Tuesday, April 27, 2010

300K backing me up on Kinabalu


300K Enterprises Pty Ltd, from Wynyard on the Tasmanian North West Coast is now the major sponsor of the climb! Having a company behind me that advertises Safer, Smarter and Faster as their key words and Failure is not an Option will surely complement my shortcomings!


300K has been an episode winner on The New Inventors, they have won a ©-STAR Award and a Work Cover award.


300K is a research and development company with a strong background in the Resources and Heavy Industry sectors of the market. Heavy, as in ready for Mount Kinabalu and the challenges I face with Cystic Fibrosis.

I will keep you posted!
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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Everyday Hero!


I have been made an Everyday Hero with CF Tasmania! Why? This is because I am attempting to raise $4095 in donations, $1 for each meter of Mountain elevation, to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Tasmania. Please donate to help me reach my goal by clicking on the link below and donating:  http://www.everydayhero.com.au/walter

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Mount Kinabawho?

As many of you know I am a Hash House Harrier. This year the bi-annual Interhash is held in Borneo (see their website) and I am intending to go! Not only that, I am intending to be fit, to be very fit, and not have lung infections; I am going to climb Mount Kinabalu

Gunung Kinabalu (The Malay name) is a prominent mountain in Southeast Asia. It is located in Kinabalu National Park (a World Heritage Site) in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Its summit (known as Low’s Peak) is at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level.

The main peak of the mountain (Low's Peak) can be climbed by people in good physical condition, and requires no mountaineering equipment. However...there is a via ferrata mountain path consisting of a series of rungs, rails and cables on sheer rock face. It allows access to scenic sections of the mountain typically available only to rock climbers and mountaineers. That sounds like me doesn't it!

Altitude... For anyone who lives near the sea to even spend a short time above 4000 meters. There is a 20% chance of getting altitude sickness in areas between 2000 – 2500 m, and a 40% chance in areas of 3000-3500 m. With below 50% lung capacity this may affect me worse...


Sensitivity to altitude sickness varies from individual to individual, and is not dependent on the degree of physical fitness, nor on the previous number of visits to high altitude areas. Patients with heart and lung diseases run more risk at high altitude. The symptoms can persist for up to 72 hours after arrival and may continue for 2-5 days when remaining at high altitude. At first the symptoms of acute altitude sickness are mild: the patient complains of headache, fatigue and shortness of breath (dyspnoea) upon exertion, lack of appetite, nausea, insomnia, dizziness, general malaise, and sometimes swelling of hands, feet and face (first of the eyelids). The severity of symptoms depends on the altitude, the rapidity at which this altitude was attained, the effort expended in getting there and whether the visit is prolonged there overnight. The complaints can get worse(vomiting, dry cough and increasing shortness of breath), and can sometimes eventually develop into life-threatening conditions due to high altitude lung oedema (fluid in the vesicles of the lung, with a worsening dry cough, fever and shortness of breath even when resting) and/or high altitude cerebral oedema (swelling of the brain, with headache that no longer responds to analgesics, unsteady gait, increasing vomiting and gradual loss of consciousness).


Friday, April 2, 2010

Coughing For CF

Following the succesful expedition of 2007, Coughing the Distance, when Walter and his team cycled from Paris to Istanbul they were planning a slightly more daring event; crossing the Greenland Ice Cap on the Arctic Circle. However, that plan was foiled in the end due to the enormous costs and the tricky logistics with Greenland being way on the other side of our Earth..

Instead we are now planning a more viable option: Climbing Mount Kinabalu!

Because of Walter's Cystic Fibrosis his lung capacity is severly limited. He lives with permanent lung damage and infection and will eventually require a lung transplant. Walter's life is full of aerobic exercise to keep his lungs going, continuously clearing them through physio and exercise. A healthy life-style, complete with a careful low GI, high protein diet. Consistent with other people with CF he has to inject insulin and take regular antibiotics and plenty of pancreatic enzymes.

Right now we are in need of support, publicity and sponsorship. If you like to inspire people with disabilities and be associated with this brave venture we encourage you to contact us at info@coughing4cf.com.

The previous adventure!

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