Together on Top

Fountain of Youth in the Mountains

2012-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, we trekked into Everest base camp. John Dahlem, Phil’s client and our good friend, was on the IMG expedition to climb Everest with his son, Ryan. We celebrated Ryan’s 40^th birthday while on the trek. Yes, John is in his 6^th decade. Can you imagine the sense of accomplishment when John reached the summit of Everest with his son? Then, they went on to climb the Seven Summits together, the highest mountain on each continent.

John is proof that staying in shape really can help us reach our dreams, at any age.

On Top with Your Team!

2012-01-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

Phil just called from Ecuador, he led his team successfully to the summit of Cotopaxi last night. He brought back such great memories of the first time we climbed Cotopaxi together in 1997. One of the huge benefits of climbing, that great feeling of achievement when you stand on top with your team and friends!

The Ascent

2012-01-10T16:33:00.000-08:00

Preparing for my next keynote in Atlanta. A high performing corporation has tied their annual leadership meeting theme, "The Ascent", to the climbing world. Climbing the world's high mountains allows for the perfect parallels to reaching top performance in business and in life. It takes the same stuff!

Climb Every Mountain...til you reach your dream!

2012-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

The first song on my IPod during our Rainier hikes this weekend was Climb Every Mountain, (just prior to Katy Perry). Life can change in a minute. As most of you know, last weekend Margaret Anderson, a park ranger on Rainier, was fatally shot in a senseless attack. I did not know Margaret but from what I read her relatives said she was living her dream. She was only 34 years old. I thought about her continuously while hiking. She is an inspiration. During our time on earth, I hope we can all say we lived our dream.

Tonight, we attended the community vigil in her honor; our thoughts are with Margaret’s family.

Finish Strong

2011-12-31T16:45:00.000-08:00

Every year we like to end the year with a hike and start the New Year with another. Today, the Eagle Peak trail on Rainier was beautiful with lots of sun, new snow and incredible views of Mt. Rainier.

Wishing you a wonderful New Years eve!

Those who come before us...

2011-11-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Those who come before us help pave the way to the top. Recently my friends and I hiked on Rainier. Last weekend, no snow. This weekend, quite the snow cover. Kicking steps to the ridge was fun, but slows one down a bit. About half way up, a big Elk had used our hiking trail to climb to the ridge at 5,700'. So, we used his hoof prints all the way to the top. We never saw him, but we sure liked him!

Hiking the Oregon Coast

2011-10-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

While hiking Neahkahnie Mountain Trail, you can enjoy such wonderful views of the Oregon coast. Living in the Northwest is simply beautiful! I guess this is why we can endure the rainy months.

Run with the Bears!

2011-10-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

If you are into animals, here is a great goal for 2012. Run Wild is a 5K & 8K race at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, http://www.nwtrek.org/. How many times do we have the opportunity to run next to Grizzly Bears, Wolves and Cougars, oh my.

Next Keynote - Women's Wellness Luncheon

2011-10-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Next week, 800 caring people will attend Swedish Medical Center's Women's Wellness Luncheon. I will be the keynote, October 11 at noon at the Seattle Westin. This benefit event raises funds for caner research. We would love for you to join us, click here for more information: http://www.swedishfoundation.org/wwl

The Last Climb

2011-10-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Rainier Climbing season comes to an end. IMG guides, Phil's company, led their last Mt. Rainier climb of 2011 this past week. On the first day of fall, Phil and I made our last hike of the season to Muir (10,000') on Rainier. A bit breezy but a beautiful fall day. While fall and winter approaches, we are off to climb internationally, it is always summer somewhere in the world!

(Photo courtesy of our climbing buddy Trent Carey)

This Week's Event

2011-09-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Preparing for a large association keynote in Seattle. No planes, no hotels, all good.
The client’s theme: Unite. Build. Flourish. Together we are stronger than when we act independently. We can learn so much from our clients.

Vegas

2011-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Heading to Vegas for a client event. Their theme; "Success is a Choice not a Gamble".
Happy Labor Day!

Mt. Rainier 20th Climb

2011-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at 8:00 am, Phil and I stood on the summit of Rainier again together. A beautiful clear summit morning. I have a goal to summit Rainier once for every year I have known Phil. So this makes 20. Every time I am humbled by Phil's Rainier summits, he now has 444!

As we walked down, we met up with a ton of people we know and great guide friends all while viewing the blue sky, snow, and then wild flowers. I almost forgot about the heavy pack. This is a tough sport; carrying a heavy pack, climbing all night, and feeling the effects of altitude. But the harder the work and pain the higher the reward and fullfillment. I guess this means to be really happy we must hurt first.

Summer Vacation Nepal

2011-07-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

As you may know, because of my travels to the Himalayas, I have a great love for the mountains and people of the region. To give something back, for several years now I have been working with American Himalayan Foundation in support of the “Stop Girl Trafficking” project. I feel passionate about Stop Girl Trafficking and am committed to stopping it.

The program provides scholarship money to Nepali girls for books, uniforms and transportation. While in Nepal recently, Phil and I had an opportunity to visit with several young women who have been receiving scholarships to stay in school and continue their education. We met an amazing group of young ladies who told us how the program has helped change their lives. They were confident, poised, articulate and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to simply go to school. What we saw was a program which works.

