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Greetings from Oregon Peak Adventures,

This is the October 2002 Oregon Peak Adventures Newsletter. You are receiving this because you are a past client, you have asked about us, you are family, or friends. So have a read. If you don't wish to receive any further Newsletters, just reply with "Remove" in the Subject and we actually will take you off the list.

Although we have had a couple of good rain storms, for the most part we have had wonderful fall weather so far. We know the rains are coming soon, but warm soft days, crisp nights and ever intensifying fall foliage colors are a daily delight. We are transitioning from climbing and backpacking to hiking and training sessions. Last weekend we all survived an overnight in our lean-to on Mt. Hood. This Saturday we will be combining a Map and Compass field session with a Fall Color Tour in the Hoyt Arboretum.

The snow should arrive in the mountains by late December. At that time we will offer snowshoe outings every Saturday, as well as cross-country ski trips. We will also be able to do overnight winter camping trips. The focus on these trips will be to stay warm, dry, and comfortable while we play in the snow.

In March, we will begin Alpine Mountaineering training which will include Basic Snow Travel through Expedition Climbing skills. You can take one or all of the classes. We will offer these through June.

On October 31, I am on my way to Nepal and will return on November 26. We still have a couple of spots open for this once in a lifetime opportunity for a small group trek in the Khumbu region. While I am gone, my wife Phyllis, and guide Sydney Weaver will be checking voice and e-mail. I will probably be able to check in occasionally when a internet cafe is available. So please be patient if it takes a couple of days to respond to your questions.

In January 2003, we will climb Mt. Kenya, and in February we will be in Tanzania for a Kilimanjaro climb, safari and Zanzibar.

2003 Schedule

As much as I delight in spontaneity, we understand that you need to be able to plan ahead. So we have pretty much scheduled trips though the end of 2003. Please note that if these dates do not fit your schedule, we can put a trip together just for you as long as we have time to arrange for guides and can get any required permits.

Trip dates marked with an * have an associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session through Portland Community College or one of the Portland area Park and Recreation Departments.

Please go to the our website at www.oregonpeakadventures.com for more information on all the trips. We will, of course, provide more detailed information in the newsletters as we get closer to the specific trips.

 

HIKING

We can do hikes any time. Let us know when and where you want to go.

CLIMBS

ST. HELENS

Swift Creek Route - April 18*, May 16, June 20 (Might be Monitor Ridge)

Monitor Ridge Route- July 11*, 25, August 8, 22, September 5, 26*.

 

MT. ADAMS

South Spur Route - July 22-24* (can stay in camp another night on summit day), August 20-21

Mazama Glacier Route - July 18-20. (This is an intermediate level climb)

North Cleaver Route - August 5-7

BACKPACKING TRIPS

MT. ST. HELENS FOUR-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 11-14, August 3-6.

MT. ADAMS FIVE-DAY ROUND-THE-MOUNTAIN - July 31-August 4*

MT. MARGARET BACKCOUNTRY FOUR-DAY LOOP - August 11-14, September 12-15. (max party size is four)

INDIAN HEAVEN THREE-DAY LOOP - September 5-7*. (Leisurely trip focusing on backpacking skills)

TRAINING

ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING - March 8*, April 12*, May 10*, June 14

GLACIER TRAVEL AND CREVASSE RESCUE - March 15*, May 18*, June 15

EXPEDITION CLIMBING - March 22-23*. (Includes a St. Helens Summit attempt)

WINTER CAMPING - April 5-6* ( Snowshoe to an overnight tent camp)

MAP & COMPASS -June 7**, October 11**.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL - June 28-29**, October 4-5**.

*Has an optional associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session.

**Has a required associated pre-trip orientation or classroom session.

INTERNATIONAL TRIPS

NEPAL

We ARE going trekking in Nepal in November. Surya Thapa-Chhetri and I will be leading the trip. Surya operated a trekking company in Pokhara, Nepal, and has led several trips through the Khumbu region. He is a delightful person and is also my son-in-law. Some of Surya's friends will porter for us and we plan to stay in teahouses along the way. We will fly into Lukla, head up the Gokyo Valley, cross over the Cho la Pass and continue up to the Everest Base Camp, then return to Lukla. See more information at <http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/nepal.htm>. This is truly a unique opportunity to get to know the local people and to have an amazing adventure.

To keep this a small group outing, we will accept a maximum of four trekkers on this trip. The price is $2,000. This covers all trip expenses in Nepal. Our arrival date in Kathmandu is November 2 and departure in planned for November 25th. You will not see a small group trip or this price again. Roundtrip airfare from Portland to Kathmandu is about $1,100, but you will need to make reservations right away.

Please contact me immediately if you want to go at 877 965-5100.

