I have just been for a coffee with James Hooper who climbed Everest aged 19. James was the expedition partner and best friend of Rob Gauntlett who died whilst climbing in the Alps in January. He was 21. Until today I had only met them both at the same time, a real double act as their website testifies: http://robandjames.com.
I wanted to see James to find out how he is getting on. He was in good spirits, looked a little daft thanks to the involuntary mohican haircut he received last night at the hands of his friends, and was in thoughtful mood.
Apart from the issues of losing your best friend and expedition partner brutally young, James is feeling frustrated that he cannot find a publisher for the book of his and Rob’s story, a story surely worth sharing. He is having a similar lack of interest in the video footage from the 26,000 mile expedition that they completed together shortly before Rob’s death.
The flood of books and TV shows about ‘celebrities’ doing things far less interesting and meaningful than James and Rob did always depresses me. It saddens me even more when a young person like James has such a strong story to share.
Chatting with James about Rob’s life and James’ plans for the future has also raised some difficult questions in my mind. Questions such as:
– Is it better to live like a Roman Candle -brilliant but brief- or do we owe it to those we love to wrap ourselves in cotton wool?
– When I speak in schools I encourage young people to be bold, to take risks, to push themselves in order to make the most of their potential. Is this the right thing to do?
– Should Rob’s death encourage me to strive harder to achieve more, or caution me to take care with my one precious life?
On Rob and James’ website are extracts from two pieces that were read at Rob’s funeral:
An extract from “A Tribute to Rob”:
Who are we if we don’t fight to better ourselves every day?
What would life be if we did not challenge ourselves and learn new skills in the process?
Life is a journey full of infinite potential experiences, we only have a limited time on our beautiful and diverse planet, and surely this time has been wasted if we don’t positively step forward and embrace the wealth of opportunities available.
Rob strove every single day to be better and stronger, he believed completely that he could achieve everything and anything, he embraced diversity and change, and he sought to use his experiences to encourage others to realise their potential.
We must realise there is opportunity in everything.An adaptation of “Shine on you Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd:
We will remember you young, you shone like the sun.
The gaze in your eyes was like deep holes in the sky.
You were caught in the crossfire of desire and glory, and swept on the steel breeze.
Arise, you target for faraway doubters; arise, you hoper, you thinker, you leader, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you looked past the moon.
Threatened by storms at night and exposed in the light.
Well, you wore out your mission with random precision, and rode on the steel breeze.
Arise, you dreamer, you seer of visions; arise, you rider, you teacher, you climber, and shine!
Such a shame he’s struggling to find a publisher and someone to make use of the fantastic footage they would have shot.
Should you wrap yourself in cottonwool to protect the ones you love? As a mother I know that I want for my children to achieve, to know, to feel and to love people and the diversity of this planet. The risks are there, but we will all be gone one day, so live with a heart full of expectation.
I have two sons, 15 and 18, I am a late father,at 57. I have had some great experiences though, grew up in South Africa(hiking, cycling, surfing, diving, etc), have sailed the Atlantic 5 times, been up the Madagascar channel and ship wrecked saved by the French Navy(Merci), dived/sailed the Comoros for a year, spent year in ST Lucia, time in Brazil, 4 yrs. diving and sailing in ST.Thomas, US VI, moved to STATES,went to Landing School of Boatbuilding, at present finishing a degree in Geography/Anthropology. Once boys are done with school 9 yrs. I have plans to hike Appalachian trail,cycle Europe, sail, become a replica of my youth.