When Veterans Day rolls around every year I always feel the same few emotions begin to surface. Every year…same ones.

I always feel very fortunate and blessed… that I was simply, out of mere dumn luck, born in a country that provides basic needs to MOST of it’s inhabitants. Where I can enjoy the freedom to vote, to outwardly quench my spiritual thirst without fear of condemnation as well as make a living by doing something as ridiculous as climbing mountains and talking about it to companies. Not many countries in the world where all of these pursuits are available to it’s citizens. For that, I am grateful.

I always feel a great sense of gratitude… to the “greatest generation”…my grandfather and his colleagues. Men (as well as their families that supported them) that fought against tyranny with a sense of bravery that we very rarely see anymore. It was because of their actions that we live the way that we do. They were selfless and committed to a cause that was far beyond them as individuals….before the era of social media and big screen documentaries. They are how I define hero and I feel we owe it all to them.

I always feel a sense of regret… wondering what my life would have been like should I have chosen to enlist out of high school after many meetings with the recruiters. This was Top Gun time…so flying jets in the Navy sure seemed like a cool job. I think I was scared. Scared of what it would take to make the military my life…perhaps I wasn’t strong enough or brave enough to see it through. Watching my cousin Jean fight like hell to become one of a handful of female fighter pilots in the Air Force proved to me that with an extreme level of dedication as well as what can only be determined a high level of skill, one can achieve those far off dreams. Jean went for it and was rewarded with countless hours of flying some of the most sophisticated machines that we have ever built. I am awed by her commitment to her career and part of me wonders…what was keeping me from following that same path (one clear thing is, Jean is smarter than me by an order of magnitude).

I always feel a great sense of respect… to the men and women that have recently or currently serve. Without a draft, everyone that wears or has worn the uniform in recent decades signed on the dotted line and committed to put service before personal needs. I respect the sense of loyalty to the guy (or gal) that serves right next to you. How it really all comes down to putting your team before your own aspirations and in their case, safety and wellbeing. I respect and honor what it takes to be away from family for months on end…to voluntarily put yourself in harms way, although service men and women do it for a far more honorable reason than simply climbing a big peak.

For all of these reasons, I know that I need to do something to say thanks in the only way I know how… to take some of these remarkable folks up to the high places and provide them the venue to challenge themselves and in some cases reclaim what was once theirs.

Last year’s Soldiers To The Summit (S2S) project was born from all of these emotions. Erik Weihenmayer and I, with the help of World TEAM Sports and some of our Everest buddies, brought together a group of injured vets to climb a big Himalayan Peak. The resulting documentary, High Ground should be released to the public next summer and will capture the challenges that many injured vets experience when they return from combat.

We are currently in the planning stages of the follow up on last years project that will take place in Ecuador. We will be bringing a few of the participants from last year’s climb to serve as mentors for a new group of injured soldiers that represent the spirit of S2S to climb Cotopaxi in December 2012.

If you happen to experience any of the emotions that I mention above when this day of recognition rolls around and would like to show your own gratitude…our S2S project is a great opportunity.

Do you know an injured vet? Send him/her over to the S2S website to apply for one of the spots for next year’s adventure.

Do you have a relationship with a company that is looking to participate in a social responsibility project with a backbone to it? There are many ways in which corporate America can get involved in our project…sponsor a soldier, promote the trip, secure corporate relationships… and the list goes on.

To show gratitude is important…saying thanks is great. Acting on it is felt deeply. Tell a veteran that you are grateful in a way that is impactful.

Posted by Jeff Evans at 11:19 AM

Soldiers to the Summit (S2S) is an ongoing program, ending with an exciting capstone expedition, to specifically assist veterans dealing with post-war challenges. The S2S program strengthens the rehabilitation process and helps veterans prepare for their future. A mentoring component of the S2S experience builds upon the camaraderie and support-systems which are often integral to a veteran’s military experience.

Soldiers to the Summit began last year when Erik Weihenmayer (our co-founder and Chairman of the Board) and his team celebrated the tenth anniversary of their historic Everest climb. Together they led eleven disabled soldiers, all injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, toward the summit of Lobuche, a 20,161-foot peak in Nepal. This expedition was a tremendous success and will soon become the subject of a major feature film that will highlight the challenges faced by our veterans as they work to return home after life-changing injuries.

Charley points out Everest from Lobuche Summit

No Barriers has played an increasingly important role in raising funds and creating awareness for Soldiers to the Summit.  We have extended that legacy forward with our successful fundraising climb of Quandary Peak in May and the inclusion of the Lobuche team members at our No Barriers Summit in July.

We are also pleased to announce that Charley Mace will serve as the Program Director for the S2S expeditions. Charley was with Erik on Everest and was an integral part of the first S2S expedition to Lobuche. He is one of Americas most highly regarded mountaineers with years of experience as a professional guide across the great ranges of the world. Charley has guided on every continent, climbed the seven continental high points, and summited four of the world’s fourteen 8000-meter peaks.

In addition to his climbing talents, Charley has a very strong business background. For six years, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Trango Equipment, a premier climbing equipment and apparel business, and he is a former Director of Operations of the American Alpine Club.

