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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, July 7, 2009

NFL: Goodell 'performed' at start of Rainier climb with Mora


Associated Press

So far, so good for Roger Goodell and Jim Mora on Mount Rainier.

The 50-year-old NFL commissioner and the Seahawks coach successfully completed a first day of mountaineering training on Monday. They will attempt to summit the 14,411-foot volcano that is Washington's highest peak on Wednesday morning.

Guide Peter Whittaker said the group spent about five hours Monday training in wind and fog. He and fellow climbing expert Ed Viesturs are leading the climb for charity that also includes Seahawks chief executive Tod Leiweke.

"Gotta say the commish performed. He is a good listener and grasped mountaineering basics reasonably well," Whittaker told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

"A lot of mountain to go though ... we were at 6,000 feet."

Tuesday's plan is to reach Camp Muir, at 10,080 feet. The group will rest there Tuesday evening before starting the summit attempt after midnight. Only about half of the climbers who attempt to scale the mountain each year reach the top.