Mt Kilimanjaro

Sailing through an Amazing Ocean

If ever a person wanted to touch the majesty of the universe and planet we live on, these three shots display that majesty from a perspective few get to see.

From high up on Mt. Kilimanjaro, these precious moments allowed those of us there to transcend humanity and become witness and part of an incredible existence.

Sunrise from atop Mt Kilimanjaro
What an amazing planet… early sun-sighting (sunrise) on summit day at 18K feet seeing and feeling the curve and rotation of the earth. Photographer: David Pergolini.

 

Sunset from atop Mt Kilimanjaro - Blair Singer
A stunning sun-clipse (sunset) a few nights before the summit. Photographer: David Pergolini.

 

On our ship sailing the Universe
Being in the midst of an eternal universe and truly feeling a part of it. It’s an amazing ocean we are sailing through. The stars are almost like the sea spray against your skin and senses. Photographer: David Pergolini

 

We could literally feel the earth as a spaceship (as Buckminster Fuller called it) spinning and hurtling through the universe.

For me, it was not an intellectual experience… but a true feeling of being part of this whole existence.

I am thankful that I have been blessed with the ability to experience something so common but so profound.

I hope these pictures are able to move you in some small fraction of the way we were moved… experiencing and enjoying our place in this world from a different perspective high atop Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Be Awesome!

Blair

Leadership at New Heights!

On July 3, 2013 at 11:43AM, I experienced a level of achievement, exhilaration and humility that changed my life. It was the moment that my son and I touched the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In that rarefied atmosphere so far above the rest of humanity, I felt that I had stepped into Gods living room.

Kilimanjaro Peak

I have decided to go back in 2014 to climb Kili again. This time, I am taking a group of friends and business associates with me who want to experience this amazing journey. people who share the desire to experience the best of themselves and that have the ability and desire to translate that experience into all areas of their businesses, families and lives. I am calling this adventure the Mountain Leadership Experience.

The plan is to turn the trek into a true learning experience in which we climb, we learn, we share, we debrief and together we uncover the leadership secrets and art of 100% presence, alignment and achievement that can only be experienced at 19,341 feet.

When I climbed Kili in 2013, it was a moment of great achievement. However, it was much more than that. It was one of the only times in my life when I truly felt that my body, my mind, my emotions, the mountain and my spirit were all intimately connected in the same instant. In short, it was AMAZING! From the moment we started the climb, I had never been so present for such an extended period of time in my life. It was bliss in a strange but powerful way.

How High is Your Mountain

There were so many lessons learned in the months and days leading up to the climb and so many more on the climb itself. Lessons about being a father, leadership, team, personal strength, connection to the planet, contribution and the majesty of nature were just a few of the things that I learned and that this team will experience.

The Mountain Leadership Experience is about achievement and contribution. Part of the trip is working for 2 days in Moshi Tanzania at a school for the blind, albinos and orphans. There, myself and our team will be supporting young children who have much bigger mountains to climb to simply stay alive. The fees for this trip include a generous contribution to the school. In addition, two of our participants, Ben Eastman and Randy Zimnoch, put together a campaign called Raise the Roof to get even more funding for the Mwereni school. That campaign has already raised over $6,000. If you wish to help make a difference in the lives of these children, donations can be made through July 31st at: www.raisetheroof2014.com. Our money and our time will give them education, healthcare and support to have a chance in the world.

The experience at the school is life-changing. Helping them to help themselves, seeing the amazing gratitude on the faces of children who have almost nothing, gives you a deeper appreciation of what you can do to make a difference.

Each day of the trip at each camp, I will debrief, learn, share and discuss leadership mastery secrets that will show participants how to take any team to heights they never dreamed of. There will be countless stories to tell, stomach splitting laughter and connections that will live with them forever. Breakthroughs will become daily, if not hourly, experiences.

It will also probably be the most challenging thing they have taken on in their lives.physically and mentally. However, with our guides from K2, they will be in the best hands on the mountain. K2s leadership and expertise is part of the learning process.

Kevin Cherilla (our lead guide) says that Kili always has a special test and lesson for each person that takes her on. They will find strength, grit and character that they never knew they had.

They will experience the intimacy and power of a real team in one of the most amazing contexts and environments they can ever imagine.

No matter what they encounter going forward, their experience on Kili will give them the strength, conviction and power that no one around them will have.

