Podcasts about carstensz pyramid

Viridiana Álvarez: Climbing Her WayIn the latest episode of The Travel Wins, we sit down with the incredible Viridiana Álvarez, a world-renowned alpinist from Mexico who's redefining the limits of human endurance and ambition. A driven athlete and Electrolit ambassador, Álvarez is on the verge of completing an unprecedented climbing feat: becoming the first woman to conquer both the "Seven Summits" challenge and all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters.What makes Álvarez's story even more compelling is her late start in the sport. Growing up in Aguascalientes, Mexico, far from the high mountains she now calls home, she never envisioned a future in mountaineering. It wasn't until the age of 30 that she discovered her passion for climbing—a revelation that would lead her to some of the world's most formidable peaks. Since then, her ascent has been nothing short of meteoric.In 2019, Álvarez set the Guinness World Record for the fastest ascent by a woman of the three highest mountains—Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga—using supplementary oxygen. This monumental achievement only scratched the surface of her potential, as she became the first Latin American woman to summit K2, the notoriously treacherous second-highest mountain on Earth.Most recently, Álvarez summited Denali, the highest peak in North America, in a mere 19 days—a mountain where fewer than 52% of climbers reach the top. Now, she has just one more peak to go: Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia. Though the climb itself takes only a day, Álvarez explains that the real challenge lies in the arduous journey to the base of the remote mountain. Once she conquers this final summit, she will secure her place in the record books forever.Beyond the physical demands of her pursuit, Álvarez emphasizes the power of mental resilience. Her disciplined training regimen includes running, cycling, and mountain biking, ensuring that both body and mind are honed for the trials ahead.As Álvarez continues to climb, she shares her story with the world in the hopes of inspiring others to chase their own lofty dreams. Her tenacity and focus are contagious, and as she prepares for her final climb, the entire mountaineering community—and beyond—waits with bated breath. By this fall, she aims to claim the title of the first woman to have completed the "Seven Summits" and all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters. It's a goal within reach, and Álvarez is more determined than ever to achieve it.Don't miss this awe-inspiring conversation with a true trailblazer. Viridiana Álvarez's story is a testament to what can be accomplished when passion meets perseverance, and her journey is far from over. Tune in to The Travel Wins to follow the last steps of her path to mountaineering immortality.

Erik Weihenmayer - https://erikweihenmayer.com/about-erik/ On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. In 2008 he climbed Carstensz Pyramid on the island of Papua New Guinea, completing the Seven Summits, the highest point on every continent. This accomplishment closed the circuit on a 13-year journey that had begun with his 1995 ascent of Denali. He is joined by a select company of only 150 mountaineers to have accomplished the feat. As word spread about Erik's remarkable achievements, the world took notice; shortly after his summit of Everest, he was honored with a Time cover story detailing his conquest of the world's highest peak. Since then, he has authored multiple books, including his memoir, Touch the Top of the World. Yet for those who had long known him, his propensity for taking on and knocking down the loftiest of challenges came as no surprise. Even as retinoschisis began to rob him of his vision by the age of 14, Erik resisted the idea that blindness would sweep him to the sidelines of life. He established himself as a formidable wrestler in high school, representing his home state of Connecticut in the National Junior Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Iowa. As a teenager, he also discovered rock climbing and a natural dexterity for the tactile aspects of scanning the rock with his hands and feet for holds. After graduating with a double major from Boston College, Erik became a middle-school teacher and wrestling coach at Phoenix Country Day School. Yet it was atop the highest point in North America, the mountain known in the native Inuit language as Denali, where his quest for adventure began to take shape. Erik's triumphs over some of the world's most formidable mountains were fueling a growing aspiration to take the lessons he learned in the mountains to help others shatter barriers in their lives. To advance this idea, Erik co-founded not merely an organization, but rather a movement called No Barriers. The mission is to help people with challenges, all of us to some extent, to turn into the storm of life, face barriers head-on, embrace a pioneering and innovative spirit, and team up with great people to live rich in meaning and purpose. The motto is “What's Within You Is Stronger Than What's In Your Way.” To this aim, Erik continues to challenge himself to live a No Barriers Life and in September 2014 he kayaked the entire 277-miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Erik is one of the most inspiring, engaging, and sought after speakers in the world. His presentations engage and inspire audiences by capturing lessons from his life and adventures around the world. Erik's essential messaging focuses on harnessing the power of adversity, developing a guiding vision, and building a strong “rope-team.” Erik sees every new challenge as an opportunity to problem-solve, strategize, and pioneer new ways forward. “I think this is the best time in history, the most precious time in history to be a pioneer, to reach out, to seize hold of adversity and challenges we face, to harness energy not only to transform our own lives but to elevate the world around us.” – Erik Weihenmayer ~~ Call or Text the Podcast Hotline at +1-908-349-1480 Or you can Email us to send in those questions ⁠dan@fourbadeyes.com⁠ or ⁠Anthony@fourbadeyes.com⁠  More about Four Bad Eyes Podcast ► ⁠https://www.fourbadeyes.com⁠  TIKTOK: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@fourbadeyes⁠  INSTAGRAM: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/fourbadeyes⁠   ~~~ More about Anthony Ferraro ► ⁠https://www.asfvision.com⁠  Anthony on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/asfvision⁠  More about Dan Mancina ► ⁠https://www.keeppushinginc.com⁠  Dan on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/danthemancina/⁠  ~~~ 00:00 - intro 00:15 - episode 108 ~~~ Podcast Intro & Outro done by Pete Gustin the Blind Surfer find out more at ► ⁠https://www.petegustin.com⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anthony-ferraro65/support

Jeff Glasbrenner is no stranger to adversity. After a tragic farming accident as an 8-year-old he was forced to overcome more as a child than most of us encounter our entire lives. Jeff lost his right leg below the knee and quickly realized that more had changed than just his physical abilities. He's needed to rely on others for more than ever and figure out how to live a new life as an amputee. But Jeff also learned to attack any struggle he encountered with laser focus. And as a result, Jeff has also accomplished things that many of us only dream about.   He's a decorated professional athlete winning the college wheelchair basketball national championship, during which he set a scoring record with 63 points and 27 rebounds in one game. He played professionally in Europe for three years (Madrid, Spain and Rome, Italy).  He's a three-time Paralympian (2000 Bronze medal, 2004 and 2008 games) and a two-time World Champion (Gold Medal).   Jeff is also a 25-time Ironman athlete, and a driven hiker and climber on his way to completing the Explorer's Grand Slam which is an adventurer's challenge to reach the North and South Poles and at the top of the highest peaks on all 7 continents (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Carstensz Pyramid).   But most importantly, Jeff is a dedicated stay-at-home Dad to his daughter, Grace, and son, Gavin while his wife Elizabeth runs a successful technology company in Little Rock, AR. We talked all about his journey and his mindset navigating a traumatic event and using it for fuel to grow. Give Jeff a follow on IG https://www.instagram.com/teamglas/

