Climber Profile – Bob Dhaens

Bob grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where the nearest hill allowed him to stand roughly 10 feet above grade and see for 50 miles. Just a little flat. While working for Deloitte, he moved to Munich, Germany in 1999 and returned to Seattle in 2001. Bob joined Slalom in 2007. As a kid, his uncle introduced him to hiking in the western National Parks (Glacier, Yellowstone) and in Canada (Banff, Jasper).

What is your previous climbing experience?

Zip. I’ve hiked, but never really “climbed” anything. Prior to starting my training, I have hiked the local trails: Mt. Si, Mt. Index, Granite Peak, but that’s about it. Now you can see me early mornings mostly on Si, but I’m planning to get onto Tiger Mountain and Mailbox soon and looking forward to either Mt. St. Helens or Mt. Adams before we do Rainier.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

I have a love-hate relationship with my mountaineering boots. My feet blister extremely easily, so I thought renting was a poor choice. I purchased the La Sportiva Nepal Evo’s. Lovely Italian boots, kinda sexy to look at (I guess that’s a personal opinion). But, I’m still having trouble convincing myself that they actually fit. Some days they are like gloves and I can’t even feel that I’m wearing them. Other days, they feel more like two concrete blocks.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

This climb is really a personal challenge for me. I’m not really comfortable with heights and my knees just aren’t what they used to be (too much basketball and volleyball). I want to make it for myself and I don’t want to let the team down by holding anyone back. I’m looking forward to standing on the top of Rainier – which means that I’ve been able to rise to both the mental and physical challenge.

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Climber Profile – Adam Barley

Adam grew up between New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, giving him extremely valuable insight into how to make maple syrup and the culture of the Amish. He moved to Seattle in 1997 to work with Accenture, and then after a year of traveling abroad, joined Slalom “way back” in 2003.  He always enjoyed exploring and being active in the outdoors, and does a lot of running and cycling around the city when he can’t be out in the mountains.

What is your previous climbing experience?

Internationally, my wife and I have been fortunate to have summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and done high-altitude trekking in Peru and Nepal (getting to 14,000 and 17,000 ft, respectively).  Locally, I’ve done some of the other volcanic peaks such as St. Helens and Adams, and every summer I go on a 4-day climb in the rugged Northern Cascades that include alpine climbing and glacier traversing.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

If it is ever invented, I’d say a helium-filled backpack to actually LIGHTEN the load.  Seems like a no-brainer to me!  For things that actually exist, I’m a huge fan of anything that is super light, functional, and high quality, such as my Montbell inflatable pillow (a little comfort goes a long way!) or my Evernew titanium pot.  I’ll also put in a plug for hiking with a visor (like OR’s) that is perfect for shading eyes while keeping the head cool, and a simple bandanna that I’ve found indispensable for things like wiping away sweat, providing shade, and cleaning the camera lens for that perfect shot when you get to a summit.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

Ever since I moved to Seattle and upon first sight of it thought Rainier was a cloud on the horizon, I’ve always wanted to get to the top.  I’ve let the years tick by without making it happen, so I’m looking forward to finally making this mission a reality and getting to share the experience with some of my friends from Slalom and other soon-to-be-friends who are part of our group.

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Climber Profile – Seth Terrell

Seth plays with data and gets paid for it. He is an MCDBA certified vegetarian, drives a beatup pickup truck, and has a dog named Squid who likes to go hiking wearing his green doggie backpack!

What is your previous climbing experience?

I climbed Mt. Fuji, Mt. St. Helens, and ascended from the village of Lukla, Nepal to the Mount Everest Base Camp.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

A pair of old, dog-chewed hiking boots are Seth’s favorite piece of gear: they’ve traipsed across a lot of land, both foreign and domestic.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

Wielding my ice axe on Mount Rainier.

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Climber Profile – Thy Do

After growing up in Oklahoma, Thy went to Chicago to study Chemistry at Northwestern before completing his Masters in Public Health at Yale and PhD in Pharmacoepidemiology at the University of Washington.  He is currently an Epidemiologist for Amgen.  Thy enjoys the outdoors and various sports – he was previously a competitive rower.  Thy is joining the team as a guest of Colin Smith.

What is your previous climbing experience?

