1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: We'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: on which this podcast was produced, the Galligall people of 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: the orination. We pay our respects to Elder's past and present. 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 2: It's twenty twenty four and we're at the peak of 5 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: Mount Everest with one of the world's leading high altitude climbers, 6 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 2: Kenton Cool. To most, this would be a once in 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 2: a lifetime moment, but for Kenton, this is his eighteenth summit. 8 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 2: Every climb is tough, and every climb has risk. If 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 2: you become complacent at eight thousand meters in the death zone, 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 2: the mountain is going to kill you. But the view 11 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 2: and the feeling at the top make every risk worth taking. 12 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: For Kenton, He's acutely aware of how things can change 13 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: in an instant. In nineteen ninety six, a flash of 14 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: overconfidence and it's led to a fall that threatened his 15 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 2: ability to walk, let alone climb again. He doesn't take 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 2: this view and this feeling for granted. Right now, he's 17 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: the highest person on the planet. I'm at Middleton and 18 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 2: this is head game today Kenton call on his extraordinary 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:30,639 Speaker 2: career and making his way to the top. Keentin Cool, 20 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 2: it is an absolute pleasure to not only see you again, mate, 21 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: but to have you this time on my podcast, because 22 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 2: last time I saw you, I was on your podcast 23 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: and I think it's a year and a half late. 24 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 3: But that's COVID time. 25 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 2: No, No, that was mental right, And now you're on 26 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 2: my podcast head Game. So mate, it's great to see 27 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 2: you again. Thanks ever so much for joining me. And 28 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: I've got to say, mate, you know from day one 29 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: when I met you, Kenton Coole is a cool guy. 30 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: I'm just going to put that out there. You are 31 00:01:58,520 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: pretty cool, Kenton. 32 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 3: I don't know if it lived up to the name, 33 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 3: but the name is if the listeners don't know me, 34 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 3: it is actually c O O Out. I mean, I 35 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: know you wanted that for a stage name out, but 36 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 3: you know it was already taken. You couldn't have it. 37 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 3: It's my name. 38 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 2: And did that work with the Chickydezer when you were 39 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 2: going through school and you know, were you popular with 40 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: the women? 41 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: No? 42 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 3: Well I went to an all boys school, so that 43 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 3: that wasn't much of a thing. So if anything, it 44 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 3: was the negative is you think you're cool and you 45 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 3: get your head plunged down a toilet and and everything 46 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 3: else so, but but it works now because I work 47 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 3: in the service industry and people remember that name. But yeah, 48 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 3: growing up it was a little bit of a chalice. 49 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: Yeah I bet it was, Mate, but now missed the 50 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: cool you know that's that's mate, Like you said, it's 51 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 2: in the title right then, and having had the privilege 52 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: to spend it some time, if you Mate, you're certainly 53 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 2: a cool dude. But this is about you, Mate. You've 54 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 2: had a phenomenal career and you continue to have a 55 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: phenomenal career in the mountaineering world. You are one of 56 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 2: one of, or if not probably the most recognized and 57 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: best mountaineers in the world. And it's obviously taken a 58 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 2: lot of pain, sweating, tears and suffering. People see the summits, 59 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: especially with mountaineering, and I don't want to, you know, 60 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: get carried away with that cliche. You know, it's about 61 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 2: the summer, what's underneath it? But and what sparked your 62 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: ignited your passion for climbing as a youngster. 63 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 3: So I actually came to climbing relatively late. I mean, 64 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 3: I see this, this whole next generation coming through, you know, 65 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 3: underneath me, and you know, these guys and girls they've 66 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 3: all started super young, you know, climbing up, climbing walls, 67 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 3: perhaps getting out of the Alps. I realistically didn't start 68 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 3: climbing till I was I was pretty much eighteen. But 69 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 3: before that, and I think this is really important, before that, 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 3: you know, I was a boy scout. I grew up 71 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 3: inside the M twenty five. But I was lucky enough 72 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 3: to grow up on the corner of a farm field, 73 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 3: and I had access to the outside, and all I 74 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 3: wanted to do was to be outside all the time. 75 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 3: Building dens like say, climbing walls, climbing buildings, falling out trees, 76 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 3: climbing itself as we know it to be a sport 77 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 3: for me did not exist. But that love of the outdoors, 78 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 3: the love of adventure, the love of watching the sunset. 79 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 3: When I knew I was meant to be back at 80 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 3: home having my supper, Mum's going, where is he? Your 81 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: dinner's burning? The street lights are on, you should be 82 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: back exactly Well, well, in actual fact, you know where 83 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 3: I grew up, there were no street lights. Oh yeah, 84 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 3: you know. I grew up in the inside the M 85 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 3: twenty five. For those who don't know London, I mean 86 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 3: it was on kind of the outskirts of London, but 87 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 3: we had all these farm fields and it was just 88 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 3: incredible the access to just getting in the woods. And 89 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 3: even when they were building the motorway, so the M 90 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 3: twenty five was built when I was living there, we 91 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 3: used to like break into the motorway and steal lamps 92 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: of wood to build the dens, and dodge the big 93 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 3: earth movers and watch these guys cut down the trees 94 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 3: and all sort of things. So climbing came late. Yeah, 95 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 3: But the love of adventure and just being outside and 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 3: maybe bending the rules that was instilled into me from 97 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 3: quite a young age. And we're sat here today. You know, 98 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 3: I'm talking to you in Dubai. I'm in the cotsworlds. 