205: Mark Pattison Solocast

In today’s episode of ‘Finding your Summit’ podcast, host Mark Pattison, former NFL Player, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Mountaineer who just completed the Seven Summits, does a solo podcast on his reflections and thoughts on his climbing experiences on Mt Everest. He talks about his journey of climbing the summit and various challenges he overcame throughout.

Listen to “EP 205: Mark Pattison Solocast” on Spreaker.

Episode Highlights

• 02.16: – Mark says one of the reasons why he didn’t jump into doing a podcast right after he got off the mountain is because he discovered having some sort of PTSD.
• 04:20: – He reveals that he took off around March 30th and landed in Katmandu.
• 06:30: Mark states that it’s kind of an endurance game of how long can you be on that mountain, and go through all the different things with bad food, being cold every night, not taking showers.
• 08:35: – He mentions that millions of people from doing the annual passage at least trying to climb from Luke law to Everest base camp, which is a very popular track.
• 10:20: – According to Mark generally there can be anywhere from 7 to 14 days where there are safe passage.
• 12:50: – As per Mark when you’re coming off the mountain, and then going to camp two then it is at 21,500 feet.
• 14:30: – Mark speaks being clipped in this mountain is quite a bit different.
• 16:49: – Mark tells that Sherpas, the support team and various members of the climate team that are getting COVID can’t go because they need everybody working together.
• 18:38: – He describes that when they finally got right into camp four, it was like being on Mars.
• 20:50: – In his view flavors of Lasagna, Chicken or Granola just doesn’t taste well and his body doesn’t react very well either.
• 22:50: – His Sherpa wants to go fast and he doesn’t want to do any of those things.
• 24:56: – Mark’s tent mate, got to the top at the summit, raised his hands and then fell over and died.
• 26:33:- He was at top of the world, looking down at all these amazing peaks but was having such a hard time appreciating it because he was so worn out.
• 28:32: – He recalls an incident about this Russian guy, which he feels was really challenging and funny at the same time.
• 30:46: – Mark tells that he did have three extra oxygen tanks whether he was going to claim up or not, but they did not give them and he did not know the reason why.
• 32:10: – He was hallucinating that he was in Chicago and he was trying to climb outside of Miami.
• 34:44: – Mark asked his expedition leader at Madison “Can we get the helicopter up here”.
• 36:32: – He finally got back to the hotel again and it was really the first time he’d seen himself in two months. Then he saw himself into the mirror and he looked like he was 79 years old.
• 38:55: – Mark expresses that they had so many things that could have gone wrong but at the end of the day, they just didn’t.
• 41:50: – As per Mark, it just blows his mind that all the gifts have come back his way and he is so appreciative to all the people who have listened to this podcast or listening this one right now.

Three Key Points

1. While you’re doing climbing mountain, you’re really trying to do two things, one you’re trying to build-up red blood cells in your body, so you have more oxygen
2. If you keep working, working, working, some people call you lucky but usually when you’re lucky you’re always winning so those two don’t go together.
3. Sometimes, when things look bleak and you don’t know what the next step is going to be you just have to step into the fear and go for it.

Tweetable Quotes

“I spent the night with no oxygen, so I was up there from gosh nine o’clock pm at night.” – Mark Pattison

“And so if you can imagine, landing and going uphill and slamming on the brakes, all at one time. It’s pretty terrifying.” – Mark Pattison

“It is 60 days when you’re up there, and there are a lot of things that go on.” – Mark Pattison

“So, you’re up and you’re down and you’re up and you’re down and people are dropping out and there’s helicopters coming in, left and right.” – Mark Pattison

“It’s really critical that you are reaching down and you’re clipping into the right, fixed line, rope.” – Mark Pattison

“So, I finally get down to Basecamp, that’s around five o’clock and I just can’t believe what I’ve gone through” – Mark Pattison

“But my brain there was something in there that kept saying, do not get out of the tent until he knocks three jobs, I don’t know what it is.” – Mark Pattison

“When we got COVID tests at the hospital directly right when we got off the plane.” – Mark Pattison

“But now as I go forward I just don’t want to suffer anymore.” – Mark Pattison

“Follow me on this journey so as we go forward, I’m going to continue to do these podcasts, I’m really excited about them.” – Mark Pattison