Carstenz Pyramid - Off to Try Again!!
Hey Everybody!
I'm heading out to Indonesia (again!) in an attempt to try and climb Carstenz Pyramid!
We'll see how it goes!
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
I'll let you know how things went upon my return!
All the best,
Meagan
Carstenz Pyramid - Halted!
Hey Everyone!
Well, I got all the way to Jarkarta, Indonesia. I met my contact (a wonderful young lady) at the airport. She introduced herself, and the next thing she said was, "I'm so sorry, but there has been a one day delay." No worries, I thought. That's why we built in extra days in the schedule. However, by the time we got from the airport to the hotel, things had changed a bit. The situation developing in Irian Jaya had gone from bad to worse. That night, my climbing partner, Dirk, and I visited a national monument, and learned a bit about the history of Indonesia. We came back, had dinner, and then I went to bed! Whew! I hadn't slept in two days!
The next day, Dirk and I met for breakfast, and then he showed me the mall. It turns out that Jakarta is noted for its shopping, restaurants and clubs. We had fun checking out the supermarket and the various stalls of clothes and other various items. When we came back, I needed a nap, as I had a short sleep the night before. However, before I could catch a few winks, I had to sort out a minor logistical problem (there is a gross story about the bed, but I won't get into that here!), and then I was sleeping. Later that afternoon, I got a call from Dirk, he had received news from out contact in Irian Jaya - things are definitely not looking good for the expedition. Dirk and I swung into action not long after that call, and started to see how we could - in my case, get back to Canada; and in Dirk's case, how he could get to Australia!
We found that we had options avaiable to us, and although we were supposed to wait until the next morning, at 2130hrs, we called our Irian Jaya contact and requested confirmation as to whether the expeidtion was a go or no-go. It was confirmed as a no-go. I tried to change my ticket that night, so I could leave the next day. And Dirk worked throughout the next few hours to get a flight to Australia!
In the morning, I found out that Dirk had managed to get a flight to Australia, and he would leave that night. I would make my way to the airline office, first thing, and change my ticket so I could leave the next day.
And then, the next day, I was off! After two days in Jakarta, I was on my way back to Canada! I bought a couple of gifts for my sister and her fiance. I tell you - these are the most expensive Christmas gifts I've ever bought!!
In case you're wondering why I was trying to get back to Canada so quick. It was so that I could come back, reclaim the vacation days I did not use, and hopefully return in a couple of months to make another attempt.
And there you have my expedition to Carstenz Pyramid - not all that exciting, but from a logistical point of view, we were kept very busy!
I look forward to returning in a couple of months! We'll see if things settle down enough, so that it becomes safe to attempt to climb Carstenz Pyramid.
For now, I'll be working on my running, as I get prepared for the Marathon des Sables.
All the best,
Meagan
Carstenz Pyramid - A few days away!!
Hi Everyone!
Well, it's been a very busy time - so much going on!
(You can check out what I've been up to at
www.meaganmcgrathadventurer.com )
It's just a few days until I'm off on my next adventure. This should be pretty cool - I've never been to Indonesia before, and it seems like it'll be a lot of fun!
I've been training on weekends pretty routinely, but during the week, my workouts have been less than stellar! Don't worry though, I'll be getting back on the training wagon as soon as I return from Carstenz Pyramid, to get ready for Marathon des Sables.
I'm working on a few exciting projects - after Marathon des Sables, I'll be guiding a trip up Kilimanjaro. This should be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to it!
Please stay tuned for more adventures!
Meg McGrath, Adventurer
Off to climb in Indonesia - Carstenz Pyramid!!
Hey there, Everyone!
Well, things are definitley moving along !! My end goal - to climb mountains, cross deserts (hot and cold) and to demonstrate that exploration is alive and well!
I recently received an email from one of my friends on my Mount Everest Expedition. My friend asked if I was still into climbing Carstenz Pyramid - and it didn't take me too long to respond!!
So now, I am off to climb Carstenz Pyramid. Why this mountain you may ask - well, I have a bit of history to share with you...
Long ago, in the 80's (okay, it wasn't that long ago!), two men were striving to be the first to complete the fabled Seven Summits - the highest mountain on each Continent of the World.
They each encountered many obstacles, personal, professional, political, etc.
Finally, one of them completed the series - his name was Dick Bass. An American. He completed the Seven Summits, including Kosciusko in "Australia".
The other man, Pat Morrow, a Canadian, still wanted to climb the Seven Summits, but he had a different take on what the highest mountain in "Australia" should be - and he climbed Carstenz Pyramid (in Indonesia).
