100 Voices from the Little Bighorn Deluxe CD-ROM Bundle Edition by Bruce Brown

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Vert Quest
Mongo's World Record Ride Journal


AS THE 21st century dawned, I had an odd ambition. Alone among the inhabitants of the planet -- or so it seemed to me then -- I wanted to climb more vertical feet on a mountain bike than anyone had ever climbed before.

I had set the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike the year before with a little over 300,000 vertical feet and I believed I could smash my own record if I didn't get injured (a daily risk where I rode) or diverted into something else (see below).

So from the very first day of the year, I kept a "Ride Journal," which tallied my "verts," or vertical feet climbed, recorded random thoughts and observations, and included one or more photos from the day's ride. I tabulated my verts with a Suunto altimeter watch.

My goal was verts, but the best part of the quest for me was the wild places it took me, from the shores of Hartstene Island to the high Sierras. This was also the year that I fell in love with Galbraith Mt. in Bellingham, WA. Along the way, I found coyotes counting coup on humans, had my helmet smashed at high speed, and learned the Mystic Secrets of the Mud Masters.

My Y2K Ride Journal also contains my discovery of many climbing breakthroughs featured in Mongo's Guide to Climbing, such as how to get more than one virtual gear out of every mechanical gear, steering for your rear wheel, and why it's generally best to get high early when climbing through corners

Three hundred sixty-five days and 220 rides after I started on New Year's Day 2000, I reached my goal -- 404,000 verts, or the vertical equivalent of 13 sea-level-to-summit ascents of Mt. Everest in a year. A new World Record!

* * *

IT TURNED OUT that I wasn't alone, though. I was just the first, and my 404,000 verts soon set in motion several other maniacal climbers, bent on climbing more.

Eric Durak of Santa Barbara, CA, was the first to come to my attention. A noted fitness professional and creator of Medical Health & Fitness, Eric set out in January 2004 to climb 500,000 verts on his road bike in a year, an adventure he recounts in his book, 98 Miles High.

On October 22 of that year, I got an out-of-the-blue call from Eric (who I did not know and had never talked to before) informing me that he had just reached 405,000 verts for the year. Eric ended 2004 with 503,000 verts, for an apparent World Record for climbing on a road bike.

But Eric didn't know about Jeffrey Alden, a retired attorney from Portland, OR, who also dedicated 2004 to breaking my record. "You were my rabbit," Jeffrey told me later, "always out there ahead of me, pulling me along." Jeffrey passed the 404,000 vert mark on September 2, six weeks before Eric, and went on to pile up a Herculian 2004 total of 577,400 vertical feet, or well over 100 vertical miles climbed on his road bike!

And Jeffrey Alden was just getting started! In 2005, he made his goal 700,000 vertical feet climbed in a year, and it looks like he'll get it. As of this writing (late October 2005), he already has a 2005 total of 648,000 verts, which I personally find absolutely astounding. Stay tuned, I'll report Jeffrey's grand total right here as soon as it's available.

So right now -- five years after my original Vert Quest -- Jeffrey and I each share a piece of the record, each with our own asterix. Jeffrey holds the World Record for climbing on a road bike; I hold the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike.

Both will be broken, of course. In fact, they may already have been broken by some unknown rider who is tracking the record like a sonar-guided torpedo in his or her personal Ride Journal.

Nonetheless, I am proud of what I accomplished on my bike in the year 2000, and proud too of cyrstalizing an idea -- the "Vert Quest" -- that has drawn even greater things out of other people.

* * *

AND SO IT came to pass. After holding the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike for over half a decade -- 1999-2004 -- my mark of 404,000 verts was broken, no utterly teed up and smashed like you'd smash an old pumpkin with a golf club. I don't have all the details yet, but it appears that Mark Wier notched over 1,000,000 verts in 2005.

This an absolutely stunning physical achievement, period. Mark Wier has shown what a world class pro rider can do, and let me tell you the results are off the charts. But even as the fully deserved hosannas for Mark Wier fill the air, I can't help wondering who's next, because it's a whole different game now. Ladies and gentlemen, the pros have arrived.

* * *

LOOKING BACK, it's tempting to treat the year described in this Ride Journal as a simple march to maniacal glory, but that isn't the case.

In fact, there were a lot of other things going on in my life in the year 2000. Y2K was also the year that my ex-wife and I split up and sent our daughter away to a wilderness treatment program in Utah.

