People, Not Things

Tikot Villages wave goodbye

Saying goodbye to the Tikot villagers was surprisingly hard. The kids were so sweet, the teachers so grateful, and the community so welcoming that I almost decided to stay another month. During my farewell ceremony, I was showered with flowers, ordained with leis, and gifted a special hat and bag. Yuba had tears in his eyes, I got all choked up, and the headmaster of the school proclaimed it as a historical event that the people will "never forget".

I already miss my new friends and "family". I believe that they taught me much more than I was able to teach. Undoubtedly, it was the people of Tikot that touched me. And so it is with life... People and relationships matter more than materials, destinations, and "things". Along this same train of thought, it goes to say that when working to help people elevate themselves out of poverty, you must focus on people, not things. Finding bright spots, gifting ownership, and instilling dignity will do more for a town than the nicest computers and newest health clinics.

I made it back to Kathmandu safely and have had a wonderful couple days working with Tika (my guide from Mera Peak) develop a new web site. In addition, I had a wonderful meeting with Dr. Saroj Dhital - the genius behind the Nepal Wireless Project (of which I will be writing much more on, soon). I leave you with Dr. Dhital's parting words to me

"We are all citizens of this world, and its only pure chance that we were born where we were. But if we continue to cross borders and join hands - as we are doing now - than not only is a better world possible, but we will be moving towards it... Together"

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Fun side note. On the way back to Kathmandu, I stopped in Pokhara for 1 day with Pradeep. We traveled the surroundings for a day with his family, and on a side-hike to the Peace Pagoda we ended up on a beautiful trail, that also happened to be covered in trash. Upon crossing the first plastic bag carelessly littered on the side of the trail, Pradeep looked at me questioningly "Eco trek?". "Every day should be an Eco trek" I responded. After one hour of hiking our hands were full of trash, and Pradeep's wife and uncle had joined us in the clean-up effort. Like I wrote about in 'Cleaner Than When You Found It", I truly believe that the clean-up efforts we initiated will stick. Not because of the presence of trash cans or plastics bags, but because of the people that hold them. Again, its about the people, not things.

Find a Bright Spot, Make it Brighter

Change is HARD.

In Tikot, Nepal, I knew that 3 weeks would not be enough time to educate a community, bring wealth, or make drastic improvements to healthcare. There were also some additional challenges I never expected:

English Homework assignment.
Written by a 10th grader - best
English student in class.

• Power outages occur multiple times a day, sometimes for days at a time
• Internet outages are common
• Educational structure is very different... There are no grades, no tests to check progress, and no other incentives to study after classes, so the students copy each other's assignments
• Computers are used wisely by the older students, but no training for the younger students means that groups of children pile around the computers and haphazardly hit keys and swipe at the mouse trying to load Pinball or Tom and Jerry videos on YouTube (thought one computer dose have a Justin Bieber background...)

But even with these unexpected challenges, I knew that there was enough time to instill dignity, gift ownership, do some cleaning, and lay the foundation for change.

There are far too many theories on how to execute effective, positive change, and most are insanely complex. Like most things, the simpler ones are typically the most effective. Building on strengths is not only an effective educational paradigm, but also crucial for personnel development of employees, improving quality of teams, and here in Tikot, is vital to this town's journey of lifting itself out of poverty.

A phrase, inspired by the Heath Brother's book 'Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard' is one I have adopted in almost all aspects of life: Find a Bright Spot, Make It Brighter. The notion is simple: Find something that works, and then make it more effective; then inspire others to emulates its success (Fast Company wrote a good article on this same topic: Don't Solve Problems - Copy Success).

Yuba Pun

In Tikot, Yuba Pun is a bright and shining star. As a young, energetic, well-respected English teacher and youth group leader, Yuba is looked up to by the youth and treated as an equal by the elders. In order to sustain positive change in Tikot after I leave, I have been working to empower Yuba to continue progress. 

To say that I am confident in his capabilities is an understatement. In our talks together, he consistently says "I want to do everything I can to help my people of Tikot". Already, he has helped lead the clean-up effort, and has been working tirelessly to learn new web-based tools to make the new Tikot School website (in addition to energetically teaching his classes and leading the youth group to revamp a small old building into a community center).