99 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 3: We've got a computer and you know this is my 100 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 3: phone and yeah, and you know, and these are dangerous 101 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 3: things for the next generation. It's so easy to get 102 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 3: sucked into this rather one. You know, that upbringing that 103 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: I had of but we just didn't have it, did we. 104 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 2: So your parents almost kicked you out as well, didn't they. 105 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 2: You know, it was more like, well, like just go 106 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 2: out and play, you know, stop annoying us, you know, 107 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: because we had to entertain ourselves. Back then, we had 108 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,480 Speaker 2: no technology, We had no TV, like you said, which 109 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 2: I found fascinating. You just said, we knew nothing about 110 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 2: the climbing world. There wasn't these big expeditions that were 111 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 2: going on, or you know, you'd hear about the fascination 112 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 2: of Mount Everest. That's the only mountain you heard back 113 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 2: in the day, and it would be just a myth, right, 114 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 2: we'd never had that. Our parents would push us out. 115 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,719 Speaker 2: We had to use our imaginations, right. 116 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, to a certain extent. But then there were the books, 117 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 3: and you know, for me, there was a couple of 118 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 3: climbers in the UK, Sir Chris Bondingan and the late 119 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 3: Great Doug Scott. They published these coffee table books, you know, 120 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 3: the big A three types of style books or A 121 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 3: four style books. And I remember getting Sir Chris Bondington's 122 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 3: book a Mountaineer, I think it was called, or maybe 123 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 3: Himalayan Climate one or the other and just flicking through it. 124 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 3: And yes there was Everest obviously, which captivates you. We 125 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 3: all knew about Everest. We all learnt about sim Hillary 126 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 3: Sherp pretending nineteen fifty three. You know, news breaking on 127 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 3: the Queen's coronation. I mean, you just couldn't have make 128 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 3: that up, could you. So we kind of knew about 129 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 3: that a little bit. But then there's these other mountains 130 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 3: like Shanga Bang or Counting Junger and Conger and just 131 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 3: the photography was amazing, but it felt untouchable. It felt 132 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 3: like it was way beyond you know, but certainly my reach. 133 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 3: It's like, well, how do you go from kicking football 134 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 3: about in the backyard to climbing big mountains? It was 135 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: a complete disconnect. 136 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 2: So kenon when did that transition come from, you know, 137 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 2: you reading a book and ultimately you know, inspiring to 138 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 2: be someone or inspiring to climb and looking at these 139 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 2: mountains outside of Mount Everest, these these bigger mountains but 140 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: also mountains in the in the UK. Did you first 141 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: seek to climb in the UK then try and go 142 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,640 Speaker 2: bigger or what? What really sparked that thing to go, 143 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: I'm going to tackle the big mountain. 144 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, there was a very logical stepping stone, and you know, interestingly, 145 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 3: the commercialism that goes with these big mountains these days, 146 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 3: those stepping stones I kind of hacked. You know, people 147 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 3: are bypassing the apprenticeship and going straight to the big mountains. Now, 148 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 3: I'm not saying that that's right or that's wrong. It's 149 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 3: just a very very different approach for me. Yeah, for me, 150 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 3: it started with Andy Foux. There was this guy at school. 151 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 3: His dad was just an outlier, you know. He was 152 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,599 Speaker 3: a professional rally driver, Tony Foux. He drove for Team Mercedes. 153 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 3: He tried the paris that are unsupported on a motorbike 154 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 3: like three or four times. He would just disappear for 155 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 3: weeks on end. And his son was Andy Foux, who 156 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 3: was in my class at school. I think we might 157 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 3: have been the same mass class or something. And they climbed, 158 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 3: I mean they did all sorts of like amazing stuff. 159 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 3: And Andy used to go down to the climbing wall. 160 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 3: And remember that back this would have been in the eighties, 161 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 3: the climbing walls are not the climbing walls that we 162 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 3: know today. There were very few and far between. And 163 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 3: I just said to him one day, can I come 164 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 3: with you? And He's like, yeah, of course, you can 165 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 3: come along. And I just loved it. And yeah, I 166 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 3: loved the movement. I loved the physicality of it. I 167 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: just loved the problem solving. And it very quickly snowballed 168 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 3: from there, and then one day he said listen, because 169 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 3: he could drive and I couldn't, he said, listen, We'll 170 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 3: take my mum's car. And it was a Vauxhall Astra, 171 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 3: this pretty pooky little thing, and we shot down to 172 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 3: the South coast. We were stopped by the police. We 173 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 3: slept in a public toilet overnight and we went climbing 174 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 3: outside for the first time. 175 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:46,119 Speaker 2: And that you were on an adventure. 176 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, We're on the sea cliff and the waves are 177 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 3: crashing in. I didn't know what I was doing. It 178 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 3: got so scared. It's just like climbing up this thing, 179 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 3: like throwing stuff over my shoulder. And I remember getting 180 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 3: to the top of my first ever proper rock climb 181 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 3: and there was a metal steak and I just remember 182 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 3: putting my arms around it and it was, you know, 183 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 3: as if it was like a newborn baby. It's like, 184 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 3: oh my god, I'm safe. I'm not going to die 185 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 3: after all. And then the adrenaline hits you and it 186 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 3: says like, oh my god, that was insane. I want more, 187 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,439 Speaker 3: I want more, I want more, and it just snowboard 188 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 3: and it went went from the South Coast to Scotland. 189 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:31,359 Speaker 3: To the Peak District and then I finished my A levels. 