Day 2: The Turn

Day two was… 1000x better.

Same mountain. Same team.
Completely different experience.

Which is always interesting, because it reminds you:

It’s not just the environment.
It’s how you show up in it.

What Changed

We started earlier.

Which meant cooler temps, firmer snow, and more energy across the board.

And that alone shifted everything.

No one was dragging.
No one was overheating.
We could actually build instead of just survive.

Building Real Skills

Today wasn’t just skiing.

It was mountaineering.

We moved uphill with:

• Ice axe in hand

• Skis on our packs

• Crampons on our ski boots

That’s a different level of focus.

Different rhythm.
Different consequences.

We also skied steeper terrain today. The kind where your decisions matter more, your edges matter more, and your mindset matters most.

And the best part?

They stepped into it.

Confidence Isn’t Given. It’s Earned

You could feel it building throughout the day.

Not loud. Not forced.

Just… steady.

The kind of confidence that comes from doing something once, then doing it again a little better.

Joe.
Jacob.
Jonathan.

Less hesitation.
More ownership.
More trust in themselves and each other.

And then in between all of that…

Moments of just playing.

Laughing.
Jumping off small features.
Taking in landscapes that don’t even feel real.

The kind that make you stop and think:

How is this even a place on Earth?

Leadership Lesson: Progress Changes Perspective

Day one felt big.

Day two didn’t feel smaller.

We just felt more capable inside of it.

That’s how growth works.

The challenge doesn’t shrink.
You expand.

The Decision Ahead

Now we’re at an interesting point.

We’re packed to head up to the hut tomorrow, which would set us up for a potential summit on the 29th.

But…

Weather is not stable.

Forecasts are shifting.
Visibility is questionable.

And on a mountain like this, visibility isn’t a luxury.

It’s a requirement.

The Part People Don’t See

When there hasn’t been much snow, like this season, the mountain gets exposed.

Crevasses.
Terrain features.
Hazards that you can usually navigate… if you can see them.

If you can’t?

You don’t go.

It’s that simple.

Leadership Lesson: Discipline Is Saying No When You’re Ready to Say Yes

We are ready.

That’s what makes this hard.

The gear is packed.
The team is capable.
The momentum is there.

And still…

If we wake up and visibility isn’t right, we don’t go.

Not because we can’t.

Because we won’t.

That’s discipline.

Packing for the Move

Packing tonight felt different.

More intentional.
More serious.

Because moving up the mountain means everything we bring… we carry.

And every ounce matters.

So it becomes a constant trade-off:

• What do we need?

• What can we live without?

• What’s worth the weight?

And the one thing you don’t compromise on?

Water.

It’s the heaviest thing in the pack… and the most important.

Acclimatization requires it.
Clarity requires it.
Staying healthy requires it.

A Tough Call

Tom is sitting out tomorrow if we go up.

He’s still not feeling well, and adding altitude would only make it worse.

It’s the right decision.

And still… it’s hard.

Because these are the moments you want to share.

But the mountain doesn’t reward emotion over logic.

If you’re not at your best, you don’t put yourself in positions where decisions matter most.

Leadership Lesson: Knowing When Not to Go Is a Skill

Pushing through is not always strength.

Sometimes strength is stepping back.

Saving it for when it counts.

The Bigger Reflection

I keep catching myself laughing a little.

At how much goes into these expeditions.

The planning.
The training.
The logistics.

And then you get here…

And realize how little control you actually have.

Leadership Lesson: Control the Controllables. Release the Rest.

We don’t control the weather.
We don’t control the mountain.
We don’t control the outcome.

But we do control:

• Our preparation

• Our decisions

• Our effort

And the goal is simple:

Show up fully for the part that’s yours.

The Team Behind the Team

I’m also feeling the pull of home.

Missing family.

Grateful for the people there holding everything together so we can be here.

Because this is something I’m being reminded of in real time:

Big mountains take big teams.

Not just the ones on the snow.

The ones behind the scenes making it all possible.

So Now We Wait

We’re packed.

We’re ready.

We’re watching the weather.

Tomorrow morning decides everything.

Do we move up?
Or do we pause and wait for a better window?

Will that window come before we time out?

And that’s where I’ll leave you…

Because this is the part of the story where anything can happen.

And honestly…

That’s what makes it worth following.