An Interview with a Freak. A Nice Freak.

G’day Groovers. You may want to get comfy and get yourself a hot drink because this instalment is rather lengthy. Very interesting… but lengthy. At no extra cost to you. Bonus. If you’re in need of some inspiration, today’s post is for you. A Pink Shirt!

One Saturday Afternoon at the Radio Station…

A couple of years ago, while doing one of my radio gigs, I interviewed a young mountain climber by the name of Cherie Horne. Hosting a live, five-hour, talk-back sport’s radio show is kind of hectic (48 minutes of live chat per hour), so when my producer told me before the show that I was interviewing some hard-core “mountain climber” in the third hour, I didn’t really give it too much thought. I can’t really be sure now, but I’m guessing that when I pictured a “mountain climber”, I probably had an image in my mind of some big hairy bloke in a lumberjack shirt, with crazy eyes and at least a couple of fingers missing.

So you can imagine my surprise when the time arrived and a teeny-weeny blonde lady in a pretty pink top walked into the studio with no crazy eyes, no hairy shoulders and all of her fingers! I looked at her and thought “she’s gonna be blown off the mountain” – which clearly highlighted my ignorance regarding mountain climbing and in particular, Cherie Horne. In that twenty minute interview I learned that Cherie was aiming to be one of the very few women in the world to climb the Seven Summits (the highest mountain on each continent).

I won’t bore you with all of the post-interview details, but suffice it to say that since that time, not only has Cherie gone on to become one of Australia’s elite mountaineers, but she’s also become a great friend and one of my Trainers at the Harperdome (my gym). With a background as an ex elite runner (three times national 3,000 metre champion), she is both interesting and inspirational, so I thought you might all like to ‘meet’ her…

When and why did you start climbing?I started climbing mountains in 2005. I read an article in the newspaper about a Victorian Police Team’s desire to climb Mount Everest in memory of a former colleague and friend. I was always fascinated by mountains and the sheer vastness and beauty of nature. The attraction was too strong to resist; the challenge and adventure of mountaineering excited me! I wondered if there was any possibility that I could join them, walk to base camp (18,370ft) and experience life as part of a true expedition team. Of course there was and I made it happen!

At that stage I was looking for a new sport following my retirement from running and mountaineering filled that void. The sense of adventure associated with travelling the world to climb mountains was compelling and the physicality of the sport was not only interesting and confronting (due to the physiological effects of altitude), but also extremely rewarding. Not to mention opening a whole new world to me; I had never been overseas before, let-alone to one of the most remote and inhospitable environments in the world – Everest Base Camp. Climbing is also a very spiritual experience for me, the solitude and simplicity is both liberating and life-changing. It’s as close to Heaven as you can go… before you leave this world, that is.

Which mountain is next? When is it? Tell us about it?

I’m off to climb Denali in just over four weeks. Denali is the Native American word for North America’s highest peak. Interchangeably known as Mt McKinley, this beautiful yet dangerous mountain is located close to the Arctic Circle in the mountain chain called the Alaska Range. Denali is the coldest mountain in the world and as challenging to climb as Mount Everest. Many people consider it to be the most dangerous mountain in the world. Wind chill temperatures can drop to -148 degrees. At 6194 metres (20,320 feet) the difference in the barometric pressure (caused by the troposphere being thinner at the poles) at Northern latitudes affects acclimatization. Most of the world’s highest mountains are near the equator, Denali is closer to the North Pole. Its latitude is 63 degrees, 35 degrees further north than Everest. On a typical summit day in May, the Denali climber will physiologically be at the equivalent of a 7000m (23,000 feet) Himalayan peak and facing the most extreme weather conditions on earth.
It is the most underestimated mountain on Earth due to high altitudes, geographical location, extreme arctic weather and active glaciations. During peak climbing season (May-June) temperatures can reach -40 degrees Celsius and storms with winds up to 160km per hour that can last for several days. On the summit these figures become even more severe. Cold and uncomfortable is part of the adventure; someday the sun will come out again! Only half who attempt to climb Denali succeed. The climb from base camp to summit on Denali is the longest continuous stretch of any mountain in the world, greater even than Mt Everest! I will climb Denali between May 5th-May 25th, number five on my seven summits list. This mountain has very special meaning to me due to my father’s death from brain cancer last year. I will be climbing this mountain in honour and memory of him. I will be part of the Alaska Mountaineering School (AMS) West Buttress Expedition. Five other climbers (all males from North America) will join me on the climb. Only 8% of all Denali climbers are women, which certainly makes you stand out on the mountain! AMS have never had an Aussie female climb with them which is very exciting for me….and them! You can follow my climb via my website.

What’s the attraction for climbing?

The challenge. The sense of personal achievement. Getting out of my comfort zone. Way out. Entering the unknown. Experiencing nature, its beauty and harshness. The view from the top of the world……the list goes on! Physically, psychologically and spiritually, I will be tested in a way that’s not possible at sea level. There is no more humbling experience on earth than to expose yourself to the elements of high altitude mountaineering. To see with my own eyes the view from the highest point (on each continent) is truly magical. No words can describe it, nor would you want to; you just feel it envelope your entire soul. You can only experience it – and you never forget it. Once you have been to that high place the view from below is never the same.

Is it a dangerous field of endeavour?Yes of course. But that is not the attraction for me. I want to go to places where most people wouldn’t dare go. I want to push myself and discover what I am capable of in positions of discomfort. To me, that is experiencing life to its full capacity. You must be prepared for everything the mountains have to throw at you and then a little more! Only half of the climbers who attempt Denali succeed and reach the summit, but the other half fail, and, on Denali, failure can mean death. Several people die each season on Denali pitting themselves against the mountain and putting their lives at risk. The mountain will push the limits of human survival.

