Back Home
I am back home now after a long series of flights. I want to thank my friend Jim Carroll who upgraded me to business class for my flight from Santiago to Toronto. It was oh so nice and a great restful way to return home. Jim is a great keynote speaker and you can check him out at www.jimcarroll.com.

After returning to Union Glacier base camp we waited for a day for our flight back to Punta Arenas on December 3. Union Glacier base camp is a pretty interesting place to spend some time. Both the staff and the visiting explorers offer a very interesting collection of individuals. This is a place where drive, over achieving, motivation, team work and leadership are the norm. The stories and experiences are fantastic and humbling. There are so many adventurous people out there. 

Once back in Punta Arenas I set about the daunting task of changing my scheduled flight so that I could get home early. Unfortunately most air carriers do not make this an easy task. After many phone calls and hours spent on the web it was determined that the easiest and cheapest thing for me to do was just to abandon my already paid for flights and book new tickets. The change fees and price adjustment made it impossible to use my originally booked ticked. However, this is a pretty normal part of these expeditions and one must accept the fact that additional money must often be spent to get back home. Maybe I should learn and just book a one-way ticket next time. 

The flights home went smoothly and I arrived at the Toronto airport at 6:10am to be greeted by my family. It is always great to be back in Canada and traveling around the world has taught me how fortunate we are to be Canadian. It is also always amazing to see my family again. Even thought this was not one of my longer trips, I always miss them. 

Integrating back into “normal” life is usually pretty easy; mostly because there is no real transition period at all. Life picks up right where it left off, but with a big pile of “to do’s” that have accumulated over the last month. As the saying goes “out of the frying pan and into the fire”. 

I will, over the next week or so, fill in the gaps of my blog. I was not able to blog every day as you know and some crucial times, such as the summit of Vinson, were missed. 

I am now the 15^th Canadian to have climbed the 7 summits; the highest peak on each of the seven continents. This all started in 1999 with my ascent of Aconcagua in Argentina. At this point I did not really have a plan to climb the seven summits, but was more focused on Everest. As I continued to climb to get experience for Everest I climbed several more of the seven summits and once I made it to the top of Everest it seemed kind of silly not to keep going and finish them off. 

While I would not put myself in the Olympic athlete category, climbing the seven summits is, if I may say so, a pretty fantastic achievement. Less than 300 people worldwide have stood on the top of these same mountains. Obviously fitness is a huge part of success in this endeavour, but once this “entry ticked” has been paid there are other factors that will ultimately determine one's success. 

Without goal setting, personal drive, sacrifice, emotional intelligence, teamwork and leadership none of this would be possible. I was speaking with one of the owners of ALE (the company that provides the logistics for Vinson climbs and South Pole expeditions) and he was talking about the countless people who have failed to achieve their Antarctic goals. Sometimes it is lack of fitness or injury that stops an individual, but more often than not it is a breakdown of leadership, teamwork or personal drive. 

The hardships endured on these extended expeditions are tremendous and it is difficult for most people to handle the pressure. This is where teamwork, leadership and personal strength come into play. Without these factors, success will not be possible.

I will need to think about what climbing the seven summits has meant to me and what I have taken from this experience, but my initial thoughts fall to how rich this experience has been for me in so many ways. I have traveled to far-flung and amazing places; parts of the planet that most people will never see. I have met great friends and untold numbers of extremely interesting people. I have pushed myself, mentally and physically, to the breaking point and returned unscathed. I have learned so much about myself and human dynamics that I could write a book (I am actually writing a book that is 80% complete and should be out soon I hope). The expedition world is such a rich environment to learn about group dynamics, team development, team work, change management, conflict management, goal setting, leadership, motivation and so many other things that play an immensely important part in our personal and professional lives. 

As most of you know I am a corporate leadership and team trainer by profession and these experiences have allowed me and my team to create very successful training programs for large and small, public and private corporations. I believe our programs are much richer from my experiences. My EMBA students have told me how much this approach to training has helped them to become better leaders and team members. 

As a keynote speaker I am blessed to be able to tell my stories to others and to share my learnings and insights with them. I was in Vancouver just before I departed to for Antarctica giving a keynote and leading a workshop to a financial organization and received a great compliment from the President. She told me that my combination of storytelling (making it interesting) and workshop application (making it real) was by far the best that they had ever experienced. They had recently brought in an Olympic athlete as a motivational speaker and I was told that while this person was extremely nice and had an interesting story, it did not have the real world application and depth that I was able to provide. 

