Climbing Mt. Kenya

Dr. Botha has arrived in Kenya to tackle Mt. Kenya! We are very excited and will keep you updated on his progress as we get his reports.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

Some photos from Puncak Trikora...

SUMMIT!!!

Dr. Botha has reached the summit! He called in today and said it's probably one of the most dangerous climbs he's ever done. The ridge was paper thin in many places. Even the guides were unsure of the path to take because no one they'd every accompanied had gone that far before!! Congratulations Dr. Botha!!! Thanks to everyone for their support.

All Set in Indonesia

Dr. Botha arrived in Indonesia just before flights were once again canceled thanks to volcanic eruptions. He's had a nice couple of days training, sleeping and eating great food! Dr. Botha, along with his climbing partner Carsten, will head out today for Wamena. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

Pancakes and Puncak Trikora

A big thanks to the Town of Grimshaw for putting on such an awesome pancake breakfast for Dr. Botha this past Saturday! It was a delicious spread and we are so appreciative to all the people for dropping by and for their contributions! My dad was really touched.

It was really neat for my brother and I to see how our dad's adventures have inspired you to achieve your own. Some of the senior citizens in Grimshaw are taking up hand-gliding and white water rafting! What an impressive group! An especially big thanks goes out to Tracy Halarowich and Debbie Langford for their hard work with the breakfast(I'm sorry if I spelled your names wrong).

After a breakfast indulgence, it's back to the hard work for Dr. Botha. He's leaving for Puncak Trikora in Indonesia on Thursday morning. With all the natural disasters happening there right now, you can imagine that we're feeling a little apprehensive about his departure. As usual, however, he's taken every procaution possible and this space will be updated as much as possible to keep everyone in the loop regarding his progress.

Please post your well-wishes on the blog or email him directly at anbotha@telus.net He always appreciates every message (as does his family :)

FINISHED!

What an exhiliarating few minutes!! Dr. Botha has finished the Furnace 508! This is an absolutely incredible accomplishment! WOW!

I asked Arlene to text me just before he crossed the finish line so that I could watch live on the website's webcam and it was incredible to see him finish! He walked over to the camera and waved. I was able to watch him get his medal. I could not be more proud! GO DAD!

Woooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

Here are a couple of pics from the finish line courtesty of Chris Kostman and the Furnace Creek 508 website.

Finally at the Last Stage!

Dr. Botha is at the beginning of the final stage of the race! This is so very exciting! Thanks for all your support!

Stage Eight Around the Corner...

Although he's exhausted with an extremely sore rear end, there is no thought of stopping for Dr. Botha! He is nearing the end of Stage seven and the final stretch is (THANKFULLY) downhill! I've been sending his messages of support to Arlene via text message and she says they are helping his resolve. He has just had a big burst of energy. Whether it's the messages or the energy gel packs, we'll never know ;-)

Butterfly (also known as Andi Ramer) is still nearby and looking for her first 508 finish as a solo cyclist!

Both of you can do it!

In Stage Seven

Dr. Botha is now in Stage seven of the race! There are only eight stages in total! Lots of snakes are being reported on the road and the going is beyond tough, but he keeps going!

Still Going Strong...

Over half the riders have dropped out at this point but Dr. Botha is still going strong. It's going to be a loooong night!

Leg Six and a Phonecall!

Dr. Botha is into leg six and doing very well. I was able to talk to him for a few minutes and he sounds tired (obviously) but enthusiastic! I relayed all the messages of luck and strength from this blog and Facebook. He was very thankful!

At this point many people have dropped from the race, but he is still going strong. He has about 200 km left to go and Arlene says another racer with the Totem Butterfly has been keeping them company on the road. All the best to her and her team as well!!

The heat is sitting at close to 40 degrees Celcius and is making things difficult. Hopefully it will cool down soon. Keep Dr. Botha in your thoughts and prayers! Thanks!

In Stage Five!

Dr. Botha is in stage five of eight in this race! He is doing incredibly well and he is still feeling strong. The heat, however, is starting to climb. It is around 90 degrees (32 Celcius) and it's not even the afternoon yet! Keeping cool is going to be a major challenge.

Go Dr. Botha! Go Arno! Go DAD!

Over 24 hours down!

This incredible race continues with over 27 hours down! Dr. Botha has finished 325 miles so far and the pace is slowing thanks to some intense uphill terrain. Last night brought an impressive lightening storm to the area and left the roads in a bit of a mess for the riders first thing this morning.

