Mount Kosciuszko
|
Mount Kosciuszko |
Stray Dogs Mountain News Updated March 25, 2005 Thank
you for visiting the Stray Dogs Mountain News page with information about By
summiting Kosciuszko, Marshall has now finished his |
||||||||||
By
summiting Kosciuszko, Marshall has completed his |
At
the summit of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia, (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) |
|||||||||
Mount Kosciuszko The Last of the Seven Summits by Marshall Ulrich On March 10, 2005 I stood on the top of Mount Kosciuszko toasting the last of the Seven Summits along with my wife, Heather, and my father- and mother-in-law, Rory and Janis Vose. What a great day it was. Heather and I started at the bottom of the chair lift in Thredbo, New South Wales, Australia at 9:30 in the morning surrounded by soup like clouds while Rory and Janis rode the lift.
Marshall
at the bottom of the ski lift as he starts March 10, 2005 (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) |
||||||||||
The starting altitude was nothing like I was accustom to on any of the other six mountains, as Thredbo is only at approximately 4,500 feet as compared to the 8,000-foot base camp on Denali or 17,100-foot base camp on the north side of Everest. Heather and I climbed straight up under the lift, providing a bit of entertainment to the school girls riding up, all of whom hollered “Hello,” shared messages of encouragement such as “You're doing great job…carry on” and wondered “Why didn't you just ride the lift?” The climb to the top of the lift was only about a mile, gaining 1,850 feet to 6,350 feet. We traveled through snow gum forests which reminded me a bit of the Heather forests along Kilimanjaro.
|
||||||||||
Marshall
climbs through the snow gums at (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich)
|
Marshall
continues his climb toward the top of the ski lift (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) |
|||||||||
By the time we hit the top of the lift, the low lying clouds had lifted. With temperatures in the low 60s and just a slight breeze, it was a beautiful day for a mountain stroll.
Marshall
at 6,350-feet, the top of the ski lift, (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) Reaching tree line, we had just under a 4 mile hike to the 7,310-foot summit of Kosciuszko. Just past the top of the lift, the path lay ahead across the rolling, rock strewn alpine meadow toward the summit of Kosciuszko, the highest point on the continent of Australia. Unlike the other six peaks, which took anywhere from six days to almost two months to complete, hiking up Kosciuszko took just a bit under three hours requiring only ExOfficio pants and a t-shirt. No North Face down summit suit or Ulfrotte wool long underwear required here! Just Leki trekking poles, North Face running shoes, and the GoLite summit pack I had already taken to the top of Everest, Elbrus, and Vinson.
|
||||||||||
Marshall begins the "Mount Kosciuszko Walk" which would turn from paved bricks to metal mesh, protecting the tundra (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich)
|
Marshall
continues toward the summit of (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) |
|||||||||
The weather held, and Heather and I caught up with Rory and Janis about 500 feet from the top, allowing us to walk along the trail together. As I approached the top, Heather and Rory set out ahead to snap some photos of me walking up the last 100 feet to what would be the end of a 2 year, 9 month odyssey to the seven continents, climbing to the top of each. As I walked the last few steps, I felt a relief that it was finally over—no more worrying about whether or not my luck would hold out, wondering if I could finish this last mountain on my first attempt, as I had done on all of the other mountains: first Denali (North America), Aconcagua (South America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Everest (Asia), Elbrus (Europe), and Vinson (Antarctica).