Now I am not usually much of a self-promoter as that is not really my style, I do truly believe that what we have to offer as a company and what I offer as a speaker can provide great value to individuals and organizations alike. I feel blessed to have found this niche within which to live and I look forward to working with and helping others for a long time to come. 

Adult Gummie Vitamins, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Ostrom Outdoors, I have mentioned them before, but will do so once again because these are companies and products that I truly believe in and people who have always been there for me. 

Fitness and nutrition are a big part of my life and I know I am not always the best eater. Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins www.adultgummies.com help me to stay healthy and to get the vitamins my body requires to perform at my best. Beyond their nutritional value, they provide a valuable mental boost every morning on an expedition with their burst of yummy flavour and they do not freeze solid like so much of our food at 30 below. Give them a try if you have not already. 

Sherpa Adventure Gear www.sherpaadventuregear.com is a great outdoor and lifestyle clothing company. Not only do they have great products, but they come from real Sherpa roots and support the Sherpa people of Nepal. I have worn Sherpa clothing for the last few years on all my expeditions and I have always been warm and dry. I have never suffered a clothing failure and would recommend Sherpa Adventure Gear for wearing around town and outdoor adventure alike. 

Bill Ostrom from Ostrom Outdoors has designed and built me fantastic backpacks over the years. An Ostrom pack has been with me on every one of my seven summits and countless other climbs and adventures as well. Check out www.ostromoutdoors.com if you are looking for a reliable pack for your next adventure. 

So what is my next challenge you may ask? I am not totally sure at this point. The North and South Poles have always been of interest to me and to complete the Adventure Grand Slam (the seven summits plus the North and South Pole) would be an amazing feat. I have also recently had a calling to kite ski across Greenland, so maybe I will learn to kite this winter. There are countless Himalayan peaks I would love to climb and other mountains and adventures all around the world. Sailing around the world has always excited me and terrified me at the same time and good friend, who is a sailor, has often suggested we give that a try. For the next few months however, I think I will just enjoy being home with my family and soaking up the Ontario alpine ski season.

I am truly thankful for all that I have.

Summit Life! Scott.

Back at Union Glacier

We are now back at Union Glacier base camp. We arrived just in time for lunch yesterday. After a restful night at the base of Mt. Charles we packed up and started the ski back to Union Glacier base camp.

The initial part of the ski presented some tricky ground as the Sanchez, Union, and Driscoll glaciers collide. The ground was quite mixed up with ice waves and a lot of rock debris from Mt. Charles. Once past this, the skiing was slightly up hill but very gentle. It took us 2.5 hours to ski back. It was nice to see the tents of camp, but sad to see the end of the wilderness for this trip.

The ice marathon started on December 1^st with 32 people running the marathon. The fastest time was 3:47 (male) and 4:26 (female) beyond that times ranged up to 8:45. Two Canadians ran in the race. December 2^nd was the 100km run and six people set out for that. The fastest time was 14 hours and change, and some runners took close to 24 hours to complete it. I could hear runners finishing at all hours of the night as I slept in my tent at the side of the finish line. Temperatures ranged from -20° to -30°c for the run.

One runner set out to run 100 miles and completed his run in just over 24 hours. It is pretty amazing to see the runners accomplish this feat. They are all limping around Union Glacier today with sore muscles and blistered feet.One runner set a new world record for the fastest time to run a marathon on each of the seven continents; 25 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes. This beat the old record by four days.

Also of note was the fuel train that left here last night. As the twin otter planes have a limited flight range, they need to land and re-fuel for longer flights. A Piston Bully (snow cat) was hooked to 4 giant sleds for the 300mile/500km journey to The Fields re-fuel base. Four drivers and mechanics were ready for this two-week journey. The trip would take them through a wide variety of ground from gentle slopes to steep hills, from deep snow to ice and across crevasse filled glaciers. The train consisted of a utility and supply sled, a living pod, a sled of 150 forty-five gallon drums of aviation fuel, and a huge shipping container that will be used as a storage shed. They set off at 1am to cheers and wishes of good weather.

Today will be spent waiting for the plane to take us back to Punta Arenas. As of now, flights are grounded due to low clouds, but we hope this will change later in the day.

