Reporter: Helen Hill
Date: 4/2/01
BRECKENRIDGE — Climbing a 22,800-foot peak is not an easy task. And, as a group of
special mountaineers discovered, this job is made even more difficult with a medical
condition. Breckenridge’s Lisa Seaman, 25 years old, was part of that group that
climbed — and summited — Cerro Aconcagua in Argentina. These nineteen people are
special not only because they conquered one of the most dangerous high peaks in the world,
but also because 15 of the 19 trekkers were type I diabetics.
Seaman, along with several other diabetics, helped organize the expedition to Argentina
and choose the group that would make up her team. “Our goal was two-fold,”
Seaman said. “One, to raise awareness and let people know that if you control your
diabetes well you can do anything, basically. And two, to raise money for people in Latin
America for diabetics because they don’t have the supplies and the educational
materials we have.”
Through extensive fundraising, the team raised $100,000 to distribute in Latin America. A
hefty $25,000 went to an earthquake relief fund in El Salvador. The group also funded
medical research that was conducted on them, as diabetics, during the climb. Seaman was
the youngest of the members and one of few Americans in the group. The team included two
Italians, two Spaniards and a man from the Czech Republic, among others. And the ability
levels of the climbers were equally varied. “We had world class climbers and people
who were just on the base camp team who had very little experience,” Seaman said.
The journey for these 19 climbers began in Mendoza, Argentina. From there, they hiked 35
miles up the Vacas Valley to Base Camp at 14,500 feet. In all, the group was on the
mountain for 19 days, shuttling gear back and forth between the three camps at 14,500,
16,800 and 19,600 feet, respectively. Eight diabetics made it to the summit. “It was
expedition-style, so you had to carry from Base Camp to Camp 1, and come back down and
then from Camp 1 to Camp 2 and back,” Seaman said. “It eased the acclimatization
process.”
Seaman said she didn’t have trouble with the altitude, even at 22,800 feet at the
summit of Aconcagua. She added she had an advantage coming from 9,000 feet and being very
active in Breckenridge. Seaman regularly bikes, runs and skis in Summit County.
As a diabetic, the trip was very much a learning experience for everyone involved. Not
only did the climbers learn to deal with their condition on the mountain, but the doctors
who traveled with them discovered what day-to-day life was like with diabetes. The team
was close, Seaman said, and the members enjoyed sharing stories with each other about
their common challenge — especially while on Aconcagua.
“There are definitely some different things you have to take into account. Your
insulin can’t freeze and you can get air bubbles in your insulin pump, for
example,” Seaman said. “It’s just logistically intensive, you always have
to be watching and thinking about it.”
At the summit, the cause that brought the team to Aconcagua melded with the landscape to
reach as far as the Pacific Ocean. Seaman said the view and the altitude were stunning as
the group stood atop the highest peak in the Western and Southern Hemispheres at 1:30 p.m.
on January 12. The Seaman and her team had accomplished what some diabetics never imagine
they can do — they climbed a mountain of massive proportions, and, in doing so,
raised awareness about the condition that affects millions of people around the world.
As a branch of the expedition, Seaman is beginning a backcountry camp for diabetic teens
in Summit County. The camp will include a four-day trip in the Gore Range to teach these
young people how to manage their diabetes in the outdoors. It will run as part of the
Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center’s summer programs.