World Holiday Show Dublin

                                                        THE WORLD HOLIDAY SHOW

We will be displaying our trips at the world holiday show in the RDS Dublin Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th January, we are heading out to the RDS now to get set up and see how things are going to look.

We will be there as part of the GO HOP stand giving information about our Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, Inca Trail, and Himalayan trekking programs along with our peak climbing in Europe and Nepal.

Really looking forward to meeting with people and seeing the needs and requirements people you are looking for in their travel and adventure travel plans.

We will be selling Everest DVD'S, Kilimanjaro books so if your passing the RDS in Dublin please stop in for a chat and have a look around.


Round two, Sunday morning, getting ready for another day on my feet at the Holiday Show in the RDS Dublin, we fly to the states on Tuesday and a few weeks later onto Kilimanjaro. We had a great day yesterday talking to people about Island peak, Everest Base Camp, The Inca Trail, Mt. Everest, Alpine trekking and Kilimanjaro. Looking forward to meeting some new people today and bringing them to some of the world's great mountain regions. 

Training for Everest Base Camp

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not difficult, but that does not been it can be taken lightly. I have had this journey many times, some are easier than others, and the altitude and bodies acclimatisation to the lack of oxygen is the real key to success. Cover the daily distances as slowly as possible, be the last person into camp, don't over exert the body, a relaxed, slow walk will aid your bodies adjustment.

If you walk in the hills and avid hillwalker on a weekly basis, you should have the conditioning needed for the Trek. It is vital to be out walking in the hills in your chosen trekking boots 4 - 6 months in advance. Also adding in some gym work if you do not have access to hills and mountains. We have training schedules for this and can talk you through this and make sure you are taking the right steps to succeeding at your chosen adventure.

The trail starts at 9,000 ft walking up to 17,500 ft spread over 8 days to reach this height. The distances can be up to 15km (10miles) a day. Most days are less than this. It is really important that you are used to walking these kinds of distances on a regular basis with added weight to give better conditioning to your legs at sea level or at home, whatever level that is better to go to thinner air.

Warmest time to Trek?  May
Climbers are living in Base Camp?   April / May
Clearest sky's? September, October, November
Most snow? July / August
We are looking to add in Island peak? Climb in April/ May or September / October
Can we Trek in July & August? No flights into the region, this is rainy season
What is Kathamdu like? An Amazing city
Do most people make it to Base Camp? We have 100% success so far.

For more information about altitude, training, Everest BC Trek feel free to call or e-mail us today. 

Climbing Mt. Elbrus

Be prepared, Elbrus has the draw of being one of the 7 summits and from experience with all mountains at high altitude, the key is good acclimatization.  Any 12 day program will give you the nuts and blots of what you need in terms of preparing your body to go to 5,642m (18,000ft) 

The weather conditions here can be harsh, which means tried and tested gear is needed. You should not be attempting to climb Elbrus without, winter skills knowledge, altitude experience and understanding how your gear works, worn in mountaineering boots and solid gloves are needed. 

Our Itinerary gives you great acclimatization in preparing to make the summit of Mt. Elbrus, for more info feel free to call us or contact us through our website. 

Camaderry in Glendalough

Glendalough is an amazing place all year round. Beautiful lakes, trees, valleys, deer and sometime we are lucky and get loads of snow. Yesterday was a great day out in the snow. A group of 8 headed off to summit of Camaderry in Glendalough, and enjoyed a different snowy seen in Glendalough. 

As we walked up the steep first section of Camaderry out of the car park, I was thinking about Ian Mc Keever, I used to see him out here training, or bringing groups up the side of the hill. I am starting the process of seeing if we can name this section of Camaderry 'Mc Keever hill'. 

If anyone out there can suggest a starting point and which government channels I should start calling, it would be greatly appreciated. Looking forward to getting back out in Glendalough during the week. 

e-mail         ian@iantaylortrekking.com 

Trek Glendalough - FREE

We were meant to climb Lugnaquilla tomorrow, but with a lot of Snow forecast over night and freezing temperatures the roads into Lugnaquilla will be dangerous to manage. We are going to head from the Glendalough National Park and climb Camaderry and Turlough Hill.

