October 2nd, 2002 - Ten years ago today near a mountaintop in Ladakh, India I had a vision of creating a world peace climb on Mt. Everest.
2 Libraries for children in Nepal, a historic world peace climb on Mt. Everest, a documentary film narrated by Orlando Bloom and endorsed by the Dalai Lama, which has been shown all across the earth, and now a children’s book…I think it is has been a great 10 years.

In late 2001 I was in the process of selling off everything I possessed - literally everything save a couple of duffel bags of climbing and trekking gear. On May 2nd, 2002 I landed in Kathmandu, Nepal to start a new life of what I was hoping to be of meaning, purpose, and service. When I arrived I had a checklist of things that I wanted to experience, do, and see - and on that list was certainly not create a world peace climb of Mt. Everest! But as I am fond of telling people - 15,000 feet high in Ladakh, India I had a literal vision for almost an hour that I was going to do this thing crazy and create a world peace climb on Mt. Everest that promoted peace, friendship, and teamwork; I really felt like Frodo in Lord of the Rings in that I was given this task, this mission and I decided to make a promise to fullfil this vision and make it my life’s main purpose to have it become a reality. Below I have listed some special highlights of the last 10 years.

Thanks for all those many wonderful people who have helped and made all of this become a reality. Thanks everyone - I could not have done it without you!

Here are links to some of the things that I am most proud of:

• Helping to fund 2 libraries for children in Nepal: See stories here:
  EPP Funds Library for Children in Nepal 
  EPP Library of Kids - Update
  EPP Funds Another Library in Nepal
  New EPP Library for Kids in Nepal 
• Having a Successful Climb for Peace Expedition - See stories here:
  We Didi It! EPP Summits 10
  Palestinian / Israeli Flag on the Summit of Everest!
• Having His Holiness the Dalai Lama Endorse the EPP and the Film
  The Dalai Lama Endorses EPP Film
• Having Orlando Bloom Narrate our Film and Directing him in the Studio
  Orlando Bloom Narrates Everest: A Climb for Peace
• The Documentary Everest: A Climb for Peace
  Everest:  A Climb for Peace Now on DVD
  Everest: A Climb for Peace at Apple Headquarters
  Everest on Canadian TV
  Everest: A Climb for Peace on US National TV 
  Everest and PBS Stations Update - July 2012
• The Children’s Book!
  Everest Children’s Book Now Available
• Maya
  Maya

Thanks again for making this an incredibly beautiful and spritually meaningful journey!

In peace,

Lance Trumbull

Everest: A Climb for Peace - A Children’s Book is now available in Paperback and eBook editions!

- The book chronicles the inspirational journey of ‘Peace Climbers’ from different faiths and cultures as they climb to the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. The focus is on Palestinian Ali Bushnaq and Israeli’s Dudu Yifrah and Micha Yaniv.

They attempt to set aside their differences to create a path of teamwork, friendship and cooperation to try to summit the world’s highest peak. This however, is easier said than done. Their nations have been fighting for many years - will three men also fight or will they unite and make it together to the summit? Follow them as they climb the tallest mountain in the world.

Click Here to Order a Copy Today - Paperback and eBook Versions Available

In 2002 and 2003 I lived in Nepal. I spent much of the time in Kathmandu where The Everest Peace Project had an office in the tourist district of Thamel. Every day during lunch I would walk into the chaos of what is Nepal and specifically, what is the area of Thamel. For those who have been there you know what I mean! I actually loved the craziness of it all. I think in general you either love Kathmandu or you really hate it – there are no in-betweens.

Each day I would see this extremely poor street girl who always had her brother on her back. She would come up to me and pretend she spoke no English - putting her hand to her mouth as a gesture for please give me food. She would then incessantly tug on my clothes as I went to get lunch - and I would then do my best to run away from her.

