Skills, Knowledge and Humility, peppered with life lessons and blinding fury.
I needed to return to Ecuador to clean up my climbing resume and get some serious high altitude training you just can't find in the states. Problem being, I didn't really have the time. My Vacation time was cut short due to training and other fuckery, and I had a mountain of responsibilities pilling up… Continue reading Away Game 01-18: Return to Ecuador
It can run like a plague through our loved ones or our leaders, leaving tears of blood in its wake. Either on the battlefield or on the playground, Cowardice is an infection that needs to be cut out with a knife. I've watched men weep, hiding under plastic tables while bombarded with mortar fire. I've… Continue reading On Cowardice
From the plains of the Serengeti , one can see Africa’s own Mt. Olympus, home of the highest peak in all of Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Standing at 19,341 feet, this massive volcano is one of the fabled 7 Summits, the second of which I’ve attempted, and this Fall’s big international away Game. Over 6 days,… Continue reading Away Game 05-17, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania-Africa
Once returning from Ecuador, I took a week to unpack, wash my clothing and reflect on the Journey. I had severe trouble with prior injuries at altitude but still had an appetite for something that would place me in mortal peril. The answer was the Caminito del Rey in southern Spain. Heralded as the most… Continue reading Away Game 04-17, El Caminito del Rey, Southern Spain
Away Games, like life, don't always go according to plan. My original plan was smashed once arriving for a second time at the Venezuelan consulate in Boston. After a bit of unwarranted back and forth with the clerks, I walked away thinking I was a spy for the U.S. Government, heading to Caracas to start… Continue reading Away Game 03-17 Andes Mountains, Ecuador
Some things you do in life grind bits of soul away before you're through. Deployment, Divorce or Departed, events can alter your outlook and change your life's chemistry. Some of the great schisms in history spawned war, while others nurtured births of amazing resilience and cultural elegance. Few moments in life are we able to… Continue reading HG Throwback, The Presidential Traverse
Pain. Blinding, blissful pain. Memory is a harsh thing. We forget the way blood tastes in our mouths. The way electricity shoots through our veins. The sweet taste of air when waking up from a concussion. Our memory decides to forget these details so that we can live without fear, driving towards our own oblivion… Continue reading Away Game 02-17, Labrador Canada
It's everywhere. The truth of our society is that no one goes through any real hardship, most never accomplishing anything worthwhile or difficult their entire lives. Most of us have never been shot at. Never had a friend die in our arms. Never had to prove your worth in the midst of overwhelming opposition, pain… Continue reading On Weakness
Preparation for a trip, or away games as I call them, is key. When the coach puts you in the big game and you've been sitting on the bench playing Poverty's Paradise instead of warming up, you're just not down with Or Properly Prepared. Taking preparation seriously is the only sure way to face Nature's Fury… Continue reading On Proper Preparation
For years I deployed with the military, every call was answered with a sound mind and an able hand. Then came a day where the need for war ceased, or slowed from the Nile to a babbling brook. I was left needing a purpose to inspire myself. An adventure to cool my ever present need… Continue reading AG Throwback, Mt. Fuji
Ungentlemanly Warfare and Meritorious Advice 