Archive for the ‘mountain climbing’ Category

ColdAvenger is Everywhere on Makalu

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Dr. Eric Meyer

I’ve always known that Dr. Eric Meyer is a great ambassador for the ColdAvenger. He is an avid mountaineer who climbs some of the world’s highest peaks. He is an accomplished anesthesiologist, who also studies the effects of cold weather and altitude on the respiratory system. Dr. Meyer “gets” the ColdAvenger.  In Eric’s travels he meets and introduces the ColdAvenger to other folks needing the technology and health benefits of the face mask.

Blair Falahey: Courtesy

This spring, Dr. Meyer and the Valandre team are at Makulu base camp attempting a summit. At camp, Dr.Meyer met Blair Falahey, a passionate climber and world-traveler from Australia. Two years ago, Falahey was at Makalu attempting a summit. Unfortunately, he was turned around one hour before the summit due to significant frostbite on his nose. He hadn’t protected his face properly from the frigid winds. Seven months after his frostbite, he underwent composite graft surgery on his nose and sat out the 2009 climbing season. Determined to claim the Makulu summit in 2010, Falahey came back and luckily met Dr. Meyer.

After hearing Falahey’s story, Dr. Meyer asked if he was happy with his current answers for face protection. The answer was a non-convincing, “kind of.” Cue—the ColdAvenger Balaclava. Falahey had tried several types of face masks and systems to protect his nose, but all left him unsatisfied and concerned about his nose getting the proper protection.

Makalu

Falahey instantly loved the ColdAvenger and said, “I felt a sense of calm wash over me. Finally, I had found the solution to my problems. The mask felt great. Comfortable, snug and yet did not restrict my breathing. It works well with my goggles and sunglasses. I can’t wait to take it up on the mountain and try it. It could just be the difference between losing more of my nose to frostbite or not.”

Stay tuned to see how Falahey and his team fare on Makalu. The ColdAvenger is everywhere this year on Makalu…remember that Dr. Meyer and Chris Klinke with the Valandre team and Chris Warner with Shared Summits, are also making attempts to Makalu’s summit and fully protected with a ColdAvenger.

Good luck teams and I can’t wait to hear updates!

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in May 2010, cold weather, mountain climbing | 1 Comment »

ColdAvengers are at Makalu

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Makalu Peak, known as the “Great Black” has only been summited 323 times and only 13 times by Americans. It’s not like it was ignored, it is just really hard and cold. Located 14 miles east of Mt. Everest, Makalu stands alone and the summit sits at 8,462 meters (27,765 feet). It is climbing season in Nepal and the ColdAvenger will be there supporting two teams–the Valandre and Shared Summits. Both expeditions are attempting Makalu’s summit.  The summit ridge marks the border between Nepal to the South and Tibet to the North.

SHARED SUMMITS EXPEDITION

Chris Warner, team captain of this year’s Shared Summits expedition to Makalu is pioneering a new route up the southeast ridge of Makalu. He is a ColdAvenger customer and is excited about his venture. His partner, Marty Schmidt, also a happy customer, along with a two-person camera crew will document the expedition. Chris explains, “We are planning on shooting the expedition, including the climbing in HD. Our hope is to create a film (or even better a short series) that captures the overwhelming power of the mountain and the strength a small team must harness to meet the challenge.”

Courtesy: Shared Summits

Chris tells us he is excited to be using the ColdAvenger in this harsh climate. Nothing beats cold weather airway injury at high altitudes like a ColdAvenger and we are happy to be a part of and help sponsor this monumental new route attempt. In a quote from ExplorersWeb Chris explains, “We are hoping to climb a new route to the summit of Makula SE (7803 meters) and then follow the SE Ridge to the (main) summit…Our planned route lies between the SW Ridge (opened by the Czechs in 1976) and the SE Ridge (Japanese climb in 1970).The route will ascend snow gullies and rock bands, up the 7000 foot face to Makula SE. Here is joins with the Czech and Japanese routes along the SE ridge, knife-edge and gendarme guarded all the way to the summit.”

Despite having a small team, Chris and Marty are among the leading 8000 meter American climbers with more than 40 years of experience in the Himalayas and more than 55 years exploring the planet’s tall peaks.

