I have climbed the Seven Summits (tallest peaks on all seven continents), skied to the North and South Poles, and am on the part-time faculty at West Point. Ask Me Anything.

Mount Everest is polluted with tons of empty oxygen bottles, climbing gear, food packaging and worse. A National Geographic story this year described "garbage leaking out of the glaciers and pyramids of human excrement." There also are over 200 corpses. What was it like to encounter all of that during your ascent, and do you think something needs to change to restore the beauty of the mountain?

hi. bear with me because i am not the best typist (two fingers here my friend!). i have climbed everest twice -- and both times i will say that i did not find the conditions to be as bad as they are often described. most climbers really try to observe the "leave no trace" policy, but of course not everyone does... sherpas have financial incentive to bring down trash, so that really helps. i only saw one corpse when i was there -- and i had to look away. it was someone who had been there for years and years. had it been more recent, i am sure it would haunt me forEVER.

accomplished leader, faculty at west point, climbed 7 peaks, types with 2 fingers...Checks out

hilarious!!!

That description is hugely over exaggerated, to the point of being completely false. I was there during the 2013 spring climbing season and the worst garbage you see on the glacier is yak dung. I have no idea where the 'Piles of human excrement' statement comes from in NG but every group operating from base camp pays $30,000 (USD!) to the Nepalese government as a rubbish deposit, refunded upon a clean inspection when they leave.

i completely agree with you -- thank you for chiming in.

Are there any challenges you have considered but then refused?

yes. climbing k2. the death rate on that mountain is out of my comfort zone.

What is it in comparison for Everest?

Everest is 5.7%. K2 is 23.24%. Annapurna I is the worst at 38%.

that sounds about right to me. thanks.

i am not sure of exact percentage -- google it and let me know if you do find the answer. there are very few success stories from that mountain. annapurna too. many more people attempt everest, so on a numbers basis everest has had more deaths -- but percentage-wise when you look at k2, it is a deadlier mountain.

1.5 out of 100 die summiting everest where 1 out of 4 die summiting K2.

[Edit: Correction on Stat]

hmmmm...that would mean there is a greater than 25% fatality rate on everest ??? i dont think that is correct, only because if 400 people go for the summit in a season, that would mean that there are more than 100 deaths.

Yup, mis wrote that. Thanks for the correction.

the way they word those stats online can be really confusing.

What experience in your life, climbing related or not, has had the biggest impact on how you live your life?

my south pole trip, when i was the weakest member of my team and could not keep up with the 6'3" tall 230 lb guys (I am 5'4" and 108lbs. okay okay 112!!!). i trained my butt off, but those big guys could haul the heavy sleds faster than i could. but instead of making me feel like sh*t about it, they helped me out by taking some of the weight out of my sled and putting it in theirs (which meant they were now hauling MORE weight to help me out). It changed my leadership philosophy, because i used to just wish that weak people would quit so that my teams could go faster and be more efficient...but once I became the weak person, i realized that it is a leader's responsibility to help out those who are struggling. and after those guys helped me out, it made me very conscious of the fact that i should always be trying to help others (not just on expeditions, but in every day life). Holy crap this was a long answer...

What was your most memorable moment as deputy financial officer for Arnold Schwarzenegger?

getting a republican elected in the state of California. :-)

How was the skiing at the poles? Was one better than the other?

very different experiences. north is brutal because you are skiing on floating ice rather than on a land mass, so there is DRIFT. And it can be very psychologically CRUSHING to ski for 15 hours, go to sleep, and then wake up and find you have drifted BACKWARD and are not further away than you were when you started the previous day. That is one reason the North Pole is so much harder. With south pole, at least you can track your progress and you know exactly how much further you have to ski to reach your destination.

I didn't even think about drift, that must have been crazy!

Oh, it SUCKS.

oops -- meant "and are NOW further away" -- not "not further away."

Wikipedia says that you suffer from Raynaud's Disease. I haven't the slightest clue what this condition entails. Could you give us a brief description of the disease and how you cope with it while you're on an adventure.

My fiancee has it, and I tell you I have no idea how this woman can be into mountain climbing while having it too: Essentially, when it's cold, blood flow to your fingers and toes is reduced like crazy, and it hurts. I've seen her digits turn yellow and dark purple.

i think i am pretty tough, but twice i have cried from the pain. and i am not a crier (unless Duke loses early during March Madness).

Oh, you're a Duke fan? Fuck this AMA.

