While every climber who summits or tries to summit is unique in my mind, there is the occasional person who catches my attention. Yes, I am impressed by the record climbers: youngest, oldest, fastest, disadvantaged, first to summit and on and on. Congratulations to all and this season had a lot of these cases. But it is the regular person, just trying to do something special for themselves. Not trying to make a statement nor serve as a symbol. While the record climbers sometimes do good for many, the ones who are quiet sometimes makes a louder statement.

Paul Adler is a case study here. While not exactly "quiet" considering his and his wife, Fiona's website; Paul did something that even the professionals rarely attempt. By now most readers know the story. Paul and Fi, married couple from Australia, worked for the past year to get their bodies in shape to climb Everest on the south side. They were on a logistics permit with IMG, hired their own Sherpas and did not rely on the IMG western guides. They arrived in basecamp early and began the acclimization process. But Paul caught a throat infection delaying their climbs. Fi also showed some signs of catching the infection running around basecamp. They both showed wisdom and patience by taking their time to get well and not pushing their bodies.

Soon they got out of sync with the other climbers but made the trip to C1 and back, then C2 and up the Lhotse Face, the weather delayed them before another trip through the icefall and to C3 - the final test before a summit bid. After a few days in BC and watching team after team summit, they identified a weather window and targeted May 23rd as their summit day. The world began to follow their story. They even received a letter from the PM of Australia wishing them luck!

The evening of May 22, Fi, Paul, Da Sona, Mingma Ongel started their climb about around 9:30. Everything was going fine up to the South Summit, 28700'. Both climbers were tired but Paul had oxygen issues and made the decision to return to the South Col while Fi and Mingma continued. As FI reported in her excellent summit night dispatch "... the only option being for him to go down. What a heart-breaker. Of all the scenarios we'd thought might happen, this was certainly not one of them. He urged me to go on saying "you've got it in the bag!". Which was anything but how I felt at the time." Fi went on to summit in good style and return to C4 in great time. Her strength to continue her dream, to push on without her partner, to stand on top of the world - and return safely - she lived the word courage.

She met Paul in their tent.

I remember retuning to my tent in 2002 and 2003 after turning back just below the Balcony. I sat alone in the dark shivering from the cold. My Sherpa offered hot tea which I gladly took but he went off to bed - as he should have. My thoughts ran the range but the primary emotion was pure exhaustion. I feel asleep only to wake up to the sunrise and thereafter to my teammates returning. As I downlcimbed both years, the enormity of what I had tried set in as did the total and complete fatigue in every part of my body.

I do not know what Paul and Fi said that night or the following morning but Paul made the decision to try again - 24 hours after his initial bid. Paul started out but turned back just below the Balcony. But that is not the point. He did not give up. He continued to put everything he had into reaching his goal. He pushed his body - and mind - to the limit. He refused to accept ... He showed a unique courage. He is a mountaineer, a climber.

Paul and Fi were not the first, not the fastest, not the youngest or oldest. In fact that were not the bravest to climb Mount Everest. They are regular people, living regular lives and doing courageous acts. An inspiration.
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