Mt. Everest is the highest mountain in Asia and the highest mountain in the world at 29,035'.  It is undoubtably the most difficult of the seven summits to climb with its extreme cold, high altitude, duration of time needed to climb, glacier and icefall travel, money, and logistics.  Climbing Mt. Everest has always been a lifelong aspiration for Kristine and myself and the opportunity to climb the highest mountain in the world together would be the trip of a lifetime for us.  We feel all of our past climbs, years of planning and organizing expeditions, and experiences in the mountains have been leading up to something bigger and seemingly larger than life.  Only after all of these climbs and experiences have we realized that we have the technical and expedition knowledge as well as the mental and physical strength to try and climb the highest mountain on earth.

If Kristine and I are lucky enough to summit Mt. Everest, then we will become the youngest american married couple to do so.
Everest's summit ridge with the Hillary Step visible just below the two climbers.  All photos on this page courtesy of Rob Casserley.
OUR ROUTE UP MT. EVEREST:

We will be climbing Everest from the southern (Nepalese) side via the south col route.  The south col route is the original ascent route taken by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.  After flying to Kathmandu and then to Lukla at 9,317', we will begin the 30 mile trek to Everest basecamp at 17,200'.  The long approach to Everest basecamp typically takes a week or so.  We will be climbing Everest unguided, as with every climb we do, but fully supported with everything from food to sherpas to oxygen.  Sherpas will help us tremendously in ferrying our gear from Lukla to Everest basecamp, establishing our higher camps on the mountain, and climbing with us on summit day.  I truly cannot wait to meet these wonderful people and hopefully form friendships with them that will last a lifetime.  After reaching Everest basecamp, we will begin to establish our higher camps on the mountain over several weeks with the primary purpose of acclimitizing to the increasing altitude.  Camp 1 at 19,500' is just above the Khumbu Icefall in the Western Cwm.  Negotiating the Khumbu Icefall is probably the most dangerous portion of the south col route primarily because of the ever-shifting ice towers, called seracs, and deep crevasses.  The Khumbu Glacier essentially takes a nose dive down from the Western Cwm to Everest basecamp in a relatively short distance, thus "splintering" the glacier into crevasses and seracs.  Camp 2 is at 21,000' at the far end of the Western Cwm just below the Lhotse face.  The climb up to camp 3 at 23,500' involves a steep snow and ice climb up the 45 degree Lhotse face.  Finally, after many trips ferrying loads to camp 3, we will return all the way to basecamp.  The whole idea of climbing to successively higher camps and then back down again allows us to hopefully acclimitize properly to the extreme altitude.  Then, again, we will climb from basecamp to camp 1, camp 1 to camp 2, camp 2 to camp 3, and then from camp 3 to camp 4, our high camp on the south col, at 26,300' for a final rest before our summit day.  The south col camp is one of the most inhospitable places on earth where acclimitization is near impossible.  The idea is to get up and down as quick as possible in order to avoid prolonged exposure to elevations above 25,000'.  Then, at midnight on summit day, we will leave camp 4 for the summit via headlamp along with a few sherpas.  If all goes well, we will hopefully then be standing on top of the world fulfilling a life long dream for Kristine and myself.  Obviously, you are only half way there when standing on a summit, and extra caustion must be taken on the descent as most accidents happen on descents.
Climbing the southeast ridge on summit day with Lhotse (27,939', the world's 4th highest mountain) behind.
Sunrise from camp 4 showing Everest's shadow on the horizon.
Climbing to camp 3 on the Lhotse face.
Camp 4 at the south col (26,300').
View from the summit looking south to Makalu (27,765', the world's 5th highest mountain).
SUPPORT OUR EVEREST 2010 CLIMB & A LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION:

As you probably know, an expedition to Mt. Everest is not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination.  As we will be approaching the mountain from the nepalese side (south side), a climbing permit from the Nepal government costs upwards of $10,000.  We will be doing much of the climbing, expedition planning, gear acquisition, and guiding ourselves; however, we will be supported by sherpas for cooking, load-ferrying, and other tasks and are so excited to have one or two sherpas as climbing companions as well.  All of this combined together will probably run each of us in excess of $25,000 not to mention the flight to Kathmandu, Nepal from the United States.  Nevertheless, for a chance to climb the highest mountain on earth and the tallest and most difficult of the seven summits together is a chance of a lifetime and we would do anything and everything in our power to make our 2010 Everest expedition become a reality.