LOL...

You appear to be a terrific and wonderful person but this cannot be forgiven. I wish many tears of sadness come March, preferably pre sweet sixteen.

hilarious!!! we clearly dont like the same team, but i love your passion about ncaa hoops. i respect that in anyone. i went to univ az for college -- does that help my standing at all?

raynauds is a circulatory disease -- where the nerves clamp down on the blood vessels that feed your fingers and toes, leaving you at high risk of frostbite. it is very tough to manage on expeditions. but i gotta say that sometimes it is tough to manage in the checkout lane at the grocery store too...

I think it's awesome that you just power through something that could be a total death sentence if it gets out of control. That's real dedication and courage.

well thank you. some would call it stupidity... :-)

Have you ever 'illegally' downloaded something?

I know it's not related to your profession/career/fame. But I like to ask in most IAmAs, just because...

LMAO (love this question). PROBABLY. but Shhhhhhhh....

Which had the best view? Where was "that place" where you just had to stop and admire the beauty of nature?

Mt McKinley Mt McKinley Mt McKinley!!!

Hi Alison! I'm really fascinated by mountain climbing, especially eight-thousanders. I was wondering how it felt like for you to reach the summit of Everest on your second attempt, after coming so close on the first try? Also, what happened on the first attempt that made you turn back?

i gotta say, that when i reached the summit of everest i was expecting ashton kucher to jump out and tell me i had been punk'd! felt very surreal. it also was NOT as big a deal as I thought it would be. i realized that the journey is much more important than getting to the top of a big pile of ice. you're only on the summit for a few minutes -- but you are on that mountain for about 2 months total. i think people put too much emphasis on the summit.

I'm interested in travelling to Nepal in a few months as a sort of right-of-passage. I've hiked up a few mountains, stayed a few days at around 14k feet, and generally love the outdoors. I'm not expecting myself to summit Everest when I go, but I am hoping to make the best of my time there. Do you have any advice about how to best prepare to climb as high as I can if I'm in lowly Texas until then? Do you have any insight for travelling to Nepal alone for a mid-20s dude?

do the base camp trek!!! you will LOVE it!!! you will get to 17,000' and you'll get a good feel for what altitude tastes like. also, bring a ton of hand sanitizer. tons of people get sick there, so you have to be really careful.

I'll look into it! Thank you for the response

there was a thread on r/hiking a few weeks ago. someone was going to nepal and asked for suggestions. the base camp hike was on suggestion, but there were a few others that seemed way better. I'm to lazy to find it now, but you might want to put the time in.

could have been Annapurna circuit.

did you know that picture is giving us all the middle finger?

yeah - that's why i picked that one. ;-)

What is the essential kit for these kinds of expeditions? Do you a take satellite phone?

oh yeah i take a satellite phone! and a solar charger. it's a lot of extra gear to carry, but it is worth it as a safety precaution. And so you can call home and get sports scores. :-)

essential kit varies based on type and length of expedition.

Which peak was your favorite to climb?

of the 7 summits -- i would say mckinley. beautiful, beautiful mountain. but outside of the 7 summits i would say rwenzori mountains in uganda. i have climbed them 6 times.

How many dead bodies have you seen and if you've seen any do they make you rethink doing something so dangerous?

i have seen 1 on everest, and then have had someone i was with die during a trip from a deep vein thrombosis. we were on mustagh ata in china and he died in his tent at base camp and it was a f'ing CRUSHER (because it wasnt like he died from an avalanche or pulmonary edema or anything mountain related). we were so far away from any kind of medical care... everyone there was absolutely devastated. but of course this could have happened to him if he were skiiing in tahoe too... i always think about the risks though. always...

A few questions for you Alison:

• What kind of physical and mental training did you undergo to accomplish your climbs?
  
• Where did your love for climbing or your passion come from to accomplish such a grand goal?
  
• Also, I think of climbing as a 'male-dominated' sport, how did you fit in or were there any obstacles being a woman accomplishing these goals?

physical training: i trained on smaller mountains as often as i could -- i would climb mt shasta (in northern cal) as much as I could and then when i lived in CO i would climb in the rockies as much as i could mental: well...i guess i really got the mental training once i got there, because you get the crap kicked out of you all the time, so you REALLY need to have a strong voice in your head telling you NOT TO QUIT (dammit!!!) :-) Mountaineering is still very male dominated, but more and more women are getting into the sport. biggest obstacle:learning to pee standing up. ha!

