It’s never too late to pursue your dreams. Jimmy Munro  has proved that. At 71 years of age, Jimmy climbed Mt. Aconcagua. It’s an amazing feat that, ironically, Jimmy makes light of.  

For some reason, Mt. Aconcagua likes to turn back everyone who tries to climb it. It took me three tries to finally reach the summit. I tried three seasons in a row (February 2006, January 2007, and January 2008) before I finally reached the summit. 

Apparently, it was no different for Jimmy.  

Five of the 14 in his party had to turn back, and the rest were advised to turn back, but this spirited man and the rest of his companions decided they were going to continue to the summit.  

They made it to the summit, but Aconcagua put up quite a fuss about them being there. Jimmy said the winds were atrocious and the static electricity in the air was enough to make a girl’s hair stand on end.  

One of the things I enjoyed most in reading about Jimmy and his conquest of Mt. Aconcagua was that when he returned he announced that his mountain climbing days were definitely not over. He now has his sights set on standing atop Mt. Denali.  

There are two things I learned from Jimmy. First, it’s never too late in life to chase big goals. At 71 years old, most people would give up on any goal as strenuous as climbing Aconcagua. But, not Jimmy. 

Second, I learned to follow up the accomplishment of a goal with the setting of another goal. No sooner had Jimmy gotten down from the mountain than he announced his next goal. Goals keep us going and help us enjoy life. There should always be another goal. 

This month, I expect to top Mt Everest, completing my goal of being the first Chinese woman toclimb the seven summits and ski to the poles. What will my next goal be? Hmm. Let’s see...

I love it! The magazine from my almer mater does a writeup on me! You can read their post on the Wharton site. 

I just came across an article about an amazing young man who has just reached the summit of Mt. Vinson and become the youngest person to have climbed the seven summits. I was so amazed, I just had to share it with you. 

Mt Vinson final step on Johnny Collinson’s amazing journey

Standing atop Vinson, 17 year old Johnny Collinson became the youngest person ever to climb all seven summits. The truly amazing thing is that he did it in a single year. 

Usually, topping all seven highest mountains takes years to accomplish. My own journey to the top of the world’s highest mountains started in 2003 when I climbed Cotopaxi, and I’m finally closing in on the finish of my journey, which I hope to complete this March. 

One of the most exciting things about Johnny’s accomplishment is that he’s well on his way to accomplishing many more life goals. It’ll be interesting to see what his next goal is. He’s apparently the type of person who keeps his eye on his goals until their complete, so I have no doubt he’ll accomplish anything he puts his mind to. 

On the other hand, it appears that Johnny’s record might not stand long. Thirteen year old Jordan Romero has hopes of topping Johnny’s record. He’ll be climbing Everest about the same time I will. Following Jordan’s quest should be a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll get a chance to chat with him before he starts his climb up Everest.

A gutsy woman is in the process of making another first in the world of mountaineering. Christine Feret is on her way up Mt. Denali. This will be the first winter climb a woman has ever done. According to The Adventure Blog, Christine was flown into basecamp yesterday. The climb is expected to take four weeks.

Denali is such a great climb. Brings back some fond memories for me. It’s going to be cold, but what a fantastic accomplishment.

Mt Denali is an amazing climb. The mountain itself is unique and the location makes the climb unlike any other in the world. Denali is the old Athabascan (Native American) word meaning “High One.” Maybe the Athabascans should have named it “cold one.” At night, the temperature on Denali drops to -40 degrees. One of the fascinating things about that is that -40 degrees is the only place where Fahrenheit and Celcius meet. 

When I climbed Mt Denali, it was the middle of summer and the autoban leading up to Denali pass was beautifully warm and sunny. As we continued our march up to the pass, we met a group going back down. The pass was just too cold for them. As our group arrived at the pass, we found out why temperatures were so different there than on the autoban. The wind in the pass was fierce. Wind chill made the rest of the climb more of a challenge than I had expected. 

Take some time to visit my report about the Denali climb. There are several incredible photos of the intense scenery surrounding Denali. Plus, the summit photo is truly unique. We reached the summit just after midnight and were able to take photos of the summit in the waning light of the midnight Alaskan sun. 

