1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to two percent. I'm your host, Michael Easter. Now, 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: most human beings will not climb Mount Everest. Most people 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,039 Speaker 1: won't even think about attempting that. But our guest today 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: he has climb Mount Everest four different times. He also 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: managed to climb every single fourteen or in Colorado by 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: his eighteenth birthday. He also made a bold attempt at 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: K two, which is the most dangerous, risky mountain and 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: the hardest mountain on Earth. Our guest today is doctor 9 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: John Kadrowski. He was rolling through Las Vegas, so I 10 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: dragged him in the studio. I wanted to ask him 11 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: about what he's learned about life on these crazy climbs, 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,959 Speaker 1: how you can train for the outdoors, and also how 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: he thinks about risk in everyday life and how sometimes 14 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,599 Speaker 1: the most risky things we do are also the most rewarding. 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: So let's take a quick break and then we'll bring 16 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:57,279 Speaker 1: in John. All Right, John, welcome to the show. How 17 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: you doing goo ahod man, It's good to have you here. 18 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: Thanks for yeah, thanks for the invite. Okay, here's where 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: I want to start. George Mallory temps Everest in nineteen twenties. 20 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: He gets asked why he wanted to climb Everest, and 21 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: he said, because it's there. Now, I think that's total bullshit. 22 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you why. I want to hear 23 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:17,199 Speaker 1: your reaction to it. 24 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 2: In terms of it being total, total bullshit. Yeah, I mean, 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 2: I think he had a lot of other reasons, right, 26 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: he wanted to be the first. Yeah, I'd say that 27 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 2: was probably his main motivation. Well, you just at a 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 2: first ascent? Yeah, what is it about being the first? 29 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: It just it feels amazing, because, yeah, you're literally stepping 30 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 2: somewhere that nobody's ever gone. And for me, that climb 31 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 2: this past month was, honestly, it felt better than Everest. 32 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: And I've done Everest on seven expeditions over the years, 33 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: but it was just a different feel and also it 34 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 2: pushed me differently. What mountain was it? It was called 35 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: kick cap Ree two, So it was a mountain on 36 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: the bed Nepal border, about about one hundred and fifty 37 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 2: miles northwest of Katmandu and just in the middle of nowhere. 38 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 2: Very hard to get to go over a huge eighteen 39 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 2: thousand foot pass, hike up a valley where you're seeing 40 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: wild yaks, wild mustangs. There's snow upward tracks that kind 41 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 2: of thing, and to an area that was really hard 42 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: to get to and then you could see why. But 43 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: all the while was during the Mount Everest season over there, 44 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: and so I thought to myself, Man, this is pretty 45 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 2: cool because I'm not up, you know, getting stuck behind 46 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: people on a rope somewhere on a mountain where I've 47 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: already climbed it before. So I'd rather be somewhere new 48 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 2: and different. And I think that's what drives me in 49 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: life sometimes. Yeah, what did How did it hit different? 50 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: When you get up there and you're like, I'm the first, 51 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: I'm probably the first human who's ever met up here. 52 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 2: Yeah? Uh well, first I was like going up and 53 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 2: I'm climbing up this ridge and I thought, well, shoot, 54 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: what if I get to the top and there's like 55 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: somebody's left something out there, and then I'm not the 56 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: first And I was like, ah, but still, like, we 57 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 2: haven't seen a person in over five days is to 58 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 2: even get to this mountain, so I'm pretty sure, Yeah, 59 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: pretty sure, we're good. So yeah, it's just a whole different, 60 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: whole different feel, a whole different experience, And I think 61 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 2: in life that's what I thrive on is new and 62 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: different experiences all the time. It makes my brain work differently. 63 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: I think. 64 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: So my theory on that quote the reason that I 65 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: think it's bs. You probably just needed an answer for 66 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: the journalists who asks. I think people find something inherently 67 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 1: rewarding about taking on these big challenges. Right, It's not 68 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: just that it's there. There's a lot of things that 69 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: are just there that you could do, but the fact 70 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: that there's he would be the first. He knows it's 71 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: going to be extremely hard. He's going into the unknown 72 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: and he's got to figure it out, and that's going 73 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: to be tough. He knew that that was there was 74 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: something inherently special about that. Do you identify with that? 75 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: Climbing mountains? 76 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: I identify with it a ton for a few reasons. Yeah. 77 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 2: I think the biggest one is growth overall. I go 78 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: to these mountains now and some of them I get 79 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: to go to over and over again, and the growth comes. 80 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: And working with others to help them reach their goals. 81 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: But then what I started to take a part, especially 82 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 2: in the last two years now in my career because 83 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: since COVID so five or six years, I hadn't done 84 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: up until last fall. I hadn't done my own project 85 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 2: in like five or six years. I've read some books, 86 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 2: I've done some like ski projects over the years, some 87 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 2: you know, climbing, mountaineering and long distance type projects. But 88 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 2: for about five years after COVID, business for me got 89 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: so good that people were having me take them places. 90 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: And then I think a lot of us get like 91 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 2: this with our jobs, or our careers or our lives. 92 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: We let the busyness of life get in a way 93 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: and you put things off. And I was kind of 94 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 2: doing that, honestly. And then I got sort to a 95 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: point about a year and a half ago and I said, 96 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 2: wait a minute. I stopped myself and I was like, Okay, 97 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: there's this trail in the United States. It runs from 98 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: Canada to Mexico. It's called the Continental Divide Trail through 99 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: five states, Montana, I'd Oh, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. 100 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 2: I actually asked a friend of mine who I had 101 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 2: taken up Everest to go with me, and we went 102 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 2: and hiked the trail last fall for one hundred days. 103 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 2: That was my first project that I'd done for me 104 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 2: since COVID, and that felt good and it was a 105 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 2: reminder to continue to do things for me and so 106 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 2: then this year, the first ascent was the choice, and 107 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 2: then I've got some other things already on the radar 108 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 2: this year and in the next year. But it just 109 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: reminded me, and I think it's a good reminder for 110 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 2: people in general, like, stop what you're doing. Your life's 111 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 2: gonna still be there when you come back, So you 112 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: should pick something that's gonna change you. It's gonna help 113 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 2: you grow, it's gonna help it's gonna help push you, 114 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: and it might be hard and uncomfortable, but that's good. 115 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: And so I just took a lot from that experience 116 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 2: last year. It's springboarded me into this year and into 117 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 2: what I've got planned for the next three to five years. 118 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: Now, do you feel like that when you do the 119 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: thing for yourself that it then makes you better when 120 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: you go back into normal life, like with your work stuff. 121 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: Does it make that does it make you. 122 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: Perform better in that space, or does it make that 123 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: more rewarding or there's a question there. 124 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, I think I think that that experience on 125 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: the CDT because like it was kind of awesome to like, 126 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 2: for three ish months. Yeah, I had a little bit 127 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 2: of internet off and on, but then sometimes there were 128 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 2: days where we're backpacking had nothing. Yeah, and so that's 129 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 2: a good unplug I also realized when I was out there, 130 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, it's okay, Like take this time 131 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 2: for yourself because you know what life is going to 132 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 2: be there when I get back, and so yeah, then 133 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,919 Speaker 2: it makes you appreciate life more. And then when you 134 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 2: get back to it, yeah, I haven't felt burnt out 135 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: at all. In fact, I feel more energized, which sounds crazy, 136 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: and that's kind of in line with what I think 137 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 2: we'll probably delve into for me as my Everest Ready philosophy, 138 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 2: and that's you know, we'll talk more about what that entails. 139 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 2: But flipping the switch on the mindset is something that 140 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 2: these hard adventures do for me. So when I come back, 141 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 2: even this trip to A Paul, I was gone for 142 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 2: six weeks. I got home and last night my family's like, 143 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 2: are you tired, Like what's going on? And I'm like, actually, no, 144 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 2: I'm more energized. I'm more recharged. And people think I'm crazy, 145 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: but it's the truth. Yeah, that's awesome. 146 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: So before we get into the everest Ready mindset, I 147 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: think we needed two yet your experience on Everest. You've 148 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: climbed Everest how many times? 149 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: So? I've been on seven expeditions over the years, haven't 150 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 2: summitted on all of them because of various things that 151 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 2: have occurred right and challenges. But at least the three 152 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 2: clients that I've taken to the top twenty nineteen, twenty 153 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 2: twenty one, and twenty twenty four, I've all summitted, And 154 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: in my last summit was in twenty twenty four. So yeah. 155 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: And then there were some years in there where I 156 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 2: didn't summit because of an earthquake, one year you can't climb, 157 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 2: and then in two seasons. One of the seasons we 158 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 2: put some people up on a summit and I stayed 159 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 2: in Camp two on the radio. I didn't want to 160 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 2: compromise the fact that I had gotten like a chest 161 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 2: infection and stuff, and we had sure bus and team 162 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 2: members to help our clients, so I stayed in a 163 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 2: camp that I could be of assistance. And then I 164 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 2: tried one year without supplemental oxygen and turned around near 165 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: the summit, trying to sort of test myself but being conservative. 