I always like to find a worthy charity when we go to a country that is less fortunate than ours.
It's funny how this one came up, I was Googling about one of my hikes and low and behold one of the finishing points, Lamay was also the center for the Casa de Milagros.

The foundation helps Orphaned kids in the Sacred Valley area. http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/ecotourism/casa_de_milagros.html

I am sure they would welcome your support as well. Thank You

It's just over one month until our august 1st departure to Cusco via Lima. We are arriving in Cusco and being picked up and quickly descend from the 11000 foot elevation to the lower Sacred valley.

The sacred valley is the "Tuscany of Peru" or the "Napa valley of Peru" located at an elevation of 8000 to 9000 feet surrounded by mountains on both sides with peaks of over 15000 feet. We are staying 5 nights there in Yucay (Sonesta Posada del Inca) to acclimitize before going back up to Cusco for 3 nights, then descending back into the valley for two nights before the Inca trail hike/run.

I am planning 4 hikes as preparation for the Inca trail. The first will go from outside Chinchero which is over 12000 feet. The actual start town is past lake Piuray to just outside the town of Tauca. It assends to the highest I will be on the entire trip 14700 feet at the pass, then descends to Huchay Cusco a Inca site which is the "goal" then descends back to the town of Lamay.I am going to take Diamox to help me with this quick acclimitization.

We will also do hikes in Pisac and two in Ollytaytambo.

Here is the elevation profile for the inca trail

We will be doing one very short day from Km 82 to the first dot on the left of the profile Llactapata. (6-7 miles) followed by the whole rest of the trail as the Inca trail Marathon.
So that would be 27.5 miles with about 8000 feet of uphill if I calculate correctly. There are 40 crazy folks out there doing this, my goal is to take it "easy" and finish in dead last ( Why hurray?) Ha Ha

Thank God that we are avoiding the whole Mess in Bangkok. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to be stuck someplace you don't want to be, in this case a military airport in the middle of nowhere.. So I pass through Hong Kong On Cathay Pacific with an 8-10 hr layover each way.

I have a hotel to crash in both ways. It is only 5 minutes from the airport. It looks like a very comfortable place the Novatel.

I have raised about 3000 dollars for the American Himalayan Foundation so far. More contributions will come when I'm done.

I have almost a whole month. The longest I've ever taken. Partially due to the difficulty of getting dates as everyone was scrambling to get alternative to Bangkok tickets.

I'll do my best to post here. In Kathmandu I know there is a good internet connection. Maybe in Namche as well.

I've been lazy lately. I will be running Saturday but not Sunday.

Here is a photo of the recent fire/smoke near my house. the fire was miles away but we got smoked!

Well folks I had a very nice run Saturday. The Sadleback Mountain Marathon in the Cleveland National forest about 45 minutes east of San Juan Capistrano.

I just had a great day. I started out easy despite the temptation to follow those who were running the early hills. I knew that I would do better to just power hike all the uphills. Anything that even looked like it might go up at all I was calling a hill.

The run has a total of 5000 feet of gain. I am not sure if non runners can appreciate that, but here is a comparison. the feared Boston Marathon with "Heartbreak Hill" has a total of 1054 feet of gain.

The first two miles or so were on pavement and more or less rolling so it was walk run walk run.
then the first real hill. well at this point let me show you the elevation profile.

The remained of the days we hiked 4-8 hours, had plenty of good food and enjoyed the hike immensely.

Highlights- Views from the Refugio Lagazuoi

Food at the Refugio Averau

After our train and bus ride from belluno to Venice we welcomed being immersed in civilization

After an initial flat section we quickly began climbing up for 2 and a half hours to the Porta Sora al Forn. It was a brief downhill to a Refuge the Biella where many people stop for the night. we decided based on our Itinerary to go one hour further.

Refugio Biella where we got a Coke and a smile. all those white "dots" down there? - Sheep!

WE wanted to do another Hut to hut hike in Italy after the very successful Tour of Mt Blanc in
2006. Looking through various sources I came up with the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites.

The hike extends from Lago de Braises near Austria to Belluno two hours by train to Venice. It is almost directly north to south.Unlike the Tour Of Mt. Blanc the trail stays up in the mountains and does not pass through any towns.
(It is possible to travel by ski lifts down to civilization and near roads to civilization)

The attractions of a multiday hike like this are many. Beautiful scenery, excellent huts with beds,showers and food. No camping! Also after hiking for 4-8 hours it is possible to eat everything and not gain weight. In fact I last a few pounds.

Only a few more weeks until my hike In the dolomites and visit to Venice. I am begining to get excited! We are spending 3 nights in Venice in San Polo in an apartment then taking a bus to Cortina and then Dobbiaco near Austria.