Then one day I decided to do something different: I stopped to speak with her. Fortunately, my assistant was Nepalese and she was there to help. But surprisingly this little girl who pretended to speak no English actually had learned a decent amount from her interaction with begging from tourists. And then something incredible happened: I saw what a wonderful, fascinating, resourceful, and incredibly energetic this little girl truly was (she spoke in broken English at about 100 miles an hour!)

Of course, much of this was also very sad as it appeared that this 9 year old girl was basically the full-time mom for her little brother, who was always on her back; it also seemed that she was the main bread winner as she was begging to get food and money full-time. It inspired me, but at the same time it of course also made me sad.

However, something stuck with me with this girl. Perhaps it was her abundant energy - perhaps it was her big smile with those big, out of place and crooked teeth! But I decided that my organization The Everest Peace Project and I would do all it could to help her out…

At first what do you do to help a 9 year old? Well simple things…food, clothing etc. But over time and as the years went by and as I moved back to the United States, it occurred to me that if something a bit more proactive was not done, Maya would end up like so many young girls in Nepal: young - pregnant and married; or, possibly even much, much worse as the area where she spent all of her life begging was really no place for a little girl. It was dangerous and it greatly worried me.

Fortunately, I had friends in Kathmandu and with the help of the Awal family (Kiran, Sharan, and now Nilita) - we got her in a safe and good school and living in a hostel far away from where used to beg. But it has been hard for Maya to try to leave the life she was used to and “my scouts” in Kathmandu would often find her in Thamel selling bags and trying to get money from tourists. There have been several setbacks…

Well a few more years have passed and after a few fundraisers and mainly through the help of Joan Bose - an incredible caring and kind woman we got Maya braces, and just a few weeks ago she graduated high school! I never thought that day would actually happen - that we would get her though high school - but we did and she did! But what can one do with only a high school education in Nepal? Well, unfortunately not much….

…And so…I am very happy to say that my “adopted Nepalese daughter” - Maya, started her first day in college last week! I could not be more proud of her. Time will tell how she does and if she will stick it out and graduate college; but the odds have been against her her entire life and she has so far come out on top.

I know she can do it!

(Images above: Maya in 2004, Lance and Maya in 2006 with her a different brother now on her back! And directly above - Lance with Maya in 2011).

It is the little things in life that matter the most and sometimes just caring can make all the difference in the world.

The Everest Peace Project has accomplished a lot over the years: The Everest Climb for Peace, the DVD, the film on PBS nationwide, iTunes, an upcoming children’s book - but the two things I am most proud of have been the two libraries for needy kids in Nepal that we have help fund, and most importantly - helping one energetic and mischievous young girl turn into a wonderful, educated woman. We recently got Maya a laptop and most recently I have been Skype videoing with her about twice a week. She is healthy and happy and incredible excited about college!

College! - My little girl has grown up!

The last time I had seen Ali was when we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro the previous July. I also had the pleasure of seeing his son, Nader - whom I recently last saw during Christmas time. However, this would be the first time I would meet his new wife, Zeina; they married in December. And so it was a family affair of sorts…

…Well, what can I say about San Diego? It was beautiful, sunny, warm - basically everything the great Pacific Northwest is not during early April…! Anyway, we only had about 36 hours of time together, but enough time to share some good food, some good conversation, and some very nice memories; the best being taking a boat ride out into the bay and past the USS Midway.

Time flew by and unfortunately the boat ride came to an end and so did the San Diego trip. It seems I manage to see Ali at least once a year…when will I see him next? Any guesses?

Lance Trumbull 

I have been a bit behind on my blog…sorry, but life keeps getting in the way, I guess!

Last month in early April I have the pleasure to speak during a lunch time event at Austin Peay State University, located in Clarksville Tennessee. This was a real treat as I have never been to Tennessee before. As an added bonus Clarksville was only a few minutes away from the border of Kentucky; another place that I had never been and probably will not be visiting anytime soon…And so after speaking to students and faculty during lunch I drove 10 minutes across the border, snapped a picture of a Kentucky sign and now next time I visit KFC I can feel more of a sense of kinship with the Colonel!

