Picture: Lake Humantay, 4200m

I love having a goal. Climbing Everest still seems a little crazy and ‘dream big’ type of goal. When I started, I knew there will be multiple challenges, from physical and mental preparation to adjusting to lack of oxygen at extreme altitudes to raising finances. I was ready for it, motivated and driven.

However, I did not anticipate this happening. It was a wedding of my lovely brother – a beautiful night full of joy and happy smiles. I went downstairs to get some fresh air. I remember laughing and smiling, then making that step… my legs slipped from under me and I fell down a flight of stairs… I remember very strong pain, the ambulance, the hospital… the following days not being able to walk, then the crutches… and several months of recovery.

Ironic how everyday life proved to be more dangerous, than life on the edge, literally. I have climbed quite a few mountains and well managed several challenging and dangerous situations and yet fall what most people would consider in a ‘safe environment’.

I had so many plans and an upcoming trip to Peru. It was hard to stay motivated. I started looking through my favourite photos and remembered all the happy moments and that kept me going.

In the next several days, I worked through the plan on the adjustments that needed to be made for my upcoming trip, my physical preparation, shifting deadlines. The trip to Peru has changed completely, but I still managed to enjoy this beautiful country and reached 4,200m with a stunning view of a lake Humantay. It was a challenge to say the least, given I still was on crutches. I will post all the details in my next blog post.

My Everest deadline has also shifted slightly, but my determination and motivation are stronger than ever before to overcome all the setbacks and achieve the dream of my life. If I learned something from this experience is that setbacks allow one to take some time off, reflect, see if something can be done differently, review current plan and create a new one – a better one!

Enjoy Life and see you in my next blog post on Humantay lake, 4200m hike on crutches!

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