Mental Fortitude

On August 17th at 7:09 am, I stood on the west summit of Mount Elbrus, the tallest mountain in continental Europe at 5642m, marking my 2nd summit (I summitted Kilimanjaro on August 7, 2023) of the 7 tallest mountains in the world.

Mountaineering expeditions demand rigorous training encompassing muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and mental resilience. My Elbrus expedition tested my mental endurance like never before with two incidents standing out:

- The biggest variable on Mount Elbrus is the weather and this time around in addition to utilising the spare day that most itineraries plan for, we had to wait another day for the perfect weather window. Itineraries in disarray, weather uncertainty and the sheer unplanned waiting in base camp are the perfect ingredients for the mind to go haywire with all kinds of negative thoughts and self doubt to creep in. Mindfulness, recalling my "why", trust in my preparation, and cherishing moments with expedition partners helped me navigate the mental challenges.

- You will notice on the summit pic that my arm is in a sling, thanks to a dislocated shoulder during the summit push. The brilliant Boots & Crampons Expedition Company administered first aid and got me back on track to the summit. Once back down at basecamp, expedition leader Romil Barthwal, said ‘You were a man on a mission today. What got into you?” to which my spontaneous response was “I was mentally prepared for summit night”. In other words visualizing my goals proved crucial in surmounting physical adversity during the final ascent.

Every adventure teaches us invaluable lessons in resilience and determination.

Would love to hear your stories of mental fortitude. Share in comments or drop me an email on vivek@coachingwithvivek.com