Farewell Hong Kong....Kathmandu See You Soon!

Hong Kong oh what fun! I stopped here for a few days to meet with my friend and fellow Everest Base Camp trekker Melanie and her friends Tristan and Mylene, who will also be joining us on the trek to Base Camp. It was great to catch up with Melanie, who I had not seen since our Kilimanjaro trip in 2009! Thank you Melanie for a wonderful time and your hospitality!! :) We are all now ready for this next chapter of our adventure. As you can see from the photos, Hong Kong Rugby Sevens was the highlight of my weekend here- this is a fantastic event and highly recommended. Cheers to the champions New Zealand!! It was a great time to be in Hong Kong and the city was vibrant with celebrations galore :) I did also get to explore various parts of the city like Won Chai, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Victoria Harbour, Victoria Peak :) The hike up Victoria Peak was lovely and it had been over 5 years since I had been there. I also got to do last minute gear and technology shopping while I was there for items I will need on the trip and finish up on some work items and more.

Well now I sit in Singapore, waiting for my dad to arrive in just another 1.5 hrs and then we fly to Kathmandu!! The others are on their way! Pam my good friend and tent mate is in India on a layover, Kathy is in route, and Melanie, Mylene, and Tristan all leave HK tonight! It's finally here :)

I am fighting a minor cold, highly due to lack of sleep from last week, but I have medication and hope to get some good sleep upon arrival in Kathmandu. We are due to arrive just before midnight local time on the 29th. Fingers crossed all the gear makes it!!

Well I will write more once I make it to Kathmandu and the entire team is there. Just a quick thank you for all the love and support coming in!! I really cannot thank everyone one enough and it feels like you are all coming on this journey with me :) When I climbed Aconcagua one of the things I remembered most was that on summit day I never felt alone...it was like all of my loved ones were right there by my side. I was so grateful and it definitely helped me keep going. So now, I just thank you all for your support and encouragement...you will all be in my thoughts and I promise to keep in touch as best as I can and I LOVE hearing from you....so keep it coming.

Here are the latest updates from Peak Freaks, you can follow their blog at (in times where I cannot blog myself, you will have the latest and greatest here): http://peakfreaks.com/everestnews2011.htm

March 28, 2011- Tim checks in: "Martijn and Nelson are now here as well as Javier and Angel." "Our Sherpa staff have successfully built base camp in our usual spot. They have been battling keeping the snow under control. It's been snowing hard dumping quite a bit on the tents and making it hard to organize tent platforms. Flights have also been a cancelled in and out of Lukla today due to the precipitation in the Himalayas. Need snow, need water, can't complain. I also checked in with Ncell the company who installed the new 3G network in Gorak Shep situated near base camp. Here are the tariffs: A Nepalese Rupee today conversion today is: 1.00USD = 71NRS. Impressive savings over the satellite phone but we will still use them as backup." Prepaid International Tariffs International Calls Price(Rs/minute) India 2.99 Bahrain 6 Bangladesh 6 Canada 6 China 6 Hong Kong 6 Saudi Arabia 6 Singapore 6 Thailand 6 USA 6 Australia 15 Japan 15 Qatar 15 UAE 15 United Kingdom 15

March 27, 2011 Tim reports from Kathmandu. He has arrived safe and sound and his skype check-in was brief. Generators are running as usual due to power conservation practices. Elizabeth Hawley keeps a close eye on Tim. Immediately upon his arrival the phone rings and they made a date. He has so far met up with Conor Robinson who is climbing Island Peak with us and BG from Sweden on the Everest team has also arrived. Several others are arriving today including guides Javier from Bolivia and Angel from Argentina. Remember you can check photos on Tim's Facebook.

