Where we left off, Pete Wells, and two of his mates were preparing for the trip of a lifetime, with the goal to not only conquer Everest, but to raise $200K for Bowel Cancer Australia.

The training.

Preparing to climb a formidable mountain is a task as huge as the mountain itself, but Pete faces the challenge with as much enthusiasm as he does a surf trip to Indonesia. “It’s about creating stepping stones to make sure that you’re on track, and then continuously evaluating where you are at in terms of your approaching goals.”

Setting goals is definitely something Pete is extremely good at, evident by his ‘stepping stones’, which include competing in the Coolangatta Gold (which has been described as one of the most gruelling physical events on the planet), and his participation in the Paddle 320, a 320km paddle from Forster to Shell Harbour, beginning on November 28th and continuing until 5th December – another event to raise awareness for Bowel Cancer Australia.

This intense physical training is matched by a mental strength that is necessary to take such a dangerous journey. “It took a number of years for the excitement and desire to climb Everest, to have exceeded the fear of the risk element,” the fear “is a very real (mental) limitation. I really just want to have a go – it’s about bringing my dreams into the present – see how high I can get, and how well I can do.”

The now.

What is it that drives a person to want to push their body to such physical and mental extremes? For Pete, he very wisely doesn’t see the sense in waiting for a certain future time (or middle-age!) to achieve or attempt your dreams, it was the simple decision that “now’s the time”; he believes strongly in the philosophy that you need to “bring it to the now. Bring whatever dreams you have forward, and live it now, and make it happen now. It can only improve your life down the track, because you would’ve achieved what you wanted to achieve and it can lead to bigger and better things.”

Pete Well’s advice – “to sit down with a coffee and notebook, and to think about what makes you tick” - may seem simple, but he also challenges us to look at our beliefs of everyday life – “how do you value your life, how do you measure your quality of life? The feeling of achieving something (big or small) is something you can get in everyday life. It’s the whole feeling of just being present, really, it’s not letting your head get washed up in all the crap that goes on.” And for someone who knows so strongly who he is – “I just appreciate life, I appreciate everything.”

What’s next?!

For a man who has already achieved so much in his life, I do wonder – after Everest, what dream is next? But for Pete, there is an easy answer: I’ve “always measured the quality of the life I’ve had, by the trips that I’ve done. It’s this adventure stuff, this meeting people, seeing how other people live, which makes me appreciate what I’ve got. There’s a hell of a lot of places still yet to be seen. I’d like to be able to one day say that I’ve seen the world. I just enjoy where I am and what I’m doing. I’m always excited about the next opportunity.”

And Monkey & the BrownMan are excited to be following Pete Well’s journey. We will be watching at www.everest2010.com.au until next March to stay up-to-date with his Everest expedition, and to witness via web-cam his summit of the highest point on Earth.

“It all comes down to luck, and a lot of it is left to the gods really…” Pete Wells

To watch the full video interview click here!