I actually have a follow-up question to this. My husband and I are looking to get involved in mountaineering and the learning to pee standing up thing seems pretty important. Is that because it's faster than finding time/a place to sit down? Also, how important is minimizing skin exposure time in some of the higher elevations (and colder places, in general)?

you can buy a device called the Lady J. it is basically a funnel that you can use to pee standing up. if you are not on a glacier and are not roped in, then you can always walk away and find a place to squat. but if you are tied to your teammates and are wearing a climbing harness, you'll want to stand up so that you dont have to loosen your harness, drop trou, squat/try to balance, etc...

What was your most scary/frightening experience while climbing mount everest?

oh, that's an easy question. DEFINITELY going through the Khumbu Icefall in 2002, when a huge serac collapsed -- and i missed getting knocked into a crevasse by just a few feet. YIKES!

Just reading that made me scared.....

writing it again made me scared!!!

active women like yourself, how do they feel about the kitchen?

LOL!!! Love it. Can't stay out of it. Especially when I am barefoot.

WOW WHAT A UNIQUE AND CLEVER JOKE I'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE

Yeah, I'm good like that.

You've climbed the tallest mountains on earth, but have you ever been higher than Snoop?

so true so true!!! have you ever heard the Gourds do their bluegrass version of Gin and Juice? it is AWESOME.

I have not, but you may have just become my new favorite person in the world.

LOL!!! You HAVE to go download it RIGHT NOW. seriously. you will play it 1000000000 times and you still wont be sick of it. it is such a great song.

As a person with fear of heights. How the fuck do you manage to not pass out when you're up there?

DON'T LOOK DOWN! :-) The Khumbu Icefall is probably the scariest part for me -- all the ladders that you have to cross and all of the massive crevasses...even if you do not have a fear of heights it will scare the sh*t out if you. even atheists mumble prayers when they climb thru the Icefall.

I'm a climber that's gotten my dad into climbing. He was very scared of heights at first (got scared 30ft up in the gym) but this summer we climbed a 600ft route in Colorado. A fear of heights is very natural, but you can learn to get over it as you learn to trust your equipment and realize that heights aren't as big of a deal as you might think.

Or you might be terrified, you never know.

thank you for sharing that. great insight.

What do you teach at West Point?

i lecture in the dept of behavioral sciences & leadership -- and i lecture about how to lead teams in extreme environments. a lot of the stuff i lecture about is in my book which is called On the Edge: The Art of High-Impact Leadership.

How did you get into such a unique lifestyle/career while still being financially stable?

that has been one of the BIGGEST challenges. i had so much debt from student loans (70k),so i always had to find sponsors for expeditions. and finding a corporate sponsor is SO HARD (at least for me, because i hate fundraising). fundraising feels like a full-time job...

Thank you for the answer. I've always been so curious how people like you live such awesome lives while still managing to get by financially, mainly because I too would love to live a life full of traveling and adventure. Although I just don't know how to break out the mold of everyday life.

it is hard to do, and i definitely had more than a few moments of frustration and felt like giving up. i was tired of being broke and feeling like i was not making progress toward ANYTHING in my life...but in the end, persistence really paid off, and once i lured in one sponsor, then the next ones seemed to come more easily. but i still have my ups and downs...

Hee hee, ups and downs. Think that pun was lost among this group. I liked it!

omg, it was lost on ME TOO!!!

Haha! I love puns so always seem to see them. Keep doing what you do Alison, you are an absolute inspiration to so many people. Love reading your stories! And thanks for the AMA!

thank you for absolutely making my day!

thanks for the kind words. this AMA was really fun.

whats the process like for finding a sponsor?

I suppose thats the kind of thing people dont think of

in my opinion, it is VERY frustrating and NOT fun. you basically send a gazillion pitch emails, letters, put together proposals, and try to think of creative ways to get the attention of marketing departments within companies that have deep pockets. you get a million "no's" before you ever get a "well...maybe..."

I cannot imagine its ever a fun thing.

So do you send one to say, Redbull and try to make it a fun thing for their brand or is it more national geographic or say the company that makes the boots you are wearing on your trek or is it more scientific stuff?

customizing the sales pitch is absolutely essential. you have to think about what would appeal to each company, and gear your pitch toward that. this is what makes it sooooo time-consuming. it's not like one letter will do the trick.