We will be videotaping this entire experience. I look forward to sharing with you some of the outstanding lessons that are sure to be had on this journey. In the interim, please check out the video to see how K2 and all the contributors have made a real difference: http://youtu.be/ZhYcIA7QzA0.

Leadership at 19,340 Feet

I wrote earlier about our amazing experience recently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. While I learned many life changing lessons on that mountain, I chose to write separately about something else I learned there that may be invisible to most. It is a lesson about leadership.

Taking average folks from the comfort of their Scottsdale homes to the outstretched arms and spirits of children in need in far-away Tanzania, and then safely to the top of the largest free standing mountain in the world, is the work of incredible leaders. Leaders by the way, unsung in the world of business, media, social gatherings and popular circles.

The leaders of K2 Adventures did what I talk about in all my programs in a way that I have seen few do it. They created a CONTEXT or environment without workshops, without preaching, without snappy slogans, without books, podcasts, seminars, titles, broadcasts or endorsements that not only transformed all of us on the expedition, but have become instrumental in transforming a country.

Kevin Cherilla
Kevin Cherilla

In the last 5 years, Kevin Cherilla and Kristen Sandquist have raised over 2.5 million dollars for medical equipment, resources, and supplies for an orphanage and school in Moshi Tanzania. It is part of their quest to support disabled and disenfranchised children and families around the world by providing healthcare and education from the proceeds of their expeditions and charitable fundraising.

 

Kristen Sandquist
Kristen Sandquist

I could spend thousands of words talking about the immense heart and spirit that they and their team exhibit supporting kids that the world has given up on and left behind. They do this in Tanzania, Peru, Nepal and across the US.

You see each mountain that they climb represents the even bigger mountains that these kids have to climb either to stay alive or to have a life; mountains of disease, abandonment, blindness, poverty, and lack of education. As a student of great leaders and building championship teams, I took note of what they did to get others to step up to such great heights (literally).

K2Leadership Secrets:

As always, it is about creating a context or environment that creates extraordinary results not words.

  1. Create and identify narrow time boundaries. Kevin and Kristen were always very clear to tell us to never ask about what was going to happen tomorrow or the next day. We were only allowed to ask about today. We were told about how many hours we would be climbing and what to expect, but nothing more. Everything was compartmentalized into understandable and limited time frames. Wake-up to breakfast, hiking to lunch, hiking to camp, unpacking and rest, afternoon tea and dinner sleep. I always say that most people cannot plan past lunch. Long term goals and strategies are fine, but to keep a team focused you have to shrink the space.
  2. Eliminate uncertainty through preparation and frequency of contact. Lots of mental stress comes from not knowing how to prepare for the unknown. Every night at dinner we were told what the next day would look like, what to pack and how to pack it. How many times have you ever thrown your team into a task and let them figure it out. Months before leaving, we had team meetings, team hikes and team packing parties. We learned to be comfortable with our gear, our bodies and our tasks. It eliminated a whole chunk of potential anxiety and worry about what will happen and questioning if am I prepared.
  3. Tight rules. Never pass the lead guide on the trail, stay together, be on time, drink lots of water, etc. It brought the team closer together. You felt safe because, while you were way outside your normal comfort zone, you were safe inside a bandwidth that you knew you could trust and did not have to think about. Once at the summit, our orders were clear. Take your pictures and start your decent right away. Those who were showing signs of altitude sickness go immediately. Even in moments of victory, close vigilance was maintained. Many times that is when we take our eye off the game in order to celebrate. Lives depended on it.
  4. Lots of humor. Everyone on the team got a nickname. My son was sleeping beauty because while most of us had trouble sleeping at higher altitudes, he would crash at 7:30 and sleep like a rock until 6:30 the next morning. It made for lots of laughs. Mine was peebottle because it took me two days to finally use a pee bottle in my tent at night rather than getting dressed and having to go out of my tent to weather the cold in the middle of the freezing nights. Laughter breaks the tension, reminds you that you are human and that nothing is so big that you cannot enjoy and laugh at and with each other.
  5. Forced focus and presence. We were continually told to focus on our feet, one step at a time. Only inches at a time. It forced your whole perception to narrow to a very small space at your feet. We were told, rest step and pressure breath over and over. So that became a kind of a mantra that created a rhythm and a focus that over 5 days got us to the top.
  6. Removal of distractions that would cause stress to the team. There were 3 porters for every one of us on the climbing team. They carried the food, tents, supplies and most of our mountain gear. They were at our tents at 6:30 every morning with coffee and tea, cooked delicious meals, cleaned up, broke camp and set it up again the next day. All we had to worry about was ourselves, getting rest, eating a lot and hiking. As a leader, you need to eliminate the distractions that cause your team to wander, de-focus and stress out. Keep them focused on what they are setting out to achieve. How well do you take care of them?
  7. Being tireless students of their own trade. Kevin and Kristen continue to take classes on mountain safety, first responder courses, the local culture and the details of conditioning and training. Do you love what you do enough to be a voracious student about it? It reflects.
  8. No smoke but tons of encouragement. They rarely told us you will make it. Rather they were always there in or alongside our team hiking column periodically saying, Great job keep working youre doing great! Their words always came at the right moments to feed depleted lungs and tired muscles with the right amount of energy.
  9. Continually watching the team. They seemed to know exactly when the team was waning a bit. They watched us all day like hawks, coming up to us individually and asking how we were doing, how we were feeling and just as you thought you were fading, they would magically call a break for rest, food and water. It always seemed like the perfect time. Are you focused only on the objective or are you continually watching and calibrating your team?
  10. Incredible graciousness. Their treatment of the porters, guides, locals and the community was nothing short of magnificent. In fact, the whole reason for the expedition was to support the kids in the school and orphanage. Serving others who serve you is the stuff of great leaders. The friendship, trust, camaraderie and caring between K2 and those who supported our expedition, creates a context in which K2 is always welcome back, always watched out for and always appreciated.

