compassionategirl Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 I was inspired by Alex's calender idea to think of other ways to shatter the "vegans are weak, frail, and wimpy" myth and the concomitant "you need meat to be big and strong" myth. And, more importantly, to get media attention on this message. I have a mountain of an idea (if we could pull this off). I think that a whole bunch of us should train for and soon after climb, Mount Everest as the first group of vegans to ever to do so with a specific message. The logistics of it is simply that we would have to train to climb for a few months to a year and then comes the big week or two where we actually climb!! What a great way to shatter the myth yet again and to get the message on international news stations and evening local news / tv stations. Plus, I have always wanted to climb a mountain! I am scared to death of heights so this will be great for that little fear of mine. I think that this would definitely garner news coverage, from your 6:00 evening news to newspapers, etc. SO, who's in????? I will start planning this next year for a target date of 2007. For the animals, always,Compash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelhobson Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 A great idea!!!!! From me you get a big maybe. It takes most people years of training, including dozens of small ascents to reach the Everest goal. I'll go ahead and volunteer Jonathan, he climbs anything he is near anyway and Everest is only a few feet higher than his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 A great idea!!!!! From me you get a big maybe. It takes most people years of training, including dozens of small ascents to reach the Everest goal. I'll go ahead and volunteer Jonathan, he climbs anything he is near anyway and Everest is only a few feet higher than his head. yeah yeah yeah!! you are only a few inches shorter! everest is not possible unless you are very rich. the nepalese goverment charges $40,000 per person for the permit to climb everest. it is accepted that it is not especially hard to climb, with there being a well defined route for people to take. however, 3 out of every 100 people who go up do not come back. there is 33% of the oxygen above 8000m that we take for granted down here at sea-level.also the expedition takes many months (unless you are a very experienced alpine style climber). this involves 2weeks in each direction of treking to get there. then, in order to become aclimatised to the altitude, you need to do short accents every couple of days, each time increasing the height you go to. unless you are extremely fit, there is no chance you would survive an alpine style accent. also, the guides that take you up will not take you unless you have serious experience climbing the highest peaks in the alps, rockies etc. sorry to shoot the idea down, but we would be far better sticking to lower, less dangerous peaks, like kilamanjaro in tanzania, or some of the trekking peaks in nepal ( these are peaks up to a maximum of 21,000ft, where you usually [though not always] need some ice climbing experience, but they are not too challenging. plus the permit is only about $400 for up to 12people). jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 I think it's a neat idea to do some kind of extreme note-worthy activity which would attract attention, and as vegans. Everest sounds intense to me though! That is really really serious stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compassionategirl Posted October 13, 2005 Author Share Posted October 13, 2005 everest is not possible unless you are very rich. the nepalese goverment charges $40,000 per person for the permit to climb everest. jonathan DAMN governments!!! Like they arent rich enough. Okay, thanks for all that amazing and detailed info Jon. So Everest is out. But I still want to make this project a reality because I think it is a great idea that will help the animal rights/vegan cause tremendously and garner some much needed international spotlight on the message which we are trying to convey by the fit vegan calender. So, I am up for just about anything. I just need help with bouncing some ideas around as to which mountain we can climb (but something challenging so it makes it into the news. I.e. Nobody is going to report on a bunch of vegans who climbed to the top of a moehill to proclaim a "fit and strong" message.). Will the Tanzania mountains be formidable enough and news worthy? I have always heard on the news when people make it to the top of Everest, but never have I heard reporting on any other peak. Jonathan, you seem to be very knowledgeable about this. Please help me make this vision into a reality. Also, we dont need a wholebunch of people. I think even 10 of us adventure and thrill seeking determined ones would be enough to qualify as a "group of vegans out to proclaim a message from a high peak/natural wonder". But, dont get me wrong, the more the merrier!! So so far it seems like those who wish to be involved with this are: mejonathan(may I assume Kathryn's involvement too?)maybe Michael Hobson (thanks Michael for being so excited about this idea)EDITTED TO ADD: Richard, does that mean that you are in, so long as it isnt Everest? That is four. How about a few others?? Come on guys, help me change the world, one mountain at a time!!! Seriously, it would be awesome if we could get 10 fit vegans to climb this journey which I am sure will be rewarding for us, but more importantly, will help animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daywalker Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 So so far it seems like those who wish to be involved with this are: mejonathan(may I assume Kathryn's involvement too?)maybe Michael Hobson (thanks Michael for being so excited about this idea)EDITTED TO ADD: Richard, does that mean that you are in, so long as it isnt Everest? That is four. How about a few others??It seems everyone who posts here has to go climb a mountain with CG... Damn, that includes me now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compassionategirl Posted October 13, 2005 Author Share Posted October 13, 2005 It seems everyone who posts here has to go climb a mountain with CG... Damn, that includes me now! Awww whats the matter Alex, afraid maybe I will kick your ass for a change all the way to the top of the