I scaled the world's highest mountain tethered to my faith
As told to Yael Schuster by Pinchus Shnier
Iwas very excited, but more afraid as I peered out the window of the 19-seat propeller plane. The vast grandeur of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks loomed above the red, blue, and green low-sloped roofs of mountain villages. This was my second trip to Everest, and even though I was in top physical shape, familiar with the terrain and the demands of the climb, I had so many doubts and fears. My immediate fear was the impending landing. Lukla Airport, the gateway to Everest, is considered the most challenging in the world: The impossibly short, inclined runway abuts a 2,000-foot cliff on one end, and sheer rock wall on the other. The pilot gets no do-overs.
Why was I so determined to climb the world’s highest mountain?
My parents divorced when I was three, and my mother adopted a chassidish lifestyle. But even though we lived in Boro Park, in the community of Skulen, she held on to her love of nature and instilled it in my sister and me. My mother was a true outdoorswoman who grew up in rural Canada. When my classmates spent Chol Hamoed on rides, my mother took my sister and me hiking. She taught us how to read maps and shared her extensive knowledge of trees, plants, herbs, and natural remedies.
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