Steps To The Summit - Step 13: Rise and Fall

I got a chuckle out of today's Steps to the Summit video because I could totally relate to what Expedition Hanesbrands team leader Jamie Clarke's topic. The focus of this edition of the series is on the rises and falls that you deal with while working towards your goal. As Jamie says, they are part of the journey, sometimes you'll be moving upwards, and sometimes down, but ultimately, you're still moving, and your end goal, no matter what that might be, is getting closer.

The example that he uses in today's video is of the trek to Everest Base Camp. He talks about how you'll fly into Lukla and then immediately start moving down, and then, over the course of the trek a pattern will emerge, in which you'll climb steep trails up into the mountains, only to descend again. There are times when you think, "Why are we going down?", because you know that you're going to have to go back up again. I know I thought that a number of times throughout the trek. Of course, it is all about the acclimatization process and the slow, but steady progression toward EBC. But listening to Jaime describe it here brought those feelings back, and I couldn't help but laugh. I can totally relate to what he's saying. :)