He is working hard to improve his English and computer skills, and wants to go take special classes in Kathmandu to further his knowledge. With increased knowledge, he will be able to (and wants to):

• Teach English more effectively
• Properly instruct students of all ages how to use the computers here, especially the educational programs
• Instruct the Community Health Workers how to use the Internet to find more health information. In addition, these health workers are connected to the Nepal Telehealth Program so that they can continue education while not with patients, and also live-teleconference with doctors in Kathmandu for complex cases. With his new knowledge, Yuba can also provide tech support to them.
• Maintain the computer lab and the Health Center to ensure more up-time
• Teach the community how to use the Internet to research problems and issues, including health inquiries and maintenance issues around the village
• Start a cyber cafe as a sustainable business to profit from the new eco-trekking routes coming through this region starting next season

A little education here goes a long way, and I am excited to see the change that Yuba creates. I will continue to support Yuba and the school's website after I leave, and promise to provide updates. If you are interested in supporting Tikot School, please visit the school's website at www.TikotSchool.com for instructions.

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I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED to add that I have received a commitment of $2,000 to support Yuba's ongoing education, as well as a generous donation of laptops, technical equipment and educational software from the Seattle-based Nucleus Group of companies: White Space Healthcare Marketing, Cymbal Interactive and Appature, Inc. These companies specialize in empowering healthcare companies to meet their business goals with industry-leading strategic planning, award-winning creative, cutting-edge web-development and enterprise marketing software solutions that empower marketers with surprisingly simple solutions. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE AT THE NUCLEUS GROUP!!!

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*Full disclosure. The author is a partner at Cymbal Interactive.

Cleaner Than When You Found It

I have lived (or at least tried to live) by this golden rule. It's one of the reasons I stopped in the town of Tikot, Nepal for 3 weeks to volunteer, as well being one of my primary motivations for embarking on my global giving adventure. After taking some time to better understand the culture, motivations, key players and road to progress here in Nepal, I have been tirelessly working to implement sustainable change.

The latest highlight came while on a 3-day trek to the ecolodges in Khopra and Mohare with the headmaster and two other teachers from the Tikot School. This 3 day adventure covered nearly 50 miles and a total of almost 15,000 vertical feet of walking. Being a new eco-trekking route (to be offered by Nature Trek Himalaya and benefiting the local villages), we stayed on local trails, had tea in remote villages, and stayed at lodges still under construction. Like most of Nepal (similar to most 3rd world nations), trash is a BIG issue - even in these remote 'eco' areas.

Teachers showing up
with hands full of trash

While on the trek, I made a habit of picking up trash and packing it out. When questioned about my activity, I explained how trash along trekking route, especially environmentally-responsible trekking routes, is a huge turn-off for foreign travelers. I explained how the pollution and trash in Nepal is keeping tourists from returning and is tarnishing the reputation of the magnificent Himalayas.

I also tried to explain the 'Broken Window Theory' - One person might litter a plastic bottle in a pond if its already full of trash, but the same person would never be the first to throw the same bottle in a pristine pool of water - hence the importance of keeping areas clean to prevent future littering and vandalism. This sparked a fury of conversation in Nepali amongst the teachers and soon I was forgotten (or so I thought). At our next stopping point, each teacher showed up with hands full of trash.

I quickly dug through my pack and removed some plastic bags (which I had been using as waterproof covers for my clothes to keep them dry during the daily thunderstorms - cleaning up was way more important than dry clothes!). With bags in hand we continued our trek, and hilarity ensued. All of a sudden I would hear one of the teachers yell "ECO TREK!" as he bent down to pick up more trash. Every couple minutes the cheer would be repeated... again and again and again and again...

As we reached villages or lodges, we would deposit the trash in safe receptacles and continued cleaning up. I moved to the back of the line, smiling at the efforts of these dedicated men, and joining in with the cleaning and shouting. We picked up trash for nearly two full days... easily enough to fill 2 large trash cans.

While following these cleaners of Nepal, I reflected on how simple this change was, and how important this lesson is for all interested in 'changing the world':

1. Instill dignity of self, others and environment
2. Inspire those in need of the possibility for a brighter future
3. Give the gift of ownership
4. Empower them to be successful

And here is proof that it worked. Picking up trash on one trek is easy... but it's what happened afterwards that blew me away. The teachers, who frequently lead the youth group, inspired the students to start a village-wide trash clean-up program. The youth went around and placed trash bins in key areas, and will periodically be going around to clean these out. And, with so many kids involved, the message of "trash goes in bins" quickly went through the entire community. Even the elders can be seen picking up trash and depositing it into these well placed bins... Sustainable change accomplished!