Close readers of my Ride Journal will find these stories running under and through the main saga, although they are only glimpsed in the distance, like the silver flash of a fish turning in a hole.

So in addition to great personal achievement, 2000 was a year of tremendous personal failure for me, ending with a thunderclap -- BAM BAM -- as my daughter left for Utah under police escourt and I reached my vert total on the last two days of the year.

In retrospect, I wish I'd taken some of the energy I put into grabbing verts, and put it into helping my daughter when she needed it so badly. I also wish I'd had the energy to look directly at my problematic relationship with my wife a little sooner.

In one sense, my Vert Quest pales in the context of the larger story that played out for me in the year 2000, but in another sense the two are directly connected -- part of the same thing, even.

I think people -- like oysters -- often try to wrap their most painful experiences in something shiny, thereby transforming them into pearls.

-- Bruce Brown
October 2005

Days: 365 Rides: 220 Total vertical feet climbed: 404,900

January

Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
1/1/2000
Ride Journal: Sumas Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
1/7/2000
Ride Journal: Sumas Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
1/9/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
1/10/2000
Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
1/14/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
1/15/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
1/22/2000
mist1.jpg (28201 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
1/25/2000
sunset.jpg (17315 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
1/26/2000
cliff2.jpg (39321 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
1/31/2000

February

paw_rot2.jpg (76923 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/3/2000
ma8x.jpg (16256 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
2/5/2000
bo2yyyy.jpg (51533 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Bo Bumford
2/6/2000
bay3.jpg (14609 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/8/2000
chiam.jpg (26353 bytes) Ride Journal: Red Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/16/2000
heart.jpg (55582 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/17/2000
rl2.jpg (20199 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
2/18/2000
bb2201.jpg (29244 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
2/20/2000
squal_022300.jpg (10876 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
2/23/2000
drop2_022900.jpg (71163 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/28/2000
arsenio_022900.jpg (13790 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
2/29/2000

March

jek_030300.jpg (37239 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
3/3/2000
bb2a_030600.jpg (23311 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Bo Bumford
3/6/2000
mb_030700.jpg (49867 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark & Missy Belles
3/7/2000
Mb2_031000.jpg (57553 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Adriance, Mark & Missy Belles
3/10/2000
jekyll3_031100.jpg (35954 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
3/11/2000
moss_031400.jpg (108257 bytes) Ride Journal: Heady Trails, WA
Bruce Brown
3/14/2000
mist_031600.jpg (35015 bytes) Ride Journal: Black Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
3/16/2000
ma_031700.jpg (42907 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
3/17/2000
curve_031900.jpg (75902 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
3/19/2000
flower3_032000.jpg (65077 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown, John Frey, Mark & Alex Adriance
3/20/2000
skunk1_032300.jpg (53344 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
3/23/2000
newstunt_032500.jpg (43666 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
3/25/2000
bb1_033100.jpg (30613 bytes) Ride Journal: Mt Constitution, Orcas Island, WA
Bruce Brown, Russ Lambert & Endo Bobbo
3/31/2000

April

Mtr2_040300.jpg (15041 bytes) Ride Journal: Hartstene Island, WA
Bruce Brown
4/3/2000
blackandred_040500.jpg (14159 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown
4/5/2000
valley_cloud_040600.jpg (21518 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge & Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
4/6/2000
sun2_040700.jpg (11568 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
4/7/2000
bb2_041500.jpg (53679 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
4/15/2000
newbikes_041700.jpg (82387 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Steve Hindman
4/17/2000
mb2_041800.jpg (42421 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
4/18/2000
mb2_042000.jpg (77269 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Tom DeBari
4/20/2000
ma1_042100.jpg (35417 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Mark Adriance & Missy Belles
4/21/2000
sh1_042500.jpg (40685 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Steve Hindman, Tom DeBari, Jason Ploskuniak & Jimmy Breitenstein
4/25/2000
bb1_042600.jpg (29001 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
4/26/2000
bb1_042800.jpg (51862 bytes) Ride Journal: Red Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
4/28/2000
rl2_043000.jpg (26710 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
4/30/2000