Pavol Barabáš došel na zemské póly, slanil se do nejhlubšího kaňonu světa stejně jako do majestátních jeskyní ve Venezuele. Přitom ale miluje svoje návraty domů do Tater. Palko je také mezinárodně oceňovaný režisér, který z expedic vozí krásné filmy. Hlavně je to ale skvělý chlap, který se straní popularity a většinou nedává rozhovory. Potěšilo mne, že jsme se potkali na horolezeckém festivalu v Teplicích nad Metují a kromě soukromých debat natočili i tento rozhovor pro nás všechny. Tentokrát vám ho jako dárek ode mě a MHFF přinášíme v plné délce.https://herohero.co/petrhorkyOdkazy:Web Pal'o Barabáše - https://www.pavolbarabas.skMezinárodní horolezecký filmový festival - https://mhff.cz 00:00 Nosičské mládí v Tatrách.05:11 Nosiči zbyli už jen v Tatrách a Himalájích.08:43 Nošení jako meditace.10:39 Cestuju, abych byl spokojený doma.13:09 Vnímání technologií a digitální náskok třetího světa.19:09 Jak se vyrovnat s měnícím se světem.27:15 Je důležité mít ve světě pevný bod.30:58 První návštěvník Království Mustang.33:18 118 dní v zajetí ledu, první výpravy do polárních krajů.42:09 Divadlo "zaostalých domorodců" na turisty jako forma zachování kultury.45:11 Jaká je dnes situace na Carstensz Pyramid?49:14 Jak se díváš na vývoj vysokohorského sprintu?51:04 Proč děláš tolik filmů?52:34 Máte rozpracovaný projekt, který jste zatím nezvládl uchopit?55:23 Jak vnímáte pronikání žen do expedic, měly by být týmy rozdělené podle pohlaví?57:49 Jaké téma chcete zpracovat a nedostal jste se k tomu?Support the show

Sibusiso lives in Swaziland, South Africa. He was awarded by the South African president Thabo Mbeki the Order of Ikhamanga (bronze). Sibusiso is the first black person to complete the Three Pols Challenge, and the first African to have accomplished Explorers Grand Slam, an elite title earned by a handful around the world. He conquered all seven summits 1. Mount Kilimanjaro, 2. Mount Everest, South and North side, 3. Aconcagua, 4. Mount Elbrus,    5. Carstensz Pyramid, 6. Vinson Massif and 7. Denali/Mount McKinley.                                         for this 3 climb of Everest he needs sponsors, I am first to donate, you can too.                                                    here is his email: sibusiso@sibueverest.co.za Sibusiso is also involved with numerous charitable associations. my email: eva@evatherelationshipmaker.com  

The highest point in Australasia leads Chris on a trek through a jungle, and opens up a discussion on forging your own path, saying yes to the unknown, and his greater mission connected his journey to global health initiatives.    Show Notes:   The Final Summit is sponsored by Tremeau Pharmaceuticals. Tremeau's RESET-HA Study is a clinical research study for people who experience joint pain due to hemophilia, and you can learn more about it by visiting resethastudy.com   The Final Summit was also made in part by support from Genentech. Visit GenentechHemophilia.com to take a look at how they are supporting the hemophilia community.   Connect with BloodStream Media: BloodStreamMedia.com BloodStream on Facebook  BloodStream on Twitter 

Jenn Drummond doesn't let much stop her from achieving her goals. Having all of her climbing gear not show up for a climb was a mere inconvenience for this 41-year-old mother of seven children. Jenn is on a mission to be the first female climber to summit the so-called Second Seven Summits. We are all familiar with the first seven, and around 500 people have accomplished that goal. Still, only a handful have completed the 2nd, and no females. I met Jenn via my Summit Coach consulting business almost two years ago. She called me to discuss climbing Ama Dablam, which she did a few months later. Jenn is unique. An accomplished businesswoman, now retired, mother of seven, ranging in age from nine to 15, including twin daughters. She is an avid skier, triathlete, and played college soccer. We had a wide-ranging conversation about how the idea was born, her children, and how she manages the complexities of being away so often, and of course, some of the climbs got started. She has completed five of the seven and hopes to finish them all this year, 2022, with Canada's Mt. Logan up next. You can follow Jenn on her social media at Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and her website. The 7 Summits Dick Bass, the first 7 Summiter, choose Australia as one of the seven continents and Kosciuszko as its mainland high point. However, Canadian Pat Morrow, competing with Bass to finish the 7, challenged Bass's summit of Australia's Mt. Kosciuszko as the highest peak in Oceania. Morrow contended that Carstensz Pyramid on Irian Jaya (Papua) in Indonesia's New Guinea was the actual highpoint for the Australasian continental mass. Italian Reinhold Messner jumped in and agreed with Morrow. Today Carstensz is considered one of the seven. Still, some 7 Summiteers try to bag the lower Kosciuszko to meet both the Bass and the Messner lists. The 1st Seven Summits are: Everest, Nepal - 29,035/8850m Aconcagua, Argentina - 22,902/6960m Denali, Alaska - 20,320/6194m Kilimanjaro, Africa - 19,340/5896m Elbrus, Russia - 18,513/5642m Vinson, Antarctica - 16,067/4897m Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia - 7,310/2228m (Bass list) Carstensz Pyramid, New Guinea - 16,023/4884m (Messner List) Mt. Blanc, France/Italy - 15,771'/4807m (highest in Western Europe) And the 2nd Seven are. Jenn has completed the one in bold. K2 (Pakastan-28,251'/8611m) Ojas del Salado (Argentina-22,608'/6983m) Logan (Canada-19,551'/5959m) Dykh-Tau (Russia-17,077'/5205m) Kenya (Africa-17,057'/5199m) Tyree (Antarctica-15,919'/4852m) Puncak Trikora (New Guinea-15,580'/4730m) Townsend (Australia-7,247'/2209m) Monta Rosa, Switzerland - 15,203'/47634m (second highest in Western Europe) If you want to get picky, forget Kosciuszko. Technically, Australia claims Mount McClintock at 11,450'/3,490m, part of the Australian Antarctic Territory in Antarctica. It is higher than both Kosciuszko and Mawsons Peak, 9005'/2745m in Australia's territory on Heard Island. Mawson an active volcano about 2500 miles off the western coast of Australia, e.g., in the middle of the Indian Ocean, an island with no ports or villages. I think Jenn will be happy with Townsend!

