A Climber's Dream - revisited

It's amazing how fast time passes. Two years ago today I was on my way to climb Mount Everest. I had just crossed the Nepalese/Chinese border and everything seemed right on schedule.

That is, however, not the case with Everest north side teams today. The Chinese have placed restrictions upon foreigners from entering into their country. The forecast for gaining permission to enter China through Zhangmu is a bit uncertain. The agreed upon date to lift these restrictions is constantly being pushed back. The deadline will arrive and the Chinese will change their minds. This can be frustrating, demoralizing, and utterly devestating. These climbers have put many months of sweat and hard work into training for the mountain of their dreams; only to arrive in Nepal and find out that their climb has been postponed at best and canceled at worst. Wow! That would be hard to deal with. Their dreams may be shattered.

You see, for many a climber Mount Everest represents the pinnacle of climbing achievement. The privilege of standing upon the highest piece of real estate in the world is a feat that few have done. Yes, climbing Mount Everest has become more popular in recent years but the challenge remains the same. Past or present, yesterday or today, there will always be those who push themselves to the edge of endurance. That is part of the allure of climbing Mount Everest.

I often wonder if I have the endurance to climb Mount Everest. Physical endurance yes, with God's help. Mental endurance though, is a little harder for me. Therefore I now rely heavily upon my wife and son at home to cheer me on. This cheering section is what will help propel me up the Big E when my physical endurance is waning.

I have a lot to do if I am to climb Mount Everest in just under one year. Relational, spiritual, financial, professional, physical, and mental challenges all loom hauntingly in front of me. Will I make it? Can I do it? What lies ahead? Please follow along as the next year unfolds.

About this blog

Welcome to "A Climber's Dream". We all dream. We all dream differently. For 12 years now I have dreamed of climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. God has blessed me in numerous ways throughout life and I have truly been able to travel, climb, and enjoy His creation ... from the top. Just not the top of Mount Everest.

I have been climbing now for almost 13 years and and I am grateful to say that I have tasted the bitterly cold air of 8,000 meters. On September 29, 2005 I stood on the summit of Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world at 8,201 meters a.s.l. (26,907'). As I stood there gazing toward Mount Everest, just a mere 25 miles away, I couldn't help but wish I was standing "over there". I resolved that maybe now I had gained enough experience, through a 10 year climbing "apprenticeship", to someday scale to the lofty summit of Mount Everest. The dream persisted and partially came true in the pre-monsoon climbing season of 2007. I traveled to Tibet to scale Mount Everest, or Chomolungma as the Tibetans call her.

I am a Christian and I believe in the truth found within the Bible. I believe the Scriptures when in the book of Isaiah God said, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

You see, my thoughts were of Everest and my ways were of climbing as much and as often as I could. Many times to the detriment of several key relationships. One of those being my wife and her desire to start a family. Whilst on Everest I learned that my wife and I were no longer "just the two of us". We were quickly to be the three of us. My wife was pregnant with our first child and she was thrilled. Suddenly the Mount Everest climb became not as important and I could no longer focus on the task at hand. When scaling Chomolungma, she demands 110% committment. If, even for just a moment, your focus is not on the business of climbing, the icy cold slopes of the highest point on Earth may be your final resting place. Climbing Mount Everest in 2007 was not meant to be.

All of this brings me to the purpose of this blog. The desire to climb Mount Everest still lingers. With intensity! I am prayerfully considering returning to Mount Everest in the pre-monsoon season of 2010. This blog will chronicle the upcoming year. You will meet my wife Diana and our son Alexander. You will follow along as I train for the physical and mental demands of Mount Everest. You too will see the view from many mountain tops through my photographs. Perhaps this will lead you to dream and achieve what was formerly just a passing thought.