Mt Baker - 26/27 September 2009

Unfortunately, only Edmond and myself could make this climb, but with the weather due to change at the end of the weekend, it was probably going to be the last opportunity to attempt Mt Baker this year. So with blue skies and a clear night expected and much debate over whether to take along our Alpha Hike wings with the forecast north westerly at 20kts due to blow up the Palisades Valley we set off from the Heliotrope Ridge Car Park. About 2 hours later we arrived at Hogsback Camp just below the Coleman Glacier, just in time for a beautiful sunset and watch the mountain change to an extraordinary shade of orange before fading into the darkness. This was to be my first ever bivvy experience and I must say I was rather sceptical as to how you could actually stay warm, particularly with the temperature due to drop below zero over night. However, I was amazed as to just how warm you become inside your sleeping bag, inside a bivvy bag. So much so, I found myself wriggling and twisting for many minutes shedding layers of clothing inside my bag, until I was at a comfortable temperature and really snug. But can somebody tell me why, it's only when you get to this stage..... you need to get up and pee!
When Edmond told me it was finally time to get up, I complained, I was so comfortable and amazingly he agreed to an extra 10 minutes, I think he was just as cozy and really didn't relish the thought of getting up either.

We decided to leave what we could at the bivvy site and take our wings, just in case the wind was in our favour further up the mountain and finally set off at 0430 under a beautiful clear sky. Edmond took the lead, but initially it proved very difficult to find a way through the many crevasses across the route. We doubled back many times to try a different route and finally achieved most success by heading to the far west of the glacier then paralleling the Heliotrope Ridge up the glacier. The crevasses en route were spectacular, but some of the snow bridges looked rather unsafe, which resulted in more detours. All the way up the glacier the wind was blowing down from the summit, an almost perpetual katabatic wind which would obviously make for a very difficult take off, so as we progressed up the mountain, the chance of a flight down was looking extremely slim. We gave ourselves a cut off time of 1100am, where ever we were at that time we decided we would turn around and start our climb down, particularly because of the difficulty of the route back around the crevasses. Just as the clock struck 1100am, we arrived at the Roman Wall, a climb which had taken six and a half hours to ascend just 3000'. We took in the view, both north and south, tucked into our nuts, raisins, chocolate fudge cake.....and cheese (guess who had the cheese) and contemplated the route down as the wind continued to blow down from the summit, albeit light. That's when an ingenious Frenchman hatched a cunning plan.

Right where we had our lunch was a snow dome, about 30 metres across, which meant you could actually face into the breeze blowing down from the summit with a small take off run in front of you down hill from the dome. So, we talked it through and had plans in place for an aborted take off and a place to land further down the glacier if we encountered sink en route, with a final LZ planned at our bivvy site conveniently marked with a ski pole complete with pink streamer. Edmond kited his wing as final proof of the take off run .....but then I lost the toss and went first! A great reverse launch followed with a rather loud 'Yee Hah' saw me heading out over the glacier with plenty of height and very smooth air. We maintained comms throughout via GMRS and the streamer at the LZ proved useful as the planned up hill landing did show a slight head wind. Up hill was really the only option, so it was always going to be a heavy landing, but a roll on touch down absorbed a lot of the impact. Edmond flew a very similar profile arriving over the LZ very high and also experienced a heavy, but safe landing.

We found out later that we were the only climbers on the mountain on that Sunday, another team that set off around 0400am gave up as they couldn't find away through the crevasses.

Overall a great experience for myself, disappointing yes, as we didn't get close to the summit, but the flight over the glacier sure made up for that short fall. I guess I'll just have to head back there next year!

- Jerry Mason

Climb to the Summit of Prostate Cancer

Mt. Ranier 2nd CFPC Training Climb

The Climb Team: John LeBlanc, Kieth Britz, Edmund Rivere, Ken Hurley, Randy Kolarcik, Don Scamen, Kevin Ault, Glen Derouin, Jerry Mason.

There are many parallels between climbing big mountains, teamwork and fighting Cancer.

The difference is, the pain one experiences when climbing is self-inflicted; and one can always walk away from it. While with Cancer, the battle leaves one fighting for life, with few options.

This past weekend, July 17th to 19th, nine of the 13 CFPC team members went back to Mt. Ranier to continue our training journey toward the summit of Mt. Aconcagua and our ultimate goal of raising $100,000 to further Prostate cancer research.

We dedicated this climb to those individuals and family members who are struggling with the climb of their lives, ‘battling cancer’ and to the four team members who could not make it, either due to injury or work commitments.

Special mention goes to our climb leader, John Leblanc, who unselfishly sacrificed the summit and showed great leadership in assisting a team member stricken with AMS. And to Edmund Rivere for his patience in leading the rest of our rope team to the summit.

