Congratulations to the team for summiting Mt. Bierstadt (14,060 ft) and Mt. Evans (14,264 ft), peaks number 13 and 14. The day started early with a summit of Mt. Bierstadt at 8:32 am and the climb was completed at 11:55 am MDT on Mt. Evans.
The team will be featured on the CBS news tonight at 6:00 pm MDT in Denver. Congratulations again for an amazing feat!
After a much deserved rest day yesterday, the team started out at 6:10 am for Mt. Elbert. At 14,443 feet, Mt. Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the second highest peak in the contiguous United States. The weather was downright cold at 31 degrees. Coincidentally, about 132 climbers from DishNetwork were on the mountain as well celebrating their company Mountain Day.
The team summited Elbert at approximately 10:10 am MT bringing the total to 12 fourteeners in 7 days. The final ascents of Mt. Bierstadt and Mt. Evans are scheduled for tomorrow.
UPDATED!
Today is an epic day – three mountains in one day. A three-fer, if that is is even considered a word. Due to predicted bad weather on Thursday, the team opted to consolidate and go for Mt. Missouri (14,067 ft), Mt. Belford (14,197 ft) and Mt. Oxford (14,153 ft) for a combined total of 14 miles (round trip) and 7,500 vertical feet. A day like this rivals one on Elbrus or Aconcagua.
The team started out at 2:50 am MDT. Mt. Missouri was summited at 7:15 am, Mt. Belford was at 10:30 am MDT. A call from the team indicated that the weather is cold and unstable with a lot of wind, but no lightning. The team will take a brief rest on Belford before gathering energy to head to Mt. Oxford.
Updated – The team summited Mt. Oxford at 11:39 am MDT. Congratulations on a HUGE day!
I will update as I hear from the team here and via Twitter on the home page.
Over halfway done and the team is climbing like they are just starting out. Today, the team summited Mt. Antero morning at 11:11 am MDT. Mt. Antero stands at 14,269 ft. The team had a great day with beautiful weather and everyone is energized and ready to tackle the remaining peaks. There were even three guest climbers summiting their first fourteener. Congratulations team and keep up the great work!
This morning the team set out at 3:00 am for peaks 6 and 7 for a combined total of 5,600 vertical feet and 11.25 miles round trip. Mt. Shavano, 14,229 ft, was summited at 7:30 am and Tabegauche Peak at 14,155 ft was completed at 9:15 am. The team is camping tonight with Mt. Antero on the agenda tomorrow.
The team is making great progress! Day two and they’ve already bagged FIVE peaks.
Friday’s climb of the Greys and Torreys twofer was successful. Today the team tackled Mt. Lincoln, Mt Democrat and Brosse starting this morning 6:15AM and not a minute too soon. The team had great weather but typical capricious Colorado weather thunderstorms started just as they were heading back to out basecamp.
New guest climbers have been joining the team each day! Many kids have come out in support and climbed with Matt. They’ve even had people who have seen the story drive out to climb! They are taking our first and only rest day tonight and tomorrow in lovely Poncha Springs.
A grueling Monday is scheduled with Mt. Tabeguache (pronounced tab-a-wash) and Mt. Shavano on tap. Those two are 5,600 vertical feet and 11.25 miles round trip. A 3AM alpine start with head lamps is planned as some unstable weather is predicted.
Rest up, team!
New pictures on the Climb 7 site!
What if by climbing a mountain you could experience a day in the life of your best friend as he fights a complex life-threatening disease? You would know the same shortness of breath after walking a few steps, the same fatigue, dizziness and throbbing neck veins that your friend lives with every day, symptoms of a destructive disease that currently has no cure.
Beginning on July 10, 2009, Matthew Moniz and a core team of five climbers will do just that. The team plans to climb fourteen of Colorado’s famed 14,000 foot peaks, commonly known as the “14ers”, in a short fourteen days to cover a total of 36,846, vertical feet and 65 miles. This “14 Fourteeners in Fourteen Days” breath-taking endeavor will give each of the climbers a first-hand sense of a typical day in the life of a patient with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).
A Boulder, Colorado native, Matt first became aware of this destructive disease when his best friend, Iain Hess, was diagnosed with PAH in 2006. Matt and Iain are as close as brothers, growing up as next door neighbors on a beautiful promontory in Boulder Canyon. Unfortunately for the two, as a result of Iain’s condition his family was left with no choice but to move to a new home at a lower altitude.
Matt conceived this climb to raise awareness of the devastating effects of this Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension after his December 2008 ascent of Cerro Aconcagua (22,841 ft), the highest peak in the Americas and tallest point in the Western hemisphere. Matt, who at the age of 10 became the youngest climber to reach the summit of Cerro Aconcagua, remembers the struggle to breathe and the fight for every step once he ascended over 14,000 feet. He knew this was the battle that Iain fought daily.
In addition to climbing Aconcagua, Matt has also reached the highest points of Europe (Mount Elbrus 18,510 ft) and Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro 19,340). In 2007 at nine years of age Matt trekked through the Khumbu Valley to Everest Base Camp.
PAH is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pain, dizzy spells and fainting. Currently, while there are treatment options, there is currently no known cure for this disease.
Goal
1. To raise the public understanding of the devastating effects of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Pulmonary hypertension is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pain, dizzy spells and fainting.
2. To increase awareness of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. Create opportunities for the PHA to further their mission of building and strengthening a community of hope through research, education, advocacy and awareness and to seek a cure for PH.
3. Help support the passage of the Tom Lantos PH Research and Education Act of 2009 (H.R. 1030). Encourage the public to contact their elected representatives asking them to support this important legislation.
4. To encourage corporate sponsorship of the 14/3 Climb. The Sponsor-a-Peak Program will seek to raise $14,000 for the Iain Hess Fund to help enhance Iain’s quality of life and chance for a cure.