What mountains have you done and what’s still on the list?

I have been climbing mountains since 2005; the year I travelled to Nepal with the Victorian Police Everest team and lived at Base Camp for 8 weeks as part of their support team. That’s when I fell in love with the mountains and the desire to explore was felt, just like a magnet pulling me to climb. When I returned, my Seven Summit goal was decided and a commitment to climb the highest mountain on each continent of the world was made. The following year, 2006, I climbed Australia’s highest mountain Mt Kosciusko and Europe’s highest mountain, Mt Elbrus. In 2007 I climbed Africa’s Mt Kilimanjaro and in 2008 South America’s Mt Aconcagua. I have recently climbed Mt Aspiring in New Zealand as a training climb for Denali. The remaining mountains to complete the list are Vinson Massif (Antarctica) and Mt Everest (Nepal, Asia). I hope to climb Vinson in December this year and Everest next year (pending sponsorship).

How tall are you and what do you weigh?

I am 161cm (5’4″) and weigh 53kg (117lbs) …a little ball of muscle!

Are your dimensions an advantage or disadvantage?

An advantage; I am an ‘endurance machine’ albeit a small(ish) one! On paper some would argue that I’m too small and lean but I am extremely strong in relation to my body-to-weight ratio. In fact, stronger than many men. On my last 2 climbs (Aconcagua & Mt Aspiring) my guides have been amazed with my strength, determination and endurance as a climber. To have an appreciation of the strength and fitness required for this expedition I will have to climb up a steep crevasse-ridden mountain wearing crampons (pointy sharp things that fit to my boot) with a 30-plus kilo pack (66lbs) on my back, while dragging a 20-plus kilo (44lbs) sled for 5-8 hours each day, for 3 weeks!

What is your long term goal with climbing?

To stand on the highest point of each continent of the world, to successfully complete the Seven Summits. To become a safe and skilled mountaineer and enjoy every moment (even when it gets really tough) the mountains have to offer me.

Do you get scared?

Yes I do! But it doesn’t stop me. One of my favourite Buddhist quotes is, “go towards what terrifies you”. Fear is a very interesting concept, often felt but not really understood. I believe we should fear nothing which then allows for true living. What really is to fear anyway? All things come to pass; impermanence is a fact of life. In saying this, I certainly have the utmost respect for every mountain I climb; you never under estimate nature. I understand the risks associated with mountaineering and accept the responsibility of taking part in such a sport. For me, the challenge and rewards outweigh the risks; great love and great achievements involve risks.

What are some of the lessor-known facts/challenges when it comes to tackling the toughest mountains in the world?

The physical and elemental challenges associated with high altitude mountaineering are as diverse as they are extreme. Surviving in environments not designed for human existence has obvious consequences. High altitude, the higher you climb the less oxygen there is to breathe (at 6,000m/20,000 feet there’s less than half as much oxygen as there is at sea level). This lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, can produce headaches, breathlessness, nausea (a condition called A.M.S-acute mountain sickness). It can also cause H.A.P.E (high altitude pulmonary oedema) and H.A.C.E (high altitude cerebral oedema); more serious conditions which can result in death.
Arctic temperatures (frost bite and hypothermia are major concerns), extreme winds, rapidly changing weather patterns, glacier travel over huge snow-covered crevasses, avalanches, prolonged winter camping and isolation from familiarity are the other major challenges. Simple daily activities such as getting dressed, eating and preparing meals take so much energy and effort. Just going to the toilet is a very strategic exercise (I best save the details). Everything in the mountains is a challenge which takes thought and consideration. All these combined are a constant strain on climber’s bodies and minds. Humans can only survive in Denali’s extreme cold and punishing conditions for so long. 3 weeks will do it for me!
The Last Bit

There is a saying in mountaineering, “The mind remembers, the body forgets”. Climbing mountains of this nature pushes you to limits beyond appreciation, it is life-changing and you certainly see the world (when you get down from the mountain) in a very different light. A new appreciation for life is permanently etched forever; mountains change you (and lure you back)!
There is also the long procedure of (6-12months) planning and logistics, climbing permits, travel itinerary, accommodation (off the mountain), medical resources, obtaining supplies and equipment and of course physical and psychological training. Finally when you get on the mountain you must have good judgement and common sense to stay not only safe but alive!
In saying all this I can’t wait, I’m going “into the wild”. Denali here I come!

Last Sunday (two days ago) I went for a training session with the pocket rocket. For two hours we traversed hills, stairs, soft sand, steep ramps and some very inhospitable dirt tracks. Gotta say, I did pretty well for a middle-aged fat bloke. You know it’s all about the only child. The whole time I carried a back-pack with some car keys, a shirt and a bottle of water – a grand total of about 0.5 kilos (1lb). Or 0.5% of my body-weight. Quite the effort for the cardio king.

What’s that? You want to know about Cherie? Yeah, she did okay.

Oh alright, Miss Smarty Pants completed the entire session with a 35 kilo (77lb) pack on her teeny weeny back. That’s about 75% of her body-weight! Stupid I know. And yes, we got some funny looks from passers by; the big Neanderthal with the pissy little back pack and the diminutive climber with a pack bigger than her! Can you imagine walking up and down hills for two hours with 75% of your body-weight on your back? Freaky.

Enjoy your next workout.

You can leave a comment, share your thoughts or wish Cherie well by simply clicking on the link below. If you’re not sure how to leave a comment, click here.

Note: Yes, that is Cherie in the photos. She hates the dorky PR ‘glamour’ shot but she’ll get over it. FYI, that particular photo is a year or so old and since that time she has gained about five kilos of muscle. At the moment she looks like a little gymnast.

Ciao x

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