Mt. Ranier's lower meadows are in full bloom, masking the ever present hidden dangers that lurk above like a 'Siren of Cancer' calling out seductively.

Recently I sat with an acquaintance who is battling advanced stage Prostate Cancer. He described his battle in a before and now scenario. Before he started his treatments he could walk up a flight of stairs without breathing hard, go hiking without breathing heavy, now during his treatments, he struggles to find ways to just climb one stair or even to take a next step while walking.

Like a team of climbers who are roped up to one another for safety and support in the face of danger so too is the Cancer patient roped up to his treatment regimen, his life depending on his caregivers team members to deliver a quality of care that will give them a fighting chance to survive.

While our struggle up a big mountain pales by comparison with the individual's battle with Cancer, the parallels in experience are nonetheless striking.

These personal experiences of cancer go with us onto the mountain, to inspire us with the hope our actions will further inspire others to help us reach our summit objective; raising $100,000 to further Prostate Cancer research.

We urge you to join us in this battle;

You can donate @ http://www.climbforprostate.com/

CFPC 1st Mt. Ranier Climb

Sunrise on Ranier, as we are passing through 13,000 feet heading for the summit.

Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) in Pierce County Washington, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous US and Cascade Volcanic Arc at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).

The weekend of June 26th to 28th, 7 of the CFPC team members and one guest led by John Le Blanc tackled this behemoth.

In very difficult wind conditions we reached 4,061 meters, just 333m or 1,000 feet below the summit.

Annually between 8 to 13,000 people attempt the summit, most from the Camp Muir side and the SE flank, the rest from the Northeast flank and Emmons Glacier via Camp Schurman, about 50% of those who attempt the summit, reach there goal. Usually weather and conditioning are the main reasons for not making it. In our case it was weather and safety considerations that turned us back. As a team our conditioning and strength were not factors.

The climbers; John Le Blanc, Teresa Le Blanc, Randy Kolarcik, Jim Weatherall, Kevin Ault, Brad Henry, Don Scamen and Ken Hurley.

We started in darkenss around midnight, at times the wind conditions were so hostile that they would force you down to a safe crawling position as we followed the track around to the North Eastern side of the mountain which meanders through crevasse fields, taking the route that was being used by most climbing groups that weekend.

The mountain showered us with gusts of ice crystals and pebbles, pummeling us and forcing us to lower ourselves for protection.

While we did not reach our objective this trip, (mother nature having won this battle) the team was strong, safe and made the right decision to turn back short of the summit. On the same morning four other teams that followed us had a look and turned back to return to the Ingraham glacier higher camp.

A special thanks to John Le Blanc, who led us with confidence, showed us great leadership when having to make hard decisions and displayed chivalry of the highest class when helping his wife on the last leg up to camp Muir. To Teresa, your display of determination and intestinal fortitude shown was inspiring. To all team members, personally I was impressed at how we all stuck together, showed leadership when needed and shared in the pain and the joy with good humour.

Congratulations to all those who participated it was a remarkable first step for part of the CFPC team.

A few inspiring quotes to spur us on;

John Muir, whom Camp Muir is named after;

"Doubly Happy, however, to whom lofty mountain-tops are within reach"

From Marcus Aurelius; from Meditations

"Short is the little time that remains to thee of life. Live as on a mountain..."

and from Gaston Rubafat

"Climbing is, above all, a matter of integrity....."

and my favorite, Buzz Light Year

"To Infinity and Beyond......"

Yahooooooooooooooooo - Ken H.

New Ways to Spread the CFPC Message - Facebook

I was recently told about Facebook's "Create a Group" Option. A half hour's work resulted in a brand new medium for getting the word out. If you are a facebook user, Click Here , join us and spread the news about our climb this way.

Wilderness 1st Aid With Fraser Valley Team

Fraser Valley Climb for prostate cancer team complete Red Cross wilderness first course. Thank you to Christine our course instructor and the Chilliwack Leisure center our sponsor for the course.

Hans Van Roos joined several members of the CFPC team at the Rotary Breakfast on February 13th. Hans is an avid hiker and one of the leaders of the Chilliwack Outdoors Club. He has also been very helpful and supportive to several of the CFPC members over the years in his capacity as salesman for Vedder Mountain Field Supplies.
All of this is made more poignant by the fact that Hans is currently undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. His courage as he battles the disease was made evident by his willingness to come to the breakfast and offer some advice to the audience. We will be thinking particularly of Hans as we climb Mt. Aconcagua.

Thank You Leisure Chilliwack- Training Begins!

The CFPC team has started core training in preparation for the Climb.

I would like to extend a special thank you on behalf of the team to the Chilliwack leisure center for their on-going support.

We appreciate your top notch facility to include the pool, trainers and weight rooms.

THANK YOU LaureLee