1. Climb Mount Everest, 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), from the south, or Nepalese side. We will climb via the South Col (Southeast Ridge) route. This is the route first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

2. Conduct high altitude research in collaboration with the University of Alabama School of Medicine on the effect of altitude on blood levels of natriuretic peptides and Endothelin, which contribute to the onset of pulmonary hypertension and high altitude pulmonary edema.

3. Raise funds for the American Lung Association.

4. Share this expedition with others via web publications and dispatches from the mountain. We will be available after the expedition to present live presentations.