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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Course Objectives

Much attention in marketing this course has been placed on the metaphor and experiential learning opportunity of climbing Mt. Adams - "...that climbing course" as mentioned on campus.  Although our required capstone experience will place us in a simulation requiring hardy principles, much of the course will focus on personal and organizational hardiness as a pathway to resiliency and the capstone experience will engage us in experiential learning. The theoretical framework of hardiness is rigorously grounded in research evidence and scholarship. I wanted to reassure you and perhaps comfort you that our course will set out to meet the following objectives:

Course Objectives/Competencies
  • Develop knowledge of and strategies for learning about existentialism
  • Develop knowledge of and strategies for learning about the role of existentialism in the organizational setting
  • Develop knowledge of psychological hardiness as a pathway to resiliency
  • Develop knowledge of and strategies for applying ethnographic principles of observation, interviews, archival and secondary data to investigate hardy principles in the organizational setting
  • Develop knowledge and strategies for thinking creatively about implementing psychological hardiness with organizations
  • Develop strategies for applying principles of psychological hardiness in real life simulation
 The course will be led by the following team, representing faculty, guide(s), and teacher assistant:
  • Joe Albert (Chair, ORGL Program)
  • Adrian B. Popa (ORGL Faculty)
  • Scott Martin (Guide)
  • Lori Mage (Teacher Assistant)

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Skill, Fitness, and Lifestyle Choices for Climbing

One of our blog followers asked about the skill and fitness required to climb Adams. Bellow you will find my response and some links you may want to visit for further information.

First: Although Mt. Adams qualifies as mountaineering, climbing Adams does not require the same technical training and expertise as expected on Mt. Rainier. On Mt. Adams, we will not wear uncomfortable and awful looking harnesses, be roped up to each other (although a great metaphor for our course), wear constricting helmets, climb technical areas, or potentially rescue someone from a crevasse. So far so good huh? On the other hand, Mt. Adams will still require the skill of self arrest and traversing snow fields with crampons. So the simple answer is, no major moutaineering experience required  - we will learn and practice how to walk with crampons and we will have some fun practicing self arrest during our full day at base camp. Additionally, Mt. Adams does not present the same dangers as Rainier, as far as avalanches, rock fall, and crevasses.

Second: Although Adams stands at 12,276 versus Rainier's height of 14,411 it still packs a punch, especially given that some sections are steeper and lend to quicker altitude gain. You're probably thinking - "That's wonderful, I'll be done quicker" - well, the downside is AMS - acute mountain sickness (click link).

AMS, among a few other muscle ailments, will be your biggest annoyance, to say the least. You will feel out of breath, dizzy, nauseous, symptoms leading to or accompanied by headaches. To make matters worse, Mt. Adams gives off a lovely smell of sulfur towards the summit – a former sulfur mine – but the smell will surprinsingly not remind you of eggs Benedict at a five star resort.

Training is unavoidable and an important consideration for any daily hike, let alone one that takes you to great altitude. I am hesitant to post the training regime and/or expectations, but it is a reality we cannot avoid. Given the requirements of the course, I anticipate that most students who enroll in the course already live an active lifestyle during a typical week – it is not a requirement to enroll in the course but simply an assumption of what may attract you to a course on hardiness. On that note, we will have about 2.5 months of training to focus on specific cardio and anaerobic exercises that will prepare or elevate your fitness for climbing to base camp with a pack of 50+lbs and then to the summit, with lesser weight. Please listen to the Podcasts from RMI and consider their fitness philosophy. Also, visit Ed Viesturs' website and learn about his training philosophy and why he continues to be a premier icon in mountaineering.

Now, after this slight intimidation, please return to a realistic and feasible training philosophy recognizing that these climbers train for 8,000+ meter peaks. My strong recommendation and expectation would be that you run at least three times a week for 60 minute intervals. Additionally, you are actively involved with exercises to strengthen your core muscles, arms, and shoulders. I typically stay away from heavy weightlifting given that we don’t need to pack on the muscl weight, let alone hoist more weight up the mountain. Although some may see this as strange, I fill my pack to about 40lbs and hit the stair master at the gym for one hour while watching my favorite episodes of “Man vs. Wild” – yes, I do get some funny looks if you were wondering. It is important that you develop the muscles that will help you balance your pack, footing, and contribute to muscle memory. Realistically, training will not prepare you much unless you make other lifestyle choices about what you eat and drink, as well as learning to what your body responds to in various scenarios. We will work with these choices throughout the class, but be prepared that your accountability group will ask you and me “Hey Adrian, did you really need to inhale half of that pizza the other day?” “Why did you skip breakfast that morning?” “Wow, you’re hitting the coffee quite heavily in the afternoon, what’s going on man?”….you get the point. Your body will only perform depending on your fuel.

Additionally, remember that our course will also focus on the mind and spirit - two key variable that greatly contribute to endurance, safety and success on the mountain.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, although the summit is in sight for any climber, Getting to the summit is optional, but getting down is mandatory. - Ed Viesturs - I can't stress this enough for climbing and especially our course. We will not risk a fingernail for the summit and our guides will make sure that we all follow this ethos. Additionally, some of us may have to call it a day at base camp, or the guides will call it a day for you if you are struggling.