March 26, 2011 Welcome to our Everest 2011 blog. The one thing we love about this business is the interesting people we ge to meet and know over the course of an expedition and this year is no exception. There are a couple of very worthwhile projects at which fund raising and awareness are driving some climbers to give Everest their best shot. We urge you to take a moment and read through some of their profiles. Other projects: Everest continues to be a place for learning. There are two studies some of our members will be participating in this spring. (1) High Altitude Cognition study and (2) a watch for the Bar Headed geese known to fly over Everest. Sherpa Culture: Our dear friend Lama Geshe is back in Pangboche. His home and the highest monastery in Nepal. Lama Geshe now in his early eighties, suffered a stroke last year. His prayers, outs and the people of the Khumbu have been answered allowing him to return to his home where he will continue to bless climbers and Sherpa families for safe passage on Everest this spring. Everest Logistics: Once again commercial teams are working together to purchase rope and finance a team of Sherpa's to fix the route to the summit jointly. The payment process will or should be in advance and shared by everyone, much like the ice-fall doctors who maintain the ice-fall ladders and ropes. The difference being the expedition leaders and guides will continue to control safety standards of fixed lines higher up by continuing to do it ourselves with a team of select Sherpas and guides. April 11-Moment of Silence: Russell Brice has initiated a moment of silence and collection for Japan this day. This date marks one month since the earth quake and tsunami. It's hard for some of us to be out continuing doing what we do when there are so many people at risk. Mountain Weather: It's been a dry cold winter. This is not exactly what we like to hear. This could mean the glaciers crevasses will be wide open. April 1st, the ice-fall doctors will start working in the Khumbu glacier and will be able to give us a report on expected conditions. Ideally we would like to see a lot more snow to help mend things and fill in the cracks. It's cold! The temperatures in Namche Bazaar are freezing, -2c and lightly snowing today. Looks like it will be holding similar trend for the next week. Sorry climbers, no T-shirts and shorts this time around. The Team: Everyone is on their way now in the next day or two. Tim is on his way arriving March 27, Angel and Javier on the 28th and everyone else should be there on or before the 30th. We will keep family and friends and readers posted. The Itinerary: On April 1st everyone, trekkers and climbers, will be flying to Lukla and this will signify the official beginning of Everest 2011'. From here it is an 8-day walk to Everest Base Camp. We will be providing daily reports as they progress up the valley. We will also have three GPS Spot trackers sending signals to watch. Over and out, our first blog this spring- Becky Rippel

Team Roster 2011 We keep our climbing team size smaller and our Sherpa team larger than most. We believe this will not only enhance our participants experience but more importantly allowing us to put priority on keeping risk factors at a minimum. We hope you enjoy following us this season- to the top- and back again. CLIMBERS:1. Matthew Wozniak, USA- Bio 2. Nelson Delis, USA/UK - Bio 3. Mark Schiable, USA- Bio 4. Jan Sinivaara, Finland/Germany- Bio 5. Kevin Farebrother, Australia - Bio 6. Laura Ross, USA - Bio 7. Georgina Miranda, USA - Bio 8. Pamela Pappas, USA - Bio 9. Kathy Setian, USA - Bio 10. Bengt-Goran Hakansson, Sweden - Bio 11. Mark (Mango) Mangles, Australia - Bio 12. Martijn Ebbing, Dutch - Bio 13. Roger Wright, Australian- Bio GUIDES Tim Rippel- Expedition Leader- Canadian Angel Armesto- (UIAGM) Mountain Guide- Argentina Javier Carvallo Contreras- (UIAGM) Mountain Guide- Bolivia SHERPA CREW Ang Namgay Sherpa, Phortse Palden Namgye Sherpa, Phortse Tashi Thundu Sherpa, Khumjung Lhakpa Sherpa, Solu Phu Tashi Sherpa, Phortse Pemba Nuru Sherpa, Solu Sonam Phinjo Sherpa, Khunde Mingmar Sherpa, Okhaldunga Lhakpa Bhote, Mahakalu Reader Lhamo Bhote, Mahakalu Dawa Chering Sherpa, Khunde Zangbu Sherpa, Godang Ang Dawa Sherpa, Khunde Tsering Namgye Sherpa, Khumjung Dawa Cheri Sherpa, Khumjung Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa, Khumjung Minga Noru Sherpa, Khunde Chowang Karma Sherpa, Solu Dami Sherpa, Solu Thele Bhote, Mahakalu Sangye Phuri, Godanga, Tsultrim Dorgi, Khunde Shere Sherpa, Solu Karsung Sherpa, Khunde Lhakpa Gyaltsen, Khumjung Desh Kumar, Solu Sonam Dorji Sherpa, Khunde Nawang Nuru Sherpa, Solu Tsering Lopsang Sherpa, Solu Ang Nima Sherpa- Khunde TBA TBA TBA

Until next time....Hugs to all!! You can support our efforts on http://www.climbtakeaction.com/ G

The Article That Started It All...