“Upwards of 20,000 girls from the poorest parts of Nepal are trafficked every year - sold by their desperate parents or lured by the false promises of traffickers. These girls, sometimes as young as nine, end up in brothels where they become slaves. Many are HIV positive within two years, and are dead before they are out of their teens.
Our approach to combating this modern-day slavery is simple and surprisingly effective: education.” American Himalayan Foundation

Will you join us in our efforts to provide young Nepali Girls at risk with an education and stop the problem at its source. I hope you will join us by simply clicking the link below and making a gift. Your investment can ensure that one less girl is at risk of being trafficked.

Stop Girl Trafficking -- American Himalayan Foundation

Thank you,

Sue

New Speaking Video

2011-06-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Watch my new promotional speaking video!

Mountaineering Legend Passes Away

2011-04-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Easter morning, we received an email from the family of famed mountaineer, Nawang Gombu, letting us know that he had passed away. Gombu was Jim Whittaker’s partner when they climbed Mt. Everest together in 1963 and he returned in 1965 with an Indian expedition, becoming the first man to summit Everest TWICE.

I first met Gombu nearly 20 years ago when I began climbing. He and my husband, Phil, were close friends and shared many expeditions together. When I was training to climb Mt. Everest, I asked Gombu his opinion on whether or not I had what it takes. He gave me a Thangka, which still hangs on my office door today, and looked me in the eye and assured me that I would be successful. I was not so sure at the time, but his words of encouragement helped provide me that extra confidence.

Gombu had a huge heart and even with his incredible accomplishments was the most humble man I have ever met. Those who knew him will remember a kind spirit, a powerful mountain climber and simply a great friend.

The mountaineering world has lost a true icon.

Going Over the Edge for Special Olympics

2010-09-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Special Olympics of Washington provides special athletes with a mountain for which to strive. Many of these athletes train all year to compete and face huge obstacles yet by competing they gain increased confidence to go on and climb other mountains in their future. It was an honor going Over the Edge of 41 stories on their behalf.

Going Over the Edge for Special Olympics!

2010-08-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you are downtown Seattle on Friday, August 13 at 3:00 pm, Look Up! We are honored to be supporting the Special Olympics of Washington and special athletes in preparing to climb their next mountain. The rappel takes place at the Rainier Tower. I am a bit anxious about stepping over the edge of a 41 story building, but this is nothing compared to the obstacles many of these special athletes have overcome. To learn more: http://tinyurl.com/388cemn.

500 Summits of Rainier, You've got to be Kidding!

2010-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Base of Mt. Rainier

It felt like winter in July. We experienced cold temps, wind, snow blowing at us and nearby lightening strikes, yet, on Saturday, July 31 at 6:00 a.m. we walked up onto the summit of Rainier, 14,411’, with George Dunn. And yes, he became the first person to reach the summit 500 times!

What an inspiration, but let’s back up.

To prepare, I had not been hiking much so one evening while walking along the shores of Lake Washington in almost 90 degree temps, I had to ask myself several times, do you really want to hike to Muir, (10,000’ on Rainier)? In this sport the best prep is to do what you are going to do. So, at 9:30 pm I jumped in the car and headed for Paradise.

Summit of Mt. Rainier

The lodge and parking lot at the base of Rainier is called Paradise for a reason. There truly is something magical about this place. Deer grazed in the wilderness on the side of the road in the old-growth forest and as I approached Paradise at midnight the sky opened up displaying a zillion stars. After hiking a few hours the next day to Muir in the beautiful sunshine on the snow covered route and seeing so many old friends, it was definitely the right decision.

Crevasse Crossing

What an experience, this weekend I had the privilege of climbing with three climbing legends. George first climbed Rainier in high school in the late 60s. After years of guiding he achieved his 500^th summit. Eric Simonson was with us, another stellar guide, he has 283 summits of Rainier and of course my husband Phil, who has achieved the second-most Rainier summits reaching his 440^th. These three partners in International Mountain Guides, http://www.MountainGuides.com, have collectively reached the summit of Rainier, 1,223 times. I am so inspired.

Two of the most important members of our climbing party were Nancy, George’s wife, and Jeremy, his 16-year-old son, making his first summit. (George’s other son, Jimmy, has reached the summit twice). The Dunn’s are a great example of how a family can experience the treasures of life together.

I just achieved my 19^th summit of Rainier. I know it pales in comparison to my team, though it is special to me because this is the same number of years I have known Phil.

George and Family 500th

All photos courtesy of Eric Simonson

Everest Base Camp Conclusion

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

7,000 Girls in Nepal

This concludes our Everest base camp trek, we hope you enjoyed the journey.

Years ago, I wanted to give back to Nepal and have been supporting the American Himalayan Foundation RHEST program ever since. One of the reasons we decided to participate on this trek was an opportunity to meet the leadership of this program. So while in Kathmandu, I had the honor of meeting Dr. Aruna Uprety, the program founder, and Bruce Moore of AHF.

The best way to describe the program is through their program overview (access link below). To summarize, illiteracy is wide spread in rural Nepal. Too often young girls are at great risk and sold by their desperately poor families to sex traffickers who take the girls to brothels in another country. This program keeps 7,000 girls in school who would otherwise not have the opportunity, and they have not lost one girl to trafficking. The program supports girls from 7-8 years old through their high school years.

Recently, they asked some of the girls how will your life be different from your mother's? One girls response: "I can sign my name versus using my thumbprint as my signature."

