LESSONS FROM EVEREST
Attitude over Altitude
Bang! At 22,000 feet up the side of Mount Everest a snow bridge broke beneath Mike Gibbons and he
found himself hanging from a rope 30 feet down in a crevasse with a damaged arm and back. Next step
– descending the dangerous Khumbu Ice Fall with only one useable arm, to be helicopter evacuated off
the mountain.
However, the adventure continued – Mike survived this ordeal and then pushed to rejoin his team and
climb to the Top of the World. It is a story of positive attitude, teamwork and perseverance under
extreme stress.
Mike is a 58-year old Southern California business entrepreneur with a loving wife and three kids. His
first outdoor challenge was backpacking through a white-out blizzard at age ten – from there he just
kept hiking, camping and climbing.
In addition to being an avid outdoorsman, Mike has been a business executive, private investor, handson operating manager, motivational speaker, management consultant and entrepreneur for many years.
Mike’s executive management and investment experiences cover a wide range of activities – from
commercial and investment banking to furniture retailing, automobile auctioning, restaurant chains,
department store retailing, plastic manufacturing, mail order apparel, and upholstery manufacturing.
His consulting experiences have included consumer goods, coal mining, railroads, and public utilities.
His operational experiences range from rapid growth to consolidations, to turnarounds.
He holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a BA Magna Cum Laude in
Economics from Harvard College.
With his success on Mount Everest, Mike is among a select group that have climbed to the top of the
“eight” highest peaks on each of the seven continents. He climbs for the adventure – the remote travel
and interface with new cultures – the making of new friends – the wondrous panoramas – the physical
challenge – the view into self.
His latest motto in life is “Attitude over Altitude” – a statement of priorities, process or alternatives; or
perhaps all three.
As a motivational speaker, Mike often delivers a message which takes the lessons of mountain climbing
and applies them to business, team-building, risk-taking and personal growth.
Interesting mountains climbed by Mike include: Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft.) in Tanzania, Shasta (14,162 ft.)
in California, Elbrus (18,481 ft.) in Russia, Whitney (14,498 ft.) in California, McKinley/Denali (20,320 ft.)
in Alaska, Vinson Massif (16,067 ft.) in Antarctica, Rainier (14,410 ft.) in Washington, Aconcagua (22,840
ft.) in Argentina Kosciuszko (7,310 ft.) in Australia, Matterhorn (14,687 ft.) in Switzerland, Carstenz
Pyramid (16,023 ft.) in Papua, Indonesia, and Mount Everest (29,035 feet) in Nepal.
PHOTO INFORMATION – Mike Gibbons
Mike Gibbons is in the yellow down suit. Ang Passan is in the red down suit. Camera Owner: Garret
Madison. Photographer: Garret Madison. Location: Hilary Step, Mount Everest, 28,900 feet. Date:
May 19, 2011.
Mike Gibbons as he is preparing to head down the mountain after a crevasse fall. Camera Owner: Mike
Gibbons. Photographer: Lakpa Rita. Location: At the bergschund at the bottom of the Lhotse Face,
Mount Everest, about 22,000 feet. Date: May 1, 2011.
Mike Gibbons as he is preparing to leave Camp IV on the South Col after a successful summit of Mount
Everest. Camera Owner: Mike Gibbons. Photographer: Gary Wilson. Location: South Col, Camp IV,
Mount Everest, 26,300 feet. Date: May 20, 2011.
Mike Gibbons in his last rip through the Khumbu Ice Fall after a successful summit of Mount Everest.
Camera Owner: Gary Wilson. Photographer: Gary Wilson. Location: Khumbu Ice Fall, Mount Everest,
about 18,500 feet. Date: May 21, 2011.