There are things that you come across in your life that will dramatically impact the direction your life is headed. In late 2007 I came across mine, an article written by Eve Ensler (http://www.glamour.com/magazine/2007/08/rape-in-the-congo), which introduced me to the daily horrors some women and girls in Congo face, which moved me to find a way to take action to raise awareness to this massive issue of sexual violence and find support to help these women in their fight for survival.

Tonight I received a very touching voicemail from Eve Ensler and was moved again to my core and reminded of why I set off on this campaign. I truly feel if things are ever to change in DRC, it will take these survivors to help drive that change. Yet, in order to do so, these women need to be healthy and empowered to continue their quest for survival and it is why it is so important that organizations such as V-DAY and International Medical Corps receive support in order for them to continue to make huge strides with these women and their communities.

Last night I was with International Medical Corps at the showing of Ruined in Berkeley and I heard the gasps and shock in the crowd during certain more graphic portions of the play, as they watch in disbelief the stories of some of the women characters. I was again reminded of how I first felt when I found out that thousands of women and girls were being raped, lives destroyed, and communities broken in DRC.

The women of DRC are survivors, fighters, symbols of strength and inspiration. I have met some of these survivors and their stories and tears and perseverance to survive will stay with me forever. I am eternally grateful to Eve for that article, as I might not be here today without it.

If something moves you so deeply at some point in your life, never ignore it, as it may set you in a journey you may have never expected and take you to where you were meant to be.

Eve-thank you for your words, your inspiration, your passionate work to help women, your bravery to speak out and educate us. Thank you for working hard to show the world that women and girls should be respected and valued and that they can be the future leaders of change.

In every community, there is work to be done.
In every nation, there are wounds to heal.
In every heart, there is the power to do it.
-Marianne Williamson

We start trekking to Everest Base Camp on April 1 and I leave the US in about 24hrs to begin my journey East!

Hugs everyone and hope you will support us in our journey and cause!

Georgina

3 days till take off!

Reach out and open the door that no one thought could be opened. Life is behind it. -Kelly Ann Rothaus

Ok so the last 60 days came and went and now I fly on Thursday night...crazy!! Am I ready...umm...I have A LOT to get done and still waiting on gear :) The ‘To Do’ List is growing exponentially!! I DO know when I get on that plane...it will be ALL GOOD! Prepping to leave for two whole months is no joke!

How do I feel you may ask? Well, I am still in denial mode, as that is my coping method...lol. I am excited, nervous, hopeful, grateful, CAN’T WAIT!! I always look forward to just spend time focusing on surviving and that is it. Some crazy things have happened in the past 60 days, like travelling to over 7 different states, doing a 180 hydroplane across the I-5 fwy in Oregon, having my car reverse down a San Francisco hill while I was in it and crashing slightly into a wall (long story but I ran out of gas going up a big hill on my way to give a talk and that was the outcome...luckily the car and I were ok and I still made it on-time to speak!)

Yet, I have also been able to focus on quality not quantity these last 60 days and really enjoying my time with loved ones, beautiful parts of the city, and doing things I enjoy-Living! I am now a little stressed though with trying to wrap up details at work, keeping the training up, fundraising, raising awareness, ordering last minute gear, trying to sublet my place, setting up bill payments, scrambling on funds to finalize payments for things, oh ya still need to do my taxes, umm shall I go on? Getting my down suit was an exciting moment...and even better yet... IT FIT!! :) Sleep...what sleep? Actually I have been craving more sleep lately cuz I am TIRED...but 5 hours is about the average per night. Once I am up, I am up, because my mind starts racing as to all the things I have to get done. I have made it a point to spend time with my friends and made a visit to say family farewells, as I will miss everyone for 2 months and I wanted to make sure I saw all of my loved ones before I headed out!!

It seems a bit unbelievable that the endless days of doing the Lyon steps with my backpack are coming to an end :)I will no longer be the freak on the stairs...lol....well, at least until the next climb. My body is doing funny things, like developing muscles I never knew I could have, my left eye seems to twitch to its own drum, I want to eat everything, and if my calves get any bigger...well that would just be weird...lol. Training the last few months has consisted of doing the Lyon Stairs with my pack anywhere from 40-55lbs for 1.5 hrs or so a few times a week, running 5-6 miles a few times a week, yoga at least once a week, hiking in between when possible, or gym time on the stair mill or elliptical. I am feeling strong physically and am ready to acclimate and get some time to get ready for the big push on the mountain. Mentally, I have gone in denial mode and down played this monster climb in my head. It will be about one step at a time and one day at a time...plain and simple. I have always said climbing is 80% mental and 20% physical....which was confirmed by this quote on Peak Freaks’ website, “On Everest, when your body is no longer working for you like it used to, it is your mind that will get you there and back down again safely.” Sooo true and I couldn’t agree more.

