From the Big Expedition for Cancer Research website:
- Life is full of challenges. Some are more daunting than others. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's mission is to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death. Meeting that challenge is a long and arduous endeavor. Climbing a mountain peak is also an arduous task requiring skill, special tools, tenacity and determination. Like science you can see the summit in the distance but as you continue up, it may not seem to be getting any closer. The Big Expedition for Cancer Research — Unclimbed Mountains to Conquer is intended to show that seemingly insurmountable challenges are attainable and that they can lead to successes — such as finding a cure for cancer.
- These mountains are unclimbed because they are hard to reach and only a goal-oriented group with a mission would take on such a difficult task. The Big Expedition for Cancer Research brings together a group of professional mountaineers who will take on the challenge of one of these unclimbed mountains somewhere in the world. The general public will be able to be a part of this adventure through the news media and the Internet. They will see that success can be achieved through planning, teamwork and commitment.
AAI Guide Dawn Glanc is one of the climbers on the unprecedented expedition. We got the following email from her this morning:
- Hello all. The big expedition is set to begin in a few short hours. It is late and I am doing my last minute things so that I can go into the mountains for 3 weeks. We fly to AK in the afternoon and then on Saturday we will take a boat to the inlet where the journey begins. I am very excited for this trip to begin. It has been a very hectic last few days trying to get all the food and gear straight. I feel like we are ready. We have plenty of food, music and whiskey to make for a great trip. While we are on the mountain, please feel free to check in with us on the website below. They should be blogging with updates as we call them in. Remember no news is good news, so do not worry if we miss a day of dispatches. Do whatever dance you need to do so that we will have good weather for climbing. We will do our best to be cautious and we will make wise and smart mountain choices so that we can all celebrate when we return sometime in the first few days of July. Until next time, take care and have fun!
