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Jamie Clarke doesn’t look like a mountain climber at first glance. Like a mix of characters from a Will Farrell flick, dressed in a linen powder blue blazer and designer jeans, the Calgary, Alberta native spoke to DU students about his climbing adventures last week in Davis Auditorium.
Clarke has summated the worlds highest Seven Summits, traversed through the Empty Quarter by camel and written two books, “The Power of Passion” and “Everest to Arabia.”
In an event sponsored by DU’s Alpine Club and sports brand Champion, Clarke came to encourage students to persevere and address their fear of failure through the retelling of his own tours of adventure, while also providing them with comedic refuge.
“Anyone hungry, I’m excited they had pizza, anyone want some pizza,” said Clarke. “This is a long story but it’s going to turn around beautifully.”
Much to his mother’s dismay Clarke’s childhood dream was to be a hockey player. His mother, fearing the dangerous sport, encouraged her son to explore the mountains of Alberta and gifted him with mountaineering tales each Christmas. After reading the stories, Clarke decided to devote his life to the sport.
“Mountaineers came back from their climbs with life altering epiphanies, transformed, with characters forged anew, and that sounded pretty sexy back then,” said Clarke.
Clarke began his ascent by selling T-shirts at the mall and eventually got himself a spot on an Everest expedition in 1991.
The group did not make it to the summit but Clarke recalls, “failure is the greatest teacher I’ve ever experienced.”
Clarke spoke so quickly and excitedly, that it was hard to imagine how the man manages to go so long without a breath, but his message is compelling. He emphasizes, with poetic language, how reactions to failure lead to new understanding and growth.
“Are you distracted by the small things along the way? Are you picking at each others flaws? Be honest with yourself and make the changes you need to and move forward,” urged Clarke.
In 1997, Clarke achieved his lifelong goal of summiting Everest after years of training and fundraising.
“For the first time in my life there was no more up. No more struggle. There was a sense of peace,” said Clarke.
Clarke now tours for Champion to raise money for his future adventures and expeditions. He recently bought a sailing vessel in hopes he will one day sail around the world.
Despite his résumé, Clarke remains humble and accessible stating his major goal in life is simply, “moderate living, modest means and lavish experiences.”
For students who desire to one day climb the world’s highest peaks, he recommends trekking along more discreet paths. Peeks beyond Everest in the Himalayas will cost far less than acquiring permits to climb the Seven Summits.
“Your summit awaits, go do it. Don’t stop looking for it,” Clarke concluded.