If you are interested in supporting this program in any way, following you will find more information and link for access: http://susanershler.com/community.html

Thank you for following our adventure.

Namaste!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-899-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 Update #11

2010-04-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Why Climb?

At some low point on almost every climb I ask myself why are you doing this? Years ago I came across the poem, "I Climb to be Free" by Robert Cramer and it really hit home. Following in an excerpt from the poem:

"Have you ever watched an eagle held captive in a zoo, fat and plump and full of food and safe from danger too?

Then have you seen another wheeling high up in the sky, thin and hard and battle-scarred, but free to soar and fly?

Well, which have you pitied the caged one or his brother? Though safe and warm from foe or storm, the captive, not the other!

There's something of the eagle in climbers, don't you see; a secret thing, perhaps the soul, that clamors to be free.

It's a different sort of freedom from the kind we often mean, not free to work and eat and sleep and live in peace serene.

But freedom like a wild thing to leap and soar and strive, to struggle with the icy blast, to really be alive.

That's why we climb the mountain's peak from which the cloud-veils flow, to stand and watch the eagle fly, and soar, and wheel... below..."

Robert Cramer

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #10

2010-04-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Everest Base Camp to Namche

In the past two days we hiked over 15 hours descending over 6,000' from Everest base camp. The first day we hiked down to Pheriche and passed houses made of stone. The wind created a very cold walk. Imagine living in one of these houses made of stone at 14,000'. Most likely a yak dung stove creates great heat, but that is not on 24 hours per day. These local people are tough. Again, I am reminded to be quite thankful of our living conditions at home.

By they way, a female Yak is called a Nak. So Yak cheese is actually Nak cheese, a little known fact.

We are now a small team of trekkers. It was difficult saying goodbye to our team of climbers and especially to Phil. As we are now in the low lands (in fact we saw trees today) while they are climbing Lobuche peak (over 20,000') to further acclimatize. They should reach the summit today and will then return to Everest base.

I have enjoyed leading the trekkers down valley. I am in the front and Chuldim Sherpa is in the back, but he tells me which trail to take if I screw up. It took 12 days to hike into base camp and three days down. Just like climbing Everest, it took us two months to the top and 2.5 days down. One more day and we will reach the airstrip in Lukla where we will fly back to Kathmandu.

During our last night in Everest base camp the night was filled with thunder, lightning and then snow which all stopped around midnight. I crawled out of the tent around 2 a.m. and turned off my headlamp and looked up. Everything was silent and I could not believe my eyes. The black sky was filled with millions of stars, almost more white than black. Honestly, it took my breath away. I may never be back to Everest and now I feel satisfied saying goodbye because I had the opportunity to once again experience one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #9

2010-04-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

Memories

Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp (17,400'). Yesterday as we made our way from Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp (17,400') memories came rushing back. In 2002 I want to do everything possible to improve my chances of reaching the summit so on almost every rest day I would hike from Everest Base Camp to Gorak Shep for exercise. Apparently it worked and the trail is so familiar.

After a couple of hours, we reached our destination, Everest Base Camp. Yipee! All of the vast hikers waited in single file and entered EBC as a team. Our Sherpa team greeted us with cheers and handshakes. We toured our compound of tents. The 28 climbers and over 50 Sherpas just on our IMG team, you can imagine the size of this tent city. EBC resides on a moving glacier of rock and ice. There are no permanent structures. Our camp consists of our personal tents, toilet tents, shower tents, cook tents, dining tents, communication tents and, oh, a chill out tent. We took a look inside and a projection unit was playing the movie Pulp Fiction. The inside wall of the tent serves as a screen. When the wind blows, the picture wobbles a bit, but how cool.

An hour later it was time for the Puja. This is a very important ceremony to the Sherpas and what's important to them is important to us. During the ceremony, they ask permission to climb the mountain and for all of our safety. A Lama came up from Pangboche and recited prayers. A juniper fire burns, our prayer flags are strung like spokes across our camp. We throw lots of rice, sompa (barley flour) is spread on our face. Our offerings are made, marches are chanted and it all ends in a Sherpa dance. The climbers set their crampons and ice axes on the alter to be blessed. I had a bag of personal effects, including a photo of my kitties. Now, since they've been blessed they may have more than nine lives.

Today, Ang Jang Bu took us on a tour of all of base camp. It seemed like every 10 feet I ran into someone we knew. Then it hit me. You've been climbing for 18 years, you should know a few guides and climbers by now. These Everest guides are incredible people, doing what they love for a living. I have a great respect for all of them. It must be one of the toughest jobs in the world.

All for now. We head down to Pheriche tomorrow, descending over 3,000'. Can't wait to breathe the thicker air.

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.SusanErshler.com

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #8

2010-04-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Magnificent Mt. Everest

Hike to Gorak Shep (16,980'). Can you believe we have internet access at 17,000'? But it'll cost you!

A much better day today, I feel great. It is fairly common to suffer a bit especially when gaining 2,000' in altitude in one day. Most days are good, some will be bad. We remind ourselves on the bad ones, pain is temporary.

We hiked from Lobuche to Gorak Shep (16,980') today. During this trek I have been setting pace for one of our trekkers. As we rounded a corner I pointed out Everest base camp, our first view of EBC. Of course everyone on the trail was excited and cameras were snapping away. We hugged and continued on.