Other physical prep has included many doctor visits! The dentist visit was a fun 3 hr visit to make sure there were no possible issues before I leave. Luckily it was pretty painless, just replaced a couple cracked fillings. Oral care is extremely important on the mountain and an oral infection could be your ticket home on a climb, so this was a must do in every way! Next, there are times I wish I were a guy...well as a woman climber there are other health issues you have to consider. Mainly for me I suffer from endometriosis, so I have to make sure I do not get a menstrual cycle for the entire time I am on the mountain, otherwise this could be my ticket home as severe cramping and bleeding are key symptoms of endometriosis and at that altitude and with the physical requirements involved, it could just be too much to bear up there. Thus, I have become my doctor’s guinea pig in terms of finding the right combo of hormones to stop my cycle for two months. We finally found a solution and if that fails, she has given me these awesome new trial pills that stop bleeding of any kind. I just have to be careful as hormones in birth control pills-which are part of the medication prescribed, can lead to blood clots, which would be very bad at high altitude, especially since good circulation is key in order to prevent frostbite. So needless to say I love my doctor and she has been awesome the last 6 months in helping my body get ready for this endeavour. Sorry boys if this is TMI...but it’s true and been a big challenge and concern the last 6 months. Next, was getting all the meds I would need up there like diamox, antibiotics, digestive meds, pain relievers, etc. You don’t want to get sick up there or catch a stomach bug and have zero meds...again that could be your ticket home, so you have to be prepared for the worst.

Fundraising and awareness have been full on! I have had two speaking engagements with a third on t he way! I was fortunate enough to speak to a group of young women at my Alma Mater, Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. What a rewarding experience!! My friend then hosted an intimate awareness event at her home. We had a little LA Reunion/Fundraiser on March 11th, followed by an awesome Fundraiser in San Francisco on March 18th at the Ambassador. We had a great turnout in San Francisco and collected over $700 at the door and still waiting for our bar tab donation totals :) I look forward to hosting more fundraisers upon my return! Tomorrow night Margaret Aguirre from International Medical Corps and I will be speaking after the showing of Ruined at Berkeley. As for awareness, be on the lookout for us on Women’s Health’s Website, on Ning,on the radio show Project Empowerment and more to come! Also, our website will have a new look by the end of the week, so stay tuned!! We are still looking for more corporate partners to join us on this cause and major donors. All donations are tax deductible and benefit International Medical Corps and VDAY’s programs in DRC. None of the proceeds go to my climbing costs.

Well, I need to go to bed, so more to come by the end of the week. I will be posting web and contact info later this week. We will have weekly eBlasts from the mountain, so if you would like to be on the distribution list, please email me!
Can’t wait to share this incredible journey with you all as much as possible each step of the way!

Special Thanks to:

McKinney Rogers (http://www.mckinneyrogers.com/)- Global Business Consultancy where I work for their endless support and half sponsorship of the climb and paid leave of absence! I could not be more grateful and blessed to work for such an amazing and extraordinary organization.

Our donors and supporters- you are all amazing and thank you for helping us make a difference for women and children of Democratic Republic of Congo.

International Medical Corps and VDAY- thank you for your amazing work and all of your support with my endeavour.

Trisha Haakonstad- you are my bff and you stepped in to help me when I needed it most. Love you and I am so grateful and proud to call you my friend. Thank you!

Chris Donohue- You to are my forever friend regardless of many situations and stepped in to help me when I needed it most. Thank you!

Pam Pappas- my friend and tent mate. Thank you for your friendship and support these last few years and I look forward to sharing this adventure of a lifetime with you.

To all of my friends and family- for your loving support and encouragement!

To the women of DRC- you are all an inspiration with your stories of survival and strength and this climb is for you!! My life would not be the same without you.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the cause and support International Medical Corps and VDAY, visit: http://www.climbtakeaction.com/

Good night and more to come very soon!!

G

Snap shot of what's to be expected on Everest!

