I sat down with a friend of mine some weeks ago. He shared this quote with me: “More people die coming down Mount Everest than ascending it.”
It’s true, according to this study. The reason has been put down to the fact that those attempting the feat are exhausted after the effort of getting to the top. Most of the deaths were among climbers, not Sherpas.
Interesting: Sherpas are native to this area and are better adapted physiologically to high altitudes, having broader arteries and capillaries to carry oxygen-bearing blood more efficiently.
I find this metaphorically interesting in the world today, where so much is placed on immediacy, rather than long-term.
When I was at school, people would ask me what I wanted to do after school. When I was out of school, people would ask me when I was getting married. Once I was married, everyone wanted to know when we were going to have a baby. Then they wanted to know when we would have another baby. And so it continues…
No one ever asked (or has ever asked) what kind of grandparent I want to be, or how I’d like my marriage to be summed up at the end, or what kind of difference I ultimately want to make in the world.
The headlines are about the top. But getting up is only halfway, which we seldom think about. We’re not prepared for what comes after. And that’s why more people die coming down Everest than going up it.
Some people only see a mountain, while some see mountain ranges. As you’ve probably gathered, I have started thinking about mountain ranges.
However, for the longest time I’ve only thought about things as mountains. I think many of us do; or at least we live our lives like we do – spending vast amounts of energy ascending what we think is the pinnacle, only to discover more mountain tops around and ahead of us. Often we catch a glimpse of the finish line and we’re so relieved we either crash just before it or limp half-dead across it.
But I’m learning that a mountain often forms part of a mountain range, and you need enough in the tank to get down the other side and up more mountains in the future.
I’m asking questions like: what’s on the other side of success? Once you’ve reached the “pinnacle”, what else is there? The answer, seemingly, is plenty. And it’s worth prepping ourselves for mountain ranges, not just mountains.
At the very least, that journey is a lot more informed and substantial.