If someone had told Ema she would run marathons or become a mountaineer 12 years ago, after turning 40, she would have told that person they were nuts.But when your self esteem gets crushed,  and  sometimes you don't even feel reason to live - however you have no choice, you can accomplish allot.  You can even become the first Portuguese woman to climb and summit Carstensz Pyramid.  Listen to Ema's journey from laying  on the floor of her bedroom in a fetal position to becoming a mountaineer.

Kurt founded Sierra Mountaineering International, Inc. in the fall of 1995 after returning from his first of three successful expeditions to Mt. Everest. With over 40 years of mountaineering experience in the Sierra Kurt has also guided 120+ expeditions to high peaks in Africa, Alaska, the Alps, Antarctica, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Russia, Tibet, and Turkey. He completed the Seven Summits in the Summer of 2012 after summiting Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia. Kurt runs Sierra Mountaineering International, Inc. from his hometown of Bishop, CA along the slopes of the beautiful Eastern Sierra.

Climber and Motorcycle Adventurer Dave Garces rode his bike from Quito to Aconcagua, climbed it, and rode back. He tells us about that adventure, his quest to do the 7 summits in this style, and his business Ecuador Bike Rentals. Facebook Twitter Instagram   The Outdoor Biz Podcast   Please give us a rating and review HERE   Climber and Motorcycle Adventurer Dave Garces rode his bike from Quito to Aconcagua, climbed it, and rode back. He tells us about that adventure, his quest to do the 7 summits in this style, and his business Ecuador Bike Rentals.   Show Notes Introduction to the outdoors Well, my outdoor hobby would be motorcycling. Adventure motorcycling and climbing itself started with my dad. When I was two years old, he basically took me to the highest mountains here in Ecuador, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, over 18,000 feet high. So that's how I started it. Then basically I learned how to ride my first motorcycle when I was 14 and I haven't stopped since. The Seven Summits I used to work in the oil business since 2006, which basically allowed me to travel around the world. I've been in 83 countries so far. Basically, by me working in one of these countries, I just decided to start these seven summits when I first heard of it. So I've climbed Kilimanjaro for Africa. I've climbed the Elbrus for Europe and recently in 2019, I did Aconcagua for South America.  I'm missing basically four more summits, Denali for North America. Everest for Asia and the Carstensz Pyramid for Oceania and the Vinson Massif for Antarctica. Riding a Motorcycle to all Seven My plan now is basically to start all over again to make it count and to be honest for one thing. The second thing is I really like to take this opportunity. I mean, I have to ride the world on a motorcycle. So that being said, I have very good chances to accomplish what I'm looking for. The first attempt I had was Aconcagua in December 2019. Which is basically the closest. Still, it was around 13,000 miles back and forth in four weeks. And also included nine days of climbing. Aconcagua It was the beginning of the project. If I couldn't have made it, then that was the end of it. It's not the easiest or the hardest either of all seven, but for one it is the cheapest and the second is the closest. And one thing is physical strength, but the other one is mental strength. It was basically four and a half weeks being by myself, you know, inside of my helmet and then just walking on my own. All of these thoughts, you know, can drive you crazy. Ecuador Bike Rentals I'm working at the company as a chief mechanic and a tour guide. The company is based in Quito. Ecuador. We have another branch on the coast. So what we do basically is motorcycle rentals, guided tours, self-guided tours, and custom-tailored tours. You tell us for instance, what's your budget and how long you have on the time frame. And then we build an adventure for you. We have intercoms connected helmet to helmet. So we basically speak with the whole party telling them what they're seeing. If there is anything going on in front of the road. You know, any advice when it comes to riding itself. So that's the guided tour, the self-guided tour we give them a pre-program GPS with all the stops, hotels, and activities are included and the guys just follow the route and just go whenever they want to go and they stop and eat whatever they want to eat and so on. We'll build a tour for you to go birdwatching. And we have class three and class four-plus rivers and have done some tours for those who want to go kayaking and river rafting. Advice for getting into the Outdoor Adventure Biz The main thing is, do not procrastinate. That's the worst thing you can do. I was talking to people after March 20th, 2020, and they regretted that trip they weren't able to take. Or that business, they couldn't startup. One of our clients, he was supposed to come and he just kept on the delaying and delaying. The reason he wanted to come and do the trip here in echo was that he had cancer. And unfortunately, he passed away without doing this trip. Favorite piece of outdoor gear under a hundred dollars Gore-Tex socks Giving back Ecuador Bike Rental is also helping Prosonrisa. So we're basically directing 30% of the revenue straight to these causes. Whether it's for educational material or kids who need organ transplants. Whatever you guys can do to help us out. Come enjoy Ecuador, have the ride of your life. And in the meanwhile, you are helping these people. Follow up with David Website: ecuadorbikerental.com Contact Us Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube   2:02 - 2:35 Intro to the Outdoors 22:56 - 23:59 Advice 24:07 - 24:52 Favorite Gear  

Welcome to our first full interview episode. I hope this podcast series will fuel your armchair travelling imagination. Our guest Damian Browne is a former professional rugby player hailing from Galway. Damian’s passion for travel and adventure has led him to visit more than 50 countries on 6 continents.Damien is an adventurer in the truest sense of the word using the world’s most extreme environments to test his physical and mental capabilities like spending 63-days rowing solo across the Atlantic. He has climbed 5 of the 7 summits so far and gone on adventures to some of the most beautiful but less travelled countries in the world. I would ask you to please subscribe so a new episode will appear in your library every week. I would also really appreciate if you could leave a rating and review as it helps others to discover this podcast. To find out who is on every Tuesday please follow me on Instagram and Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal. I highly recommend you follow Damian to see his next adventures on Instagram @auld_stock and Facebook @projectempower2022Destinations GuideSolo Row Atlantic7 summits - Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Mount Vinson and Carstensz Pyramid.Iron-Ore Train MauritaniaIran Couchsurfing Lenin Peak KyrgyzstanTanzania Pemba – Fundu LagoonPakistan, Karakoram HighwayChile, Atacama Desert, Villarrica Volcano, PuconSicily, Mt. EtnaEthiopia, Danakil DepressionSuir Blueway, Clonmel, TipperaryGlassilaun Beach, Kilary, Renvyle GalwayWhite Strand, MayoMweelrea, MayoGalwayKerryCorkClareWest of IrelandWild Atlantic Way See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alex in her own words:    I had my first taste of climbing mountains in March 2012 when I made a solo three-week trek in the Nepal Himalayas. The experience was life changing and inspired me to reach even greater heights by setting one of the biggest goals of my life so far – to climb the 7 summits.   I tackled the first of the 7 summits on 9 June 2014 as a very proud member of the first team to summit Russia’s Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, from the difficult north side in pre-season.   Less than six weeks later, on the 17th of July, I successfully climbed Mont Blanc solo, without a guide, team or support. I summited at 6.45am, reaching the top in just over four hours.    I have also successfully summited Kilimanjaro in September, second of my 7summits.    On the 6th of December 2014, I stood on the top of the highest point of Antarctica, Mt Vinson.    After months of hard training and preparation I summited one of the most difficult one; North America’s highest peak Denali in June 2015.    Continuing my 100% summit success, I climbed Aconcagua in South America on the 2nd of January 2016, the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalayas and stood on the top of Oceania's highest point, Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia on the 19th of March 2017.   To keep pushing my boundaries, I successfully climbed the Matterhorn in August 2017 without acclimatisation. After a 6-months focused training I scaled Mt Everest, the highest mountain in the world on the 18th of May 2018.    New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out.    The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Growing up in Hungary Coming from a sporty family Moving to the UK 14 years ago Building a career in marketing Deciding to make a change in her life Quitting her job in 2012 with no plans Travelling to Nepal Falling in love with the mountains Making the decision to climb the 7 summits Overcoming her fear of heights Heading off to climb Mt. Elbrus  Putting a plan in place to climb the 7 summits Practical steps of making it happen Writing everything down Focusing on safety Working with local guides and companies Funding and paying for the 7 summits Taking out a loan and maxing out credit cards Feeling exhausted from the challenge Reflecting back on the different mountains  Doing more research and asking more questions Surrounding yourself with positive people Feeling ready to take on the mountains Not telling many people at the start Why climbing Mt. Aconcagua was so hard Struggling with injury 2 weeks before the start Turning the negatives into positives Leaving for the summit… Dealing with adventure blues Challenges and adventures after Mt Everest Her passion for mountain biking  Thinking about the next challenge The impact of Covid  Follow along with the adventures Final words of advice and why you should just go for it.   Social Media   Website http://www.alex7summits.com    Instagram @alex7summits  