After our climb of Mt. Everest, Kristine and I will be volunteering for Taksindu Social Welfare (TSW), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing Himalayan communities.  More information on TSW can be found here.  TSW has numerous projects in effect that are low cost and sustainable.  We will most likley be working in Basa VDC in the Solukhumbu district of the Everest region.  It is among the poorest communities with a high population, providing an opportunity to help a great deal of people.  One of TSW's goals in this region is not only to physically improve education through building and maintaining schools, but also to promote teacher accountability and the importance of education for all children.

This is where you can help us.  Any monetary donation, no matter how great or small, would be greatly appreciated and surely contribute to the feasibility and hopeful success of our expedition.  If you are a corporation or organization and would like to sponsor us, we would be more than happy to represent you by wearing your logo via a patch on our down parkas, carry you or your company's logo on a flag to Everest's summit, or anything else your and/or we can think of to help market you from the top of the world! In return for your corporate sponsorship, we would be more than happy to give a slideshow presentation for your corporation or organization upon our return and after we have organized our pictures and videos into a slideshow. Please see our Levels of Sponsorship below on how you can become a sponsor. A portion of the money raised will be donated to TSW, the local non-profit organization for whom we will volunteer after our Everest climb.  Just know that your donation will help our expedition become a reality and help give back to the Nepalese community.  Money raised for our expedition will go towards many expenses including:


We greatly appreciate all levels of donations but would like to offer the following plans to companies who wish to gain publicity through sponsorship. Depending on the level of investment and the sponsor’s objectives, in return for sponsorship we will offer print recognition and advertising, public recognition, promotional opportunities, and/ or web advertising.  In addition, upon returning from our expedition we will be speaking and giving slideshows.

Levels of Sponsorship:

Summit: $25,000

Camp 4: $10,000

Camp 3: $5,000

Camp 2: $1,000

Camp 1: $500

To help make our dream of climbing Everest become a reality, please click on the PayPal link below and make a donation.  Once on the PayPal page below, if you wish to make a donation, please enter the amount of your donation and click 'update total'. If you already have a PayPal account, you can then log on to your account and pay through your account.  If you do not have a PayPal account and do not wish to set one up, you can pay via credit card/checking account/savings account. 






And for those who do not wish to make a donation online, you can send your donation via mail to:

Brandon Chalk
PO Box 152
Avon, CO 81620

Thanks for making our dream of climbing Everest and climbing
the Seven Summits together hopefully come true!

Thanks to the following people & corporate sponsors for contributing to Brandon & Kristine's 2010 Everest Fund!

INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS:CORPORATE SPONSORS:

