Mount Everest Mount Everest - iamWKU

Mount Everestdescribes All as “extremely driven,ambitious and competitive,” withboth a doctorate in geography and alaw degree. All, who had wanted tobe a climber since age 10, is also aworld-class adventurer who hasclimbed many places, from Kentucky’sRed River Gorge to Yosemite,South Africa, Thailand, and fromFrance to Tierra Del Fuego.“When he has a goal in mind,he’s persistent and tenacious,”Schneider said. “He’s a formidableman and he can hike and carry a loadlike no one I know. He’s also extremelyefficient—a true minimalist,who doesn’t mind living like a Spartanfor months at a time—in themountains, and he’s very good at analyzingand minimizing risks in dangeroussettings. I’m sure all of thesequalities were helpful in getting himto the top of Mount Everest.”As a child, All read accounts ofpeople climbing Mount Everest andthe Matterhorn, and was hooked.“Climbing to the highest place onearth has been a dream since then.But the more you climb and gain experience,the more you see death andinjury, the more you realize just whatan incredible task Mt. Everest is — itis not a coincidence that it has killedso many people,” said All, who carefullystudied earlier climbs in preparation,noting how the Northernroute turned back or killed climberafter climber.“Even though super-light oxygensystems and fixed ropes have dramaticallysimplified the climb, for me,this was still the route of legend anddanger,” he said. “When I did theclimb and found it to be far easierthan I expected due to my intensewww.alumni.wku.edu | WKU SPIRIT | 15