At 19,340 feet it seems to come together, but you know what? It starts way before that. It is about creating a context that is designed specifically for the outcome that you want. Creating an environment that is safe, certain, gracious, fun and rigorous takes work. What I can tell you is that their work changes lives.

Thank you Kevin and Kristen for giving so much by being the awesome leaders that you are.

To learn more about K2Adventures, visit them at their website: http://www.k2adventures.org

LIFE CHANGING LESSONS FROM MT. KILIMANJARO

They say that Kilimanjaro will test a person in ways that you never expect. Some of the most fit and agile athletes succumb to the fatigue, muscle stress and rarified altitude conditions that lie ahead on such a climb. With her glistening glaciers sparkling in the distance, she both invites you and taunts you at the same time. Kili even touched Earnest Hemingway years ago when he referred to the Snows of Kilimanjaro as the House of God.

However, few people are ever able to actually touch those snows and claim a place at the top of Africa. As many of you know, last year, my son Ben and I attempted that climb as part of a community service project supporting amazing children and teachers in an orphanage and school in Moshi Tanzania.

This life changing experience is the brain child and part of the mission of K2 Adventures Foundation who is committed to supporting children worldwide that are disabled, disenfranchised and in need of education and healthcare. (I will write again about the amazing lessons of leadership I learned from the K2 team!!)

Some of you also know what transpired on this attempt a year ago. While the days with the kids were life changing, little did I know that a few days later, Kili would test us in a way I never imagined. On the second day, we had to turn back because Ben got extremely ill. Unable to hold fluids and losing strength with every step, I had to make a decision whether to send him down the mountain for medical care or to go with him to support him. I will not go into that story again, but it suffices to say that moment at 10,000 feet changed my life. I realized that there was something bigger than a mountain called love. That the mountain would always be there but the relationship with Ben was so much bigger. So we never made it up the mountain.

Yet, months later in our living room watching a video of that same team summiting the mountain, Ben turned to me and said, We have to go back and finish! He said, Dad there is not a day that goes by that I do not think about not completing that climb. Now you have to get that my son has never really been the break all barriers, take on every challenge, never give up type of kid. Yet Kili had touched his heart in a way that dozens of coaches, teachers, friends, role models and even parents had not been able to do. He wanted to go back.

On July 3, 2013 at 11:10AM we fell into each others arms crying and celebrating as we reached Uhuru Peak at 5895 meters (19,340 ft) the highest point in Africa the largest free standing mountain in the world.

It is said that the only thing better than winning is winning at something that has previously knocked you back. So true. As we stood there in the brilliant sunlight, breathing deeply for those rare oxygen molecules, I handed him a key chain that I had been secretly carrying. It said: We start together, we finish together I will always have your back – Dad.