The teachers with their bags of trash before our final
descent into Tikot Village - this collection was
from the last 1 hour of trekking.

Here are some picture higlights from the trek:

Give the Gift of Ownership

"Take charge, otherwise a terrible thing can happen... nothing."

Before I begin, I am not advocating that we all become hot-headed Type A's. I'm advocating for sustainable, positive change... for our planet, and of ourselves. I am learning A LOT while working with the villagers, students, and teachers in Tikot, Nepal, and I am finding this latest lesson to be especially important: In order to excel at a task, somebody must first assume full ownership of it.

One of my favorite quotes is that "School is wasted on students". And Mark Twain took it one step further when he said "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education". Reflecting further on this, I also feel confident in saying that many similar quotes are also true, like "Adventure tourism is wasted on adventurers" and "Jobs are wasted on employees". If you think about your own experiences, I think you will agree that:

• The most passionate learners are actually those not in school
• The most adventures people plan their own trips
• The most satisfied employees have actively shaped their own jobs or started their own ventures

Inevitably, the most rewarding, memorable, and meaningful experiences come when you take FULL responsibility for the outcomes and execution. 

Following a guide through a foreign land dulls your mind, and removes the risk and uncertainty that are key to an adventure, and as a result, is lacking in excitement. Blindly completing homework assignments and attending lectures to earn good grades does not promote engagement nor retention, and does not translate to real-world performance. Grudgingly following a job description and assigned projects is equally as uninspiring and demotivating.

So while the immediate take-away is clear that our personal performance and satisfaction can be improved if we approach things with passion and enthusiasm as opposed to taking commands or proceeding with assigned duties, I think the real challenge for us is to coach other people to do that same. In short, the best way to promote progress in areas of need is to:

1. Help people see the possibility of a brighter tomorrow
2. Show them that they are in command of their destinies (as well as their community's)
3. Empower them with tools and knowledge so they can be successful

In order to elevate others, you first have to elevate yourself.

In other words, don't simply become a teacher, tour guide or employer.  While working with the villagers in Tikot, there are a lot of things I could tell people to do, like "Pick up all this trash", "Build a chimney", "Wash your hands", "Don't smoke", "Collect animal waste for fertilize and fuel", the list goes on-and-on... But assigning tasks, while easier at first, does NOT produce long-lasting positive change.

Instead, you must give the gift of ownership by empowering others to be successful. I let the students own the library. I gift dignity every chance I get. I educate people how to leverage information on the Internet, and then gift them access to computers and ongoing support to develop their own knowledge.  I help people embrace the thrill of discovery and progress by solving their own challenges... and the results are inspiring!

Ownership is a gift, and we are responsible for gifting it.

Dignity Fuels Progress

Two girls from grade 3...
they great me like this every morning and I return the bow

Dignity is priceless. 

Through my time here working with the villagers and teachers in Tikot, Nepal, I feel more confident in saying that dignity is really the cornerstone of progress. And instilling dignity in poverty-stricken area is one of the first foundational blocks that must be put in place with painstaking attention and care.

Life in Tikot is different... VERY different. We eat with our hands (or rather just your right hand) while sitting on the floor. There are two meals everyday, and they are almost the exact same "dal bhat" (curried lentils with rice). The houses are small and, like the school, are made of mud and rock.

Children at water fountain

No laundry machines and infrequent water supplies make clean clothes and bodies a weekly splurge. The town shares a series of small water fountains that are often times empty (though getting better as we get closer to Monsoon Season). The best English speaker is hardly conversational and probably around a 6th grade reading level. Chickens, oxen and goats share the streets with people, and the toilets are holes in the ground (though sometimes they are porcelain holes in the ground).

But at the end of the day, the people are still people, and wonderful people at that. And like you and I, they are capable of love, laughter, empathy, and other extraordinary things.


If you believe, as I do, that we are all wired to be empathic beings, than you no doubt appreciate the idea of dignity even more.