Jordan Romero is the youngest mountain climber on the world to have reached all ‘Seven summits' from all 7 continents : Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Mount Vinson and Carstensz Pyramid. Now 23, he still has the record of being the youngest on top of Mount Everest : 13 years and 10 months old. Training was quite a routine : here's his story !

Arunima Sinha is an Indian mountain climber and sportswoman. She is a seven time Indian volleyball player, mountaineer and the World's first female amputee to scale Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kosciusko, Mount Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid and Mount Vinson. 

Kurt has summited Mt. Everest 3 times and operates Sierra Mountaineering International Climbing Guide Service in Bishop, CA. Kurt and I talk about how he got started and what it's like running an International Climbing Guide Service in a small town. Show notes Let's start out with your Facebook profile. It says Christian Husband, Father, Foodie, Mountain Guide, Climber, Skier, Travel Junkie, Foodie, and Goofy. Tell us about the Foodie Goofy Christian part. It goes into everything else that I do, whether that's how I am as a father, how I conduct myself as a husband or a mountain guide, or everything else. In life and my climbing guide service I try to follow those principles. So it all starts there. I'm a foodie, I just happened to love food.   Your wife sounds like a great cook.   She's an amazing cook. Cool. Yes, it does help. I'm married well that way. You know, they say behind every good man is a great woman. She certainly does that wonderfully in many other ways besides just cooking. Tell us about the goofy stuff. I feel like it's important to remember the humor and everything and see the humor in everything that's out there. I think it's a healthy trait to have. I'm one that sets a lot of people at ease and it just helps you see the world. There's definitely a time to be serious, but there's so much out there in the world that is fun and loving and, that goofy part comes out a lot of times when I'm guiding trips and if I'm out having fun with my friends. Whether we're ski touring or climbing or whatever else we're doing. Whether I'm with my family and my son. He's three years old and talks up a storm and some of the things he says at three years old is just precious and, and unforgettable.   I'll bet it helps you from a guiding perspective. When someone is having a tough day or they're struggling for whatever reason, they're tired or whatever, you can bring a little entertainment, silliness to the situation, and probably help them get up that trail or pass.   You're right. When you bring somebody out in the mountains on a trip, they are many times coming out of their comfort zone. And that takes a certain type of personality just to do in and of itself, to put yourself out there, out of your normal realm of life. You know, and many of the people that we take on trips are wherever they come from. They are experts in their field and they're used to being the ones that are being approached by others and they're the ones that, you know, answer the questions and such. And now they're going into our world in the mountains and they're looking at this mountain guide for those same questions and answers that they normally give. So, yeah, being able to inject a little bit of humor and just to put everybody at ease and let them know that, Hey, it's okay. Everybody has a hard time with this particular move too. Tell us how you got into the outdoors. Your dad was an outdoor person, right? He sure was. He was brought up going camping with the family and such. He was born in 1928. And during those depression years and into the war years, he was in high school and the family always went camping for a couple of weeks every summer. And then as he grew into his twenties, he got introduced to backpacking and then mountaineering. And back in the early fifties he started climbing peaks in the Sierra and going skiing in the backcountry of the Sierra. He was well into that when he started raising kids. I got brought up around that from a toddler. My mom hiked Mount Baldy in Southern California two weeks before I was born. From there I was put in a baby carrier. And back in those days, the baby carriers were made by a company called Jerry. And everybody just called it the Jerry carrier. It wasn't a baby carrier. It was a Jerry carrier. That's what I got brought up on until I could walk. Did you know early on that you wanted to be a mountain guide? No. I grew up, you know, going to the mountains in the summertime. We'd go every weekend in the Sierra and in the wintertime we'd come skiing at mammoth and going backcountry skiing and such. When I was in college was going to Cal State Northridge, getting a degree in political science. And my original plan was I wanted to become an environmental attorney. I love the environment and I thought, here's something that could be a good way to make that passion useful. But I took some time off after I graduated from Cal State Northridge to go play, and have some fun. I applied for a job guiding on Mount Rainier in Washington. At that point I'd been teaching classes when I was in college through an outdoor store called Adventure 16. Yeah, I'm an alum there. We taught a lot of programs and backpacking and rock climbing and navigation courses.   My plan was to get a job guiding at Mount Rainier and have some fun for a few years and then go back and figure out law school. While I was guiding ay Mount Rainier, I met a lot of attorneys who came on our climbs. And after our climbs they would invite me out to dinner with them and they'd want to give me my tip over a couple of rounds of our favorite beverages. I'd have great Face Time with these guys. And a lot of them were really unhappy people and, sometimes I had better face time with them than their own families. I talked to them about their line of work. And the more of those guys I talked to, a lot of them were overworked and unhappy. They're telling me all this and then at the same time they're saying, well, can you take us to climb volcanoes in Mexico? They want to go everywhere. Can you take us to climb Kilimanjaro? And so as a matter of fact, it sort of falls under the heading of life is what happens while you're making other plans. So I just kind of pursued guiding in that direction and started a climbing guide service. When did you start your Climbing guide service, Sierra Mountaineering International? I started it in 1995, in December of 95 after climbing Everest the first time in the spring of 95. I came back from that and opened my climbing guide service that fall.   Were you, were you living here in Bishop? How did you end up in Bishop?   I moved here in 92 and that happened just after graduating from college and going to Mount Rainier in the summer. I came back to work one more winter at A16. I went back for a second summer on Mount Rainier and then came back to Bishop instead. At the time my parents had just bought a house up here but hadn't retired from LA, so I had a place to live and everything. So from my home base and I realized that you know, I'm enjoying Mount Rainier, but the Sierra has always been my home and I always felt like I was coming back home when I came here. So I started a climbing guide service. When you started you obviously had connections from the clients you guided on Rainier. Did you also have any connections in Southern California, how did you get started? What did you do? Yeah, it was, you know, people I've met on Mount Rainier who wanted to climb in the Sierra and also people I'd met at in Southern California over the years working at Adventure 16. Through the outings program and customers in the store and the employees, they're were referring people to me as well. So it was kind of a double whammy that way. I had a couple of different streams of people coming in and that's a great opportunity. What are some of the challenges of operating a climbing guide service in a small town like Bishop? The Sierra in a lot of ways is an easy sell. I mean it's such a beautiful mountain range and so much variety. You can spend a lifetime just, or hiking or mountaineering, rock climbing, ski touring, you name it. There's a lifetime of stuff to do. You're just scratching the surface. As many of us know.   