RUSSIA-MT. ELBRUS & HEP E

Recently my climbing group from Mt Everest Base Camp contacted me and said, "Jerry, you should really climb Mt. Elbrus in Russia. It is one of the 7 summits of the world and it's not even 20,000 feet in altitude." I said "yes" without really thinking about it........

Of course, when I did some research I found that it is 18,500 feet tall (4,000 feet higher than Mt. Whitney) and we would have to spend four nights on ice in quarters called Barrels. And yes that means crampons.. yipes.. and plastic hiking boots again, I hate those, it's like walking in steel war boots, plus you are tied to together with 9 other people on a rope.

So as I sat there looking at my bandaged foot (healing from Posterior Tibial Tendonitis) pondering, "I can't play golf," "I can't even hike," and all I could think of was what my Grandpa Bub used to say, "Can't never did anything." Darn him! Alright, I needed an attitude change for altitude. Time to enlist the services of my incredible trainer Randy Neuberg, start Pilate's, and riding my bike...I can do this!

MT ELBRUS 18,510 FEET TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN EURASIA

While it is one thing to prepare for a climb like this, it's a whole other animal to do the climb and I need your help. I have decided to dedicate my climb to support a worthwhile cause and I need your help to raise funds for this cause. My friend Krista deBoer met a young man named Moses from Uganda who is trying to find a cure for Hepatitis E (HEV). So what the heck is that?... Well it has to do with fecal (poo) material and either contaminated drinking water or undercooked meat. There was a major outbreak of HEV in 2007 in the Kitgum District of Northern Uganda that caused an illness with flu-like symptoms in the general population but it's much more serious for pregnant women - 160 pregnant women died during the 2007 outbreak. The Hepatitis  E virus causes around 20 million infections a year. These result in approximately 3 million acute symptoms, and as of 2010, 57,000 deaths annually.

A YOUNG MOSES

Not much is known about this disease in Uganda and Moses, a young grad student, is working with Veterinarians to to develop test kits and take samples, and he needs funding to do this kind of research. 

We have a chance to make a difference here. This young man is trying to do something bigger than himself. Imagine if we could have jumped on the Zika Virus before it spread to the US. If we had funded research projects like this maybe we wouldn't be telling everyone to wear DEET and not to get bitten by mosquitoes (like that is possible). In some Latin American countries women are even told not to get pregnant.

So help Moses make a difference, and heck fire help me do what I do best (Climb mountains bigger than I ever thought possible) by donating $5, $10, or even $100+ for this worthwhile cause. When I told Moses what I was doing, he said, "I can't believe you are climbing a mountain for me."

Here is the gofundme website where you can donate: https://www.gofundme.com/gomoses

FLYER DESIGNED BY KRISTA dEBOER, I CAN SEND YOU A COPY

Thanks again Jerry-- Intrepid traveler and friend. Climb is scheduled for next month July 8th-23rd