Climbing Mount Everest will be all business
Etobicoke man takes part in expedition leaving for the renowned mountain today

JEROME WATT

Mar. 25, 2005

Mount Everest might not seem like the ideal place to perform a business study, but for Ryerson associate professor David Valliere, there's valuable information to be had on the snowy slopes of the world's tallest mountain.

As part a team making the climb, Valliere will perform studies on the mountainside, including one on how people make decisions under stressful situations in order to determine how people perform under stress in business.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said.

"It's a nice mix of work and pleasure."

The expedition leaves March 25 and includes researchers from Ryerson University, the University of Ottawa and other climbers.

"We're looking at the business aspects of Mount Everest," he said.

Researchers will study extreme sports businesses, examining the guide companies that now take people up the mountain.

"It used to be such an elite thing (going up Mount Everest)," said Valliere, a Leaside resident. "There were few people who could do it. Now there are guide companies that will take you up there. Hundreds of people have been up there."

These companies have had a tremendous impact on the local economy at the base of the mountain. The mountain is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet.

"It's created a whole pile of jobs," he said. "That's had a huge impact on the local economy."

But that doesn't mean climbing the mountain has become as easy as climbing a foothill.

"There's an impact on the mystic," he admitted. "It's still difficult to make it to base camp (at an altitude of 5,400 metres)."

The researchers will have some 21st century technology to help them perform their mountainside studies. Kanatek Technologies, an Ottawa-based independent storage systems integrator, sponsored the expedition along with Hewlett Packard and SkyWave Mobile communications.

The sponsors have provided a wireless network along with a satellite link to Ottawa. The network consists of wired and wireless laptops, including models designed for the harsh conditions. Researchers will be able to swap files and back up data on other laptops.

The network includes a video conferencing unit allowing researchers to communicate visually via satellite with their counterparts in Toronto and Ottawa.

Not only will the data be backed up on users' laptops and other laptops at the base camp on the mountain, but the information sent back to Kanatek will be backed up.

"If we can do that on Mount Everest, think of what we can do with your data centre," said Kanatek president Terry Kell, a member of the expedition.

"We're making sure their data is secure."

Despite the computer technology, Valliere doesn't expect things to be easy in the harsh Everest climate.

"That will make the work a lot easier," he said. "(But) it's not that comfortable when it's minus 30 degrees outside."

Valliere's counterpart and leader of the expedition, Sean Egan, from the University of Ottawa, hopes to make it to the summit at more than 8,000 metres.

If conditions are right, Valliere might attempt to climb to Camp Two, at 6,500 metres, but hiking to base camp is his goal.

"That's higher than anywhere in Canada," he said.

If Egan makes it to the top, at 63, he'll be the oldest Canadian to reach the summit.

Valliere and five other Torontonians - Harold Mah of Etobicoke, Peter Luk and Chris Archer from downtown, Wayne Reeves of Riverdale, and Norm O'Reilly of Bloor West Village - had to get into shape for the ascent.

For Valliere, an accomplished climber who recently reached the remote base camp of Mount Jomolhari at roughly 4,907 metres, the training was tough. In preparation for the ascent, the climbers-in-training walked up and down the 29 flights of stairs at Toronto City Hall once a week, a 58-flight workout.

"We're all getting strong legs," he said. "We've had some people who were sedentary and they've made tremendous progress."

By the end of their training, everyone performed the climb 10 times wearing packs weighing 25 pounds.

The job of turning the would-be mountaineers from Toronto into shape fell to Mah, an experienced mountaineer.

"Now they're all ready to go," Mah said. "Our oldest guy is 58. He's starting to run some of the flights of stairs."

Not only did the preparation involve lots of stair climbing, but participants were required to make changes in their diets, do hikes and take up weight training to prepare for the trek.

Mah plans on making it to Camp Two, leaving the Everest summit for another trip.

"You want to look at the dragon before you fight the dragon," he said.

To follow the expedition go to www.kanatek.com and subscribe to the Everest Daily Blog.