After lunch we hiked a nearby mountain, Kala Pattar, (18,373'), which means 'black rock' in Hindi. Most of the famous photos of Everest are taken from Kala Pattar, the mountain offers magnificent views of the summit. Once you reach Everest base camp you can no longer see the summit until later in the climb. We took our fair share of photos of the triangle summit of Everest today.

After our past climbs as we hiked down our team commented that it felt as if we were hiking up as much as down, here's why...from Lukla, where we started the trek, to the top of Kala Pattar you hike up and down rolling hills totaling ascents of around 15,700' and 7,800' of descents. With that being said, believe me the thicker air feels spectacular.

Off to play more hearts. Last night we started a hearts game with some of the climbers. Always fun to play with a bunch of competitive guys. During our past climbing expeditions, while on the mountain for two months we only climbed approximately 20 days. So to pass the time, we enjoyed 5-6 hour hearts marathon games.

Tomorrow Everest base camp!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-899-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #7

2010-04-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sad Day on Everest

Rest day at Lobuche. Now we're roughing it. These last two villages, there's nothing to write home about so I won't. Just know there are no more flushing toilets and a hole in the floor of a shed is standard. On our hike to Lobuche yesterday we gained over 2000' to 16,200'. I probably experienced my worst day. Major headache all night, stomach issues and woke up to a bloody nose. (I never read about the benefits in the trek brochure.) As I was at my lowest point Phil asked, "Can you believe you climbed it eight years ago?" My answer, "Yes, because I was younger, 46, extremely focused and had trained for years prior to the climb." We concluded we will eventually retire and do what normal people do, enjoy somewhere warm, but we say that every time and then the thrill of reaching the goal outweighs the pain.

As we hiked a steep slope, the memorials that lie in the ridge came into view. Over 200 people have died on Everest and each one of these memorials is dedicated to a lost life. Nine years ago, we were high on Everest at 21,000'. We awoke to a radio call from another guide summoning Phil for help wanting evacuation. It turned out to be a Sherpa Babu Chhiri. He had summited Everest 10 times, but died that evening after falling into a crevasse. Personally, I was a bit in shock, very sad and pondered the question, "What are you doing here?" A sad day on Everest.

Two more days to Everest base camp!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #6

2010-04-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tough Day at Work

Today is a rest day in Pheriche. Almost every climber suffers from some form of Altitude Sickness as we climb higher. Most teams spend an extra day here at Pheriche, 14,000', before moving higher, critical for acclimatization. Everest climbers have enough challenges staying healthy above base camp, there is no reason to push it on the trek up. I experienced my first headache last night and could not sleep. A dose of drugs and dark chocolate M&Ms did the trick.

Pheriche is home of the Himalayan Rescue Association, HRA. Staffed by a few western doctors, their mission is to educate climbers on the effects of altitude and they treat numerous cases of altitude sickness. Living with Phil, a mountain guide, I learned years ago, if a climber suffers from serious mountain sickness there are three treatments options...descend, descend, and descend. Rarely fatal if you go down.

You may ask, if you feel lousy so often why climb? In an earlier dispatch, I mentioned for me, it’s the people and this team is no exception. Our team is quite international, besides the USA we have climbers from Kathmandu, Taiwan, Singapore, Greece, China, India, Japan and beyond. They all seem to have one thing in common, a great sense of humor. Dinners are the best. We all gather in the dining hall with the yak dung stove cranking out heat and laugh all through dinner. At times the humor sinks to a new low. Thank goodness my three brothers conditioned me for this life.

This morning we hiked the ridge above our teahouse to 14,500' and then down to the village of Dingboche. We found the French bakery and after fresh brownies, hiked back. We continuously pass porters carrying tremendous loads on their backs. Remember, there are no roads in this region of the world. When I have a tough day at work this image pops into my mind and our problems seem fairly insignificant.

Four more days until Everest base camp!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #5

2010-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Friendship up High

No more trees. Today we climbed above the tree line as we ascended toward Pheriche. The trail is now dirt, rock and brush.

As we passed through Pangboche, I could not help but smile as I recalled an all night party back in 2001. Five of us had been on the mountain for two months. Our small expedition team included great friends, Charlie, John, Greg, Phil and me. Our expedition Sirdar (headman of the climbing Sherpas), Ang Pasang lives in Pangboche. That evening all of us, our climbing Sherpas and several folks from the village congregated in Ang Pasang's home. No electricity, but we had a CD player and batteries. So after a little Chang, beer, and whiskey we all danced the night away to John's Motown CD. At some point, we dropped into our sleeping bags for a few hours. The following morning the walk to Namche was a bit challenging.

In general, I am quite sure Sherpas are the nicest people on earth. For the rest of my life, our summit Sherpas, Dorje Lama from Baganje and Danuru from Phortse will have a special place in my heart.

Today in Pangboche we visited another Lama, Geshe, for another blessing. Now with two Puja strings, we are even safer. Lama Geshe sent us away with a prayer he had written: Give up all intention to harm others from your heart and do your best to benefit them all. If each of us feel the universal responsibility to do so, we will all enjoy the feast of peace!

On the way out of the village we noticed a kitty curled up in the sun. I am having a hard time because I miss my boys, Coho and Chinook, two tabbies almost 12 months old. Can't wait to see them again, oh and you, too, Mom and Dad.