Yes Kili will test your endurance. She will test your strength. She will test your will and your Spirit. But as a famous song says; a heros strength is measured by their heart? she tests your heart. She grabbed the heart of a 17 year old kid and his father and tested it to the max and then taunted us, coaxed us, but touched us to complete our mission together. She taught me love in 2012 and then showed me the magic of a whole new level of love that comes with commitment.

She also showed me true peace. In 2012 I learned peace by making the right decision based upon my values and Code of Honor. In 2013 I learned peace in another way.

You see one of the biggest things I learned this time was to BE PRESENT. The climb was clearly one step at a time, very slowly for 6 days. I learned how to get in touch with a very deep connection between my emotions, thoughts, Spirit and body. It was amazing. When I learned about how high altitude actually affects your body and the criticalness of CO2 and Oxygen exchange, every night in my tent I would say to myself…”My body is the perfect exchanger of CO2 and O2.” I made it a point that I would train my body to master this exchange all through the week with each step and each breath.

Guess what? By the time we got to the summit, while others were feeling weak and even sick… I was jumping around, having a blast and felt literally on top of the world.

Physically it was grueling. There were times that it was difficult to keep going, but by just focusing on one step at a time – it all worked.

At about 15,000 feet (4600 meters) I felt a shift. It was as if we had left humanity behind and had now moved into a new dimension. The rocky walls, Mars-like landscape, glaciers and snow felt like we had moved into God’s realm. The strange and powerful silence, whirling winds, brilliant stars, the flooring of clouds so far below us made you feel closer to heaven or eternity for some strange reason.

I learned that presence and focus were the rules of the day. There was no past, no future, no thoughts about business or anything… just the task at hand. I have never before really felt all outside anxiety just melt away like that, particularly for that long! Such peace amidst such hard work and so much fun.

I learned that your Spirit, your thoughts, your emotions and your body can become one seamless Spirit. That you are so much more than any one of those components. They say that Kilimanjaro will always test you and teach you something.

This time it taught me that my being-ness, when present and in the moment, is more powerful and magical than I ever imagined. That without distractions, I got stronger with altitude while others got weaker. That I became more Spiritual as others got fatigued and edgy. That I fell more in love with myself and others around me, more centered and more peaceful the more present and focused I became. It was about one breath and one step and then another breath and another step. In some strange way, it was heaven.

For Ben, he now walks with a different gait. He has an aura of peacefulness, confidence, power and warmth that is infectious to all around him. He is in such a great place.

A few days later, as our plane departed and we climbed above the cloud line, I saw Kili one more time glistening in the now fading sunlight. In a strange way I felt sad to leave. Like I was leaving a great teacher, great mentor, great companion, great lover behind. She gave me so much love, relationship, peace, Spirit, strength, closeness to God. Kili will always challenge you in ways you do not expect. I thank her for helping me be who I always hoped I could be.

The Mountain Leadership Experience trips transform ordinary people into a championship team. Get inspired, motivated, and be the best your team can be. Get more information by visiting the MLE website, and be ready to change your life!

I want to learn more about the Mountain Leadership Experience!

A Summer of Quantum Leaps in Clarity and Purpose

blairsinger_kilimanjaroThis summer, I have experienced probably more change, inspiration and clarity in such a short period of time than I can ever remember. Those of you who read my post about the “Mission to Kilimanjaro” have read a small part of it.

It is hard to describe the depth of feeling and emotion that has permeated my heart over these months. One thing that was re-awakened and re-affirmed was that great things happen when people make great commitments. Sometimes, getting out of your own way allows the biggest quantum leaps in your life and the lives of others.

In Tanzania, I was put face-to-face with the hardship and plight of 500+ kids in a school for the blind, albino and orphans. More than that, I was driven by the realization of how much of the world does without… and yet, how bright the spirits of those are who are given a glimpse of hope on a distant horizon. I also saw how the magic of love, fun and education blocks out all the rest of the squalor, pain and struggle that surrounds a person in that moment.

blairsinger_kilimanjaro3The willingness to look, get dirty and go into the bowels of environments that breed prejudice, ignorance, disease, addiction, poverty and even death is the work of huge spirits. It takes the drive of entrepreneurs, leaders and teachers to create islands of magic in those worlds.