190 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 3: So I finished school and Andy, his brother Roger, and 191 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 3: myself and another could made Chris. We just went to 192 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 3: the European outs. We did not have a clue, we 193 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 3: didn't know what we were doing. We made all the mistakes, 194 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 3: but just had the best time ever. Yeah, and that 195 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 3: was it. That was a catalyst. That was like I 196 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 3: love this. I want to do more of this. 197 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. So that was sparked. And that was, like you said, 198 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 2: it's addictive writer. You get into it. That adrenaline kicks in, 199 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 2: you know. And what I love about what you just 200 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 2: said was you know I'm alive. You know, you know 201 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 2: because it is because ultimately, when you say problem solving, 202 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 2: you mentioned the word problem solving, your problem solving to 203 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 2: ultimately in that moment, even though you've got safety equipment on, 204 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 2: and in that moment, you're you're problem solving with your life, 205 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: aren't you. You know, you're problem solving to get to 206 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 2: the top, You're problem solving to get to the next, 207 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 2: the next stage, and ultimately you're problem solving to keep 208 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 2: yourself alive. On that mop face. 209 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 3: It it's one hundred percent. I mean, my first climate 210 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 3: is a vs. You know, if American listeners is like, 211 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 3: I don't know, five eight maybe. I mean, it's not hard, 212 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 3: but you know, I just didn't know what it's doing. 213 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 3: It's steep limestone. And I got about halfway up, and 214 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 3: you put these little metal wedges into the rock to 215 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 3: protect your so if you fall off, the ropes clipped. 216 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 3: And I get about just over halfway and I'm getting 217 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 3: tired and I'm trying to put one of these little 218 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 3: metal wedges in. I've got my hand in a crack 219 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 3: every time I tak my hand out of like barn 220 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 3: door about to fall off, and i can't get it in, 221 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 3: and I've got to make that decision. I'm like, look 222 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 3: at the floor, look at the rope, look at match 223 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,440 Speaker 3: ropes out, look at the top, and just think no. 224 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 3: And this is that, you know, we're talking about problem 225 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 3: solved in decision making. It's like, can I make it 226 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 3: to the top without putting any more gear in before 227 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 3: I fall off? And if I fall off? And and 228 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,599 Speaker 3: he said afterwards it he was like, oh mate, what 229 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 3: what were you doing? I was I was like running 230 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 3: through how am I going to tell your mother that 231 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 3: you created that you fell off? And hit the floor 232 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 3: and you know, but but it's that key decision making. No, 233 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 3: you know, I laugh about it now, but you're doing 234 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 3: it almost instantaneously without even thinking about it. And that 235 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 3: apprenticeship to be able to make those decisions, I think 236 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: is critical. And that's where maybe some of the modern 237 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:55,839 Speaker 3: generation of peak baggers, those who are just simply looking 238 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 3: at climbing these peaks on big commercial strips, they don't 239 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 3: go through that apprenticeship it. Yeah, so, and it's not right, 240 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 3: it's not wrong. It's a different aspect of the sport. 241 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 3: But that apprenticeship serves you so well in other stuff 242 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 3: that you do. Be it. You might be sat in 243 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 3: the boardroom and you're trying to make a decision or something, 244 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 3: or you're talking to somebody and you've got to make 245 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 3: a quick, snapshot decision yourself. You can't chunk it to 246 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 3: somebody else. You can't go to your boss and say 247 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 3: what do you think about You've got to make that 248 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 3: decision yourself. And for me, I learned that through climbing. Yeah, 249 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 3: and that's a that's a critical life skill. 250 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, And I make you right there, Kenton, when 251 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 2: you say you know it's different, it is different. But 252 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 2: now going straight to the big mountains and people paying 253 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 2: all this money to ultimately relinquish, which they do personal 254 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,560 Speaker 2: safety and personal responsibility. They think that when you know, 255 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 2: the shit hits the fan and things go wrong, that yours, 256 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 2: you've paid your sheirpers thousands and you paid the exhibition thousands, 257 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 2: that they're going to get you out of trouble. And 258 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 2: they almost, you know, wipe their hands and go, you know, 259 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 2: you get me out of this. I've paid you all 260 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 2: this money to do it. And that's not the case, 261 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 2: right because you get people that go up there and 262 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 2: it's quite dangerous to be just wanting to hit those 263 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 2: big summits. Like you said that apprenticeship sort of prepares 264 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 2: you for the mountain life. There is a mountain life, 265 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 2: and then there's these big expeditions that you go on. 266 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 2: And I believe and I've seen it on Everest, and 267 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 2: I think that a lot of people do pay the 268 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 2: big bucks and they do actually relinquish. Not all the people, 269 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 2: but I've seen it happen where they go, right, you know, 270 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 2: if something goes wrong, then I've paid all this money. 271 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 2: You need to get me out of it. 272 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think you're absolutely right, it's not everybody, 273 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 3: but that personal responsibility. I mean, I'm a professional mountain guide. 274 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 3: You know, I take people to Everest as well and 275 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 3: look after them, and there is a you know, I'm 276 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 3: essentially being paid to keep somebody safe. You know, that 277 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 3: is the one part my job, keep somebody safe, bring 278 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 3: them back through the front door at the end of 279 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 3: the expedition. But at the same time, there is a 280 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 3: degree of responsibility to the client as well. And it 281 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 3: doesn't matter that you climb in ben Nevis, Scarfel mont 282 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,080 Speaker 3: Blanc or Everest, there's got to be a degree of 283 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 3: responsibility or accountability. Maybe yet the guide's going to do 284 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 3: and the sherbet teams because the Sherpe teams, as you know, 285 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 3: their epic you know, they're they're just on a different level. 286 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 3: I mean, we think we're pretty fit guys, but you know, 287 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 3: put like twenty kilos on these guys and they're like 288 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 3: mounting rockets and they're getting better and better and better 289 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 3: about client care and knowing what the likes of you 290 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 3: and I need on that mountain. You know, it'll be 291 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 3: talking about Everest is incredible, But let's go back to 292 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 3: the you know, some of the clients. Is that sense 293 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 3: of responsibility and to a certain tent etiquette as well, 294 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 3: and that etique you learn from from the apprenticeship, know 295 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 3: how you treat people in the mountains, how you conduct yourself. 