mountain? Stop making excuses and climb a mountain with me for the animals so we can plant our vegan flag right at its peak! Seriously - this is something that we, as the "vegan fitness team" should try and plan for in 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compassionategirl Posted October 14, 2005 Author Share Posted October 14, 2005 C"mon friends, I expected more responses from 55 reviews. Where are the hardcore, fit, strong and adventurous vegans besides the ones that have responded. It looks like only Jonathan, myself and Kathryn ?? are the three that will be climbing a mountain for the animals. (P.S. patience was never my strong suit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesty leroux Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 chick you are crazy i read Into Thin Air, everest is a man eating monster....But Mt. Kilimanjaro in tanzania...i want to tackle that baby on a day trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compassionategirl Posted October 14, 2005 Author Share Posted October 14, 2005 chick you are crazy i read Into Thin Air, everest is a man eating monster....But Mt. Kilimanjaro in tanzania...i want to tackle that baby on a day trip. okay so that means you are in if so long as the mountain isnt everest? seriously, ash, are you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sknydpr Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 Even if I weren't horribly acrophobic, I've seen Touching the Void. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 I love cilmbing trees and mountains. I hike all the time. Im poor but count me in. and keep me informed as to exactly what we're doing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicole Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 DAMN governments!!! Like they arent rich enough. I not sure if that's entirely true at all of the government of Nepal! This sounds like fun, but I have never climbed anything and I couldn't afford the trip anywhere! I will be cheering you on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 DAMN governments!!! Like they arent rich enough. I not sure if that's entirely true at all of the government of Nepal! This sounds like fun, but I have never climbed anything and I couldn't afford the trip anywhere! I will be cheering you on. eh! that isnt my quote!!!! goddamn it, i spent 2months in nepal, they are far from rich! anyway, regarding the mountain climbing, im not really a very good person to go with. i hate going slowly, and in nepal i was very quick (did a 6hour trek, with 1350m total accent, in 3.5hours). im rather impatient plus i would lose weight if i started to train to climb mountains. i cant do that as gaining is so hard.and im not all in favour of publicity high media events like this. peta does it alot and it gets on my nerves. i would like to climb a mountain with you lot, but not with the primary aim for it to be a media event. sure, it can be reported, but i dont want to go all out to grab attention. id just do it for fun, and to hang out with cool people. i am also uncomfortable with the idea of a 'vegan team'. i sometimes see sports teams all walking round in the same tops, and think it looks a bit sad. i prefer an individuals perogative to express themselves. i dont want people to think that being vegan is being part of a team, or club. to me, its just a simple thing to do to reduce suffering. jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 sorry to sound so negative, but its better im honest jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicole Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 DAMN governments!!! Like they arent rich enough. I not sure if that's entirely true at all of the government of Nepal! This sounds like fun, but I have never climbed anything and I couldn't afford the trip anywhere! I will be cheering you on. eh! that isnt my quote!!!! goddamn it, i spent 2months in nepal, they are far from rich! Oooh, sorry! I deleted the wrong parts! My fault! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compassionategirl Posted October 14, 2005 Author Share Posted October 14, 2005 well, thanks for your input but I disagree. The message that veganism does NOT preclude strength and physical fitness is an important one, and the message that you dont need meat to be strong is one that needs to be reached out to as many misguided meat eaters as possible. How better to do that than do an extreme physical activity that will be likely reported on the international news? That seems to me to be a good way to reach millions of people all over the world with that important message. I am 100% in favour for getting the animal rights message out there to the world. Unlike PETA, our message will be clear and right on point. You can slimb mountains without eating meat. Quite literally. The need for meat is a social construction, not a physiological or physical necessity. While I am all for doing something just for fun and personal reasons, I am also 100% in favour of helping the animals in the most effective ways possible. If that means I have to resort to begging the media for attention, then I would - for the animals. The more people are exposed to TRUTH aboutr veganism, the better it is for the animals because more vegans in the world means less suffering. Furthermore, Everest is serious, apparently, and if I am going to risk life and limb to take it on, I better have a damn good reason motivating me, beyond just "fun and hanging out with cool peopole". My love for animals is that damn good reason for me. So ya, veganism is about reducing suffering, and that is exactly what my idea would help do, by encouraging those who think that they need meat for strength and muscle to reconsider their erroneous perceptions. You can keep your hard earned weight then. If I have to do this alone, I will. And I will be enjoying every minute of spotlight/coverage of the issue for the animals. I would gladly do this anonymously, withour releasing my name to the media. The only part of my identity that would be relevant to my message and goal of helping animals is "vegan". That's it. And as far as giving the impression to people that veganism isnt about being part of a club, cult or elite, that is fine too. IT can be reported as a bunch of random vegans. No need to descrive ourselves as anything other than that, like "vegan fitness team" or