Phenom Ramon Sepulveda
No Mountain's too High

Reprinted with permission from an article by Mike Leggett in the Austin American Statesman newspaper)

Meet a remarkable 'phenom' mountain climber, Ramon Sepulveda, who had a choice to make in 1998: He could play it safe and be meek by accepting his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, or he could do something about it.

The 48 year-old Austin, Texas man decided to strap some birdseed on his back and go climb a mountain - Denali - to be exact, at 20,320 feet, the tallest peak in North America. Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is in Denali National Park

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in Alaska.
Along with five other people with Multiple Sclerosis and an experienced climbing guide, Sepulveda will strike out for a climb that could last through June 8th.

"There is nothing like the uncertainty of MS to get you going," Ramon said. "It's the reason I'm going and experiencing more life now."

Sepulveda has what's known as relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis, which means the symptoms - numbness, vision problems and muscle pain--come and go. Medication helps him control those symptoms, he said.

Sepulveda, a water treatment plant operator, carried 65 pounds of seed around his neighborhood and climbing trips to Big Bend and Colorado, spending time above 14,000 feet, and up and down stadium steps in Austin to help prepare for his attempt on Denali.

"It's definitely the highest I've been, but I've done well at altitude," he said. "Maybe it's the adrenaline rush.".