Faced with pivotal decisions in my own life and career, I was forced to look beyond myself again over the last several months. The Mission: “To improve the quality of life for everyone through transformation…” took on new meaning and greater depth. The work that we did in Moshi woke up a part of me that had gone silent for a time. As my dear friend Po Chung (founder of DHL International) said, “It is a societal responsibility for those who know… to teach others.”

Just yesterday, I witnessed the “coin out” or graduation of one of my students from an incredible rehabilitation center created by dear friends and partners of mine, Josh and Lisa Lannon. What was incredible was hearing this person’s story of facing addiction, overcoming fear, surrendering to love and support, and witnessing a complete transformation (or re-awakening) of this person’s life. Once again, I was happily flooded with emotion.

I had to think… What about me? What are my addictions, distractions and resistances that keep me from being all that I can be? What am I possibly running from? How big of a game could I really play if I were to face whatever fears I have and truly be who I am supposed to be? What about you?

Have you ever felt like there was some cosmic fire hose out there relentlessly blasting you in the face with message after message – as if trying to get you see something? My values and priorities… Code of Honor, Mission first, never abandon a team mate in need, love stronger than a mountain, eliminating distractions that keep me from my calling… and at the same time witnessing the magic and exquisite brightness of spirit of those who peek through the veil of their normal existence…

blairsinger_kilimanjaro2The sweet and happy singing of a teenage boy with XP (exoderma pigmentosum) knowing that he will probably not live to see 20… The magic glow of a father and husband coming alive after years of addiction… the crowding of kids in blue sweaters to the chalkboard so eager to learn the day’s lessons… watching life after life take a turn toward greatness… and the hug of my 17 year old thanking me for being there to back him up. Wow!!

It starts with an entrepreneur somewhere with a dream to serve others. To create a space that is somehow a little bit better than it was before. I am in the deepest state of gratefulness to be blessed with great friends, teachers and partners who continue to illuminate that path.

I show you the video at the end of this blog to inspire you to whatever your next level of greatness is. To inspire you to remove the distractions that are keeping you from being whom you are supposed to be. As a result of K2, I have committed to founding my own foundation to improve the quality of life for children and families in need worldwide through education, healthcare and entrepreneurship.

Buckminster Fuller once said that the purpose for human beings was to be local problem solvers. It is what we are naturally good at. He also said that you may never know your true purpose in life; but to be assured that you would fulfill that purpose if you commit yourself to the highest advantage of others. In other words, our job is to seek problems and solve them so that everyone can live a more successful and fulfilling life.

I know this may sound like a religious sermon, but, now more than ever it is up to courageous entrepreneurs to create tools, experiences, processes, businesses and movements that give people a chance to experience their greatness… whether on the Masai plains of Africa, the back streets of Chennai, in trade magazines of Colombia, or in your own home town.

Inside of you is someone great. It takes courage to face it. It takes commitment to do something with it. But like Mack Newton says, “Courage is simply staying in fear for just one more minute.”

The Mission to Kilimanjaro…

Recently my 16 year old son and I went on an adventure to Tanzania to experience two things together: To join a team to work a few days in an orphanage and school for blind and albino children, and to climb Kilimanjaro, the largest free-standing mountain in the world.

We did this under the leadership of K2 Adventures, an organization who for the last five years has helped these children by providing health care, dental care, educational facilities, clothing and hope through part of the dollars spent on taking expeditions to the summit of Kilimanjaro.

The two days of work with the children was gut wrenching, heart-warming and life changing. Many of these children are kids that their society has given up on, persecuted against or are kids who are simply born into complete poverty. My son and I walked away from that experience touched and committed to giving whatever we can to continue supporting them.

During the work day at the school, the peak of Kilimanjaro emerged from the clouds to come into view for the first time. It took our breath away. Talk about intimidating!!!! But our expedition leaders who have done the trek many times assured us… We would just take it very slowly, one step at a time, one day at a time.

Certainly this was going to be the largest physical and psychological challenge of my life so far. I was nervous, but knew that my physical and mental conditioning would get me through. Little did I know that the mountain would issue me a challenge that I had never anticipated.

On day one of the climb, our team hiked from about 6300 feet to about 10,000 feet. As we reached our first campsite, spirits were high, we were feeling strong and the sharp snow-capped peak of Kili looming over us somehow did not seem as intimidating.