Peak Freaks Expeditions will be my guide for this trip. Here is a look at their 2008 expedition!

Peak Freaks Everest Expedition from M. Scott Mortensen on Vimeo.

Upcoming Fundraising Events in San Francisco!

Please Join us for some of our upcoming events in San Francisco!

If you are interested in hosting a fundraiser or awareness event, please contact me at: gmiranda@climbtakeaction.com


Friday, March 18th @ The Ambassador 673 Geary, San Francisco from 7-10 PM.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=684243599#!/event.php?eid=181745921870248

Tuesday, March 22nd @ The Berkeley Repertory Theatre from 8-11 PM

Watch a compelling running a production of the play Ruined which is a story about conflict and rape in DRC.

Order tickets for March 22: http://tickets.berkeleyrep.org/ Enter PROMO CODE: IMC to get 20% off tickets !!

Hugs,

Georgina

Life Comes Full Circle~ Everest 60 Days Away!

Have faith: Trust that circumstances in your life will align to support you on your path. When you make a commitment, life will make a commitment back. -From Yoga Journal

Happy New Year everyone! Come on 2011, let’s see what you are made of :)This year is full of hope, faith, dreams, and adventure! Everest is now only 60 days away!!

I normally use this blog to talk solely about the climbs and our efforts to raise funds and awareness for women in Congo, but I thought it was important to add a bit of a personal touch this time, as Everest is very close and preparing for it has opened up a whole new world of feelings and emotions. Training for this bad boy is not only about the physical prep, but also the mental prep and the emotional prep. I have always said climbing is 80% mental and 20% physical.

I recently came across this quote the other day in Yoga Journal, it said: Have faith: Trust that circumstances in your life will align to support you on your path. When you make a commitment, life will make a commitment back. -From Yoga Journal

The quest for the Seven Summits originated from a couple of places, but one was that ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamed of visiting the 7 continents. I used to play for hours with my godmother’s globe, plotting new adventures to embark on. Later on in life while in grad school and working full time, I discovered my love for hiking and climbing as an outlet from the textbooks and corporate life!! There was then a Eureka moment of, that’s it, I will train and climb the 7 summits and both realize my dream I had as a little girl, while also enjoying the climbing challenge. It was then just a few months later, while searching for a new hair cut in Glamour Magazine that I read Eve Ensler’s article about her visit to the Congo that educated me on the horrific situation (massive and violent rapes) women in the Congo were facing and I thought- I should climb for them and raise funds and awareness! It all sounds crazy I know, especially that at the time I set the challenge I could barely run a mile, but here we are and I have climbed 5 of the 7, run a marathon and a couple of half marathons, and there is nowhere but up to go! Mind over matter folks :)

Over Christmas this whole theme of ‘Life Coming full circle’ kept popping up in my head. A lot of it had to do with my Grandmother, and watching her battle with dementia. As I visited with her over Christmas, I thought of the strong, feisty, resilient woman that helped raised me, that taught me to be tough, stand up for myself, never take no for an answer, and always showed me unconditional love. She was always a symbol of strength for me in the sense that she was a widow at 28 with 4 girls and well figured it out; not to mention she also lost a son at a young age. She was the eldest of 4 and only got to go to school till the 8th grade when she then had to take care of her siblings back in Nicaragua. Now at Christmas, she was completely dependent on others and unable to care for herself. She had reverted back to like we were as children, needing help to eat, bath, walk around, and all I could think about was how life eventually comes full circle. She was happy to be with us-her family though and it was great to see her try to show me how she could now walk with her walker and move around on her own a bit, because at the end of the day, she wanted to show me she still ‘had it in her’ and that she wasn’t giving up. I’ll be honest it’s been tough to watch her transition, but I am so grateful for her life and her love and her endless lessons and wisdom- and well she is still tough! :)

One is never certain how life comes full circle though and you never know how what you may wish for may materialize. For me now, as I look back to my childhood and my dreams, I think of how amazingly life has come full circle for me and how this dream of visiting the 7 continents has materialized into a unexpected challenge I could have never dreamed of back then! It also ties in perfectly with the quote I found above and how when you make a commitment, then life makes a commitment back. I can honestly say when I committed to this campaign, life definitely made a commitment back. As I have said before, I had a timeline in my head to get this done in 4 years, but was not sure about many things, mainly: how I would be able to finance it all, not sure I could actually physically complete the challenge, then just after my 1st of the 7 summits I got a divorce and was then challenged to figure my ‘new life’ out, and just shortly after that I started a new job that would keep me on the road as a consultant and provide endless support for my mission of completing this campaign. Now McKinney Rogers, my employer, is generously sponsoring 50% of my climb! It all has just fallen into to place, but not without much sacrifice, dedication, and the ability to overcome some of my own personal ‘mountains’ and heartaches and losses in between. This campaign and mission has kept me strong throughout and resilient and for that too I am eternally grateful-giving up has not been an option; it has been all about ‘figure it out G’!

