Just a Cold Dark Night on the Side of Everest

Sharks, Bulls, Planes, and Everest

I’ve seen and read a lot about the experience of climbing Mount Everest, and I can understand and appreciate why people want to experience the climb. There is no doubt it would be an amazing challenge and adventure. For me, however, climbing Everest falls in the same category of swimming with sharks, running with bulls, and jumping out of airplanes. Things that have safely secured a spot on my “things to never do” list.

I Appreciate Their Why

The draw of the mountain and the drive to climb is understandable. Accomplishing the ascent would be an amazing personal triumph. Having the endurance and mental toughness to train for and pull off this feat would require months of preparation and weeks of execution. As an endurance athlete, I can certainly appreciate the preparation and time these mountaineers need to invest. There are many tough days of training between the decision to climb and the completion of the climb. In Kelly McGonigal‘s book, The Upside of Stress, she told the story of Alia Crum working late one night on her PhD. She said that a coworker, noticing her stress and late hours, made the comment that this was “just another cold dark night on the side of Everest.”

When mountaineers commit to taking on Mount Everest, they’d be naïve to expect a smooth journey. The same, of course, is true of a dissertation. Did I really expect getting my PhD to be a walk in the park? — Alia J. Crum, Ph.D.

Cold Dark Nights

Meaningful journeys usually include stretches of time that are not enjoyable. Climbing Mount Everest takes weeks, so sleeping on the side of the mountain is part of the journey. On the path to the peak, there are many cold dark nights. It’s a necessary part of the process, but I am sure that standing at the peak helps ease the pain of those cold, dark nights. On a smaller scale, we can all appreciate this common lesson. If we want to see the completion of a meaningful goal, we have to understand there are going to be long stretches of tough work. Investing those “cold dark nights” makes us stronger, teaches us to properly prepare, and even helps us appreciate our accomplishments even more. So today, embrace the process and make some progress.

Enjoy the day!