The Himalayan Project

It has been a little over a year since we climbed Kilimanjaro. The day we reached the top, I remember thinking that I would never climb another mountain, my brain and body were drained and it felt like the most difficult?day of my life. Well, apparently mankind has a strange way of dealing with these hurdles and I just came back from Nepal, getting?to the Everest Base Camp (EBC) and a couple of peaks nearby.

My article on Kilimanjaro was about how I saw it back then, climbing Kilimanjaro felt like creating a startup. Everything?was new, you had a lot of questions, you searched for a lot of answers, you talked to people, you gathered intel, you made it work with some uncertainty. Well, climbing a second mountain doesn't feel like that anymore, very little similarities between the two experiences. It's no longer a startup, it's no longer new, you know what you need, you know who to talk to, you know who you want and need by your side, you know everything. At least you think you do, there are those small variables that hang in the back of your mind, the "what if...?". In reality it was just a new project, The Himalayan Project, a continuance of what we had done before. But there was a big difference, something that would impact the success rate, the time on the mountain trail. Kilimanjaro took us 5/6 days to get there, but our end goal this time was Island Peak, a 6165m mountain near Everest, 12 days after we landed in Nepal. We were in for a long adventure.

Our fearless crew was composed of some usual suspects and a couple new rookies. Luiz Paiva de Sousa , Luis Castro de Melo , Nuno Tavares , Nuno Pereira , Henrique Caramalho and Eduardo Caramalho , led once again by the high?spirited Inácio Rozeira . We had done all the lists, all the lunches, medication add?ons were no big deal, gear was more or less obvious, let's just go to Kathmandu?and get started.

Nepal was a big surprise on?many?levels, especially work related. I'm always looking for?new?markets and social patterns in different parts of the world, my roles at Supernovacy and Darwin Gaming make my?mind act that way. Although its peaceful roots are based on Buddhist teachings, it never crossed my mind that this type of culture could co-exist with gambling. We could see land based casinos everywhere! Sometimes we see religion interfere with this type of social behaviour, I fully comprehend that most societies rely on their religious beliefs and sometimes have an impact in some economical verticals,?which is fine. Apparently Buddhism and Gambling are ok with each other, at least in Nepal.

The crew landed in Kathmandu, gathered the stuff in the hotel and went to soak in its cultural heritage, history and people. We had such a great time, the old town with its temples and stupas, the funeral pyres, its holy men, the vibrant chanting of monks, the chaotic traffic and hundreds of thousands of people on the streets. So much going on, so much to absorb. But we had our minds on the end goal, the Himalayan mountain range.

The next day, plans were changed and we went to a different hotel at a much higher altitude to start the acclimatisation process. We headed to Nagarkot at 2.200m for the night, bright and early we drove to Kathmandu airport to get the helicopter to Everest View Hotel at 3.880m. The crew was split into two birds and off we went. This trip had an extra spice to it, being an aviation enthusiast I was more than thrilled as we would make a quick stop at Lukla airport. If you're not familiar with the name, Lukla is the most dangerous airport in the world, landing there (even in a helicopter) has its challenges, weather wasn't?helping so we were in for a small thrill. As the pilot said, on a scale of 1 to 10, ours was a good 5. Even though it’s more often than not referred to as Lukla Airport, this is not it’s official name. The airport was named after the first two people to ever summit Mount Everest, Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmud Hillary. Hillary was instrumental in buiding the airport, when he first sumited Mount Everest, the expedition team trekked with all of their gear from Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp, a massive undertaking. The airport opened up the Himalayas to people from all over the world and allows access to one and all.

The first heli managed to get to the hotel landing zone but the weather did take a turn for the worse and we ended up landing far from it. The climbing just started, out of nowhere... The Everest View Hotel is the world's highest hotel, sitting at 3.880m. Going from sea level in Porto to 1400m of Kathmandu, next Nagarkot at 2.200m and then this hotel at 3.880m, we sure got a quick crash course into "live with less oxygen, please."