May

aa3_050100.jpg (24247 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark & Alex Adriance
5/1/2000
bigtree2_050200.jpg (87861 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
5/2/2000
bb_050300.jpg (20459 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Russ Lambert & Larry Simkins
5/3/2000
mb_050500.jpg (32017 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
5/5/2000
ma2_050700.jpg (25221 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
5/7/2000
flowers1_051000.jpg (74694 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
5/10/2000
chuckanut_051000.jpg (50839 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
5/14/2000
mb5a_051700.jpg (39954 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
5/17/2000
170a5_052000.jpg (36451 bytes) Ride Journal: Methow Valley, WA
Bruce Brown
5/18-21/2000
bb1_052300.jpg (36746 bytes) Ride Journal: Red Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
5/23/2000
rainbow_053000.jpg (32434 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
5/30/2000

June

mb_060200.jpg (42130 bytes) Ride Journal: Blanchard Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Adriance & Mark Belles
6/2/2000
sb_060300.jpg (69622 bytes) Ride Journal: Heady Rd, WA
Bruce and Shanna Brown, Mark, Janet &
Alex Adriance
6/3/2000
ridge3.jpg (75211 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown & Steve Hindman
6/6/2000
mb2_060700.jpg (14830 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Steve Hindman
6/7/2000
mb_060900.jpg (53766 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Mark Adriance
6/9/2000
flower_061300.jpg (19540 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
6/13/2000
mb_061500.jpg (14768 bytes) Ride Journal: Anderson Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
6/15/2000
nooksack_061900.JPG (22016 bytes) Ride Journal: Sumas Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
6/19/2000
mb1_062000.JPG (54331 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
6/20/2000
herb2_062100.JPG (31025 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Herb Hogan
6/21/2000
p000023c.jpg (33648 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Pete Miers
6/27/2000
rl_062800.jpg (57768 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Russ Lambert, Thad Quinn, Herb Hogan & Jimmy Straatman
6/28/2000
evening_063000.jpg (12481 bytes) Ride Journal: Red Mt and Heady Trails, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
6/30/2000

July

feather_070300.jpg (42343 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown
7/3/2000
group2_070600.jpg (48162 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Thad Quinn, Herb Hogan & Tom
7/6/2000
mb_071100.jpg (49948 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Russ Lambert &
Joe Scherking
7/12/2000
ma_mb_071300.jpg (32351 bytes) Ride Journal: Lummi Island, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Mark Adriance & Al Rosen
7/13/2000
bb2_071500.jpg (80541 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
7/15/2000
911_071600.jpg (54823 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt, WA
Bruce Brown, Jimmy Straatman, Thad Quinn & John
7/16/2000
mb_log_072100.jpg (32836 bytes) Ride Journal: Upper Dungeness, WA
Bruce Brown, Russ Lambert, Mark Belles &
Endo Bobbo
7/21/2000
rl_072500.jpg (63288 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
7/25/2000
bad_dudes_073000x.jpg (43655 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
7/30/2000

August

humboldt1a.jpg (34354 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
8/2/2000
mb_sh_080300.jpg (75229 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Steve Hindman & Mark Belles
8/3/2000
mb1_080700.jpg (73632 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
8/7/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Steve Hindman & Mark Belles
8/8/2000
rl1_081100.jpg (39168 bytes) Ride Journal: Palisades, Greenwater, WA
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
8/11/2000
pipelinerd3_081200.jpg (43429 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
8/13/2000
jimmy_breitenstein_081500.jpg (57616 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Tom DeBari & Jimmy Breitenstein
8/15/2000
galbraith2_081600.jpg (39138 bytes) Ride Journal: Blanchard Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
8/16/2000
mb_081700.jpg (12466 bytes) Ride Journal: Black Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
8/17/2000
sh1_082100.jpg (23939 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Steve Hindman & Russ Lambert
8/21/2000
chris_christianson_082200.jpg (64870 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, & Steve Hindman
8/22/2000
fidalgo_082300.jpg (14177 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark & Missy Belles, et al
8/23/2000
mb5_082900.jpg (49018 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
8/29/2000
bike_081100.jpg (24257 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Steve Hindman, Tom DeBari & Jason Ploskunak
8/30/2000
mb_sh2_0831000.jpg (36271 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Steve Hindman
8/31/2000

