Summit Murder Mystery Series

Today we bring you another educational Mt. Aconcagua post!  This time we are talking about the weather on the mountain!  Take a look... The weather in Park Aconcagua , severe and at times extreme, is one of the most important obstacles that those wanting to embark on the climb should consider.  It is fundamental that visitors be cautious and respectful.  The principle factors to keep in mind when climbing this Mount are the extremely low humidity, the intense solar radiation, the strong winds that habitually whip through the area, the large temperature range, the electric storms, and the rapid changes in weather conditions.  It is not unheard of to have a sunny day with little wind suddenly change into a bone chilling day with intense winds and snow storms. These conditions can happen all at once, and even though it has a lower elevation the factors listed above make Mount Aconcagua comparable to an 8000 meter Himalayan ascent. The dryne...

Since we are gearing up for the upcoming release of Murder on Aconcagua around here, I thought I would start doing some posts with information about the mountain itself.  You will all be Mt. Aconcagua professionals by the time the book comes out! Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America, in the western hemisphere, and in the southern hemisphere, too. No other peak on earth, except Mount Everest, is further away from a higher peak--you have to travel over 10,250 miles to the Hindu Kush Mountains of Pakistan to find higher ground when traveling from Aconcagua. There have been occasional noises made by the Argentines and others that Aconcagua might be over 7000m high, but it seems that the consensus is that it falls just short, leaving all the world's 7000m peaks in central Asia. An Italian expedition in 2001 with super-accurate GPS equipment has fixed the peak's elevation at 6961.83 meters. The mountain is geologically complex, and while many of the rock...

“What’s going on?” I asked Tom. “That Sherpa woman is in trouble.” “Laki?” “That’s the one. I saw her for a moment. Horrible. Her eyes were all bugged out. Cal tried a shot of dexamethazone, but it doesn’t seem to be working.” Dexamethazone was the drug of last resort in such a situation. It was an anti-inflammatory steroid that in certain situations was a lifesaver. That it wasn’t working was very bad news. I went into the clinic. Calvin was still arguing with Harlan, who was making no attempt to explain himself. Laki lay nearby and looked dreadful. To see a snapshot of someone suffering from HACE with edema, you cannot imagine what you are actually looking at. Such a photo might even look funny, with the eyes bugging out in an unnatural way. What was taking place was that her brain was swelling, and there was nowhere for it to go except through the openings that held her eyes. Laki was panting like a dog in summer. Her face was gaunt. She looked at me for ...

This week I attended a book event at Arizona State University, sponsored by the ASU Alumni Association, featuring Dr. James W. Jackson, the founder of Project C.U.R.E. an organization that I am heavily involved in and support.  Project C.U.R.E. was founded in 1987 to help meet the need for medical supplies, equipment and services around the world.  Since its inception, Project C.U.R.E. has delivered medical relief to more than 120 countries since its inception. Dr. James Jackson has devoted the past twenty-three years of his life to traveling all over the world and “delivering health and hope” to the world’s most needy people.  Thousands of people are alive today as a result of Project C.U.R.E.’s efforts, its volunteers and its founder, Dr. Jackson.  The Happiest Man In The World , Dr. Jackson’s new book provides unique and compelling insight into the life and legacy of a man who found true happiness in relinquishment and selfless service.  ...