Beyond Possible: One Soldier, Fourteen Peaks — My Life In The Death Zone

by Nimsdai Purja

I had a code: bravery over everything else. And there was no other way for me to live.

I told myself I’d make it to the top, no problem. By focusing only on success, I forced myself to believe.

If I could show kids and adults alike what was humanly achievable, then my far-fetched ambitions might inspire others to think big; to push themselves in ways that were previously considered unimaginable.

To instil faith in others, it was important that I maintained faith in myself. But at times it would prove bloody hard work.

My experience in war had taught me that a person’s true character always emerged when presented with a life-or-death event, and that reveal often took place in a gun battle.

On previous expeditions, I’d worked with strength, trailblazing steadily until the other climbers in the group had been dots in my slipstream. That style of effort had two negative knock-on effects: (1) I often had to wait for an hour or two in the freezing cold while the others caught up with me. (2) My spurts were demoralising to everyone else. Imagine running a marathon with a serious athlete. It’s pretty discouraging to watch them sprinting off into the distance. But if that same athlete stays in touch, pushing their colleagues to run a little quicker than they’d previously been used to, their presence can be inspirational. It drags everybody along at a speed they previously hadn’t considered possible.

So rather than thinking, praying and waiting for your next project or challenge (and not doing it), commit to serious action instead.

Because brushing off the effort means letting myself down and I don’t want to have to live with that. And neither should you.