We're revisiting a popular episode from our archives this week! 

It's not easy to get to the top of the world.  It takes a lot of training and determination, a willingness to endure pain and suffering–and no small amount of luck.  Even the most prepared climber can confront a deadly avalanche or fatal turn in the weather.

Our guest, Jeff Gottfurcht, was the first person ever to summit the tallest mountain in the world–Mt. Everest–with rheumatoid arthritis.  Hear his incredible tales of ten years of training (including climbing all of the world's biggest mountains); what a climber eats, sleeps, and wears on Everest (you'll never believe Jeff's Diet!); what happened on his summit ascent in a -20 degree windstorm; and what it's like to sit at the highest point on earth.

Jeff also shares the lessons that have shaped his life that he learned while he was “dancing with fate” on Mt. Everest.

Want to learn more about Jeff?

• Check out his company's website: cyberdive.co

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Elizabeth Pearson Garr Podcaster

Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.