Leave Nothing Left Unsaid<\/h2>\n
This has become an annual post for me, as I believe mountain climbing can be a spiritual experience if one is open to it, and it can be difficult for those left back home. So with that, here it goes, updated for 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n Leaving home to climb Mt. Everest is no simple task. It\u2019s not a business trip; it\u2019s not a vacation; it\u2019s something entirely different. While it may be your dream, it can be something altogether different for those left behind. As we approach the end of March, scores of climbers are going through this process for Everest 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s time for Everest climbers to get focused and serious about the last-minute preparations. Since their dream began, they wondered how this period would feel. They saved money, bought the gear, and trained their bodies for months or even years, but a few crucial steps remain before boarding that plane for Kathmandu.<\/span><\/p>\n One of my Summit Coach clients contacted me this week and said, \u201cHey, Alan. I\u2019m getting very stressed as I get so close. I assume that\u2019s normal?\u201d <\/span>I replied, \u201cPretty much so. Focus on spending time with those who you care most about in this world and leave home with nothing left unsaid.\u201d<\/p>\n Focus on \u201cleaving nothing unsaid\u201d with those who matter most. That\u2019s my message to anyone leaving loved ones for an extended period or perhaps even for work each morning. <\/span>Visualize being on the mountain with a positive outcome. Review your gear using a mental walk-thru of the climb to ensure you have everything you need and want. Finally, surround yourself with positive people who have fun, laugh, and support you.<\/span><\/p>\n For this last prep step, let\u2019s examine physical, mental, and emotional areas.<\/span><\/p>\n With days to go, this area has become simpler than a year ago. Bottom line\u2014don\u2019t get sick, don\u2019t get hurt. The time for pushing your limits has passed. Now is the time to let your body rest. Get as much sleep as you can. A night of restful sleep is when your body heals and restores. You will not sleep as well during your expedition as at home, so take advantage of these last few nights.<\/span><\/p>\n Having the right attitude is crucial to a successful expedition. First, clear off all the items on your to-do list now. Don\u2019t wait until the last minute. If you have been putting off buying snacks, that last piece of gear, or ensuring your cell phone works with the Ncell<\/a> network, get \u2018er done. Make sure your carrier unlocks the phone.<\/span><\/p>\n Now is the time to get everything at work in order. Train your replacement, talk to your boss, and ensure there are no loose ends and surprises that will haunt you during the climb. Two months is a long time away from work. If something blows up in week five, you can do nothing about it while on Everest, but you can make sure you have done all you can before you leave. <\/span>But don\u2019t overdo it. Trust those you leave behind to do the right thing. If you don\u2019t, you probably shouldn\u2019t be going.<\/span><\/p>\n If you are a list person, make a list and celebrate by checking off the items. If you keep everything in your head, consider using lists to clear your brain for more important subjects.\u00a0<\/span>Having these monkeys on your shoulders only weighs you down and distracts you from what is most important: preparing yourself emotionally.<\/span><\/p>\n Emotional is probably the most important of these three areas. My simple advice: leave nothing unsaid<\/strong><\/em>. <\/span>I\u2019ve written about this philosophy for my climbs and Everest for over a decade, and it remains the best advice I can give anyone leaving for Everest.<\/span><\/p>\n I remember overhearing a teammate on an 8,000-meter climb yelling at his soon-to-be ex-wife about divorce terms. Not only was he seriously upset and distracted, but this brought negativity to the entire camp. <\/span>Another teammate was intent on complaining about her spouse and how he never understood her. While she may have felt better, the negativity was unnecessary and not helpful to everyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n Everyone has emotional baggage they carry with them, but an Everest expedition is not the time or place to resolve them. Your Everest teammates are not your therapists.\u00a0<\/span>This week is the time to begin to get closure. No, you cannot solve years-long issues in a few days, but you can try to reach an agreement and closure on a few crucial areas.<\/span><\/p>\n Take time to have a family talk about your climb. Get everyone together in the same room and talk openly about the schedule, what to expect, and when you will call or send an email. Set expectations so you minimize surprises. And remember to tell everyone that no news is not bad news; it is just no news.<\/span><\/p>\n Ensure everyone knows Everest Base Camp is remote and communications are spotty, regardless of what they may read. If voice-to-voice and live communications are vital to you, buy or rent a Thuraya or Iridium satellite phone. It is the only method you can 100% count on from anywhere on the mountain. Yes, it\u2019s expensive, but hearing your loved one\u2019s voice after a disaster like an avalanche or earthquake is beyond measure.