Summit7 Groupies:

Here’s a quick update from Evan and Don’s guide. This was posted today, Tuesday, 2/12/08:

“Hey this is Jason calling from Expedition 6, we are all at camp 1. Today we just rested; had a good day, ate quesadillas, ate soup and just had a tortellini dinner. Yesterday we hiked up just over 17,000 and tomorrow we are going to move up there to camp 2 and the next day we will carry to camp 3. Just a quick shout out to Mike Morales’ daughter Paola, it is her birthday today. Also a quick shout out to the old farts from Maine, they are some friends of ours that we met up here and their family has been watching the cybercast as well. Everything is good and we will talk to you guys soon. The weather has been absolutely perfect and we are hoping that it holds for us. Thanks. ”

A separate note from another guide on 2/10 said that Team 6 (Evan and Don’s team) will be making their way up the mountain “over the next week, week and a half.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Team 6! As Evan would say, “Get ‘er done!”

Friends & Family:

Here is the latest update from the expedition guide. By this account, Evan and Don should be enjoying a day of rest today, Friday, 2/8 at Plaza de Argentina base camp. The following is the post from their guide, Jason, on 2/6:

Team 6 at Casa de Piedra
2/6/08    

Hey this is Jason calling with Team 6, Aconcagua we are at Casa de Piedra. We had a good seven hour hike today, with great weather, it was nice and cool for the hike and not too hot. Everybody is doing fine. We just had a big asada steak dinner with the mule drivers; I think that we ate like 12 pounds of meat so we are good to go. We are going to have a big day tomorrow; we are going to hike up to base camp, Plaza de Argentina at almost 14,000 feet. Everybody is doing great, it is going to take us about eight hours to get up there and we will call you from Plaza de Argentina. We are going to take a rest day when we get up there, day after tomorrow and we are going to have earned it. Talk to you later, bye. Also want to note that we celebrated a couple of birthdays too; Dave’s birthday and Suzanne’s birthday and we are having cake tomorrow at base camp. Bye.

Hi all you Summit7 fans out there. Just a quick note to let you know that Evan and Don have arrived safely in Argentina. After a long travel day on Friday, Feb. 1, they spent the weekend adjusting to the time zone, checking gear and meeting the rest of their team. They left today, Monday, Feb. 4 for Mt. Aconcagua. We understand that they will be at the trailhead on Tuesday, Feb. 5. More updates as we have them.

The Marcus & Millichap office in Long Beach, California has gotten behind me and my support of safe and sanitary housing for those in need.

Joshua Cohen, a Senior Associate of the Marcus & Millichap Long Beach office commited to a donation in the early spring and convinced the office heads to match his generous donation.

The donation of over $17,000.00 will change lives and save lives.

This is what I knew could happen. By spreading the word of the dire need for housing in America and around the world, lives can be saved. Children that could have died from malaria because of a leaky roof, can now live in a home with a new roof that doesn’t leak. Or maybe even a new home with a concrete floor instead of a dirt floor.

I want to thank Joshua Cohen and Marcus & Millichap for helping me change and save lives.

If you need the services of Joshua Cohen or Marcus & Millichap please use them. These are the kind of people you want to do business with. Contact them at www.marcusmillichap.com.

I have been given permission by Alpine Ascents International to be among their team of climbers to attempt the highest peak in South America and the western hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina.

I will be part of their team that leaves the U.S. on February 2, 2008. As part of the review process, every climber had to submit their training regimen, how they will alter the training regimin to prepare for the climb, and a resume of our previous climbs.

It was Alpine Ascents International that took me through their 6 Day Mountaineering Course in 2004, but next year denied me a spot on one of their teams to attempt the summit of Mt. Elbrus. My young age (15) was the issue but now that I will be 17 when I will attempt Aconcagua, all’s well.

On May 7, Summit7, Inc. received a large donation from a Cars4Causes donor. You have probably heard about them from the radio.

I was notified in April that a car was sold and the donor wanted the money to go to Summit7. We gave Cars4Causes the information they needed for Summit7, Inc. to be an official recipient of Cars4Causes donations.

It was the single largest donation that Summit7 had received to date. It will go a long way to help build a house in Tanzania, or completely build a house in Nepal.

You too can give through Cars4Causes. Visit their website at www.cars4causes.net.

Thank you one and all for your continuing donations.

On Thursday, April 26, Evan and Summit7, Inc. received confirmation that their donation to the Habitat for Humanity Affiliate in New South Wales, Australia was received.

Lolly with Habitat for Humanity Affiliate in Parramatta, New South Wales said that the money will be used for ongoing projects in the New South Wales area. If you would like to see what the affiliate in New South Wales is doing, you can visit their website at www.habitat.org.au.

It was Mt. Kosciuszko in New South Wales that befuddled me twice before summiting in December of 2006. During my first trip in July 2005, and first two tries at the summit, the local rangers, ski patrol and equipment rental staff all gave me very valuable information that I used to get as close to the summit as I did. It is nice that with your help I can give something lasting back to their community. They really are nice people. G’day!

On Thursday, April 26, Evan and Summit7, Inc. received confirmation that your donation to the Habitat for Humanity Affiliate in Ulan-Ude, Russia was received.

Tatiana Baldanova, the Communication Coordinator says the Ulan-Ude affiliate is located near Lake Baikal and is about 5000 kilometers from Moscow. It was the first, and is currently the only remaining, affiliate in Russia. You can visit the Habitat for Humanity Ulan-Ude Affiliate website at www.habitat.org/ap/build/eca/172.aspx.

Tatiana said that 3 families have already been approved and are waiting for housing. The affiliate had raised enough money for one house at the time of Summit7’s donation, and that Summit7’s donation will help with the funds needed for new housing for the remaining two families.

Summit7 wants to thank everyone who has continued to donate as they can afford so I can continue to fulfill my promise to help as many people of these regions that help me achieve my goal. Together all of us can accomplish more than a single person.