Everest: The challenge of climbing to the top of the world.

‘It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves’ said Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the two first climbers confirmed –together with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay- to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

And it seems to be true for any daring adventure we attempt to do. A great part of our success is based on digging within ourselves to find the (physical, mental, and emotional) strength to reach where we intend to. Previous training leads adventure-seekers to begin the climb feeling strong and capable. But is as we climb up the mountain little by little when we conquer ourselves at the same pace.

‘The mind also needs to be trained’ 

‘I departed to the Himalayas making a promise ‘If the mountain allows me, there will be a photo of myself at the summit’ remembers Javier Oliver who reached the top of the Everest in 2018. ‘I had had intensive training and reached in excellent physical and psychological conditions. Yes’ –he admits- ‘the mind also needs to be trained’

To avoid accidents due to physical weakening or unwise decisions made under stress, one must be capable of understanding what is happening both inside and around oneself. Mental strength is an essential asset to identify the signals that the body gives during the ascent.

 ‘One has to have a serene mental state to recognize the signals that mean is time to stop the climb and start a safe return, and distinguish them from the expected exhaustion of such demanding climb to an altitude of 8848 meters above sea level. The possibility of turning back before the summit is an option that one must always carry at least in the bottom of the backpack’ –assures Javier – ‘It’s like part of the first aid kit we must always take when we are out there climbing, any mountain.’

'Hearing her voice was as comforting as demolishing'

‘I had to use my mental strength to its maximum to deal with my emotional chaos when, after one month of being at Mount Everest, I called my wife for the first time. It was her birthday. Hearing her voice was as comforting as demolishing’ confesses Javier.

It was undoubtedly his mental tenacity, and the ability to remain focused and in control of himself what allowed him to continue his way to the top of the Everest, especially when at the same time 5 members of his expedition decided to abandon the attempt.

Carmen, Javier’s wife who supported him all the way from their home in Spain – and who was always convinced he will summit successfully- remembers that phone call too ‘for the first time I felt he was suffering but quitting there would have implied bigger suffering for him’. She decided at that moment to remain neutral in front of him. ‘Encouraging him too much could have led to putting his life at risk, and discouraging him could have led to deprive him of a dreamed challenged’ shares Carmen.

 Nowadays climbers have the luxury of technology on their side. Using the Base camp wi-fi connection allows climbers to receive encouraging messages to reinforce their moral when needed while they have to spend several weeks of acclimatization getting used to the oxygen-starved altitude, or simply waiting for the ‘Summit Window’ when weather conditions are safe enough for a try to make it to the summit. Both Javier and Carmen highlight that being able to communicate with each other was certainly a crucial asset to his success.

' I asked myself what the hell I’m doing here?'

The expedition to summit Everest takes about two months. During this time there is a bit of everything, a mix of wonderful and miserable days. Javier recognizes ‘there were many of these days which I asked myself what the hell I’m doing here?’. Summiting Everest is a decision one makes constantly over and over during the two months expedition.

There was a second moment, this time crossing the “death zone” during the ascent when Javier felt he might have to head back and give up his chance of stepping on the summit. ‘Another battle broke out in my mind when on the way to the peak, at over 8500 meters, I passed by one of the sadly famous “bodies of the Everest”. It was one of the hardest moments, I was exhausted and couldn’t feel my toes anymore. Am I crossing the red line?’ asked himself Javier that night while he was trying to put one foot in front of the other.

‘One part of me was saying that was enough, and I had nothing to prove to no one. But my adventurous self was telling me that this is how is supposed to be, that was part of the script’ he continues. When the sun rose on the right and the shade of the Everest appeared on the left Javier found the energy he was needing to keep going. Not long after that sunrise, at 6:30 hs on the 21^st May 2018, Javier Oliver summited Mount Everest.

Despite being a very desirable peak for mountaineers, just over 4000 persons in history have accomplished this feat, and sadly not all of them have returned alive. Arriving at the top is only half of this endeavor. The final target is – normally- to return to camp, which unfortunately is not always the case. Experienced climbers agree that many of the complications arise when people don’t keep enough energy to make a safe return.

'The emotional reserves run out at the same pace'

‘When your body runs out of energy and you believe that cannot go any further, it is the mind who takes control of the situation and manages the use of the last reserve of energy left. There is always a reserve of energy there but is your mind, not your body who can access it. The emotional reserves run out at the same pace.’ Explains Javier affirming his biggest learning from this experience was to realize how powerful the mind can be. So it was Carmen’s biggest take away to learn how to deal with her own emotions back home and putting her mind in charge of remaining calm and neutral. Endurance levels need to be at their peak for the adventurers and their loved ones.

‘The Everest is also suffered from home. It is very hard for your family to see you leaving to the mountain, knowing there is a possibility they might not see you again’ says Javier. ‘Waiting for news can be very stressful so it is vital to believe that “no news is good news” and moreover to trust fully in the climber’s ability to make sensible decisions’ advises Carmen.

 'It will be the biggest adventure of your life'

‘Once you made the decision of going to Everest, you must surround yourself of all the positive aspects that have what it will be the biggest adventure of your life because not everybody can say that has walked at the top of the world, or at least tried it with all his might’ concludes Javier Oliver, who at the age of 52 summited the highest peak on earth, and returned safely to Carmen and their children back in Spain.

Every summit and every unsuccessful attempt are equally part of the mountain story. Attempting such a feat gives climbers an immense sense of adventure and challenge. The struggle is recurrent at those altitudes, where it takes everything to do every single step.  The way to the world’s highest peak is one of the utmost daring human experience one can embark on. An experience that brings an extreme sense of satisfaction to those who, during the climb, have also conquered themselves.

Special THANKS to Javier Oliver and Carmen González-Meneses for sharing their meaningful adventure with Exploraris . They are co-authors of the captivating book "EVEREST. UN RETO DE ENSUEÑO (Diario de expedición)" which the first edition sold out in only two months, and they have generously donated all profits to AECC (www.aecc.es) to support cancer research. Carmen and Javier are founders of Encordados por la vida, a project that aims to raise awareness of the support needed to overcome cancer, to promote a healthy lifestyle to prevent it, and to raise funds for its research. Read excerpts of their book here

Photos credit: Javier Oliver 

For more meaningful adventures follow EXPLORARIS