Remarks from Ken Noguchi,
Alpinist and the Dreams Mountaineering Team Leader

Uchida-san sent me a letter in early summer 2005. His letter moved me a lot, and even before I met him in person, my mind was made up, and I told myself:

"We're going to climb the Alps together!"

As the result of my presentations made at facilities for physically challenged people, I had become increasingly aware of the difficulties faced by those with physical challenges.
I have been to Mount Everest over a period of seven years and met a lot of climbers there. One time, I met an American climber about my age. He had suffered from lung cancer and lost half of his lung, but he succeeded in reaching the top of the mountain without giving up. I met him when I was scaling an ice wall at 7,300 meters (24,000 feet) above sea level, and we climbed up together. There was not a lot of oxygen at that altitude, which caused him a lot of pain with his half lung. However, he kept saying that "I want to prove that even a cancer victim can succeed. Especially, I want to show kids with cancer how important it is to realize your dreams," and his eyes shone.

I have to admit that I thought, when I met him for the first time, it would be difficult for him to reach the top. It made me even more pleased with the news of his success, so that I almost jumped for pleasure with the news.
On his card, he described himself as "a climber with cancer," which also surprised me, and he always maintains a positive attitude, despite his cancer.

In the USA, a group called "Climbers with Cancer" supports people like him in this kind of activity. In this group, cancer patients meet together, exchange information and go exploring together. The range of their activities and the staff who support them are fabulous.

I also know a climber with an artificial leg who has succeeded in reaching the top of Everest. In spite of their disabilities, these people could even climb Everest, given enough preparation and training. I have learned many things from these people and their experiences.
When Uchida-san said to me, "I want to climb the Alps," I was glad to be able to join this project. His idea reminded me of each of the things that I had experienced in the Everest climbs, and I believe that we should create an environment where even disabled people can live up to this kind of challenge. Finally, I hope this project can help to create a world where disabled people will feel encouraged to seek out and conquer new fields one after another.


I say to Mr. Uchida, I will do my best to reach the top of the Breithorn with you and Mr. Ide.

Ken Noguchi
The Dream Mountaineering Team Leader