you stop, you freeze. Watch out for puddles, be careful where you put your feet.

The great thing about a day like this - the wonderful surprises. A ray of sunshine; a family of grey jays eating out of our hands; breathtaking views; laughter; helping each other; the satisfaction of succeeding. And last but not least - a good supper together afterwards.

Thanks to Julie for introducing us to this magnificent mountain which surprises us at each bend in the path with its views, its waterfalls and its lakes.

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

An Unforgettable Race

By Isabelle Privé

What a day we had last Sunday when several Team Kili-2012 members, ex members and friends ran the Montreal 10 km Marathon.

We all had to outdo ourselves and overcome obstacles. Only 2 months ago, André told me that he just couldn't run for long. Not only did he run the 10 km but he's now hooked on jogging!

Rosanna's challenge was to run 10 km without walking! She started by running 10 minutes, then 20, then 30 and, finally, a very proud woman passed the finish line saying "I did it, even if it was hard, I never stopped".

Manon too surpassed herself. The day before, she wondered why on earth she had signed up for the 10 km. Well, she succeeded brilliantly.

Nathalie was quite overcome with pride and satisfaction when she reached the finishing line and I'll never forget how her face lit up.

As for me, in the space of an hour, I think I went through all the emotions. Pleasure at seeing thousands of people in the streets. Doubt, when I felt a pain in my knee in the middle of the race. Fear that I wouldn't finish, telling myself repeatedly to keep going a little further, not to give up. Exhaustion when the end is in sight and you think you can't run another step. The final sprint which takes all you've got. And, finally, the joy, the immense joy at having succeeded, at having finished, at having beaten my personal best. And the happiness in seeing your friends finishing too!

We'll never forget our feelings that day. And now? Well, 3 days later, my friends had a little jog during their lunch hour. Our friend Sylvie who walked her first race has taken up jogging. Next year, she wants to run!

That's the magic of getting caught up in physical activity and fitness. It's catching! You can be sure we'll go on spreading the Good News.

Team Kili-2012 would like to offer their deepest sympathy to the family of the athlete who died during the demi-marathon on Sunday. Our thoughts are with you. We must make the most of each moment. Who knows what life has in store for us.

*****

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Mont Tremblant - Photos

By André Lachapelle

Here are a few photos of our climb up Mont Tremblant last weekend.

Click on: ce lien


As you can see, our training has really started and this, our first excursion, helped to make it all seem real.


Thanks to our project leader, Mathieu, from  Ex-Pé,  for the photos.


Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Breaking the Ice

By Andre Lachapelle 

It was our ice breaker this weekend. We faced Mont-Tremblant. For me, the day before I finally committed. I went to buy a pair of boots and walking sticks. Voila! I have some of my equipment now.

Then we hit the road. We were at Sylvain's by 9:00am. Then, in three cars, we left for Mont-Tremblant.

We met our guide Mathieu in the parking lot. Mathieu is The Main One who will take us to the summit of Kilimanjaro. He made a short presentation on the essential material to have when mountain hiking.

First stage, going through the village. Nothing too difficult there if it wasn't for the delicious smell of the restaurants. Good steaks cooking on the grills, I thought of the meager sandwich in my bag ... Oh well! It's for a good cause.

We took four hours to reach the top. And two hours to descend. We took our time. We wanted to stay together. A united group. And that's what struck me. Complete agreement, without talking about it beforehand. We all conveyed a sense of community. It was really inspiring. I didn't expect this kind of team behavior on our first outing. This is something that normally develops over time I think. However we had it - straight away. What a great team we are!

And what to say about the ascent. Laughter at every turn! Really, we laughed ourselves to tears.

It is often said that walking the path is as important as achieving the goal. While our goal is to climb Kilimanjaro, our training (such as Mont Tremblant) is the path that leads towards this goal. I already learnt a lesson on Mont-Tremblant walking the path. You see, I'm the kind of person who will try once. 

If I fail, I will try again.  If I fail again, I'll say "the hell with it" and I'll move on.

But not Carmen. Carmen never flinched on Saturday. In any case, if she thought about quitting, it didn't show. What strength of character! What struck me most was that, at the top, she arrived at the cottage ... with a big smile! Against all the odds and the elements (it was raining cats and dogs on our heads), Carmen arrived smiling! She was smiling!

Well, what a lesson! In life, in the face of adversity. Again and again to continue without flinching. And in silence. And above all. With a smile!

Carmen thank you for this wonderful lesson of life. I will remember it.

Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Mont Tremblant Tomorrow...

By André Lachapelle

Tomorrow's the big day - our first team excursion.
On the menu: Mont Tremblant.

Although I've been there often, this is the first time I've faced the mountain in trekking mode.
I've got somewhat mixed feelings - some excitement and some apprehension. As usual, I'm not ready. I still haven't bought my boots, I have no suitable clothing and no walking poles. Nothing!


If Manon was here, she'd be sure to have something to say about it. She's gets so exasperated by my procrastinating tendencies ...... Happy Holidays, Manon......looking forward to seeing you soon....:-)
As for me, I'll manage somehow....




Translated by Pamela Gauvin

Health

By Isabelle Privé:

We joined the Kilimanjaro adventure to live an extraordinary experience but we also wanted to promote good health.

Being in good health means respecting one's body. Feeding it properly and asking it to improve every day is the bottom line. Illness caused by an unhealthy life-style is the curse of our times. In a world of junk food, sedentary work and the latest technology, physical activity and a healthy diet become essential and are the only way to good health. We realize that it takes an effort each day to make the right decisions about food and to get up and move.

Evidently, it's not always easy to choose "good food" over fast food that's cheap and enticing. It's a challenge to read the labels, get enough protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates in varied meals every single day.

It's not necessarily easy to pick up your bag and go to the gym, go for a run or exercise at home, especially when you work, have children and supper to cook, when you're tired and the TV is near.

Neither is it easy to push yourself always further with the training to ensure good results.
So, why do we bother? Because, at the end of the day, it's worthwhile. Because we feel better for it, because it both calms us down and gives us more energy.  Because we end up feeling proud of ourselves and  having more self-confidence. Because it keeps us healthy.

It's like climbing a mountain. One step at a time, bit by bit. Maybe wondering sometimes why you're doing it but always proud to have done it.

From time to time, we'll be introducing our team members to you. You'll meet people who, at some point in their lives, decided to put their health first. We hope that our story will inspire you to start on the road to health and to persevere in your efforts.

Translated by Pamela Gauvin