I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in December 2008.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

My PlatyPreserve wine bladder for those long hikes.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

After living in Seattle for almost 7 years, I’ve always had a view of Mt Rainier.  It’s been a long time goal to see what it feels like to be at the top looking down.  This was the perfect opportunity to join the Slalom team and find out!

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Climber Profile – Kevin Connolly

Kevin left Ireland in 2002 to study at Cardiff University in Wales, before moving to London in 2004. After a long and arduous visa process, Kevin finally moved to Seattle in June 2009 to be with his (fellow Slalom consultant) fiancé Jody Wall and joined Slalom in January 2010.  Kevin loves to take advantage of everything that Washington state has to offer including wake boarding, skiing, cycling and hopefully Mt. Rainier!

What is your previous climbing experience?

Very little! The highest mountain in Ireland, Carrauntoohil, stands at a staggering 3,406 ft. I think we might have “climbed” this as kids with my elderly grandfather! Jody has been an avid hiker since High School, and would regularly drag me up a mountain whenever I would come visit from London. To date I have hiked Mt. Si, Little Si, Mailbox, and Rattle Snake and look forward to the challenge of Mt. Rainier!

What is your favorite piece of gear?

As a fair weather hiker, all my climbing to date has been done in shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of trainers so I don’t have any gear to speak of, never mind a favorite piece. However, I am very much looking forward to purchasing an ice-axe! Like all men, I have always longed for one, and now I finally have an excuse to buy one!

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

As a relative new comer to Slalom, I am very much looking forward to getting to know the team. As I am currently staffed at BECU in Tukwila I get a perfect view of the mountain as I drive down I-5 South each morning. Knowing that I have stood on the top will be an amazing feeling. Also, as we are getting married at the end of May, having the Rainier climb just a few weeks later should ensure that I am in decent shape on the day!

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Climber Profile – Justin Dimmer

Pacific NW backpacking - Justin Dimmer

Justin Dimmer was born in Fargo, North Dakota, however he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and Syracuse, New York for most of his adolescent life.  It wasn’t until high school that he moved back to Fargo to finish school there and go onto college.  In 2008 Justin moved to Seattle to join Slalom’s Portals team.  In his spare time you can find Justin fishing, hunting, wakeboarding, backpacking, hiking, or even scuba diving.

What is your previous climbing experience?

I don’t have any formal mountaineering or climbing experience.  The largest mountain that I have ever summited is Mt. Si.  Growing up on the east coast and the plains of North Dakota, I have never been able to engage in the thrill of mountaineering.  Ever since moving out to Seattle, I have been drawn into Mt. Rainier’s bold prominence.  This climb is the perfect opportunity for me to get to know some of my fellow colleagues as well as try something that has been on my mind for over two years now.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

I have done a lot of backpacking and canoe trips (Boundary Water Canoeing Area in Northern Minnesota) and one of the things that I have come to appreciate is a good sleeping bag.  I purchased the Mont-bell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger #2 last summer and I have zero regrets.  The bag is rated for 25 degrees and it holds true to that figure.  The bag has a stretch feature that allows you to sit cross legged while in that bag.  In addition, it comes in at less than 2 lbs.  If you are looking at cutting some weight and want to stay warm I definitely recommend.  If you are concerned that 25 degress is too light they have warmer.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

For me this is all about making it up as a team.  I want to see everyone in the group at the top in safe health.  I know how much this climb means to me on a personal level so I take a level of responsibility in helping everyone join me at the summit.  The physical conditioning, team camaraderie, and goal fulfillment will make this climb live in my memory forever.

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Climber Profile – Mark Williams

Mark is a Northwest boy, born in Ashland, Oregon.  He has been with Slalom since 2004.  Mark loves wheeled adventures including riding a bicycle across Austria, riding a motorcycle down the Pacific Coast Highway, racing rally cars in Mexico, and driving 5,400 miles roundtrip from Seattle to the Beaufort Sea in the middle of winter on the ice roads.  Mark writes for 0-60 Magazine, www.0-60mag.com.

 

What is your previous climbing experience?

I have hiked and backpacked quite a bit, but I’ve never set out on a true alpine trip requiring a rope team. 

What is your favorite piece of gear?