166 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 2: So sometimes I regret turning around, but at the same 167 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 2: time I knew it was in the moment, it was 168 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 2: the right choice. I was on the north side in 169 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 2: Tibet in twenty eighteen and was within an hour and 170 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: a half or two, but it was too early in 171 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 2: the morning and too windy, and there were a few 172 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 2: people on what's called the third step, and it was 173 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 2: just too cold and too windy in my opinion, and 174 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 2: I made the split second decisions to go down. And 175 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 2: I learned a lot from that experience. And I think 176 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 2: at some point, even though like the competitor and me, 177 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 2: will probably try to go back and finish the job, 178 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: so to speak. So we'll see. But yeah, Everest has 179 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 2: been has done a lot for me in seven expeditions 180 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 2: over the years. What Dunie to Evers in the first place. 181 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 2: I grew up in Vail, Colorado, So I as like 182 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 2: an eight year old kid. My parents took me up 183 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 2: mounted the Holy Cross, which is near Vale. And when 184 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: you're on top of that mountain and you learn in 185 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 2: elementary school with the highest mountain in the world, is 186 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 2: you kind of have something cangible? And so yeah, I 187 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 2: was like as an eight year old kid, I knew 188 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 2: I wanted to try to climb into the mountain and 189 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 2: learned as much as I could about it, and eventually 190 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 2: it led me there. Yeah, So ever's ready mindset? Yeah, 191 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 2: tell us about that? Well, it's I think it goes 192 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 2: a few different directions, but it's mainly just taking at 193 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: a basic level. I could get off the couch, or 194 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 2: I could leave from this room and go climb Everest 195 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: on a whim, no problem, because I've created a lifestyle 196 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 2: that's lend itself to being ready at any given moment 197 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 2: for that sort of pursuit. Maybe you're constantly active, yeah, yeah, yeah, 198 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 2: and so but what also it means is it exemplifies 199 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 2: in life how, Yeah, there may be tough challenges that 200 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 2: we face, there may be tasks that we might not 201 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 2: necessarily want to do. For many people on this earth, 202 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 2: we're never at the end of our development as a person, 203 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 2: and at times there's going to be huge roadblocks, challenges, 204 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 2: things that we don't want to do that we have 205 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 2: to face them, And how is our attitude towards facing 206 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 2: them as well to get through those tough times. 207 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 1: So it's like, if your mind, if your body in 208 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: your mind, are ready for Everest actual Everest at any moment. 209 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: It's kind of like when the sort of bs of 210 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: life pops up, problems happened, You're like, well, I'm ready 211 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: for this. The literally the world's tallest mountain. I can 212 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: probably figure this out. 213 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:42,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, and don't sweat the small stuff, but like learn 214 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 2: how to flip the switch towards things that are really 215 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 2: really scary, hard, inconvenient, and if you seek god discomfort, 216 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 2: you're going to find that at the end of the day, 217 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 2: what's so bad about it? What's so hard about it? 218 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 2: So I kind of all those things are sort of 219 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 2: packaged into what this framework means to me, and what 220 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 2: I want to share with others is that they can 221 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 2: face their challenges head on if they have the right 222 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:08,119 Speaker 2: attitude and perspective. 223 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,400 Speaker 1: Is what is your climbing on ever taught you about 224 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: not sweating small stuff? 225 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 2: Mainly like you come home after being there sometimes and 226 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 2: it's yeah, it's cold, it's scary. There's like the crevasses 227 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 2: can be crazy going through these ladders. That's the biggest thing. 228 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 2: People see the crowds, which the media sensationalizes. The summits 229 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 2: I've had have actually been we wait and we go 230 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 2: later in the season when the weather is better and 231 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: less people, so we kind of avoid that as well. 232 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 2: But yeah, it's just taking taking on any sort of 233 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 2: challenge in life. And for me, like like even coming 234 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 2: home and driving driving over here today after flying to 235 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 2: Vegas and like someone cuts me off on the highway, 236 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 2: I'm like, well that's fine. Yeah, it doesn't bother me. 237 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,599 Speaker 2: Actually a lot of things that should bother me don't anymore. Yeah, 238 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 2: through various experiences that I've had in the mountains that 239 00:11:59,280 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: have changed me. 240 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it just puts it puts things in perspective more 241 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: or less. I've definitely experienced that with if I like 242 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: to say, like when I got back from the Arctic, 243 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: I was up there for like a month, and my 244 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: wife Leah said, like, nothing really stresses you out anymore. 245 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:18,559 Speaker 2: I was like, yeah, that's. 246 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,319 Speaker 1: Because up there, like there were actual problems of oh 247 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 1: we need water and we got a hike forever to 248 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: get it, or there's grizzly bears, or there's some crazy storm. 249 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: And so then when I come home and you know, 250 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,720 Speaker 1: the HOA has dinged me with a violation for not 251 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: pulling a weed, I'm just like, whatever I might have 252 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: been those sons of bitches, I'm going to show the 253 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: ho way and start a revolution. 254 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 255 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I definitely hear you on that. So when you 256 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: talk to people, because you talk to a lot of 257 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: groups about this, how do you find people are applying 258 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: evers mindset and using it being evers ready. 259 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,359 Speaker 2: I think a lot of it comes with the challenges 260 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 2: within the corporate structure sometimes, you know, and even like, uh, 261 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 2: if I do a keynote speech. Sometimes at events we 262 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: do connection walks and hikes so people can actually actively 263 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: get out and hike and walk together and discuss in 264 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,840 Speaker 2: a group. And we find that by getting people outdoors 265 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 2: they're willing to open up more just a basic sense, 266 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 2: but yeah, applying some of the frameworks there of being 267 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 2: ever ready allows people to be more vulnerable even sometimes 268 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:32,199 Speaker 2: and uh and and open up on the basic level. 269 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: I do feel like that the walking outside together is 270 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: powerful and there is research that shows when people are 271 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 1: walking side by side outdoors, they tend to have conversations 272 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: where they definitely connect deeper. And especially in a corporate structure, 273 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: everyone's kind of on guard. You don't want to say 274 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: the wrong thing, like what am I doing the. 275 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 2: Right to get rid of surface level stuff? Yeah, you realize, hey, 276 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 2: it's it's it's okay, and hey, we're out here too 277 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: and know, and then one of the events they did 278 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 2: in Arizona in April, saw this huge snake and then 279 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 2: like after that, it's like all of a sudden, the 280 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 2: conversations people start opening up, even after just seeing that, 281 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 2: like the snake go across the trail and you know, 282 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 2: so like got people it's just kind of going. 283 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: Adding some element of risk almost makes people bond more. Yeah, 284 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: have you found out what the people you climb with? 285 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure, and trusting the process and then yeah, 286 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 2: on some of these trips, you know, especially like on 287 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 2: the seven Summits. For me, I've had so many summits 288 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 2: over the years and success, so when I'm there, people 289 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 2: trust me. But sometimes in the early going of a trip, 290 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 2: if something goes wrong, or if it's too windy or 291 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: the weather's too bad and people have doubts, then it's 292 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 2: really interesting to see people's character too. Yeah, And I 293 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 2: love what expeditions do to people with patients, right, because 294 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 2: we're so insta gratification now society, whether it's like phone 295 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 2: in our hand, something needs to load immediately, and when 296 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: you're out on an expedition, and first of all, just 297 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 2: put your devices away, but second of all, Okay, this 298 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 2: summit might not be a week away, two weeks away, 299 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 2: a month away, And how do people handle that and 300 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 2: bring card games out of bring like you know, all 301 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 2: kinds of stuff. We're playing Jenga in the dining tent, 302 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 2: like we just do different things and then also get 303 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 2: people just to have some patience. And it's amazing, like 304 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: how some people don't deal with that very well and 305 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: some people do. Do they get better over time or 306 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: does it just get worse? It just really just depends 307 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 2: on the person. 308 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: What do you think separates the people who understand, Okay, 309 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 1: this is a month away, this is what I've bought into, 310 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: this is what it's going to take. 311 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 2: We can't rush this because if we try and rush it, 312 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,400 Speaker 2: we're going to die. Yeah, we're blasted or we're not 313 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 2: acclimatized yet, right. There so many little things that can 314 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 2: go into it. Yeah, I think it depends on the person. 315 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 2: The people that have maybe had to persevere something as 316 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 2: as simple as something in their career or sports related 317 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 2: are often do the best. And the people that need 318 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 2: to be too wired or have to have Wi Fi 319 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: like that could be a problem. Sometimes it's pretty pretty crazy. 320 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: What conversations do you have with them? Is that you 321 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: being like you need to chill out? 322 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, try to, Yeah, but it's try to interact to 323 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 2: try to get them to do something else or like 324 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 2: even if it's like hey, let's go out of the 325 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 2: base camp and go for a side hike or you know, 326 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 2: try to occupy them. Yeah, I've become a professional time waster, 327 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 2: so to speak. Awesome. 