Now, you might be wondering why I have highlighted "Australia" in quotes. Well, it is this Continent that is still debated wrt the Seven Summits. In school, we learn that Australia is a Continent (and there just isn't much mention of Oceania). Some consider Australia not be a Continent on its own, rather, it is part of a larger geographical area called Oceania. If you consider Australia a Continent on its own - then Kosciusko is the highest point, and therefore a Seven Summit mountain. If you consider Oceania a Continent, then Carstenz Pyramid becomes the highest point in "Australia", and is a Seven Summit mountain. Therefore, there are now two official versions of the Seven Summits.
I completed the first (and the original Seven Summit series) in May 2007, with the successful summit of Mount Everest.
In order to cover all my basis, I will attempt to climb Carstenz Pyramid, in an effort to complete the 'other' verison of the Seven Summits. Should this attempt be successful, I will be the Youngest Canadian to achieve this feat, and I will be the Only Canadian Woman to achieve this feat - pretty cool, eh!
So, there you have it! I've been a bit busy putting all this together, and even now, I am working on a project that will be quite fun and will take place in 2009!
I encourage you to stay tuned, as you simply never know what I'll be up to next! I sure don't!
Meagan
Back at it! More adventures in the works!
Hey Everyone!
Well, it's been some time since I've written you. I've been up to some interesting things recently. I'm currently investigating the possibility of an interesting project that I'd like to attempt. It's pretty huge, and it would certainly be the adventure of a lifetime!
I can't really release any of the details, yet. It's very much in the preliminary stage, but needless to say, I'd be earning the title, "Adventurer".
In the meantime, I continue to train for the Marathon des Sables 2008. I've got my plane ticket, insurance - and I'll slowly be acquiring the gear. It's going to be a tough event, but I've always wanted to give it a shot.
Running, jogging and shuffling through the Sahara Desert for 6 days, and a distance of 250km, is going to be a tough challenge - but it's something I've always wanted to try. I'll be training in winter, with -20C average temps, and then jumping off a plane with +35C (or more) temps - the challenge will be adapting to such drastically different climates.
Stay tuned for more info about the Marathon des Sables 2008!
Meagan
Thanks Everyone!
Thank you, Everyone!
For all your kind words! It has been very, very time since I've returned to Canada - and only now have I got a chance to check out my blog site.
It has been quite an adventure - and I'v learned so much over the past year. I'm looking forward to challenging myself further - in fact, I've already registered for the 2008 Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands) - and I can't wait!
I've started training for this marathon event - but I'm keeping in mind that this is just a way for me to keep in shape until I have enough leave to go climbing again! I am a mountain climber at heart, but I enjoy trying new things - just to keep myself fresh!
I'll continue to use the
www.meaganmcgrathadventurer.com site to update you on all my adventures - and believe me - I have some pretty cool things in the works!
Take care, Everyone!
And follow your heart!
Meagan
I'm Off to Everest!
Good day, Everyone!
Well - today is the day!
Thank you for everyone's support and encouragement. I will be safe, and my aim is to go for the top. We'll see what happens!
I will have expedition updates, an they will be available at
www.sciencenorth.ca/everestIf you wanted a refresher on where this is all coming from - you can visit:
www.meaganmcgrathadventurer.comI will return to blogging on this site in June 2007. In the meantime, I highly encourage you to visit
www.sciencenorth.ca/everest Remember, some days will be fairly dull, and some days will be pretty exciting.
Thank you to my sponsors for helping make this expedition a reality:
Science North
City of Greater Sudbury
Laamanen Group
LaPrairie Inc.
And to the many amazing Trekking Supporters:
Algonquin Road Public School
Sheilah Arena, Cathy Carr, Brenda Syrnyk & Susan Thompson
Jane Baggs
Meghan Baggs
Jenn Dawson
Denise Denis
Mrs Evelyn and Mr Roland Dutrisac
OJ, Ruth, Nicky, and Lauren Gallant
Cathy Heffernan, Jane Saal and all those who supported the St. Joseph's Emergency Department Raffle for my expedition!
Pete and Cheryl Irvine
Cetta, Ken, Hanna and August Isberg
Deborah McGrath
Kelly McGrath
Ken, Jo, Caitlin, Shane, Devon and Celton McGrath
Dr Shahid Mecci and Mrs Parveen Mecci
Martin Millar
Dr Shah Nawaz and Mrs Zuhra Nawaz
Ottawa Orthotic Lab,
www.ottawaorthoticlab.comBrenda Payne
Eileen Poulin
Linda Rumball
Lauri Skitch
Diane and Charles Trenka
Terry and Cathy Zinger
Thank you very much.
Meagan McGrath, Adventurer
