Find A Way To Win

“Find a way to win.” I am not sure where this came from but I hear it a lot usually after I experience a loss. In my 65 years I can tell you nothing great in life comes with the absolute guarantee of success. Most of my lessons to grandkids are from my failures. On mountains, at work and in life I choose to do hard things, the success I have while trying to hard things are cherished, but I must also allow the possibility of failure creep into my thoughts and plan for another retreat. I have had to retreat 3 times in the last 10 years due to health or conditions, that too is a plan that got me off a mountain and home safely.

The plan this season is I am climbing with myself and 2 guides on a fixed rope. Jessy and Grants combined age is 50 something. I am 65 when I get home. I will be on the last trip of the season the lower mountain will be trickier with the snow bridges collapsing over the crevasses and a little warmer. The good thing is this is my guides second trip of the season and have been up here for a month. Neither reaching the top. They have cached food, fuel, tents up the mountain which means we only will double carry to high camp saving us time. We plan to go light and fast, food high camps is ramen and oatmeal plus the snacks I have in my bag. If everything goes perfect I make it home for grand kid # 5.

Lesson to grandkid:

Do hard things. I know I kind of said this many times “Climb a mountain” “choose your own Yak trails” but this time it is about trying again after failure. Which I’ve found is sometimes harder than the mountain.