So how do you instill dignity? As a foreign 'volunteer', I follow these self-made rules to instill dignity:

1. Start by treating everybody as equals... with dignity
2. Be equal... get your hands dirty, and smile while doing it
3. Invest time, energy and money in the people... not things

In reflecting on these 3 simple rules, I can't help but liken them to lessons of leadership. They also seem very similar to lessons of managing employees, being a stand-out friend, and creating positive change. This, of course, really shouldn't surprise me as much as it did. Try this simple exercise:

• Pick any country with major issues relating to poverty and crime. Does this country treat everyone as equals? Now, think of a more ideal country... does it evangelize and enforce freedom and equality?
• Reflect on a not-so-great manager. Did this person get their hands dirty with you? Now reflect on your favorite manager... was he or she willing to do the dirty work in times of need?
• Think about a company with poor motivation. Did this company invest in its people? Now think about a good company... did this company invest both time and money into developing its employees?

I could on for a long time about the importance of instilling dignity in all walks of life, but for now I'll leave you with this challenge: Where is one place you can instill dignity in somebody that needs it?

For more on dignity, specifically as a tool to alleviate poverty, I recommend thisgreat video on "dignity" from the incredibly impactful Acumen Fund (one of my favorite organizations). My favorite quote is at around 2 minutes:

Unlocking a Library (and a future)

Panorama of Tikot from the school... Annapurna in the background

I think one of my greatest contributions to the town of Tikot will be unlocking its "library" - a  cabinet in the headmaster's office that is locked for safe keeping. Combined with the English books I brought (fun and educational), there is now a somewhat decent collection for this school of 150 students to share. The challenge, however, is that nobody here understands the notion of a check-in/check-out library.

And for that matter, I don't think the students realize the joy that comes from a real book besides the cheap black and white learning tools. So... I showed them!

First, I brought science books loaded with pictures of wild animals to the 10th graders. They almost fought to decide who could take the limited supply of books home for the night! And while the the girls are very shy of cameras (to the left), they loved the books!

Next, I took short stories with lost of pictures to the 4th graders. This was my favorite! After I passed out the books, I sat back to watch. Not ever having read a short book before, the students didn't know what to do... so they flipped through vociferously, and then, before I knew what was happening, were flying around the room, pointing out pictures to each other, correcting pronunciations, and trading books.

Things got really crazy with the 4th graders when I started reading one of the stories out loud... I got totally ambushed! The second that words started spilling from my mouth, they swarmed over me, nearly knocking me over, and huddled in as closely as possible for the rest of the story. When possible, they did their best to repeat after me.

Hilarity ensued when I shared more books with the 8th and 9th graders, too. Lots of sharing, questions, fervent flipping of pages... it was wonderful! Daily now, I send the kids home with books and I am amazed at how much they attach themselves to them!

Letter from the top 10th grader

It made me remember how hard it is to learn a new language. At best, the 10th graders (the highest level of mandated public education in Nepal), have a 3rd grade reading level. But even this, considering the circumstances, is good.

They learn English from a teacher who is not yet conversational, and they only study it for 30-40min a day, on a good day, and they don't have any books to read or English homework (I realized that homework is rarely assigned, quizzes don't exist, and copying is considered normal here).

Think how quickly you lose proficiency at a skill if you don't practice... these students are never given the opportunity to get proficient. But having books... these are like magical tools here. Students pay more attention with their interest piqued. They associate words with pictures, and they get to read together and help each other through trouble spots. And then they can go home, and, finally, practice with quality materials.

No way that I can teach English to a 150 students and 14 teachers in 3 weeks. But I can help put in place some best-practices and habits that will ensure life-long learning (I hope). I believe that unlocking the library is one of the key life-lessons here. Not just for them, but for me, too.

What library can you unlock?

Here are more pictures of the students from Tikot Secondary School:

Good News, Bad News

(written 5/8/2011)
BAD NEWS:

The bus didn't make it to Beni (my overnight stop before walking the rest of the way to Tikot). In retrospect, this shouldn't have surprised me considering the quality of the roads, the condition of the "micro-bus" and the aggressive nature of our driver. I actually left the bus with bruises on my head, left arm and right knee...


GOOD NEWS:

I did make it to Beni! "Luckily", the bus broke down with only 1 mile left to Beni. So I put on my pack, loaded with an extra 30lbs of books for the children of Tikot, and walked in the heat and humidity of lowland Nepal the rest of the way to Beni. In Beni, I was met by a local man, Lal (seen in the picture to the right crossing the foot bridge helping me carry books), who would help me find the mountain village of Tikot.  If all goes well from here out, we will make it to Tikot tomorrow, which will be my home for the following 3 weeks.


BAD NEWS:

A "nice" bridge...