What were some of the challenges of being in a small town with limited services?   Yeah, small-town living back in the mid-nineties was different than it is now. There was no internet, there were no cell phones. One of my biggest business expenses was my phone bill. You had a small town carrier here who kind of raped you on the phone charges and, some of the cost of living being higher like gas for your car was higher, limited places to rent and things like that. There were a few of those issues but at the same time, Bishop has enough amenities that you don't have to get out of town much to get too many things. Now, of course, it's a lot different. It seems like we have to get out of town to get toilet paper, but that's a different thing.   It's gotta be great to be able to guide in your backyard.   I just love it. And you're right, I call it my backyard all the time. People ask me a lot because they know I've climbed on every continent of the world. I've done the highest point in each continent, the proverbial seven summits. I've been on hundred and 20 plus expeditions all over the world now. And they say, well, what's your favorite place? And I tell them, well, the Sierra, this is it. To be able to live here and to operate a climbing guide service, be in our backyard, show people this beautiful part of the world, show them how to take care of it, you know, try to impart a lasting impression about what this place means to us and therefore to them, I feel very blessed to be able to do that. Your climbing guide service is affiliated with the American Mountain Guides Association, how does that work these days on the certifications and all those things? It's sort of an ongoing evolving process and guiding in general in the United States is still a pretty new profession compared to Europe. If you go to Europe, you might find somebody whose great grandfather was a mountain guide and then his grandfather was a mountain guide and his father was a mountain guide. Now he's a mountain guide and he's raising a son who wants to be one. You walk, the city streets of a place like Geneva and you say the word mountain guide and everybody knows what that is. It's a very well known, very well respected profession. You go into a bar and say I need to hire a mountain guide and everybody's head turns and looks at you. Yet I still have friends in college who still don't understand really what I do. They say I know this great that this guy Wedberg, he owns a climbing guide service and climbs mountains for a living. And they have no idea how that works. The American Mountain Guides Association is also a new organization, relatively speaking. They're still going through growing pains, getting their feet wet and things.   I was working at a 16 when they had that first formal meeting at the ski show back in 1985 I think.   That's where they kind of recognized that there's this guiding profession here and maybe we could try to standardize it and grow it. Ever since then it has been doing that and they've modeled a lot of what they do after the international community in Europe. They've developed courses and exams and there are three disciplines. Alpine guiding, Rock Guiding, and Ski guiding. I'd say most of the guides in the United States probably pursue one or two of those disciplines. A smaller percentage of them pursue all three. That is what they concentrate on. Get the basics down so you can see if we execute it. It's more geared to that versus what I would call the soft skills. They don't talk a lot about how to engage clients and be personable. How often do you do international trips? I'm doing about five or six a year personally. Our company, we'll do a few more with some of my other guides leading them. But it's about five or six a year and it depends on the time of year. So in the fall and winter we're heading to places in South America, Mexico's volcanoes, Aconcagua in Argentina. That is usually a December, January timeframe as it's summertime down there. We'll go to places like say Mount Elbrus in Russia, that's more of a summertime thing cause their latitude is similar to the Northwest here. We go to Kilimanjaro a couple of times a year and that being an equatorial climate, we can go there more months of the year. Some of the more exotic places like Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, which is always a fun one to mix it up. Do you throw some new ones in there every year? My goal has always been to do one new international trip every year, and I've accomplished that in all except maybe one year. The rule of thumb with it is if I am doing a new trip, it's with a client that I've already climbed with before and they know it's a new place for me. We already have a relationship and we know we're figuring it out together. I know their skills, they know my skills. They know what I'm doing, part of the fun of it for them is seeing how we get this figured out. Right. There's be some curveballs thrown at us and that's okay. Have you had a pretty wild trip? Anything major, like bad weather or something? Oh, sure. I mean weather-wise, you know, the weather is always going to be an issue is when you're in the mountains guiding. For example, we were pinned down on Aconcagua at 16,000 feet with winds that were gusting to a good hundred miles an hour. You gotta build up rock walls around your tents and get your tents guyed out well and keep checking them all the time. Living like that for days until the winds subside. So it's good that you know your clients you're with. That you're not gonna have issues with them. They're not gonna have issues with you. We've had that a number of times and I've had storms pin us down on other mountains around the world. I've had other things get thrown at us. For example, I had some guys I was going with to Turkey to climb Mount Ararat and at the very last minute Turkey stopped issuing visas to Americans. These people I was climbing with were actually from Australia and they were able to go to Turkey, but I wasn't. We were chatting about it and we came up with this idea of instead of going to Turkey, we would go to the country of Georgia and climb a mountain called Mount Kazbek in the Caucuses. Cool deep remote mountain, 19,000 plus feet high and not visited by hardly anybody. What ended up kind of being a last-minute change of plans ended up being a really magical experience. This spontaneous thing and sometimes those things end up being a lot of fun. This certainly was, it was a blast. The anniversary of your three Everest Summits were recent, right? It's an incredible achievement. What were those like? Each one of them was different and unique. The first time was 1995 and that was a special anniversary. This year is the 25th anniversary. We had a zoom call or a reunion that was fun. It was a trip that we planned in the sort of traditional style, you know, we weren't guiding it and we weren't being guided. We were just a bunch of friends who put this expedition together and went and raised all our own money and all that and went on the Northside of the mountain to climb the Northeast Ridge. We had 20 people, 12 of whom were climbing team members and the other eight were base camp managers and support people, the team doctor, and such. Out of the 12 climbers, eight of us got to the top. Honestly, pretty successful actually.   The other two trips were on the Southside through Nepal and I was guiding both of those times which was different, different aspects, a different perspective, different to be guiding it. I made a decision early on in my guiding career that I did not want to run big Everest expeditions and the only way I'd guide it is one-on-one. So if I had one client who I knew I and climbed with them before and I really felt he had an honest shot at reaching the summit, I would consider it. Someone who would be honest with you if he couldn't, cause there's already a relationship there, we climbed together and such.   