It was a media frenzy at the airport when Apa and Lhakpa Sherpa returned to Salt Lake after spending nearly two months in the Himalayas.  Both of them combined have climed to the top of Mount Everest thirty times!  Wow!!  Everest is almost 30,000 feet high.  If you think about it, it's like climbing to cruising altitiude for an airplane.  Think about that next time you're sitting back in one of those oh-so-comfortable airplane seats. 

That got me thinking...  I've been an athlete my entire life.  I've run a half marathon.  I watch all those MTV Real World / Road Rules Challenges and say to myself, "I can totally do that."  But this was something entirely different - in it's own catagory.  I know I can "do anything I put my mind to."  But seriously...my mind can be telling me, "Just keep climbing.  It's Everest.  You've paid tens of thousands of dollars to do this."  BUT, if I'm freezing - possibly frostbitten - and not getting any oxygen... mental encouragement may not be enough. 

But these Sherpas have got Everest all figured out.  And this last expedition was extra special.  Their climb was taped and will be part of a documentary to raise awareness of their people and history - a story rarely told.  The money they raise from the documentary will be sent back to Nepal to help with children's education, something that desperately needs money and attention.  If for no other reason, I want to watch the one hour piece to see if Sherpas really have special genetics that make them such good climbers!

In the meantime, I'll stick to the mountains of Utah.