Sublime

an opportunity to prove to the world that everything, anything, was possible if an individual dedicated their heart and mind to a plan.

because of our fading energy levels, to stop and rest would have caused us to fail.

but Kanchenjunga was renowned for being brutally tough to climb; few people had the resilience, luck, or strength to reach its peak because the ascent to the summit from Camp 4 – which was pitched 7,750 metres above sea level – was a soul-breaking grind.

In turn, that one half-hearted effort might have led to countless other half-hearted efforts on the climb.

We were to move fast, pushing immediately to the top in one hit, rather than resting for a day at Camps 1, 2, 3 and 4, like normal expeditions usually did.

The first was applicable to shin- to knee-deep snow: in those conditions a climber had to make footfalls by lifting their knee to their chest with every step, then planting their foot firmly.

If I could show kids and adults alike what was humanly achievable, then my far-fetched ambitions might inspire others to think big; to push themselves in ways that were previously considered unimaginable.

I was fast learning that the biggest challenge for any climber was self-awareness; it’s impossible for anyone to run or hide from themselves, their truth, on the mountain.