Roof of the World! - Page 3
“There is a historical mystique to Everest and I often thought of all those who came to the mountain years before without the use of fixed lines, bottled oxygen and unused routes,” he said. “The teamwork involved in reaching the summit is critical, but more importantly you’ve got to be up to the challenge mentally and physically, and understand that no one beats a mountain. When I was at Kettering/GMI, it required perseverance and discipline, and it teaches you to look at the big picture while tackling the steps along the way as individual challenges rather than getting blown away by how much work there is to do in five years. Everest
Arnett admits he’s not an outwardly emotional person, but once at the summit he was able to speak with his wife and daughters, and all the emotion that went into the climb flooded out. “When I realized just how much teamwork, passion, history and heroism goes into a climb like this, both on the mountain and most importantly at home, it was tough to keep it together,” he said.
And the greatest heroes, aside from his wife and kids, are the Sherpas who help guide climbers up the mountain. They are the Nepalese people who live in the high altitude regions of the Himalayas. “They are truly amazing people,” he said. “They go up before anyone else to set the lines, establish the high camps and help take climbers up. They are fun-loving, generous, kind people who deserve a ton of credit for their challenging work. Climbing with them further supports one’s belief in the goodness of people,” he added.
Today, Arnett is back at home in Castle Rock, Colo., with his wife and daughters, enjoying life with a renewed perspective. And while he does not have any future plans to climb another tall peak, he relishes his Everest summit each day and offers his deepest thanks to his family, the Sherpas and Intel for making his dream possible.
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