I am eternally grateful for coming across Eve’s article, which I say helped transform my life and set me on a mission. This mission I hope will have a positive impact on others’ lives ultimately, but it has had a tremendous positive impact on mine and helped me overcome huge personal hurdles and kept me motivated to look to the future and focus on making an impact versus focusing on the past or difficult circumstances.

With Everest so close, it has also made me think about ‘what really matters’? I do not ever want to be a pessimist, but I am a realist. The reality is that Everest does not come without risk and so mentally one needs to be prepared to not come back in one piece....meaning you could lose a part of your body due to frostbite/injury, you could lose friends up there, you yourself could not come back, etc. There are many variables out of your control up there after all. I firmly believe one needs to be ok and mentally prepared with the possibly of not coming back. Why such a sick thought you may ask? Well, it makes you firmly and 100% committed to the risk you are about to take; basically you are acknowledging that despite the potential risk, the challenge itself is worth it to you- You are committed. Also, it leaves room for zero regrets. If things were to go south up there, at no point do I want to think to myself, I should not have done this! I fully embrace the challenge and the risk and feel blessed with the opportunity to go after it regardless of the outcome. Let’s be honest, I may not summit, but in my mind as long as I gave it my best shot and prepared the best I could, and gave it my all, then that is ok and I can try again someday. Yet this thought of ‘what really matters’ has put life in further perspective, as to what matters most in my life, what brings me joy, what and who do I want to spend my time with before I go? These next 60 days are about SUBSTANCE and QUALITY, about fulfilling experiences, about spending time with loved ones and those I care about most, about doing things that make a difference, about being true to myself, about final preparations, and about enjoying my life to the fullest before I go. I am celebrating my 30th too in just a few weeks!!! I will go to Everest a happy woman willing to accept whatever Everest delivers to her in the end.

I like to use the term ‘pinch me moments’, and I have had these a lot in the mountains when I am surrounded by pristine beauty or when I have been successful on a summit. But life right now feels like a ‘pinch me moment’ at times. Over the last 3 years I have lived in 3 different cities, travelled all over the world for work, reached 5 of the 7 summits, met some of the most influential and special people who I am blessed to know, overcome some unexpected personal hurdles, been inspired to launch this campaign for women in Congo, and now about to embark on what I would like to think is going to be a journey of a life time. Who would have thought this is what 30 would be like?-someone pinch me! I am truly blessed. I look at the photo which I posted with this entry; it is me in Yosemite at about 1.5 or 2 years old, all I am missing are the hiking boots :)who would have thought...

I do feel like Life is Coming Full Circle, like I am that little girl again, playing with the globe at her godmother’s, dreaming of all of the potential adventures ahead and gitty with excitement and anticipation!!

I close with a couple of my own quotes: “Dream Big, Dream Often, and Go for It!!” and “The Extraordinary is always possible, never limit life or your potential”.

Big Hugs and I hope you will support our efforts for VDAY and International Medical Corps in the Congo!!

More to come on our efforts, the training, the climb, etc.

You can make a 100% taxable donation at https://secure3.convio.net/vday/site/Donation2?df_id=1520&1520.donation=form1

Thank you and Ciao for now!
G

Everest on the Horizon and Endless Gratitude!

Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there is a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living. Anonymous

In just about 3 months time I will set off for Nepal and attempt my 6th of the 7 Summits, Mt. Everest, for women in the Congo. It feels a bit like yesterday that I started the campaign and set off on this incredible journey, not truly knowing how it would all go or whether I would be successful. Today I write with a heart full of gratitude for being able to set off on this journey at all. My first summit was back in July 2008, Mt. Elbrus in Russia. At the root core, I was inspired to set off on this mission in order to raise funds and awareness for a group of women and children in a far off land that had undergone some of the most tragic experiences I had ever heard of. My hope was to bring change through awareness and relief through financial support to organizations working diligently in these areas to make sustainable health and livelihood improvements for these women. I wish I could say that magnitude of sexual gender based violence in the Congo has decreased, but it has not, as you can see from my last post. I recently read that approximately 15,000 women have been raped in Eastern Congo alone this year, and this is completely unacceptable.

