Kit DesLauriers - Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits

PRAISE FOR HIGHER LOVE

When I first met Kit, I thought, Wow, theres a lot of hype around this two-time world freeskiing champion. My first ski run with Kit was Central Couloir off Cody Peak, an extremely exposed no fall zone line with a mandatory air at the bottom. On my second outing with her, we skied the Grand Teton. Needless to say, I found out she was the real deal. More than the real deal. She was awesome, in the true sense of the word, a machine in the mountains, intense, calculated, confident but still always had an easy smile to share.

I quickly realized that Kit could achieve anything she ever set her mind to. It just so happened that climbing the Seven Summits was in her sights... but why just climb? Why not ski them all, too? Watching (and shooting) Kit ski off the summit of Everest is one of the most amazing things Ive ever seen and a highlight of my career.

Jimmy Chin, professional climber, mountaineer,
skier, director, and photographer

Climbing to high places is about so much more than reaching the top. In Higher Love, Kit gives you an intimate perspective of the extreme joys and intense challenges that are part of every high-stakes expedition. When you want to do something that no one has ever done before, you have to focus on finding the solution instead of reasons for why it cant be done. Thats exactly what Kit DesLauriers demonstrates throughout her adventures on every mountain. This true story will make you laugh, cry, and marvel at what people are capable of achieving.

Lynn Hill, first person to free-climb the nose of El Capitan
and author of Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World

When I spent twenty minutes on the summit of Mount Everest in 1963, my first worry was: how to get down? It never occurred to me that someone could ski it. Kit asked the question, Can it be skied? and answered by doing it herself. Higher Love is about the love of life and the best of both worldsclimbing and skiing.

Jim Whittaker, first American to reach the summit of
Mount Everest (1963) and author of A Life on the Edge

When I met Kit, I knew she had what it takes to succeed at whatever she set out to accomplish. Im honored that my Seven Summits experience prompted her to discover whether she could ski those summits. And Im thrilled that the answer was Yes! This book not only recounts Kits challenging climbs and ski descents, it also shares the inspirational philosophy she lives and skis by.

Dick Bass, owner of Snowbird Ski Resort, coauthor of Seven Summits

For most Seven Summiters, the simple, tangible goal is to stand atop the highest point on each continent (and to return intact). For Kit DesLauriers, the top is where the unique challenge begins: to slide back down on a pair of skis. And she was the first person to do it! Higher Love is a gripping and reflective account of this odyssey, told by a gutsy, multitalented ski-mountaineering mom. Set your edges and savor the ride.

Tom Hornbein, author of Everest: The West Ridge

When Kit said she wanted to ski off the top of Everest, I didnt think her chance for success was very high, but I changed my mind while watching her surmount every challenge on the expedition. I was amazed at her courage, even enthusiasm, when she put skis on at the summit. I had mixed emotions belaying her around the Hillary Step: awe that she was doing it and concern that something could go dreadfully wrong. At 29,032 feet (5.5 miles above sea level), one small mistake can quickly lead to disaster. In this book, Kit tells the dramatic and sometimes funny stories of the climbs and ski descents that led her to become the first person to ski the Seven Summits.

Dave Hahn, professional mountain guide, member
of Taos Ski Patrol, summited Everest fifteen times

Higher Love is a gripping, page-turning, real-life adventure. Kit is the heroine of her story as she follows her higher calling with passion, focus, and determination. Her experience is an invitation to us all to pursue our dreams and to follow our spirits without hesitation.

Carol Mann, personal transformation coach and author of
Why Wait: Wisdom for Life from Those Who Have Passed Over

Our adventure on Aconcagua was a highlight of my climbing and mountaineering career. I will always carry the memories of running down the ridge and catching up with Kit while watching history being made. The moment she took herself off rappel and proceeded to ski on the steep section was truly inspiring; still today I have the vivid memories of each of the turns [she] made!

Damian Benegas, professional climber, film specialist,
guide for Benegas Brothers Expeditions

HIGHER

LOVE

Climbing and
Skiing the
Seven Summits

KIT DESLAURIERS

Foreword by Conrad Anker

MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS is dedicated to the exploration, preservation, and enjoyment of outdoor and wilderness areas.

1001 SW Klickitat Way, Suite 201, Seattle, WA 98134

800-553-4453, www.mountaineersbooks.org

Copyright 2018 by Kit DesLauriers

Foreword 2018 by Conrad Anker

Afterword 2021 by Kit DesLauriers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Mountaineers Books and its colophon are registered trademarks of The Mountaineers organization.

Printed in the United States of America

Distributed in the United Kingdom by Cordee, www.cordee.co.uk

24 23 22 211 2 3 4 5

Design and layout: Jen Grable

Cover photograph: Kit climbing through the Khumbu Icefall, Mount Everest, 2006(Photo by Jimmy Chin)

Text quoted on page 276 from The Power Deck: The Cards of Wisdom, by Lynn Andrews, published in 1991 by HarperCollins Publishers, New York.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020952434

Mountaineers Books titles may be purchased for corporate, educational, or other promotional sales, and our authors are available for a wide range of events. For information on special discounts or booking an author, contact our customer service at 800-553-4453 or mbooks@mountaineersbooks.org.

Printed on recycled paper

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-68051-535-0

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-68051-536-7

For everyone who said they found inspiration in
my story and asked for more.

Beyond all else, for my daughters, Grace and Tia, so that you
may know who I was before I became your mother.

The events and stories contained within this book are true. In
the Antarctica and Kilimanjaro chapters, some names have been
changed to protect the identities of those involved.

by Conrad Anker

A dventure and exploration are at the heart of the human experience. When we first wandered the globe in search of who and what we are, a hunger for exploration was at the core of our search. What was over the next horizon? What lay across the sea? What would we see from the top of the mountain? Of course, inherent in these explorations was adventure, that happy, soul-enriching, life-affirming offshoot of risk, and soon we were setting out for the unknown to find adventure for its own sake.