Ailsa Wright - Seven Summits Blog | Home

December 2008 saw my return to Mount Aconcagua : The 6962m Andean peak that defeated me last year.

 Aconcagua is like an old friend, One that teaches you about the world and life and humanity by saying absolutely nothing at all.  Like an old friend who annoys and tests you to the core, yet you keep going back.

Unfortunately once again i bring bad news:

 My climbing partner Tim Bailey, who also joined me to climb Kosciuszko, was diagnosed with a Pulmonary Edaema at around 5500m , a very rare complication of altitude sickness which affects around 2% of mountaineers, and after returning to base camp, was evacuated by helicopter off the peak.
I continued alone attempting the youngest solo ascent of aconcagua. On my summit bid, i reached a few hundred metres off the summit, but the wind was too strong for one person to go on, and at -37 plus windchill there was no way i was going to risk going on all by myself despite feeling well. There was only a handfull of moutaineers attempting the summit that day, and none were close by.

I returned to high camp at around 6000m looking for a group to join onto for a second attempt the next day Of course i was gutted as i thought i had lost the chance of the summit yet again, and for a while was SEVERLY feeling the effects of altutude, but after some food and drink i was feeling suprisingly strong , but later that day i was approached by mountain rescue and was told my friend was seriously ill.

I had to make the incredibly hard decision whether to stay on aconcagua or return to base camp and on to the nearest city , 2 days hike and 4 hours by bus.

… Needless to say my friends will always be more important than any summit of any mountain so i decided to retreat off aconcagua and return to Mendoza to find Tim.

Tim had left all his kit high on the mountain,which left me to carry around 35+kg  6000ft down the peak , a hard task at sea level let alone at altitude. I ended up being assisted the last few hundred metres by 4 moutain rescue rangers who i am incredibly gratefull to. I then hiked the 26km out from base camp and returned  to the Mendoza.

I am glad to let you know that Tim has completely recovered

For the second year in a row, aconcagua has tried and tested me to my absolute limits, and still has not let me ascend its final metres. Decisions are what moves life foward and we all have to keep making them whether they are right or wrong.
I will always stand by my decision to turn away from aconcagua in such easy reach of the summit.

My seven summits challege will of course continue though perhaps on a slightly longer timescale. I am still planning to climb Denali in june.

“It was nice to see you again old friend, we should do it again sometime , are you free next December?

Adios Aconcagua,  From your old friend Ailsa”

Today i shall attempt the first ascent of laundry mountain, an unknown peak located somewhere in a university halls in Exeter. . .

…the peak has been steadily growing over the last week and after a weekend with the OTC, getting drenched on dartmoor, has reached sufficiant size to be deemed “mountainous”

 wish me luck, this’ll be a tough climb . . . . upstairs to the laundry room.

Ailsa.

Time does indeed fly,  365 days ago , a whole year today, i reached the summit of Kilimanjaro.

. . .  i dont think i realised standing at the summit what was to come, but standing there the mountaineering flame in me was well and truly lit.  This year alone,  i’ve worked out that i have spent a whopping NINETY FOUR days abroad climbing mountains!! and many many more out on the hills back in the UK training !     

    In 365 days, ive managed to summit Kilimanjaro, Kosciuszko, Elbrus, Mont Blanc, and come incredibly close to Aconcagua, to which i am returning in just 6 weeks.   In the next year, my plan is to climb Denali in June, and Vinson next December, which then, if successful leaves me the big’un; mighty mount Everest which i plan to climb in Spring 2010

This year there has been blood sweat and tears, injured knees, helicopters, blizzards, rucksacks galore, endless flights, hours of planning, A level revision in a chinese macdonalds,  lots and LOTS of mountains, and best of all many many new friends from around the globe. 

Here are just a few photos which best depict this year :
kilimanjaro summit
 
aconcagua

WORLD RECORD : worlds “highest” A level results, on Mont Blanc summit

kosciuszko summit

elbrus summit

Ailsa.

 yes, ladies and gentlemen, you are right, that WAS me you saw on Antiques Roadshow last night . . . . (15th SEPT)

If you scroll down this blog you can read the full story of my Antiques Roadshow escapades earlier this year . .

