Clean Energy 2008 Denali Expedition

[vpoulin]

This was originally sent to my climbing and outdoor friends of which Eric is on one of those lists. He suggested I post it on the forum as it is something that will interest you.

>After Liberty Ridge, good
> friend Larry Marshik said, "what's next?". Allen Sanderson said, "Hey,
> Vince, you should consider Aconqagua, it's a gentlemans climb". That's
> a nice way of saying, happy birthday "old man", but Brent Manning and I
> have heard that before.
>
> Denali has been in my thoughts ever since looking at it across the
> tundra from a camp site in Denali National Park. The trip was a brief
> interlude between an otherwise busy fire season. What struck me then
> was its immense size, knowing that the "hills" that flank it rose
> 17,000', yet it towered above them as if they were god's children.
>
> In December, a trip posted by the British Columbia Mountaineering Club
> caught my attention - Denali, May 10, 2008. I thought, hmmmm, maybe?,
> then asked a bunch of questions about Denali from friends. I made a
> decision to at least put my name on the list, but not really fully
> committed. I missed a Denali group meeting in December, then in
> January, received an email from the leader that his wife was expecting
> and he was pulling out of the expedition. Uncertainty for a 30-year
> veteran of environmental consulting issues is like a call to arms. I
> met the group, had coffee, each team member talked about who they were,
> their experience, and why they wanted to climb the mountain. The
> following weekend we met and began the first of many training sessions
> to come. After that I committed myself to the climb and voted leader of
> the expedition.
>
> I'm going to do everything I can t make this climb a success. Part of
> that is reaching out to sponsors who can help keep us warm and healthy
> on the mountain. I've named the expedition Clean Energy 2008 Denali
> Expedition. In doing so, I'm hoping to attract some key sponsors and in
> particular several Alberta companies who are constructing BC's first
> electrical generating wind farm at Dawson Creek. Another professional
> and I have the contract for environmental monitoring of that project.
> I'd like to take the concept of clean energy to the top of Denali. Our
> first sponsor is allowing us to climb "carbon neutral" using
> EcoNeutral tm Carbon Offsets. The company is ERA Restoration Inc,
> Vancouver, you'll read about them on the attachment, which I don't know how to post.
>This morning we
> received a surprising large, pledge by a close snowshoeing partner who
> offered his support.
>
> ERA is helping establish a web page which will become our media link.
> It will show case the climb, the team, and give me a spot to thank
> sponsors, plus recognize the help given to me by other more experienced
> climbers. This is going to be fun, if you ever wondered how an
> expedition is put together and executed, follow how we do it. Once the
> web page is up and running, I'll give you the address. In the mean-time, you can
watch my web page for developments: http://web.mac.com/vincepoulin/iWeb/Sit ... 0Ltd..html
>
> Vince Poulin, Expedition Leader
>