EYES for the MOUNTAINS

One day, a fifteen-year-old boy called Terry was sitting on a hilltop, wondering what he wanted to do with his future.

All his school friends wanted to become artists, actors, singers, footballers, hair stylists, all those kinds of things.

Terry on the other hand, wanted something far greater, not that he didn’t show any interest in his friend’s choices.

What he truly wanted, was to be adventurous. There were many kinds of adventures, which appealed to him, including caving, deep sea diving and exploring the Amazon. However, he wanted more than that – far more.

One day, Terry went for a week’s holiday in Switzerland with his parents.

While there, he saw all the familiar peaks – the Matterhorn, the Eiger, the Monch, the Jungfrau and many others.

It dawned on him there and then what he was going to do with his life. He decided to become a mountaineer.

Terry told his parents that he wanted to start climbing as soon as school was finally over.

Fortunately, his parents were fine with it.

So when his school years were over, Terry entered the realm of climbing.

First of all, he went out rock climbing by the coast and up on the moors, in order to gain strength and most of all, experience.

After that, he did some mountaineering in Snowdonia and made a successful ascent of Snowdon.

Those who he climbed with, saw great potential and raw determination in him, but fear too.

After Snowdonia, it was off to the peaks of Scotland. While there, he climbed dozens of peaks, including Ben Nevis.

By then, Terry was ready to learn snow and ice climbing. To begin with, he climbed in Snowdonia and Scotland, during Winter, when the mountains were covered in snow and ice.

After that, he went off mountaineering several times in Switzerland. While there, he climbed the Eiger, the Monch, the Jungfrau, the Wetterhorn, the Matterhorn and many other peaks.

Then it was the French Alps and the Southern Alps. He successfully managed to climb Mont Blanc and Mount Cook.

By then, Terry was becoming well known in the world of mountaineering and for good measure, he was being invited to join many expeditions. Joined them he did too.

From that moment onwards, he went to many ranges, including the Rockies, the Andes and the Cascades. While climbing in those ranges, he summited Mount McKinley and Mount Aconcagua.

After that, Terry ended up going on a number of Himalayan expeditions. None of them were Everest expeditions.

He climbed Ama Dablam, Chomolhari, Chomo Lonzo, Pumori, Changtse, Shishapangma, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum 2 and Cho Oyu.

One day, Terry set himself a most daring challenge. He decided to climb all fourteen of the world’s highest peaks, without oxygen. Succeeded he did too.

First it was Shishapangma, then Gasherbrum 2, then Broad Peak, then Gasherbrum 1, then Annapurna 1, then Nanga Parbat, then Manaslu, then Dhaulagiri, then Cho Oyu, then Makalu, then Lhotse, then Kangchenjunga, then K2 and finally Everest.

After that, Terry retired from the world of mountaineering.

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