If you would like to help support or become more involved with the Soldiers to the Summit, you can contact Charley directly by email at cm@soldierstothesummit.org or phone at 303-888-7247.

www.facebook.com/SoldierstotheSummit

Due to heavy snows last week and poor weather forecast for the next few days, the team decided to make the switch from Mt. Elbert to Quandary Peak.

Read the original post with details of the project below …

March 19 COLORADO – Erik Weihenmayer made the first blind ascent of Mount Everest on May 25, 2001 and 13 year old, Jordan Romero, became the youngest person to summit the world’s highest peak on May 22, 2010. To commemorate the anniversaries of their historic climbs, Erik and Jordan are teaming up to raise funds for the Soldiers To The Summit Project.

Download a 1mb pdf of the Mt. Elbert Climb flyer seen below.

http://iowapublicradio.org/single_story.php?storyid=1508

Soldiers to the Summit team photo on summit of Lobuche. Photo by Didrik Johnck.

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March 3, 2011, WASHINGTON DC – The Pentagon Channel’s popular Recon series, broadcast at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, reports on the successful climb of 20,075-foot Lobuche East on October 14, 2010. Located in Nepal only 8.7 miles from Mount Everest, Lobuche proved to be a challenging destination for team members, which included 11 wounded warriors from America’s military.

Guided by expert high altitude guides and climbers, the team worked together to triumphantly reach Lobuche’s snow-covered summit by mid-morning. Following only an hour on the summit, the climbers carefully descended the mountain to begin their long journey home.

Recon, a monthly half-hour program celebrating accomplishments of America’s military men and women, is simulcast live on the Pentagon Channel’s website. The documentary will also be made available for video on demand podcasts.

Judy Plavnick of the Pentagon Channel served as the producer/writer of the Soldiers to the Summit episode of Recon.

In the Shadow of the Condor documents an expedition in January of 2002 into the spectacular pristine Corcovado wilderness in Southern Chile. The expedition traveled up a “heart of darkness” river, bushwhacked through a vertical jungle, and then emerged out into a magnificent landscape of glaciated granite walls. Filmmaker Michael Brown and Chilean conservationist Pablo Sandor climbed upward to find a jewel of a lake tucked between the highest peaks. Sandor and his Ayacara Foundation are working to protect the Corcovado region from development and the United Nations has just selected Ayacara to receive a prestigious conservation award. Ayacara leaders give important credit for the award to Brown’s film, which dramatized for U.N. and the Chilean Government’s decision makers first-hand why the region should be included in a national park. “In the Shadow of the Condor” was produced by Outside Television, in association with OLN.

January 28 COLORADO – It’s been about three months since we returned from Nepal and our successful ascent of Lobuche. For many of us, it has been a whirlwind of activity as we try to make the movie of our climb become a reality. Others on our team are busy with their own projects. Although we are all immersed in our lives here at home, each of us has been deeply affected by our experiences on that adventure.

(Editors Note: Click over to Erik Weihenmayer’s site to where his message was originally posted, or read on below.)

Recently, I asked Steve Baskis to share his thoughts about what this expedition means to him a few months later. As you can tell, it was a very powerful time in his life that will have far-reaching benefits. Thanks again to all of our sponsors who helped make this possible!

Erik

Steve Baskis working his way to the summit of Lobuche. Photo by Didrik Johnck.

When you look back on the trip, what stands out the most to you and why?

The team worked very well together. So many people who really did their best guided me and this really means a lot to me. People forget that when you’re blind, you can miss so much of the visual world around you, my teammates made sure to never let this happen.

Why did you agree to be part of this expedition?

Primarily because of what it stands for and the message people will receive when viewing the documentary. I also have this adventurous spirit and wish to learn and travel as much as possible. Plus the challenge to do something most able-body people don’t do could be considered as a driving force as well.

Now that you are home and everything is back to normal, how do you feel?

The funny thing is I yearn for more adventure and travel. I tend to dream about all of the places I want to visit. And when I do visit them, a moment of satisfaction always overwhelms me. When I look back on the Himalayan expedition, this proud feeling of accomplishment floods my brain. Hiking and climbing with my teammates was truly an honor and I am proud to show more people what motivated and driven people are capable of, no matter the adversity.

Random thoughts and comments:

I will never forget this climb, even if I do not ever return to Nepal. The mental pictures of slowly moving up the valley, takeoff and landings on extremely small runways, and the people who helped this dream come true could never be forgotten. The place is so majestic and from what I can remember when I had vision, one of the most beautiful places in the world.

2 years and 7 months is how long I have lived in darkness. Whether or not you consider that a long time, it is plenty of time to reflect and understand the traumatic life-changing event that has occurred in my life. The climb has taught me, like every other challenge I have taken, that people always struggle, fight, and live in hard times. But it is how you move forward and whom you have in life that really matters. Traveling to the ends of our world allows me to imagine and learn so much, it allows me the opportunity to forget my disability and see the world in a different perspective.

This expedition and all of the unique things I have done and will do, I hope will make my life fun and worthwhile. You often find people dreaming of all of the things they can do, but never take that risky step forward in that direction. I say keep life interesting, jump off the beaten path and live a little. This concept I believe will help heal mental and physical wounds.

Don’t get me wrong, the climb was very difficult and frustrating, but overall when it is all said and done, a great experience that many others will never live.