Gear is usually the difference between a great time and a miserable time, so I have many favorites.  For this trip it will probably be a tie between my down parka that makes me look like Kenny from South Park, and my leopard print ear muffs.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

Obviously sitting at the summit will be very rewarding, but I’m also interested in the camaraderie between the other climbers when we are literally tied to one another.

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Climber Profile – Colin Smith

Colin Smith was born and raised in Scotland.  After living in San Francisco for 18 years, he relocated to Seattle in 2007.  Colin likes to maintain an active lifestyle including past experience with half-marathons, climbing, hiking, whitewater and sea kayaking.  Colin is a Consultant and Technical Project Manager for Slalom Consulting.

What is your previous climbing experience?

I completed a local summit of Mt Baker in 2008 as well as many challenging day hikes in California and Washington.  In 2007 I also climbed Mt Bartle Frere through rainforest, the highest peak in Queensland, Australia. This was also the location of a past Eco-Challenge adventure race.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

Smartwool – love the Smartwool underwear products for training and big days.  Great wicking ability, fast drying, and naturally anti-bacterial.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

Probably corny – but those few minutes of relief and achievement at the summit before the full realization of the climb back down set-in.

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Climber Profile – Joel Forman

Joel Forman is a Washington native and has been with Slalom Consulting in the Seattle office since 2006.  Joel currently resides in Sammamish, WA with his wife, Stephanie, and son, Cameron.  While not the most avid outdoorsman, Joel keeps in shape playing a lot of team sports, including basketball and softball.  The Rainier climb will be a new experience, a challenge in unfamiliar territory. 

What is your previous climbing experience?

I don’t really have any.  I think my choice to participate on this climb has surprised a few of the people close to me.  But I think this is going to be something I will always look back on and be very glad I did.  I am going to rely on the experience of our guides, and get myself in the best shape possible, with the hope that this combination will allow myself to be successful.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

I recently did a post on my new trekking poles.  They are awesome, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to make this purchase.  I wasn’t even really thinking about getting these.  I had put it in my “rent” category.  But I found a good deal, and now that I have them, I don’t think I could have gone without them for all of the training hikes I am planning to do.

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

For me, a big part of doing this is about having a goal that will push myself to new limits.  The motivation of reaching the summit will drive me to do all the training in the months prior.  Having this motivation will force me to do things that I would not otherwise do, like getting out on a hike at 6:00 AM on a workday.  I really look forward to the goal itself.  It will be a great thing to carry with me, and if and when we realize that goal of standing at the top, the achievement will feel amazing.  So for me it is really about having a lofty goal and working towards accomplishing it.

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Climber Profile – Hans Anderson

Hans Anderson is a Washington native that grew up in a little town hidden in the shadow of Mt. Rainier known as Puyallup.  A Slalom consultant for 2+ years, Hans is known for bringing his enthusiasm, tenacious work ethic and down to earth nature to any situation he encounters.  Hans and co-chair Justin Dimmer have organized this climb and are teaming up with Rainier Mountaineering Inc. to lead a group of 18 Slalomites to the summit of Mt. Rainier on June 27th, 2010.

What is your previous climbing experience?

Mt. Rainier will be my first attempt at a true alpine style peak.  In the past I’ve been a very active hiker, backpacker and outdoor enthusiast.  Last summer I climbed Mt. St. Helens and caught what I believe is commonly referred to as the “climbing bug”.  This spring I plan to climb Mt. Adams and/or Mt. Baker to prepare for the rigors of Rainier.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

Right now I’d have to say my Mountain Hardwear Terra Hardshell jacket.  The thing is practically weightless yet completely wind and waterproof.  Can’t wait to see how it performs on the slopes of Rainier!

What aspect of the climb are you most looking forward to?

Honestly I’m looking forward to the entire process.  If I had to pick one aspect I’d probably have to say standing on the summit with the entire Slalom team, completely relishing in our accomplishment.  The summit will be the culmination of many months of hard training, sacrifice, and total dedication to a common goal.  I’m looking forward to the incredible feeling of that moment and sharing that experience with my teammates.  I truly believe that success is when preparation meets opportunity and, given what I’ve seen so far, our group is set up to be pretty damn successful 🙂

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