Courtesy: Shared Summits. Chris on K2's Abuzzi Ridge

Chris is the team leader and has been on more than 160 international mountaineering expeditions with 13 summits of 8000+peaks. When not orienteering in places with little oxygen, Chris is the owner of Earth Treks, Inc which operates three of the largest and best-known climbing gyms in the US, operates an  international guide service and a rock/ice climbing school. Then on the side, after work, he help pen and take photos for High Altitude Leadership, a top 25 release on Amazon.

Courtesy: Shared Summits. Marty atop Mount Cook, 208

Marty Schmidt has spent years guiding peaks such as Everest and Cho Oyu under his international guiding operation. He held speed ascent records on both Cho Oyo (which he then skied from summit) and Aconcagua. He then became a member of the Air Force “PJs” who are the only part of the military who are trained to conduct personal recovery operations in hostile or denied areas as a primary mission. He lives in New Zealand with his wife and has two children name appropriately, Denali and Sequoia.

VALANDRE EXPEDITION

ColdAvenger climber Chris Klinke

Dr. Eric Meyer and Chris Klinke, both world class mountaineers and ColdAvenger pro athletes are also headed to the Nepalese mountains this spring with the Valandre Makula Expedition. Both athletes are part of a five person team which includes Brad Johnson, Robbie Klimek and Sherpa Chhiring Dorje. Valandre is sponsoring this team to Makula and the expedition starts on April 14th.

Dr. Meyer studies how cold weather affects the respiratory system and has extensive experience climbing in North and South America as well as the Himalayas  with Chris Klinke, a passionate climber who has experience all over the world on 8000+ meter summits. His goals of mountain climbing are inspiring and he proves that you can get into the sport at any age. At age 35, Chris dedicated his passion full time to the mountains.

ColdAvenger climber Dr. Eric Meyer

Here at the ColdAvenger HQ, I’ll be waiting to hear for updates from both camps on how the trek is going! Updates to follow.

Good luck teams.  Return safely.

John B. Sullivan, III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in March 2010, asthma, cold weather, mountain climbing | 1 Comment »

ColdAvenger Named “Gear Pick Of The Trip” by Leave No Trace Expeditions

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Leave No Trace Expeditions: Trips to the World’s Most Remote Mountains and the Mt. Logan 2010 Ski Expedition just announced the ColdAvenger as their gear pick of the trip!

Zoran Vasic, a very hard core individual, has an outstanding mountaineering resume that spans the globe. He began his career in mountaineering in Bosnia in the 80’s. There he completed five years of training in rock climbing, mountaineering, winter and summer courses to then become a registered alpinist (badge #112) with  the Alpine Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For the next 12 years, Vasic climbed all over Europe in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia and Italy. He moved to Canada in 1997 to immediately join the Alpine Club in Canada to then tackle peaks all across the northern territories.  To say at the very least, this guy knows what he is talking about. So, the mention of the ColdAvenger as being helpful on his expedition is important, and being chosen for the Mt. Logan Expedition Gear Pick is huge!

Mt. Logan is gnarly.  In the Yukon Territory, Alaska, it is ranked as the second highest peak in North America and is usually reached via helicopter. The main summit height of Mt. Logan  is 5959 meters (19,551 ft) high and it boasts the largest base circumference of any mountain on Earth. Since Mt. Logan is close to the Gulf of Alaska it gets hit by severe storms with winds in the spring exceeding 160 km/hr with temperatures ranging from -40 to +80 F.

The ColdAvenger came in very handy for Zoran Vasic and his expedition crew on Mt. Logan. Thanks for the honor and we hope to keep up with you on the next adventure.

Stay Out Longer!

John B. Sullivan III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in December 2009, Uncategorized, cold weather, mountain climbing | No Comments »

ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava Summits McKinley Again

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Denali Summit
Congratulations to ColdAvenger customer Jim Steinshouer for his summit of Mt. McKinley in Denali this summer.  And a “well done” to Jim’s wife, Ann, for buying him a ColdAvenger Expedition balaclava for his adventure.  (She really did her homework, and found out that it was designed with help from world-renown mountaineer Ed Viesturs.) Jim, 51 years old, has climbed all of the highest points in the United States except Mount Borah in Idaho, which he will do next summer.  When we heard Jim was headed to Denali, we also equipped him with some ColdAvenger patches and a summit flag.  Great pictures!

