Just like many across the country, I have been following the story of the rescue efforts on Mt. Hood. It has unfortunately turned out tragic. From what they have been able to surmise, the three men summited and then perished at some point on their way back down the mountain. It’s a horrible story. My heart and prayers go out to their families.

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for climber to reach their goal and not make it back to base camp. I have never made a winter climb. I can’t imagine the fortitude that type of climb requires. I have climbed a few mountains; the tallest being Baldy Mountain (12, 441 ft) in northern New Mexico. So to call myself an expert I can’t. But I have done a little research and here is what I have found.

I have studied the highest peaks in the world: Lhotsi, K2, Denali, Kilimanjaro, McKinley and of course, Everest. All of these mountains have their allures; height, difficulty, weather, access. However, just recently I made a startling discovery about mountain climbing. More than half of the fatalities on these mountains do not happen on the way up, but rather on the way down. On Everest 1 out of every 29 climbers perish descending the mountain. On K2, the ratio is 1 to 8! There have been roughly 148 deaths on Everest. Eighty-six of those have occurred while returning to the base of the world’s tallest mountain. Why is it more treacherous going down, than going up? I think there are two reasons.

The first is a mental thing. No, climbers don’t lose their minds over a certain altitude. But what they do lose once they reach the summit is their motivation. They spend years training, studying and preparing for this one brief moment. They have spent a month or more acclimatizing their bodies to the altitude. They have spent 3-6 days in sub-zero temperatures, pushing their bodies through exhaustion with little or no food. Once they take those last few painful steps to the peak, their goal is attained. Mentally, there is a natural letdown after the adrenaline stops flowing. I have reached my goal. I am done. I am the king of the hill! But the journey is far from over. There are still many critical decisions that must be made with a clear mind. Going down is just as dangerous and even more exhausting. However, for some it is difficult to keep that necessary mental edge and make proper judgments after accomplishing such a great task. Unfortunately, many of those climbers become casualties of the mountain.

The second reason I believe many climbers perish on the way down is closely linked to the first. Once they mentally lose their edge, they begin to deteriorate physically. The lack of sleep, food and oxygen cripples even the best-trained and physically able climbers. They decide to move slower or faster, take a few chances or even stop altogether. There is no time for a physical letdown on the side of a mountain. The window of time to ascend and descend before weather and fatigue set in can be hours or even minutes. If that window of opportunity is missed it almost certainly means disaster.

Do you find yourself wanting to slow your pace or disengage once a goal is accomplished? I know it’s natural, but it can also be dangerous. We can find ourselves unmotivated and making poor decisions. We can find ourselves physically spent, clumsily doing life. We can find ourselves one step away from a disaster. So how do we battle against this unseen foe and successfully descend from our mountain top experience? FOCUS.

Fix your eyes on the next goal. It may be a new program, project or the next big thing; but don’t stop looking ahead. Did you know the Himalayan Mountains contain four of the tallest mountains in the world? You can see each peak from the other. There is always the next mountain out ahead. Look up, not down (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Offer yourself to God. Remember that we do not accomplish anything on our own. God uses ordinary people to do something far greater than any of us could imagine. It is easy to quit asking for help, wisdom and guidance when things settle down. Don’t let this be a season absent of prayer. Our prayers should increase as we prepare for His next challenge and blessing in our life, family, business or church (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Celebrate! Forty-three nations have had a climber reach the summit of Everest. That equals 676 people. From Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to conquer, to the last man or woman to ascend the world’s tallest mountain, each has taken a few minutes to savor the view on top, place a flag and take a picture. This party at 29,000 feet is like no other. We should celebrate our unique victories as well. Appreciate those who helped. Commend those who went above and beyond. Pat each other on the back for the work that was done to accomplish the goal. If we don’t take time to celebrate the victory, we may loose heart before we climb our next mountain (Psalm 145:7).

Use your time wisely. Many times we are sapped after a goal has been conquered. That is OK. We should be. But we must be careful not to over-extend and become burned out or under-extend and find ourselves too comfortable. It’s a fine balance between the two. Use this time to catch up on missed family time, sleep and those parts of your life that fade when we get busy. It is OK to rest and recuperate. Use your day wisely. It is the only resource we can never get back (Matthew 11:28).

Stay on Course. It is easy to settle when we are tired or worn down. We should be just as cautious & diligent on the way down as on the way up. It is pointless to spend hours planning the ascent and fail on the descent. Don’t let fear, fatigue or obstacles deter your path (Matthew 13-14)

The summit is not the end of the journey, just the beginning. As you come down, keep your FOCUS.

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