Well – I hope this energizes and motivates you towards that "leap of faith". We will have a blast – I hope to see you there!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Course Description...in brief

Summer registration is several days away - take a glance at this course and please connect with Adrian if interested.

Introduction
We are nearly upon summer registration and the anticipation of another great summer session. This summer it is our pleasure to offer you a possibly once in a lifetime experience to authentically blend the mind, body, and spirit in theory and practice. Leadership and Hardiness will require search for meaning, organizational intervention, discipline, existential courage, and a personal challenge that will impact both your vocational and personal life. This course will be grounded in theory, research, and application and it will deliver this educational "trinity" in a very creative and highly engaging way.

Course Structure
The course will begin by engaging the spirit and our own individual search for meaning. We begin with this existential journey in order to understand the roots of the human spirit and hardiness research. The course will then shift focus to hardiness theory advanced by Maddi. Students will implement ethnographic methods to learn about hardiness in their own life and their current organization. Understanding the presence and the role of personal and organizational hardiness will contribute to clarity about ways to intervene and develop this quality in your own organization. Students will be required to implement a hardiness project in their own organization that cultivates the principles of hardiness. The course will conclude with a practice simulation that will re-engage our developed understanding of hardiness by challenging the mind, body, and spirit through an expedition climb of Mt. Adams. Mt. Adams will serve as the metaphor for personal and organizational challenge. It will be at the forefront of course discussions, planning, training, and application of gained competencies. The purpose of the expedition is to recreate a highly stressful environment that engages the mind, body, and spirit equipped with the principles of hardiness. The challenge will be unforgettable.

Blackboard discussions will serve their typical purpose and work alongside the course content. Our discussions will focus on case scenarios that involve organizations at all levels, indoor or out.

Additionally, you will partner with three other classmates to create accountability groups while you study for the course and train for the expedition. You will share weekly discipline logs that reflect life decisions and self care. This will include what you eat, sleep, and how you train. You will climb alongside these folks, so it is your responsibility as group to be accountable to each other for purpose, direction, safety, and success. This ethos will be expanded in various case studies that we will read, study, and view.

Format
The course will be delivered through the online platform and begin at the beginning of the summer session. The workload of the course is similar to what you would expect of an eight week session course, but it will span across the entire summer session and conclude the first week of August. The rationale behind this approach is that our Mt. Adams climb will be scheduled for the last weekend of July (29-31). The week following the climb will be used for debriefing, reflection, and application.

Course enrollment
The course will be offered only if we can fill the class, so please bring your classmates, advertise the course, and develop a climbing buddy.

Contact person and lead faculty
Please contact Adrian B. Popa for any additional details pertaining to the course.

PICTURES (click link) - Adams expedition 2010

Background on Resiliency and Hardiness (click link)

Anticipated Course Readings

Required
Maddi, S. R. & Khoshaba, D. M. (2005). Resilience at work: How to succeed no matter what life throws at you. New York: Amacom

Frankl, V. (1997). Man's search for meaning. Boston, MA: Washington Square Press.

Gonzales, L. (2003). Deep survival: Who lives, who dies, and why. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Warner, C. & Schmincke, D. (2009). High altitude leadership. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons.

Required DVD
Storm Over Everest

Optional
Viesturs, E. (2006). No shortcuts to the top. New York: Broadway Books.

* additional articles to be distributed in class

Expenses for 3-day Residency (July 29-31)
Expenses will vary for every student given variability in travel costs and gear accessibility.

Flights/airports: students will have the option of flying to Portland rather than Spokane. Mt. Adams is due 1hr NE of Portland. GU students and faculty member in Spokane will organize for travel by car.

Adams Mountain Pass: $15

Required Gear (prices reflect REI member and non-member rentals)
Crampons: First Day: $8 Reg/$4 Member -----  Additional Days: $3 Reg/$2 Member
Ice Axe: First Day: $12 Reg/$6 Member ----- Additional Days: $6 Reg/$3 Member
Helmet: First Day: $12 Reg/$6 Member ----- Additional Days: $6 Reg/$3 Member
Tent (3 season, shared cost): 4 Person Tent: First Day: $24 Reg/$18 Member ----- Additional Days: $12 Reg/$9 Member
Sleeping pad: First Day: $9 Reg/$6 Member ----- Additional Days: $5 Reg/$3 Member
Bunsen Burner (shared cost):
1. Coleman 2 Burner Stove (Fuel Not Included): First Day: $15 Reg/$10 Member ----- Additional Days: $7 Reg/$5 Member
2. MSR Windpro (Fuel Not Included): same prices as Coleman 2 Burner Stove
Climbing Boots: Plastic Boots: First Day: $18 Reg/$12 Member ----- Additional Days: $9 Reg/$6 Member
Hiking Poles (optional): 
1. Nordic Poles: First Day: $8 Reg/$4 Member ----- Additional Days: $4 Reg/$2 Member
2. Snowshoe Poles: First Day and Additional Days are same as the Nordic Poles
Pack: First Day: $15 Reg/$12 Member ----- Additional Days: $7 Reg/$6 Member

* shared costs of equipment will be split among you and three others in your group