One of the biggest differences between last year and this challenge is that you can find a dozen villages along the way to EBC, all of them with lodges for a hot meal, place to sleep, small shops with souvenirs and/or first necessity products. Namche, Khumjung, Khunde, Tengboche, Debuche, Pheriche, Gorak Shep and Lobuche were some of the villages?we stopped by or stayed in. In these small time capsules in the middle of the valleys, you also have a reality check on how hundreds of millions of people live on a daily basis throughout the world. Basic shelter with low thermal protection, limited access to healthcare, isolation, getting a hot meal a day is not guaranteed, people live in a very precarious way but are not unhappy. All the things I mentioned are the ones that make the Nepali what they are. Thick skin, hard working with blisters?in their hands, survivors with scars and sun burned face, living in total symbiosis with nature and its elements. We had a chance to mingle with a few Nepali here and there, all of them with a smile and an effort to help us and make us feel at home. But at the same time, staying in these villages and a room with 4 walls to sleep might not have been the best option. I'll explain why at the end of the article.

The day we reached EBC, it was a long one and, as usual, I took it slow and was the last to arrive with Inácio. We took a long day to catch up on small talk and other life changing, universe bending theories and beliefs, but each day since the very start, the landscape?strikes you, we pause and look around, the setting around us starts to be overwhelming to a degree of getting speechless and intimidated by it all. Some of the pictures I took with my phone are absolute postcards or Windows wallpapers.

When Inácio and I reached EBC, after all this extraordinary scenery, I didn't feel proud, happy or excited, I was just more complete. I reflected on the Netflix documentary I'd seen before going, about the 2015 earthquake at EBC, I fully felt the weight of the Himalayas, we are completely pointless in that?setting, nature can wipe us out with such ease, we do not dominate this scenario at all, it is an extraordinary achievement?to see people reach the top, the uttermost respect for all these people that defy all rules.

My stay at EBC couldn't?have been better. While the rest of the crew were feeling the altitude, at 5364m I felt at ease, there was no signs of low oxygen, sickness?or anything?wrong, loved every?second at EBC but still went in for an early rest, trying to save energy for the following day, when everything went wrong. We started early heading to Kalla Pattar, just 300m higher than EBC but with a very hard,?sinuous trail with bulky loose rocks all the way up. And those variables you can't control jumped into the scene, those 300m high were enough to wear me out, take all my energy, make me doubt and see the end goal as almost impossible. With tremendous effort and a few stops along the way, Inácio and I got there. All the group waited for us, we got there and I just fell apart, mentally, couldn't hold my tears and was already down to last fuel drops. There was still a long way to go, we took our last group photo of the 6 and came down a 7km hike to Lobuche.

The hike down was long, tough and we even stopped midway for lunch but I was completely torn apart, I couldn't eat and all I wanted was to go to Lobuche and rest. The rest of the way was a bit worse, bad weather came in, some snow, low visibility, threw up a couple of times but kept my focus, to the best of my ability on getting there. And this is when I feel most disappointed with myself. I learned last year that it's the brain that needs training and not the body. There wasn't a single muscle in my body aching, but there were other signs of wear and tear. According to some data from our gadgets, our oxygen levels were below 80 at times, average heart rate sleeping would be around 100 and you'd need to breathe 20+ times per minute to get enough oxygen while sleeping. This meant poor sleep and poor recovery as a system, not muscular. But I honestly think that this is manageable, your brain should be able to overcome this, specially with the past experience, mind over matter. But it didn't work, couldn't handle it, got to Lobuche and went to sleep, as best as possible, you're still at 4920m.?

Morning came, I felt even worse and made the decision to leave. The whole group did their best to convince me to stay, changing the plan so that everyone could rest a bit more and prepare for Island Peak, the main attraction of the trip. But my mind was so twisted I didn't want to hear any of it, I just wanted to leave and come back home to my family. The hike from Kala Pattar to Lobuche, they were on my mind the whole time, non-stop. I got a helicopter, hugged everyone, wished them all the luck in the world and I was on my way home. Only a week later I understood that this very moment meant that The Himalayan Project had failed. Or better said, I had failed the project.

On the way, we stopped at Lukla where I met Jim, a 62 year old American that for the past years has been trying to climb Everest, he always stayed around one month in the Himalayas to have the best possible shot. Two days before, between Everest's Camp 1 and Camp 2, a rock smaller than a football fell down the mountain, passed by him and hit the Sherpa behind him on the shoulder. It was bad, they called the whole thing off and came back. A few hours before I met him, he had just learned that the Sherpa had lost his arm and with some remorse and despair in his voice said "I'm never coming back, we are not meant to be here." I clearly understood what he meant.

