Leanne on Demand Daily with Leanne Hughes 🌴325. Endurance with Tim Stephens
In this episode of Leanne on Demand, I sit down with Tim just days after he summited Ushba East. He’s still recovering, but he gives me an honest, raw, and vivid look into what it truly took to reach nearly 6,200 meters. From climbing in complete darkness to pushing through sickness, exhaustion, and brutal gradients, Tim shares the reality behind one of the hardest physical and mental challenges of his life.
We talk about what “completely destroyed” really feels like, what drives someone to go for a summit when the body is already broken, and how seeing head torches in the sky can make you question whether they’re stars or just other climbers miles ahead. His reflections on redefining the word “hard” and gaining new perspective from this experience really stayed with me.
This conversation captures the beauty, brutality, and transformation that comes with testing your limits in the Himalayas.
Takeaways
- Hard gets redefined when you’ve pushed yourself to the edge at altitude.
- Your capacity is always greater than you think, even when sick and depleted.
- Climbing in darkness distorts your sense of distance and progress.
- Support from guides and teammates can make or break a summit attempt.
- Perspective shifts dramatically after enduring extreme physical and mental strain.
- Sometimes you can’t rest, even when you need it most, especially at altitude.
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