Mt. Everest 2005: Team Alongi 2005 The Team

Updates

Dispatch #1:  Months of preparation and training are now behind us.  We had our final group Q&A meeting for the members of the expedition.  Everyone looked extremely strong and ready to go.  Here's a run down of the team roster.

Brook Alongi - Expedition Leader/Organizer, Marysville WA
	Brook is definitely not a rookie when it comes to high altitude expeditions.  Mt. Everest will be his second 8000 meter summit, if he is lucky enough to stand atop her.  Brook's climbing resume spans the globe and includes accomplishments such as:  Cho Oyu, multiple ascents of El Capitan, first ascents in Alaska and Japan, multiple ascents of Aconcagua (even one solo), and much more.  In addition, Brook is a certified National Registry EMT and a Wilderness-EMT.  When he's home in Washington state, he volunteers his talents to the Everett Mountain Rescue Unit of Snohomish county.
Ryan Allen - Seattle, Washington
	Ryan has attempted some pretty hard climbs in the last few years.  The Muir Wall on El Capitan and Lotus Flower Tower in Canada are just two of the many great adventures he's had.  Growing up in Seattle has given him the opportunity to encounter a wide range of climbing environments in the Cascades.  Ryan believes in giving back to the local climbing community through education and volunteering opportunities.  He spent three years as the chief instructor of the Boeing Employees' Alpine Society (BOEALPS) Intermediate Climbing course.  Ryan is a software engineer, and will undoubtedly be on the expedition laptop often!
Al Baal - Seattle, Washington
	Al has climbed Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, and Mera Peak in Nepal.  He has also participated in an expedition to Sikkim, India and climbed in the Dolomites in Italy. He toured more than 15,000 miles by bicycle in the US, Scotland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand over the last several years.  Al charming nature will be an important part of our team's cohesiveness on the mountain.
Ambrose Bittner - Seattle, Washington
	Ambrose has been climbing for 20 years since he first took a rock climbing class and attempted to climb Mt. Rainier while getting his engineering degree at Washington State University.  Ambrose has two first ascents to his credit: a new route on Plummer Peak in the British Columbia Coast Range, and the first ascent of Cerro Tillman in Patagonia. Ambrose has climbed internationally, including the high and remote mountains of Nepal, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina. He just completed his MBA degree from the University of Washington and is in the process of starting his own Asia-focused travel company called Red Lantern Journeys.
Michael Frank - Seattle, Washington
	Michael started out as a rock climber in New Mexico before moving to Seattle in the late 80’s, where he discovered alpine climbing. Michael was on the first ascent climb with Ambrose of Cerro Tillman on the Patagonian Ice Cap and has done several peaks in the Canadian Rockies. In addition to climbing Michael is an avid cyclist and runner having completed 4 marathons and numerous 100+ mile bicycle rides, in addition to completing RAMROD 3 times, a 154 mile ride around Mt. Rainier in one day with 10,000 feet of elevation gain!  He currently works at Boeing as a Software Engineer.
Scott Streett - Everett, Washington
	Scott is about an avid athlete as one could be.  He trains incessantly for his passion, climbing and outdoor adventure travel.  He began climbing when he was in college at Penn State.  Since then, his love for the mountains has brought him to the Pacific Northwest where there is ample opportunities to grow within the sport.  Scott is an active member of the Everett Mountain Rescue Unit and works at REI.

Our team is preparing their gear, wrapping up loose ends at work and running those last few miles to get the last burn before leaving.  Next stop, Kathmandu Nepal!

Until then... Brook

Team Alongi 2005 Introduction

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