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The Ascent for Alzheimer’s team has completed another training hike, this time in sunny Squamish!
On June 4 members of the 2011 Ascent for Alzheimer’s team began another training hike, this one taking place at Petgill Lake near Squamish, to continue preparing for their journey up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa this September.
Organized by team guide Sue Oakey, seven members of the 2011 team and alumni took advantage of what was a rare early-June sunny day and hiked for 5.5 hours to complete the 2,1150ft. 11.5km loop to get up to the lake.
“The North Shore and Coast mountains are a fantastic training ground for Kili. The main difference is that we are hiking just above sea level at altitudes below 7,000ft. Kili is 19,341ft., so we need to keep this in mind and ensure we are in the best possible condition to combat the oxygen depravity we will face,” remarked team member Murray Williamson.
Team member Dan Levitt knows the daily hike not too far from home will far differ from the one they will encounter in September. “The practice hikes are a little different than climbing Kili for a number of reasons. After the local hikes, we know that we will be sleeping in the comfort of our own homes and eating the great local produce that grows in BC. It is also a luxury to have a few days off between hikes to allow our muscles to recuperate. On Kili it will be a daily grind to make it to the top with little chance for rest and relaxation.”
But fellow team member Neil McDonnell has devised what he thinks will be his recipe for success for getting to the top of the mountain. “[I need to] practice having other members of the team, Joan, carry me up portions of the mountain,” he suggests. He adds that he also needs to “buy the rest of my equipment, get shots, learn how to sleep on the side of a mountain and how three guys will try to keep up with six women.”
Top to bottom – Ascent for Alzheimer's alumni Sandy Riley, 2011 team member Neil McDonnell, and 2011 team member Alice Savage hiking the Petgill Lake trail.
From left to right: team guide Sue Oakey, Marian Lowery, Alice Savage, Neil McDonnell, Anjulie Latta, Murray Williamson, Dan Levitt and Sandra Wilson overlooking Howe Sound.
To follow the team’s training progress and eventual trek to and up Mt. Kilimanjaro, and to support this year’s team fundraising efforts, visit the Ascent for Alzheimer’s webpage.
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