328 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: You're like, you're kind of like a scout camp leader. Yeah, 329 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: kids are getting restless. You're like, hey, guys, let's go 330 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 1: out and look for error ads. Yeah, we're going to 331 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: find some. 332 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 2: But the good things that we've added over the years 333 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 2: to a lot of these trips are like yeah, just 334 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 2: trying to trying to make them even try to bring 335 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 2: the comfort out there. So you know, a chef in 336 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 2: the base camp cooking good meals, a massage therapist, a 337 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 2: yoga instructor, like things that you know some people might 338 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 2: have at home, bring you got to bring it out there, 339 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 2: and then it's and then it makes the experience it's 340 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 2: not quite as bad. 341 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. And I think there's a people can kind 342 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: of have this thing like, oh, you had you had 343 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: all these comforts out there, what do you do that 344 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: like nullifies it. Right when I did the Haydu Trail 345 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: last year, our thinking was, this thing is already so 346 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: damn hard. Why are we not going to take advantage 347 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: of things like the softer mattress and carry that. Why 348 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: are we going to just like try to make this 349 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: any harder than it already is. Like, that's just going 350 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: to lead us to fail. It's like, what can we 351 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: do that'll improve our odds of making it? And whether 352 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: that's a chef, whether that's you know, in our case, 353 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: like we're going to carry the slightly heavier mattress, We're 354 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: going to make sure we do a down day every 355 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: seven days or whatever. 356 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 2: It is, like that allows. 357 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: You to complete the whole thing, because the whole thing 358 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: is going to be hard as hell, and if you're 359 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: trying to just go too far and make it almost 360 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: austere for the sake of that, that can just totally backfire. 361 00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, And like that's what Mike and I do on 362 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 2: the continent of the Vibe Trail last summer too. You know, 363 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,199 Speaker 2: going into it, it was like, hey, okay, there are 364 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 2: people that come out and start in June or you know, 365 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 2: if they're going north. We went north to south or 366 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 2: people go south to north on the trail and they 367 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 2: start in April or May and they're out there for 368 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty days, which is like five months. 369 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 2: And when we were looking at that, we both kind 370 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 2: of liked said, well, Okay, I'm busy leading expeditions and 371 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 2: trips and living my life. You're busy with your concerts 372 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 2: and playing music and pursuing that. Do we both really 373 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 2: want to be away for five months? And the answer 374 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: that was no. And it was like, well, okay, is 375 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 2: there way to shorten that? Yes, you have to do 376 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 2: more miles. Okay, is there a way to surround some 377 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 2: of our favorite friends and family with that experience? Yeah, okay, 378 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 2: let's get it. Let's get it sponsored. Let's get an RV, 379 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 2: and then we're going to have we're going to slot 380 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 2: in people our best friends and family as crew at 381 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 2: two or three people at a time, for cooking meals, 382 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 2: picking us up from trail heads, dropping us off this 383 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: massive spreadsheet, which was a lot of work, but once 384 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 2: we had it rolling, it shortened the trip by two months, 385 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,159 Speaker 2: and then we still we enjoyed the heck out of 386 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 2: it because we had airstream sponsor us and we had 387 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 2: some other companies pitch in, and then we were able 388 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 2: to kind of do it glamping style, and then we 389 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 2: started to learn as we did research of the trail, 390 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 2: I was like, well, I'd say maybe twenty to thirty 391 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 2: of the days we still had to backpack, but the 392 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 2: other sixty to seventy days, it was Okay, here's a 393 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 2: highway forty and here's highway thirty, and we have a 394 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 2: twenty eight mile a day from road to road. Okay, 395 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 2: can we do that with a running best? Sure? And 396 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: we did some big days and it was inspiring and motivating, 397 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: and some people with other friends would come and hike 398 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 2: with us, and so we were able to create sort 399 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 2: of more of a community feel with it with our 400 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 2: closest friends and family, as opposed to what we also 401 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 2: found out there. We met some great people on the trail, 402 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 2: but they did it the hard way, admittedly, where they 403 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 2: just took their backpacks, carried all their food and supplies 404 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 2: solid the whole trip. They would have to hitchhike into 405 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:01,640 Speaker 2: towns and resupply and that just took them a long time. 406 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 2: And a lot of these people were pretty frail at 407 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 2: the end, and we were being well fed, you know, 408 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:07,359 Speaker 2: and I was. I'm not going to apologize for that 409 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 2: because we dialed it up that way, but that was 410 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 2: sort of the purpose of it. And then we ended 411 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 2: up finding out we had so much fun doing it 412 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:16,360 Speaker 2: versus suffering, and so we turned the challenge of yeah 413 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 2: it was hard to into more like fun too. 414 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sure there are there were hard times, but 415 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 1: you're also able to pull this other level of like. 416 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 2: I think there was a lot less type three fun. 417 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 2: There was more Type one and type two fun in there. 418 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 2: You know, let's go, it's good, got it. Life is 419 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 2: all about balance, Yeah, exactly. 420 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: So you is it right that you climbed every fourteen 421 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: or in Colorado before you were eighteen? 422 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I grew up doing all the mountains because 423 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 2: I'm out of my back door. When I got my 424 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 2: learner's permit as a fifteen year old kid, I would 425 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 2: drive to trailheads, and back then there were only some 426 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 2: trails on these fourteen ers, and you get above tree line. 427 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 2: On most of them, there was no trail. So that 428 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 2: goes back to like this essence of expiration. You's got 429 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 2: to figure it out. I loved, Yeah, figure it out. 430 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 2: And yeah, and then as a skier, I always wanted 431 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 2: to ski them. So I also went back and skied 432 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 2: down all their coloraud of fourteen ers, and then obviously 433 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 2: did that other project called Sleeping on the Summits, which 434 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 2: was one of my books, which was camping up on 435 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 2: the tops of all these mountains to enjoy the view, 436 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 2: the sunset, sunrise photos and then acclimate my body for 437 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 2: bigger challenges. And yeah, all this fourteener stuff just led 438 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 2: me into wanting to do the mountains all over the world. 439 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 2: What was the most dangerous one to ski for fourteen ers? Yeah, 440 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 2: Capital is pretty difficult, Pyramids pretty difficult. They're both in 441 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 2: their aspen steep. They're just really steep. They have no 442 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 2: fall zones on them, and like a good thing that 443 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 2: Like when I did that project, I had skied most 444 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,640 Speaker 2: of the fourteen ers over the years, and I went 445 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 2: back and tried to attempt them all in the same 446 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 2: year in twenty sixteen, which is now ten years ago. 447 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 2: But when I compare that winter to what we just 448 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 2: had for a winter this winter, would have not been 449 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,040 Speaker 2: possible really to ski most of them because too much 450 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 2: ice to to lack of snow. Yeah, I mean, just 451 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 2: not enough coverage not enough. The winter was so poor 452 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 2: in Colorado, so pretty lucky that that year was a 453 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 2: really big winter snow wise to be able to ski 454 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:19,439 Speaker 2: down all the peaks. 455 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 1: We're going to take a quick break and then John 456 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: is going to tell us what he learned sleeping at 457 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: the peak of every single fourteen or in Colorado. 458 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 2: What'd you learn from sleeping on the peaks? What I 459 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 2: learned from sleeping on the peaks was I did the 460 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 2: sleeping on the summits before the full ski project, even 461 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,600 Speaker 2: though I had skied a lot of the fourteen ers 462 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 2: when I was younger, because that was one thing that 463 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,159 Speaker 2: was lost in the translation of the twenty sixteen. I 464 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 2: went and attempted all of them and was able to 465 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,400 Speaker 2: summit all of them. And then there was controversy whether 466 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 2: it's not I skied down certain ones, and I was like, 467 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 2: well no, because it was too rocky. Still, I had 468 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,479 Speaker 2: to repel something, and it was, you know, not complete 469 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 2: ski descents on a couple of them, but almost all 470 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: of them. Is still skied down, all of them. But 471 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 2: I guess what I'm saying about that project was a 472 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 2: lot of people are like, oh, well, how's he doing 473 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 2: this so fast? Like this guy's never skied all these 474 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:16,040 Speaker 2: mountains before. I was like, well, actually, I'd already skied 475 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 2: most of them prior to that, and that was because, 476 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 2: you know, I was grew up a skier. But then 477 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,199 Speaker 2: the fourteen Ers Sleeping project was four years before that, 478 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 2: and so I had taken all this data right from Okay, well, 479 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 2: people ask me questions about like when I spent the 480 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 2: night on all the fourteen Ers, Well, what did you 481 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 2: do when you're up there? Well, as a skier, I 482 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 2: actually dialed in like if I were to come back 483 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 2: and ski all these how would I ski them? And 484 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 2: you studied you know, you're sitting up there for hours, right, 485 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:47,200 Speaker 2: So yeah, I was shooting photos, but you can only 486 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 2: shoot so many pictures at sunrise and sunset if you're 487 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 2: up there for two or three hours. Besides, you know, 488 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 2: drinking water and nutrition sitting around You're like, okay, well 489 00:23:57,240 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 2: it'd be really cool to go off this face, Right'd 490 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 2: be really cool to go that face. So studying the 491 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 2: geography of the peaks too, and that aided me four 492 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 2: years later and to be able to put together a 493 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 2: project that was about four or five months in the 494 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 2: making of skiing all the fourteen ers in one season. 495 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 2: This is kind of pivoting. 496 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 1: Why do you think the outdoor world there's so much like, 497 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,359 Speaker 1: for lack of a better term, like a pissing contest. 498 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, like competitiveness, chess put I feel like it's unique. 499 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 2: There's unlike, it's unlike anything I've ever seen to my attention, 500 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,240 Speaker 2: more in the last like ten years, especially with more 501 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 2: social media, because my projects were built on this sort 502 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 2: of go out test myself progression. And I've always thought 503 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 2: the outdoors were for you to create your own project, right, 504 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 2: And the reason for me doing these things is that like, yeah, 505 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 2: I mean, I just love being out there and it's like, well, 506 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,359 Speaker 2: is this possible? Is this possible? It's just like a 507 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 2: cur genuine curiosity for the outdoors, not a measuring stick. 