Marshall
at the sign at the top of (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) I will be forever thankful to the mountain gods for watching over me, granting me safe passage to each of the summits on my first attempts, and allowing me safe passage back home. I will also be forever thankful to Sister Mary Beth, with the Religious Teachers Filippini, and all of those who prayed for me, for the strength of convictions and for their support throughout my quest. To my surprise, Rory had lugged a bottle of champagne to the top and, along with a bottle of red wine that CAMP USA had given me to celebrate with, we sat and ate our picnic lunch at the top of Australia! In some ways it was anticlimactic as the huge group of school girls that had hollered to us as had walked up under the lift was also at the top, but in other ways it was as sweet as I expected. This was it. The last of the seven. And what a journey it was! Other than Aconcagua, Heather had shared all of the mountains with me. She climbed with me on Kilimanjaro and Elbrus. She met me in Talkeetna, Alaska after I climbed Denali and was in Punta Arenas, Chile after I climbed Vinson. She and Rory were both at the north side base camp in Tibet after I was fortunate enough to reach the summit of Everest. Knowing that I had her support, and that she would be there celebrate with me, made the climbs much sweeter. Now she was with me again, and I had the added support of Rory and Janis on the top of Kosciuszko. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to all of them for having been so supportive through it all! Or express my thanks to my children, Elaine, Taylor, and Ali, for accepting a dream I carried with me since I was 5-years-old: a dream to climb Everest. A dream that expanded to the Seven Summits.
Heather
and Marshall celebrate (Photo credit: Rory Vose) Heather presented me with a plaque carved in the form of mountains with all of the summits, their altitudes, and the dates that I summited. Thank goodness I summited Kosciuszko on the 10th of March, as it was already engraved in the plaque! We spent close to a couple of hours on the top, enjoying the sun and the view, knowing that it would be an easy hike down, and waiting for the school kids to vacate the mountain so I could get my summit photos and traditional panoramic video taken. Finally it was time to break out the banners of some of the sponsors that helped make this and other climb possible. First was Cooper Cadie, who had provided financial support for this climb in particular. Then others: Leki, Advocare, GoLite, Pacific Outdoor Equipment, ExOfficio, Steger Mukluks, Ullfrotte, CAMP, and The North Face. Without them, it would not have been possible for me to climb the Seven Summits.
Marshall
proudly displays the Cooper & Cadie banner (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) |
||||||||||
|
Last, and most importantly, there was the Religious Teacher Filippini banner that I had carried to the top of Everest, Elbrus, Vinson, and now Kosciuszko. The thought of helping the war widowed mothers and orphaned children, a thought which I carried with me on the mountains, had helped motivate me to the top. I proudly broke it out, displayed it, and looked around from the top of this continent, as the children would want me to do, in order “to see all of the work that needs to be done.” This appropriate message was one that Sister Mary Beth had shared with me before I set off to climb Everest. A message that I held dear throughout my climbs in the mountains on continents around the world, and one that went through my head again as I gazed down from the summit of Kosciuszko.
Marshall
displays the Religious Teachers Filippini (Photo credit: Heather Ulrich) So, the long journey came to a quiet close as we started down the mountain. I became melancholy, feeling as if an old friend, a friend that had walked beside me on each and every climb, was passing away. I had become accustom to this friend – the familiar, lingering feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about whether or not I would summit, or even return from the mountains. All the time he was headed with me, climbing toward the summits, and back down. We walked and climbed hand in hand and became more familiar with each other each time we reached the top of another continent. My friend had kept me company and, more than that, had kept me always aware of my surroundings, my body, my choices. My friend – fear, anxiety, and uncertainty – had kept me safe had allowed me to return to my wife, family, and loved ones. Now my friend's presence and company is no longer necessary to keep me safe on the tallest mountain on every continent. Out of respect, I will remember him and hold him in high regard; keeping him close to my heart to see me through should I ever need him again? That night, on the 10th of March 2005, in a little restaurant in Thredbo, Australia, Heather, Rory, Janis, and I celebrated the accomplishment of reaching the top of the Seven Summits. Compliments of Rory and Janis, we toasted raising our glasses of champagne, lavishing in the fine food of the evening. Finally, to top it off, the pre-arranged climax of Tina Turners “Simply the Best” playing over the restaurant's sound system (the same song my friend, Lisa Smith-Batchen had played when I finished the Quad Badwater in 2001 – two accomplishments in my life, both of which most significantly including fundraising for the Religious Teachers Filippini) complete with a cake decorated displaying “Congratulations on the 7 Summits” scripted in the frosting and topped with a sparkler flaring like it was the Fourth of July!
Marshall
celebrates summiting Mount Kosciuszko and the (Photo credit: Rory Vose)
Life just doesn't get any better than this.