This will be easier to manage. This should be a 5 hour Trek so if you are interested in join us make sure you come fully prepared for the winter conditions.

Fore more information on our treks and climbs - check www.iantaylortrekking.com 

FREE trek on Lugnaquilla in Wicklow

We have a Trek in Wicklow, Ireland this Saturday for anyone interested in finding out more information on any of out trekking destinations, and up coming trips. We will be on the walk and available to answer any questions you may have about, gear, trips, training or any aspect of your chosen adventure. Drop me a mail if you would like further information.

Please come prepared with full winter clothing, rain gear, Trekking boots, food and water.

ian@iantaylortrekking.com

http://iantaylortrekking.com/Trek-Europe-/Trekking-in-Ireland-/Trek-Lugnaquilla-.htm

Climbing Everest

I am getting monthly sometimes weekly questions through our website about climbing Everest. It is very hard to explain every emotion, part of the mountain, training, funding, preparation, team work and experience you go through when climbing Mt. Everest. That is one reason I was so keen to film as much as possible. Filming before, during and after to get a real feel for my and our unique experience of Climbing Mt. Everest. 

That is the main point here, your experience is everything when you want to climb on big mountains like Everest, you need as much experience of climbing, equipment and most importantly Altitude, how you perform on other mountains, like Island peak, Denali, Aconcagua, Cho Oyu, Elbrus, Mt. Blanc. Only then will you know how you perform and learn and grow in knowledge and experience to get you to Everest or other Big Mountains over 8,000m. Our Everest experience is recorded in our Everest DVD  'A summit calling' it is available if you would like a copy please e-mail me. 

I will also be posting a written transcript of an interview I did with RingJohn.com in 2012 on our website. I will also post it here once I have the full transcript. 

Instead of me babbling on about Everest, I will post the interview and comments and questions are always welcome. 

The picture above is me coming down the Hillary Step on Everest May 23rd 2008. 

Today's training / Clare Fm

It's be raining all morning, and can not exercise. I could sit in continue to work on my Trekking business or I can get up go to the gym 2 minutes from here. Or I can just go out in the rain. No excuses get out and get it done. I will just get out and brave the bad weather.

I had the privilege to speak on Clare Fm this morning They were interested in my speaking career and the trek we run around the world. They also wanted to know a little but more about Ian Mc Keever and it was great to speak about Ian, his achievements and who he was to me.

I am heading back to Kilimanjaro in a few weeks with a group of Americans and it will be a sad occasion to pass where Ian lost his life. He has left a legacy and he will be remembered by everyone for his enthusiastic and positive approach to everything he did.

Get out and exercise and be the best you can be.  

Outdoor store

I am off to 53 Degrees North in Dublin this morning, before that I will be looking at a new business idea hygiene kit for Hiking. I have been working with 53 Degrees North, trying to expand the range of clothing we can offer clients. They support our Treks around the world, let me give presentations on Everest and trekking trips and flyers presented in their stores.

As we are running some climbing trips above 6,000m in the Himalaya's and winter skills in Scotland clothing and equipment can become a life line. They are always looking to improve and develop their clothing for hikers, climbers and mountain climbers.

I was sampling some Berghaus gear out in Vietnam, Borneo and Indonesia and used some of the new Gortex jackets, Hybrid and Fleece gear which was great. I have been using Berghaus gear since 2004, almost a decade. 53 Degrees North stock a wide range of excellent outdoor gear needed for mountain and trekking adventures.

My hope is as always, that when I walk into 53 Degrees North today I am handed a big box of gear to sample. It hasn't happened to date, but we will see............

Back from a day of meetings, we met Ros Drake from Drake chiropractic in Dublin. A great person and a great advocate for what experiencing mountains can do for your life. She also has a hygiene for Hiking kit available to buy. For anyone looking starting off and not sure what to bring on the mountains you should check this or feel free to give us a call or drop me a mail and we can put you in touch.