Like Kathmandu, rural Nepal is super poor, dirty, and deteriorating. Rivers are shrouded in trash, homes are mostly simple rock and clay with tin roofing secured by rocks, and the poor roads and electrical grid make these distant places seem all the much more removed from progress. This remoteness means that access to fundamental services like healthcare and education is even more challenging to instill than I imagined.


GOOD NEWS:

The people are AMAZING. They are sharing, caring, sweet and eager to learn more and develop this country so that their children have more opportunities than they dreamed of having.

(To the left, locals on the CROWDED bus).




BAD NEWS:

Lal leading the way UP!

Tikot is a rough place, and getting here is rough. There is electricity... sometimes... There is Internet even more rarely, and while it does have an "advanced" school, its conditions are decrepit at best. Its a 4,100ft climb from the end of the road that winds through terraced and deserted farm lands - even more unreal is that anybody thought of farming these steep... It took about 3 hours in the scorching sun to hike to up 7,700ft, and the daily thunderstorms made the climb a little nerve-racking.

GOOD NEWS:

I made it to Tikot and was greeted by the headmaster and half of the students with flower leis and a "blessed" shawl that will bring me good fortune. It was a warm welcome to this remote village and I have felt strangely at home ever since.

I even have my own place to stay here... a small shack that made our tool shat back home seem luxurious. I have an overly firm mattress (straw... I think), a rickety chart, and some wooden shudders that don't know if they should be open or closed. Either way, there are holes everywhere that don't stop the 4 inch long spiders from entering at will...

Annapurna towers above my 'home'

My "home" is perched over a terrace that houses 7 bleating sheep, who are one terrace above 2 rather loud oxen, one of which has the loudest cow bell on record and proceeds to ring it at all hours of the night. At my same level, about 25ft to the right, are another 2 oxen which I can practically hear go to the restroom... at least when the roosters running around the village aren't coo-cooing up a storm. To say that this is different is an understatement.

Nilgiri from my 'window'

From my shudders, which for the moment are open, I peer across a valley and onto developing thunderclouds (a daily occurrence) that are beginning to develop the Annapurna, Nilgiri, and Dhaulagiri mastiffs. It's unreal and surreal at the same time:  The poorest village I have ever seen surrounded by the most awe-inspiring and massive mountains I've seen (yes, more massive than Everest as the relief from valley floor to peak is around 23,000 feet). Good news or bad, no matter what happens here, I couldn't be more fortunate for this experience.


Upon finishing this post, I am reminded of a fable I heard referenced in a few Buddhist teachings that goes like this:

"The story starts with a farmer whose horse ran off. When his neighbor came to console him the farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?” When his horse returned the next day with a herd of horses following her, the foolish neighbor came to congratulate him on his good fortune. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the farmer.

Then, when the farmer’s son broke his leg trying to ride one of the new horses, the foolish neighbor came to console him again. “Who knows what’s good or bad?” said the wise farmer. When the army passed through, conscripting men for war, they passed over the farmer’s son because of his broken leg. When the foolish man came to congratulate the farmer that his son would be spared, again the wise farmer said “Who knows what’s good or bad?"

Maybe "Good News, Bad News" was a poor title for this post. News is news and according to some guy that said cool things, "Life is 10% of what happens to us, and 90% of how we react to it." I supposed the same applies to volunteering, traveling, teaching, working, and well, pretty much all things that make up life...

But here is the crux of this post. This little town needs you, I need you, and pretty much this worlds needs you to be a purveyor of something beyond "bad news" and "bad luck". You have the ability to be . Whether it its filtering negativity or creating positive opportunities, some good will, some giving back, and a big smile can go a LONG way.

Give More Than You Take

(written May 6, 2011)
I was told these very words from famous American climber Conrad Anker in 2005 when, during a very fortunate meeting, I expressed my desire to visit the Himalayas. These words have stuck with me and align perfectly with my Mom's life lesson of always leaving a place cleaner than when you found it. For this reason, I could think of nothing better than capping my successful ski expedition to Mera Peak with an equal amount of time spent volunteering in this amazing country.

I am in Kathmandu now and leave early tomorrow morning for the town of Tikot... I will take a "local minibus" (lord help me!) for 9 hours to Beni. I will spend the night there before taking another (and much shorter) bus ride the following day. From the end of the road, I will walk a full day to my home for the next 3 weeks: The town of Tikot.