anything. I am sure Vegan Outreach would enjoy media attention on this endeavour just as much as Peta and myself. The again, I could be wrong about that, but my concern isnt impressing any organization. It is about helping animals. Pure and simple. While the. tone of this email sounds annoyed, I do appreciate your honesty. I will say, however, that it seems that you and I were born to disagree about EVERYTHING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelhobson Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 i am also uncomfortable with the idea of a 'vegan team'. i sometimes see sports teams all walking round in the same tops, and think it looks a bit sad. i prefer an individuals perogative to express themselves. i dont want people to think that being vegan is being part of a team, or club. to me, its just a simple thing to do to reduce suffering. Weren't you the guy going round the house at VF week trying to outfit everyone in a vegan shirt for our outings? You seemed to take some pleasure in in being out with a group of clearly labeled vegans. Of course we weren't all wearing matching shirts or anything. We may disagree on this one, but I enjoy being part of the Vegan Fitness team. I don't think anyone here is vegan just to be part of a team, or that we are giving a bad impression that way. We can be part of a team without losing our individuality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 its good that we acknowledge that we disagree the thing with my reluctance to do anything that loses weight is that at the moment i am a reasonably broad and muscular guy. almost every day i get some random customer telling me that i am a good advert for veganism. there must be over 100people who no longer regard vegans as weak and skinny because they know me (and im quite vocally vegan). if i lost weight, i lose that image. subsequently people may lose that positive image, and no longer consider it. also, endurance athletes who are vegan (as mountaineering is almost entirely endurance - the sheer amount of calories you burn means you cant carry much weight) are plentiful. brendon brazier, fiona oakes (elite level marathon runner) and the guy who won that ultra marathon in cali, as well as many more.there are virtually no professional level strong vegans. which isnt to say that there arent strong vegans (ryan, joni and vegan josh (veganfitness.net)are both really very strong), only that we have very very little penetration in strength sports.this is reflected by the massive hostility that vegans face on muscle and strength boards. i think that it is far more valuable at the moment to concentrate on getting more strong vegans than fit vegans. i for one, would like to be very strong, and i need to make sacrifices for that. mountaineering expeditions are one of those at the moment. regarding the media spotlight and what not, it wasnt my intention to imply that you wish to seek fame, only that i think that such an exercise may be discounted by many as 'yet another stunt by those animal rights loonies to grab attention'. also, regarding mountain climbing making the news, it is highly unlikely that it would be covered at all. the general media pandas only to corporate interests. Animal rights stories in a positive light dont get a mention. plus in high season there can be 40 or more people a day summiting Everest, so we would have to do something spectacular to make the news. jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 I think hiking a big mountain to get press is a good idea. A woman named Rachel Bjork rode a bicycle across the country a couple of years back to protest KFC and promote veganism, and it got a fair amount of press. - http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/racheldiary.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 What are you guys planning on doing for gear? I could be wrong but I think any sleeping bag rated for that kind of thing is made out of down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 Will are you going to portland oregon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 What are you guys planning on doing for gear? I could be wrong but I think any sleeping bag rated for that kind of thing is made out of down. as is any high altitude extreme weather jacket, plus all mountain boots are leather. id forgotten that! nuts! jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hey Madcat, yeah me and my wife and son are moving to Portland in mid-December. I'm really excited about it. We're going to stay in an extended stay hotel for the first month while we look for a place to rent. If you know of any good spots to live, please recommend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelhobson Posted October 14, 2005 Share Posted October 14, 2005 What are you guys planning on doing for gear? I could be wrong but I think any sleeping bag rated for that kind of thing is made out of down. as is any high altitude extreme weather jacket, plus all mountain boots are leather. id forgotten that! nuts! jonathan Come on folks! There are plenty of vegan alternatives. Most expedition weight boots were already synthetic 15 years ago when I was in to that sort of thing. I'm sure they haven't all gone back to leather. I haven't got time right now to shop for jackets for you all, but check out these boots for an example. http://images.rei.com/media/25326.jpg * Durable thermoplastic polyurethane shells supply protection from the elements and flexibility for approaches and technical ice climbing * Removable, 5-layer liners are lined with Velveteen for comfort while providing warmth and moisture protection; adjustable tongue enhances fit * Full rubber randing enhances edging ability and abrasion resistance; rustproof lacing hardware handles long-term water exposure * Asoframe technology combines midsole, heelcounter and toebox into a single durable unit for flex control and a dependable performance and protection * Polyurethane midsoles provide shock absorption, cushioning and durable support for long approaches and vertical climbs * Vibram® Nilgiri crampon-compatible outsoles feature dual-density rubber for incredible grip on a variety of surfaces * Self-cleaning lug design with Asobrake for enhanced traction on descents; suitable for most step-in style crampons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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