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Jim sent us a trip report, and here’s what he said about the ColdAvenger Expedition balaclava:
“I had no trouble breathing or with the cold at 20,230 feet.  I felt the thickness of the material (as it relates to keeping a person warm) was appropriate and felt nice to the skin as well.  The balaclava and my goggles protected my head and were very comfortable while the air was moist and warm as it came into my lungs.”

Thanks Jim, for the great feedback–and here’s to your ascent!
Stay Out Longer,
John B. Sullivan III aka: ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in Recreational Health and Performance, September 2009, mountain climbing | No Comments »

High performance: Can “dex” push climbers and other athletes to new levels at altitude?

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

sunset from C1Dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid known as “dex” in the climbing community, has been used for years to treat altitude-related symptoms in mountaineers.  But there is new evidence that, taken as a preventive measure, dex can improve exercise capacity at higher altitudes.  According to a recent article on Medical News Today, researchers have found that taking dex improves exercise capacity at altitude by reducing pulmonary hypertension, one of the most significant factors in limiting exercise at high altitude.  The results come from a Swiss study published in the August 15th, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the journal of the American Thoracic Society.

The Swiss research team tested 23 mountaineers with a history of high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE).  They first tested the climbers’ oxygen uptake on stationary bikes at low altitude (490 meters or 1607 feet) to establish a baseline for their study.  The subjects scored higher than average for their age and gender due to their increased level of fitness.  The climbers then were given tadalafil, dexamethasone or a placebo.  The mountaineers then climbed Capanna Regina Margherita in Italy at 4,559 meters (14,957 feet).  After spending the night at the top of the mountain, the subjects were given a second set of tests.  All climbers had a reduced exercise capacity, as would be expected, but the climbers who had taken tadalafil or dex showed a smaller drop in oxygen saturation over the placebo group, indicating a better uptake of oxygen, and a pulmonary artery pressure was significantly less for both the tadalafil and dexamethasone groups over placebo.

“In this study, we found that the most important limiting factor [with respect to exercise capacity at high altitude] is primarily pulmonary hypertension elevated blood pressure in the circulation of the lungs which may further reduce the oxygen uptake, particularly during exercise. Our study indicates that for HAPE-susceptible climbers, taking dexamethasone improved exercise capacity, oxygen uptake kinetics and decreased the anaerobic threshold,” said lead researcher Manuel Fischler, MD, of the University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.  “Overall, this means that those climbers who took dex felt better, were able to do more, and probably experienced fewer altitude-related discomforts than both other groups.”

Dexamethasone did show certain advantages over tadalafil.  Heart rate increased in all groups, but significantly less so in the dexamethasone group. Also, VO2max (a key measurement of how efficiently the body is able to use oxygen) was significantly higher in the dexamethasone group at high altitude compared to both placebo and tadalafil groups.

Glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone may increase exercise capacity in several ways. They lower pulmonary artery pressure, as well as stimulate clearance of sodium and water from the lungs, which may improve oxygen diffusion. They also have anti-inflammatory properties and may even improve the mental state of those who take it, giving them the drive to push harder.

But there are significant side effects to taking glucocorticoids.  While short-term use is generally good, they reduce the inflammatory response to infections, increase blood glucose, may lead to long-term osteoporosis, plus reduce muscle mass and skin thickness.  Also, further study is needed to determine whether these results apply to non-HAPE-susceptible climbers.  We’ll be looking for more studies in the months and years to come on the effectiveness and safety of dex for climbers and other athletes as a performance-enhancing drug.

And of course, we hope you’ll follow in the high-altitude footsteps of many world-renown climbers including Ed Viesturs and Eric Meyer and check out the ColdAvenger.  Ed helped design the new ColdAvenger Expedition, which just rolled out this fall for purchase.  http://talusoutdoor.com/shop

ColdAvenger Expedition

ColdAvenger Expedition

Stay Out Longer!

John B. Sullivan III aka: ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in Recreational Health and Performance, September 2009, Uncategorized, mountain climbing | No Comments »

The ColdAvenger Expedition is Here!

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

We’ve got you covered (from the neck up) – Talus ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava is here!

