What Brad and Jeff did on their summer vacation

When Mississippi State alumni Jeff Sondermeyer ('87) and Brad Woodall ('90) go for a walk, they like to do it in a big way. Their most recent outing took them to the top of North America's tallest mountain.

Woodall, an electrical contractor in Meridian, and Sondermeyer, a design engineer at Peavey Electronics, have a shared love of the outdoors. Especially the high spots.

Sondermeyer, left, and Woodall celebrate their accomplishment at the top of North America's highest mountain.

The two Meridian residents met in 1996 at a local fitness center. Their common interest in climbing led to friendship and a commitment to scale Alaska's Mt. McKinley, the mecca of North American mountain climbers. McKinley's daunting snow-covered peak rises 20,320 feet above Denali National Park. Its would-be conquerors encounter high winds, avalanches, precipitous drops, hidden crevices, hazardous sun, frigid temperatures-and near the summit, precious little oxygen. Superb physical condition, complete mental focus, and an adventurous spirit are absolute prerequisites for the climb.

Both men had dreamed of tackling McKinley before they ever met.

Sondermeyer's interest was whetted in 1987 while in the Air Force, and after returning to Meridian in 1993, he buckled down to serious training. He climbed a number of the country's most formidable mountains, including Mt. Elbert in Colorado and California's Mt. Whitney. In 1995, he hiked every major trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Woodall, in the meantime, visited Alaska in 1992, and his dream was born as he stood at the base of Mt. McKinley. He read everything he could find about the mountain. He climbed Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states. He attended the Exum school in Wyoming to hone his climbing techniques, and there he climbed the Grand Teton.

After the two became acquainted, they traveled to Washington in December 1996 to climb Mt. Rainier in preparation for McKinley. After returning home, they embarked on a fitness regimen that included running, weightlifting, and repeatedly carrying backpacks filled with sand up six flights of stairs.

Sondermeyer takes a break to check his pulse at 12,000 feet. Two out of three climbers who attempt to scale McKinley fail to reach the summit, and one in 100 climbers dies on the mountain.

Their appointment with the mountain began in mid-June of this year. As part of a climbing team of 12, they finally began their ascent of McKinley. The success rate for reaching the summit is 34 percent; one in 100 climbers dies on the mountain.

The 15-day climb took its toll. One person dropped out, but the rest continued. Once above 10,000 feet, each team member constantly watched the others for signs of cerebral or pulmonary edema, a condition that causes swelling of the brain or lungs. Unless a victim descends quickly, it can be fatal.

In June, Mt. McKinley has 24 hours of daylight, making sleep difficult. Temperatures can range from 60 degrees Fahrenheit to -20. At times, it can drop 40 degrees in five minutes. The team subsisted primarily on Ramen noodles, boiled in melted snow water. Sunlight reflected from the snow and ice and caused its own kinds of problems.

"My tongue even sunburned from breathing through my mouth," said Woodall.

The team reached the top on July 1, and after celebrating the accomplishment, started back down. The descent took only three days.

The next expedition for the pair is uncertain. For the time being, both want to savor their recent accomplishment and reflect on the lessons the mountain taught them. Sondermeyer's goal was to develop patience and perseverance in dealing with difficulties, and he says he succeeded. Woodall is proud of the fact that he overcame personal fears and anxieties. "I feel I can do anything I set my mind to, through hard work and dedication," he said.

So, all of that aside, what's next? At their age, there's still time for Everest.