I have just received word that Dr. Botha is way ahead of his previous times and that he is doing incredibly well! This is very exciting news!

The messages of support on this blog and on Facebook are being relayed to him and they are keeping him encouraged and working hard. Please keep sending them even if you have sent one already! They are needed.

I found some more pics on the website. These are courtesy of Chris Kostman and the 508 website. Go Dr. Botha!

Finished Stage Two...

Dr. Botha finished stage two around 6 p.m. He had a quick change of clothing and something to eat. At this point, he is averaging 24 km per hour! His spirits are still high!! Hopefully we'll have some more photos to show you soon.

First Time Station Passed!

Dr. Botha passed the first time station in five hours! Stay tuned to this space for more updates!

...and they're off!

The Furnace Creek 508 started this morning bright and early! Dr. Botha was in very high spirits last night and said he felt strong and ready. Race organizers are keeping us updated and have posted quite a few photos already. Here are a few from the start of the race.

Every racer has to have a Totem and Dr. Botha's is Bush Buck. This photo is courtesy of Ron Jones and the Furnace 508 website. It was taken at registration yesterday.



The race started with a lot of anticipation! Thanks to Wayne Kostman and the Furnace 508 website for this photo of the starting line...



The following photos are courtesy of Doug Sloan and the Furncase Creek website as well. Thank you for providing those of us at home with a sneak peek!






Go Dr. Botha!!! We are so proud and excited for you!

The Toughest 48 Hours in Sports!

It's known world-wide as the toughest 48 hours in sports and Dr. Botha will be there to compete in the Furncase 508 tomorrow in California! The race is a grueling cycling event in which riders have only 48 hours to cycle 508 miles. This invite-only event features the top athletes from around the world and is one of the most difficult endurance events in the world. Some claim it is THE most difficult. Find out more about it at http://www.the508.com/

Starting tomorrow at 8 a.m., Dr. Botha will be among the competitors battling blood, sweat and tears for a finish. Miss a check-point and you are disqualified! Although he has been training for numerous hours each day, this will still be a VERY difficult event. There is very little time for refuelling the body via nutrition or sleep.

Please keep your eyes on this blog for updates and any well-wishes can be sent to Dr. Botha at anbotha@telus.net. He loves getting messages from supporters and cherishes each and every one. We sure appreciate all the suppport!!!

GO DR. BOTHA! YOU CAN DO IT!

Training Hard Once Again...

Dr. Botha is back from a very emotional trip to South Africa for his brother's funeral. Nico will be very missed and he is very loved. He was always interested and excited in Dr. Botha's expeditions and Dr. Botha has been prepping for his next set of adventures.

This past weekend he cycled from Grimshaw to Grande Prairie in under seven hours in preparation for the Furnace 508 coming up in October. The Furnace 508 has been dubbed the toughest 48 hours in sports because athletes only have that time period in which to cycle 508 grueling miles in the California desert. It is an invite-only event with only the top athletes in the world being asked to partake.

In November Dr. Botha will be heading back to Indonesia to attempt Puncak Trikora, formerly Mt Wilhelmina. It is part of the Jayawijaya Mountains in the Maoke Mountains and is the second highest mountain on the island of New Guinea at 4,750 m (15,580 feet) behind the Carstensz Pyramid. As well all remember, Indonesia is where Dr. Botha contracted his life-threatening bacterial infection in late 2008 when he climbed the Carstensz Pyramid. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery since and is ready to tackle Indonesia once again.

Thank you to everyone for their on-going support during these difficult past few weeks. Dr. Botha really appreciates it and is looking forward to his upcoming adventures.

Russia Put on Hold

Due to the untimely death of Dr. Botha's brother Nico, the Russian expedition has been put on hold.

Dr. Botha will be heading to South Africa for the funeral and to be with our family.

Getting Ready for Dykh-Tau

Preparations are in order for the Dykh-Tau climb in Russia. It's classified as the second highest mountain in Europe and will get Dr. Botha one step closer to his dream. He is currently climbing the seven second highest mountains in the world after already having finished the first seven. When he succeeds, he will be the only person to EVER have climbed all fourteen! Very exciting!!

Anyway, after some passport issues, we are now trying to rush the visa and border pass process before he leaves in mid-July for the climb.

This will be the place to check for updates and interesting news along the way! Thanks for your support.