Our climbing team is resting comfortably at Pheriche elevation 14,000'+. We are now living at the equivalent elevation as the “summit” of Mt. Rainier in Seattle. Our team of 18 climbers are all healthy and strong. A bit chilly up here, but the yak dung stove keeps us warm in the dining room. Five more days to Everest base camp!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.ershlerinternational.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #4

2010-04-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Peace

Woke this morning to the ringing of yak bells. Next to our teahouse trains of Yaks were heading up the trail carrying loads of gear. Ah, another nine wonderful hours of sleep.

After breakfast we hiked up the hill to the Tengboche monastery. Our climbing team received a blessing from the Rinpoche (a reincarnate lama - Buddhist teacher). He presented each of us with a Kata (white scarf) and blessed Puja string. As we learned on our past Everest climb, tie the Puja string around your neck and never break the knot. This provides each of us protection from harm.

In our discussion with the Rinpoche, we asked, “What is the best philosophy to live by?” His response, “Concentrate on peace within yourself, peace within your family and promote peace around the world.”

Off to Pheriche tomorrrow...

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #3

2010-04-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Stay Healthy

Another day, another bakery, this time at 12,600' in Tengboche. We all have our own measures of success, ours has become achieving the next piece of chocolate cake.

It was a beautiful hike along the river surrounded by Rhododendron trees. After my favorite lunch in a teahouse, fried rice and a hard boiled egg, we ascended 1,600' from the river to Tengboche. The famous Tengboche monastery burnt to the ground in 1989 soon after electricity was installed and was then rebuilt. Fortunately, most of the priceless old books and paintings were saved.

One of the biggest challenges for climbers is to stay healthy. As we started our hike this morning we watched a helicopter land. Then a trekker from another team was escorted to the helicopter while wearing an oxygen mask suffering from mountain sickness. His trek was over and descending was paramount. That is one reason we trek one day to a new altitude and then rest for a day. This allows our bodies to slowly acclimatize to the thinner air.

Now, we are resting comfortably in our teahouse in Deboche listening to each others’ climbing stories and everyone’s' past adventures.

Seven more days to Everest base camp!

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #2

2010-04-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Change

We made it, sipping an Americano with a chocolate danish at the Namche bakery at 11,000', what a great way to acclimatize to the thinner air.

After flying from Kathmandu onto the mountain we enjoyed a short hike to our first camp, Phakding (you can imagine the fun climbers have with the name). Things have certainly changed over the years. Instead of tents, we stayed in a teahouse next to the river and we were shocked to find a shower and toilet in the room, amazing!

A much healthier environment than Kathmandu, there are no roads in this region of the world, the air is so pure.

Behind camp, we hiked up to a 350 year old Gompa (Buddhist Temple). Upon returning to camp, we snuggled into our down sleeping bags and in the cold dark teahouse room we slept deep for 9 hours to the hum of the river. Expeditions are great for catching up on sleep. We have one thing to do, hike from point A to point B. The hundreds of priorities that tug on all of us are gone. The nights are cold, dark, and incredibly quiet. After a good workout, we sleep like babies. Better than any night’s sleep in the US.

Next objective, we hiked to Namche, about 9 miles to 11,400'. The trail is busy with trekkers, Zoes (a cross between a yak & a cow) carrying gear and porters with loaded dokos (woven bamboo baskets). Imagine carrying 3 big loaded duffel bags plus other gear in a basket strapped to your head wearing sandals while hiking at altitude. I will never whine again as I carry my light pack.

There is nothing more beautiful than our hike through this enchanted forest of Rhododendrons surrounded by magnificent views of snow covered peaks. Then, reality sets in, the trail heads relentlessly uphill. We pass porters carrying wooden T's that they sit upon when they need a rest. Another big change, at times these porters are chatting on cell phones. No doubt there will be more changes in the next 10 years. Who knows? Maybe a monorail will connect the villages. As Zoes come down the trail, stand uphill, they do not yield and there have been a few trekkers knocked off the trail’s edge in the past.

As we round the last bend, there she is, Namche Bazaar, a big village set in a natural amphitheatre, our home for the next few days.

At dinner, it was clear the climbers are excited to be on their way and closer to the start of their Everest climb. There is so much talent on this team. To name a few, Mike was a world champion dog sled racer and Greg's volleyball team won a gold medal in the Olympics. We enjoyed Ryan's 40th birthday. His father, John, and he are great friends of ours and climbing the Seven Summits as a father and son team. The dining room was filled with laughter most of the evening.

It is Easter today and our last day in Namche. We hiked up a ridge behind the teahouse to almost 13,000' to the Sir Edmund Hillary monuments. Our team is strong. The views were spectacular all morning, too beautiful to describe. We could see Ama Dablam and Everest! Our reward a chocolate danish at the Everest Bakery.
Off to the village of Deboche tomorrow, more soon...

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.susanershler.com/

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp Trek 2010 - Update #1

2010-03-31T15:26:00.000-07:00

Step Away

You know you have arrived in Thamel, Kathmandu when you find yourself in the 90 degree heat sharing a one lane road filled with taxis, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles and tourists, your eyes are burning from the smog and exhaust, you hear horns honking every second, surrounded by a zillion souvenir shops with incense burning and sellers motioning you to check out their wares. I keep reminding myself, step to the side, if a motor vehicle runs over your toes, kiss the trek goodbye.