508 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 2: And the thing with the outdoors is the conditions changed 509 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,920 Speaker 2: so much too so when people try to let's say 510 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,160 Speaker 2: the guys that do FKTs fastest known times. A good 511 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 2: example is even this year on Everest, Tyler Andrews did 512 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 2: his fastest known time up the mountain with oxygen and 513 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 2: he bested a Sherpa from ten or fifteen years prior 514 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 2: by about an hour. But my argument even with that, 515 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,239 Speaker 2: is that for both of those guys, because I've been 516 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 2: in the Ice Fall so many times, well, what if 517 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 2: the year that the other guy did at the ice 518 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 2: Fall had more turns in it because of the way 519 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 2: that the trail gets created. So for that kind of record, 520 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 2: I don't really see the point. I mean, yeah, you're 521 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 2: fast going up at great But like, and as similar 522 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 2: to some of the projects I've done over the years, 523 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 2: at times, if it's come out in the community that 524 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 2: I've done something, there's always haters, right, There's always somebody 525 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 2: that comes down and like, oh, well he didn't do 526 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 2: this one or he didn't see that peak, And I 527 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 2: was like, yeah, but I wasn't trying to compare myself 528 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 2: to others. I was just trying to test myself and 529 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 2: to see what is possible in that season and to 530 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 2: have fun. And I'm like, I think you guys are 531 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 2: all getting lost and like the fact that I'm just 532 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 2: out having fun and I want to encourage other people 533 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 2: to go out and do their own adventures so that 534 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:15,400 Speaker 2: it goes back to this idea of like growth and 535 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 2: enjoyment and fulfillment and things that we all should seek. 536 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 2: So yeah, so that's kind of been my purpose in 537 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 2: the outdoors, and that's changed with my why now too. Right, 538 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:27,920 Speaker 2: So over the years I would do my own projects. 539 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: I kind of got away from that because my why 540 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 2: also shifted for Mount Everaricet or for the Seventh Summits. 541 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:36,960 Speaker 2: I don't really go back to the Seven Summits on 542 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 2: my own anymore. It's okay, what client has the same 543 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 2: values as me? Are they seeking out to potentially change 544 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 2: their life or to work towards something? And those are 545 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 2: usually the people that I gravitate towards. 546 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: What qualities do you think people who make it to 547 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 1: the top half you mentioned patients? Is there other things 548 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: that you see pop up like these are the sort 549 00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: of skill set you need beyond just you need being shared? 550 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: But yeah, it's the It's the patience mainly obviously perseverance 551 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 2: and the willing to kind of up their level of 552 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: whatever it is, attention, endurance, facing their fears. Mike Posner 553 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 2: and Devin Levec in particular in twenty twenty one and 554 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 2: twenty twenty four, both great guys, both distinctly different in 555 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 2: the mount on the mountain with their approach both authentic 556 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,600 Speaker 2: though and great people to work with, but you know, 557 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 2: they both had sort of their own whys, and they 558 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 2: both were successful because they both were willing to put 559 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 2: in the extra effort too. 560 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I mean putting the extra effort on 561 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: the mountain or in preparation or all. 562 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, preparation. And then you could see for both of 563 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 2: them why their lives are so successful off the mountain, 564 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 2: you know. And and I just love working with people 565 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 2: like that. That drives me for sure. Yeah, you know, 566 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 2: it's a lot of fun. Yeah, We're going to take 567 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:03,680 Speaker 2: a quick. 568 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: Break, and then John is going to tell us more 569 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: about the Everest Ready mindset and how you can find it. 570 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 1: What are some of the more harrowing experiences you've had 571 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: on Everest. 572 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,120 Speaker 2: I'd say there's been two or three moments where well, 573 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 2: the earthquake was probably the biggest one that changed my life. 574 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 2: What was that like? So in twenty fifteen, I went 575 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 2: there on my own actually to climb and ski Everston 576 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 2: Lotzi at the time. And when I went there, I 577 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 2: barely got to the mountain and this giant seven point 578 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 2: nine magnitude earthquake happens. We're in base camp. A big 579 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,240 Speaker 2: sonic wave of ice and snow come down from a 580 00:28:49,320 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 2: side mountain across from Everest and wipes out the base 581 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 2: camp and kills twenty people right in front of me. 582 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 2: Holy crap. And I was above the base camp, like 583 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 2: my camp was luckily higher up than the main part 584 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 2: of base camp, so we didn't get hit by the 585 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 2: last of ice and snow and wind. And when we 586 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 2: went down into the disaster zone, there was twenty people 587 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 2: dead and many people injured, and you know, we're helping 588 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 2: carry injured to helipads. Obviously people were dead and you're 589 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: just like, wow, I could have been me. And that 590 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 2: experience really changed my life because except for the COVID year, 591 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 2: since twenty fifteen, I go back every year two or 592 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 2: three times to Nepal, taking various groups to their climb mountains, 593 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 2: track hike. We run a study abroad program now with 594 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 2: one of the colleges. So I just my calling is 595 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 2: like I got home from that experience and my parents 596 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 2: hugged me, and my mom and dad said to me, well, 597 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 2: what are you going to do with this now? And 598 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 2: I'm like, what do you mean? And my Dad's like, well, 599 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 2: you got to live, Like what are you going to 600 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 2: do now? And I just because of that, I have 601 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 2: very few bad days now, I've I've never tired. I'm 602 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 2: always excited to get up and go again and live 603 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 2: because I feel like I could have just been wiped out. Yeah, 604 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 2: and that's experience really just profoundly changed how I mean. 605 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:08,000 Speaker 2: It's not like I had a bad too before that, 606 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 2: but I just think it it really pushed my level 607 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:14,719 Speaker 2: even higher. Put in Christmas and it just yeah, and 608 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 2: it just allows me to live more fulfilling and more 609 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 2: excited life about anything that I'm doing. Yeah, regardless. 610 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: And you've had people on the mountain that have been 611 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: in a sort of bad shape that you've helped, right, Yeah. 612 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 2: So in twenty twelve, on my first climb, you know, 613 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 2: there was sort of like this incident that happened similar 614 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 2: to what happened on Into Thinner, like John krack Hour's 615 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 2: book where I in twenty twelve, that was my first 616 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 2: climb I've ever. So I couldn't really afford to go 617 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:44,920 Speaker 2: with like a big company, so I went with a 618 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 2: smaller company. I paid like twenty nine grand for my 619 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 2: first ever expedition. The trip included some like help with 620 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 2: some of the camps, but like buy and large, I 621 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 2: was on my own on the mountain. Yeah, most trips 622 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 2: are how much are most trips like now seven sixty 623 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 2: to one hundred grand with a lot of shirp support 624 00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 2: and open things. But anyway, I was on a summit push. 625 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 2: We decided that sort of the team, there were several 626 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 2: other people on the team I was on that all 627 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 2: sort of had paid different amounts of money to be 628 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 2: there with either a shirt bo or have oxygen available, 629 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 2: and to avoid crowds on the mountain, we waited an 630 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,239 Speaker 2: extra day. But by waiting an extra day, we were 631 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 2: risking higher winds. But that meant I'd rather hike in 632 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 2: a non traffic jam. But there was so many people 633 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 2: that were up on the mountain as this windstorm came 634 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 2: in when we were going for the summit, that people 635 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,240 Speaker 2: seven people died that night. Wow. And there were people 636 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 2: that you couldn't help, and then there were people on 637 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,520 Speaker 2: our team that needed help. And basically I ended up 638 00:31:38,560 --> 00:31:42,479 Speaker 2: aboarding a summit push, going back to base camp, and 639 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 2: then three or four days later having to skip camps 640 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 2: to actually reach the summit. And that was the topic 641 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: of a Dayline NBC documentary called Into the Death Zone, 642 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 2: and that sort of because I was my first climb 643 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 2: of Everest, and that with the timing of my books, 644 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 2: gave me at the time kind of a platform to 645 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 2: create this career in the outdoors. Yeah, and so Everest 646 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 2: for me was this story of overcoming all odds. Like 647 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 2: there were so many people that quit after that summit push, 648 00:32:10,760 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 2: because usually when you get within five hundred feet of 649 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 2: the summit, you only get one shot. You go back 650 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 2: to base camp, you're exhausted. But at the time, I 651 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 2: was in my early thirties and I was a beast, 652 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 2: which I pried upon, like always growing up in the 653 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 2: mounds and just pushing myself. And I knew that I 654 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 2: also I knew that if I gave up on that investment, 655 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 2: like what was going to happen to my life? I 656 00:32:31,840 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 2: didn't know. I was like I got to go back up, 657 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 2: and my friends and family supported me, and I went 658 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,479 Speaker 2: back up and made it to the top of the world. 659 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 2: And ever since that day, Yeah, my career just took 660 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,120 Speaker 2: off in terms of I think that gave me the 661 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 2: momentum that I wanted to be able to do other 662 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 2: things and just enjoy not having failed on Everest hanging 663 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 2: over my head. 664 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:57,720 Speaker 1: What do you think was the switch that flipped that 665 00:32:57,920 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: where most people are going, I'm not doing this. 666 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 2: I think fear of death or exhaustion, or genuinely strength. 667 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 2: I mean, we were in one hundred mile prior winds 668 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 2: getting blasted one night and I covered up and came 669 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 2: down and myself and a few sherpas were helping others 670 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 2: to get back to tents and give them oxygen. And 671 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 2: for some reason, why was an ie suffering? It was 672 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 2: sort of odd. It was like, well, I think it's 673 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 2: because I grew up in the mountains and I've been climbing, 674 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,719 Speaker 2: and I have a natural affinity for altitude. And I'm okay, 675 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:33,040 Speaker 2: you know, just by fortune, I guess, but maybe not 676 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 2: an accident, but yeah, so yeah. So then when I 677 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 2: got down from that, it actually gave me a lot 678 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 2: of confidence. I was like, wait, if I can do that, 679 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 2: I think I could do anything. Yeah. And then I 680 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 2: wanted to do some other expeditions and get some of 681 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 2: my guide certifications and become a ski guy and a 682 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 2: mountain guide and all that kind of stuff too. And 683 00:33:51,960 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 2: that's how the right after that, in twenty fourteen, I 684 00:33:55,520 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 2: led some trips to kill Them and Jarro and Atcancagua 685 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 2: and that gave me some confidence that maybe I can 686 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 2: create a career out of this thing. 