296 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 2: In the right You've hit the nail on the head there. 297 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 2: Mountain etique is it teaches you to how to how 298 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,160 Speaker 2: to be a mountaineer, how to act like a mountaineer, 299 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 2: how to you know, respect the mountains. 300 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 3: And how to be around and how to respect others 301 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,960 Speaker 3: on the mountains. If you're on summit day on everest 302 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 3: and you see those long lines, no one wants to 303 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 3: be stuck in those lines, but there are ways and 304 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 3: means you can overtake and get round people. And you 305 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 3: might tap somebody on the shoulder and say, hey, we're 306 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 3: moving faster than you can. We come past you. And 307 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 3: on every it's more often than not you get like 308 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 3: a blank face and someone says no, and you're like, hmm, well, 309 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 3: I'm not going to stand in this line and wait 310 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 3: to get dead. I want to come past you. So yeah, 311 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 3: you tap them on the shoulder again and say hey, listen, 312 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 3: we're still moving faster than you can. We come past 313 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 3: and they're like no, and in the end you're like, 314 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 3: you just muscle past them, which in itself is not 315 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 3: mountain etticu. Yeah, and we learn all this, yeah, climbing 316 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 3: in the Alps, climbing on mountains like a mounte Horn 317 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 3: or Mont Blanc or you know, smaller peaks, and it's 318 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 3: just ingrained in us now in the same way that 319 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 3: you serve an apprenticeship in anything generally that you do, 320 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 3: if you're work in finance or if you're working pharmaceuticals 321 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 3: or whatever it is that you're do. Like you and 322 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 3: you didn't go straight into the special forces, Yeah, you 323 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 3: done your time learning what you need to do, learning 324 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 3: how you conduct yourself before you get to those higher levels. 325 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 3: And it's exactly the same. So it's there is no 326 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 3: hack that, there's no hack to experience. 327 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 2: You had a tragic fallback in nineteen ninety six, right, 328 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaker 2: where were you and how did that happen? And you 329 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 2: know what was going through head at the time. 330 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 3: I mean it is a cliche, but what a great 331 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,239 Speaker 3: life lesson. So it was a week before I've been 332 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:10,239 Speaker 3: beging on this epic expedition to Pakistan to climb the 333 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 3: Ogre and I was in North Wales, it was a 334 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 3: great drizzly day. I didn't really feel the motivation to 335 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 3: get out and climb. We were just there to collect 336 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 3: some sponsorship kit and and the people that I was 337 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 3: with there were like, hey, let's go into the slate 338 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 3: quarries of North Wales. So they all dis used slate 339 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 3: mines and you know there's quite hard climbing in there. 340 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:37,959 Speaker 3: So we go in there, and I reluctantly went along 341 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 3: because my ego was getting in my way of my 342 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 3: decision making. I'm like, well, okay, if these guys are going, 343 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,919 Speaker 3: I'm going to go. If they're going to climb hard, 344 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 3: I'm going to climb hard. And mate of mine jumped 345 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 3: on a relatively hard route and okay, so I jump 346 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 3: on the one to the left, and you know, I 347 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,680 Speaker 3: broke a hold off. I wasn't that high. Slate is 348 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 3: a very friable rock. That's where we have it on 349 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 3: our roofs. You know, it cleaves quite easily, and putting 350 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 3: on its hole, I've got no gear in common thread 351 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,120 Speaker 3: here is and there's no gear when I go climbing 352 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 3: and I break the hold off and bang, I just 353 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 3: hit the floor and yeah, I ended up what four 354 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 3: just over four weeks in hospital, three operations, three and 355 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,959 Speaker 3: a half months in a wheelchair. How high were you 356 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 3: fifteen feet? 357 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,879 Speaker 2: Ye? Still, but you peeled you proper peeled off, did you? 358 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 3: I fell off and the landing surface was just covered 359 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 3: in these little flakes of slate, So it's like hitting concrete. 360 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 3: And because it happened like that, there's no kind of 361 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 3: parachute role also to speak, there's no shock absorbing. I 362 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 3: fell off unexpectedly, and then before I know it, bang, 363 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 3: and I got up and I made about three steps 364 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 3: and just collapsed again. I didn't walk for four months. 365 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 2: Was there time to panic? Was there time? Or did 366 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 2: you just before you know you've hit the deck and 367 00:19:59,080 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 2: and you're. 368 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 3: Because where I was climbing wasn't actually that hard. I 369 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 3: tried to get a little bit of gear in. It 370 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 3: didn't fit, and you know I made we're talking about 371 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 3: snap decisions. I made decisions. I don't need it. You know, 372 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 3: this is easy. I'll get up to that bit up there. 373 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 3: And then because I broke the hole, it was totally unexpected, 374 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 3: totally entertainous. It wasn't like I can't do this, I 375 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 3: can't do this, I can't do this. Watch me and 376 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: you jump off. It was like bang, yeah, do. 377 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 2: You remember waking up in hospital? 378 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 3: Well, so I spent a couple of hours at the 379 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 3: bottom of the climb while everybody was trying to sort 380 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 3: out and get an ambulance in, and you know, and 381 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 3: then I got carried down. It was quite heroic from 382 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,119 Speaker 3: those around me. I get carried down and then get 383 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,200 Speaker 3: handed over to the paramedics who then put me into 384 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 3: the into the into the ambulance and it was so funny. 