dw Weekly Blog
60 Years since Mount Everest was summited by Sir Edmund
Hilary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, what an outstanding achievement
this was 60 years ago, and if you consider how equipment has changed over the
years then in theory it should be easier today to summit the top of this great
mountain. However if you have ever
climbed at high altitude you would know equipment is important, but mental toughness and
physical ability are as important otherwise you will never make the top.
And who has mental toughness, we all do and at all ages,
therefore it was also particularly interesting to see in the last week or so
that an 80-year old Japanese mountaineer has reached the summit of Mount
Everest, making him the oldest man to scale the world's highest peak. Yuichiro Miura, who climbed Everest when he
was 70 and then again at 75 and now 80, definite mental toughness.
Just as impressive and
inspiring for Young People a Saudi woman has made history by reaching the
summit of the world's highest mountain.
Raha Moharrak, 25, not only became the first Saudi woman to attempt the
climb but also the youngest Arab to make it to the top of Everest. Coming from Saudi Arabia - a conservative
Muslim country where women's rights are very restricted - she had to break a
lot of barriers to achieve her goal, her climb team said. A biography on the expedition website said
convincing Ms Moharrak's family to agree to her climb "was as great a
challenge as the mountain itself", though they fully support her now. Raha was quoted saying, "I really don't care about being the first, so long as it inspires
someone else to be second." and she of course has shown mental toughness to achieve
So what does this all mean, I am sure you can infer much, but
I would suggest overcoming challenges whatever your age, ethnicity, equipment,
if you want something then if you are motivated and hungry for it you can
achieve. Maybe this should be a message
for our young people and maybe we should do more to develop the mental toughness in Young
People as to my mind this is an essential skill in the outdoor world and in the general world we live in if you want to succeed and 
Remember… experience – learn – develop dw
1 comment:
Also important for people to remember I think, is that the mental toughness required to summit Everest is the same as the mental toughness required to overcome fears and push yourself out of your comfort zone and stretch your personal limits, it is just on a different scale!It is what I love about working as an instructor here - to see people achieving and exceeding their self expectations. Realizing they have that mental power within themselves! We are all far more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and I am glad we can help young people realize that when they visit us!
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