687 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:05,040 Speaker 1: We're going to take a break and then John is 688 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: going to tell us about how he balances risk on 689 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: these really dangerous climbs. 690 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,759 Speaker 2: How do you balance risk? What do you think about it? 691 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 1: I feel like most people if they're up there and now, yeah, 692 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: as I go, okay, maybe mountaineering is not for me. 693 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 2: When I'm guiding, it's more conservative approach. Though when I'm 694 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 2: not guiding, I can push it a little more and 695 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 2: be more aggressive. But even even on trips where like 696 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:38,200 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty one, a dear friend of mine, Colin 697 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:40,959 Speaker 2: ol Brady, he invited me on the K two Winter 698 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 2: Expedition where there was several climbers attempting to become the 699 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 2: first people in the winter to summit K two. And 700 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 2: when I went on that trip with him, I had 701 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 2: different acceptable levels of risk than he did. Yours are higher, 702 00:34:55,960 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 2: oh much lower, except well a higher meaning like a 703 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,479 Speaker 2: I don't accept if it's too cold or too windy. Yeah, yeah, 704 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,080 Speaker 2: So I guess my level of risks tolerance is probably 705 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,319 Speaker 2: a little bit lower than his. But we had because 706 00:35:13,320 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 2: they're such good friends, We've done other projects together. We 707 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 2: sort of had an agreement like on the trip is 708 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 2: like at any time, if either one of us wanted 709 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 2: to pull the plug, that's okay, because we had also 710 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:27,240 Speaker 2: hired shrip Was to climb with and in that particular instance, 711 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 2: and they'll be a There's a documentary coming out this 712 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 2: summer on Apple TV called The Last First about K two, 713 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:39,080 Speaker 2: and it's about that trip and what happened because five 714 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,439 Speaker 2: people have lost their lives, and three of them lost 715 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,560 Speaker 2: their lives on the summit push where Colin and I 716 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 2: walked out of base camp, we went up towards Camp one, 717 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 2: started going up to some of the ropes after we 718 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 2: had already climatized up to Camp two on the mountain, 719 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 2: and I just melt a rat and a lot of 720 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 2: different ways. One was that because of my background on 721 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 2: neurology having access to good weather forecasts, I just knew 722 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 2: the weather wasn't going to be acceptable. It's going to 723 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 2: be too cold and too windy. And then I also 724 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 2: knew that there was a bunch of other somewhat amateur 725 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 2: climbers going on this summit push, and I felt like 726 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 2: that wasn't a safe thing to be up there when 727 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 2: they were, and those two things for me just were 728 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,839 Speaker 2: enough evidence to say, look, calm, it's okay. You can 729 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,960 Speaker 2: take the shirp as we have and go for an attempt. 730 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:27,440 Speaker 2: You'll be safe with them, relatively safe with them. But 731 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 2: I'm out. I'm going to go down to base camp. 732 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:31,479 Speaker 2: I'll be on the radio. I still support you going 733 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:34,719 Speaker 2: to the top. And then in the days after that, 734 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 2: which this documentary will really cover, is three people lost 735 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 2: their lives and then two more on the course of 736 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 2: that trip died, so five guys never came home. And 737 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 2: that experience too changed my risk tolerance a lot of 738 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,960 Speaker 2: times with what I'm doing in my own career. Even Yeah, 739 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 2: it's kind of an interesting thing. Even lately I've been 740 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 2: talking with other climbers and my I sort of feel 741 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 2: the profession reading some things even just like learning, talking 742 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 2: like my parents and people that are older, and I 743 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 2: feel like as we all get older, like for me, 744 00:37:13,160 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 2: I'm in my forties, but like, there's things I won't 745 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:17,800 Speaker 2: do now that I would have done in my twenties 746 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 2: and thirties. And it's not even about me saying I'm 747 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 2: too old to do it, because I don't have that attitude. Still, 748 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 2: I still do a lot of climbing and trips, and 749 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 2: I'm out there living, but it's more about learning about 750 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 2: what those consequences are and knowing that I want to 751 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,800 Speaker 2: just live longer and not deal with that risk anymore, 752 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 2: that I say no. And an example that is like, 753 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 2: at one time I thought I'd want to climb the 754 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:47,720 Speaker 2: fourteen highest mountains in the world, the eight thousand meter peaks. 755 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 2: Through my twenties and thirties, I pursued several expeditions on 756 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 2: mountains like Manisley that I summoned it without oxygen or 757 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 2: gasherbrum two, and then I went to K two. But 758 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 2: then I thought, okay, cool. At some point I might 759 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,279 Speaker 2: end up on Annapurna or canchin Junger or some of 760 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 2: these hard or more dangerous eight thousand ers, And at 761 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 2: this time I look at them and I'd rather go 762 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 2: climb my first ascent on a mountain that's not as dangerous, 763 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 2: or go do an old I run ultras, run one 764 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 2: hundred k like I'm going to do this summer and 765 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 2: go explore new countries and do things that aren't as 766 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 2: dangerous anymore. And I'm okay with it. And I used 767 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 2: to say, oh, I definitely want to do that. I 768 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 2: definitely want to do that. I want to put myself 769 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:29,920 Speaker 2: in that area. And I now I'm kind of that 770 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:31,960 Speaker 2: perception for me is changing. 771 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot of those are notable simply because they're risky. 772 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're really big and dangerous mountains. Yeah, you know. 773 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 1: And so it kind of it almost goes back to 774 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: that like measuring stick like you were talking about. Yeah, 775 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 1: it's like, why do we want to do this, well 776 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: because people think it's awesome. What do they think it's 777 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 1: awesome because it's risky And you go, oh wait, but 778 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 1: I'm the one who's going to actually be putting my 779 00:38:51,760 --> 00:38:53,440 Speaker 1: life on the line for a couple of pots on 780 00:38:53,480 --> 00:38:54,399 Speaker 1: the back from my head. 781 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, and and and at the end of the day, 782 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 2: nobody really cares except myself or my family or my 783 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 2: close friends. Are my loved ones, Like I could care 784 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:04,759 Speaker 2: less about what a photo does on social media. And 785 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:08,760 Speaker 2: I think that's the most important takeaway for me living 786 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:11,279 Speaker 2: now that I think a lot of people should start 787 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 2: paying attention due because yeah, there are all these like 788 00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 2: record seekers and people that are going out and doing 789 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 2: mountains just to say the look at me, look at me, 790 00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:22,560 Speaker 2: and that sort of loses its value. I think it 791 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,320 Speaker 2: loses its value a lot because the reason becomes outward 792 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,239 Speaker 2: not inward. Yeah. Yeah, and you see that unfortunately the 793 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 2: most on Mount Everest. Yeah, you know, this season it 794 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 2: was the worst it's ever been. Well, we had the 795 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:40,319 Speaker 2: most summits in the history of the mountain. And if 796 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 2: you go do a search on social the amount of 797 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 2: people just doing the look at me, look at me 798 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 2: is really the present and then there's not a ton 799 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,720 Speaker 2: of Well the media highlights certain things or certain people 800 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 2: sometimes and you're sort of like, well, that's not really unique, 801 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:56,840 Speaker 2: Like this person is climbing it. Well seven thousand, eight 802 00:39:56,880 --> 00:39:59,440 Speaker 2: thousand people, Now I've done that mountain. So yeah, it's 803 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:01,399 Speaker 2: still a challenge. It's still highest moount in the world. 804 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 2: I do see why people are drawing to it, and 805 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:06,359 Speaker 2: that's okay, but I think people need to dial back 806 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:10,279 Speaker 2: their bravado, I think, and really take a hard look 807 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 2: at their Why why is K two so hard? Isn't 808 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 2: it considered the hardest? Yeah, it's so steep. It's only 809 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 2: seven hundred and fifty feet lower than Everest. Yeah, so 810 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 2: because that's still really high. Yeah, and so what it 811 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 2: can do to the body is really really tough and 812 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 2: damaging and scary. And yeah, and now I look at 813 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:35,280 Speaker 2: that mountain after experiencing it in the winter, and another 814 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 2: thing that kind of turns me off now is for 815 00:40:37,719 --> 00:40:40,319 Speaker 2: better or for worse, the commercialization of our mountains. And 816 00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 2: that's why I have to sort of take this with 817 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 2: a little bit of a cautious approach, right, because I'm 818 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:47,680 Speaker 2: part of that commercialization like it or not. I've brought 819 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:51,040 Speaker 2: people to Everest, I bring people to mountains, but how 820 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:54,399 Speaker 2: are we protecting these places? How are we managing them? 821 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,480 Speaker 2: And how are we you know, when they can commercialize, 822 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:04,000 Speaker 2: how is that impacting people's experiences and the safety when 823 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,120 Speaker 2: they're there. And so for me, that's the epitome of 824 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 2: why I did choose a first ascent this season in 825 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 2: Nepaul over a commercialized mountain, because for me, some commercialized 826 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,640 Speaker 2: mountains aren't growth anymore unless I can go to the 827 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 2: mountain with let's say, a small team myself and we 828 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,799 Speaker 2: do all the work ourselves and we climb ourselves. One 829 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:26,520 Speaker 2: of my heroes in the mountaineering space of eight thousand 830 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 2: meter peaks was Ed Viisters, the first to climb the 831 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 2: fourteen and he did it without supplemental oxygen, and he 832 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,920 Speaker 2: did it in an era before buying large commercialization on mountains. 833 00:41:37,719 --> 00:41:40,680 Speaker 2: Somebody like that is just I admire because of what 834 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 2: they went through to accomplish that feat. And now when 835 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 2: you go the mountains are so commercialized, there's ropes everywhere, 836 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 2: there's people on them. It's easier like it or not, 837 00:41:50,480 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 2: for better or for worse. And it's okay if people 838 00:41:52,480 --> 00:41:55,280 Speaker 2: want that experience, I think people should go to the mountains. 