But as I mentioned in the first sentence, we forget things...?Some people ask me if I would do it again, or another mountain. And yes, I'd do it again tomorrow.

I've learned a lot with this trip, always more than you can expect, each mountain is different and has a lot to teach.?

On a professional level, there is no bigger proof that the "locker room" makes all the difference. I adore the group of guys I shared this trip with, I can't imagine doing it with anyone else, they rock, all the way up. We were a group where there were no?second intentions, not a single?issue or dispute, every few minutes there was a laugh, people that are in it for the people and the moment. We all were on the same page, same objectives, same challenges. Same goes for your co-workers, your team, if there is any type of animosity, conflict or distrust then things don't work as well, you'll be more focused on these issues then making your business grow. Sounds easier said than done but fix them before it's more time consuming than your?actual work.

I also had another opportunity?to witness that I'm supposed to control my brain but sometimes there is someone else at the helm, turning it my way is not easy. I fully understand when I hear someone is struggling with any mental health issue, the mind plays tricks on you and runs the show. Same applies to work stress from deadlines, unsettled bills, confrontations, high impact decision making, everything that makes you anxious or fearful will have an impact on how you resolve your issues and the outcome might not be the best. Seek help, the ones next to you are probably the best to understand the situation and provide guidance towards the best solution.

When we were planning this, Inácio suggested that we should always sleep in tents but, if we wanted, we could sleep in those very basic rooms, 4 walls and a mattress, warmer and more comfortable?than sleeping in a tent exposed to the elements. After I left this unsuccessful?venture, as I didn't get where?I wanted to, I thought about what we did wrong and I'm not the only one thinking like this. Sleeping in those rooms gave us a chance to take a break from the wilderness, gave us some comfort and warmth, and gave us a chance to relax. In Kilimanjaro we always stayed in tents, we were?always?uncomfortable, we were always exposed to the elements, nobody got back to the comfort zone until we got to the hotel after it ended. I'm inclined to think that this might have "broken" us, this in and out of the comfort zone, this quick and false sense of safety for a few hours. I'm not sure we did it right, not sure if it was the best option. As if we were making it easy to get to EBC, then the harder days came and we weren't so used to them.

Something I have done is the past weeks is to review what I did. And there are a few "What if I...?", "Maybe a should have done...", "I wish I had...", "I could have...". Although I do this every now and then, I tend to think that I shouldn't review it as a bunch of things we could have done better. Of course not all decisions were the very best but were the ones that felt right in that moment. Decisions regarding sleep, food, pills, path, pace, breathing, small things that could improve your recovery, etc. One think I learned from working in the poker world is that if you're playing a hand, you make an all in call and you're the favourite to win the hand, don't be influenced by the result, don't be result oriented. Of course poker is a statistical matter, mountain climbing is a combination of many factors, including gut feeling, that will influence the success rate. So, think what you will do different in the future and don't have regrets. (work in progress)

This trip also had a hidden?purpose. I've been surrounding?myself with people I can trust with my businesses, delegating and making sure they?know the ropes and give them the ability to make decisions, preferably the?same ones I would do. To Marisa Freitas and Manuel Barrote , my sincere thank you for making sure everything?runs on rails.

On a personal?level, if there is a religion that I identify with, it's Buddhism. The sense of peace and harmony truly is something that our world needs right now and we don't have enough. I also must add that I've been to 70+ countries, I've seen a bit of the world, and can honestly say that the Himalayas mountain trail is the most beautiful place I've ever been to. It's stunning, it's "brut", it's rough, and it's breathtaking. It's one of those places you have to go once in your lifetime. All the pictures shown here are untouched, no filters, no nothing.

One of the most fascinating aspects of mountain climbing is the level of the playing field, we are all exactly equal. Regardless of your education, race, work, creed and especially amount of money, all these attributes?make no difference, we are all heading to the same place. Your status, your job title, your money or college degree won't make any difference. I don't think there are many situations during your lifetime where this happens and it's a true blessing to witness this. The only thing needed is "you".

A special word for the Island Peakers, our leader Inácio, a monstrous thank you, not possible without you and to Luiz, you are the beast of all mountains, nothing stops you and you should be studied by NASA.

Last but not least, a very special and heartfelt thanks to Ivone Amaral for being so supportive the whole time I was there and holding the fort with the kids.

Where are we heading next? We don't know but somewhere extraordinary and fulfilling.