A little less than two weeks ago, North Face climber Emily Harrington and Eddie Bauer guide Adrian Ballinger, the CEO of Alpenglow Expeditions, set out on a mountaineering version of The Amazing Race. They planned to climb and ski Cho Oyu, the sixth-tallest mountain in the world, located on the border of China and Nepal, and return to their home in Lake Tahoe, California, in two weeks.In doing so, the couple, who met while climbing Mount Everest in 2012, would shorten the expedition time of an 8,000-meter peak by more than one month and transform the idea of how (and how fast) 8,000-meter peaks can be climbed. (It typically takes two months to climb Cho Oyu, and longer for other 8,000-meter mountains.)On Oct. 1, on what Ballinger called the most perfect day on an 8,000-meter peak, the couple reached the 26,906-ft summit of Cho Oyu, 10 days after beginning their journey, and skied down to Camp 1. On Sunday, they awoke knowing they would be back in their own beds by Tuesday, on track to accomplish their incredible two-week, record-setting mission.Today, we wake up in our tent physically shattered yet so appreciative for the journey of the last 36 hours, Harrington posted to Instagram on Sunday. Later that night, espnW caught up with Harrington and Ballinger to learn about the motivation behind their mission, the implications of their success and what its been like to share their experience, and their relationship, with the world.espnW: Congratulations on reaching the summit Saturday. Where are you now?Emily Harrington: At Cho Oyu Advanced Basecamp in Tibet, at 18,500 feet.espnW: What are you setting out to do today? EH: We summited and skied down yesterday morning and made it all the way back here after an exhausting 18-hour day. Today we are packing to leave tomorrow. We will walk 6 miles down to the road and take a jeep to Shigatse, then to Lhasa the next day to fly home. We are packing both to head home and helping the Sherpa pack and prepare for the next Alpenglow trip in a few weeks on Ama Dablam, a 23,000-ft peak in the Khumbu region of Nepal. Much of the gear used here will go there for the next trip.espnW: It typically takes about two months to climb Cho Oyu. What sparked your idea to attempt to do so in two weeks, including travel?EH: Himalayan peaks have been climbed in the same fashion since the first successful ascents that occurred in the 1950s -- meaning multiple weeks or months, many rotations up and down the mountain to acclimatize, or build red bld cells that allow you to continue higher without getting sick, and are essentially these incredibly long expeditions that tax you mentally and physically. But now we have all of this technology that can help shorten that time: better weather forecasting, improved training theory and even ways to pre-acclimatize at home before arriving at the mountain.espnW: How and for how long did you prepare for the expedition? EH: Our strategy involved training at home, pre-acclimatizing in these altitude-simulator tents called hypoxic tents, having all of our logistics and organization in place on the mountain before we arrived, our camps set, permits in place and waiting for a gd weather forecast before we left home. That way we stayed healthier by staying home, eating and resting well, and blasting when the time was right.Living for months in a little yellow tent at or above 18,000 feet may sound super adventurous to those who havent done it, but it can get pretty isolating and you develop a sort of cabin fever after a while. Its actually terrible for your health and you return home weak and skinny-fat. Altitude eats all of your muscle and leaves the fat for warmth and protection.Being a rock climber who loves to push myself on more physically challenging terrain most of the year, long Himalayan expeditions have essentially crippled my climbing strength for up to six months. Im hoping the two weeks wont do as much damage and I can return home and keep climbing with some remnant of the strength I had before.espnW: Why Cho Oyu? EH: Cho Oyu is a great mountain in many ways. Its one of the safer 8,000-meter peaks with low objective hazard, meaning no big hanging seracs, no rock fall and generally dry and predictable weather on the Tibetan plateau. Its also a great ski peak in that there are big open slopes that allow for great skiing if conditions allow. Adrian has been on Cho Oyu twice. Once, in 2007, they didnt summit, but in 2013, he climbed and skied it, so he was familiar.espnW: Have you two done anything like this together before? EH: Weve done some bigger trips together, and we are one anothers primary mountain partners. We enjoy doing challenging things together. We have different skills and strengths and can learn a lot from one another. It creates a really fun and engaging partnership, no matter what the goal is.espnW: What is the fastest anyone has climbed Cho Oyu, or any 8,000-meter peak? EH: We think someone has done it in two weeks and three days, or something like that. Its incredibly fast to climb an 8,000-meter peak in less than a month. And two weeks is crazy fast and creates an entirely different experience than a longer trip with lots of downtime.espnW: Did you set a record? EH: I guess so.espnW: Adrian, you own an expedition company. What does the success of this expedition mean for the future of commercial expeditions? Adrian Ballinger: I think