(Photo credit: Rory Vose)
|
||||||||||
Sponsor Thanks! Marshall would like to thank all of his sponsors for all of their support and for providing him with the best equipment available! Without his sponsors, Marshall would not have been successful in his Quest! A special thanks to Cooper & Cadie, your friendly neighborhood pet shop, who provided financial support for the Mount Kosciuszko climb, making it possible for Marshall to complete the Seven Summits.
Cooper & Cadie Canine Company offers all-natural organic pet foods, dog & cat treats, pet supplements, and other pet supplies including a full line of dog leashes, pet toys, dog crates, pet shampoos, training gear and travel accessories for your canine and feline companions. Everything Cooper & Cadie sells has their 100% guarantee and low-cost shipping policies. Shop online with confidence.
The actual Cooper & Cadie pet store is located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the historic west end of Stanwood , Washington (just a little north of Seattle ). They named the pet store after their beloved dogs, Cooper & Cadie. If you're ever in the neighborhood, drop in and say hello! Be
watching for information regarding a guided Also, a sincere thanks to The North Face - a long time sponsor of Team Stray Dogs and a major sponsor of his Quest for the Seven Summits!
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
Cooper &
Cadie provided financial support
|
||||||||||
| Seven Summits and the Triple Crown by Heather Ulrich Here is some some background information about Marshall's Quest for the Seven Summits and the Triple Crown of Extreme Sports. Quest for the Seven Summits Marshall has now completed his Quest for the Seven Summits! Marshall has summited (in order of altitude) the following summits.
According to the statistics on the Seven Summits Web site, only 99 people in the world have completed the Seven Summits - including 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko in Australia as the seventh summit. Dick Bass was the first person to complete the Quest on April 30, 1985. Only 37 Americans have reached the summits of the seven highest peaks on each of the continents, including four American women. So, Marshall *should* be the 100th person in the world to have completed the Quest for the Seven Summits!
Triple Crown of Extreme Sports Marshall is a veteran of over 110 ultra-marathons and adventure races averaging over 100 miles each. Along the way, he has raised more than $220,000 for various charities, including the Religious Teachers Filippini. He has crossed Death Valley a record 17 times including a solo and quad crossing, and is a 4-time winner of the Badwater 146-mile race from minus 282 feet to the 14,494-foot summit of Mount Whitney. In 1989, he was the first person to complete all six 100-mile trail races in the same year. With a personal best of 142 miles, he is a two time silver medallist in the national 24-hour championship. Marshall is one of three people in the world to have competed in all 9 Eco Challenges, and has competed in 7 other expedition-length adventure races. Now that Marshall has completed his Quest for the Seven Summits he is the first person in the world to complete the Triple Crown of Extreme Sports – ultra running, adventure racing, and mountaineering.
|
||||||||||
World-class ultra runner Record setting adventure racer Marshall running in the Badwater Ultra Marshall in the 1999 Eco Challenge Argentina
Mountaineer
- Quest for the Seven Summits
|
||||||||||
Other Mountain News Select the following link to read general information about Marshall's climb of Mount Vinson in Antarctica. Keep watching for Marshall's actual journal entries and photos from Vinson to be posted soon! There are also links to all of the updates from Marshall's successful Everest climb in April/May 2004, including summit day on Everest, with photos from the top of the world! You can also read Marshall's journal from his successful summit of Mount Elbrus in June 2004. See the Mountaineering page for general information about Marshall's Quest for the Seven Summits. See the Clothing page for ordering information for all Stray Dogs clothing, including Everest '04 hats and T-shirts. See the Fundraising page for information about the Religious Teachers Filippini, including how you can make an on-line donation or where you can send a check in recognition of Marshall's completion of the Seven Summits. The Religious Teachers Filippini is an amazing organization that provides hope for the future, by providing an education, to some the poorest women and children around the world. We look forward to your continuing support in 2005!
|
||||||||||
Thanks...and Come Back!
Again
...remember
to And
...watch for a new page with information about a guided
adventure expedition THANK YOU for following along, and for all of your support!
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