I did the Southside twice, once in 2008 and once in 2012. The client I was with a neat guy who I climbed with on several peaks, but at Everest, he got sick at base camp and coughed so hard he actually separated the lining from his lungs, which then got infected and he had pleurisy. So he had to be evacuated and sent home. I ended up sticking around and climbing it on my own because I was there and I could, I hadn't done the Southside yet. That was my new trip for that year too. Then I went back in 2012 with another good friend of mine, Fred Simmons. We summited together and that was, that was a pretty special experience. You know, like any trip, when you share that time together with people, it creates a bond of friendship that you really can't duplicate in any other way. That just gets magnified at a place like Mount Everest. What outdoor activities do you participate in for fun? The latest thing is mountain biking. I rediscovered that last year when a couple of clients of mine who had climbed a bunch of the California fourteeners with me in the Sierra knew I'd been to Kilimanjaro many, many times. They were avid mountain bikers and they came to me and said they wanted to mountain bike Kilimanjaro. And they knew that since I've been to Kilimanjaro so much, I could probably figure out the permitting and how to get all that done. I said, well yeah, I could, I had all the connections to get that done.   We mountain biked it last October all the way to the top of that mountain. What that required me to do, you know, they weren't coming to me for my biking expertise. They were coming to me cause I knew Kilimanjaro. So my job was just to hold my own on a mountain bike. It was great. I bought a new mountain bike and spent all summer here around Bishop going mountain biking to get in shape to just get ready for this. I went to the top of White Mountain with my mountain bike and went all over chipmunk Canyon. I mean there's tons of mountain biking here. We did a variation of the standard, they call it the Kilema/Marangu route. And basically it combines the standard Marangu route with kind of an emergency road the park service has set up. In case they need a vehicle to pull somebody off the mountain. Being a dirt road we were able to do a dirt road partway up. So it took five days or so, Do you have any advice or suggestions for folks wanting to get into the outdoor adventure biz or start a business? I would say in terms of the outdoor business in general, there are lots of different avenues to take. For both you and I who have been in this industry for so long, we know how special of an industry it is and it attracts a certain type of people. Fun-loving people who care about the environment and really share a common thread with that, which is neat. It can take so many avenues. You can get a job with a company, a manufacturer, you can get into land management, forest service, park service, and administration kind of a thing. There are retail shops, climbing guide service such as myself. There are so many avenues to take.   My advice to people is to get to know the industry a little bit. And if you're somebody still in college, get a part-time job at a mountaineering store, there's no better way than to learn the industry and learn about the customers that come in and frequently and go to the outdoors. I think a lot of us that have worked retail and have that experience, you don't really realize it at the time you were working in retail. But afterward, if you stay in the industry and you go back and you're designing packs or you're in the media, or you're a guide you draw on that experience daily, hourly, daily, every single day.   You and I, knowing the company adventure 16 as we do, after 58 years they hung it up and called it, the end of a long career. They had a great run of it. And you know, one of the things that the president, John Mead, one of his selling points to employees or prospective employees is that, you know, use us as a stepping stone to get into the industry. And I joke about it now because we're familiar with the outdoor industry trade show that happens a couple of times a year. And I've always joked that our ex-employees are littered throughout that trade show floor. And anybody listening to this who's from that alumni group, they would laugh at that because it's so true. You know, you run into these guys in all aspects of the business. Some of them are still operating retail stores, some of them are presidents of companies, some of them have started companies. And the reunions that have happened at those shows of our ex-employees have been so much fun. You end up meeting these great people. I worked there in 1978, somebody else who worked there in 1992 and even though they never worked together, all of a sudden there's this instant connection and they become great friends. It's like meeting long lost brothers and sisters, you just hit it off immediately right away. It's a great community. It really is. What is your favorite piece of outdoor gear under a hundred dollars that you probably bought at A16? I'm going to go with the Bomber hat which has been a great favorite of ours. I'll tell you another one. A16 made these little Tri-zip pouches, they made them in different sizes, I still have two of them and they're about four by six and I still use them as my climbing guide service repair kits. I'm also going to go with a very obscure one here that, if our old friend Mike Wallenfels is listening, he will laugh at this. Mountain Hardware made this little tent and it just looked like a mini tent. It was about, I'm going to guess about two feet by two and a half feet by two feet with a big door on it. I brought that with me on my Denali expeditions and I put our stoves inside to melt our snow for water. They were out of the wind and it was designed to be a little mini tent for cooking. You had to be super careful with these things cause you could easily burn it. I'm sure that any stove manufacturer listening is just cringing knowing that we did this with their stoves cause you had to be really careful. But man, having your stoves inside this thing melting all this snow for water, it was the difference of several gallons worth of white gas on a Twentyone day expedition on Denali. They don't make them anymore.   Mike shoot me an email, let me know what the name of that tent was so I can put it in the show notes. How about favorite books? My all-time favorite has to be the Bible because it's composed of 66 books written over a 1400 year time span, over 40 different authors. And it covers everything from philosophy to history. More traditionally, I read two books recently by an author named Greg Laurie. He's actually a pastor of a big church down Riverside. He wrote a book called, Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon. Previous to that he wrote two other books, one kind of similar about Steve McQueen. He was a little before my time as far as being one of my idols. But I did grow up watching Steve McQueen movies, the King of cool. That was an interesting book. And then he wrote another one, he called Jesus Revolution. And it talked about that those days in the sixties when there were long-haired hippies strung out on drugs just coming into churches with cutoff Levis and no shirts. How can people reach out to you if they want to follow up? We have a website, Sierramountaineering.com. You can find links to reach out to us by phone or email. Our Email is: info@sierramountaineering.com or our phone number is (760) 872-4929 and we always love hearing from people. Whether you're interested in a trip or just you want to know conditions, what's going on in the Sierra. We're up there all the time.   Please give us a rating and review HERE

