Wednesday 15 June 2011

How to prepare to climb a mountain

Since January, John Rostek has been enduring increasingly difficult physical training in order to be ready to climb Mt. McKinley (Denali): tread mills at the steepest incline while carry a 70 pound backpack, dragging 50 pound sleds up hills in area parks, and running 10 miles. 

All of those tasks will help him (and the other 10 people in the team) as they start their ascent tomorrow.  So, what has the team been doing since arriving in Anchorage on Tuesday?  Grocery shopping.  Everyone in the team will cart food provisions up the mountain by dragging a large, heavy-duty sled.  Today, John bought Ramen noodles, mac and cheese, sardines, cheese, bagels, snickers, trail mix, peanut butter, crackers, instant soup, beef sticks, and instant potatoes.  All of it is food that is both easy to transport and easy to make.

That's not all the team did today. They also traveled to  Talkeetna (a four hour drive) to meet with the National Park Service for an orientation before starting their trek. John also worked in an interview with the public radio station at Central Michigan University, his alma mater.  Just as soon as that link is available, we'll bring it to you.

On the home front, our fund raising total has topped the $17,000 mark.  The big question remaining is who will reach 20,320 first, John Rostek or the fund for student activities in the Hamtramck Public Schools?  You can help student activities in Hamtramck by sending your TAX DEDUCTIBLE check, made out to Piast Institute ("Mr. Rostek's Climb" in the memo), to:

Hamtramck Public Schools
3201 Roosevelt
Hamtramck, MI 48212

Thanks for all of your support!

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