Most of the expeditions for normal people are sponsored by "other" corporations or charities (surprisingly.) The companies in the outdoors industry mostly sponsor cutting edge expeditions- for example, Mountain Hardwear sponsored a trip for some of its athletes to go to Greenland not that long ago. Some gear companies (like La Sportiva, the probable boot company you mentioned) might donate gear, but rarely go beyond that.

you are spot on with this by the way...

How did you end up at West Point?

I had just turned 42 and was trying to enlist in the army - because my entire life i felt like it was my duty to serve, just something that i have always wanted to do. i knew age limit for army was 42 -- so i thought "gotta do it NOW." but when i talked to the recruiting officer he told me i was TOO OLD. I was crushed. I was thinking, "I just skied 600 miles across antarctica while pulling a 150l sled -- and you're telling me that any other chick who happens to be 41 can enlist and i CANNOT? i did not want to take "no" for an answer.So i called a guy I met at a leadership conference a few years earlier who was a colonel at the time. he gave me his card, and my SOME MIRACLE I saved it and found it in a drawer. I called him and I said, "i dont know if u remember me, but i need your help." I asked him if he could pull some strings for me so i could get around the age limit. he said, "if you want to help the army -- come lecture in my department at USMA. I am now the head of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. I remember your lecture from the conference and I think you would be a great asset to our dept because your views on leadership are very applicable to the military." that's sort of the abbreviated version.

That's awesome, I'm glad you found a way to serve in the end.

I travel there from CA on my own dime. I do not get any kind of salary. And I hope I get to do it for at least 50 more yrs.

Oh wow you had to enlist? And I was thinking 32 or so from your pic. I guess that's a benefit of an active lifestyle.

oh I LOVE YOU FOR THAT! yeah, 47 now...but I was 42 at the time.

forgot to clarify -- recruiting officer explained that i had to enlist BEFORE my 42nd bday. I did not know that at the time. Thought I was good to go at 42!

Who do you think was mostly to blame for Everest Disaster or 96?

President Bush.

Gee that's a stupid answer. Seriously, I am asking an honest question of an experienced climber. I would like to have your take on the events.

The people that were there don't know. No offense to her, but she certainly doesn't. We all have our opinions, but they're simple speculation at best.

this is 100% TRUE.

Out of all your experiences, was there ever a time where you did not expect to make it back alive? What was your most frightening experience?

YES. It's such a long story -- but it was a trip to Carstensz Pyramid, and i was by myself and i got really really sick. I had so many things go wrong with my equipment and made a TON of rookie mistakes (i had only been climbing for a year and underestimated the mountain). people who have read my book have told me it was their favorite chapter. I tried to keep the tone pretty light, but i was scared sh*tless.

Hello Alison! Thank you for doing this AMA.

I've always been fascinated about the "summit fever" mentality. Specifically, the case of David Sharp sparked a lot of controversy over whether it was ethical to leave the man to die. As we know, he indeed died and many blamed Mark Inglis' team for passing by Sharp's dying body more than once.

Realistically, when does the summit overtake the life of another? (I'm sure we'd like to say it never does but this clearly isn't true all the time). Or is it simply a matter of being in the death zone and not being able to save a dying mountaineer? Who perhaps ought to have been better prepared.

I've never been close to such hostile environments (the death zone), I'd like to know what an experienced person thinks.

this is SUCH a great question. i have an entire chapter in my book about this. there are so many factors that go into whether or not someone can be saved. and it is all so incredibly heart-wrenching. so many things to consider: is the person mobile --meaning, can they get up on their feet? how close to death (or life) are they? Most people say they would stop for a climber in trouble, but clearly with the David Sharp case, people did not stop. many people did not realize he was there (thought he was a corpse that had been there for years). others did not realize he needed help. it was really sad that he was up there with no radio -- so he could not call for help. but one thing to keep in mind too, is that people's brain's dont always function well at altitude, and things that seem black and white at sea level look different in the death zone. also, the footage that was shown on the discovery channel was edited quite a bit, so i dont think people saw the whole story...

Thank you so much for replying! I was afraid it'd be too touchy a subject. I will certainly have to read your book now, too.

yeah -- me too! i was really nervous about tackling it in my book because it is indeed so touchy. i hope it comes across okay...

Any of those mountains you would recomend to a mountain biker looking for something noteworthy to ride a bike down, up if possible.

okay, get THIS: mountain biking scares the crap out of me. I have seen so many friends get hurt, and for whatever reason I just have never embraced the sport.because i don't ride, i dont have a good answer for you -- i am so sorry!!!