He is on a mission to use human power to reach the peaks of the seven summits.  After cycling to Nepal and summiting Mt. Everest in 2016, he set out on a new adventure to reach the top of Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak of Mount Carstensz in the Popua Province of Indonesia.  He began on bicycle from Nepal, crossing India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and ending 9,000 km later in East Java Indonesia.  From there he continued by rowboat another 4,000 km to Papua Province, but because of local violence, he had to hitch a helicopter ride with a climbing expedition team to cover the final 70 km.  It was 2.5 years of training, preparing, cycling and rowing to reach the summit.  You can learn more about his adventures at his website jelleveyt.be.  Jelle Veyt, welcome back to the show.

Today's episode is a follow-up to two previous episodes with one of the show's favorite guests: my dad, Gary Ervin. My dad has been on a journey for the past six years to climb the highest mountains in each of the seven continents, known as the Seven Summits. In today's episode, he is back to discuss what he learned after doing the sixth summit, Carstensz Pyramid.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OtXp1y.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is a follow-up to two previous episodes with one of the show’s favorite guests: my dad, Gary Ervin. My dad has been on a journey for the past six years to climb the highest mountains in each of the seven continents, known as the Seven Summits. In today’s episode, he is back to discuss what he learned after doing the sixth summit, Carstensz Pyramid.  You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2OtXp1y. 

Welcome to the Idries Shah Foundation podcast, practical psychology for today. This weekly podcast features selections from Idries Shah books, as well as original recordings. It has been made available by The Idries Shah Foundation, and is voiced by David Ault. This episode, the second in our Cultural Crossroads series, features an interview with Erik Weihenmayer. During his lifetime Idries Shah promoted contacts and connections between different traditions around the world, believing this to be an important element in the advancement of human culture. In this spirit, The Idries Shah Foundation has created ‘Cultural Crossroads’, a website forum where people from many walks of life are invited to talk about their own experiences crossing cultural boundaries, and the lessons that they have learned as a result. You can find these articles on the ISF blog. This is our first Cultural Crossroads interview for this podcast. About Erik Weihenmayer On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. In 2008 he climbed Carstensz Pyramid on the island of Papua New Guinea, completing the Seven Summits, the highest point on every continent. This accomplishment closed the circuit on a 13-year journey that had begun with his 1995 ascent of Denali. He is joined by a select company of only 150 mountaineers to have accomplished the feat.

"Life is harder off the mountain." On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. In 2008 he climbed Carstensz Pyramid on the island of Papua New Guinea, completing the Seven Summits, the highest point on every continent.  This accomplishment closed the circuit on a 13-year journey that had begun with his 1995 ascent of Denali. He is joined by a select company of only 150 mountaineers to have accomplished the feat. As word spread about Erik’s remarkable achievements, the world took notice; shortly after his summit of Everest, he was honored with a Time cover story detailing his conquest of the world’s highest peak. Since then, he has authored multiple books, including his memoir, Touch the Top of the World. Yet for those who had long known him, his propensity for taking on and knocking down the loftiest of challenges came as no surprise. Even as retinoschisis began to rob him of his vision by the age of 14, Erik resisted the idea that blindness would sweep him to the sidelines of life. He established himself as a formidable wrestler in high school, representing his home state of Connecticut in the National Junior Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Iowa. As a teenager, he also discovered rock climbing and a natural dexterity for the tactile aspects of scanning the rock with his hands and feet for holds. After graduating a double major from Boston College, Erik became a middle-school teacher and wrestling coach at Phoenix Country Day School. Yet it was atop the highest point in North America, the mountain known in the native Inuit language as Denali, where his quest for adventure began to take shape. Erik’s triumphs over some of the world’s most formidable mountains were fueling a growing aspiration to take the lessons he learned in the mountains to help others shatter barriers in their lives. To advance this idea, Erik co-founded not merely an organization, but rather a movement called No Barriers. The mission is to help people with challenges, all of us to some extent, to turn into the storm of life, face barriers head on, embrace a pioneering and innovative spirit and team up with great people to live rich in meaning and purpose. The motto is “What’s Within You Is Stronger Than What’s In Your Way.” To this aim, Erik continues to challenge himself to live a No Barriers Life and in September 2014 he kayaked the entire 277-miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Erik is one of the most inspiring, engaging, and sought after speakers in the world. His presentations engage and inspire audiences by capturing lessons from his life and adventures around the world. Erik’s essential messaging focuses on harnessing the power of adversity, developing a guiding vision and building a strong “rope-team.” Erik sees every new challenge as an opportunity to problem solve, strategize and pioneer new ways forward. “I think this is the best time in history, the most precious time in history to be a pioneer, to reach out, to seize hold of adversity and challenges we face, to harness energy not only to transform our own lives, but to elevate the world around us.” – Erik Weihenmayer Through Erik’s groundbreaking adventures around the world, he has explored and defined what it means to live a No Barriers Life, describing it as a map we build to navigate and to pursue a life that matters. Central to this journey is a mindset to continually challenge ourselves to grow and evolve – in Erik’s words, to “climb” while others “camp.” Erik’s inspirational speaking career has taken him around the world from Hong Kong to Switzerland, from Thailand to the 2005 APEC Summit in Chile. Erik has shared the speaking platform with notables like: George W. Bush Al Gore Tony Blair Colin Powell General Norman Schwarzkopf Rudy Giuliani Tom Peters Marcus Buckingham Stephen Covey The No Barriers Life As a blind adventurer who has climbed Mt. Everest and kayaked the Grand Canyon, Erik understands better than most that barriers are real, not merely perceived, and that that obstacles encountered can either stop us in our tracks, or we can figure out a way to harness them and propel ourselves to new places that we would never get to in any other way. Erik calls this “alchemy,” the process of turning lead into gold.  “With an alchemist,” he says, ” you can throw them in the midst of a fierce competitive environment, strip away their resources, throw roadblocks in front of them, and they’ll still find a way to win – not despite adversity, but because of it.” Erik will take audiences on a journey to discover the tools and insights to develop what he calls the “No Barriers Mindset,” what it takes for individuals, teams, and organizations to turn into the storm, convert challenges into greatness, and reach for nearly impossible goals. No Barriers Summit - NYC (October 5-6th 2018) https://www.nobarriersusa.org/2018-summit-home/  Buy the Book(s): No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon Touch the Top of the World Follow Erik: Website: https://erikweihenmayer.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/erikweihenmayer  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/erik.weihenmayer/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikweihenmayer  You Tube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y9Jy0WzrOg  ======================  Request to Join the FREE Meredith Atwood Community & Coaching https://meredith-atwood-coaching.mn.co/ ======================  Buy Meredith’s Books: The Year of No Nonsense https://amzn.to/3su5qWp Triathlon for the Every Woman: https://amzn.to/3nOkjiH =======================   Follow Meredith Atwood & The Podcast on Social: Web: http://www.swimbikemom.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/swimbikemom   =======================  Want to Connect?  Email: same24hourspodcast@gmail.com =======================  Credits: Host & Production: Meredith Atwood Intro: Carl Stover Music Copyright 2017-2020, 2021 All Rights Reserved, Meredith Atwood, LLC