CONTACT US

Training for Kilimanjaro

It's hard work, I have to drag myself out of bed now and go for a 10km jog. It has to be done. Not every day and not the same training everyday. If you have hills or mountains and time of course. Mountain or hill walking for 3 - 6 hours three times a week will have you mountain fit in no time. The real key to success is this:

The strength in the muscle is gained in the hold (slower movement) and forcing the leg to deal with the extra load,  So if you are carrying a backpack with 6kg - 15kg (depending on what mountain you are training for) and walking uphill and around the hills for 3 hours plus, you will be putting the muscle under simple pressure as high altitude. So continued higher heart rates with a heavier load will result in better strength, conditioning and endurance when your body has less oxygen to play with.

You have coached your body and muscles and handle more pressure walking uphill with extra weight in your backpack and once you take the weight off when you get to Kilimanjaro your body will know how to perform under pressure.

Everyone is individual so specific training as per your condition would need to be assessed to maximize ones progress and potential. For more information get in contact.

My Jog this morning will help and is great training,  but walking uphill with weight on my back would be a better option, but no time to get to the hills today Im afraid. 

Going to the summit of Mt. Everest

Check out some video footage used in our Everest 'A Summit Calling' DVD documentary about Graham and my journey to climb four mountains on four continents with Everest being the last mountain. 

The view of Everest from Cho Oyu

This is a great picture of Mt. Everest in the background. It was taken in September 2011 on the Ireland to Everest journey. It is taken on the summit of Cho Oyu, the worlds 6th highest mountain. From Summit to Summit is 26 miles.

You can see the North Face, North East ridge route on Everest. Pumori, Nuptse, Lhotse and all the way to Kanchenjunga 130 miles away to the East.

I think this is the best View of Mt. Everest you can get. 

Preparing to Trek to Altitude

http://iantaylortrekking.com/Our-Services/How-to-acclimatize-to-low-oxygen-environments-.htm

I have been getting a lot of comments and questions on our website about acclimatizing and preparing for altitude, these are some of the key concerns. Always remember that acclimatizing is an individual experience so the go a slowly as possible to altitude and be the last person into camp in the afternoon.

Don't tire the body early on in your trek. If your on a 6 - 14 trek your body and muscles need to in good shape at the end of the trek. You need to be able to move from point A to Point B with minimal exertion and this is where fitness comes in.

Your Body uses energy sources to burn fuel while exercising in the gym or on the mountains, sugar, fat, muscle are used to fuel the exertion needed. Your body will respond depending on the heart rate level, fat burning zones are lower levels. To last longer in the hills the heart rate needs to be lower, so you need to move slower and save your body from cramp, lactic acid in the muscles.

This is an individual experience depending on a wide range of issues. Get assessed, improve your lactic threshold improve your endurance in the hills and speak to someone who knows what they are talking about is the way forward.

If you would like more information get in touch. We have trained people for mountain expeditions around the world including getting to the summit of Mt. Everest. Contact us today and we can chat about your chosen Trek to altitude and how you need to proceed.

ian@iantaylortrekking.com 

Pictures from Glendalough

We hit the Spink for the Visitors center yesterday (12km) and walked the 535 steps to the first lookout point. There was some decision about know many steps there. I have walked these steps over 500 times and couldn't remember the step count. It was my good friend Gerard Kavanagh who came with me while I was training in the Wicklow mountains for Everest, that there are 536 steps.

If anyone out there has a different figure let us know. It was cold and crisp and cloudy, but this is Ireland and to be expected. We met up with Martin and Arjuna who came on one of our Kilimanjaro climbs in 2010 and also Joined by Anne Butler who trekked to Everest Base Camp with us in 2011.

A great day out and meeting up again for Lugnaquilla next Saturday (the highest mountain in Leinster) for a stroll up to 3,400ft. Not so high but a great trek in the Wicklow mountains.

Join us for FREE if your in the area, feel free to contact me for more info. Off to take Murphy for a walk. 

The Inca Trail

We are sending on two trips later in 2013 to trek the famous route to Macchu Picchu and the lot city of the Inca's. The 4 day traditional Inca Trail takes 500 people per day and is an amazing Trek. To add value and experience to the Trek we prefer the 6 day Salkanatay Trek, see Itinerary. 

This trek heads up to an elevation of 4,850m passing the amazing Mt. Salkanatay mountain and trekking the less traveled route to Macchu Picchu. If trekking is your game, then you have to do the 6 day trek giving you an amazing trek through the Andes as well as the traditional Inca trail route.

