#2
STEPPING STONE
This expedition was, for me, the biggest one so far. I was nervous, excited, overjoyed and head over heals in love with the thought of going back to the mountains. The thin air and the cold, frigid winds. I couldn't wait for it to be all about the next step. One step at a time. Breathing, heart pounding and wanting to leap out of my chest. Legs screaming for oxygen and eyes trying to understand how absolutely beautiful the earth looks on that side of reality. I couldn't wait to become disconnected, far away from civilization. I was longing for some simplicity. Maybe longing for life.

LET GO
When I get on the bus heading to the airport, that's the moment where I let go. It is the biggest and purest sense of peace and I can literally feel it flowing through my body, all the way from my toes up to my eyes that begins to water as I take one last glance at my home town. I love that moment. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on the planet. I am right where I belong. On my way out into the world.

NEW TEAM
Getting together with a new team is always exciting. We meet up in Kathmandu. The first day we are all strangers to one another. A few days later, we're family. I enjoy getting to know new people, and learning about their stories. The reasons for us being there differs. Some of us have been climbing our whole lives, some of us have just started. Some have been dreaming of this expedition for years, some just happen to decide a few weeks before. The roads we've traveled in order to get there varies widely, and do our personalities. That's what makes it challenging, interesting and memorable. We push, support, help and teach one another. No one will ever be the same, in one way or another.

STAYING FOCUSED
We set out to climb 3 peaks in 30 days (4 weeks). Instead, we climbed 4 mountains in 3 weeks and even pushed on to get to Mt. Everest Base Camp. What a beautiful place! We were 15 climbers to begin with, which over time decreased to 7, and finally 4 of us managed to summit all 4 mountains. A great adventure indeed.
Personally, I just climbed one peak at a time. Happy to summit, but staying focused one the next mountain was the main objective. One by one we all got closer to the final summit, Mt. Lobuche. It was the hardest but simultaneously the easiest climb of them all. It was tough due to the steep climb and muscles deteriorating, but surprisingly "easy" considering our bodies were already acclimatized to the high altitude which made it easier to breathe. Reaching that last summit was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was worth every second of pain. The success always makes up for the suffering.

STAYING HUMBLE
Weather as well as logistics was on our side this time. We came back 5 days earlier than expected. However, others was not as lucky as we were. Some hikers and climbers never got down. During our expedition we got news on 2 different occasions. 45 deaths on Annapurna and 3 deaths on Ama Dablam. Amongst the team on Ama Dablam one of our climbing sherpas lost his good friend to the glacier. We all know about the risks, and we're all aware of the terms in relation to which we climb. Many of climbers dare to be there because they know about the risks, and how to avoid them. It allows them to do dangerous things in a safe way, so that they can continue to do what they love. What makes life worth living. However, that does not eliminate accidental hazards nor does it diminish the tragic reality when lives are being lost. All we can do is to learn and keep learning, and never lose the feeling of humbleness. I am an aspiring mountain climber, in development, but It is my belief that you being aware of how small you really are will keep you safe, when all else fails.
As the new documentary, featuring Dave Treadway and Henrik Windstedt, states: "Let's go get small!"