A self-described hellion growing up, Kirstie Ennis has always had the fire inside of her to overcome virtually any obstacle. That trait was put to the test on June 23, 2012, when the helicopter she was a door gunner on crashed in Afghanistan while performing combat resupplies. Kirstie, the daughter of two Marines, had planned to stay in the Marine Corps for a full career. The injuries she sustained as a result of the crash, which included an above-the-knee amputation on her left leg and a traumatic brain injury, forced her to medically retire from the Marine Corps in 2014. The fire inside was never needed more than in her years of recovery, fighting to become something greater than the person she was before joining the military. And Kirstie has done just that. She's now a mountaineer, Olympic hopeful, and the first female US veteran above-the-knee amputee to summit Carstensz Pyramid, a 16K foot peak in Indonesia...And she's working on a host of other high alpine summits! She's also just an all-around incredible and inspiring human being, and we're beyond honored to have her on the Hazard Ground Podcast!  www.theheroesproject.org | www.thevetsproject.com

Erik Weihenmeyer is a rock climber.  In 2008 he climbed Carstensz Pyramid on the island of Papua New Guinea, completing the Seven Summits, the highest point on every continent. This accomplishment closed the circuit on a 13-year journey that had begun with his 1995 ascent of Denali. He is joined by a select company of only 150 mountaineers to have accomplished the feat. He is also blind.  In this episode, Mark chats with Erik about No Barriers - a movement started in part by Erik. They discuss how energy is behind every moment of adversity. Erik reminds listeners to surround yourself with a great team, to keep your heart open, and to be a climber, not a camper. 

''If I can’t move forward, then I’ll move in another direction.'' - Erik Weihenmayer Have you ever been faced with a challenge that people told you was impossible? Did you let fear stop you from moving forward or did you persevere when nobody thought you could?   In this inspiring conversation with Erik Weihenmayer, he’ll teach you how to harness the power of adversity, overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and live a life of purpose and impact!   Erik Weihenmayer is one of the most celebrated and accomplished athletes in the world. In 2001, he became the only blind person in history to climb Mount Everest. When he stood on the top of Carstensz Pyramid in 2008, he completed his quest to climb all of the Seven Summits - the tallest peak on each of the seven continents. In September 2014, Erik and blinded Navy veteran, Lonnie Bedwell, kayaked the entire 277-miles of the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, considered one of the most formidable whitewater venues in the world. Erik continually seeks out new adventures, focusing his efforts on empowering people traditionally swept to the sidelines of life. He founded an organization called No Barriers, which helps people with challenges tap into the human spirit, break through barriers, and contribute to the world. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Everest ascent, Erik and his team founded a new No Barriers program, No Barriers Warriors, which uses teamwork and the mountains as a transformative force to help veterans reclaim their lives after devastating injuries. Erik is the author of two best-selling books: his memoir, Touch the Top of the World and The Adversity Advantage, which offers lessons for turning challenges into greatness. He is an internationally recognized speaker and brings his message of living a No Barriers Life to audiences around the world. What I love most about this conversation is Erik’s unique ability to step back and find new perspective and solutions to problems that allow him to keep moving forward. At the point when most people would decide to give up, Erik just finds another route. This discussion is loaded with inspiring stories and proof that regardless of your abilities, what’s inside of you is stronger than what’s in the way.     Here’s a quick breakdown of our chat… [05:50] Learn about Erik’s “Open Heart Policy” and how it can help you find hope and possibility, even during life's most challenging moments.   [07:43] Erik describes his first attempt at rock climbing as a blind kid and how it completely changed the trajectory of his life. [09:00] Learn how to courageously overcome the naysayers, and turn judgement and ridicule into fuel for your toughest obstacles. [14:00] Erik talks about summiting Mt. Everest, the moment that still brings tears to his eyes, and the role his incredible team played in the process. [17:30] How to surround yourself with incredible people who will step up when you need them most.   [19:42] Why you should stop rejecting your ego and start channeling it to do something great. [23:00] Find out how Eric turned his past achievements into catalysts to push beyond his limits, learned to Kayak blind, traveled 277-miles of the Colorado River, got knocked over and beat down, and kept on moving forward!   [33:00] How to manage fear and break through barriers when you’re way over your head! [38:50] Erik describes why family is the greatest “no barriers” journey of them all and how he hopes to be remembered by his kids. [53:30]Learn how you can rebuild and rediscover yourself in the midst of adversity. ''Your ego is the thing that makes you great.'' - Erik Weihenmayer Enjoying the show? For iTunes listeners, get automatic downloads and share the love by subscribing, rating & reviewing here! Links and Resources [SITE] Touch The Top [SITE] No Barriers USA [BOOK] No Barriers: A Blind Man's Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon [BOOK] Touch the Top of the World [BOOK] The Adversity Advantage [SOCIAL] Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter If you’re enjoying the show, let us know about it HERE o/

In 2013, Cason became the fifth youngest person to climb the Seven Summits - the highest mountain on each continent while raising money and awareness for The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention service for LGBTQ youth, in an initiative called The Rainbow Summits Project. Cason Crane is truly an adventure-seeker and a risk-taker. In this podcast, we touch many topics as to what drives him and makes him pursue so many adventures while being someone who is extremely fearful of heights TEN THINGS TO LISTEN OUT FOR: How Cason was able to climb mountains while being extremely fearful of height. What was his primary purpose in taking on this project. Cason talks about his approaches in raising 135k dollars for the Trevor project He talks about his experience in climbing Carstensz Pyramid and hiking through one of the most remote places on this planet. He talks about climbing/ training for Everest and how much does it cost to actually summit Everest. Cason also talks about why most people die in Everest. Cason talks about building mental toughness and why he Loves Venus Williams. We talk about his experience coming back to Princeton after two years of traveling. Cason talks about his experience of not summiting Denali on his first attempt and how he dealt with that setback. Cason talks about his family and how his siblings are doing similar projects to make an impact on this planet. Cason talks about “his next Everest” and what he is looking forward in the future. Books recommended: 1.Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer 2. Never Eat Alone: Keith Ferrazzi Visit limitlessgrit.com for show notes connect with Cason: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casoncrane/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=cason%20crane&src=typd Connect with Shristi: Limitlessgrit.com limitlessgrit@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shristigajurel/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=shristi%20gajurel&src=typd