MT. KENYA - JANUARY 21-30, 2003

We still have openings for the Mt. Kenya climb. We will gather in Nairobi, Kenya on January 21 and return January 30. If you don't have a lot of time, but want to do a very interesting climb, this is a great trip. We have room for three people on the Batian (17,058') summit climb. If you aren't interested in the Batian summit climb specifically, it's also possible to just do the trek up Point Lenana (16, 355').

See <http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/mt__kenya.htm> for more information. Land price is $1,400.

ECUADOR

We are planning to go to Ecuador in December 2003 to see the sights, meet the people, shop for very cool things, eat great food, and to climb some big mountains : Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo. The price is $2,500 for a 19 day trip. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/ecuador.htm for more information.

TANZANIA ADVENTURE

We will return to Tanzania in February 2004. Our trip will include a nine-day climb of Kilimanjaro, five day safari and five days in Zanzibar. Prices are from $2,700 for the Kili Climb only to $4,100 for the full trip. The 2003 trip filled by June 2002, so if you are interested please let us know right away.

JAPANESE ALPS

We're planning a trip to the Japanese Alps, probably in September 2003. This will probably include a climb of Mt. Fuji, four days of hut-to-hut trekking and peak scrambles in the Japanese Alps, and ending with a couple of days touring the Kyoto/Nara area. As with all our trips, this will be fully supported and will be a great value. We're still working out the details and have the price in a month or so. But, if you are interested, please let me know and we'll put your name on a list.

 

TIPS - SANITATION

A major factor in becoming ill, either in the Northwest or on international trips, is inadequate personal sanitation practices. There is a lot of information available (see below), but I will share with you the practices we use.

The single most important hygiene practice is washing your hands. Soap and hot water are great when available. I believe it's actually more important in town, where you are in contact with residue left by other people. An alternative is ethyl alcohol gel such as Purel or PureTouch. This is especially important after defecating. Urine, especially in the backcountry environment, is somewhat sterile, so it's not such a big deal, but it's a good idea to clean your hands always before preparing food or eating.

Disposing of feces is a significant problem. Many areas, like the Mt. Margaret Backcountry, have solar potties at each campsite. In areas where the dirt is not covered with snow and the use is light, we can dig cat holes about six inches deep. In snow or in heavily used areas, we bag it and carry it out with us. Several areas, such as Mt. Adams, provide the bags and have containers for disposal at the trailheads. Another alternative is the WAG BAG from Phillips Environmental Products. They claim that adding their "Poop Powder" breaks down the waste so the bags are approved for disposal in land fills and you can just toss them in the trash. I'm getting some samples and will let you know how they work. More info at http://www.thepett.com/. I think these might be good to carry in the car emergency box as well.

I have read several articles lately downplaying the probability of ingesting protozoan cysts such as Giardia. The articles may be true, but I choose not to take the chance. We always filter, boil, or chemically treat (using iodine tablets) the water we drink in the backcountry. And we clean our cooking pots, cup, bowl, and spoon with biodegradable soap and boiled water as well. It's a good idea to run your utensils through the dishwasher when you get home, especially if your add drink mixes to your water bottles. You can find some really amazing and scary things growing in there after about a week, or so I've been told.

As a child, I grew up eating poorly prepared food which wasn't always refrigerated after it was cooked. I survived, so I am pretty tolerant of most food and don't usually get sick when travelling abroad. Hopefully, most of you haven't had the peculiar childhood advantages I have had, and need to be very careful with what you eat. On our international trips, when we are away from town, we make sure our cooking staff practices good hygiene and cleanliness when preparing food. They will typically boil our drinking water, which we will then also filter or treat chemically. This is likely overkill, but having diarrhea on summit day anywhere is not fun.

In town, we only drink bottled water and canned/bottled fluids, don't get drinks with ice, and are very careful about eating produce, or food from street vendors.

On most trips you probably will come down with at least a mild case of diarrhea. I usually treat it with Pepto-Bismol or Imodium initially. If it doesn't clear up in a day or two, I'll take Cipro for a couple of days and that normally takes care of it.

The National Center for Infectious Diseases at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ has a lot of information about travelers' hygiene, the risks of disease, and prevention strategies.

A very good book is, How to Shit in the Woods, by Kathleen Meyer. Ten speed Press, 1994, 2nd. edition. Humorous and with some extra good advice for women.

REI SALE

REI is having another sale until October 14. A great item is the Alpine Lakes Full Zip Pants for $68.00. They are good quality, have some nice features, and normally sell for $98.00. Looks some good deals on Atlas snowshoes as well. Go to http://www.rei.com/rei/sales_and_events/FALL_1_1.html.

We are looking forward to doing a trip with you. Please e-mail or call at (877) 965-5100 to reserve your spot or get more information.

You can find previous Newsletters at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/newsletters.htm

Again, if you don't wish to receive this newsletter, please reply with Remove in the subject line and we'll cease and desist.

Best Regards,

Joe Whittington