October 18, 2007

The days continue to get better and better. We started our day in Pangboche with Mike singing Presence of Love with the mountains as his stage. We left the lodge, or Turkish prison, as James described it. We then trekked up approx. 1,200 feet to Dingboche situated in the Imja Valley. You think the views could not get any better, yet everyday they get more and more beautiful and breathtaking. Although the views are getting better, our accommodations are trending the other way. See we are roughing it! Everyone seems to be handling this down trend with great attitudes. We will spend the next two nights here to acclimatize and then head out for Louboche. Today everyone spent time lounging, playing cards and, as usual, the production crew worked their butts off. I chose to take a beating in Yak pasture tennis from out resident pro, Peter, who brought along two brand new Head Radical tennis racquets. Nick and Oli even managed to sneak in a game of football with a ball made of wood chips and duct tape. Add soccer ball to the many uses for duct tape!

The music, the laughter and getting to know each other better are what we do everyday. Our purpose is on my mind daily as I know it is with everyone. This is a very special group of people. That these people are here should not come as a surprise to anyone. Just take a look at who started all this, Mike Peters and the self proclaimed madman, James Chippendale. They knew what they wanted to do and they did it…and they did it well. They could not have found a more committed and talented director than Shannon Foley. Mike, Cy, Jamie, Jim, Nick and Glenn continue to blow us away each day with the music and entertainment. You can hear it in their voices and see it on their faces that they truly love what they do. It doesn’t matter if they’re playing for 15,000 people or for 30+ tired trekkers. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we are learning daily form this incredible experience. Some life lessons and some more pertinent to what we see each day. Ade Norton, Alan Hobson And Jake Norton have been an invaluable addition to the team and I don’t know what we would do with out their knowledge of the mountain and culture.

We each have special reasons for being here and trekking through the Himalayan mountains for 14 days. I climb everyday thinking about my experience with cancer and in memory of my step brother Phil who fought hard and lost his battle with cancer in 2004 at the age of 22. My step dad gave me a hat from Phil’s alma mater, Cornell University, on the way to the airport and I wear it everyday for him. I climb everyday in honor of a close family friend, Dick Knox, who is back home fighting pancreatic and liver cancer as I write this. We each have our personal reasons, but we climb everyday as one, with one common cause. We climb to fight the disease that has touched each of us as individuals. We climb as one, as Love Hope Strength.

Dan Sullivan
Love Hope Strength
October 18, 2007
Dingboche, Nepal
14,300 ft, 4,358 m

We do get your text messages! Here is the message of the day:
From Grumpy Grumperson: “Dear Everest paparazzi. Will pay big money for scandalous sleeping bag shots of Aden. Work your magic.”
Our response: Dear, Grumpy Grumperson, please see today’s photos. Your donation can be made online!

Quotes of the Day:
Mike Peters (2:00PM): How ya feeling, Oli?
Oli: Great, I have been done the hike here since 12:00
Mike Peters (4:00PM): How ya feeling, Oli?
Oli: Great! Just played Nick in football at 4,300 meters
Mike Peters (6:00PM): How ya feeling, Oli?
Oli: If it goes on like this I am going to do a summit attempt with Jake Norton in the near future.
Mike Peters: (7:00PM): Where’s Oli?
Alex: In bed with altitude sickness.

Cy: It was a bit “windy” on the trail today.