Climbing 4 PTSD

In December, 2011, two friends will travel to Potrero Chico, Mexico, where they will free climb North America's second-longest sport route in a bid to raise research funds for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

For more information, please visit our official website.

No amount is too small and every bit will add up to make a difference.

Info about the Climb:

Time Wave Zero:
El Potrero Chico, or Little Coral, lies in Mexico's eastern Sierra Madre in the state of Nuevo Leon. Billed as the Yosemite Valley of Mexico, Potrero's limestone crags draw big-wall climbers from around the world.

At 2,300 feet comprising 23 pitches, Time Wave Zero is Potrero's longest route and the second longest in N. America. Pitches vary in grade from moderate to difficult, adding a technical edge to a climb renowned for its demand on endurance.

A ledge at the 12th pitch affords an overnight bivouac for a two day ascent. Otherwise, a pre-dawn start allows climbers to summit in a day and finish the last rappel by nightfall.

The Climbers:

Allen Zeitlin:
Allen is a third year medical student at Michigan State University in Grand Rapids. His medical interests include neurology, emergency medicine, and psychiatry. Prior to medical school Allen studied pharmacology at Georgetown University, and biochemistry at the University of Michigan.

Allen joined the Air Force fresh out of high school in 2001 to travel the world. Uncle Sam had other plans and stationed him in Mississippi and Arkansas for four years were he worked in electronic warfare on C-130 Aircraft. He was then deployed to the Middle East in support of the war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Since stumbling upon Grand Ledge last year, Allen's climbing obsession has spurred him to develop an impressive set of skills over a very short time. He's climbed in Marquette, Kentucky and Tennessee to enjoy some of the best rock the region has to offer in anticipation of his big-wall debut in Potrero Chico.

Charles Hamel:
Charles attends the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Grand Rapids, MI, and volunteers in immigration legal services and advocacy. While studying at Cooley's Lansing campus he also taught fitness classes and rock climbing for the YMCA.

Before coming to Michigan, Charles split his time between the Virgin Islands and Alaska, where he captained charter yachts and dive boats, worked as a commercial fisherman, and guided wilderness excursions in dog sledding and sea kayaking. He was also a resource economist for a federal fishery management agency and taught economics at the University of Alaska.

Charles has been climbing for several years and took up triathlon and open water swimming while living in the Caribbean. Among the climbing destinations he's enjoyed are the Red River Gorge, Kentucky; Potrero Chico, Mexico; Bayamon, Puerto Rico; and Krabi Province, Thailand.

Your Donation:

100% of the proceeds from "Climbing-4-PTSD" have been committed to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and will fund a NARSAD Grant for research of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. 100% of all donor contributions for research are invested in NARSAD Grants leading to discoveries in understanding causes and improving treatments of disorders in children and adults, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders. Over a quarter of a century, the Foundation has awarded nearly $300 million worldwide to more than 3,000 scientists carefully selected by their prestigious Scientific Council.

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