385 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,199 Speaker 3: So my friends carried me all the way down and 386 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:58,359 Speaker 3: it was like down these little steep paths and you know, 387 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 3: I'm howling, and they get me down and hand me 388 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 3: over to the paramedics who immediately smashed my legs into 389 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 3: the side of the ambulance. It's like, oh Jesus, Chris, I. 390 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 2: Think they might have done that. Burbers made to go 391 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:11,120 Speaker 2: use silly son. 392 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, possibly. And then I got carded off the 393 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,160 Speaker 3: bank at hospital and spent time there and then ended 394 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 3: up back down near home. So it was a bilateral 395 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 3: cocaine and fracture. So I so the little hillbone that 396 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 3: comes out if you think of your skeleton foot, there's 397 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 3: a little bit that comes out of the back and 398 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 3: that's your hilbone right at the back. And I broke 399 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 3: the I think the right one was in fourteen pieces 400 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:36,919 Speaker 3: and the left one was in seven or. 401 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 2: Eight pieces, so he shattered both. 402 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 3: I shattered both of them. And one of the consultants said, no, 403 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,680 Speaker 3: you're really unlucky to damage them so badly from such 404 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 3: a short fall. But you know, and this is where 405 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 3: we have to focus on the positives in life, he said, 406 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 3: But yes, this is by way, but by father worst 407 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 3: bilateral cocaine. In fact, I've ever seen without blown out 408 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 3: knees hips and broken back. So just count yourself lucky. Yeah, 409 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,120 Speaker 3: you're really unlucky that you've hurt yourself so badly from 410 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 3: such a little thought, but you're really lucky that you've 411 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,919 Speaker 3: not got broken back. And then you've got a choice again, 412 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 3: you know you do you focus on the ah, man, 413 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 3: I'm really unlucky, this is really shit, or do your 414 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 3: focus on the positives. And that's a conscious choice that 415 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 3: we have. And I found myself in that pit of 416 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 3: kind of negative despair. One of the consultants came in 417 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 3: and said, right, I'm going to operate on you tomorrow, 418 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 3: and my immediate thoughts when can I climb and he 419 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 3: just laughed and said, you're never climbing again. You're never 420 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 3: going to walk without stick. Yeah, And that spiled me 421 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 3: into that pit. But then about ten days later, another 422 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,920 Speaker 3: consult John Handley, he said, I'm going to rebuild your 423 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 3: foot to the best of my ability, and what you 424 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 3: do after that is down to you and no one else. 425 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 3: If you put the time and effort in, you will walk. 426 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 3: You will. And he said, I'm not gonna say you're 427 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 3: going to climb, but it's down to you and how 428 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:24,360 Speaker 3: much energy and bocus you put into your rehab. Yeah. 429 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:29,400 Speaker 3: And those two different approaches from those from those two 430 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 3: different consultants, that was the tipping point from being in 431 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 3: the pit of despair and self woe is me to 432 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 3: all of a sudden, actually I can do this and 433 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 3: I will do this and I want to do this. 434 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 3: And that was really powerful. That was for me. And 435 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 3: I only realized this years later. Yeah, of course, not 436 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 3: at the time. Yeah, not at the time. 437 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 2: The penny finally drops, doesn't it. When you do something 438 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 2: you look back and you go wow, if I hadn't 439 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 2: That's why I ask you in those moments, you know 440 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 2: where your head was at and your mindset. But it's 441 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 2: so important for people to realize that we have a choice. 442 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 3: I mean, for a while it was awful. Yeah, we 443 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 3: have the choice. And you know, the other really powerful 444 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 3: thing is is like negative motivation. And by this, I mean, 445 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 3: what do you stand to lose? And when that first 446 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 3: consultant said to me, you're never going to climb again, 447 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 3: I saw my community as I knew it because I 448 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 3: was so involved with climbing everything. My girlfriend climbed, all 449 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 3: my buddies climb, My whole cohort were climbers. And I 450 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 3: stood to lose my community as I knew it, and 451 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 3: that really scared me. And that was a huge motivator 452 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 3: because I didn't want to lose that. I thought I 453 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 3: was going to lose my community. I've got nothing, and 454 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 3: that that was one of the big driving forces. That 455 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 3: was I'm going to get on those parallel bars as 456 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 3: soon as I can. I'm going to do those extra 457 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:02,400 Speaker 3: hyder sessions. I was going to go to the gym 458 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 3: in the hospital and yes, pump weights, do the pull downs, 459 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,359 Speaker 3: do the there's certain exercises I could do build my 460 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 3: core so that when I could get back on my feet. 461 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 3: Recovery is going to be that much quicker. 462 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 2: This is why I really wanted to touch on this 463 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 2: because it's fascinating because, like you said, we have a choice, 464 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 2: we have a we have a mindset as well. You know, 465 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 2: do we do we go down the negative mindset of 466 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 2: you know, being the victim, or do we do we 467 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 2: really you know, stand up and fight for what we 468 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 2: believe in, where we want to be, where we think 469 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,720 Speaker 2: we should be in life. And yours was on the mountains. Now, 470 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:39,000 Speaker 2: what was your first mountain after your injury that you 471 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 2: climbed and do you remember it? And was that was 472 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,640 Speaker 2: that a moment where you thought, you know what, I'm 473 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 2: back on track now? 474 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 3: Well, I suppose there's two things. One is I got 475 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 3: back into rock climbing, so that's something I could do 476 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 3: as as soon as I could. I was actually standing 477 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 3: in a wheelchair and I used to take myself down 478 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 3: to climbing war in London. That was really steep and 479 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:03,040 Speaker 3: I could I'm up just literally just toe dapping, so 480 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 3: just putting a little bit of weight through my feet, 481 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 3: you know, and then I'll be lowered straight back down 482 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 3: into the wheelchair. So you know, I got back into 483 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 3: that quite quickly. 484 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 2: That's hardcore. 485 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 3: Mate, that is hardcore, but you say that, But I 486 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 3: didn't want to lose a community. I just wanted to 487 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 3: be around, you know, my friends, my cohort, that those 488 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 3: people that sort of elevated me, you know. And if 489 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 3: you can't go to the climbing wall, if you can't climb, well, 490 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 3: now your friends will come out and see you. But 491 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 3: at the weekends there or on a Wednesday night, they're 492 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 3: all down the climbing wall, and that's where I wanted 493 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 3: to be. I wanted to be among those people that 494 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 3: uplifted me and supported me as much as I could. 