Oh yes, I also had a nice time speaking at Austin Peay - a very nice school and a good place to visit during April.

Lance Trumbull

Jodi, the woman organizing the entire event Skyped me before they screened the film and we got everything technical all set up. They then watched the 60 minute film and afterward I rejoined them live via video conference and we had an excellent and surprisingly lively 30 minute Q&A. Pretty cool!

For those who want me to come speak at their event but do not have the budget to get me over there - this is an excellent, lower cost alternative. Here is a list of things that you will need to make it work:

- Wired Internet connection is best;  wireless works ok but drops the signal every now and again

- Projector, screen, skype account, good speakers

- Speakers:  To do this properly, the speakers should have their own power supply (ie.  plug into the wall) in order to work best.

- Webcam: Logitech webcams are great.  And a newer version is better so you will have higher resolution.

- Note too that all cameras come with a microphone (the latest versions even have stereo recording), but the microphone on the camera is not strong enough to hear the whole room (if it is a big room) which is why a wireless microphone is very helpful.   The other option is for a facilitator to get questions from the audience written on pieces of paper and to have the facilitator read the question into the webcam microphone.

- Questions? Please contact me!

Lance Trumbull

It seems I have been under the false assumption that my film, Everest: A Climb for Peace was suitable only for adults and “older” kids. Although the film at its core is an exciting adventure film, I just did not really think that children under the age of 15 or 16 would fully understand, appreciate, or have the patience to sit through a documentary film that covered such diverse and complex issues such as peace, war, politics, and the conflict in the Middle East.

I was wrong.

Last week I got an email from Danielle Gahr, 6th grade teacher at Columbia City Elementary School in Oregon. She reached out to me to let me know how much her 6th grade social studies students loved the film! I was taken aback…11 and 12 year olds - loved my film. Really? Are you sure?

She was.

And on top of that she was hoping that I could come speak to her students about the film, filmmaking, the conflict in the Middle East, Nepal, Tibet, Orlando Bloom and whatever else the students wanted to know! She was excited and I was starting to get excited too. Although honestly, I was a bit skeptical, would 11 year olds really appreciate and understand? One way to find out…

Today I found out: we have some really smart kids out there! And we also have some wonderful and talented teachers! I have spoken all over the world about my project and about my film - at colleges, at organizations, at businesses such as Nike and Apple. And today, my 90 minute talk to about 50 - 11 and 12 year olds was by far the best, most interesting, and most fun time I have ever had speaking to an audience!

Seriously.

I started off as I often do - speaking about myself and how my “Everest Journey” came about. I basically gave the same introduction that I give to adults and I was surprised to see the look on their faces; not only did they follow me, but they seemed actively engaged in my story and what I was saying. So far so good! From there I showed the kids a special slideshow of Nepal, Tibet, and Africa - and talked about what is like exploring and visiting other cultures, and peoples. This was a big hit.

Next: my book. I have a picture children’s book about the Climb for Peace expedition, which is based on my film; but have not yet been able to get it published. I thought, why not use these kids as my first test audience to see what they think about it? And so through my computer I projected it on the large screen in the library and read it aloud to the kids as they watched the images on screen. Another big hit! I was very happy that they really enjoyed it.

Now the big test. Question and Answer time. Did they pay attention to the film when they saw it last week? Were they going to have any questions - or would this be the shortest Q&A time ever? Well, silly me…I should remember just how inquisitive kids can be. When I asked if there were any questions - 40+ hands shot up in the air (and remained in the air for the next 45 minutes!). If the school day did not end, I imagine they would still be asking me questions! And the questions were not only interesting, but a couple of them were quite brilliant. While I was explaining how we had a satellite set up and were sending emails, uploading video, and writing blogs - one student asked that when it became nighttime if that affected the satellite connection?! It made me think: well, the earth is rotating - and what actually happens (is the satellite following the earth’s rotation) or are we picking up another satellite as go…? I honestly was not quite sure…Great question!

