TAKINGFOREVEREST
I’m not a pro athlete, a sponsored climber, or someone who grew up in the mountains. I’m an ordinary 9-to-5er with a family, a mortgage, and a few dogs, trying to see just how far an “average joe” can go.
When my mountaineering expedition to Ecuador was canceled, I had a choice: wait or pivot. After getting advice from Steve House and the Alpenglow team, I’m trading the glaciated "walk-ups" of Chimborazo for the technical Cordillera Blanca of Peru. Here’s why the shift to Tocllaraju is actually better preparation for my ultimate goal of climbing Mount Everest.
I used to think my ADHD made me scattered, lazy and unfocused. It turns out my "random" jobs and hobbies were just training for the mountain. Read how mountaineering helped me found my focus.
$1,000 for boots? My Ecuador company offers free rentals, but I'm terrified of frostbite and training with strange gear. Here’s a candid analysis of where the side-hustle budget should really go. Help me decide!
I obsess over training data, but a hike up Brushy Mountain reminded me that confidence can’t always be quantified. The mountain measures progress differently.
When I first followed Everest No Filter in 2017, I never imagined I’d one day meet the man who sparked my dream of climbing Everest. This year, as I finally take my first real steps toward that goal, Cory Richards came to Ohio, and our paths crossed in a way that felt like fate. His words, his story, and three simple words have been echoing in my head ever since.
Everyone asks me, “When are you climbing Everest?” The truth? It’s going to take years, and that’s on purpose. I could pay a company to send me tomorrow, but rushing would be unsafe for me and the people around me. Instead, I’m taking the long road. It’s a journey to become the climber who’s ready when the time is right.
Why Everest? Because it’s more than a mountain to me. It’s a calling I’ve felt since 2016, when a quiet dream first took root. After summiting Kilimanjaro in 2025, that dream roared back to life. This isn’t about bragging rights or bucket lists—it’s about transformation. Slow, steady, Pole Pole… one step at a time.
Climbing Kilimanjaro taught me that some clichés are true for a reason. Here’s how four well-worn sayings came to life on Africa’s tallest peak—and how they can apply to everyday life.
Can you train for a 6,000m peak in the Midwest? Following advice from my coach, Steve House, I headed to Munising to find out. I went for the crampons, but I stayed for the community.