Alison,

I really enjoyed your talk at the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Leadercast. It was very motivation.

I have a couple of questions:

1. What acclimation trek was the hardest and why?

2. What is the most profound lesson you brought back after climbing up Everest?

Thanks for doing this AMA.

thanks for joining this AMA -- and so awesome that u were at leadercast (i was a last min replacement for robin roberts). acclimatization trek that was the hardest...well, it wasnt really a trek -- it was more of a rotation -- and it was on everest-- going from camp 2 to camp 3 in order to just acclimatize. the route up the Lhotse Face is sooo icy and steep. most profound lesson: summits are meaningless unless they provide perspective (and i don't mean "views from the top"-- i mean the thinking kind of perspective). it is all about the journey.

Just found my notes from that talk also. Thought you might get a kick out of seeing them.

http://i.imgur.com/3nL2MlI.jpg

no way. that is awesome. those notes are perfect -- you got all the main points down.

what's your favorite and least favorite food to eat while on expeditions?

fave: anything chocolate. least fave: corn nuts.

Loved having the chance to hear you talk up at West Point! Glad you're doing an AMA here on Reddit. Had a couple more questions for you: 1. Who was the best leader you have encountered? 2. What leadership lessons did you take from him/her that you employ in your daily life?

LOVE lecturing at WestPoint -- it is my favorite part of my job. best leader i have ever encountered, hands down, is polar explorer Eric Philips (he's an Aussie). The lesson I take from Eric has to do with dealing with weak people -- and what I learned from observing him is that as leaders, it is our responsibility to help weaker people compensate for weakness rather than expecting people to overcome weakness. there are some weaknesses that people will never overcome (for me, it is usually my size -- i'm smaller and cannot drag a 150lb sled as fast as someone who is 6'3" 230lbs. But Eric did not hammer me for that -- instead, he helped me find other ways to contribute to the success of the team. And most importantly, GO ARMY!!!!

After seeing Denali over the clouds at the end of a backpacking trip in AK, I've always wanted to climb the mountain. How would you suggest getting involved in the sport for someone who has a lot of outdoor experience (including rock climbing), but very little mountaineering experience?

take a glacier skills course or denali prep course with alpine ascents .they will teach you everything you need to know. VERY reputable company.

Which mountain was your favorite to climb?

i really loved mt mckinley because it is physically the most beautiful mountain i have ever been to. but the most fun i ever had was on a mountain in china called mustagh ata (not one of the seven summits) -- just because the people i met there were HILARIOUS and were as into practical jokes as i was.

Have you ever thought about doing any long distance hiking like the AT? PCT? CD?

YES YES YES. would love to do the PCT. But i would need to be able to bring my dog Trooper. I love him sooo much and cannot be away from him for very long because I miss him. He's the greatest dog in the world.

I suck at skiing any tips?

honestly, i am not that good at it either.

How do you like NY compared to CA?

i am from AZ originally, and that is the state that feels most like home to me. I love things about NY and CA though. And also hate things about them (COST OF LIVING).

Do you ever think about the existence of a god? I'm thinking about that since you've experienced the raw power of nature and how big it actually is compared to us humans.

i do. a lot.

What drives you?

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

sorry 'bout the jeep joke. you deserve a legit answer. what drives me? i love being outside -- away from "civilization" and working with a team of people who all want to challenge themselves...i love to see how far out of my comfort zone i can go before i call "uncle." And there is also something very empowering about knowing that you can get by in life with only the things that you can carry in your backpack. i also really love the bonding that occurs on these types of remote expeditions. i am also driven by the challenge to learn more about myself and what I need to work on. The mountains have a way of handing your ass to you.

Loved all the insight. how has the transition from 'world explorer' to 'lecturer' been on you? do you miss being on a trail rather then behind a desk? or is bringing excitement to other potential explorers just as rewarding?

thanks!

Having the opportunity to connect with potential adventurers all over the world is rewarding...but it is also VERY HARD for me. I still get out to the mountains a few times a year, but what is hard is that I am an introvert, and the social aspects that come with lecturing all over are hard for me. I am not comfortable at company cocktail parties and dinners...I struggle through those and they make me very uncomfortable and nervous. I would rather sit in a dark closet by myself than walk into a cocktail party where I don't know anyone and try to make conversation.

I know that climbing mountains is your forte, but would you ever consider going the opposite direction and spelunking?

why not? yeah...

