Joannie Rich

By 29029 Everesting

May 13^th, 2022

Have you ever wanted to go climb Everest, but you just don’t have the ability to fit it in? What if we brought Everest to you?

It was the summer of 2017, and I was sitting on my computer, reading online when those two short sentences caught my attention. It was how I learned about 29029. My eyes immediately lit up. Within seconds of reading those two short lines, I knew I had to do it.

I ran downstairs and told my husband about it: “I think I want to do this!”

“That is so you! You should totally do it!”

I registered immediately. It seemed like the coolest thing in the world, and I thought it would probably sell out instantly. I was in, right from the beginning.

You never know what to expect when you enter your first 29029, but my first was the actual first 29029, so I truly had no idea what was in store. There was no training plans, no tales from past participants, no photos, no stories… All I knew was that we’d be climbing a mountain and that it would be hard.

I figured I’d need three things to finish the first 29029

Strong legs
The ability to be on my feet for a super long period of time
The ability to stay awake

I live near the Appalachian Trail and do lots of hiking, so the first two weren’t a problem, but it was the third that worried me. I go to bed at 9 o’clock on most nights!

I showed up in Vermont in 2017, nervous, yet ready for the challenge ahead. And I crushed it! Immediately, I knew I might be addicted: addicted to the feeling of accomplishment from crossing that finish line.

So I returned to 29029 Vermont in 2018. And then again in 2019. They were never easy, but that’s exactly what kept me coming back each year. The feeling of succeeding at something challenging was intoxicating. I wasn’t about to stop at 3.

I hadn’t planned to hike at all 3 mountains in 2021. I was going to do Idaho, and I was going to do Vermont, but Utah fell right at the time of year when I’d be moving my son into College.

But when I started talking to him about planning his move onto campus, he was adamant he didn’t need my help. “It’s my Junior year, Mom, I’ll be fine.”

All of a sudden, I had a free weekend in August… I think I want to do all 3 mountains in one year.

And just like that, I decided I was going to hike Idaho, Utah and Vermont in 2021.

My most humbling moment came on the slopes that year, but I’m getting ahead of myself…

Idaho was first up in June of 2021, and I don’t know whether it was the excitement of returning to the slopes after a year off, the cumulative experience of my three successful times in Vermont, the novelty of a new mountain, or just sheer luck, but I flew up the slopes of Sun Valley.

It felt easy. I was on a high, just gliding up the mountain, on my way to pulling on the Red Hat.

Next was Utah, but easy wouldn’t be in the cards for me this time. There was no gliding. There was no easy. I was straight up struggling, and I had no idea why.

My mind and body just weren’t on the same page.

This was my fifth 29029, so people knew me by now. And if they didn’t, they recognized the bib, calling attention to my past accomplishments. But I didn’t want the attention - not while I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

I felt like a fraud. Why would someone come to me for guidance, or tips and tricks? I was barely making it up the hill in Utah. I wasn’t even entirely sure I’d be able to finish!

But I kept at it. I kept plugging away in Snowbasin, and eventually, hours later than planned, I hauled myself across that finish line. It was definitely my hardest-earned summit, and my most-deserved Red Hat.

That experience ended up being so significant.

First, it humbled me. Not that any of the other events I’d completed went easily, but nothing compared to the struggles I felt while climbing in Utah.

Secondly, it let me prove to myself that I can do hard things, even when they turn out to be even harder than expected.

Thirdly, it gave me insight into the struggles others might feel on the mountain. Like I said, I always knew any 29029 is hard for anyone tackling it, but I didn’t know it could be this hard!

And finally, it taught me to handle failure.

Now I know what you’re thinking; Joannie, you’ve completed so many of these, stop being an idiot. That’s not failing.

But to me, in that moment, it felt like failure, and that perceived failure gave me the chance to reflect and improve on how I view myself.

I’ve completed six 29029’s now. Vermont in 2017, 2018, & 2019, and then Idaho, Utah and Vermont in 2021. For 2022, I plan to do 3 more - Utah, Whistler, and Vermont.

One of the most common questions I get asked is what keeps me coming back for more. It’s an easy answer. The high of finishing! The feeling you get when you cross that finish line on your final ascent is the best feeling ever. It seriously can’t be matched.

Everytime you get to the top, and you cross that line, you get energized to do it again. Everytime you finish an ascent, you get propelled forward. It’s like a shot of adrenaline.

And it’s that feeling - the feeling of success and accomplishment - that’s so addicting. It’s what keeps me coming back for more.

Now that I’ve completed so many, people often look to me for advice. Which mountain should I hike? What do I need to be ready for? How should I prepare?

Even with six under my belt, I still don’t always feel qualified to answer those questions. What I do feel confident in saying is that you will not regret signing up.

29029 will change you as a person. It will give you more confidence. It will prove to you that you can accomplish so much more than you think. It will build new friendships. It will integrate you into an absolutely amazing community.

Which leads into what I think might just be the single most important piece of advice I can give: leave the headphones at home.

You probably train with headphones in - jamming out to some music, or listening to a podcast. I do the same.

But on the mountain, at 29029, leave them at home. Talk with people on the mountain. Learn others stories, and share your own. Open yourself to connect with all the amazing souls on that mountain alongside you.