I would like to thank the teachers at Columbia City Elementary and specifically Danielle Gahr - who is obviously a brilliant example of what a great teacher can help accomplish: interested, engaged, and intelligent students capable of understanding complex issues. I am still amazed just how wrong I was in thinking that younger kids would not understand or appreciate my film. This really makes me happy. I hope in the future that I will be able to continue to speaking to young kids about my film and about the important issues of peace, war, culture, teamwork, and friendship.

To learn more about the Everest Peace Project or to have me speak at your school, college, company, or organization, please visit - www.EverestPeaceProject.org 

Lance Trumbull

- We had a very successful climb this past July. We are going to do it again in 2012 - JOIN US THIS JULY, 2012!

Literally, one of most breathtaking trips you will ever experience. A Trip of a Lifetime. Incredible Culture. Amazing People.

Kibo - Northern Circuit Route - “The Road Less Traveled”!

Join us for a trip never to be forgotten. Truly the “road less traveled”! - JOIN US as we take a route that almost no one else takes - we will circle the mountain - approach from the West, climb through the North, Summit from the East, and descend via the South! Truly amazing adventures await!

Kilimanjaro - the Roof of Africa! One of the Earth’s fabled “Seven Summits”.

Lance Trumbull will lead you on a pilgrimage to the Roof of Africa.

- Questions? Want to Join Us and Book Now? Contact Us - This Climb is limited to only 10 people.

…See the glaciers of Kilimanjaro before they are gone!

A few weeks ago, me, my wife and my son had a very nice opportunity to get together with three of my teammates from our July 2011 climb. It was a typical NorthWest winter day: cold, a bit drizzly and overcast at first - but as time progressed the sun came out and it was actually a very nice day.

Besides my family, in attendance were Deb and her husband Brad, and Jody and Susan Jimerson. Deb, Jody, and Susan were with me for our Kili climb, and it is always nice to re-unite with adventure buddies!  Instead of doing something crazy and overly adventurous (which is hard to do with me carrying my 2 year old son on my back!) - we just met up in Olympia, Washington and had a beautiful walk in the woods. It was 3 hours - or thereabouts. A nice time to get out in nature, hangout with some friends, and get some good ol’ exercise.

…Of couse, afterwards we sorta of ruined what we probably gained health-wise by eating in town at Applebees…but it was worth it.

Deb Weise, Jody and Susan Jimerson, Lance and Kaden Trumbull

Pre-order a copy of Everest: A Climb for Peace - A Children’s Book, now through our Kickstarter.com campaign.


CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN!

- The book chronicles the inspirational journey of ‘Peace Climbers’ from different faiths and cultures as they climb to the summit of the tallest mountain in the world. The focus is on Palestinian Ali Bushnaq and Israeli’s Dudu Yifrah and Micha Yaniv….

They attempt to set aside their differences to create a path of teamwork, friendship and cooperation to try to summit the world’s highest peak. This however, is easier said than done. Their nations have been fighting for many years - will three men also fight or will they unite and make it together to the summit? Follow them as they climb the tallest mountain in the world.

Hi my name is Lance Trumbull - I am the founder and executive director of The Everest Peace Project. I am also the producer and director of the film - Everest: A Climb for Peace. I have written a 32 page Children’s picture book based on our award winning documentary film Everest: A Climb for Peace, which is now nationwide on national TV. It is an Adventure Book about Peace, Teamwork and Friendship.

The purpose of the book is to inspire, inform, and educate. The age range is for kids 8 years old and up. The images in the book will be 8.5 inches by 11 inches. There is text on every page neatly and easily readable over each image on each page.

We are currently running a campaign on a social media site called “Kickstarter.com” - where you can pre-order the book. We are doing this campaign to help fund the printing costs of the book, which is 100% ready. Please see our Kickstarter.com campaign now.