We will spend 9 days hiking staying in mountain Inns called refugio's. You can hardly call it roughing it,in fact I would consider the places very comfortable. As always in Italy the food and wine are local, abundant and fabulous ! Here is an exampe

http://www.sennes.com/

We will be self supporting and navigating. There will be no support car portering our stuff. I will be carrying 25 pounds in order to relieve some of the weight from my wife Peg who may carry 15 pounds or less. But compared to backpacking there are many advantages.We get to sleep in beds, in most cases in private rooms,eat great food,have a great workout every day, a shower
and Not gain any weight!

Not to mention the great scenery of the Dolomites.

Please remember my cause for my December trek in Nepal. The American Himalayan foundation. See the web link on the sidebar.

Below a photo of Refugio Coldai

Well it wasn't a dangerous woops but very frustrating. I had taken my memory out of my camera in order to look at photos on a laptop. The next day at 5am I forgot to reload.

The 20 miles of the thousand Island loop near Mammoth,Ca was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done, in over 40 years of hiking. It includes part of the John Muir trail and the Pacific Crest trail. Gorgeous flowers everywhere. Amazing scenery 5-6 lakes,snowcapped mountains and zero photos! Anyway it's in my memory (the brain type) and I'll always have that.

Below a photo off the web. I suppose I'll just have to buy the book my friend is getting published on the John Muir trail. He is the Photographer, another guy is writing the text.

Speaking of memory don't forget my cause, the american Himalayan foundation there is a link on the right column of my blog under Nepal.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I thought you might have been bored by my constant accounts of training etc. So I decided to post something different.

I was thinking that no matter how we appreciate our comfortable lives here, that we really have no idea what it would be like growing up without the obvious advantages we have here in the US. . I always had access to medical care and the best of schools. Water ran out of a tap and there was always electricity flowing into the house.

Now think of the people born in Tibet or Nepal. They might not have electricity, Maybe no running water, Infrastructure is primative and underdeveloped. Many lack basic Medical care and have poor access to schools.

That is why I decided to pledge to raise money for the American Himalayan Foundation on my trek. In some small way I will be helping the people I visit. There is a link on the sidebar on my site. If you donate could you mention Rainey Christmas Trek in the info line?

Thank You RR

Last Saturday June 8th I ran the Holcomb Valley 33 at Big Bear which is a 2 hour drive north East of Los Angeles.
It is "up in the mountains" the lake sits at about 6500 feet.
The race climbs up the Cougar Crest Trail and follows the Pacific Crest Trail and Jeep roads.

Some very nice views across the pine covered hills to the Holcomb Valley and the next range of Mountains and over Big Bear lake.

I felt great up until 21 miles when I hit the rolling section where I just felt tired! After that 8 miles it was a endless downhill back to the finish.

The next long day will be up at Mammoth during the 4th of July. I am hoping I can talk some of my family into doing the Thousand Island lake hike, its 20 miles and gorgeous.

Saturday was the start of a hard training weekend. I did 12 miles on trails with some walking with the mountain goats.

6 miles on Venice beach with some speed on Sunday.

Then Sunday I hiked on the Toll road from Altadena to the mummit of Mt Wilson. It was 18.5 miles with 4500 feet of altitude gain. This one was with my brother it is the longest hike of his life or at least in the last 25 years!

Looking forward to my trips this year, still hoping to raise a few dollars for the AHF before a big push towars the end of the year. I have a link on this site for donations please put Rainey christmas Trek under info to AHF

I just contacted the American Himalayan Foundation to find out my fundraising total. It's now 2700 dollars! Thank you everyone for their help. I am now more than half way to my goal of $5000.

I am sure the people of Nepal and Tibet will appreciate your help with their education, health and infrastructure needs.

I will be posting soon about more training and other new info

Greeting readers! I want to thank everyone who has helped me with my goal of raising 5000 dollars for the American Himalayan Foundation. I will update the amount soon but I am past half way to the goal!

Below my latest adventure-

Sometimes everything works just about right and you have a great day. Saturday morning at 6 am above Lone Pine,California at Tuttle Creek campground was the start of such a day. 200 runners more or less assembled for the WWW races. A few do a fun run,some the 10 miler, many the Marathon and for the Lunatics like me the 50K (31 miles).

The race starts by traveling east and ascending towards the distant snowcapped Sierras. Mt Whitney the highest peak in the "continental" United States in the centerpiece. 14497 feet.

The footing is dismal more or less sand, the elevation is tough, and the prospect of climbing from 4500 to 6700 feet in the first 3 miles seem daunting, but it is so amazingly beautiful, why would I complain?

Reading a book of short stories about Nepal today I had a hard time imagining actually being there. Somehow it seems so far away but I know it is going to creep up on me soon.
I just wonder how it will be compared to hiking in Africa.