Climbing Mt Baker - Day 92 (The Painted Veil)

The first question that I am usually asked by my fellow surgeons- "why are you doing that?". "Why would you want to take that risk?". My friends immediately conclude the new venture of mountain climbing at my age is a very obvious mid-life crisis - Don Quixote in an OR scrub suit as a baselayer. That may be a correct interpretation. On the other hand, I have been goal-oriented my entire life; 1) trying to succeed at track and swimming; 2) applying to the best college I could; 3) becoming a physician; 4) striving for a meaningful academic career in surgical oncology; 4) and now, my newest quest, summiting Mount Baker. The last is no less a challenge given the years of abuse the body has endured. Their may be other reasons, perhaps a little more complex. Even some may not yet be realized. To further explore this question, I directed myself to an untitled sonnet by the English poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Perhaps in his poem there would be a better answer. His words struck home. "Lift not the painted veil of those who live/Call Life; words that later formed the basis of a brilliant novel by a fellow surgeon, Willliam Somerset Maugham. Do not try to find in someone any untested motivation or try to discover some character trait, flawed or otherwise. Judge the individual simply by the act. My personal goal is to climb a summit. The greater achievement will be turning this act towards a greater cause. I need your help to succeed.

My good friends warn me about the above self-indulgence. I apologize and will put it behind. Let's get on with the main subject. The sojourn to the summit is planned for July 25th. Equipment costs have been huge and continue to escalate. My training sessions have been increasingly stressful. There are many questions that will need to be answered. What equipment is needed? How do I identify the most appropriate of the many choices? What level of endurance is needed to summit? Is altitude sickness likely to occur and what can be done to minimize it? What level of technical skills are required? Will I adjust to mountain cold weather camping? There remains, however, a more important agenda. One that I cannot accomplish without your support. How can we turn this effort towards a more important goal? How can we make this a means to better the lives of young individuals so that they to can experience their chosen environment more fully. I need your help in providing answers. Please give a hand