Talus ColdAvenger Expedition

Talus ColdAvenger Expedition

As much as I love summer and getting outdoors in the warm weather, about this time of year I start itching for snow season and dreaming about new cold weather gear.  So if you’re like me, get ready to drool.  The brand-spanking new Talus ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava is ready for action, and available on the Talus website.  It’s not only ideal for those crazy cold days on the mountain, but it’s also a effective occupational safety tool to improve productivity on the job site for construction and industrial workers.  And since military personnel helped us design it, we know it’s perfect for tactical and armed forces folks.

Katie_expedition copy

We took the breakthrough technology used in the ColdAvenger Classic, Pro and Hunter masks and evolved it into the ultimate in cold weather protection – the ColdAvenger Expedition Balaclava.   The Expedition Balaclava protects your entire head from cold weather, sun and wind with an integrated ColdAvenger ventilator.  But here’s the best part – the mask opens from either side, and is fully removable for the best comfort and convenience. We designed it to be flexible – you can use a headset and mic or a hydration tube with the mask in place, and it works great with goggles –the design of the ColdAvenger mask actually helps prevent fogging.

For those who haven’t experienced the ColdAvenger mask design, here’s how it works:  the ventilator mixes the cold air you breathe in with the warm air you breathe out to achieve a dynamic balance of warmth and humidity, protecting your airways from damaging cold while keeping moisture away from your face.  It raises the air temperature about 40-60 degrees higher than the outside air.  And when it’s 20 below out there, you appreciate every single degree of warmth.
canvas copy
The Expedition Balaclava is made from soft shell Polartec fleece that is resistant to wind and moisture, but is still breathable and insulating.  It stretches just enough for a snug yet comfortable fit.  Every exposed edge is finished with Lycra banding for comfort and durability.  Don’t you hate it when the cold creeps in through some chink in your scarf/hat/layering configuration? No chance of that with the Expedition.  The neck gaiter is cut on an angle, coming down lower in front to provide complete coverage and protection of the neck and upper chest.  The Expedition integrates all your cold weather protection into one streamlined design.  You have to love that.

Dr. Eric Meyer testing the ColdAvenger Expedition on K2

Dr. Eric Meyer testing prototypes on K2

We worked very closely with high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs and adventure athlete Dr. Eric Meyer on this new design.  We looked at feedback from the military and other professionals who face extreme conditions on the job.  We took everything we knew about cold weather protection and poured it into this new mask and, I must say, it’s pretty amazing.  We hope you’ll try it for yourself to truly understand why it’s the ultimate in cold weather protection and performance.

Stay out longer!

John B. Sullivan III aka ColdAvenger Pro

coldavengerpro-2

Posted in August 2009, Military, mountain climbing | No Comments »

Chhiring and Eric’s Excellent Adventures

Thursday, July 16th, 2009
friends

Dr. Meyer and Chhiring with K2 in the background

You never know where or when you’ll make a friend for life.  Talus sponsored athlete and technical adviser Dr. Eric Meyer and Sherpa Chhiring Dorje met on the slopes of Everest in 2004.  Since then, they’ve been on many adventures together – both exhilarating and dangerous.  Last summer, they were together on K2 for a Talus-sponsored expedition during the deadly avalanche that killed 11 climbers from other groups– one of the worst events in mountaineering history.  Dr. Meyer helped treat survivors, while Chhiring risked his life to help a stranded Sherpa who had lost his ice axe climb down to safety.

In a recent article by John Meyer for The Denver Post, Chhiring and Meyer talk about their nightmarish experiences during the K2 disaster, and outline their dream project — a return to the world’s tallest mountain to attempt a mission that could rewrite history.  They want to search for the body of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine on Everest’s North Face.

AP File Photo of George Leigh Mallory, left, and Andrew Irvine preparing at camp in June 1924 for their climb to the summit of Mount Everest. They died during the attempt.

AP File Photo of George Leigh Mallory, left, and Andrew Irvine preparing at camp in June 1924 for their climb to the summit of Mount Everest. They died during the attempt.

Irvine was an Englishman who died on the mountain in 1924 while trying to reach the summit of Everest with his good friend, George Leigh Mallory.  Conrad Anker discovered Mallory’s body in 1999, but the body of Irvine has never been found.  Chhiring believes that he saw it while climbing the North face of Everest back in 1995, but had no idea who it could have been at the time.  Some believe Irvine and Mallory may have actually reached the top and died on the descent.  If Chhiring and Meyer find Irvine’s body, and his camera is intact, there may be evidence that could prove that Irvine and Mallory were the first to summit Everest, a full 29 years before Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, changing mountaineering history.