495 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,679 Speaker 3: So my first proper foray back into the big mountains, 496 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,880 Speaker 3: it was a dear friend of mine, Alan Powell, had 497 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 3: this idea of a new winter line in the Alms, 498 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 3: and you know, we went down and we started to 499 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 3: climb on Christmas Day and it was a hard rou 500 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 3: It took us, I know that three or four days. 501 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 3: I forget now, and the story behind it is all 502 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 3: a bit of an epic. But we managed to do it. 503 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 3: And that was my first real reintroduction into the mountains 504 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 3: and it kind of proved to myself that yeah, I 505 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 3: had to approach things in a slightly different way. I 506 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 3: had given myself more time to do the walk ins 507 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 3: to get to the bottom. I would always have problems 508 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 3: moving away from a bla. So you strap yourself to 509 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 3: the mountain and you wait there for what can be hours, 510 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 3: where your mate goes up and places all the ropes 511 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 3: and things like that, and moving away would be hard 512 00:27:42,359 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 3: because my ankles or my would seize up. So those 513 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:50,360 Speaker 3: first movements were very clunky, but you learn to adapt 514 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:55,640 Speaker 3: to what you have. And that was wow, I can 515 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 3: do this and I will do this, and that was 516 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 3: the green light and it just started to snowball from there. 517 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: When did Mount Everest first come into your mind? When 518 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 2: do you think, right, I'm going to I'm going to 519 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 2: take on there, I'm going to stand on the apex 520 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 2: of the world. 521 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 3: Not for a long time. I mean it was late 522 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 3: two thousand and three and so so after the accident, 523 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 3: what I did, when I realized I could do again, 524 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 3: you know, I just was consuming climbing, That's all I did. 525 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 3: I was working on building sites and I was just 526 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 3: doing multiple expeditions, you know, to Greenland, to the Himalayas, 527 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 3: to Pakistan. I just couldn't get enough of it. And 528 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 3: it was on the back of a quite a groundbreaking 529 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 3: expedition to Nepal in two thousand and three, and we 530 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 3: with the three of us, and we climbed this big 531 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 3: new route. I think it was the second or third 532 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:10,360 Speaker 3: descent of Annapurna three, so just under eight thousand meters. 533 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 3: We were on it for ten days. We ran out food, 534 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 3: we ran out of fuel, and you know, it took 535 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 3: it took all of us to a super dark place 536 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 3: and it actually it was really interesting. It actually affected 537 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:28,239 Speaker 3: our friendships because we went so deep that when we 538 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,240 Speaker 3: came out of it, we had issues sort of connecting 539 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 3: with one another again because we all had our own 540 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 3: journey in the darkness. And that was that was quite 541 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 3: enlightening on how relationships can be affected by personal journeys. 542 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 3: Even though we were three of us together and in 543 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 3: theory going through the same journey, it was very very 544 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 3: different for three of us. Anyway, we got quite a 545 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,720 Speaker 3: lot of the claim for that. And on the back 546 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 3: of that, one of the British guiding companies who was 547 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 3: already working for hung me up and he just said, 548 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 3: would you entertain going to ever it's for us? And 549 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 3: I had to think about it for about a nanosecond, 550 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 3: and I just said yes, And that was the starting 551 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 3: starting point of it. I mean, Everest had been beyond 552 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 3: my financial capability, and to be honest, it was something 553 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 3: which didn't interest me because it wasn't technical hard climbing. 554 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 3: It was just never in my wheelhouse. And then it 555 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 3: became so obvious that, you know, show me one climber 556 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: who can, honestly, hand on heart say that at some 557 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 3: stage in their career or their life they haven't thought 558 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 3: about going to Everest. And that was probably November December 559 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 3: two thousand and three, and I found myself on the 560 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 3: mountain for the first time spring two thousand and four, 561 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 3: feeling very out of my depth, not quite knowing how 562 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 3: it all works. Having a great Surdar is like the 563 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 3: head Shirpo kind of tells you how it all works. 564 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 3: And I loved it. I absolutely adored it, and I 565 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 3: just wanted more. 566 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 2: And what was that first time standing on the summit? 567 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 2: Take me back to that day, because of course you 568 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 2: remember it. What was going through your head and how 569 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 2: are you feeling emotionally? 570 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 3: It was a little bit more complicated than simply get 571 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 3: in there and I'm there with a client. We got 572 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 3: We've got sherpas around us. But back then now what 573 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 3: we had to do was the rope was only fixed 574 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 3: to the balcony, and whoever went first the first team 575 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 3: had to fix the rest of the rope from the 576 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 3: balcony to the summit. And we were the first bloody 577 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 3: team to go. And it's like Jesus, So, you know, 578 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 3: we're laying all this robe and we're having to fix 579 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 3: the rope and you're trying to look after a client. Anyway, 580 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 3: we get above the hilly step and the summit is 581 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 3: just there. It's like, we're going to do this. This 582 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 3: is like off the chants. And suddenly I kind of 583 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 3: look around and the sherpa who I'm with, he slowed up, 584 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,320 Speaker 3: and I found myself on my own. There He's only 585 00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:17,880 Speaker 3: like twenty thirty yards behind me, and he had deliberately 586 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 3: slowed up to give me the opportunity of my first 587 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 3: summit on my own. And I can never thank him 588 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 3: enough for that. It was such a beautiful thing to 589 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 3: do for somebody else. So in two thousand and four, 590 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:34,840 