839 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:57,760 Speaker 2: But for me now it's I think it's more about 840 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:02,839 Speaker 2: seeking these experiences that uh more will allow me to 841 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:06,920 Speaker 2: grow more. Yeah, And so the combination of picking like 842 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:09,640 Speaker 2: a first ascent or going to places I haven't gone before. 843 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,239 Speaker 2: And if I'm guiding, I'm guiding somebody that that is 844 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,879 Speaker 2: really for me. That's the project, is working with them 845 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:19,520 Speaker 2: getting them to their summit. And those are the things 846 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 2: that allow me to grow now versus some experiences that 847 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 2: are different that I don't feel like challenge me as much. 848 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:27,879 Speaker 1: It's almost like you've had to put put in more 849 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:32,439 Speaker 1: work and there's more questions about the things that you're 850 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:35,439 Speaker 1: doing now. So the first ascent you just did, no one, 851 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:36,880 Speaker 1: no one had ever been there, it's not like you 852 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 1: could download yeah, try. 853 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 2: To look on Google Earth and we're like it's over here, 854 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:43,440 Speaker 2: somewhere in this valley and kind of look there. But 855 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:46,399 Speaker 2: it was okay, the only one and that was the thing, 856 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 2: like and and some of the people helped me out 857 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,239 Speaker 2: that too, or people ask me questions about like, oh, 858 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,239 Speaker 2: you could just google it and figure that out. I'm like, actually, no, 859 00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 2: it doesn't work that way. You have a full lot 860 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:56,719 Speaker 2: of map and then you have to go in the 861 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,240 Speaker 2: valley and just go explore it. And that was fun 862 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 2: and figure out how you up, what route are you 863 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:01,920 Speaker 2: going to take? 864 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 1: There's all these questions as whereas with the other thing, 865 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:06,480 Speaker 1: if there's already all the ropes ready. 866 00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:08,040 Speaker 2: For yeah, they just kind of like rope in and 867 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:09,920 Speaker 2: climbers show up and they just have to jug up 868 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:11,520 Speaker 2: the rope and you're like, well, there's not growth in 869 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:12,320 Speaker 2: that for me anymore. 870 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:16,720 Speaker 1: There's more a mental component, yeah, to having to figure 871 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:19,319 Speaker 1: out more things by yourself. If everything is sort of 872 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,480 Speaker 1: fixed and pre planned, you just got to like do 873 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: exactly as you're told and then just push. 874 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,920 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah and then and so that's kind of like 875 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:28,600 Speaker 2: now and I still get made fun of all the 876 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 2: time because I'm more like my dad with this, but 877 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:33,359 Speaker 2: like he pulls out the old road outis still hey, 878 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:36,440 Speaker 2: where are we going? HOI? He crewed Mike and I 879 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:40,480 Speaker 2: for about forty to fifty percent of that Continental Divide trail. 880 00:43:41,120 --> 00:43:43,040 Speaker 2: We had to teach him how to use some of 881 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:46,400 Speaker 2: the maps and Google maps to assist him because he 882 00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:48,640 Speaker 2: was pulling out road houses and he'd be like, well 883 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:50,359 Speaker 2: is the road to get in there? And we're like, Dad, 884 00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:55,680 Speaker 2: it's on there, like yeah, you know, crazy and interesting 885 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 2: to see that too. But I do defend him on 886 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:01,399 Speaker 2: some of that because a good example is even navigating here. 887 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,480 Speaker 2: Instead of having Siri tell me where, I like to 888 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,680 Speaker 2: pull up the whole map, see where it is, see 889 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:09,440 Speaker 2: where I am, and then follow the map as is, 890 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:12,319 Speaker 2: as opposed to have Siri tell me on it. And 891 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:15,040 Speaker 2: I've still worked that way because I'm a geographer and 892 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 2: most people think I'm crazy. But I don't like to 893 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:20,239 Speaker 2: shut my mind off and just have something tell me. 894 00:44:20,320 --> 00:44:23,360 Speaker 2: I like to learn as I go and worry it myself. 895 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 1: I think I've mentioned this study on the podcast before, 896 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:29,040 Speaker 1: but there's this These researchers looked at four hundred different 897 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:32,680 Speaker 1: careers and they wanted to know what careers tend to 898 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:36,759 Speaker 1: get Alzheimer's and other degenerate brain diseases the most in 899 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:40,920 Speaker 1: the least, and they found that the two jobs that 900 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,120 Speaker 1: had the least amount of Alzheimer's were ambulance drivers and 901 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:49,160 Speaker 1: taxi drivers. And the big reason, they thought, is because 902 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:52,120 Speaker 1: they're having to pay attention to their environment and navigate 903 00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:54,319 Speaker 1: their environment all the time. And that seems to do 904 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,279 Speaker 1: so if you think about an evolutionary context, people had 905 00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:59,600 Speaker 1: to figure out where they were in space, where they 906 00:44:59,600 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 1: were going all the time, and they had to do 907 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:04,880 Speaker 1: it on the move, And there's something that's good for 908 00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:06,880 Speaker 1: our brain behind that. And then but today we can 909 00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:09,120 Speaker 1: obviously offload so much of that to just you. 910 00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 2: Just follow the blue dog fall. 911 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:13,759 Speaker 1: So if you can figure out ways to do more 912 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 1: of your figuring it out how to get from point 913 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:18,440 Speaker 1: A to point B, that seems to be good for people. 914 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:21,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And I think 915 00:45:21,840 --> 00:45:25,359 Speaker 2: with all this technology and AI, that's the other part. 916 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 2: It's like, oh my gosh, I want to actually want 917 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 2: to write this email, like I actually want to think 918 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,840 Speaker 2: on my own. And I think some people, especially the 919 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:35,919 Speaker 2: younger generation, and get lost in this, in that and 920 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:38,440 Speaker 2: not thinking on their own. That's kind of scary. Actually, 921 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 2: you know, technology is great, good for better or worse. 922 00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 2: But yeah, and I hope people don't get lost and 923 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:46,760 Speaker 2: not being able to think on their own. What happened 924 00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:50,520 Speaker 2: when you got struck by lightning or you're tempted? Man, 925 00:45:50,600 --> 00:45:55,799 Speaker 2: that experience was crazy. Yeah. Basically, there was like a 926 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,960 Speaker 2: rogue storm sort of coming over. It was in the fall, 927 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,919 Speaker 2: so you get these sort of like cold fronts that 928 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 2: move over the mountains in Colorado where kind of hails 929 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:09,319 Speaker 2: and snows and yeah, and I was sitting in a tent. 930 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:12,200 Speaker 2: I was actually I called my mom real quick to 931 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:14,680 Speaker 2: check in. I had sell service and say, well, hey, 932 00:46:14,719 --> 00:46:16,640 Speaker 2: I only have like four peaks left in this project 933 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 2: and I can't wait to get done. And then and 934 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:20,480 Speaker 2: then all of a sudden, there's like a flash boom 935 00:46:20,480 --> 00:46:22,719 Speaker 2: outside of my tent. I'm like, what the heck is this? 936 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:26,680 Speaker 2: And uh, and then the tent poles were kind of 937 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 2: like buzzing and every yeah, and so I opened up 938 00:46:30,960 --> 00:46:34,440 Speaker 2: the zipper and look out and it was literally the 939 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:38,319 Speaker 2: storm moving right over me. And then when you see, yeah, 940 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:40,520 Speaker 2: like sort of lights flashing on the rocks and that's 941 00:46:40,560 --> 00:46:43,480 Speaker 2: it's called Sante Almo's fire happening. You know, lightning's going 942 00:46:43,560 --> 00:46:45,279 Speaker 2: to strike their pretty quick. And this was on a 943 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:49,319 Speaker 2: mountain called Harvard. So as soon as I saw that, 944 00:46:49,360 --> 00:46:51,879 Speaker 2: I slipped my shoes on, jumped out of the tent 945 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:54,120 Speaker 2: and jumped sort of off the summit block to get 946 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:57,520 Speaker 2: down to the trail. Lightning struck the tent and knocked 947 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:00,719 Speaker 2: me off my feet into the ground that I got up, 948 00:47:00,760 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 2: and I was like, just in fear for my life. 949 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:05,600 Speaker 2: So I ran down the trail and it was kind 950 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:08,520 Speaker 2: of in haste and it was dark, and next thing, 951 00:47:08,560 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 2: I know, maybe a thousand feet down from the summit, 952 00:47:10,719 --> 00:47:12,839 Speaker 2: and as storms moved through, car out of they moved 953 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,320 Speaker 2: through quick usually, and so just it was over, stars 954 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:17,800 Speaker 2: came out and I was like what And then I realized, 955 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,040 Speaker 2: wait a minute, all my stuff's up there. It's the 956 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,040 Speaker 2: middle of the night. Now it's like ten pm. I 957 00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:25,440 Speaker 2: can't go down. So I went back up to the 958 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:28,160 Speaker 2: tent and just kind of looked and I'm like what 959 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:30,440 Speaker 2: the heck, And like the charred remains in my headlamp 960 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:34,080 Speaker 2: were sitting on my sleeping bag and then I and 961 00:47:34,120 --> 00:47:37,480 Speaker 2: then I kind of smelt burnt, like burned, and so 962 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:38,920 Speaker 2: then I was well, I'm like, well, I have no 963 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:40,400 Speaker 2: choice here. I just got go to bed. So I 964 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,640 Speaker 2: got back and sleeping bag and fell asleep the morning 965 00:47:43,719 --> 00:47:46,080 Speaker 2: to light. Yeah, the storm was gone. It was beautiful morning. 966 00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 2: I took a video of that, which is in the book. 967 00:47:49,239 --> 00:47:52,240 Speaker 2: The video. There's QR codes in the book show everything. 968 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,080 Speaker 2: Yeah and yeah. And then and then I go to 969 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:57,400 Speaker 2: take the tent down. The poles were melted together and 970 00:47:57,440 --> 00:47:59,399 Speaker 2: there were holes in the tent and it was like, yeah, 971 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:04,400 Speaker 2: this got cooked pretty good, you know, but I escaped. Yeah, yeah, 972 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:05,760 Speaker 2: it was. It was gnarly. 973 00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:10,319 Speaker 1: So you have a PhD. And tell us what an 974 00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: environmental geography was. 975 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:14,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, emphasis is on weather and climate. So I 976 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 2: took climatology, meteorology, all those courses, glaciology and so yeah, 977 00:48:20,280 --> 00:48:23,880 Speaker 2: I'm essentially a meteorologist with my training and stuff. How 978 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:27,480 Speaker 2: has that helped you in the mountains tremendously? Yeah, I 979 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:31,240 Speaker 2: mean sleeping on the summits was a partnership my great 980 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,759 Speaker 2: friend Chris Tomer, who's a he does mount weather for expeditions. Now, 981 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:38,280 Speaker 2: that was sort of the infancy of his career because 982 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:40,879 Speaker 2: after that, I sent him a lot of referrals after 983 00:48:40,920 --> 00:48:42,560 Speaker 2: that book came out and people would call him, and 984 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,480 Speaker 2: now he does mountain weather for expeditions all over the world. 985 00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:48,319 Speaker 2: He had several clients on Everest this year. When I'm 986 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,560 Speaker 2: on trips, he sends me forecasts. But anyway, at the time, 987 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:55,040 Speaker 2: you know, this was twenty twelve, so you know, we 988 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,719 Speaker 2: didn't really have those fancy weather apps where you can 989 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:00,560 Speaker 2: just pull it up and look at the radar. But 990 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:03,960 Speaker 2: I'd be up on a mountain, and after having climbed 991 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:07,319 Speaker 2: those peaks through my childhood, I could be like, hey, okay, 992 00:49:07,360 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 2: we're on this. You know Mount Harvard, got stand by 993 00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:12,600 Speaker 2: that rock over there, and you have cell coverage and 994 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:15,279 Speaker 2: and so then it would pop in and send me 995 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:18,000 Speaker 2: messages about the current conditions and be like, hey, there's 996 00:49:18,040 --> 00:49:20,000 Speaker 2: a storm over. You know, being a vista, it looks 997 00:49:20,000 --> 00:49:22,680 Speaker 2: like it's moving away. Here, there's a storm over. Assmen, 998 00:49:22,680 --> 00:49:24,799 Speaker 2: it's coming towards you. You might want to get out 999 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:26,799 Speaker 2: of the way, that kind of stuff. But it would 1000 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:29,320 Speaker 2: allow me to watch the storms go by at eye level, 1001 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:33,440 Speaker 2: and that would it was really fantastic because you know, 1002 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:35,640 Speaker 2: I could stay up there or I'd have to make 1003 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:38,640 Speaker 2: the call and get off, and you know it contributed 1004 00:49:38,719 --> 00:49:42,120 Speaker 2: success for sure, and trusting his judgment of what he 1005 00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:45,000 Speaker 2: was seeing on his radar and working as a metrologists. 