Hopefully my next blog will come from the hotel in Punta Arenas after a shower and a shave.

Please check out Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins, Sherpa Adventure Gear and Ostrom Outdoors as they all played a part in the success of this trip.

What is your next challenge?

Summit life! Scott.

Mount Charles
Today has been a day of contrasts. From extreme cold and wind to complete stillness and heat. From hyperactivity to complete lack of movement.

The wind raged all night, but I slept through most of it. From 5:30am on I laid in my sleeping bag and listened to the freight train roar and watched the tent shake violently and to try to rip free of our anchors. Today was our day to climb Mt Charles. We waited for the wind to abate, but it was not happening so at 11:00 we decided to head out regardless. With jackets zipped up, goggles on, crampons on, and ice axes in hand we turned into the wind and started up.

The initial part of the climb was up a 35 degree snow ramp. The wind was fierce and made the otherwise easy climb about 30-40% more difficult. It did not take too long for us to reach the col where the wind intensified. It was blowing a steady 70-80kph with gusts over 100.

The ridge to the summit alternated from rock to snow and from gentle to steep. All along the wind tried to push us down. Close to the top we roped up as the drops on either side became more severe. We reached the top as a team and celebrated. We were treated to spectacular 360° views of mountains and glaciers for as far as the eye could see. We could even see the marathon track laid out on the ice as a snow cat slowly moved along grooming the trail. We took some photos but did not remain on the top for too long. The wind and the cold quickly drove us down.

With the rope floating freely in the wind we started down. The way down was much easier with gravity working with us and the wind at our backs. The final slope to the tents was beautiful as we looked out across the frozen sea of ice that is our temporary home.

Once back at camp we had lunch and laid down to rest. When I woke the wind had completely died and the sun has warmed our tent to an almost unbearable heat. We are only eight km from union Glacier base camp but have decided to stay on the ice one more night. It will be all too soon that we re-enter the chaos of civilization and we want to savour our final hours of peace and solitude on the ice of Antarctica.

Summit life! Scott.

Yesterday we left Union Glacier base camp and started to ski across the Union Glacier. Our plan was to ski to the mountains in the distance and do some climbing. However after four hours and 15km we did not seem to be getting any closer. We set up camp in the middle of this huge glacier with nothing but space and mountains surrounding us. The silence was absolute and we slept until 9:30 the next morning. I think this was the best sleep we have all had since we landed in Antarctica.

Today we changed objectives and made a left turn towards a different set of peaks. After four hours of skiing we are finally at the base of a beautiful unclimbed peak we have named Sharks `Tooth because that is what it looks like. We have set up camp and will get an early start tomorrow and try to climb at least two peaks.

We are all doing well. My Adult Essentials Gummy vitamins taste good every morning (they have not frozen yet). My Sherpa clothing is keeping we very warm, and my Ostrom pack is helping me to carry it all.

We will stay out here for a few more days and then start to make our way back to base camp. It will be a long ski back.

They are getting ready for the Antarctica marathon in a few days. Over forty runners are flying in for the event. The course is set on the glacier and we skied across it on our way to the mountains.

We saw some photos from the emperor penguin expedition and it was beyond belief. One of the guides we know said it was a life changing experience for him. We will not make it to the penguins however. They charge $15k to start the plane and $10k per flying hour. The penguins are about four hours away and out of our budget.

This is an amazing place to be and I feel very fortunate to be here.

Thinking of you all.

Summit life! Scott.

Back in Contact (from Scott)
We are back at Union Glacier now. We have been experiencing email problems so I have not been able to send a blog until now. On Nov 21 we moved from base camp to low camp. It was a beautiful but long ski through a magnificent valley of 9km. We set up camp and spent the night.

On Nov 22 we moved up to high camp in a single carry. Our packs were heavy but this would save us time and overall effort. The headwall was 1200m of fixed line and while not technically difficult it was very tiring and took us around three hours to climb. We then ascended for another 90 minutes to high camp. We were quite tired when we got there. We set up camp and prepared for a summit push in the morning. 

