For me, success is about how high you bounce when you hit the bottom. After six weeks of treacherous and tiring expedition, most people would readjust with a warm shower, a cup of tea and a duvet. Adversity adventurer Alex Staniforth, however, was up and out again to deliver a fantastic presentation, answer questions and sign copies of his book Icefall, as part of the Chester Literature Festival line-up. Just before the event, I was babysitting three sisters who have a wonderful sense of adventure. The oldest, who is six, wanted me to ask Staniforth ‘Was it snowy?’ Yes, yes it certainly was. I think I can safely tell her that even Queen Elsa herself would have looked at the photos and videos of the expeditions and said ‘My goodness, that’s a lot of snow!’ Arendelle doesn’t even come close. Last night, Staniforth told his story with such honesty and humility. He spoke about the overwhelming fear when you’re just 19 and think you’re going to die, as you are alone in the Himalayas and rumbled by the ‘primal roar of an avalanche’. He explained the powerlessness of not being able to control what happens around you, even though you’ve worked so hard to get there. And he didn’t hide the depression, struggles and low points in his life. He said ‘I needed to find a reason to get out of bed everyday’, so of course, as you do, he decided to climb Everest! (My reason to get out of bed in the morning is sometimes the thought having a big bowl of Alpen for breakfast...I suppose there’s a mountain on the box, so it’s pretty much the same thing, right?!) But jokes aside, this truthfulness was inspiring and encouraging. Life isn’t all plain sailing, and often we hide our struggles. Staniforth now works to raise awareness of mental health issues. Having mental health problems is sometimes looked upon as a weakness. Some of the most wonderful people I know have suffered from depression, and I believe being honest about it is a strength. Another thing which I took away from last night was the fact that it’s not always about the summit. What’s vastly more important is the journey – the things you learn, endure, feel and see, the people you meet and the challenges you overcome on the way. In almost every book or film that depicts a journey - be it a pirate crew’s hunt for treasure, an individual’s search for identity, or a valiant knight’s quest for a kingdom - the booty is only found, the goal is only fulfilled, the summit is only reached right at the end, if at all. The thing that fills the chapters and scenes is the adventure - the pages and pages of walking the journey that frequently changes course. Often things happen that mean you start following a different dream, take a different route, find a different view...and the new way can be so much more right than where you were headed before. Some of life’s greatest lessons are learnt from accepting detours. I realise that I have rambled, so will try to conclude now by going back to one of the things Staniforth opened with. He is encouraging people to consider what their own Everests are, and said that his just happened to be the actual mountain itself. I thought a bit about what kind of Everests other people might have - maybe to be a good father or mother, husband or wife, to be a listening friend or an encourager. Maybe to travel to a certain place, get a certain job, publish a book, record an album...who knows? I suppose some of the key things to remember are, whatever mountain you want to scale, keep it in perspective, learn and stay positive along the way, and find a balance – be determined, but don’t have your eyes so fiercely fixed on the end, that you forget to look at the beauty around you on the way.
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AuthorMegan Kate Chester Archives
June 2017
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