As soon as i had appeared  to show my lovely alfred wainwright first edition books to fiona bruce ( and get a bit about the seven summits in there!)  the texts and calls from shocked friends and relations started rolling in . . .

. . .  somehow, i dont think im going to live this one down for quite a while . . . !

( i will endevour to post the youtube link on here A.S.A.P)

( Apologies if the photos are rather large, they take 24 hours to become a smaller size! )  

To finish off my summer of mountaineering . . .  Two weeks back I went away to France to climb Western Europes Highest Peak - Mont Blanc at  15,774 ft.  I’m very pleased to let you know that on August 27th my team and I reached the summit in crystal clear weather to a stunning view across the alps.

Earier on in the year when i attended an army selection board i had briefly spoken to an accountant/army applicant from cheltenham named George . . . through the power of an ingenious internet site named “facebook”  it turned out he and his friend tom,  were also planning on climbing mont blanc in the summer.  

 Cutting a long story short - we decided to combine forces to climb mont blanc together - and henceforth Exercise Monty B was born! 

So on August 23rd, having only met once before , our team of three set out to luton airport to catch an easy jet flight to Geneva, and onwards to Chamonix where we would begin our Mont Blanc Ascent!  The first day saw us journey up the mountain railway and to the Mer De Glace where we spent the day climbing in and out of numerous crevasses and ice holes!

We then begun our ascent on the mighty Mont Blanc, taking the cable car up from Les Houches, we met two english brothers, charlton on courtney. We all got on well, an in the time it took to climb from the higher cable car station, over the deadly grand couloir and up the vertical rock face to the gouter hut, team monty had grown from three to five!

Unfortunately, at the gouter hut, only hours before we went to the summit, george was feeling the effects of altitude, he decided it was safer for both himself and the team for him to stay at the highest camp whilst the rest of us went up to the summit. This was definately a bit of a blow to morale, and we were all worried about george, who felt very very ill indeed . . .

. . . at 3 in the morning we woke and prepared for the summit bid, with a nice big bowl of hot chocolate and some cake! Setting off into the dark you could see rows of climbers attatched together, with their headlights twinking like fairy lights in the dark. . .

. . . Only 7 hours after we began, myslef, tom, courtney and charlton dragged ourselves up the knife endge summit ridge and finally reached the summit of the Alps. We were all astounded by the views, but with a very cold wind up there, and all wanting to get to a lower altitude we quickly started descending!

Back down in the town of les houches - not content with risking our lives on a very big mountain - tom george and I all gained slightly more adrenaline hitching a ride on the back of courtneys sport bike ( their challenge was named “Long Way Up” !! and involved riding bikes laden with mountaineering kit all the way from england)

After a celebratory meal, Team Monty went their seperate ways , and after watching the start of the extreme “tour de mont blanc trial” where competitors run over 200km round the mont blanc massif, the three of us headed back up to geneva for a day of sight seeing, and then to catch our flight home!

. . . . The End!
  ( that is . . untill we hopefully all climb Aconcagua in December ! )

I am very happy to let you all know i reached the western peak of mount elbrus at 5642m - the highest point in europe at near twelve midday on July 31st. 

I am currently in moscow, having just flown up from Mineralnye Vody airport down south in the Caucasus mountains and have a few days sightseeing here before i head back to the UK! 

The full report on the climb, on how we waited for a weather window nearly giving up all hope, can be read by clicking on the elbrus page, from the drop down menu from the main page.

Alternatively, you can click on the breaking news icon on the front page!

The photos are on the gallery now,  i hope you enjoy having a look at them!

One Quick Fact :

It is known that Tenzing Norgay, Mount Everest’s first summiteer visited Mount Elbrus in the years after ascending Everest. When he saw the dreadfull weather on the peak - He outright refused to climb.  

i thought that was a pretty nifty fact!! 

See you all soon 

Ailsa x

Many a mountaineer will get a little cross when they hear the line:

“Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe“

As, to be precise, part of that big lump of land in the northern hemisphere, Russia, is European too.

(as we all have learnt from their fantastic eurovision entires)

Russia is split into European Russia, and Asian Russia.  The caucasus mountains, lying between the black and caspian seas, just above georgia, is home to many a peak taller than Mont Blanc- Including Mount Elbrus - the true , and official tallest peak in europe!

i am very pleased to let you all know, that next wednesday, i will be flying to moscow and on down south, to attempt Mount Elbrus, and hopefully check another seven summit off the list.