K2 2008

K2 2008

Re-writing history together – sounds like a fitting adventure for two good friends with a shared passion for the mountains.
Stay Out Longer,

John B. Sullivan III aka: ColdAvenger Procoldavengerpro-2

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Posted in July 2009, mountain climbing | 1 Comment »

ColdAvenger Pro does Denali with Backpacker Magazine

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
Courtesy: Backpacker Blog

Courtesy: Backpacker Blog

One of the top gear testers from one of our favorite magazines, BACKPACKER’s Steve Roy, recently returned from his latest adventure/gear thrashing session – climbing Mt. McKinley.   It’s a brutal climb – more than 20,000’ – and more than twenty nights sleeping in a tent.  It’s also dangerous – two very experienced climbers fell to their death at the same time Roy was on the mountain.  Being mentally and physically prepared is paramount, as well as choosing gear you can rely on in the most punishing of scenarios.  Here’s an excerpt from Roy talking about what it took to get ready for the climb:
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“I trained really hard for several months, (but) unfortunately, I had a knee injury about a month prior to leaving, which left my cardiovascular fitness a little shy. This reared its ugly head on summit day, when the need for efficient oxygen exchange was paramount. I basically got through it with willpower and by drawing on my experience from other big mountains. Knowing when to push (like getting up past Denali Pass) and when to coast (like on the less steep terrain heading up to the Arch Deaconess Tower) helped a great deal.

As far as mental conditioning goes, I backpacked the AT in 1998. On more than one occasion, I spent several days stuck in my tent waiting for the rain to subside just long enough to make it to the next shelter or town so I could dry out. That experience really helped me cope at the high camps on Denali, when I was holed up in a tent or building snow walls for 3 days at a time waiting out storms.”

With room for only a few select pieces of gear, Roy chose the ColdAvenger Pro to make the trip with him.  Here’s what he had to say about it:

“Though it looked like something out of Return of the Jedi, it turned out to be far superior to anything I saw other people using. It’s a warm, fuzzy-lined softshell face mask with a raised silicone/rubber piece that you breathe through. The rubber piece allows cold inhaled air to mix with warm exhaled air; not only did it keep my face warm and dry, it protected my airway from constant exposure to cold, dry air. Plus, I could breathe very heavily without fogging up my goggles.”

Courtesy: Backpacker Blog

Courtesy: Backpacker Blog

Glad you made it back safely, Steve … and thanks for the kind words.  Can’t wait to hear about your next adventure, and read all about the gear you used.

coldavengerpro-2Stay Out for the Jedi,

John B. Sullivan III aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in July 2009, mountain climbing | No Comments »

Mountain Climbers Record Lowest Blood Oxygen Levels

Monday, June 8th, 2009

As you know, Talus athlete Ed Viesturs ascended Mount Everest a few weeks ago.  And as it turns out, Mount Everest may be more than just a mountain to conquer.
image005Nearly one year ago, Everest served as a medical testing ground. Four British researchers climbed to the top, took their own blood samples, and what they found was truly groundbreaking. Their oxygen levels were the lowest ever recorded in live people; well below levels that would normally prove lethal on the ground.   We first read about the study back in January in Popular Mechanics.
The Popular Mechanics article reports the study’s findings on how the average person at sea level has about 13-14 kilopascals (kPa) of oxygen in their bloodstream, but on the top of Mount Everest, the researchers measured their own blood oxygen level to be between 2.5 and 4 kPa, the lowest ever measured in live people. Normally, a person with 6 kPa of oxygen faces almost certain death. These findings dispute what doctors have known to be true about blood oxygen levels and could help doctors treat intensive care patients struggling with low levels of oxygen in their own bloodstream.

19We wonder, what else does this tell us about blood oxygen levels? Can elite mountaineers like Talus athletes Dr. Eric Meyer and Ed Viesturs train their bodies to conserve oxygen and turn off other non-essential body functions while climbing?
Again, to read the article about the study, click here.  And, if you just can’t learn enough, the complete findings of this study have also been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
It’s so cool that scientific answers can be found 29,000 feet above sea level, on top of the tallest mountain in the world.

coldavengerpro-2Stay out more Scientifically!

John B. Sullivan III  aka ColdAvenger Pro

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Posted in June 2009, mountain climbing | No Comments »