046: Creating a Life of Extreme Adventure with North Face Athlete Hilaree Nelson

Hilaree Nelson is a North Face athlete and Ski-Mountaineer. Combining a passion for exploration, mountains and skiing, Hilaree has traveled to some of the most exotic mountain ranges on earth. Outside Magazine named her one of the most adventurous women in the world of sports. She is the first woman to climb two 8,000m peaks in 24 hours (Everest and Lhotse). She’s also skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet and climbed and skied several high peaks in Bolivia and Argentina. Elsewhere, Hilaree has cut turns on remote volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Lebanon, as well as many first descents in the tight couloirs of Baffin Island. Born and raised in the Northwest, Hilaree began skiing at age 3 at Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Eventually, she moved to the Chamonix Valley of France where she learned most of what she needed to know in order to take her skiing skills to the next level- ski mountaineering. We have a fascinating conversation telling her story and how she created a life of extreme adventure. We talk about why Hilaree thrives and seeks taking risks and chances in her life, why you’re not truly living until you get out of your comfort zone, why you should pursue things you can fail at because that is where you learn and grow, and so much more!   More Career Accomplishments: 1996: European Women’s Extreme Skiing Champion.   2002: First ski descent of all five of the “Holy Peaks” of the Mongolian Altai. 1st American ascent/1st ski descent of Papsura Peak, India Double summit of Denali, June 2017 Messner couloir ski descent, climb of Cassin Ridge First female ski of Makalu La Couloir on Makalu, Nepal Named by Outside magazine as “One of the Most Adventurous Women in the World of Sports.” Featured as the expedition leader in the Telluride Mountainfilm festival award-winning 2015 documentary Down to Nothing. Named by Men’s Journal as one of “The 25 Most Adventurous Women of the Past 25 Years” National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2018 And much more… Do yourself a favor a google “Hilaree Nelson.” Read articles and watch some videos featuring her, it will not disappoint. You can find Hilaree at: Website: https://hilareenelson.com/ Instagram: hilareenelson Facebook: Hilaree Nelson