Entries By blake votilla
May 16, 2016
Posted by: Billy Haas, Blake Votilla, Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 14,000'
On The Map
May 13, 2016
Posted by: Billy Haas, Blake Votilla, Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
On The Map
Hi Rogan, you must be well acclimatised by now so hopefully you can start your climbing tomorrow once again. That’s what you trained for isn’t it? I wish you good luck with the weather and the climb.
We are having late drizzly rain today, we are gratefull for this rain as I think it will be our last till next summer, temps have dropped to 18 but will rise again when the wet front moves on.
I hope you are well and enjoying your snacks, thinking of you every day, am so proud of you, always have been. Love you stukkend, mom xx
Posted by: Daphne Carew on 5/14/2016 at 2:34 am
Hi there kid Adelle..still resting i see. Move the butt and get up the mountain. Onwards and upwards i always said when i last climbed Everest.. Kids are fine and chubby. Dean is playing guitar like a dream. There is a lot of talent in that little soul. Kaela is studying a lot and has tests coming up so we shall see. Very much like her mamma in that you cant tell her anything. And i have so much to tell!!! Anyways we look forward to the blog everyday. Please thank the bloggers for the families left on Mother Earth. Enjoy your time and bring me a Yeti back. There should be one around the next corner. Bring Jaco a Unicorn….you just never know. Actually just bring yourself back. Love you SOOO much! ME.
Posted by: Maureen on 5/14/2016 at 2:03 am
May 12, 2016
Posted by: Billy Haas, Blake Votilla, Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
On The Map
hey my love - Rogan - its your better half - all is good at home and rather cold. Hosting a boy from Westville and his name is Dean he is double the size of Robin and Andrew - big boy and yet he is U14C like Andrew - had a good supper and all relaxed and ready for bed - early start to the morning as the boys have to be at Pretoria before 8h00 - only going to get home around 16h30 Saturday… I have made arrangments for Jenna to say with Daphne for the day tomorrow as I do not see her wanting to stay at the rugby all day. Will hopefully get a call from you sometime Saturday - Robin will be with Shan so you will only be able to chat to Andrew and Jenna - I hope you guys are all doing well and heading up that mountain. Hopefully the weather is good for your guys—Keep going and be strong. Love you xxxx
Posted by: melanie on 5/13/2016 at 10:53 am
Hey Rogz, all is well at home and rather cool this side of the world but nothing compares to what you are all experiencing. Going to fetch the boys this afternoon - Friday and then we have rugby the whole day Saturday - yippee for me and you know how I love RUGBY xxx Off to hospital Monday morning before 6 - wish me luck - all will be fine and I have sorted everything out for lifts too school and home again. Maybe I will get a chance to actually do some reading whilst I rest and get my knee sorted… Thinking of you. Love you and miss you lots - Take it easy and be careful please xxxx Wishing for blue skies for the rest of the trip so you guys can keep climbing xxx
Posted by: melanie on 5/13/2016 at 2:31 am
May 11, 2016
Posted by: Blake Votilla, Mike Walter, Billy Haas
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
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Davis, don’t fret about that maintenance free pond, you just focus on that dern summit. We’ll worry about the pond. All the best young man.
Posted by: Patrick Gillis on 5/12/2016 at 8:51 pm
Dave G. Awesome! Great stuff ahead. Fun following your journey.
Good luck to you and the team.
Posted by: Al on 5/12/2016 at 7:51 pm
May 11, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
On The Map
Looks like you are doing well. Hope the wind and snow didn’t hinder the climb. Alls well here. Stay warm.
Love from all your family.
Lori.
Posted by: Lori pesta on 5/11/2016 at 1:39 pm
Great to hear everyone is doing well. Hoping the wind doesn’t effect your carries and you keep on schedule.
Stay safe, hydrate lots and eat plenty.
Good luck everyone especially the Saffers a long way from home, Adelle and Rogan.
Posted by: Mark on 5/11/2016 at 1:01 pm
May 10, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
On The Map
Adelle,
Thinking of you and can’t wait to hear all the stories when you return!!!
