Updates From Alan Arnette!

Alan Arnette has posted some great new updates to his website regarding his ongoing efforts to return to Everest in the Spring of 2008 as he continues to raise awareness for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

First up, Alan has posted a recap of his recent Shisha Pangma climb. Shisha is the 14th highest mountain in the World, and the "shortest" of the 8000m peaks, but as Alan states in his post climb notes, that doesn't mean it's not one amazing challenge. Anyone who followed the Fall season on Shisha already knows that the mountain, and the Himalaya in general, were plagued with bad weather this year, with unusually high amounts of snow. Only two climbers managed to summit the mountain, but Alan considers his trip a success none the less, with some great training and preparation for Everest.

Next up for Alan on his Road Back To Everest: Memories Are Everything tour is Mt. Orizaba is Mexico. At 18,800 feet, Orizaba is the third highest mountain in North America, and he'll go there in January with friends for another training climb. However, that won't be the last climb he'll make before returning to Everest, as Alan has announced that he'll be climbing Aconcagua again in January as well. He summitted back in 2005, but will return to Argentina again to further his preparations for the Spring. Aconcagua is 22,841 feet tall and is the tallest mountain in the World outside of the Himalaya.

Finally, Alan is also on the verge of announcing a joint project with the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, himself, and several schools that will allow teachers to use his Everest climb as a tool in the classroom. The official details haven't been released just yet, but if you're an educator looking for the opportunity to have your students interact with an Everest climber, you may want to contact Alan ASAP.

The Shisha recap is an excellent read, and Alan always does a good job of describing his adventures. I'm looking forward to reading about the Orizaba and Aconcagua climbs in a few months as well. Keep up the great work Alan. We'll be with you all the way to the summit of Everest.