Ursula Hlavacek - Charlotte, NC
Frederick Mueller - Boulder, CO
Anne Warren - Charlotte, NC
Ryan Beasley - Sylvania, GA
Henry Herring - Melbourne, Australia
Jamie Buckley - Chicago, IL
John & Ann Chalk - Charlotte, NC
Marc & Via Sacconi - Vail, CO
Scott & Darci Hook - Oahu, Hawaii
Logan & Ransome Foose - Charlotte, NC
David Levinson - Washington, DC
Lynn & Kevin Brennan - Stow, MA
Bryson & Sarah Datt - Pittsburgh, PA
Mary Lindsey Warren - Charlotte, NC
David & Kelly Lyle - Edwards, CO
Ralph & Sally McMillan - Charlotte, NC
Michael & Ann Tarwater - Charlotte, NC
Bryan Fingland - Denver, CO
Amy Calce - Genoa, Italy
Lizzy Hechenbleikner - Washington, DC  
Dr. Lee & Tommie Lokey - Atlanta, GA     
Jordan Weyand - Breckenridge, CO
Peyton Biddle - Roanoke, VA      
Dan & Christie Cleary - Blue River, CO   
Taylor & Cathy Beaupain - Los Angeles, CA
Cole & Kate Chalk - Winston Salem, NC
Bill & Larissa Larson - Edwards, CO
Bryan & Mary Chalk - Rockingham, NC
Lee & Julie Chalk - Winston Salem, NC
Lee & Betsy Hoffman - Conifer, CO
Joel Gratz - Boulder, CO
Evon Chalk - Charlotte, NC
Pete & Delores Donohue - Fort Worth, TX
Bob & Jeanne Vernazza - Arlington, MA
Lauren Merrill - Vail, CO
Joe & Jeannie Yochem - Charlotte, NC
Jesse Hill - Denver, CO
Edmund & Corinne Green - Stow, MA
Becky Dion - Denver, CO
Nick Gurnon - Winston Salem, NC
Tom Wiseley & Marcia Falzone - Denver, CO
Nico & Celeste Cizik - Golden, CO
Hosts of our engagement party - Charlotte, NC
Michael & Yvonne Muchard - Newbury, NH
Gail Webb - Huntington, VT
Rick & Jane Wicklund - Sonoma, CA
The Faculty of Red Sandstone Elementary - Vail, CO
Lat & Kathy Purser - Charlotte, NC
John Halloran & Maggie Pavlik - Eagle-Vail, CO
Jesup & Megan Szatkowski - Dartmouth, NH
Gaby Meola - Brielle, NJ
Brett & Carrie Richer - Jackson, WY
Sandy & Betsy Weathersbee - Charlotte, NC
Jared Jones - Chicago, IL
Ryan & Becky Baugh - Eagle, CO
Trinity Wall - Edwards, CO
Craig Donaldson - Silt, CO
Lauren  McKeone - Vail, CO
Chuck & Jean Wimbrow - Charlotte, NC
James & Kelly Waechter - Denver, CO
Rebecca Barrett - Charlotte, NC
etown restaurant & bar - Edwards, CO







OUR 2010 EVEREST EXPEDITION TEAM:

Kristine Chalk - Fifth grade teacher in Vail, Colorado, Kristine first discovered a love of  climbing upon moving to Colorado in 2001. Since then, Kristine has climbed Denali, Mt. Elbrus, Mont Blanc, Mt. Rainier twice, Mt. Baker, the Grand Teton,  and over 40 of Colorado’s 54 14,000’ peaks.  She shares her passion for the mountains with her class and knows that this extraordinary expedition will be an unforgettable lesson for herself and her students.


Brandon Chalk – Mechanical engineer in Vail, Colorado, Brandon has always had a passion for
climbing since his family vacationed in the Tetons in the early 1990s. Brandon has climbed Denali, Aconcagua, Mt. Elbrus, El Pico de Orizaba, Mont Blanc, Mt. Rainier twice, several of the Tetons including the Grand Teton twice, Mt. Hood, Mt. Baker, Mt. Adams, and all of Colorado’s 54 14,000’ peaks.


Dr. Rob Casserley – Family practitioner in Bathe, England, Rob has had a passion for climbing since his climb of Mt. Kenya in 1995 while on a 3 month tour of duty in Kenya with the British Army. Since then, Rob’s passion for high altitude climbing, medical knowledge, and skills with the camera have taken him to great heights.  He has climbed Everest five times with a double summit of Everest in 2007, Ama Dablam, Manasalu, Cho Oyu twice, Denali twice, Kilimanjaro, and Mt. Elbrus.

CAMP 3 SPONSOR.
CAMP 1 SPONSOR
CAMP 1 SPONSOR
CAMP 2 SPONSOR
CAMP 2 SPONSOR
CAMP 2 SPONSOR