The Next Everest. How I Survived the Deadliest Day in the Mountains and Found the Strength to Try to Reach the Summit Again

Jim Davidson is an experienced climber, motivational speaker, and co-author of the book "The Summit," a New York Times bestseller. Along with his team, he has received commendations from the U.S. National Park Service twice for his volunteer efforts in dangerous rescue operations in remote mountainous areas. Davidson inspires people throughout the U.S. and abroad with his professional business project, "Let's Talk Adventures." He and his wife live in Colorado and have two adventure-loving children. On April 25, 2015, Jim Davidson was climbing Everest when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake triggered avalanches that cut off the only way to safety for him and his team. The climbers were trapped at an altitude of over 6,000 meters. The most powerful earthquake in Nepal in the last 81 years claimed the lives of about 8,900 people. That day also became the deadliest in Everest’s climbing history: 18 people died on the mountain in an instant. After two days of anxiety and uncertainty, Davidson and his team were helicoptered off the slopes of Everest. The experience shook him so much that, despite 33 years of regular climbs and experience as an expedition leader, he was unsure he would ever be able to return. Yet, undaunted by risk and uncertainty, Jim returned in 2017 and finally fulfilled his dream of reaching the summit. This is not just another story of conquering the highest peak in the world. The author shows how the willingness to acknowledge change, embrace the challenges of fate, and accept uncertainty prepares each person to meet their next Everest.