On March 30 through June 5th I will attempt to climb Everest for these women and two amazing charities doing remarkable work in the Congo, International Medical Corps and VDAY. Others will also be trekking to base camp to raise funds and awareness as well, which I am so grateful for! (My Dad and Melanie included!)

I want to give special thanks and recognition to my firm, McKinney Rogers, who will be sponsoring 50% of the climb and allowing me to take 2 months off from work to set off on this journey. I am eternally grateful for their endless support to keep going and reach my goal. McKinney Rogers’ purpose is to ‘Inspire people to achieve the extraordinary,’ and we definitely do this with not only our clients, but with our own people and I am so grateful to be a part of such a remarkable organization. To learn more about McKinney Rogers visit: http://www.mckinneyrogers.com


As I think more about the climb and the women I am trying to support, I am thankful for so much more though:

• Thankful to be an independent woman that is free to make her own choices and help others along the way.
• Thankful for living in a safe place and having the freedom to live my life without fear. I cannot take this for granted after knowing how many women and girls live their life in fear not only in Congo, but around the world.
• Thankful for being respected as a woman, which sadly many women around the globe are disrespected based on the sole fact that they are a woman.
• Thankful for the moral support of my family, friends, and employer on this journey.
• Thankful for my amazing friends that have helped me through some of my most difficult life challenges over the last few years and without them, well I don’t want to think about what life without them would be like 
• Thankful for my family who raised me to go after my dreams and never give up and have always tried to be there for me.
• Thankful for being able to live a life with purpose.
• Thankful for my adventurous spirit and desire to live life to the fullest, not limiting any possibilities or experiences.
• Thankful for all of the amazing people I have met as a result of the campaign and friendships created.
• Thankful for all the amazing life experiences I have had so far and hopeful that there will be plenty more to come.
• Thankful for my health and being able to take on such endeavours as a result.
• Thankful for everyone that has supported the campaign in any way, shape, or form because every little bit makes a difference!
• Thankful for my determination and stubbornness to some degree...lol...as otherwise I might not have made it up some of these mountains.
• Thankful for my amazing climbing partner and friend Pam, who will be joining me on this climb.
• Thankful for women like Eve Ensler, who inspire me to be a better person and help fellow women ....her article set me off on this incredible journey.
• Thankful for the women I am trying to support in Congo whose drive to not only survive, but re-establish their lives is an endless source of inspiration to overcome any challenge I may face.



As I prepare for this next climb, it is important for me to keep these things I am grateful for in top of mind at all times. I cannot tell you how excited I am to head to Everest, but there is a lot of work ahead! There are many fundraisers to plan, many more letters and emails and calls to make to potential donors and company sponsors, much more training to do, and final logistical details to work out (including final gear prep).


I am doing everything I can to prepare myself to go, but I am also respectful of Mother Nature and recognize that my success up that mountain is not solely dependent on me...there will be factors out of my control. At this stage, I am willing to give it the absolute best I have got, and prepared to accept whatever the outcome may be, as long as I know I gave it my all in safe boundaries.



Here are some links to recent news about the Congo, any help you can give in raising awareness is greatly appreciated!



Huffington Post: No More Rape
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eve-ensler/no-more-rape_b_787806.html



International Medical Corps
http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/Page.aspx?pid=1851



I leave you with an endearing Hawaiian Parable:



A man goes out on the beach and sees that it is covered with starfish that have washed up in the tide. A little boy is walking along, picking them up and throwing them back into the water.
"What are you doing, son?" the man asks. "You see how many starfish there are? You'll never make a difference."



The boy paused thoughtfully, and picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean.
"It sure made a difference to that one," he said.



An excerpt from the book: Half the Sky-Nicholas D. Kristof



We all have the power to make a difference no matter how big or small . . . go out there and do something :)



We would love it if you would join us in our efforts for Congo...change can come with awareness and every little bit counts.



If you would like to make a donation, please visit: www.climbtakeaction.com



Hugs,
G