Ah, finally here in Kathmandu after 30+ hours of flights and airports. As always, the weeks prior to our departure I was worried about taking time away from work. Then, during the first flight, I filled my journal with new goals and aspirations of what's next. This reminded me how my best and creative ideas and solutions to problems do not come while sitting behind a desk. Going for a hike or traveling allows me to step away from the business at hand and think about the big picture and, bingo, the right answer presents itself every time.

We found our way through the streets of Thamel to the Rum Doodle for our first dinner. Rarely can I use my Rum Doodle card, but this evening dinner was free. We found our signatures where we signed the board eight years ago, and I was excited to see our board is one of the older boards now under glass. After climbing Everest, a local historian verifies that you actually made the summit and then you can sign the board, one of my best memories from our past climb.

This time we are accompanying climbers, as far as base camp, who aspire to reach the summit. Eric Simonson, my husband's partner at IMG, is the Director of this 2010 Everest expedition, a large team comprised of 35+ western climbers and 50+ Sherpas. Eric's experience in coordinating and leading Everest teams is extensive. For this expedition, he has already coordinated the movement of over 7,500 kilos of food, fuel, rope, oxygen and equipment onto the mountain. For more details go to http://www.mountainguides.com/

Last night, we enjoyed a big team dinner with the climbers. This expedition reminds me of why I climb, the People! Generally speaking, climbers are in great physical condition, often professionals in business, positive, and intensely focused on the goal yet always up for a good time. I hope every one of them has the opportunity to stand on top.

Conclusion: No more guilt, this is a great way to spend a couple weeks of your life! Okay, back to shopping in Thamel, watch your toes! Stay tuned, tomorrow we fly onto the mountain...

Susan Ershler

International Speaker

Ershler International

http://www.SusanErshler.com

425-889-2333

Everest Base Camp -- Three Days Away

2010-03-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Three more days and we are heading for Nepal and Everest base camp. Thank goodness we had a beautiful winter in Seattle. Three hikes up to Muir (10,000’) on Mt. Rainier will help prepare us to go above 18,000’ in Nepal. I love these winter hikes, one with my friend Robyn. She is training for a climb this summer of McKinley in Alaska, an executive as well, she trains by getting up super early every day. Wow, she is in great shape! Then, Phil and I enjoyed another sunny hike. And recently, George Dunn joined Phil and me to Muir. George has the record for the most climbs of Rainer in the world, 496 times. I bet he will hit his big 500th this summer. Not bad for a guy my age.

First person to climb the Seven Summits turns 80!

2010-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

On April 30, 1985, Dick Bass finally succeeded in his fourth attempt to scale Mt. Everest, and he became the first person to reach the seven continental highs. He reached the summit of Everest at age 55.

We had the honor of celebrating Dick’s 80th birthday recently at his wonderful ski resort, Snowbird. Some people are visionaries and some are doers. Dick is both. He paved the way for the rest of us, showing everyone it could be done. He is an inspiration to us all.

In his own words, he was born with “blanket curiosity, nonstop verbosity, and hyper-enthusiasm”. He measures his success in adventures and in friendships.

Cheers to you Dick, a generous and passionate man with a huge heart!

First American to climb the North Wall of Mt. Everest

2009-10-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

October 20th marks the 25th Anniversary of Phil Ershler's first ascent on Everest. On that day, he achieved what no other American every had, he became the First American to climb the north wall of Mt. Everest. Since then, he has guided hundreds of climbers up high mountains on all seven continents. He enjoys helping others reach their dreams.

At 58, he is still climbing strong. His next adventure will be to lead a group of climbers up Vinson Massif in Antarctica in November.

Preceding photos from 1984 include, a break at the North Col, Phil's descent after the successful climb and his self portrait since he was alone on the summit of Mt. Everest.

Never Easy -- Always Worth It

2009-07-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I climbed for four hours and met the team at 10,000' on Mt Rainier.
Because I was presenting the day prior, I climbed alone to meet up with the team at Camp Muir. From there we climbed another couple of hours to the flats at about 11,000'. We tried to sleep around 6:00 p.m. because at 11:30 p.m. we would be getting up to climb to the summit. Most of us rested, very few slept.

It was a beautiful morning, clear and not too cold. We started out at 1:30 a.m. and began our climb to the summit. Working out at altitude, in the dark during the night, in the cold, for six hours, is tough. Sometimes you will feel a bit light headed and the climbing can be nauseating. You ask yourself is it worth it and then the sun comes up. Wow!!! Looking at that big yellow ball in the sky gives us such hope and encouragement. With spirits lifted we keep climbing.

Before leaving home I checked my summit log, if successful I will have climbed Mt. Rainier 18 times (I will never catch my husband's achievement of well over 400). I thought back to my first summit of Rainier in 1992. It was incredibly difficult. I remember using all of my strength and focus just to keep putting one foot in front of the other to make the top. Though the climb has never been easy, it certainly is much more doable. Like any big goal, accomplish it once and the next time will be much easier. Finally, at 7:30 a.m. all of us reached the 14,410' summit together.

The sense of accomplishment to stand on the summit with our team and feel their success was so well worth it!