1006 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:50,160 Speaker 2: But then also I having studied weather and climate up 1007 00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:51,520 Speaker 2: being up there, I could be like, oh, yeah, that 1008 00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:53,440 Speaker 2: storm is definitely going to fade out of for sunset, 1009 00:49:53,640 --> 00:49:55,400 Speaker 2: or you know, I know they're prevailing winds today, I 1010 00:49:55,440 --> 00:49:57,279 Speaker 2: know that's going to go away, or hey, you know 1011 00:49:57,360 --> 00:49:59,640 Speaker 2: these cumulus clouds are going to develop even higher should 1012 00:49:59,640 --> 00:50:00,000 Speaker 2: probably be. 1013 00:50:00,920 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 1: So I feel like people overestimate, or rather they fear 1014 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:07,840 Speaker 1: things like bears and snakes. 1015 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:11,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, but it's the weather that kills you. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, 1016 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:13,239 Speaker 2: I mean I had to run in with the bear 1017 00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:16,879 Speaker 2: in one particular occasion on Little Bear. Have you done 1018 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:19,040 Speaker 2: any fourteen ers over the years. I haven't. I haven't 1019 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,919 Speaker 2: spent much time in Colorado now. I'm I'm from Utah, 1020 00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:24,200 Speaker 2: so we're like kind of Colorado. You shune your family 1021 00:50:24,239 --> 00:50:27,000 Speaker 2: out for a hike? Yeah, something we'll have to yeah. Yeah. 1022 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: Regarding weather, do you feel like Everest is getting safer 1023 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:33,560 Speaker 1: or more dangerous? 1024 00:50:34,080 --> 00:50:36,560 Speaker 2: So I've heard two really hard Yeah, that's a hard 1025 00:50:36,640 --> 00:50:39,280 Speaker 2: question because I feel like we do have good data, 1026 00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:43,440 Speaker 2: and we have good weather forecasting with basic trends and generally, 1027 00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,440 Speaker 2: but you know, I was in contact with Crys a 1028 00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:49,600 Speaker 2: lot this year. He had six different people on the mountain. 1029 00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,799 Speaker 2: And even though in general from a general meteorology trend, 1030 00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:56,080 Speaker 2: every year from about the fifteenth to the twenty fifth 1031 00:50:56,160 --> 00:50:58,080 Speaker 2: is kind of the sweet spot on Everest. And what 1032 00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:01,879 Speaker 2: I've found personally is it's twofold. If we do wait 1033 00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:04,120 Speaker 2: and let all the people that think the summit window 1034 00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:06,240 Speaker 2: opens and they go for it, and there's a bajillion 1035 00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:08,360 Speaker 2: people going up like this year there was two hundred 1036 00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:10,600 Speaker 2: and seventy eight people on the same day. It was 1037 00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:14,040 Speaker 2: a new record. When I gather info in base camp 1038 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:15,960 Speaker 2: and see that many people going on a day, I 1039 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,000 Speaker 2: don't go. I'm like, I'll wait, I'll wait a week. 1040 00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:22,920 Speaker 2: It's fine. But also we know meteorologically statistically the weather 1041 00:51:23,040 --> 00:51:25,279 Speaker 2: does get warmer from about the twenty first to the 1042 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:28,279 Speaker 2: twenty eighth. On Everest every year it's warmer than in 1043 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:31,399 Speaker 2: the teens, And so it's better just to wait. You're 1044 00:51:31,400 --> 00:51:33,160 Speaker 2: gonna be up there, it's going to be safer for 1045 00:51:33,200 --> 00:51:37,560 Speaker 2: you frostbite wise. There's gonna usually be less wind. This year, 1046 00:51:37,680 --> 00:51:41,000 Speaker 2: the people were summoning from about the when they got 1047 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:43,000 Speaker 2: the ropes, and I think on like the fourteenth, all 1048 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:46,439 Speaker 2: the way through the twenty ninth, for a two week 1049 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,680 Speaker 2: period there wasn't summits every day. But then this year 1050 00:51:49,680 --> 00:51:52,520 Speaker 2: it was odd because the jet stream lingers, and this 1051 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:56,960 Speaker 2: can happen every year. Sometimes after the twentieth it's actually 1052 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:59,160 Speaker 2: really really nice, and this year there was some days 1053 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:02,560 Speaker 2: where it was souper windy and then people didn't sum it, 1054 00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:04,680 Speaker 2: or like even on the last some of the last 1055 00:52:04,719 --> 00:52:07,359 Speaker 2: summit pushes, my friend Garrett Madison was up there with 1056 00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:09,960 Speaker 2: his team and they waited in Camp four for an 1057 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:12,680 Speaker 2: extra day because it got so windy and nobody summitted 1058 00:52:12,719 --> 00:52:15,719 Speaker 2: on like the twenty sixth or something like that, and 1059 00:52:15,760 --> 00:52:19,400 Speaker 2: then the next day people summitted. Interesting, and so it 1060 00:52:19,520 --> 00:52:22,360 Speaker 2: even though we have good tools to forecast the weather, 1061 00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:26,239 Speaker 2: that jet stream is unpredictable. It's unpredictable. Yeah, there's some 1062 00:52:26,360 --> 00:52:28,960 Speaker 2: days where even Chris was like, yeah, looks like it's 1063 00:52:28,960 --> 00:52:31,399 Speaker 2: gonna be maybe twenty mile prior wins and it's like, oh, 1064 00:52:32,200 --> 00:52:34,480 Speaker 2: it's terrible. And then and then there were days where 1065 00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:37,399 Speaker 2: it was forecasted maybe twenty and it was dead calm, 1066 00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:40,879 Speaker 2: and yeah, Unfortunately the four summits I've done have been 1067 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:45,080 Speaker 2: twenty first, twenty third, twenty sixth, and June first, so 1068 00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:49,040 Speaker 2: later in the period, and always they've been good. Fortunately, 1069 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:49,959 Speaker 2: they've been really good. 1070 00:52:50,040 --> 00:52:54,920 Speaker 1: It's this push and poll of we have better weather technology, imperfect, 1071 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:57,680 Speaker 1: but better. Yeah, but then also the rising popularity of 1072 00:52:57,719 --> 00:53:00,560 Speaker 1: the mountain where so yeah, tell people about like the 1073 00:53:00,600 --> 00:53:02,640 Speaker 1: Hillary step and how people have to wait and what's 1074 00:53:02,640 --> 00:53:03,400 Speaker 1: the danger in that? 1075 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:06,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the dangers higher up is that, yeah, 1076 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:09,400 Speaker 2: it's cold, but and you got to keep moving. But 1077 00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:13,000 Speaker 2: you know most climbers don't evers climb with oxygen, so 1078 00:53:13,520 --> 00:53:16,239 Speaker 2: and when a guide to guide on it. So when 1079 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:20,120 Speaker 2: you're up that high, if oxygen runs out, you're cooked, 1080 00:53:20,760 --> 00:53:24,640 Speaker 2: like it's like a drug. And so you could be 1081 00:53:24,680 --> 00:53:26,680 Speaker 2: going up and if you're taking too long on that 1082 00:53:26,760 --> 00:53:29,040 Speaker 2: Hillary step, and it's just why the trails as wide 1083 00:53:29,040 --> 00:53:31,520 Speaker 2: as this table. Okay, And so you couple you can 1084 00:53:31,520 --> 00:53:33,480 Speaker 2: see how you can't really get by. You can try 1085 00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:35,640 Speaker 2: you kind of wrap around. It's easier to get around 1086 00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:38,600 Speaker 2: people on the way down. And one of my summits 1087 00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:42,279 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four with Devin was actually a crowded day. 1088 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:45,280 Speaker 2: The way we avoided that was we started really early 1089 00:53:45,320 --> 00:53:48,000 Speaker 2: and we're on the summit at like five am and 1090 00:53:48,040 --> 00:53:50,719 Speaker 2: got off the summit before six am, and on the 1091 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:53,440 Speaker 2: way down, tons of people were coming up and we 1092 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:55,560 Speaker 2: just reached around and reached around them. And then once 1093 00:53:55,600 --> 00:53:58,399 Speaker 2: you got to the South Summit, which is maybe an 1094 00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:00,839 Speaker 2: hour down, you could get down real quick and out 1095 00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:02,640 Speaker 2: of there and it's you can get by people then. 1096 00:54:03,160 --> 00:54:05,640 Speaker 2: So so yeah, we were able to manage it accordingly. 1097 00:54:05,719 --> 00:54:07,239 Speaker 2: But that day there were a lot of people up 1098 00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:10,920 Speaker 2: there getting stuck. People can wait for hours, yeah, two hours, 1099 00:54:11,120 --> 00:54:14,680 Speaker 2: because then the other thing that happens in people's minds. Yeah, 1100 00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:17,520 Speaker 2: I mean gratefully, I've found that I've pretty clear head 1101 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:20,440 Speaker 2: up on those heights. Even you know, they say, oh, 1102 00:54:20,680 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 2: people are focusing, they don't pay attention. I'm like, I'm 1103 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:26,560 Speaker 2: pretty aware of everything that's going on. But I'll stand 1104 00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:28,319 Speaker 2: there and it's amazing how you try to talk to 1105 00:54:28,400 --> 00:54:31,320 Speaker 2: somebody and they're so locked in. And that's what happens 1106 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:33,000 Speaker 2: on that step is you can be the line of 1107 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:35,760 Speaker 2: climbers and they're coming up and no one will stop, 1108 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:37,879 Speaker 2: and you know, rest for a second. Let you kind 1109 00:54:37,880 --> 00:54:39,719 Speaker 2: of come down and go by and you can end 1110 00:54:39,800 --> 00:54:42,360 Speaker 2: up standing there for like two hours. And if people 1111 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:44,520 Speaker 2: if you run out of bucy, then that's when people's 1112 00:54:45,400 --> 00:54:50,040 Speaker 2: cognitive functions and people's decision making and people's stamina just 1113 00:54:50,080 --> 00:54:53,680 Speaker 2: goes down the tubes. And that's the biggest problem is 1114 00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:56,960 Speaker 2: with the lines. Yeah, we were reading about even this season, 1115 00:54:57,080 --> 00:55:00,880 Speaker 2: some people having a twenty four hour can't for to camp. 1116 00:55:01,320 --> 00:55:03,239 Speaker 2: If Camp ford a summit and back to Camp four 1117 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:06,200 Speaker 2: for twenty four hours, how long does it usually take. 1118 00:55:06,320 --> 00:55:08,759 Speaker 2: It's way too long. Usually you should be going up 1119 00:55:09,040 --> 00:55:12,920 Speaker 2: from Camp four three thousand vertical to the summit in 1120 00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:16,480 Speaker 2: about six to ten hours. If you take longer than 1121 00:55:16,520 --> 00:55:20,759 Speaker 2: ten hours, something's wrong. And so when you do that, 1122 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:23,680 Speaker 2: and then if you're a fastestcender, you can come down 1123 00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:26,279 Speaker 2: in two to four hours back to the camp, so 1124 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:28,040 Speaker 2: you can do it in a twelve hour round trip. 1125 00:55:28,040 --> 00:55:31,600 Speaker 2: That's an acceptable time. Strong climbers will be a little faster. 1126 00:55:32,160 --> 00:55:34,080 Speaker 2: If someone's a little bit beat up, maybe they take 1127 00:55:34,120 --> 00:55:37,160 Speaker 2: fourteen hours. That's okay, we get pass about fourteen hours. 1128 00:55:37,200 --> 00:55:40,160 Speaker 2: You're in the death zone. Then bad things can happen, 1129 00:55:40,520 --> 00:55:42,839 Speaker 2: whether it's running out of oxygen or just being really 1130 00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:45,759 Speaker 2: exerted and not being able to move very well. And 1131 00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:48,960 Speaker 2: that's the one thing I'll pride myself upon with Everest 1132 00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:52,560 Speaker 2: is and I feel like it's very ethical. Is that. Yeah, 1133 00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:54,719 Speaker 2: we make sure we get our people up there for sunrise, 1134 00:55:54,760 --> 00:55:56,840 Speaker 2: we get them back down to Camp four about like 1135 00:55:56,960 --> 00:55:59,520 Speaker 2: nine or ten am, and then we don't let them 1136 00:55:59,719 --> 00:56:02,520 Speaker 2: stay there. They stay for maybe an hour quick just 1137 00:56:02,560 --> 00:56:04,959 Speaker 2: to eat and drink. We'll have another shrip of making 1138 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:06,799 Speaker 2: water and they can eat and drink, eat and drink, 1139 00:56:07,200 --> 00:56:08,919 Speaker 2: We pack them, we get them out of there. Because 1140 00:56:08,960 --> 00:56:11,000 Speaker 2: the lower you can get on Everest down to Camp 1141 00:56:11,040 --> 00:56:14,320 Speaker 2: three in Camp two by like lunchtime is the best way, 1142 00:56:14,440 --> 00:56:18,040 Speaker 2: risk management wise to do the mountain. And we've been 1143 00:56:18,080 --> 00:56:21,319 Speaker 2: watching these teams and these groups that just don't get it, 1144 00:56:21,360 --> 00:56:25,800 Speaker 2: and they're going up for too long. Twelve fourteen, eighteen 1145 00:56:25,840 --> 00:56:28,640 Speaker 2: hours are going up and then another six to ten 1146 00:56:28,680 --> 00:56:31,719 Speaker 2: hours down. It's too long. And that those kinds of 1147 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:34,839 Speaker 2: ethics is what myself and many other guides are trying 1148 00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:37,719 Speaker 2: to coach these other groups and teams to say that 1149 00:56:37,719 --> 00:56:40,520 Speaker 2: that's not acceptable. Yeah, like that's how you get killed. 1150 00:56:40,640 --> 00:56:44,319 Speaker 2: Super risky. Yeah, So you know, and over time, the 1151 00:56:44,400 --> 00:56:47,000 Speaker 2: teams that are doing it the right way, in my opinion, 1152 00:56:47,040 --> 00:56:49,359 Speaker 2: are the ones that are successful, safe and not having 1153 00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:52,160 Speaker 2: any problems. But once you get past that, those times 1154 00:56:52,160 --> 00:56:55,400 Speaker 2: it's just bad things have been happening. And most of 1155 00:56:55,400 --> 00:56:57,600 Speaker 2: the deaths that have occurred on Everest it's been because 1156 00:56:57,600 --> 00:56:58,759 Speaker 2: people don't abide by that. 1157 00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:01,480 Speaker 1: How do you how do you have people train for 1158 00:57:01,560 --> 00:57:03,200 Speaker 1: Everest like physical training? 1159 00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:07,480 Speaker 2: Well, it's one of my favorite favorite sayings is trained 1160 00:57:07,480 --> 00:57:11,399 Speaker 2: mounains of mountains, because what else is better than doing 1161 00:57:11,440 --> 00:57:14,440 Speaker 2: the real thing? And on top of that, it's creating 1162 00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:19,440 Speaker 2: those simulations. And so you know, someone like Mike who 1163 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:21,920 Speaker 2: trained with me for two years, he moved to Colorado. 