April 8th, 2019
People have a lot of opinions about Everest/Chomolungma/Sagarmatha. I’ll admit, I used to have a strong opinion too. I thought Everest was passé. But a lot changed for me when I saw the mountain in real life. I knew right away I wanted to climb (and ski) it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I spent a lot of time researching different ways to climb an 8000m peak before going to Cho Oyu and Everest. I don’t go to the Himalayas to “conquer” and I am intentional about my approach to this climb. Since it's my first time going to almost 9000m, I decided to climb with @alpenglowexpeditions and the support of oxygen, Sherpas, and guides. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Alpenglow pays high altitude mountain workers top wages, outfits Sherpa in the best gear available, and places their safety at an equal level to their clients and guides. We'll practice Leave No Trace ethics on the mountains, including carrying out our own human waste (PSA: poop is trash too). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For me, it’s important to have humility in how I approach the highest peak in the world and to do it with a margin of safety for my first time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s a huge privilege to be able to step foot on the mountain. We are conscientious of the issues and are making an effort to do better. I’m going with an open mind, a positive attitude, and a belief that climbing mountains (and sharing on social media) can bring out the best parts of the human spirit. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#ClimbForEquality #everest2019
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