Speaker 3: I was the first a summit and I get there 591 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,080 Speaker 3: and I just can't believe it. Now I start looking 592 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 3: around and you've been there you know what it's like. 593 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 3: I mean people say, explain that you can't describe the view. 594 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just and it's so crystal clear. The 595 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 3: sky is so dark blue. I mean you are nearly 596 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 3: nine thousand meters above sea level. This is where airliners fly. 597 00:32:56,360 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 3: I mean, Jesus, it's just blow my mind. And then 598 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 3: Pemma comes up and you know, and there's hugs, and 599 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:08,160 Speaker 3: I'm quite an emotional dude, and there's like layers of 600 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 3: tears and uh, you know, gott to ring my mom. 601 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 3: I gotta ring my mom and dad and get the 602 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 3: SAP phone out and plug the number in. And Mom 603 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 3: picks up the phone and yeah, I don't know, it's 604 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 3: like nine o'clock in the morning in the porch. It's 605 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 3: like four o'clock in the morning in the UK or 606 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,720 Speaker 3: something like that. And she's like, oh, who is it. 607 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 3: And Jesus know who's going to ring at four o'clock 608 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 3: in the morning, And like, Mom, Mum, it's me. It's me. 609 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 3: It's me. And she's like, oh, hi, dear, how are 610 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 3: you all right? Yeah? Yeah, I'm great, I'm great. Listen mum, 611 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 3: And then she how is that chest infection? Oh? Yeah, yeah, 612 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:47,480 Speaker 3: it's pretty good, you know. It's the Yeah, yeah, I'm 613 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 3: feeling in bed as you're now. Where are you right, 614 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,440 Speaker 3: my mama? Mom? Top of the world. It's amazing. I 615 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:54,880 Speaker 3: can see for miles. This is great. 616 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 4: That's nice there. Now listen, your dad couldn't sleep, so 617 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 4: he's going to walk the dog. Maybe you can call 618 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:02,560 Speaker 4: back in half an hour. 619 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:08,359 Speaker 3: And just totally brought back down to earth by your mum. 620 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:10,120 Speaker 2: Yeah exactly. 621 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 4: And yeah, and I, ma'am, I don't think I can. 622 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,799 Speaker 4: Maybe I can call back from the top cab. Well, 623 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 4: your dad would really appreciate it. Call maybe chat later 624 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:25,879 Speaker 4: now keep warm. It's like you have put the phone down. 625 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 4: And I just thought, yeah, that wouldn't happen. 626 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 3: To like beg girls, what it I mean, that's like yeah, 627 00:34:32,320 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 3: but that didn't detract from it. And then they're sitting 628 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,360 Speaker 3: there and I just thought, I got to use this 629 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 3: opportunity because I may never be back here, so I've 630 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 3: got to soak it in. And I've got to look 631 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 3: around and see what mountains are out there that look amazing. 632 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 3: And I could climb and look at it's one mountain 633 00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 3: down there. And when I say down there is like 634 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 3: properly down there and I'm looking at Wow, Jesus, that's 635 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,320 Speaker 3: how my dad Lamb and I climbed down my Dablin 636 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 3: back in two thousand or two thousand and one. I thought, wow, 637 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 3: that's a beautiful mountain, and I thought, that's two thousand 638 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 3: meters two vertical kilometers underneath me. And when I climb 639 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 3: down my dablam in two thousand, people check the base gap. 640 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 3: It dominates. It's this mountain that's right up there. And 641 00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 3: then it hit me how high we actually were, eight thousand, 642 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:35,760 Speaker 3: eight hundred and forty eight meters above sea level. Just unbelievable. 643 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 3: So then that's my memory of standing on the summit 644 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,719 Speaker 3: for the first time. It's just being blown away by 645 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 3: the insignificance of who we are and what we do, 646 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:53,359 Speaker 3: and no matter how much we try, our their mass 647 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 3: to screw this planet up with you and I don't 648 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,800 Speaker 3: care if there's naysayers out there with global warming and 649 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 3: climate change and stuff like that, but we are having 650 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 3: an effect on our planet. And stood there feeling so insignificant, 651 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 3: just looking around and seeing the wonder of what lay 652 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 3: beneath me was so humbling. It was just incredible and 653 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 3: absolutely incredible. I'm sure, in the same way that you 654 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:20,440 Speaker 3: felt that on the mountains that you climb. 655 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:22,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I felt that on k too, because it was 656 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 2: the reverse of my Everest climb. But the reason why 657 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 2: I ask you why you felt what you felt on 658 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 2: your first summit of Everest is because it was obviously 659 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 2: phenomenal because it led you to go back seventeen more times. 660 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:44,719 Speaker 2: You have summited Everest eighteen times, Kenton. That's surely that's 661 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:45,439 Speaker 2: a record. 662 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 3: I mean a lot of people say, oh, well, that's 663 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,400 Speaker 3: a record, and it's not really a record when you 664 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:53,480 Speaker 3: look at some of the sherpers. I mean, it's a 665 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 3: non SHERPA record for what that's worth. But I think 666 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:01,720 Speaker 3: it was Kinny An, the the ultra Runner, the sky Runner, 667 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:07,000 Speaker 3: the Pyrenean like legend. No. And he said just a 668 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:09,800 Speaker 3: few years ago that the records don't really have a 669 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:14,279 Speaker 3: belonging in the mountains. And the reason why I said 670 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:16,600 Speaker 3: that is because the mountains are constantly changing. It's not 671 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,120 Speaker 3: like if you run one hundred meters, it's always a 672 00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 3: set distance on a set track with a set wind speed, 673 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 3: and if the windspeed becomes too great, then the records 674 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 3: not not validated. And if you then you know, overlay 675 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 3: that into the mountains. The mountains are never the same. 676 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 3: It's impossible. So so he argues that the records in 677 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:44,759 Speaker 3: the mountains are meaningless, and I think is absolutely is 678 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:48,960 Speaker 3: absolutely right, And we see a lot of record chases 679 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,479 Speaker 3: these days in the mountains. They want to be the first. 680 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:54,920 Speaker 3: It's all Bulgearian on a pogo stick, you know, And 681 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:59,759 Speaker 3: that's absolutely groovy for the individual. And if that's what 682 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:01,800 Speaker 3: you to do, more power to you. 683 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:04,759 Speaker 2: But that's everywhere, I think, and I've seen it as well, 684 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:09,400 Speaker 2: and that's you know, that's the thing that it's evident 685 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,000 Speaker 2: on the mountains, on the bigger mountains, on the commercial mountains. 