On Nov 23 we set out for the summit at 9:30am. The route follows a gentle but exhausting valley for seven km. The sky was clear with a slight wind. Temperature was around minus 25. After six hours we made it to the summit ridge. The wind picked up and the temperature dropped to around minus 45 with the wind chill. The summit ridge was amazing, with a razor sharp top and steep drops on both sides. We made it to the summit at 4:30. It was amazing but difficult to enjoy with the cold and the wind. After a couple of bad summit photos all three of our cameras froze. We spent about 20 min on top.

The journey down was easy but tiring and took us around three hours. We made it back to camp had dinner and slept. On the 24th we made the long journey back to base camp. It was a fast, fantastic, and challenging climb. After a rest day we did some great skiing at base camp and then flew back to Union Glacier late last night. We will pack and head back into the mountains today to explore areas the have never seen footsteps. We are all having fun and enjoying our time in Antarctica. I will send more detailed daily journals when I have access to wifi.

Summit life! Scott.

Reflecting on Vinson

A post by Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals

"A special climb of a beautiful mountain in one of the most remote spots in the world. It has been a pleasure for us to be here in the highest mountain range of Antarctica.

Of special note on this climb; Scott Kress has completed his Seven Summits, finishing successful climbs of the highest mountain on each continent. He is just the 15th Canadian to do so.

Ron Sanga has just Australia now left before completing the Seven Summits! Nice work guys.

Also of note; Ryan Waters has now led expeditions to all, and most cases many times, of the Seven Summits. So a fun time for celebration and now we have built in time to explore remote areas on our skis and visit peaks that have had few or no visitors ever."

Back at Base Camp

Here is another update on the Vinson expedition from from Ryan Waters

"Everyone is feeling great and we are enoying the warm tents in the sunshine of Antarctica!
We had an awesome summit experience and enjoyed coming down today with all our gear in sleds behind us.

Rest day tomorrow, more soon!"


Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals    

Summit Success!

Congratulations to Scott, Ryan and Ron for making the summit of Mount Vinson! Scott is now the 15th Canadian to achieve the Seven Summits - the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Scott has not posted yet, but here is a brief report from Ryan  Waters of "Mountain Professionals: 
   
"The whole team reached the summit of Vinson today at 4:30 pm Chile time. We enjoyed very nice weather with clear skies and just slight winds on the summit ridge. We are all back in high camp and looking forward to a good rest before heading down in the morning to low camp and the to base. Good night from way up here in the bottom of the world." (Ryan Waters, Mountain Professionals)

Vinson Base Camp
On November 19 we were delayed until 11:50pm for takeoff. The 4.5 hour flight landed us at Union Glacier at 4:30am. We had some food and waited to fly to Vinson. We got to Vnson Base Camp at around 4pm on the 20th and set up camp. It was -15c and sunny with light wind. We had dinner and went to sleep. 

On the morning of the 21st we got up and headed to Camp 1 around 12:30 pm. It was a long 9 km ski that took us five hours. It was cloudy with light snow as we skied. We got to camp in a light snow storm. It was cold and our hands quickly got cold as we set up camp. We got into the tent and made hot drinks and then dinner. By 9:00 pm Ron and Ryan were snoring as I read my book. I find it difficult to sleep with 24 hours sunlight. The forecast is not great for the next couple of days. Minus 25 degrees  at high camp with 10-15 knot winds and the summit is -33 degrees with 15-25 knot winds. Not great.

We will rest here at camp one today and then move to high camp tomorrow. We will then wait and see what the weather brings. All is good and we are doing well.

Summit life! Scott out.

Into the heart of ice and snow

I slept restlessly last night. Perhaps it was the fact that the hotel finally turned on the heat and I was too hot, maybe it was the dogs barking much of the night, it could have been the ambulance and fire truck that raced by my window with sirens blaring, but mostly I think it was energy and excitement. This is the day we fly to Antarctica. I am excited and a little anxious. There are a lot of challenges and potential hardships ahead of me for the next 30 days.

I always question myself. Am I ready? Have I done all I need to do? Will I perform well? How will my family be while I am gone? I think this questioning is natural, and that most people do it. I think it helps me to stay safe and to be well prepared. However, in the mountains there is no place for hesitation. One must be strong and confident and put 100% into everything that is done. Hesitation erodes commitment and lack of commitment reduces focus and the energy put into a task. In the mountains, hesitation can make bad things happen.

