this guy attempted to walk from china to germany.

i’m gonna go ahead an ruin it for you…he doesn’t make it.

As you might know from the video or from the blog, I did walk about one third of the initial way, from November 9th 2001 (my 26th birthday) until October 27th 2008. Then I stopped. I got a haircut and shaved off my beard, and I took a plane home.

nonetheless, he made a cool video regarding his facial hair along the way.

The Longest Way 1.0 – one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

thanks for reporting this, wend!

with all this summit for someone stuff going on, it’s easy for me to get distracted.

in fact, i’ve almost all but forgot about the wolfman.

sarah just asked me about it today, and oddly enough, i had just checked the website yesterday.  2010 registration isn’t available yet, but they do have the 2009 pix up (but nothing to write home about).

there’s a 14 mile mountain bike ride in the wolfman.

it’s nothing like this video, but i’d like to envision myself on one of these bikes.

mmmmmaybe someday.

early registration is officially over for the 2010 summit for someone climbs.  it kind of snuck up on me, and i didn’t make it to my $1000 goal.

…yet.

here’s where i stand now.

i am on a layaway plan.  their description is this:

“This option is best if you don’t want to put down an additional deposit. You won’t have a secure spot on a 2010 climb until you reach $1250 in funds raised, but you can also see how your fundraising is going, and you can also defer until 2011.”

so i guess if i don’t meet my next goal of $3,000, i can always put it off another year and hope a rich cougar finds me.

in the mean time, i found this site that sells personalized raffle tickets.  that site looks a little sketchy, but i’ve heard from people who have used them that they’re pretty decent tickets.  i’m thinking about selling tickets for $5 a piece with a $500 prize.

here’s a sample.

it’s gonna be a little awkward going door to door trying to sell these things, but it can’t be any more awkward than just straight up asking for cash.

big news with summit for someone.
they have decided on the climbs for their 2010 season.

check ‘em out here.

i’m thinking up a way i can bid my decision out…maybe whoever donates the largest amount in the next two weeks gets to decide which climb i do?

hmmm…sounds like fun to me.

make a donation here.

more contagious than swine flu

we got her back!
a neighbor had her. she just couldn’t call b/c she didn’t have a phone last night.

i can’t tell if the other dogs are happy she’s home, or if they’re just pissed.
they seem to have shunned her.

shun her. shun her hard.

last night, our dogs got out.

i caught mac right away, but no one has seen trin.

if you anyone can help, we would be eternally grateful.

here is a pdf you anyone can print off and hang wherever you see fit.

thanks in advance for anyone willing to help.  we’re kind of in panic mode right now.  she’s been missing for over 12 hours.

lostrin

one of the questions i get asked the most since i announced my summit for someone goals is, “so…what will you be doing?”  i’ve likened summit for someone to running a marathon and raising money for a charity, but pretty much everyone knows what a marathon looks like.  but climbing a mountain?  what’s that look like?

this video from backpacker magazine pretty much sums it up.

i can tell you, “oh, i’m climbing a mountain,” but that conjurs up too many visuals and stories to be accurate.

the climb spotlighted in this clip is one of the options (and probably my first choice) for the summit for someone climbs, so it’s really cool to get an arial view of what i might be getting myself into.

the term “mountain clmbing” sort of lends itself to a broad definition.  “mountaineering” is a little more accurate.  it’s pretty much just a really serious hike.  you’ve got a pack on probably weighing around 50 pounds and that has to include safety ropes, snoeshoes/skis, and crampons (i smell a footwear gear post coming up in the near future).

so, i think i’ll send this to my favorites on my iphone so when someone asks me, “what are you doing???”  i can just say, “this!” and show them.

i’ve got an SFS page now!

the pre-season application went through, and i can now accept donations!

check it out!

this is pretty exciting.  it’s really starting to feel like it’s taking off after dreaming about it for so long.

it feels good to be part of something that will help hundreds of kids get out of a potentially dangerous environment, and into the wilderness.

…cuz that’s not potentially dangerous!  ha!

as with anything in life, there are going to be hurdles and speedbumps and potholes and other cliche’ things that get in your path that want to trip you up.

the summit for someone path is going to have quite a few.  i can tell already.

right now, it’s mostly paperwork hurdles.  the pre-application wasn’t working exactly right.  they’re doing some work on the backend of their website so things weren’t where they were supposed to be.

the good news is that the biggest hurdle has been pushed back.  and it’s been pushed back by months.

i only had to put down a $50 deposit rather than a $1,000 deposit since i got in on the 2010 early applications.

1 hurdle down, dozens to go.

here’s a list in no particular order of things i can foresee right now that could be hurdles:

1.  fund-raising (probably going to be on the top of every list i make from now on, so i guess this spot is in a particular order).

2.  training – gotta get in shape and somehow figure out how to train for high altitude at sea level.

3.  convincing my boss to let me off for a week and not cut into my vacation time.

4.  more paperwork.

5.  deciding which climb

6.  deciding what time of year i can go.

7.  how am i gonna get to the climb?  probably depends on number 5.

8.  not spending money on things that aren’t related to the climb

9.  what’s sarah gonna do?

10.  working up the guts to ask people and businesses for cash money!

ok…less list-making and blogging and more sleep.

good night!