686 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,160 Speaker 2: You know, people want to be the first expedition to 687 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:15,839 Speaker 2: get up there to say that they're the first exit. 688 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: People want to be the first ones to fix. People 689 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:19,600 Speaker 2: want to be the first ones to be that Like 690 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,239 Speaker 2: you said that the Bulgarian poso sticker who's done the 691 00:38:23,320 --> 00:38:27,080 Speaker 2: backflip on whatever it may be. It's getting to a 692 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:29,800 Speaker 2: stage where one is I think is overcrowded in the mountains, 693 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,600 Speaker 2: but two, it has become extremely dangerous for those who 694 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,360 Speaker 2: actually want to climb, who are there for the right reasons. 695 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and mostly, if not all, those records are meaningless, 696 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 3: and the only record that really means anything, I think 697 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,640 Speaker 3: on the mountain is the first ascent who climbed the 698 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 3: mountain first tending and here to be back in fifty three, 699 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 3: and then potentially the first ascent of a specific route 700 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 3: on the mountain, because that's important, you know, who opened 701 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 3: up the new routes. But yeah, exactly was the oldest, 702 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 3: the youngest, the fastest, the that's kind of irrelevant because 703 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 3: I mean, yes, perhaps it's meaningful to the individual, but 704 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:17,800 Speaker 3: in the wider context of the sport, it means nothing. 705 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:20,520 Speaker 3: You know. Okay, so you're the first ball gearing on 706 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:24,840 Speaker 3: a pogo stick, more power to you, but actually, who cares. 707 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,279 Speaker 2: Let's talk K two briefly, because you're touring around the 708 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 2: UK soon. 709 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 3: When your film's coming out soon, is it not? I'm 710 00:39:31,200 --> 00:39:31,640 Speaker 3: waiting for. 711 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:34,560 Speaker 2: What documentari is coming out on Channel seven. 712 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:37,560 Speaker 3: Briefly, I mean, I know, I know we up against 713 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 3: it with time, but just briefly, maybe you should explain 714 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 3: to the audience about K two, just very very briefly, 715 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 3: what was your experience there? 716 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, for K two, for me, it was a lot 717 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 2: more technical. You know, it's a lot more. I think, 718 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 2: a lot more dangerous because as you know, you've got 719 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:57,600 Speaker 2: the camps, all the lines, you've got to camp one, 720 00:39:57,680 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 2: Camp two, camp, you know, any of the Mainly the 721 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,560 Speaker 2: rock full was absolutely leaf along K two. The more 722 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:05,799 Speaker 2: people you have on the mountain, the more rockful there 723 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:07,840 Speaker 2: is because of people climbing in front of you. 724 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:10,279 Speaker 3: But but the trek to get there, I mean it's 725 00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:13,200 Speaker 3: just off the charts. I mean the bratora glass. 726 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 2: I mentioned it in my documentary. It is the most 727 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,200 Speaker 2: brutal I've done it in three and a half days 728 00:40:18,239 --> 00:40:20,600 Speaker 2: because you know, we were just we just bypassed all them, 729 00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 2: you know. And I tell you what, it was the 730 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:27,960 Speaker 2: most brutal base camp trek that I've ever done, you know, 731 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 2: talk about you know there are the tracks were being 732 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 2: swept away by the glacier water. You know that when 733 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:36,359 Speaker 2: the sun was shining, we were going, oh no, because 734 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,319 Speaker 2: we knew we're in for hard days, so we'd leave 735 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 2: nice and early. 736 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:43,480 Speaker 3: But is it sensational? I mean it's such a core 737 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 3: dynamic plot Pakistan. 738 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 2: It's almost untouched as well. You know, do you want 739 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:52,040 Speaker 2: a base camp trek? There was nothing, you know, we 740 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:54,200 Speaker 2: were just you'll see for the document. We were just 741 00:40:54,719 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 2: by ourselves, myself and one sherpa and that was it, 742 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 2: you know, no one to be seen of it was. 743 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:01,280 Speaker 3: It was phenomenal. 744 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 2: And then the climb itself. Yeah, what I loved about 745 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 2: the climb is it was so outside of my technical 746 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,840 Speaker 2: I really had to think about it because you know, 747 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:15,359 Speaker 2: you're hitting the pyramid, you're hitting the chimney, you've got 748 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 2: the bottleneck where you dig where you are, you're digging 749 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:21,239 Speaker 2: in and you know, and I was frantically digging in 750 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 2: like a nutter. But what a climb mat I really 751 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 2: really enjoyed it. It tested me beyond and it made 752 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:33,239 Speaker 2: me realize how how untechnical I was. You know, I 753 00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:35,200 Speaker 2: thought that, you know, I went through mountain trus. I 754 00:41:35,239 --> 00:41:37,600 Speaker 2: thought done my apprenticeship, you know, climbing mountains when I 755 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:41,760 Speaker 2: was young, Snowden, et cetera, ben Nevis. All through the military, 756 00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 2: I was mountain troop danak On Caagua, Dan Alberiz. Do 757 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 2: you know, I thought, you know, a smaller, smaller, smaller apprenticeship. 758 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 2: But it didn't, it didn't really you know. Then obviously 759 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 2: Everest and K two, the K two CA. You know, 760 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 2: I wish I would have done a bit more because 761 00:41:57,680 --> 00:41:59,080 Speaker 2: I could have enjoyed it a lot more. 762 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:02,239 Speaker 3: I loved my trip there. I went there at twenty one, 763 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 3: and I just adored it because there weren't that many 764 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,520 Speaker 3: people then were coming out of COVID. There's only about 765 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 3: three teams on the mountain and it was everything I 766 00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 3: ever hoped for, was that expedition. It was just beautiful 767 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 3: and wonderful. 768 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 2: Listen, thank you ever so much, mate, phenomenal individual. Like 769 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 2: I said, I've had the privilege of spending time with 770 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,840 Speaker 2: you and being with you mate, and yeah, you're certainly 771 00:42:30,480 --> 00:42:34,480 Speaker 2: the mystical that is in your surname. But listen, mate, 772 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 2: thank you so much, and us no, it's a pleasure man. 773 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,920 Speaker 2: My guest today was Kenton Cool. To find out more 774 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:46,640 Speaker 2: about Kenton ted tokentoncool dot com and make sure you 775 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:52,160 Speaker 2: check out his podcast, Cool Conversations. Thanks for listening to 776 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 2: this episode of Headgame. If you enjoyed it, share it 777 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,799 Speaker 2: with a friend. I'm at Middleton. I'll see you again 778 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:00,879 Speaker 2: next time.