Our call from ALE came at 9:45 and we were told that all looked good, but that there was no flight schedule yet. Yesterday’s flight went well, but did not get back until 12:00 midnight. By law the pilots are required to have 12 hours of rest before they fly again. This means that realistically we will likely fly around 2:00pm. This is the same schedule as the Norwegians yesterday. ALE has said that they will call us again at 12:15 and give us an update. The weather looks good so we have our fingers crossed.

I took a last (I hope) walk around town before meeting Ryan and Ron at Lomito’s for lunch. There are some interesting things about this city. It is apparently quite a wealthy city with most of the money coming from oil and gas, but some from shipping. While there are a lot of cars there are even more taxis. It is like being in New York City. Any time you look down the road there are at least a dozen taxis coming at you and more are parked by the side of the road. I guess that many people do not have cars and use the cabs as their primary mode of transportation. 

There are some parking lots, but most parking is on the side of the road. There are no parking meters however. There are parking agents on every street. They have a small ticket machine around their neck and walk up to parking cars and sell the driver a ticket. It seems to work well, but I don’t really know the pros and cons of it. 

The last oddity I will write about is the street crossings. First off there must be no by-law against j-walking because people cross at will at any point in the road. Secondly, when crossing at a stop light it is often a little unnerving because the standard driving style here is to go full out and then slam on the brakes a few feet from the light. As a pedestrian, it is unsettling to see a car roaring towards you and to wonder if the driver plans to stop or now. Later than you would like they slam on their brakes and come to a stop with little space to spare. 

We just got the word that we will be picked up at 2:00pm. This means we will fly around 4:00pm. The next blog you get from me will be from the bottom of the earth. 

I am off now to do my final packing and to get dressed in my polar clothing. 

To follow the weather during the expedition follow this link: http://www.yr.no/place/Antarctica/Other/Union_Glacier/ 

Antarctica here I come.
Summit Life! Scott out.

November 16
Today is the day we were supposed to fly to Antarctica. But alas we are still here in Punta Arenas along with countless others who are also waiting. Some are more patient than others, but this decision is beyond our control.

In the morning we had a team meeting to decide what to do with our time. After some back –and-forth we decided to look into renting a car and driving to Torres del Paine. The drive of 398km we figured would take us about 6 hours. We would stay the night, hike for a day and return the next day. Translated into English the Torres del Paine are the Towers of Pain and have earned their name for inflicting just that on its visitors. It is a spectacularly beautiful and rugged area comprised of crystal blue glacier fed lakes and piercingly tall and sharp granite spires. Hiking and climbing opportunities are abundant along with kayaking, fly fishing and mountain biking.

Just as Ryan left the hotel to investigate the rental car options one of the other teams got a call from ALE telling them the first flight of equipment and crew would go out tonight and that if all went well their flight may be pushed up by 12 hours. If they got pushed up then there was a good chance we would also get pushed up. I ran out the door and called Ryan back. After a brief discussion we decided that it would not be a good idea to disappear for a few days with the flight situation in such an uncertain state.

Torres del Paine was now off the table, so we switched to a more local and less time consuming activity; penguins.

With the assistance of our hotel staff we arranged to go on a penguin tour to Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos located on Isle de Magdalena in the Strait of Magellan. The Strait of Magellan is named after Ferdinand Magellan who in the year 1520, while in the employ of Charles I of Spain, discovered this shortcut that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific . Although the Strait is a difficult navigational challenge due to numerous islands and unpredictable winds it is an important shortcut that allowed early sailors to avoid the extremely dangerous task of sailing around the horn at the bottom of South America.

The tour would cost us 35,0000pesos each (about $70). We were picked up by a crazy van driver at our hotel at 2:00 and escorted to the port with a group of other tourists and stranded Antarctica people. There we boarded a boat for the 2:30 trip to the island. The wind was low and the seas were calm making for a comfortable crossing to the island. Cormorants (a large sea bird) and Dolphins accompanied us on our short voyage.

As we chugged across the water the 210 acre island came into view. This island is the home to over 140,000 penguins. Yes, you read that right, it is not a typo. There are 140,000+ penguins living on this island. In the early years after the Straight was discovered sailors and fishermen would seek shelter from storms on this barren island and they would collect Penguin eggs and hunt the Penguins (not an overly challenging task) to provide food for their voyages.

The island is barren of trees and the only vegetation consists of short tough grass that the penguins use to line their nests. It is quite a desolate place. As we landed at a small dock, the island was alive with movement. Penguins were everywhere.