Mt.Rainier

2009-05-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

We are so fortunate to live with Majestic Mt. Rainier in our backyard. The mountain serves as one big playground for those of us who love the outdoors. As Phil prepares to lead a climb on Denali in Alaska, he and I have been hiking up to the 10,000' level on Rainer to a destination called Camp Muir. Then, he skis down and I walk and slide. I have never watched any hiker slide down Rainier without a huge smile, it is like being a kid again.

Ladakh Trek Conclusion & the Taj Mahal

2008-08-31T08:43:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we wrapped up our Trek. In summary, our team of 20 (11 camp staff, 9 trekkers, and 3 horsemen) hiked approximately 104 miles, the equivalent of four marathons with most days over an elevation of over 14,000'. Our high point was reached on the day prior to our final hike day on the pass of Marang La at 5,300 Meters or approximately 17,500'. The two toughest days physically included the preceding pass and one a few days earlier to Zalungkarpola at 17,000'. These two days required 8-9 hours of strenuous hiking.

Please check back in a few days for, "What did we see along the way" including Yak, Yak, Yaks, Mani Walls, Buddhas, Monasteries, Monks and much more. For now, here is our story of the Taj Mahal...

In 1631 Mumtaz, the emperor’s (Shah Jahan’s ) wife, died after giving birth to their 14th child. Out of despair, Shah Jahnan created her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal. It took 22 years to build.

If you don’t know our story, in 1994 Phil was planning to propose to me in front of the Taj Mahal, but we did not make it. As highlighted in our book, Together on Top of the World, here is what happened in Phil’s words…

By the summer of 1994 I had hatched the plan for our engagement. That fall I would be leading a Himalayan trek in Sikkim, a once independent kingdom that was now an autonomous region of India. On the way in I was planning a stop at the Taj Mahal, and I thought, the Taj is the epitome of a man’s love for his wife; what better place to get engaged? So I asked Phursumba, a Sherpa friend who had been living in the States for many years, if he could help me with the arrangements.

“No problem, Sah’b!” Phursumba assured me. “From airport in Delhi to Taj Mahal one hour-and-half, two hours most. We meet you at airport, we have bus take you right to Taj Mahal, you spend the night, we drive you back next morning, you catch flight to Bagdugura, from there you drive to Darjeeling for your trek. No problem!”

So the itinerary was set, Phursumba made the arrangements, and when we boarded the plane in Seattle, I had a diamond ring in my pocket.

The bus had been crawling through the congested streets of Delhi for close to an hour when it became obvious that there was no way we would make it to the Taj in two hours. An hour later, when we were still in the Delhi outskirts, I could see we wouldn’t make it there before dark. “God, I hope it’s open at night,” I thought, “because we have a plane to catch tomorrow morning.” At 7:00 pm we pulled into the parking lot. It was pitch black. No sign of the Taj anywhere. We piled off the bus, the driver went to investigate and I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. But a few minutes later the bus driver returned looking unconcerned. “Taj Mahal close at 6:30,” he said, “but no problem! You come with me!” We piled back in and he drove us a short distance to another building where two women in saris ushered us into a room filled with curios of the Taj. In the center of the room stood a four foot replica of the building. Delighted that the bus driver had wangled a special entrance for us, we sat down on the benches that lined the walls. The two women brought us cups of tea which, after the stifling heat of the bus, we drank gratefully. The two women smiled at us and pointed at the model, and smiled some more and pointed. Respectfully we all got up and admired the model for a third and fourth time. And gradually we understood: we Warren’t getting a special tour of the Taj; we had been brought to a curio shop to purchase souvenirs!

The next morning our flight left from Delhi at the crack of dawn. We were not on it. We had slept for four hours at our hotel near the Taj, then left at 3:30 a.m. for the drive to the airport. The return trip took even longer than the Taj-bound trip as we sat for hours without moving. Even in the middle of the night the temperature was 75 degrees. Hour-and-a-half no problem!...

We plan to visit the Taj tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed, we hope it is day light when we visit this time. It will be so exciting to see one of the “Wonders of the World”.

A Herd of 50 Yak and a Slip in the River

2008-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

August 27, 2008

We hiked eight miles today and have two days left of major hiking. We are working toward our final big pass which will be over 17,500 feet. We've been climbing and sleeping at an altitude of 14,000 feet, which is the equivalent to the peak of Mt. Rainier in Washington.

A typical day includes tea at 5:30 a.m., breakfast at 6:00 and we're hiking by 7:30. We spend about 7 hours on the trail and are averaging about 20 kilometers per day. Then, we're at camp around 4:00 p.m., have dinner at 7:00 and are in bed by 8:00.

This morning, we saw a herd of 50 yak, but no people. We've been following the river, and unfortunately today I slipped on a rock and was sitting in the river with my pack and boots on. Needless to say, I was happy that today was a relatively short day of hiking!

We plan to reach our high peak of 17,500 day after tomorrow.

Update from India

2008-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

August 25, 2008
We are now four days into our trek. We've done 40 miles of hiking and crossed a 17,000 foot pass yesterday - it was a strenuous and rewarding 9-hour day!

The best way to describe the scenery is a very high "Grand Canyon" type terrain. We've been walking along the river the whole way. The most interesting thing is that at the very top of the high peaks are monestaries that are hundreds of years old. It's amazing to see these great architectural structures at the very peak of these mountains!

We've gone from 88 degrees to freezing, and everything in between. The locals are harvesting wheat right now. There are no roads, and everything is done by hand. The scenery is beautiful and we are all having a great time!