Though, this ascent is a little different from the others. 

I will be climbing Elbrus, entirely on my own, known as “soloing” the peak.

Me, Myself, and I, will be setting off on foot the entire way (not using the infamous ski lifts up the first slopes!) , in a one person tent, carrying all my own equipment and cooking my own food, hopefully all the way to the top of 5642m tall elbrus.

This is one mammoth challenge, but carefull and strategic planning has been going on for months, and i am confident that im ready to take my first steps as a “proper” mountaineer!  (apparently!….as i was told by another climber!!)

Though, with reaching the summit in mind, i decided against taking one of the harder routes up the back of Elbrus, and will stick to the “normal route”  which, hopefully will have been well trodden by climbers earlier this season. 

….As technically easy as elbrus is, with its gentler slopes, and moderately safe terrain, it is still a mountain, a big cold icy unpredicatable mountain.  There are risks and dangers all along the way, and success is not granted to everyone. 

 Fingers crossed, and i will try my very best to reach the summit and stay safe! .. Plus, i will make every attempt to take a few good snaps along the way!   See you all when im back home safely in england! 

JUST in time for DREADED A level results!!

…………………………………..

In other news… the seven summits challenge has become much more business minded, with the primary goal of finding some sponsors.

There is now an  network of people in place doing their bit to get me to the summits and raising for Make A Wish.  I am enourmously gratefull for their hard work and perseverance, especially one of my very best friends and  designer, Katherine Thomason at elevations (http://www.elevations.co.uk/)

Here is a sneak preview of some of the new publicity we have been working on!  BE WARNED!  The best is yet to come:  

Hot off the press: Ailsa has broken a record, but no, not a daring mountaineering feat, or another seven summit scaled. She has spent the grand total of….  wait for it…   

65 hours  working this week, on minimum

.. to be more precise, this massive culmination of hours has been counted up through a combination of floor mopping, cutlery polishing, pint pouring, tray balancing, toilet scrubbing  and last but not least food delivering.

( at least working a 11 hour day on your feet, does indeed remove the need for most of gym based training !)

a majority of this hard graft has been partaken in the very lovely church restaurant, (www.thechurchrestaurant.com)  with the rest being clocked up with other forms of labour at various stations around the town.

So why, readers, is this relevant to the Seven Summits challenge???

because there was a famous saying that goes:

“A little hard work and elbow grease goes a long way”

a quote which is very true, as next week, my endless weeks working on minimum wage will be taking me  2948 KM to Russia and 5642M up Seven Summit No. Four, the mighty Mount Elbrus.

Another famous man, (i believe Mr. Thomas Edison) once quoted:

“There is no substitute for hard work”

Mr. Edison, i believe the substitute in part is called a “SPONSOR”

..something which i very much need, and am finding much harder to acquire than my new cleaning skills……

The entire summer working flat out to pay for the seven summits may destroy just a few more braincells than 3 months at altitude up everest !!

(and just to prove my hidden talents exist:)

Before:

After

  Today,   For the second year running, Collingtree Village hosted the Seven Summits Coffee morning …..

  After last years great success, we decided to organise the event to allow the good people of  collingtree to descend on the village hall to hear about what ive been up to over the past year, and to enjoy a good cup of tea and a slice of cake!

In true quaint English Village style,  the cakes were delicious, and all homemade… ( many thanks to those who donated) and the plant sale went down brilliantly!

The Younger attendents had the chance to try on some of my mountaineering kit… providing some very amusing photographs!

Thankyou to everyone who lent a helping hand and to everyone who came along to support the seven summits challenge! 

See you all again next year!

Ailsa 

  After last years huge success, i dug out my gardening gloves and got my green fingers busy with our summer season hanging basket business!

Many thanks to those who bought a basket, especially to the local pubs who dug deep in exchange their greenery!

Although with eminent departure to Russia for mount elbrus, there is still an opportunity for us to make you up a hanging basket!

We offer SIZES  MEDIUM at £15.99 and LARGE at 19.99  with the option of a reds/yellows  or  purples/pinks theme!
Please contact us through the guestbook if you are interested!

Ailsa