Taking the Fight to a New Height

Jim Baker & The Climb

OUR CLIMBER

JIM BAKER -

Jim is the CEO of Dimensional Innovations, Inc. an award-winning, multi-disciplinary fabrication firm located in Overland Park KS.  

 

Not only is Jim a former world champion skydiver with more than 3,500 jumps,  a former member of the US free-fall exhibition and world champion US parachute teams, Jim has also participated in two World Team invitationals with top skydivers from 30 countries.  Recently, Jim has developed a new passion for adventure that involves really big mountains. Last year Jim summited Mount Kilimanjaro, which is the highest peak in Africa and the fourth highest peak of the "Seven Summits", for the second time.

 

Note from Jim:

 

My mountain climbing pursuits began in 2007 when my older brother who at the age of 66 asked me to join him climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.  The experience was both exhilarating and confirmation that at 55, I was still in good enough shape to climb to that altitude.  Two years later I planned a second trip including my son-in-law and one of my best friends.  On this climb, we took the most difficult route spending a night at Crater Camp above 18,000’, then summiting the next day.
After my second summit of Kilimanjaro, I knew it was time to plan my next trip, but to which mountain?  I knew I wanted to climb higher requiring mountaineering skills. My search resulted in choosing Aconcagua.  Friends we made during my first Kili climb has just returned from Aconcagua and while not reaching the summit, they shared the fantastic journey and their sense of accomplishment.

 

To prepare for climbing Mount Aconcagua, I have been on a yearlong training program.  Part of the training included an “Expedition Skills Climb” of Mount Rainier on July 2, 2010.  This climb is designed to give you the mountaineering skills necessary to climb glaciers and at high altitudes safely.  Leaving for the summit at 1 am, we climbed to the 13,000’ level but were forced to return due to blizzard conditions the guides deemed too unsafe. The picture below is at Camp Sherman (high camp) on Mount Rainier holding the CLIMB4SMA logo signifying the kick-off!    

In the fall of 2009, more than a year before my intended climb of Aconcagua, I came up with the idea of using this climb as an opportunity to raise awareness and money to help Tony and Kristin find a cure for their son Jadon.  It is hard to describe how moved I was when they both spoke to our company explaining how Jadon’s disease has affected his life and theirs.  I knew then that I wanted to do something more to help and this upcoming climb seemed to be the perfect event. Climb4SMA was born.



Contact us at JadonsHope@sbcglobal.net 

To climb a mountain of this magnitude, one must be willing to change their modern lifestyle.  They must be willing to do things that others are not willing to do.  They must make sacrifices that others are not willing to make.  One must be mentally prepared to accept the difficulties and inconveniences in order to succeed.  

There are a lot of similarities between climbing and living with SMA.
Prefer to mail your donation?  Please make checks payable to: Jadon's Hope Foundation

Climb 4 SMA
c/o Jadon's Hope
PO Box 742
Olathe, KS 66061
Photo provided by wimedia commons
Mt. Aconcagua 
22,840'

At 22,840 feet above sea level, Cerro Aconcagua is not only the highest mountain in the Andes mountain range but it is the highest mountain outside of Asia.  The 'Stone Sentinel' as it is sometimes called is located in the Argentine province of Medoza.  The summit is located 50 miles northeast of the Chilean capital of Santiago.

Acongagua is the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres and is one of the 'Seven Summits'.
The extreme cold, stormy winds, and altitude make this mountain a serious undertaking.  Some have underestimated the "Stone Sentinel" and it has resulted in serious injury and even death.


Photo provided by wikimedia commons

MT RAINIER

*SUCCESSFUL*
*SUMMIT*
MT. Rainier JUNE 22nd 2011
Jim Baker gets another summit for Climb 4 SMA
Jim took a team of 5 climbers to the top of Mt. Rainier
Jim attempted to summit Rainier (14,411') last Summer as a "warm up" for Mt. Aconcagua (22,840') but was not able to complete the climb due to weather conditions.
Jim now has his summit of Rainier!

The team consisted of himself and the following climbers:

Tucker Trotter - Jim's partner at Dimensional Innovations

Justin Wood - Jim's VP of Business Development at Dimensional Innovations 

Garrett Ochs - Jim's son-in-law 

Bill Spillar - Our good friend with JE Dunn Construction  

These four climbers were not climbers before June 18th 2011, they were inspired by Jim's dedication to mountain climbing and fighting SMA.  This was the first "serious" climb for any of them and they were able to come back with a successful summit.

Once they step on Mt. Rainier they became climbers.  As soon as they raised awareness and research money for SMA they became heroes.
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