Phil Ershler - Together on Top of the World: The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits

Copyright 2007 by Phil Ershler and Susan Ershler

All right reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Warner Books

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First eBook Edition: April 2007

ISBN: 978-0-446-19440-2

E2-20181211-PDJ-PC-VAL

TO

ARTHUR AND FRANCES ERSHLER

AND

ROY AND MARY ELLERMAN

WHO TAUGHT US THAT

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

AND WHO SUPPORTED US

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

We did not reach mountaintops alone, nor did we complete this book alone. All along we have been surrounded by the most generous, supportive, and expert partners we ever could have wished for:

Robin Simons, who dedicated endless hours to researching and

writing this book. Her ability to take years and volumes of data and tease out the truest and most important elements helped us find all the layers in this story.

James Levine and his colleagues at Levine Greenberg Literary

Agency. We felt Jims passion for this business, his knowledge of the industry, and his belief in us every step of the way.

Our editor, Dan Ambrosio; publisher, Jamie Raab; Emi Battaglia,

Jennifer Romanello, Jimmy Franco, and the entire team at Warner Books. From the day we first met in New York we felt their commitment to this project and knew their support and expertise would be second to none.

Linda Hasselstrom, award-winning author, for her invaluable guidance

and counsel during this entire process.

John Whetzell, CEO of Northland Communications Corporation,

who introduced us and thereby set this whole story in motion.

Dan McConnell who shared our story with the world.

All of our Everest Sherpas, led by Ang Passang, and with special

thanks to our Everest summit partners, Dorjee Lama and Danuru Sherpa.

George Dunn and Eric Simonson, for thirty years of partnership

and support.

Jerry Lynch and Lou Whittaker, for their guidance and mentor

ship throughout the years.

Drs. Marty Greene, Phillip Chapman,

and Steven Medwell, and the nurses and staff at Swedish Medical Center for their incredible patience and care.

The great leaders for whom Sue has worked; the incredibly tal

ented team members who worked for her; and her many corporate clients; so many of whom are still great friends today. You gave her the opportunity to succeed in business while pursuing her dream.

Todd Greene, George Martin, and other speakers bureau

partners whose support and friendship have been invaluable.

All of Phils climbing partners and clients. His vocation and avo

cation are one because of you.

Hallie Rosner, who put up with her mother spending way too many

hours at the computer with her customary grace, love, humor, resourcefulness, and patience.

Uptown Espresso in Seattle, which (unbeknownst to them) hosted

our years worth of weekly meetings as we wrote and rewrote this book.

The wonderful community of friends and family who have

wholeheartedly supported our endeavors and made our lives inestimably richer along the way.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR BELIEVING IN US AND OUR STORY.

M ost stories have a single beginning and a single ending. This one has a few of each. The most obvious ending came on May 16, 2002, when Sue and I stood together on top of Mt. Everest. That day we became the first couple to climb the Seven Summitsthe highest mountain on each continenttogether. You made it, baby! I hollered in Sues ear. Not the most romantic way to acknowledge a pivotal moment, but if you dont holler you cant be heard over the wind. If wed been down at sea level we might have thought of some other ways to celebrate, but we had oxygen masks dangling from our faces, down suits covering every inch of skin, and 30-pound packs strapped to our backs, so that was the best we could do. But we didnt have to get personal to tell each other how we felt. Wed spent the last two months getting to the top of Everesttwo months shoehorned into a 6- by 6-foot tent, sharing every meal, every ache, every thought, every fear. There wasnt much we didnt know about each other. And because mountaineering (like life) doesnt always work out the way you want, wed done it all the year before on our first summit attempt as well. Thats where those multiple beginnings come in. Its hard to know where the story really starts.

I do know that for Sue and me it had different beginnings. Sue knew the minute we climbed McKinley in 1995 that she wanted to do the Seven Summits. She was new to mountaineering then (she had three mountains under her belt) but she loves a challenge, and in the world of climbing there are few that are more famous than the Seven Summits. Ever since Dick Bass became the first to do it in 1985 hundreds of people have tried, but by 1995 only thirty had succeeded. She made noises about it but I pretty much ignored her. For one thing, Id already done the Seven Summits and I wasnt interested in doing them again. Second, I thought the idea would pass. Third, I obviously hadnt conveyed to her the vast difference between climbing Mt. McKinley and Mt. Everest.

So that was the end of the discussionor so I thought. But my guiding business was growing and over the next few years I had the opportunity annually to take groups of customers up many of the Seven, and once or twice a year Sue used her hard-earned vacation days to come along. So before I saw what was happening, in addition to McKinley we had knocked off Elbrus in Europe and Kilimanjaro in Africa, Aconcagua in South America and Vinson in Antarctica, and even little Kosciuszko in Australia, which on any other continent would be considered a Sunday stroll. And then all that was left was Everest, Mother Goddess of the World. Surely Sue didnt expect me to take her there. But she did. And as time went on, and I realized how truly serious she was, I, too, began to get pulled in. I began to see that it wasnt just a matter of climbing Everest, or of finishing the Seven Summits; it was an embodiment of something wed been working toward ever since wed met. For seven years, in the mountains and at home, wed been growing a partnership. Wed been learning about each other, coming to trust each other, putting ourselves in each others hands. Everest would place the ultimate demands on that partnershipbut it was also where the partnership would shine. I realized that I wanted that experience as much as she did. When I summited Everest in 1984 I became the first American to do so from the less-climbed north side, and I was sure my pleasure was unsurpassable. But now, when I thought about doing it with Sue, I knew that standing on top with her would be even better.

What I couldnt know at that time was that the partnership was about to be tested in a way I had never imagined, and that the challenge would not be on Everest, but right here at home. Nor could I know that when we did finally stand on top of Everest, the story would not be over.

Unknown to both of us, other endings were still to come.

Phil Ershler

Kirkland, Washington

May 2006