The porters had set up camp and prepared dinner as darkness settled over the giant mountain. The white glacier at the peak glistened like a huge white diamond in the near full moonlight. I swear I could touch the Milky Way.

We snuggled into our sleeping bags and quickly fell asleep. Sometime around 1 AM, I heard Ben get up, struggling to get out of the tent. Before I knew what was happening, he got outrageously sick, vomiting for all he was worth. With help, we cleaned up the tent, got him settled down and he fell back to sleep.

However the next morning, he was not better. Still sick and now cold, we warmed him up, gave him medication to ease his system, but as we attempted to continue our climb, he was very weak. Not willing to give up, he went slow with one of our guides, but still getting weaker. We had climbed another 3-400 feet and I was toward the front of our team when the radio call came that the team leader and myself should come back to assist Ben. We hiked down a hundred feet or so to where he was sitting. We urged him to keep going and assured him if he could get through this day of climbing, whatever bug he had contracted would be out of his system and he would be fine.

He climbed for about 5 minutes and got sick again. After another rest, he climbed again and got sick again, vomiting only the water he had just drunk. He looked at me with tears in his eyes and shook his head. He said, “Dad… I can’t do it. I just want to go home!” I had to stand behind him to keep him from falling down the mountain.

It was at this point that I got one of the biggest lessons of my life. It was not the lesson I thought Kili was going to throw at me, but one even more powerful. Clearly he had to go back down the mountain. His physical state was so depleted that I was worried about him. A guide would take him down and to a clinic where he could get checked out and then to a hotel to wait for the rest of us to complete the climb and descend in six more days.

I was now faced with a decision. Continue the climb without him and summit this monster and achieve the obvious goal of summiting Kili, or descend with him. I have to admit, in the moment it was a tough decision. Yet the thought of leaving my son in this state, in a strange country, seemed equally as unacceptable as not summiting the mountain.

I kicked the dirt. I remember looking out over the clouds that were now below us. I will never forget the moment when I looked deep inside, looked into the eyes of my weakening son and remembered our mission: To conquer this mountain together. Mission first and individual needs third. My personal desire to summit would have to be secondary to the mission and to he and I as a team. I also immediately recalled my Code of Honor that says, “Never abandon a team-mate in need.” He was clearly in need.

You see, I teach about mission, team, Code and Little Voice. I never thought that Kili would put me to the test in a way that was 180 degrees to the way I normally operate.

The decision was now clear. I looked into his bleary eyes and said, “We started this together, we finish this together.” I turned to our team leader and said, “I will go down with him and make sure he is okay.”

What happened after that was something that I did not expect. You see, I am a person who is always ‘taking the challenge,’ conquering odds, pushing boundaries. I hate to fail and I hate to not be in control of my own fate. Sound familiar? Summiting that mountain would have been one of the most difficult things I have ever done… but I would get it done somehow. However to turn back… to consciously decide NOT to push my boundaries again, was a whole new experience for me. It was a very new and different boundary.

While part of me was tormented by taking myself out of the game, simultaneously a very strange peace came over me. A peace of having followed my own rules, surrendered to a Code that was designed to bring my family and team closer.

In the four and a half hours it took to get down from there, I supported, encouraged and just loved my son each step of the way. Once in the van, he passed out for the one hour ride to the small, third world, neighborhood, four bed clinic. That night I lay in a bed next to him as he lay unconscious (passed out) for nearly 16 hours. I lay there watching my precious son and the needed fluids dripping back into his body.

Somehow I drifted off to sleep and was awakened at day break by a local rooster somewhere close by. As I opened my eyes, I looked over in time to see him open his. He smiled weakly and passed off to sleep again.

It’s one thing to say that you will always be there for someone or to say you really love them or to extoll the virtues of a relationship. But somehow, somewhere just below the snows of Kilimanjaro, I connected with my son at a level that not only gave me great peace, but that put my priorities, my life’s work and my spirit to the test.

That mountain will always be there. But the window to really connect with someone near and dear to you can be evasive. I thank K2 Adventures, I thank the incredible porters and leaders of our team, I thank my teachers and I thank the great lessons that I have learned that led me to that incredible decision on the side of the mountain. I thank Kili for its majesty and for giving me one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Most important, I thank God and the Universe for a thing called love that conquers any mountain.