CALGARY – Calgary climber Raphael Slawinski has explored peaks around the globe for a quarter of a century, but Mount Everest has never been on his radar until now.
An opportunity arose for the experienced climber to reach the highest point on earth following a path less travelled.
“I’m excited, I’m definitely looking forward to going, I’m also scared. I’m scared of the effort it will take, I’m scared of what might go wrong,” said Slawinski.
Instead of climbing up the south side in Nepal, Slawinski and two German climbers will explore the Tibetan side of Everest.
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They hope to ascend close to 2,000 metres before rejoining the standard route along the north ridge, and hopefully reaching the summit.
In 1996, a Russian team was the first to successfully climb this side of the famous mountain.
Despite their preferred route, Slawinski and partners have set out two other potential routes, depending on the safety of weather conditions they may face.
Slawinski, a 48-year-old physics professor at Mount Royal University, tries to take his wife’s concerns into account.
“Climbing, especially that kind of climbing, is a very selfish thing,” she said, regarding the upcoming trip. “You’re doing it purely for yourself and potentially others will pay the price.”
But Slawinski says it’s all about good decision-making and knowing when to turn around.
“The rewards of this incredible experience that makes you feel more alive than anything out there–those rewards outweigh not the potential risks, but the likelihood of something going wrong,” he said.
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