<\/span><\/p>\n If you have parents who live far away, take time to call them and listen carefully to their fears. Talk them through everything. Of all people, they most likely don\u2019t understand why you are climbing. This moment is not the time to argue; it is the time to listen and tell them that you know that they don\u2019t understand and that you love them.<\/span><\/p>\n Talk about your summit night and when you will leave. Calculate the time difference so they are clear. If you say you are leaving High Camp at 10:00 pm, what time is that back home? Explain that it may take 12 to 20 hours before they might hear anything. Also, discuss your guide or logistics service and what they post online. Most importantly, discuss the lack of communication that always occurs during the summit push.<\/span><\/p>\n If you use a GPS tracker, set expectations that batteries go dead. The devices are not 100% accurate, so again, don\u2019t jump to a conclusion when something looks odd; for example, your position appears hundreds of miles from your last spot. Talk about what they might read online and how the press loves to post stories about climbers in trouble and death on the mountain. Set up a support system if something goes wrong. It is OK to talk about problems and what to do.<\/span><\/p>\n Ensure your spouse, partner, or significant other knows who to contact in an emergency. If you go with a well-established Western company, they will probably provide a contact available 24 hours a day. Clearly understand how to contact your family in an emergency, especially if you are climbing with a small outfit or one of the Sherpa-based guide outfits.<\/span><\/p>\n Emergency communication is the one area to ensure there is no confusion. If you have an email or phone number for your guide service, ask how often it is checked and by whom. You might be surprised to learn that the same person you are climbing with is chartered to answer the emergency phone. So, if you are both at Camp 3, no one will answer the phone or respond to that email.<\/span><\/p>\n If someone close to you is currently ill, be clear on what information you would like to receive if their situation worsens. Please don\u2019t leave it up to those at home to guess. Talk it over now, face to face.<\/span><\/p>\n But it gets more complicated. Ensure your \u201cperson\u201d knows your choice if something happens to you on the mountain. If you die, do you want your body returned home, if possible, and can you afford it? If not, are you comfortable being left on the mountain forever? Are your loved ones comfortable with your choice?<\/span><\/p>\n But this is the essential emotional step: Have a conversation with the person in your life who matters most to you. Be open, candid, and honest. Tell them how you feel. Share your dreams and your hopes with them. Carefully listen as they tell you their fears, what will keep them up at night.<\/span><\/p>\n While you may be on the mountain, they are climbing with you each step of the way back home. You have the advantage of knowing what is happening; they can only guess, and sometimes they will guess wrongly. <\/span>Often, there are no answers to these fears or dreams, but talking about them together will help you feel closer when you are lying in the tent at Camp 4, with the wind howling and the temperature dropping. You will remember that conversation forever.<\/span><\/p>\n Surprise your climber and your loved one with a short video message left on their phone that they can watch before heading toward the top of the world. Your confidence and energy will touch them in ways you never imagined. And those left at home will draw on that conversation as they struggle to go to bed on your summit night.<\/span> It might have been days since they last heard from you, and this conversation will be the strength they draw, the comfort as they replay your voice in their mind.<\/span><\/p>\n Climbing Everest requires a team, and part of your team is at home.<\/span><\/p>\n Leave nothing left unsaid.<\/p>\n The Icefall Doctors are busy “fixing” the Icefall with ladders and rope. They plan to reach Camp 2 in early April, right on time.<\/p>\n Some teams are already trekking to Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side. IMG<\/a> reports:<\/p>\n Ang Jangbu reports from Namche that Team 1 had a nice hike today, with fine weather and rhododendrons blooming along the trail. \u00a0The team departed Phakding and hiked for a couple hours up to Monjo, which is the official Sagarmatha Park entrance.\u00a0 After going through the formalities associated with entering the Park, the team headed on to the big Namche Hill, crossing several spectacular foot bridges along the way. Ang Jangbu says that everyone did well, and the team were all in Namche Bazaar (11,300 ft) by 3pm.<\/p>\n Back in Kathmandu Phunuru and Pasang report that most of the Team 2 have now arrived and they will be packing tomorrow in preparation for an early departure for Lukla the following morning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Nepal Department of Tourism has begun issuing climbing permits. This is the tally as of March 27:<\/p>\nPhysical<\/span><\/h3>\n
Mental<\/span><\/h3>\n
Emotional<\/span><\/h3>\n
Closure<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Family Meeting<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Communications Blackout<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Who to Call?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
How Much Information?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Have the Talk<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Everest 2024 Potpourri<\/h2>\n
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