Greetings from Oregon Peak Adventures,

This is the September 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.

Summer is still here in the Pacific Northwest. We have had record temperatures and it hasn't rained in weeks. John Dean and I did a day hike in the Indian Heaven Wilderness last Wednesday. You really need to go there. Very scenic with great views of the Cascade volcanoes and lots of fish jumping in the lakes as well. We'll do a trip there next year.

We're hoping to have at least three good weather days this month. We plan to climb St Helens on the 19th, 20th, and 27th. The climbs on the 20th and 27th are filled, but we have room for up to eight more climbers on the 19th. So if you want to do a send off to summer, what better place than the crater rim? After being quiet last year, the lava dome is actively steaming again. Also of interest is the glacier which has formed in the crater. An interesting description is at http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2002CD/finalprogram/abstract_34427.htm.

So, if you have thought about climbing St. Helens, the 19th is your best opportunity this year. You can sign-up at http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/sign-up.htm.

We will start Fall with some training classes.

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL covers mental and physiological aspects of surviving a short-term emergency. We will discuss survival equipment, planning, setting priorities, and responding to situations. The Classroom sessions are 6-9 PM at the US Bank Building on October 1, or at Hawthorne Farms Athletic Club, 4800 NE Belknap Court, Hillsboro, OR on October 2. The overnight field session at Mt. Hood is October 5-6. Among other things, we'll build a lean-to, learn how to build a fire, practice emergency scenarios, and determine what we need to have to stay warm. For more information see <http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/wilderne.htm> on the website. Price is $150.00.

LAND NAVIGATION covers basic map and compass skills and an introduction to the uses of a GPS receiver. The Classroom sessions are 6-9 PM at the US Bank Building on October 7, or at Hawthorne Farms Athletic Club, 4800 NE Belknap Court, Hillsboro, OR on October 9. The field session will be held on October 12 in Washington Park in Portland. For more information see <http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/map&.htm> on the website. Price is $80.00.

GPS SKILLS covers the uses of your GPS receiver. We go into more detail how the GPS works and practice using your specific model. The Classroom sessions are 6-9 PM at the US Bank Building on October 8, or at Hawthorne Farms Athletic Club, 4800 NE Belknap Court, Hillsboro, OR on October 10. The field session will be held on October 13 in Forest Park in Portland. Price is $80.00.

To sign-up for the classes through Lake Oswego you can click www.lakeoswegoparks.org . For PCC go to http://banweb.pcc.edu.

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. 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. See more information at <http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/nepal.htm>. 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. The price is $2,500 for a 19 day trip. See http://www.oregonpeakadventures.com/ecuador.htm for more information.

RECOGNITION

Prior to starting OPA, I worked for 20 years as a marketing manager at an electronics company and still teach marketing for the University of Phoenix (when I'm in town long enough). I am a fanatic about providing great customer service. On the rare occasion when I encounter people who exceed my admittedly unreasonable standards, I am compelled to recognize them. Here's two of them:

Barbara Allen at Passage International, (800 420-7908, e-mail: barbara@passageinternational.com)has been booking our flights for some time. She is one of few travel agents who actually knows how to get you to Kilimanjaro International and anyplace else you want to go. She has handled most of the flight bookings for our February 2003 Tanzania trip and everyone has been very pleased with the results. I am sure she would do a great job for you, even if it isn't an OPA trip.

Brenda Cloutier's company is called Revitalize! (503 245-5630) She repairs and alters outdoor gear. She did a big bag of gear for me which ranged from repairing pants pockets to replacing a zipper in a rainfly. It was done well, finished when promised, and she even picked up and delivered. She is located in Portland, but could probably fix anything you could ship to her.

EATING AND DRINKING

Those of you who have gone on a trip with us know that we are annoying insistent that you eat and drink on a regular basis. We can usually tell by watching how you are doing on a climb if you're being slack. We take breaks at regular intervals and provide you food and water to drink. I find it very useful to carry a water bottle on my pack strap, so I don't have to take my pack off to get a drink. The tube and bladder systems work well too. I also add some sort of carbo/electrolyte mix to my water so I am getting constant fuel intake.

CAFFINE

Some of us are addicted to our caffine. It supposedly helps us exercise more efficiently, but most of us typically suffer withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and crankiness, if we don't have enough. If guide John Dean is on the trip, John's huge thermos is the very best source of strong coffee. But eventually even that runs out. One alternative is iced tea mix (with sugar) in your first water bottle. This tastes good and is both an energy source and a caffine hit for those early morning climbs. Another source is chocolate covered coffee beans in your trail mix. There's probably a store in your area that has an extensive bulk foods section. In Portland, it's Winco foods. They have the chocolate covered coffee beans at a very reasonable price. They're also the source for the licorice mix we put in the trail mix.

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