Isle de Magdalena is home to the Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) also known as the Burrow Penguin because they dig burrows in the ground where they live, lay their eggs and raise their young. They are a smaller penguin of about 2 feet tall and weighing about 144oz when fully grown. They have the classic penguin tuxedo look of black and white with bright brown and black eyes.

There is a narrow trail that rings part of the island and leads up to the old light house on the top which is now home to the island curator and a small museum. The trail is closed on both sides with wooden stakes and two lines of rope to create a small fence. Humans are not allowed to step off the trail, but the penguins dart back and forth at will.

As we slowly walked up the trail towards the light house the penguins went about their business like we were not even there. I think to the early sailors they would have been an extremely easy prey to hunt. Penguins return to this island in September as this is where they were born. They find a mate and will remain with that mate for life. The eggs are laid in October and are incubated for 40 days.

Penguins hung around in pairs and occasionally small groups. Frequently I observed penguins tugging at the tough short grass with their beaks trying to extract some insulation and padding for their nests. Others stood tall on their feet with their heads thrust to the sky and let out a series of hoots, brays and calls not unlike that of a wolf howling at the moon. I have no idea the reason for this display, but it was quite entertaining.

The walk to the light house took about an hour. Not because it is that far, but because I was walking very slow to take in the experience and to snap picture after picture. The return walk to the boat was a little faster, but there was always something new to see.

We spent about 1.5 hours on the island and then made our way back to the boat. The tide was going out so the gangplank was no longer usable so we had to climb over the side of the dock, step across some bumpers and into the boat. It was pretty simple for us climbers, but for the tourists it was a little more challenging. Eventually everyone was on board and we started to motor back to Punta Arenas. On the trip back they gave us wine and sandwiches and put on a movie "Walking Dead" about an American town that had been overrun with zombies. I did not watch.

We got back to town around 8:30pm. Ryan was meeting a friend and Ron and I went to the grocery store and bought a roast chicken, some fries, and an avocado for dinner. After dinner I made a skype call home and spoke with Susan and Amy and then I went off to bed.

As I have mentioned before, there is no heat in our hotel. Well there is heat, but they have not turned it on. It is cool in our room, but not too bad. Tonight when I opened the door to our room it was freezing cold. Somehow the window and the patio door had blown open and the room was the same temperature as the outside which was just above freezing. We left the door to the hall open for a while to try to warm it up, but there was not much else we could do.

All in all it was a good day. We did not fly and are now behind schedule, but I was able to experience the penguins which I would have not have done if all had gone as planned; the silver lining in the cloud.

Hi to Marg at Georgian Peaks and all the others who are following along.

Summit Life! Scott out.

Journey of a Lifetime!

"Men Wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success”

As the story is told, this was a employment advertisement put into the London newspaper looking for members for Ernest Shackelton’s Nimrod expedition to Antarctica. Apparently thousands of applications were received for what in print seems to be a rather bleak job. However, the enormous enthusiasm surrounding this ad reflected the human desire to explore, to adventure, and to push personal boundaries.

People often ask me why I climb. Why I spend my free time in cold and inhospitable locations. Why I put my life at risk. This is a difficult question to answer, but the basic response is because I love it. It makes me feel alive.

In mid November of this year I will join two friends in an attempt to climb Mt. Vinson, the tallest mountain in Antarctica. To date I have successfully summited the tallest mountain in 6 of our 7 continents. Climbing Mt. Vinson, providing that I make it to the top, will be my final summit of the “7 Summits.”

Before my departure, my blog’s will focus on my daily preparations, my gear, my thoughts, my family’s thoughts, my drivers, and much more. Once on the expedition I will do my best to send back daily blogs reporting on our progress and my personal thoughts and insights.

As a leadership and high performance team specialist I will also share my insights into this world and how some of my personal experiences can be used to better understand how to lead and build high performance teams.

My good friends at Adult Essentials (www.adultgummies.com) will be supporting me on this journey. Daily exercise and nutrition are a critical factor in success. The stronger I am, the greater my chance of success and the more I will enjoy the experience. My challenge however, is that like many of you, I Iead a very busy life. Between business and family commitments it is difficult to find time to train and I do not always eat as well as I should. This is where nutritional supplements come into play: to help me balance my dietary needs while finding time to train physically for this trip