Climbing Everest
- Lisa Grazan
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Last month I led my writers group up to the summit of Mt. Everest - figuratively, of course. We started out in the foothills of Katmandu, ascended to all four Base Camps, navigated the Hillary Step, and finally stood on top of the world.
Instead of relying on sherpas, we used introspective writing prompts as our guides, pausing at key points along the way to assess the loads we were carrying, examine our perspectives, and evaluate our route forward.
We may have condensed what would have taken two months into two hours, but sometimes the journey within is much more intense than any physical effort, even if it is climbing Mt. Everest.
I invite you to make the climb we did, and I encourage you to write out your own answers to the prompts below. You might find the climb up Mt. Everest enlightening like my writers group did or, at the very least, a great exercise in learning more about yourself. Either way, I think it’s an adventure worth taking.
So grab your ice axe, fasten your climbing helmet, and secure your crampons. Here are some of the highlights of our journey to the top of the world.
The decision to climb Everest isn’t one you make lightly. Before you even set foot in Nepal, there’s a point at which you must commit to this adventure with your whole heart.
Writing Prompt: What was one of the best decisions you have ever made in your life?
When you arrive in Katmandu, you’ll see colorful prayer flags hanging throughout the villages. There are usually five different colors of prayer flags, each color signifies a different natural element: blue represents space, white represents air, red represents fire, green represents water, and yellow represents earth. The image of a wind horse, which represents speed, appears in the middle of each flag with a mantra written around it.
It is believed that as these prayer flags blow in the wind, the mantras are swept up by the air and spread across the land.
You’ll also see prayer wheels throughout the local villages. The prayer wheels are long, vertical cylinders inscribed with mantras on their metal surfaces. You always want to spin them to the left (clockwise), so you typically spin them with your right hand. The belief is when you spin the prayer wheels, the mantra carved into them will energetically release and scatter blessings and inspiration to all those around.
Writing Prompt: Write the mantra you would carve into a prayer wheel and explain why it is important to you.
As we approach Base Camp #1, we have to navigate the hazardous Khumbu Ice Fall. Be careful here because we will encounter huge blocks of ice and deep crevasses. We’ll have to use ladders as bridges to cross the crevasses.
Writing Prompt: Looking back now, what was I thinking?
Base camp #2 is a key acclimatization point where we will spend several days adjusting to the altitude, resting, and preparing for the next challenging phases of our climb.
Writing Prompt: How do you wait?
The next stop on our journey is Base camp #3, which is around 23,500 feet above sea level. The terrain is steep. Those who refuse supplemental oxygen at this point are taking a huge risk.
Writing Prompt: What would you like to change about your relationship with risk in your life?
We are approaching Camp #4, which sits on the edge of the “Death Zone”. The air here is thin, the wind is so strong it could knock you over, and the temperatures are well below zero. This is where the Hillary Step is, a forty-foot vertical rock face that you must scale right before you reach the summit. Technically, it’s the most difficult part of the climb on the Nepal side of the mountain.
Writing Prompt: Tell us about the forty-foot vertical rock face you have scaled in your life.
The summit of Mt. Everest is 29,032 feet about sea level. It is the highest point on earth. You have finally arrived, nearly exhausted and perhaps short of breath. But the accomplishment is well worth it. Take in the view!
Writing Prompt: Describe the last time you stood on top of the world.
Give the writing prompts a try and let me know your thoughts!
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