#Part 1
As I was thinking about a headline for this 1st part (of 3), I happened to listen to a song and suddenly the lyrics "don't second guess your heart, it's never wrong", sung by Imaginary Future, got stuck in my head. Perfect. It was so fitting when imagining the road I've traveled in order to make this expedition happen. Broken knees, broken hip, ripped tendons and lack of financing, but that's just half of the story. I've also gained new knowledge, unforgettable experiences, reached out to people, having people reached out to me, learned how to ask for help, expanded my mind and perception of my capabilities, made friends for life and also met new people from whom I have received invaluable lessons and support.
We all have our stories. Believe me, I second guessed my goals and dreams every now and again. Sometimes more often than not. I have prepared for this expedition for the last 3 years. In my experience, what matters is the focus we choose and how we go about making a conscious, determined and deliberate effort to trust our heart and the reasons for giving in to this dream in the first place. No matter what.
When I got the dream of climbing Mt. Everest I knew that I had a lot of preparation in front of me. I needed to make a timeline, a plan of the mountains I needed to climb, which courses to take, which books to read, which people to learn from, how to get the finances to realize every expedition, how to train, how to get sponsors, what to sacrifice and what to prioritize. What I at first set out to accomplish quickly became my life, and a bit later also one of my 6 jobs. That's what I love, to be completely absorbed by the things I love. When the challenge requires everything, it's all or nothing, unwavering commitment and focus. I makes it worth it.
Proceeding with my plan I went to Mt. Kilimanjaro 3 times, and 2 out of those times I had the privilege and fortune of guiding groups heading to the summit. I got in to rock-climbing and did a few courses, after which I started learning about bouldering and ice-climbing. I read everything that I could possibly get my hands on that covered high altitude, wilderness medicine, equipment, traversing, climbing, mountain weather conditions, AMS, avalanche skills and safety training. You name it! However I had, and still have, a lot to learn. Since there's no better way of learning than by doing, I started planning an expedition in the Himalayas. I wanted to be close to Everest in order to prepare myself mentally, but also get to know the area and live in that environment for a least one month. I got in contact with a Canadian climber Tim Ripple who was getting a group together for climbing 3 peaks in that area. It was called "Mt. Everest Boot Camp", specifically mapped out to fit climbers who had Mt. Everest waiting ahead. We set out to climb Island Peak, Pokalde Peak and Lobuche Peak. In between summit attempts and hiking from one mountain to another, the idea was to train all the skills necessary to get prepared for Everest. I was done, I was going on this expedition. No matter what.
Don't second guess your heart, it's never wrong...