September

mimi_090400x.jpg (60675 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
9/4/2000
sh2_090600.jpg (66430 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Steve Hindman & Mark Belles
9/6/2000
bay.jpg (11861 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Adriance, Mark Belles,
Steve Hindman & Al Rosen
9/8/2000
ma_091100.jpg (25020 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
9/11/2000
bb1_091300.jpg (65784 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
9/13/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Mark Adriance
9/15/2000
moon.jpg (39121 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
9/19/2000
jason_400_092000.jpg (62389 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Jimmy Breitenstein, Jason Ploskunak & Tom DeBari
9/20/2000
bb_crop_400pix_092200.jpg (66065 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
9/22/2000
sh_400pix_092400.jpg (42848 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Steve Hindman
9/24/2000
fragrance_092600.jpg (71962 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
9/26/2000
mb_092700.jpg (51584 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
9/27/2000

October

bb_100700_smallcrop.jpg (18564 bytes) Ride Journal: Eastern Washington Adventure
Bruce Brown, Mark Adriance, Mark Belles, Steve Hindman, Zippy Lane, Mike Fleenor, Scott Fleenor, Cathy Crouch, Missy Belles & Andy Nelson
10/2-7/2000
rl_101100.jpg (33746 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt. & Lake Padden, WA
Bruce Brown, Steve Hindman, Mark Belles, Jimmy Breitenstein, Jason Ploskuniak & Russ Lambert
10/11/2000
dan_lunden_hoona_101100.jpg (39175 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Tom DeBari
10/12/2000
still_102000.jpg (31095 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Seth Bowman & Jeff Sanborn
10/15/2000
still_102000.jpg (31095 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
10/16/2000
nelsons_102600.jpg (14358 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Mark Adriance
10/27/2000

November

bb2_110100.jpg (86728 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
11/1/2000
mb1_110700.jpg (57738 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Steve Hindman, Jimmy Breitenstein, John Hindman & Tom DeBari
11/7/2000
fairhaven_111000.jpg (55740 bytes) Ride Journal: Chuckanut Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
11/9/2000
ma_111100.jpg (21372 bytes) Ride Journal: Mt. Constitutrion, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
11/11/2000
jimmyb_111600.jpg (42978 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Jimmy Breitenstein
11/16/2000
nooksack_111700.jpg (46383 bytes) Ride Journal: Glacier, WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Adriance & Jason Ploskuniak
11/17/2000
miranda3_112300.jpg (70253 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
11/23/2000

December

bb_nicene.jpg (65781 bytes) Ride Journal: Died and Went to California
Bruce Brown and Russ Lambert
12/1-9/2000
mb_121200_lowerbobs.jpg (42198 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles, Russ Lambert
& Endo Bobbo
12/12/2000
Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Belles
12/14/2000
kelly_grayum_122100.jpg (29477 bytes) Ride Journal: Galbraith Mt., WA
Bruce Brown, Mark Belles & Kelly Grayum
12/22/2000
400k2_122400.jpg (57444 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge & Sumas Mt., WA
Bruce Brown
12/24/2000
shanna_alexa_122800.jpg (20998 bytes) Ride Journal: Harrison Hot Springs, BC
Bruce Brown, Shanna Brown & Alexa Lewis
12/26-28/2000
bb_123000.jpg (30442 bytes) Ride Journal: Vedder Ridge, WA
Bruce Brown and Mark Adriance
12/30/2000

Vert Quest -- excerpts from Mongo's World Record Journal by Bruce Brown
Days: 365 Rides: 220 Total vertical feet climbed: 404,900
January 2000 - "South Pass Mist" by Bruce Brown
January
February 2000 - "Bo" by Mongo
February
March 2000 - "The Big East" by Mongo
March
April 2000 - "Mark on Dan's Trail" by Mongo
April
May 2000 - "Flowers by the Back Porch" by Bruce Brown
May
June 2000 - "Herb at the Big Gnarly" by Mongo
June
July 2000 - "Woof" by Mongo
July
August 2000 - "Lake Samish" by Mongo
August
September 2000 - "Babe" by Mongo
September
October 2000 - "Still Life with Helmet" by Bruce Brown
October
November 2000 - "Mongo on the Family Fun Center" by Mark Adriance
November
December 2000 - "Guano on the Coast" by Mongo
December
* Click here for the full list of Bruce Brown's Vert Quest journal entries.

Vert Quest chronicles "The Man Known As Mongo's" pursuit of the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike, 404,000 vertical feet, or the vertical equivalent of 13 sea-level-to-summit ascents of Mt. Everest during a 12 month period. Mongo's mountain bike climbing tricks are distilled in Mongo's Over-the-top Guide to Climbing.

Mongo's Guide to Climbing by Bruce Brown


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