First installment of "Lessons from the Mountain". by Jeff Justman

However, what did we do when we returned to base camp exhausted. We rested up and began to plan what we needed to do and when we would climb back up the mountain to face the next challenge that would bring us closer to the summit. As other teams began to get weary of all the adversity and they ultimately succumbed to the difficult challenges, our team kept an optimistic attitude knowing that the weather, the route conditions and the mountain would eventually ease up and allow us to climb to the top.

To be a Climber means to always have a positive attitude. Yes, it is that simple. You will always be in the face of adversity. The mountain will spit at you, howl at you and even knock you down. The question is, are you going to quit? Are you going to lie down? Or are you going to pick yourself up and keep trying to summit?

Manaslu this past spring was a mean mountain. With all the avalanches, all the snow and all the bad weather our team made it 500 meters from the summit. No, we did not summit. Ultimately we retreated from our summit attempt, which is another great story for another time. But without summiting will I never return to Manaslu or the Himalayas? That’s absurd! I will keep coming back to the beautiful mountains of the Himalayas year after year. I have to…I’m a Climber! Jeff Justman

Page Five

Jeff Justman, veteran climber, author and motivational speaker. To book Jeff e-mail

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