If you would like more information feel free to email or contact me.

Off to Glendalough

When I was a child we used to walk here and loved it, when I was in my teenage years I wasn't bothered, but in my Twenties I came to love Glendalough again. When I was training for Everest I used to trek around these mountains on a weekly basis. Over the space of a year I would build up from carrying 5kg to 25kg around these hills for 5 - 8 hours.

We lived in Lahinch in the west of Ireland for the past few years and moving to the states it has been and is going to be difficult to find time for Glendalough. I got engaged here, and love this place.

Anyway we are heading out for a 9km Trek tomorrow in preparation for an up coming Kilimanjaro trek in February. I will take some pictures and post them in a couple of days.

Just back from a great afternoon is Glendalough, I will upload some pictures tomorrow. It was a sad morning  as we said goodbye to a friend and Irish Legend Ian Mc Keever. Ian was the world record holder in 2007 for the speed record on the 7 summits, climbed Everest, an Atlantic rowing attempt, load of other world records and leading climbs on Kilimanjaro. He will be sadly missed. 

Everest Base Camp Treks

People always ask how difficult it is to get to Everest Base Camp?  It is an adventure of a lifetime and is achievable for most people. The key to success is the slowest walking possible. The key with climbing any mountain or trekking to altitude is to expend as little energy in the initial stages. Yes, physical exertion is an important part of acclimatizing, along with hydration, eating and sleeping.

The key is in learning to walk again. The slow approach with an experienced guide will get results. You can walk in the hills at home with extra weight 6 - 10kg for 3 - 6 hours along with weights and other endurance training you can easily build up the correct fitness in a 2 - 4 month period depending on where your starting point of fitness is, for an Everest Base Camp Trek.

If you would like to talk more about specific training required for Mountain Treks, feel free to get in touch. www.iantaylortrekking.com 

Slow to give updates

I Just came back from a trip to Indonesia, Vietnam and Borneo where we trekked some Volcano's, 3,000m peaks and enjoyed a more relaxing Trekking in Asia. When you are on the move so much it is hard to keep updating everything. I am back to a more leisurely pace, at least for a few weeks. 

It sure is more relaxing than Climbing on Ice falls, glaciers and extreme altitude. Even though we have some treks coming up on Kilimanjaro, Everest region, Mera & Island peaks we are really looking forward to Trekking the Inca Trail in November and December 2013. 

We are looking at trekking the Salkanatay Inca Trail  Most people so for the 4 day trail to Macchu Picchu. This 6 day trail meets up with the Inca trail just before Macchu Picchu but gives a much more impressive scenery of amazing 6,000m peaks along the route to Macchu Picchu. 

We hope to be joined by a team of 10-15 people to experience this famous trekking route to the lost city of the Inca's. 

If you are interested in join us feel free to e-mail ian@iantaylortrekking.com for more information.

The sad death of Ian Mc Keever

A Fair well message to a friend:

I was working away in work one day in 2006 when I was handed a message to call this guy Ian Mc Keever about a charity event he was running for attempt to climb the Seven Summits. It was handed to me as the staff knew I was into mountaineering.

I called Ian and we spoke to about 40 minutes about his plans and my plans for Everest. It became clear he had little to no experience but his can do attitude struck me straight away. He was similar to me, he had been told no most of his life, and every negative comment or discussion only made him stronger and he wanted to achieve what, people said was impossible. He did it...........

We kept in touch through 2006 to 2010, he broke the world record for the fastest seven summits, attempted to row the Atlantic, break more world records on Kilimanjaro, he managed to give us a great send off for Everest and we hit the pubs in Dublin on a few occasions to celebrate our successes. He even came to my stag in 2010.

Since then Ian was breaking more records on Kilimanjaro and leading people to achieve their dreams. I have taken a similar path bringing many teams up Island Peak, Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and beyond.

Ian died on Kilimanjaro last week the 2nd January 2013. He will be sadly missed and will live long in the memories of people who knew him. I will be back on Kilimanjaro for my thirteenth time in February and it will be hard to pass by where he died. I know he lived to the max and loved every moment in the mountains.

I will remember Ian as a true Irish Hero, a champion to show everyone we can all achieve our own Everest.