If you want to get a good feeling of what it was like to be at Mt. Denali, watch this video. 

If you have aspirations of climbing one of the Seven Summits, Denali is a good mountain to climb. The West Buttress is a fairly non-technical climb. Of course, just because it’s an easier climb than other mountains doesn’t mean you don’t need to prepare for it. Winds are high and temperatures are cold, but if you get some training, the climb itself is a nice one. Until then, enjoy reading about my experience on Denali.

There are a lot of good reasons to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. For me it was the beginning of a quest to be the first chinese woman to climb the seven highest peaks and ski to the poles. I’m using my experience to help people around the world conquer their own mountains in life. However, there are many people who climb mountains like Kilimanjaro to contribute to society in other ways. Here are two recent groups who set out to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Read on and, if you feel moved by their stories, consider making a donation to their cause.

Over a billion people in this world are without clean drinking water. Every 15 seconds a child dies of a preventable water-related disease. 

So, actress Jessica Biel joined Emile Hirsch, United Nations Foundation executive Elizabeth Gore and a group of other climbers in a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The group posted pictures, clips, and tweets during the entire climb. You can view and read those at www.summitonthesummit.com . Let the website run for a bit and it will automatically take you to basecamp. Click “The Cause” to make a donation and help kids have clean water.

This is a story that hits pretty close to my heart. After all, I was still a student myself when climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro .. So, the story of these Cornell students and their climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro caught my attention. 

The students dubbed the climb “Fistula Free Climb.” It’s named after Obstetric Fistula, a condition that causes considerable problems for a young mother both during and after childbirth and generally leads to the mother being ostracized and cast out into the African wasteland. A simple $250 surgical procedure will repair the problem, but most women simply don’t have the money.

The leader of the climb, Ilya Brotzky, explained the problem in very simple terms.

“This affliction affects women in rural areas because they don’t have the education to know not to get pregnant when they’re 13 years old.”

Go to the Fistula Free Climb website to make a donation and change a young woman’s life. 

Helping people make a better life for themselves is such a drive of mine that stories like these are really meaningful. I enjoy helping people achieve their potential with the hope that they, in turn, will help others reach their potential. While we’re making a better life for ourselves, let’s make a better life for others in our world who maybe don’t have the same advantages we have.

Like most who love the outdoors, I’ve been looking forward to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for some time now. I’m excited to see the world’s greatest athletes compete, but I also love hearing the stories behind the athletes and how the drive to achieve their goals has helped them overcome many of the same road blocks of life that I’ve had to overcome. 

Lindsey Vonn is an amazing woman. I’ve conquered nearly all the highest peaks in the world only Mt. Everest to go, but nobody conquers a mountain faster than Lindsey. 

Imagine yourself driving down the interstate and a skier passes you. That’s how fast Lindsey flies down a mountain. Most people think climbing the mountain is scary. The danger involved, coupled with a fear of heights really strains people’s nerves. 

But, I think what Linsey does is far more frightening. She’s rocketing down a hill at 80+ miles per hour. No air bags. No seat belt. No roll cage. Just a helmet and a lot of hard packed snow. 

Yikes! 

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. She’s been skiing since she was two years old. She was the first American to win the Trofeo Tropolino competition for 11-14 year olds and she made her World Cup debut at 16 years old. 

Over the years, Lindsey has been a great overcomer. It’s a characteristic every great athlete has to have, and one that every individual needs if they want to succeed in life. It’s never about whether challenges will come, but a matter of what you’ll do when those challenges arrive. 

In 2006 Linsey injured her hip during an Olympic training run at San Sicario, Italy. She was airlifted out by helicopter and had to stay in the hospital overnight. She returned to finish eighth despite her injured hip. 

Now, Lindsey’s competition at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is also being threatened with injury. She’s fighting a tender shin injury that really affects her ability to ski. Still, knowing what I know about Lindsey, she’ll be back on that mountain if there’s any possible way she thinks she can compete.

