Mt Logan Expedition -> Summit

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In Today’s Capital Brain Newsletter:

• Mt Logan expedition

• Four big self-leadership lessons from this expedition

• Attend The Growth School AI & ChatGPT masterclass

• Just for fun

Hi,

Update: Mount Logan (5,959 m), the second highest mountain in N America summitted 6/15/24. See more pictures in '777 Summits' folder on my IG @okglobaltravels. Unedited expedition notes and some pictures are posted on my blog.

EXPEDITION LESSONS

It doesn't matter how it's supposed to be done, do it your way

They say it takes 15-25 days to summit Mt. Logan on skis and twice as long on snowshoes. They say you are supposed to climb it in May and climbing in June is too late. They say it is the coldest mountain on the planet with constantly changing weather.

The group before us took 23 days on skis for their May expedition, experienced -40°C temperatures on summit day, had several people heli-rescued, and waited for 5 days at Base Camp to be picked up due to no-fly conditions.

We went in June, summited in 10 days on snowshoes, never had a bad weather day, enjoyed a lovely -20°C summit day, and flew in and out immediately without any delays.

Key lesson: don't listen to anyone, no one knows better. Get some basic facts but then do it your way.

Proper training leads to top performance when it matters most

I trained for Mount Logan every day for 6 months, rain or shine. I knew there would be lots of snowshoeing and weight hauling in the sled, so I trained my legs by climbing up Heavenly in a 40-lbs weight vest. I did not pay much attention to upper body training as I knew it was not that crucial. When I got to the mountain, my body felt "at home." It did exactly what it was trained for and performed.

So, train smart, not just hard.

The people who want to see you win will help you win

I don't know what I did to deserve this, but on my most difficult mountains, I have been lucky to have the best, the strongest, and the most supportive climbing partners one could ever want.

I've said it many times before: if you pick your teammates right, you can easily reach new heights in any project.

Northwestern just published research data showing that in the workplace, everyone sitting within a 25-foot radius of a high performer improves their own performance by 15%. I believe it.

One way or another, things always work out

The unknown is always present, and in the mountains, its danger is even greater.

We chose to descend a 6,000m mountain in one go, without setting up camp. Much of the route lay through crevasses that open when the sun softens the snow. Every step carried the risk of falling through, creating constant anxiety.

This crevasse walk lasted 16 hours. (Crazy thing: for a couple of days after we returned to town, I was nervous stepping on normal ground. It's incredible how quickly our brains adjust to danger, living in fear comes naturally to us).

In a whiteout, you walk with no visibility, hoping to spot your next wand for direction, and praying the snow beneath your feet stays firm.

Here's the thing about the uncertainty: the next wand always appears; we have a drone that can spot crevasses for us; the whiteout eventually disappears and you can see better.

Under pressure, the key to sanity is to let it be. Just chill. Staying relaxed conserves energy.

Controlling the uncontrollable is madness. Instead, focus on what you can manage.

I let go and react to the unknown rather than fighting it. Letting go doesn’t mean I am giving up; it means trusting that I am prepared and strong enough to adapt to whatever comes my way.

As always, keep climbing!

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JUST FOR FUN

There is no red color in this image. Our brains are filling in the red color. The picture is made entirely of light blue, black, and white (zoom in).

Olya & the Capital Brain team