Greetings from Ladakh

2008-08-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

August 16-20, 2008

As I closed the front door to our home to head for the airport, I realized for the first time in a long time I had no laptop, Treo, or cell phone in my bag. What a relief, what a feeling of freedom. Of course I knew I could access the internet from some internet cafe for the first few days, but once we hit the trail, I would have little connection to the rest of the world.

After 24 hours of flying – Seattle to Chicago to London to Delhi – we finally landed in Delhi and were certainly ready to do some hiking. After spending a day in Delhi, we flew to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, 11,500' above sea level.

Ladakh is a high elevation desert. The region is frozen for eight months a year and scorched for four. Rainfall is same as in the Sahara. Ladakh is located in northwest India in the region of Jammu and Kashmir bordered by the great Himalayas and Pakistan and Tibet. The people are a mixture of Buddhists and Muslims.

So far we have visited three monasteries: Thiksey, Hemis, and Shey. Thiksey (or Tikse) is Ladakh's best known Gompa, built in the 15th Century. The monastery is much like the Potala palace and offers very good views of the Indus valley. It is famous for the two-storied statue of Maitreya Buddha, whose eyes are featured in many book covers and postcards. Hemis is the largest functioning monastery of Ladakh. The monastery has interesting temples with giant statues as well as old Thangkas (painted scrolls).

We also took a walk up to the Leh Palace, built in the 17th century AD. It is a nine-story palace that is now deserted.

This morning I woke up to the chanting from the nearby Mosque and dogs barking and howling. At 6:00 a.m. everything else was quiet. I snuck out of our hotel room (at the Lotus Inn) in an attempt to not awaken Phil. Determined to write a bit in my journal, I headed for the sitting room. In the lobby were two sleeping bags where staff was sleeping. In the sitting room, two more hotel staff were asleep. Feeling like a pest, I went for a walk.

As I headed down the narrow pot holed road, I came upon the water truck. Two men were filling their barrels which rode on top of a three-wheel, wooden platform, similar to a flat wheelbarrow. Once full, they took off full speed down the hill to town. The fastest man was running his water barrel and using his feet as brakes when he needed to slow down. When there is no running water this seems like an effective process.

As I continued down the road, I saw neat piles of trash on the side of the road. Each pile would have wild dogs and cows eating breakfast. Because of religious beliefs, the people of Ladakh will not kill a dog. Hence, you will see wild dogs everywhere. And at night, there is continuous barking. To assist in alleviating the problem, they have begun to sterilize the dogs but then release them back to the streets. A little further down, there were women sweeping the roads and dirt side walks with homemade brooms. The world around, mornings are such a refreshing time of day.

We are off to begin our trek with no access to email. I am looking forward to hitting the trail - it will be just me, the backpack on my back and conversation with our team mates. I have learned to love sleeping in a tent on these treks and climbs. At night, it is cool or cold, dark and silent in the mountains. After a workout of hiking all day you crawl into a comfy down sleeping bag. Because there is not much to do after it gets dark and we awake after the sun is up, sometimes we sleep for 9-10 hours. We sleep so deep in this environment. Sometimes I can't wait to go to bed because dreams at altitude can be so vivid and real. I tell Phil, "goodnight I am going to the movies."

More in a few weeks.

Sue

Ladakh Expedition

2008-08-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today I am heading for Delhi to meet up with Phil and our team.. Phil is in Russia, he just led all of his 11 climbers to the summit of Elbrus—the highest mountain in Europe. By the way, Elbrus is located very close to the current conflict on the border of Russia and Georgia.

To get ready for the trek, I have been hiking as time allows. We enjoyed taking Phil’s nephew and brother-in-law to the top of Rainier a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful but windy day at the top. With this climb, I thought I was kind of cool with 17 summits of Rainer only to be reminded it was Phil’s 432nd summit. But then again, some of us have to work for a living :>).

Following is an overview of our Trek courtesy of our partner, RIMO Expeditions:
RUPSHU - THE CHANGTANG PLAINS

A wonderful route, not often frequented because of its restricted sections, this trek offers a very different landscape as you approach the high Tibetan plateau. Lush meadows, vast grazing grounds, natural springs and lakes make it the ideal haunt for the nomadic Shepherds (Changpas) who live here. Chances are that you may see wild donkey (Skyangs) which roam these high plateaus. The trek, covering ground between 14,000 ft. to 16,500 ft., promises to be a fascinating experience.

Flying into Leh at 11,500 ft., we spend time taking short walks and visiting some famous and ancient monasteries. This also gives us needed time to acclimate. Beginning our trek at Chilling in the Indus Valley, we go southwards for 11 days, crossing passes of 5,000 meters and more with each one offering wonderful and panoramic views of the mountains and valleys through which we travel. Passing through rugged terrain rarely traveled, we pass through several nomadic settlements, too - and we will have the unique opportunity to witness the way of life in a region which has remained unchanged for centuries.

Ladakh terms you should know….

Ladakh, land of the high mountain passes
Buddhism is Ladahk’s principle religion
Monasteres are known locally as Gompas

Ladakh & The Taj

2008-07-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

Our next adventure is to trek in Ladakh, India in August and take a side trip to see the Taj Mahal.
Please check back for updates on this trek. More to come soon.