Day 1 Was Hard. Harder than Anticipated.

Day one on the mountain is in the books.

And it was hard.

Not chaotic. Not dramatic. Just the kind of hard that quietly asks,are you actually ready for what you said you wanted?

We Started Before We Were Ready

We hadn’t even been in Chamonix for 12 hours before we stepped onto the ski hill.

Jet lag was real. Sleep was minimal. Travel was still sitting in our bodies.

We met Josh, our lead guide, at the bus station with all our gear, met the rest of the team, and grabbed breakfast together. There’s always that subtle moment where everyone is feeling each other out. Watching. Listening. Deciding,can I trust this team up here?

We started a little later, letting the sun soften the snow so we weren’t skiing on pure ice. And instead of heading straight into exposure, we stayedin bounds at the resort.

Not because it was easy.

Because it was controlled.

Why We Stayed Inbounds First

The terrain inbounds gave the guides something incredibly valuable:

A safe place to evaluate everyone.

They needed to see things that don’t show up in conversation:

• How quickly can you turn when terrain changes?

• How fast can you stop when it matters?

• If a line gets narrow… do you stay calm or panic?

• When things speed up, do you stay in control or get reactive?

These aren’t things you want to discover for the first time in high-consequence terrain.

You want to see them in an environment where mistakes are manageable.

Because if you can’t demonstrate control in easier terrain…

It’s not magically going toshow up when things get bigger.

Leadership Lesson: You Don’t Build Skill Under Pressure. You Reveal It.

Pressure doesn’t create capability.

It exposes it.

That’s why great leaders and great guides don’t skip steps.

They create environments where people can safely show you who they are… before it really matters.

The Work No One Sees

After a few laps, we transitioned.

Skins on. Packs on. Out of bounds.

And this is where the real work started.

We practiced:

• Kick turns on the uphill

• Skins on, skins off

• Ski crampons on, ski crampons off

• Moving efficiently without thinking

It might not look impressive from the outside, but this is everything.

Because ifyou have to stop, take your gloves off, dig through your pack, and figure things out every time… you’re burning energy you don’t have.

And more importantly, you’re spending more time exposed on the mountain.

Efficiency isn’t about speed. It’s about safety.

Conditions Don’t Care About Your Plan

We haven’t had snow in over three weeks.

So the mountain has been heating up during the day and freezing hard at night. Which means we were moving on really firm, icy terrain.

Now we’re watching the forecast, hoping for snow… but not too much.

Because if new snow doesn’t bond with the hard layer beneath, it creates avalanche risk.

It’s this constant balance:

Wanting better conditions… without creating a bigger problem.

The Big “Oops” of the Day

Every day has one.

Today’s?

Tom took afall…and his ski popped off, sending it racing down the mountain.

Fast.

And somehow… it ran straight into me and took me down with it.

Luckily not hard.

But if that ski hadn’t hit me?

It wasn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Which means it would’ve kept going… into whatever or whoever was below.

Leadership Lesson: Small Mistakes Don’t Stay Small

On the mountain, little things move fast.

A loose binding.
A missed check.
A moment of inattention.

And suddenly you’re reacting instead of leading.

Tight systems prevent fast problems.

The Moment It Became Real

Then came the heat.

Which we didn’t expect.

We thought altitude would cool things down, but the sun was intense. We were in sun shirts, and the boys had packed a little heavier than they needed to.

So now we’re dealing with overheating, fatigue, and new systems… all at once.

And this is where I watched the shift happen.

Joe.
Jacob.
Jonathan.

That moment where it clicks:

This is bigger than I thought.

And what I loved most?

They didn’t pretend it wasn’t.

They said it.

Out loud.

And then followed it with:

“I’m not leaving until we get this.”

Leadership Lesson: Tell the Truth, Then Rise

That’s the muscle.

Not pretending something is easy.

Not forcing confidence.

But saying:

This is hard.
This is more than I expected.

And then choosing to meet it anyway.

The Reset

We had a few gear issues, which honestly was a win to catch today instead of later in more exposed terrain.

We adjusted. Got sharper.

By the time we got back, everyone was tired.

We ate early. Sat in the sauna.

And I could feel something shift.

Less talking.
More ownership.
More focus.

They were locking in.

What Day One Gave Us

Day one didn’t give us confidence.

It gave us clarity.

And clarity is what you build from.

What’s Next

Tomorrow is a bigger day.

Longer. More demanding.

We’ll see how the bodies respond after real sleep, how the weather starts to take shape, and how this team continues to come together.

But tonight, I’m proud.

Not because it was easy.

Because it wasn’t.

And they’re still all in.

We’re in it now.

Let’s see what day two brings.