1164 00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:23,720 Speaker 2: We trained on mountains there, but then we went to 1165 00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:26,160 Speaker 2: like four or five different countries and did some bigger 1166 00:57:26,200 --> 00:57:28,960 Speaker 2: mountains with some sort of simulations of Everest where it's 1167 00:57:29,560 --> 00:57:30,920 Speaker 2: you know, on the summ at night, we leave at 1168 00:57:30,920 --> 00:57:32,920 Speaker 2: eight or nine pm and you climb through the night, 1169 00:57:32,960 --> 00:57:34,760 Speaker 2: so you can sum it at four or five am 1170 00:57:34,840 --> 00:57:37,920 Speaker 2: and the sunrise and then you're back down. And so 1171 00:57:38,040 --> 00:57:42,520 Speaker 2: I would create a lot of Everest simulations where even 1172 00:57:42,560 --> 00:57:45,000 Speaker 2: if it was a smaller mountain like Mount Rainier. Hey, Mike, 1173 00:57:45,040 --> 00:57:47,640 Speaker 2: we're going to start at ten pm on Vernier and 1174 00:57:47,680 --> 00:57:49,760 Speaker 2: climb through the night from the parking lot and do 1175 00:57:49,800 --> 00:57:52,440 Speaker 2: a big day so we can sum it at sunrise 1176 00:57:52,480 --> 00:57:54,280 Speaker 2: and come back down and so you can feel how 1177 00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:57,960 Speaker 2: hard that is. And I think those simulations are the 1178 00:57:58,000 --> 00:57:59,840 Speaker 2: best for anybody trying to do. Ever. 1179 00:58:00,360 --> 00:58:03,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, probably his fitness is not improving all that much 1180 00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:07,280 Speaker 1: that day, but what is happening is that his mind 1181 00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:09,040 Speaker 1: is going, Okay, this is what it's going to be. 1182 00:58:09,160 --> 00:58:12,200 Speaker 2: Like I've been here before, cold and dark, I'm fumbling 1183 00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:14,360 Speaker 2: with my mittens. I've got to figure out where my 1184 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:16,040 Speaker 2: snacks are. I got to figure out how to make 1185 00:58:16,040 --> 00:58:18,320 Speaker 2: sure my light doesn't go out. So it's all the 1186 00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 2: real world things. I mean, even tomorrow going to Mount 1187 00:58:21,480 --> 00:58:24,480 Speaker 2: Whitney with some people that want to get ready Foreverest 1188 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:27,280 Speaker 2: at some point. Yeah, we're going to start at ten 1189 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:29,960 Speaker 2: pm and go through the night and see how they 1190 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:32,479 Speaker 2: see how tough they are, and that's a good way 1191 00:58:32,800 --> 00:58:34,320 Speaker 2: to be Ever's ready. 1192 00:58:34,480 --> 00:58:39,760 Speaker 1: What's the ideal build for mountaineers, Skinny. 1193 00:58:39,720 --> 00:58:42,240 Speaker 2: I think, well, yeah, I mean a good example is me. 1194 00:58:42,440 --> 00:58:45,560 Speaker 2: Like when I was in college, I played basketball at 1195 00:58:45,600 --> 00:58:48,120 Speaker 2: Velpros University. I played for Scott Drew. Now who was 1196 00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:50,640 Speaker 2: the coach of Baylor. We still stay in touch. And 1197 00:58:51,840 --> 00:58:54,800 Speaker 2: I was about, well, I'm about six two sixty three. 1198 00:58:54,800 --> 00:58:57,200 Speaker 2: I'm about the same height as Steph Curry actually, but 1199 00:58:57,320 --> 00:59:00,560 Speaker 2: I weighed like two twenty five two thirty and college 1200 00:59:01,080 --> 00:59:04,560 Speaker 2: just pushing more heavier weight, and I still had the 1201 00:59:04,600 --> 00:59:07,520 Speaker 2: cardio to play basketball, but you just have to be bigger, 1202 00:59:07,560 --> 00:59:09,840 Speaker 2: a little bit bigger and stronger. Now way about one 1203 00:59:09,960 --> 00:59:12,880 Speaker 2: eighty and I found that not having that extra forty 1204 00:59:12,920 --> 00:59:16,640 Speaker 2: to forty five pounds on my frame really benefits me 1205 00:59:16,760 --> 00:59:19,880 Speaker 2: on the mountains. I can move much more efficiently. Cardio 1206 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:24,000 Speaker 2: strength and just endurance is there. So so yeah, a 1207 00:59:24,040 --> 00:59:27,360 Speaker 2: prototypic person, they don't need to be so skinny and frail. 1208 00:59:27,440 --> 00:59:30,240 Speaker 2: But if you don't have the extra, you know, sometimes 1209 00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:32,120 Speaker 2: you get these guys that are like kind of jacked 1210 00:59:32,120 --> 00:59:35,280 Speaker 2: and they kill Theminjarro and they get beach body and 1211 00:59:35,320 --> 00:59:37,520 Speaker 2: they get pretty worked. Yeah, you know, and they look 1212 00:59:37,560 --> 00:59:38,920 Speaker 2: at me and they're like, what the heck. You know, 1213 00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:40,920 Speaker 2: I've had some guys on kill manjar the last few 1214 00:59:40,960 --> 00:59:44,280 Speaker 2: years that they all summitted, but they were like, you know, 1215 00:59:44,360 --> 00:59:48,000 Speaker 2: in their twenties and early thirties and young, and what's 1216 00:59:48,040 --> 00:59:50,080 Speaker 2: going on why is doctor John so strong. I'm the 1217 00:59:50,080 --> 00:59:52,160 Speaker 2: one that's like at the gym body and I'm tough, 1218 00:59:52,240 --> 00:59:54,520 Speaker 2: you know. But but yeah, I found you can't have 1219 00:59:54,600 --> 00:59:56,680 Speaker 2: that to have good amountain cardios. 1220 00:59:56,960 --> 00:59:59,240 Speaker 1: Even if it's muscle, you're still having to carry it. Yeah, 1221 00:59:59,240 --> 01:00:01,320 Speaker 1: you just need it enough to make it up. And 1222 01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:03,600 Speaker 1: that's not going to be as much as people might think. 1223 01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:06,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we still do is a lot of functional training, 1224 01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:08,080 Speaker 2: and I have a couple of coaches that do work 1225 01:00:08,080 --> 01:00:11,200 Speaker 2: with like clients of mine that want to train remotely 1226 01:00:11,280 --> 01:00:13,960 Speaker 2: and based on where they live for example. But we 1227 01:00:14,000 --> 01:00:16,720 Speaker 2: do try to up the cardio and the mountain experiences 1228 01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:20,120 Speaker 2: because I think that's probably weighted, in my opinion, ninety 1229 01:00:20,160 --> 01:00:23,480 Speaker 2: percent of the importance versus the gym. I do a 1230 01:00:23,560 --> 01:00:26,520 Speaker 2: lot more yoga than actual weightlifting. Oh really, Yeah, to 1231 01:00:26,560 --> 01:00:29,880 Speaker 2: stay stretched and stay strong with some of the poses. 1232 01:00:29,960 --> 01:00:33,120 Speaker 2: And I'll do some functional training in the gym, but 1233 01:00:33,800 --> 01:00:35,760 Speaker 2: sometimes the gym is few and far between because the 1234 01:00:35,800 --> 01:00:38,040 Speaker 2: outdoors is my gym. You know. There you go. 1235 01:00:38,200 --> 01:00:42,160 Speaker 1: So how do you approach eating on these big expeditions. 1236 01:00:43,000 --> 01:00:46,120 Speaker 2: I do a lot of packing my own snacks. If 1237 01:00:46,120 --> 01:00:48,960 Speaker 2: I want certain snacks that you can't get what's your 1238 01:00:48,960 --> 01:00:54,960 Speaker 2: go to? Well, it depends, Like Paul, we eat a 1239 01:00:54,960 --> 01:00:57,960 Speaker 2: lot of snickers, but awesome, But I mean I like 1240 01:00:58,000 --> 01:01:01,000 Speaker 2: to try to eat eat healthy so or even just 1241 01:01:01,040 --> 01:01:03,280 Speaker 2: like snacks that have a lot of good vitamins, minerals, 1242 01:01:03,280 --> 01:01:07,600 Speaker 2: certain ingredients, superfoods, things like that, like pro bars I love. 1243 01:01:07,760 --> 01:01:11,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, you eat the green one, the super food Yeah, 1244 01:01:11,360 --> 01:01:12,800 Speaker 1: the superfood one is tasty. 1245 01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:17,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, that one's pretty nice. I learned a lot about 1246 01:01:17,800 --> 01:01:21,560 Speaker 2: other sort of alternative type snacks and foods from Mike 1247 01:01:21,720 --> 01:01:25,480 Speaker 2: actually because he was trying to, you know, eliminate sugar, 1248 01:01:26,280 --> 01:01:28,920 Speaker 2: and sugar can be a problem, right, because some of 1249 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:31,520 Speaker 2: these these snacks are so sugar and it's like, well, yeah, 1250 01:01:31,640 --> 01:01:33,120 Speaker 2: just a certain degree when you're out there, it's okay 1251 01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:36,080 Speaker 2: because you're burning it all, but it also can make 1252 01:01:36,120 --> 01:01:39,520 Speaker 2: your heart rate skyrocket. And also just like you know, 1253 01:01:40,200 --> 01:01:43,000 Speaker 2: you got to get good protein as well. So he 1254 01:01:43,120 --> 01:01:45,480 Speaker 2: was ordering a lot of different kind of organic type 1255 01:01:46,160 --> 01:01:49,760 Speaker 2: bars or raw bars, like these brownie bars are good. 1256 01:01:49,800 --> 01:01:52,520 Speaker 2: The brand name was. And then we had these mirror 1257 01:01:52,600 --> 01:01:57,400 Speaker 2: energies they were called yeah, yeah, Mirror Energy, which were 1258 01:01:57,440 --> 01:02:00,000 Speaker 2: like less sugar in them, it's like all natural ingredients. 1259 01:02:01,520 --> 01:02:04,200 Speaker 2: But then actually The other one that I really gravitate towards, 1260 01:02:04,360 --> 01:02:10,120 Speaker 2: especially on US trips, is just real fruits and vegetables, 1261 01:02:10,120 --> 01:02:14,720 Speaker 2: so like cuties and apples and bananas. I mean, that's 1262 01:02:14,720 --> 01:02:17,160 Speaker 2: what I grabbed the store that I'm gonna take tomorrow 1263 01:02:17,200 --> 01:02:19,560 Speaker 2: because I just want to eat real food. My trail 1264 01:02:19,640 --> 01:02:23,800 Speaker 2: name was Avocado, so I would carry alvocados and just 1265 01:02:23,840 --> 01:02:26,040 Speaker 2: cut them up and eat them straight on the trail, 1266 01:02:26,600 --> 01:02:28,800 Speaker 2: you know, two or three a day. Sometimes good oil 1267 01:02:28,840 --> 01:02:30,320 Speaker 2: is good fats, that kind of thing. 1268 01:02:30,720 --> 01:02:34,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, so we're going to take a break and then 1269 01:02:34,200 --> 01:02:36,240 Speaker 1: John is going to tell us about the best hikes 1270 01:02:36,240 --> 01:02:46,240 Speaker 1: and climbs that anyone can do. Peaks in Colorado, the 1271 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:50,520 Speaker 1: average person could climb that. You like, what do you recommend? 1272 01:02:50,760 --> 01:02:53,160 Speaker 2: I like going down to like Buna Vista and the 1273 01:02:53,600 --> 01:02:56,200 Speaker 2: Cleegiate Peaks are there, and you've got hot springs and 1274 01:02:56,240 --> 01:02:59,360 Speaker 2: the trails are easy to access, and then they're asspen 1275 01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:02,400 Speaker 2: I mean, I obviously the peaks and Asthma are more 1276 01:03:02,440 --> 01:03:04,480 Speaker 2: rugged like the Maroon Bells and Capital, but I end 1277 01:03:04,560 --> 01:03:07,520 Speaker 2: up on the Maroon Bells and Capital and Castle Peak. 1278 01:03:07,560 --> 01:03:10,040 Speaker 2: Every year I generally lead a hut trip over by 1279 01:03:10,040 --> 01:03:12,600 Speaker 2: Castle Peak every winter because we love to ski down. 1280 01:03:12,680 --> 01:03:15,520 Speaker 2: We actually ski down it this year, So yeah, I 1281 01:03:15,560 --> 01:03:17,520 Speaker 2: just love the They're so beautiful. And then for me, 1282 01:03:17,600 --> 01:03:19,360 Speaker 2: out of my backyard of vale As, you have the 1283 01:03:19,440 --> 01:03:22,280 Speaker 2: Gore Mountains and Gore Range and they're all thirteen ers. 1284 01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:26,200 Speaker 2: So because they're so they're not fourteen ers at all, 1285 01:03:26,240 --> 01:03:29,360 Speaker 2: they're more rugged. You don't see people. You know, you 1286 01:03:29,360 --> 01:03:30,880 Speaker 2: can go to a trail head on a Saturday and 1287 01:03:30,880 --> 01:03:33,920 Speaker 2: it's empty, and so I like to get out on 1288 01:03:34,040 --> 01:03:37,280 Speaker 2: places that you won't see anybody. It makes it more fun. 1289 01:03:37,320 --> 01:03:39,720 Speaker 2: Even I like that. What's your go to pieces of 1290 01:03:39,760 --> 01:03:43,480 Speaker 2: gear from a trail runner perspective? I like things that 1291 01:03:43,520 --> 01:03:46,200 Speaker 2: are fast and light, So I mean I have a 1292 01:03:46,240 --> 01:03:49,960 Speaker 2: few different sort of runners type hoodies that are like 1293 01:03:50,040 --> 01:03:54,120 Speaker 2: more lightweight windbreaker type things. And then I'm on the 1294 01:03:54,200 --> 01:03:56,440 Speaker 2: Hmalai Athlete team now, so like I love the sun 1295 01:03:56,440 --> 01:04:02,120 Speaker 2: hoodies and they're accelerator jackets are great. We give those 1296 01:04:02,160 --> 01:04:04,720 Speaker 2: to all of our clients and trips. Yeah, so we 1297 01:04:05,360 --> 01:04:07,760 Speaker 2: hook people up with some of the gear. I'm not 1298 01:04:07,800 --> 01:04:09,840 Speaker 2: a huge gearhead though, Like I'll have like shirts that 1299 01:04:09,880 --> 01:04:11,760 Speaker 2: I've had forever and I'll wear them still that kind 1300 01:04:11,800 --> 01:04:13,280 Speaker 2: of thing. People are like, do you have a hole 1301 01:04:13,280 --> 01:04:14,880 Speaker 2: in that, like get a new shirt, and I'm like, well, 1302 01:04:14,920 --> 01:04:15,600 Speaker 2: I like it, you know. 1303 01:04:15,640 --> 01:04:20,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's good to not get too Yeah. Yeah, 1304 01:04:20,400 --> 01:04:23,720 Speaker 1: I have friends that I think they enjoy the process 1305 01:04:23,720 --> 01:04:25,920 Speaker 1: of looking for and buying gear more than they do 1306 01:04:26,080 --> 01:04:27,000 Speaker 1: actually going out. 1307 01:04:26,920 --> 01:04:29,600 Speaker 2: In the wilderness. Yeah. Yeah, I always chuckle at that 1308 01:04:30,440 --> 01:04:34,560 Speaker 2: going back functional for sure, over like looks. Sometimes my 1309 01:04:34,600 --> 01:04:37,600 Speaker 2: color schemes aren't great, but although with Hamali my gear 1310 01:04:37,840 --> 01:04:40,120 Speaker 2: gets better, for sure. Yeah, I like it. 1311 01:04:40,800 --> 01:04:45,160 Speaker 1: With sort of everything you've learned from the mountains, what's 1312 01:04:45,200 --> 01:04:47,200 Speaker 1: the takeaway for the average person, Like, how do they 1313 01:04:47,280 --> 01:04:48,120 Speaker 1: use this in their own life? 1314 01:04:48,120 --> 01:04:48,640 Speaker 2: If they're like. 1315 01:04:48,600 --> 01:04:51,040 Speaker 1: I'm never going to climb a mountain, dude, Yeah, what 1316 01:04:51,040 --> 01:04:52,400 Speaker 1: can I do? And what can I learn from it? 1317 01:04:52,880 --> 01:04:54,920 Speaker 2: I mean, I think you have to accept an embrace 1318 01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:58,680 Speaker 2: being uncomfortable on some level in order to grow. I 1319 01:04:58,720 --> 01:05:02,400 Speaker 2: can stamp that seal of approval. Yeah, And I mean 1320 01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:04,919 Speaker 2: that's that's how I've lived my life now and it's 1321 01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:08,880 Speaker 2: changed my life for the better no matter what. And 1322 01:05:09,040 --> 01:05:13,120 Speaker 2: then when it comes to doing projects in the outdoors 1323 01:05:13,640 --> 01:05:16,280 Speaker 2: or signing up for a trip or going out with 1324 01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:18,960 Speaker 2: your friends, is like you should just say yes, Like 1325 01:05:19,000 --> 01:05:22,760 Speaker 2: if if someone asks you to do something crazy and audacious, 1326 01:05:23,040 --> 01:05:26,240 Speaker 2: you should always say yes, and if you do, like 1327 01:05:26,560 --> 01:05:32,040 Speaker 2: what possibly could go wrong? Something will happen. Yeah. Yeah. 1328 01:05:32,120 --> 01:05:34,400 Speaker 1: The guy I did the Heyduke with he would always 1329 01:05:34,480 --> 01:05:35,800 Speaker 1: just say something will happen. 1330 01:05:36,400 --> 01:05:37,440 Speaker 2: Like that. 1331 01:05:37,640 --> 01:05:40,080 Speaker 1: That's the most accurate sentence I've ever heard of my life. 1332 01:05:40,080 --> 01:05:43,760 Speaker 1: Something will happen, Matt. Well, John, it is awesome to 1333 01:05:43,800 --> 01:05:48,280 Speaker 1: have you. Yeah, I appreciate having here. Thanks, thanks for 1334 01:05:48,360 --> 01:05:50,600 Speaker 1: checking out the show, and thanks to John for coming 1335 01:05:50,600 --> 01:05:52,840 Speaker 1: into the studio on his way to climb another mountain. 1336 01:05:53,320 --> 01:05:55,560 Speaker 1: As a reminder, we are in your feed twice a week, 1337 01:05:55,600 --> 01:05:57,680 Speaker 1: so please keep an eye out for more. Don't forget 1338 01:05:57,720 --> 01:06:00,000 Speaker 1: to hit subscribe so you can get those updates when 1339 01:06:00,120 --> 01:06:02,400 Speaker 1: new episodes come out, and if you want to watch 1340 01:06:02,440 --> 01:06:05,320 Speaker 1: it on the new and free iHeart video app, you 1341 01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:08,280 Speaker 1: should definitely do that. We're always open to questions, so 1342 01:06:08,360 --> 01:06:11,320 Speaker 1: please send them to media at twopct dot com or 1343 01:06:11,400 --> 01:06:13,000 Speaker 1: drop them in the comments and we will be sure 1344 01:06:13,040 --> 01:06:15,520 Speaker 1: to answer as many of your questions as we can. 1345 01:06:16,160 --> 01:06:20,240 Speaker 1: As always, have fun, don't die, and find your next mountain.