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Extreme Vacations to Unwind
 From left: David Bates, Don Mader, Steven McCraney and Barry Mordis atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa |
The six met two years ago in Tanzania, where they individually had arranged to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and the experience brought the group together. “Scaling Kilimanjaro was amazing,” says Bates. “Once we did that, we asked ourselves how do we keep this (friendship) going. We don’t have any reason to cross paths outside of us training for another hike. What’s our excuse for being together?”
The following year they climbed Mount Rainier.
They’re currently meeting once or twice a week for a couple of hours to train for the Grand Canyon Death March — an unofficial (not condoned by the National Park Service) race against time to hike 48 miles from the South Rim to the North Rim and back again in 24 hours. “If you miss it by one second, it doesn’t count,” says Bates.
They’re training individually and sharing tips on nutrition and gear. But the emphasis is on the team: They have an agreement that if one of the group can’t make it, he will not be left behind.
“We start together, we finish together. You never leave your wingman,” says team member Steve McCraney.
While they are looking forward to the adventure, they are apprehensive. “Of course I’m nervous,” says McCraney. “If I’m not nervous, I’m not respectful. If you’re going into a large transaction, you’d better be nervous. It keeps you focused on the details.”
» Mountain Men
David Bates, 44
Attorney, Gunster, West Palm Beach
Training: In order to do 48 miles in 24 hours they’ll need to keep to a 3- to 4-mph pace. To prepare, the group trains for two to four hours, non-stop, taking the stairs in office buildings. “Florida is so flat, the best mountain we can find is our office building. It’s 15 to 16 stories.”
Steven McCraney, 49
President, McCraney Property Co., West Palm Beach
Goals: “It’s one of those things where you say, what would I like to do while I’m still an active individual.”
Don Mader, 38
President, Southeastern Printing Co., Stuart
Motivation: “You don’t want to be the one that prevents the group from achieving its goal. The greater the challenge, the more we’re united.”
Barry Mordis, 39
Vice president/global wealth management, Merrill Lynch,
Boca Raton
Benefits: “If I know someone on the mountain took good care of me, I have no problem recommending him to a client. That’s something that was not part of the pitch to go to Africa. It was the fringe benefit you never could have seen.”
Scott Franklin, 45
President/CEO, Lanier Upshaw, Lakeland
Must-have hiking gear: “Moleskin and Band-Aids. I learned climbing Mount Rainier last year that nothing rains on your parade faster than blisters when you’ve still got a long ways to go!”
Jeff Ransdell, 40
Regional managing director for Florida / Caribbean, Merrill Lynch, Miami
Goal: “These journeys allow me a focus to maintain my fitness and spend time with a great group of men who all have the same demons which keep them up at night as I do. We are all wired to achieve. You get to an age where you have rung all the bells in corporate America/business and so you are doing crazy things like the ‘Death March’ in order to feel alive and ring some bells.”