these lightning ascents are exciting, and lots of people are interested in the possibility. Its for a very specific type of climber whos willing to put in the work at home and gain experience on other mountains first before signing up for such a fast-paced climb. I think there are many different experiences for people to have in the mountains, and this rapid style definitely caters to a certain demographic.Our rapid ascent programs that Alpenglow offers already cut traditional expedition times by 30 to 50 percent, while increasing health and success. Lighting ascents take it to a whole new level and require athletes with the proper experience and the willingness to suffer.espnW: What are the risks involved in making big-mountain climbs more accessible, and faster? AB: The key in making these climbs faster while still maintaining a high level of safety is all in the logistics, the guiding and the experience of the climbers on the team. Cutting corners in any of those areas will lead to accidents. Thats where the risk lies. You need the preparation and to be willing to stop and turn around if everything isnt coming together just right like it did for Emily and me this time around.espnW: Climbing is often seen as a sport limited to people with the most time and money. But what about inexperienced climbers who can afford a lightning ascent thinking this is an option for them? AB: Alpenglow Expeditions has standards for joining every one of our trips. We do lots of introductory trips and they are some of our most fun programs. While I hope lightning ascent opens up opportunities for people to go the to worlds highest places, each climber still needs to gain experience on other mountains first. Luckily those mountains can be done in short time frames as well, like Cotopaxi, Ecuadors tallest volcano, in four days and Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America, in 10 days.espnW: Did you use supplemental oxygen? EH: Yes. We didnt feel it was realistic to try for no Os with no acclimatization rotations and really not being fully acclimatized to 21,000 feet and above. Also, we were very excited about the idea of finding a cl line to ski away from the fixed lines on the descent. Not only is skiing far more physically demanding than simply walking down -- some may find that surprising, but honestly, the hardest Ive ever breathed was while we were skiing down and not climbing up -- but it requires decision-making skills and risk management that we didnt think were appropriate under the exhaustion and fatigue of a no-Os ascent.Both Adrian and I have tried to climb 8,000-meter peaks with no Os (him this past spring on Everest and me last fall on Makalu) and its incredible how impaired your motor skills and reasoning becomes.espnW: Social media has become a big part of expeditions, and in getting expeditions funded. Why did you want to share this experience with the world? EH: Climbing feels selfish at times. Its just us out there pushing ourselves and having a gd time. But the fact is that sharing our stories seems to have value to others. We receive hundreds of comments a day telling us how impactful and inspiring our shared experiences are to people. Realizing that what you are passionate about might influence some stranger to create something positive in their lives is a pretty powerful thing and something weve decided is worth the time and effort to pursue.espnW: What has it been like to do this, together, while sharing your experience, and your relationship, with the world? Was there added pressure in sharing your personal experiences?EH: We are both pretty used to the whole social media persona versus private lives balance, and I think we do it fairly well. We both share similar careers and passions so we get it, so to speak. I would say there was some added pressure just because we brought it upon ourselves with the whole timeline and everything, but we knew what we were signing up for.espnW: How did it all go? EH: We totally nailed it. Weather forecast, logistics, health, everything worked out. We couldnt be more stoked.This certainly wont be their last adventure together, so if you want to continue following Emily and Adrians journeys, you can do so on Instagram (@emilyharrington and @adrianballinger) and Snapchat (@emilyaharringto and @adrianjb) and lk back at their images from Cho Oyu by searching #chonofilter. Wholesale Sneakers Ireland . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. Authentic Sneakers Ireland From China . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity ftball teams. http://www.sneakerssaleireland.com/ . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rkie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Cheap Sneakers Ireland Fast Shipping . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Cheap Nike Sneakers Ireland . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. They dont earn major headlines, but the summer hockey landscape is littered with veterans who have signed a one-year contract with the goal of impressing a team enough to earn just one more multiyear deal. And if it doesnt work out? Ask Alexander Semin, who last summer signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens after being bought out by the Carolina Hurricanes. He played 15 games, was placed on waivers by December and was last seen winning a KHL title.Players used to get paid for what they had done in the league. Now theyre paid for what we predict theyre going to do in the league. The cap has changed the mentality of how we lk at players, said former?New York Rangers?and?Islanders GM Neil Smith. If you dont fit into one of two groups -- young, up-and-coming star or veteran superstar -- then youre going to have to sign a short-term deal because no one wants to use up their cap on a guy theyre scared of.Here are the players who have signed deals and are lking at a similar make-or-break season in 2016-17.Thomas Vanek, LW, Detroit Red Wings: Vanek appeared to be a crucial piece when the Minnesota Wild signed the high-scoring winger to a three-year, $19.5 million contract in 2014. At the time, he was fresh off a productive 68-point season and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals with the Canadiens. But Vanek never made it to the third year of that contract, being bought out by Minnesota last month before signing a one-year deal with the Wings. The two-time 40-goal scorer struggled mightily last season, scoring 18 goals and posting a minus-10 before going goalless in 10 Wild playoff games. Vanek, 32, isnt being signed to be a bottom-six forward, meaning he must recapture his scoring touch to stick around. Hell have every opportunity to do that with the Red Wings, who boast talented centers in Darren Helm, Dylan Larkin and fellow free-agent signee Frans Nielsen, not to mention scoring wingers in Henrik Zetterberg and Gustav Nyquist.P.A. Parenteau, RW, New York Islanders: The one-year deal Parenteau signed to return to the Islanders makes it four teams in four seasons for the veteran. But Parenteau might have found the perfect landing spot after navigating between the Colorado Avalanche, Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. A ninth-round pick in 2001, Parenteau enjoyed his greatest success with the Islanders, including a watershed 2011-12 season in which he collected 67 points riding shotgun alongside an emerging John Tavares. That breakout season came at the perfect time because Parenteau signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the Avalanche the following summer. But he never regained his scoring touch and has struggled to maintain consistency since then. He did manage to score 20 goals on the rebuilding Maple Leafs last season, his first time reaching the mark since his first season with the Islanders. The opportunity to rekindle his old chemistry with Tavares could be the 33-year-olds beest chance to earn one last multiyear contract.ddddddddddddChris Kelly, C, Ottawa Senators: Despite being an important depth forward on the Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, Chris Kelly seemed destined to end up elsewhere. Despite being beloved by teammates and fans alike, Kelly was the subject of trade rumors for years. His production dipped and he missed almost all of last season with a broken leg, leaving Kelly with little leverage negotiating with a front office at a cap crossroads. Like Parenteau, however, Kelly might have found the perfect landing spot. The center was drafted by the Senators in 1999 and spent parts of seven seasons there before being traded to Boston in 2011. At 35, hell be lked to for leadership and depth, but saddled with a one-year deal, there isnt much rm for Kelly to slip in his return to Canadas capital.Mason Raymond, LW, Anaheim Ducks: If the 2011 Stanley Cup finals were a career-defining triumph for Kelly, it was very much the opposite for Raymond. Playing for the runner-up Vancouver Canucks in that closely contested seven-game series, Raymond sustained a severe back injury on a Johnny Boychuk hit in Game 6. The injury sidelined him for several months and Raymond still hasnt fully recovered. He signed with Toronto in 2013 and enjoyed a 19-goal season with the struggling Maple Leafs. That performance earned him a three-year contract with the Calgary Flames. But Raymond failed to fulfill expectations in Calgary, finishing the season in the American Hockey League before the Flames bought him out in June. At 30, hell have an excellent opportunity to recapture his scoring touch with the Ducks playing alongside world-class players Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler. Hell also be playing for new Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who is back for his second stint in Anaheim and coached Raymond during his comeback 2013-14 season with the Leafs.Cory Conacher, C, Tampa Bay Lightning: This might actually be the third or fourth chance for the diminutive Conacher, who played last season in Switzerland after spending much of 2014-15 in the AHL. If Conacher is lking for one last shot at the NHL, hell do no better than Tampa. An undrafted free agent out of unheralded Canisius College, Conacher was the 2011-12 AHL MVP before bursting into the NHL with the Lightning. Seeing considerable ice time with both Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier, Conacher collected 12 points in his first seven NHL games. Then he was traded to the Senators for goalie?Ben Bishop in what remains one of the more lopsided deals in recent NHL history. Conacher has bounced around but is still only 26 and cant expect many more chances to prove himself. With all the talent surrounding him in Tampa, there might not be a better opportunity for him to get one last crack in the NHL. ' ' '