Once there, I will stay with a local family and work at the local school 5.5 days per week. On my 1.5 free days/week, I can do smaller circuit treks to towns of Mohare and Khopra. All of which (Tikot included) have views of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri (both infamous 8,000+ peaks).

This area of Nepal has benefited from the Nepal wireless project, so I will not only be helping at a school that teaches grades 1 to 10, but also helping students and other locals use computers and the Internet... This means that, other than during the times of rolling blackouts, I will not only be helping with education, but also helping create sustainable, long-term revenue-generating opportunities for the people of Tikot (hopefully).

I will be back to Kathmandu on the 29th of May (give or take) where I will spend a day or 2 working with Tika - my guide from Mera Peak - to re-brand his company into a socially and environmentally responsible trekking and ski mountaineering business. Included in my efforts will be an aggressive awareness-building plan to bring more skiers to Nepal, as well as a more specific business development plan for him, complete with a new web site. His hope is to use business as a way to help clean up a notoriously dirty (and getting dirtier) trekking area to preserve its reputation and allure - which is in danger from excessive littering from Westerners and some guides taking advantage of locals. It will be a busy month :)

But think for a moment... What would it be like if businesses and people concentrated on giving more than taking (at least in terms of environmental sustainability)? What can your company give back? What can you give back?

After Nepal, my travels and volunteering will continue... I fly out of Nepal on June 1st for Singapore, which I will see for a day or two before going to Malaysia to help the International Division of the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life with an emerging Relay in the town of Melaka. I will be in Malaysia only a short while before visiting my brother Paul, and his industry leading sustainable wood manufacturing pant, in Indonesia on June 8th-ish.

If you have any thoughts on helping develop socially and environmentally responsible businesses abroad and at home, I would love to hear them!

Challenge Yourself

This post isn't about me, and my most recent ski moutaineering accomplishment. It has nothing to do with my ski descent of 21,500ft Mera Peak in the Himalayas, and the cumulative 16 days of trekking it took to get there and back. Even though this Mera expedition was one of my most physically demanding adventures to date, my accomplishment is nothing compared to Phil's, and what he had to overcome to get here.

Phil lives in Melbourne, Australia. Just over four years ago he left a lucrative career with Ticket Master to "change the world". He currently is an elected city council member, volunteers extensively, and is a part-time strategic consultant to executives. Phil was on the trek with us and I thoroughly enjoyed talking and learning from him during our longs days on the trail.

This was Phil's first endeavour in extended backcountry and glacier travel. Phil trained hard but was still uncertain if he could make it to the top of Mera Peak. Would he be comfortable in crampons? How would he do crossing crevasses? Would he be strong enough at altitude? Would his legs hold up for over 2 weeks of intense trekking?

Early in the trip, Phil told me he had to "remove the fear of failure" from his conscious. This trip wasn't about making it to the top of Mera Peak... it was bigger than that. Eight years ago, Phil was told he would never be able to walk again.

Fast forward from the hospital room 8 years ago to May 1st, 2011. It's 5 a.m. and we've been working our way up a massive glacier in the freezing cold and blustery wind for almost 3 hours - We are at 20,000ft above sea level and still have 1,500 vertical feet to the summit. The climb is steep and the new snow that fell just a few hours before makes the high-altitude climbing that much harder... As does the occasional snow-bridge fail that leaves a leg dangling over a deep crevasse.

To the east, the sun is rising and Everest comes into view. To the west, stars are still visible - it was one of the most amazing scenes I have ever witnessed. The wind picks up and the only other group on the mountain turns back. Phil looks up at me along the rope that has us tethered for safety. He's moving well but is clearly tired "I'm not sure I can make it" he confides... If you know me, you know this was not an option :) Phil's summit is more important than my ski. I give him a smile, "It's too early to decide... Let's make it to the top of this rise and grab a quick snack." We make it to the rise, grab a bite, and the top comes into view. Phil starts charging. At that moment, I knew he would make it. We hugged at the top. Words weren't needed to express the flood of emotions. For somebody who was told he'd never walk again, here was a man grinning ear-to-ear at 21,500 feet above sea level. AMAZING.

You will never know what you are capable of unless you challenge yourself.

Phil and I at the summit!

As a side note, the ski down was INCREDIBLE!!! Here are the photo highlights of the 2011 Mera Peak trek, climb, and ski :) (video still to come)