The Road to K2, Lesson 2

As I shift my vision toward K2, my next peak in Pakistan, I’m sharing here on the blog lessons I’ve learned that will help on my journey. I hope they resonate with you, too!

Lesson 2

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Always be honest with yourself and share where you are. 

By honest, I mean being honest and real. Not boasting and not being humble. A is A, B is B, and so on. That is all it needs to be with no explanation needed or required. Heading into my Everest expedition, I had no clue what was ahead of me. I am one of those people that tends to under-research rather than over-research where I’m going. Mt. Everest has been climbed before and is climbed every year by hundreds of people. I had guides and sherpa that were going to manage the mountain, and it was my job to manage ME.

I was not overly familiar with what was ahead of us each day. I knew the camps, I knew we had 12,0000 feet from Base Camp to the summit, and I knew it wasn’t going to be overly technical. I don’t like to fill my mind to the point of distraction, so sometimes the less I know the better off I am. It allows me to stay present, focus and to enjoy the task at hand without dreading or reacting to something I haven’t yet experienced. This strategy works for me although I don’t always recommend it. 

For me, being honest worked so that I could share where I was, problem solve in the moment, and communicate with the group to set expectations and work together. For example, I’d communicate that I had cold feet. Then, the guide could ask how cold and how wet. He’d share that we had a certain number more hours to go or paint the picture of what was ahead of us. By letting the group know I had cold feet, we could best prepare for what was ahead. FYI, cold feet and uphill climbing meant probably not cold for much longer. Cold feet and downhill descending or deep snow and five hours ahead probably meant it was time to open some feet warmers and get them in my boots at the next available spot. Pretending my feet weren’t cold with the group heading into a windy spot until the end of our progress would only risk everyone else.

Off the mountain, and in life, I genuinely believe that we want to show up for each other in an uplifting way. We want to leave interactions with others in a way that makes them feel great, warm, and supported. Deep down, all of us are going through or have experienced a challenge of some kind. The people that support us where we honestly are at the moment, and when we need it most, are those helping hands that create positive momentum and good energy around the world. I want to be open enough to receive that kind of support, and on my great days, I want to be there to pour into others who need it to. It all comes down to how we show up and I’m trying to remind myself of that every day.