Damn. I've seen Alison speak in person and she is amazing. One AMA I'm sad I missed.

awwwwww -- you just made my day!!!! xoxox!!!

I'm from Argentina, and I've been wanting to climb Aconcagua for about two years now. I don't have any real experience, but I am the most determined sun of a bitch I've ever seen, and when I set to do something, I usually do it. Two years ago I achieved one of my dreams (Trekking on Perito Moreno Glaciar - Calafate), Aconcagua is next.

So, did you enjoy Aconcagua? Any thoughts? Thanks for doing this AMA.

I have climbed it twice -- from 2 different routes. you could do it. the normal route is not technical, and if you have determination and you go SLOWLY so that you don't get altitude sickness, you have a high probability of success. But weather at the top can be tricky. Winds were high enough to knock me over...

For some getting into mountaineering/rock climbing, what books do you recommend for technical instruction? Thanks for all you do and good luck to you.

Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills is my Bible. There is so much great info in that book, it is amazing. And good luck to you too!

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Raynaud's sucks. there is no way around that. but what i do to try to minimize the problems it causes is i pop handwarmers into my gloves as soon as I wake up in the morning (even if my hands do not feel cold), just to try to PREVENT my fingers from going numb.If i lose my ability to grip an ice ax or ski pole, i am in trouble.

Which of the Seven Summits gave you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

Is there any that you really want to climb again? Any that you would never attempt again?

this answer might surprise you -- but kilimanjaro gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment -- and of course it is the easiest one! but i loved it because it is where i first learned that i could push myself past that point where i felt like i could not go on any further...and then you take one more step...and then one more after that...etc etc. and i would go back to ANY of them again. Any of them!

Thanks for answering!

The Seven Summits has always fascinated me. The highest I've ever been in Everest Base Camp, maybe one I'll take up climbing and go higher.

base camp is pretty damn high!!! if you made it up there, you can totally do Kili and Elbrus for starters -- you could!

How did you find Mount Kosciuszko in Australia? The reason I ask is that I did Kosi in late June this year and it was the first summit climb that I've ever done. I didn't find it too demanding although I was there early season and the snow wasn't too heavy. My question being, how did you find it in comparison to all others? I don't want to sound niave but I personally didn't find it too hard and it got me thinking about trying other peaks, although in saying that a young man was missing and most likely dead in the area when I did the climb. I went with a guide who led me via compass and he was on the search party for the man that was missing [an apparent experience climber and had military survival training] so I got a little inside scoop on the whole ordeal, although it didn't comfort me at all heading into the fog up a mountain for the first time.

EDIT: My guide also told me that because it's quite flat in comparison and significantly smaller than all others that some people underestimate the climb and that's where people have been caught out. I don't think the death rate is all that high but he told me a few people usually die in the area each year, mainly back country ski/boarders.

hi - i did carstensz pyramid, so have not been to kosciuszko.

I don't know what she did for sure, but my guess is that she did Carstensz Pyramid, as Australia is usually included in Oceania now.

yep. good guess!

Which is mentally more challenging: Climbing Mr. Everest or dealing with the academic politics at West Point?

ha! because I am just on the part-time faculty I have not been exposed to any of the politics there. I am sure they exist, just like at any other institution, but I am not part of the "inside circle."

Scariest moment that ever happened?

going thru the khumbu icefall on the south side of Mt Everest and having 10,000 tons of ice collapse just a few feet away from me. CLEAN-UP ON AISLE FOUR!

Hi Ms. Levine! I climbed Mt Whitney this summer and now I'm hooked on climbing! Any advice for a twenty-something girl looking to lead a life of adventure?

find cool friends who will go out and play with you in the mountains/outdoors. because no matter how bad the weather gets or how cold and miserable you might be at a given time, if you have great tentmates, they'll keep your spirits up and will make you laugh.

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yes. got certified in '95, but have not done a ton of it. i do like it, but it's just that when i do have time off from work, i usually head to the hills.

Are you having a great day?

now i am. you?

I have no questions to ask but I am inspired by your journey so far! I am a (very) amateur hiking and this has all been very motivational!

that's really really nice of you to say. thank you.

To which two of the eleven poles of the Earth have you been to then? (Yes, there are more then two.)

geographic north and south

Yes. But have you done the Seven Summits Trail near Rossland, BC? It's pretty cool.

I must check it out!

Your title is very misleading. My Mother has never heard of you.

oh, well...my mother has never heard of you either.