Posted by: Dada Bredell on 5/11/2016 at 2:47 am
Hi Adelle!!
Hope you are well and keeping strong.
Thinking of you and cheering for you all the way.
Lots of love
Anelise
xxx
Posted by: Anelise on 5/11/2016 at 2:05 am
May 9, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
On The Map
Thanks for the Mothers Day wishes. Good luck with the weather and collecting your cache, I hope you can find it! Well done on the progress you have made so far dearest Rogan and the rest of the team. Wonderful photo posted on this blog. Lots of love, Mom xx
Posted by: Daphne Carew on 5/10/2016 at 2:01 pm
Hey congratulations on your climbing so far. Keep up the good work and I look forward to climbing this mountain my self sometime in the future.
Posted by: Kevin on 5/10/2016 at 7:56 am
May 8, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 11,000'
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On The Map
Great to hear of your progress. Keep up the good work all. David, the birds and fish are fed, pond pump is working, plants are watered, lawn is mowed, storm windows are not down…missing you molto!
Posted by: Nancy Hines on 5/9/2016 at 7:23 pm
Hi Rogan and rest of the team.
I saw this quote some time ago, and it reminds me how much respect I have for you all.
“I suggest going out to the nearest pub and getting completely, and utterly, wasted. Make sure you smoke at least 1 pack of unfiltered Camel’s. Get the full ashtray, pour a drink in it and then pour the mixture into a water bottle.
When you get home (ideally around 3:30am) stick the vile mixture into your freezer. Put on your best goretex and thermal layer. Climb in. At 5:30am, get out, drink (chew?) the mixture and go run the biggest flight of stairs you can find. Run until your heart threatens to explode.
Your dehydration caused by the alcohol should adequately simulate what you may experience at higher altitudes. Your lung capacity should be sufficiently impaired by the smokes to simulate a oxygen poor environment. The freezer episode should adequately replicate a bivy. Drinking the booze/butt mixture should simulate your lack of appetite…..
Oh — once your finished your workout, go to work (to replicate the long walk out).”
- Greg Hamilton suggesting an altitude training methodology.
To be honest, I am more than a little bit jealous. Enjoy every step and every moment, even when it’s tough.
Pieter and the Nel family from Cape Town, South Africa
Posted by: Pieter Nel on 5/9/2016 at 2:42 am
May 7, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Elevation: 7,800'
On The Map
Well done so far, Rogan and team, I wish I was eating bagels and salmon, enjoy! Keep warm and hope the weather just gets better every day! Love you lots, mom xx
Posted by: Daphne Carew on 5/9/2016 at 1:54 pm
David W hines -
having a wonderful mothers day, full of great barbecue ribs chicken sausage mess you and tim stay SAFE
mom
Posted by: ann hines on 5/8/2016 at 11:55 am
May 5, 2016
Posted by: Mike Walter, Billy Haas, Blake Votilla
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Denali
Absolutely beautiful pictures. Glad for all information. Cheers to the team.
Posted by: Donna on 5/16/2016 at 4:57 pm
Hi Rogan and team, well done, it’s been marvellous following your trip. Congrats so far!
Rogue your beautiful wife is fine, the op looks as if it was really successful and by the time I fetched her she had already walked and climbed stairs with the crutches. In fact she could probably climb Denali with a bit more practise!
You are well past the halfway mark, according to the map, one more stop and then the summit. Never give up! Ever! I didn’t with Wfm and that was also really difficult.
You trained so hard, you are quite capable of reaching the summit, your Angels are with you!
I’m so looking forward to seeing all your photos.
I suppose you know that 4 guys reached the top of Everest, the first in two full years!
I wish the blue skies remain, you must be sick of snow by now? Focus on the wonderful scenery, not seen by many, it’s such a privilege you are experiencing.
Hope you all have a great climb tomorrow, it will be different by the looks of things. Good luck and vasbyt!
Love you so much, mom xx
Posted by: Daphne Carew on 5/16/2016 at 1:36 pm
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