Mt.Rainier fund raiser for Washington National park

Hello:
“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves “is the famous quote from Sir Edmund Hillary. This summer I am going to put this quote to test as I climb Mt. Rainier along with other Microsoft folks as part of MS climb group.
Washington National park areas has fascinated me since I moved to Seattle over a year ago and Mt. Rainier is the most impressive of it all. It dominates the Seattle skyline and is the most glaciated peak in lower 48 states. Little did I know when I moved here that I would one day be given the opportunity to stand on top of its massive crater climbing up 60 degree slopes and crossing crevasses over ladders lighted up only by moonlight and headlamps as air thins out at 14,410ft.
Along with conditioning and learning mountaineering skills, I am also fundraising for a Washington National Park fund charity. The proceeds go towards buying equipment for search & rescue efforts in the Washington national park areas (this includes the Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Park areas). This will enable millions of outdoor adventurers and nature lovers to enjoy the parks knowing that keeping them safe is the main responsibility of search and rescue.
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

You can donate to my cause at
https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/SowmyaMahadevaiah/microsoft-mt-rainier-climb-july-2014

If you are a Microsoft employee, you can use //give to request a matching contribution. See these instructions for MS matching of funds.
If you are not a Microsoft employee, please check with your employer to see if they will match your charitable contribution. WNPF is a 501(c)(3) charity, tax id 01-0869799.

Pic of Mt.Rainier today

Took this pic from the bus while crossing Lake Washington this morning. Mt.Rainier looking so majestic and daunting at the same time..

Mt Si hike 4/26 twice

Round 1:  27 pounds back pack, 2hr 30mins up , 1hr 50 mins down
Round 2:  24  pounds back pack, 2hr 45 mins up, 1 hr 55 min down

Total hiking time : 9 hrs 15 mins

Lake Serene hike - 4/19

Part of Microsoft group outing.  Beautiful day gave away to light rain. A relatively easy hike with a very well maintained trail.
2hrs, 15 mins up; 2hrs down.
Lake Serene was frozen with a little water starting show up. A few wildflowers on the trial.

 

Elevation gain and distance covered

Between Feb 16, 2014 - April 18, 2014

		2014
	Elevation gain(feet)	# of times	Distance(miles)
Poo Poo Point	1500	1	4
West Tiger 3	2250	1	6
Mt Si	3150	4	8
Camp Muir	4600	0.5	10
cable line	2022	5	3
	28760		62

Gold's gym 90 day challenge

Today was final weigh in at Gold's gym national 90 day fitness challenge ( Jan 16 - Apr 16).

Total change in body weight : -5.5 pounds
Total body fat % change : - 3.5 %
Total body fat mass lost : 9.7 pounds
Total lean muscle mass gained : 4.25 pounds



 

Cable line hike 4/15

29 pds back pack. 1hr:38 mins up ; 1 hr down

Glacier travel training - Part 2

Z-pulley crevasse rescue field trip at Stevens pass. It was snowing lightly.

Round1: Middle person in rope team of 3
1. I connected to the main Rope to the two belay loops through the locking carabiner. Connected the chest prusick and leg prusick to a second non-locking carabiner. Team mates took turns to verify that the locks are secure and locked.

2.When the last person fell into a little man made crevasse , the lead and me arrested keeping our entire body weight onto the ice axe. Since I was the person in the middle, I was carrying the weight of 170 pound man when the person got up to make the first anchor!.. After the first anchor was secured, I got up to make the second anchor or the dead man anchor in the snow. This was done by
1. measuring the length for double runner to start from where the first anchor was placed.
2. Dig 3ft into the snow and place the picket with a double runner girth hitched to it. Run the runner under the rope and attached it to the carabiner connected to the first anchor.
3. setup second pulley.
4.After that used the connected to the chest pruisk to the main rope and slowly moved to the top of the crevasse. Dug the blade of ice axe into the snow and buried the sling in the stop.

 

5. Moved back up to the first anchor by using the chest prusick and both of us pulled up the fallen climber.

--->Missing  few other details.. to be added

Round2:  leader of the rope team of 3
1. I connected to the main Rope to the two belay loops through the locking carabiner. Connected the chest prusick and leg prusick to a second non-locking carabiner. Team mates took turns to verify that the locks are secure and locked.
2. When the last person fell into crevasse, me and middle person arrested. I checked with everyone if they were ok. Making sure the middle person was securely arrested . I got up moved to the foot of the second person
3. Strongly dug the ice axe into the snow making the first anchor. Now the weight of the fallen climber has been transferred to the ice axe.
4. setup the first pulley. Put my leg on the anchor to secure it more
5. Later while the second person was setting up the second anchor, still connected to the rope, detached the two prusick.
6. Un winded the rope , removed the knots and threw the other end of rope to second person to make the second anchor
7. Finally after he returned ,both of us pulled the fallen climber


--->Missing  few other details.. to be added

Lecture self rescue:
We had in class lecture for self arrest. Attached to a rope connected to basketball hoop in gym. Used  the chest prusick to move it up the rope as much as possible and then sat there on rope. Put legs on leg prusick to pull myself up
 

Mt. Si hike 4/6 - 1 1/4 trip

First round:
32 pound back pack. 2:51 up; 1:30 mins down.

Attempted to climb again. Went up about about 1 mile and turned back. Notice my pace was getting really slow even though mentally I still wanted to go up.
Will try again another day...

Acute mountain sickness(AMS)

Attended an excellent REI talk about AMS by A.M.Luks from Univ. of Washington yesterday.


About Thin Air:
The composition of Air at sea level is 78% Nitrogen(N2), 21% Oxygen(O2) and traces of water vapor, CO2 and other components
The composition of Air at Mt.Rainier ( at 14,000 ft) is still the same.
The only difference is the barometric pressure. The pressure at the summit of Mount Rainier is 40 percent less than at sea level. So, at 14,000 feet the air has expanded and now takes up 40 percent more space. So with every breath you take  40 percent less air, and 40 percent less oxygen

About AMS:

http://www.altitudemedicine.org/index.php/altitude-medicine/learn-about-altitude-sickness
and
http://www.mountainguides.com/wordpress/2011/11/30/guide-features/what-you-should-know-about-altitude-sickness/


 

Cable line hike 4/1

25 pds. 1hr:30min up, 55min down
Beautiful day with no rain.. Was finally able to get a good shot at the top .