As I approach my Everest climb and the completion of my goal to climb the seven summits and ski to the poles, Lindsey’s tenacious way of pushing through the obstacles she comes in contact with inspires me to stay the course in my life. And, I hope it does the same for you.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading about my adventures as I climb the 7 highest summits and ski to both poles. I hope my adventures inspire you not only to scale the figurative mountains in your life, but also to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “I could never do that,” keep reading. I started from rank beginner and am about to attack my final mountain summit (Mt. Everest) and I’m telling you that if I can do it so can you.

But, if you choose to climb mountains, be sure you properly prepare yourself for the climb.

When I climbed Cotopaxi and Kilimanjaro, I was definitely not prepared for the climb. I survived, but, barely. With a little training the climb would have been much less threatening and I would have enjoyed it more.

How should you start? Well, doing some climbing at a gym is a good start.  

A rock climbing gym gives you a feel for what it’s like to make an extremely difficult climb. You’ll work muscles you’ve never worked before and test your strength, flexibility, and agility. You’ll also learn how to rest and conserve your energy. 

Rock climbing is like extreme hiking. You learn a lot about conditioning and safety. Plus, it’s just plain fun. Give it a try.

You don’t have to find a mountain face to practice climbing, there are indoor climbing gyms all over the world. The easiest way to find a gym is to use the map at indoorclimbing.com. Find a gym near you and plan a climbing day. Take a friend, it’ll be more fun.

You won’t need to buy any special equipment to climb with. Most of these gyms will allow you to climb in whatever soft-soled shoes you have or they’ll rent a pair of climbing shoes your size.

They’ll also have harnesses available and trained belayers who will make sure you’re strapped in properly and safe throughout the climb. Take some time to ask your belayer questions about climbing. Listen to their advice while you’re on the rock wall. 

An indoor climbing gym is a great place to get a taste of adventure. You’ll learn a lot, condition your body, and, most important of all, you’ll have a lot of fun.

Life goals are more easily achieved when they’re broken up into manageable chunks. That’s what short term goal setting is all about.

The power of goal setting
A world-class sprinter without a finish line is just out for a run. A basketball team without a basket is just dribbling around. A mountain climber without a summit is just out for a walk.

There’s something about goals that is more than just the end that you ultimately want to achieve.  It’s that thing that stares you in the face, compelling you to move forward.

Not only do goals compel you to move forward but they tell you what direction to face. A goal is that burning desire that’s just beyond your reach, urging you to a more fulfilled life.

Your goal might be climbing the seven highest summits and skiing to the two poles or it might be starting a new career. Either way, your life will change when you get short term goals working for you.

A goal like reaching one of the highest summits in the world doesn’t happen in a single shot. The biggest mountains in our lives must be climbed in stages.

In a typical climb of Everest, a team will take four or more days to reach the summit . That’s 4+ short term goals that every expedition to the summit of Everest must reach before standing at the top.

If you want to reach the top of your mountain, you must break your big goal up into smaller, more rapidly achieved goals. That way you’ll be able to measure your progress and measuring your progress will excite you about getting one step closer to your ultimate goal.

If you’ve never set short term goals before, you will find it helpful to follow the SMART goal setting plan at www.stress-management-for-peak-performance.com. They also have a worksheet that can walk you through the goal setting process.

Remember, goals without a date applied to them are just dreams. There is a world of difference between I will ski to the poles and I will ski to the poles before my 35th birthday.

The first of these is more accurately stated, “I will ski to the poles...someday.” Since no date has been applied to the goal, someday becomes the date of achievement. Unfortunately, “someday” is ambiguous and can always be put off.

Set a date for your short term goals. Make them realistic and make them fit nicely with your long term goal. 

Whatever it takes
Do whatever it takes to get your short term goals accomplished before their due dates. Get up an hour earlier, turn off the television one night a week, but keep your eyes on your short term goals. Do that, and one day you’ll be standing on top of your personal mountain summit.

I found an old video of my hike in Antarctica up Patriot Hills. It's interesting to see how stark the environment is! 

I recently did a video of my presentation at the MIT Outdoors Club! You can find the clip here!