Roam From Home Ep.16 with Hilaree Nelson

Episode 16 Hilaree Nelson Hilaree Nelson is a total badass in the mountains. Our conversation with Hilaree, takes a close look at the process, the hard fought journeys, the desperate moments of adventure and self analysis that ultimately lead to confronting your self head on. She has challenged herself mentally and physically as much as a person can. Her work on identity as a female athlete, often on male dominated teams and as a mother are fascinating and valuable for anyone who has faced the “hamster wheel” of mental questioning. She has an incredible story of life experiences that have helped her achieve mastery of her mindset, catching negative thoughts, gain focus,  perspective and find success. “And hopefully I’m more fun to be around.” She and Cory’s history together on expeditions makes for lively conversation with meaningful take-aways. They dive deep into their experience together on a 2014 expedition to climb the highest peak in southeast asia, Hkakabo Razi. It pushed them to their limits. “Everything went wrong. Our team imploded. The adversity kept coming and we fell apart at the seams. It became about surviving. It took me a long time to recover.” The lessons and parallels drawn from this trip are parallel to 2020, the year we all understand as a challenge, and worth the listen. Hear the answer to Cory’s question  - “Why did we blow up the way we did?” Hilaree’s description of “Mom Guilt” and the constant dialogue, the hamster wheel of identity as a mother. Cory and Hilaree discuss EMDR treatment and their experiences dealing with trauma. The story of Hkakabo Razi and Hilaree and Cory’s experience - as told by Hilaree Lhotse - the North Face Movie that chronicles HIlaree and Jim Morrison’s adventure to ski this holy grail in mountaineering...the Lhotse couloir Hilaree Nelson: The current North Face team captain combines a passion for exploration, mountain adventures and skiing. She has traveled to some of the most exotic mountain ranges on earth. Her expedition career has led her to many ‘firsts” in the world of ski mountaineering including linking two 8000m peaks in one push, first ski descents in Baffin Island, a first American ascent and ski descent of Papsura peak in India and a first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world, Lhotse. She is an avid proponent of wild places such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and holds to the philosophy that these places have huge significance in the well-being of both the planet and the human psyche. Recently named by Men’s Journal as one of the most adventurous women of the last 25 years, as well as National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurer of the Year, Hilaree rounds out her athletic endeavors by sharing her many stories on stages across the country in hopes of inspiring imagination and passion in the people she encounters. Hilaree is also the mother of two wild boys and finds her sanity in the San Juan mountains near her home in Telluride, CO.