The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back
Autor Tom Frenchen Limba Engleză Hardback – 14 apr 2026
At the end of 2019, Tom French retired from a four-decade career in business, determined to return to interests that had defined his youth and see what meaning they still held. One of these interests was mountaineering. Another was adventure travel, with a particular focus on Nepal. A third was cross-country ski racing. Having taken “gap years” between school and university, and again before he started work, he decided to take a gap year before settling into the expectations of retirement. One year turned into three as he rebuilt his athletic strength, competed in cross-country ski marathons, and climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, including two expeditions to Mount Everest. On the first Everest climb, a cyclone forced him to turn around high on the mountain and descend the treacherous Lhotse Face in a blizzard. On the second, he approached the mountain through the remote Makalu Barun region, the first climber ever to do so, and climbed to the summit on a moonlit night.
But this is a book about much more than Everest. It is about beauty and joy found in wild places, about cross-country ski racing and mountaineering more broadly, and—most of all—about a journey to find meaning in life and reconnect with the passions of youth.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781684583027
ISBN-10: 1684583020
Pagini: 256
Ilustrații: 23 color plates
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 mm
Greutate: 0.45 kg
Editura: Brandeis University Press
Colecția Brandeis University Press
ISBN-10: 1684583020
Pagini: 256
Ilustrații: 23 color plates
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 mm
Greutate: 0.45 kg
Editura: Brandeis University Press
Colecția Brandeis University Press
Notă biografică
Tom French is a lifelong mountaineer, cross-country skier, and lover of the outdoors. A senior partner emeritus of McKinsey & Company, he is currently board chair of the Trustees of Reservations, a director of Corning Incorporated, and serves on several other nonprofit boards. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Jill.
Cuprins
Prologue
Chapter 1: Mountain Dreams
Chapter 2: In and Out of the Flow
Chapter 3: Life and Retirement Planning
Chapter 4: Aconcagua
Chapter 5: Back to Skiing
Chapter 6: The Gyro of the Universe
Chapter 7: Approaching Everest
Chapter 8: Base Camp
Chapter 9: The First and Second Rotations
Chapter 10: Pushing for the Summit
Chapter 11: Deciding to Return
Chapter 12: Cotopaxi
Chapter 13: Winter Preparations
Chapter 14: The Makalu-Barun
Chapter 15: Back on the Mountain
Chapter 16: Climbing Toward my Dream
Chapter 17: Aftermath
Chapter 18: Cholatse
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Mountain Dreams
Chapter 2: In and Out of the Flow
Chapter 3: Life and Retirement Planning
Chapter 4: Aconcagua
Chapter 5: Back to Skiing
Chapter 6: The Gyro of the Universe
Chapter 7: Approaching Everest
Chapter 8: Base Camp
Chapter 9: The First and Second Rotations
Chapter 10: Pushing for the Summit
Chapter 11: Deciding to Return
Chapter 12: Cotopaxi
Chapter 13: Winter Preparations
Chapter 14: The Makalu-Barun
Chapter 15: Back on the Mountain
Chapter 16: Climbing Toward my Dream
Chapter 17: Aftermath
Chapter 18: Cholatse
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Recenzii
“The Gap Years is engaging, exciting, and revelatory—an adventure story that will take the reader to some of the remotest places in the world and yet remains grounded in the more familiar terrain of the human heart.”
“It's not too late for extraordinary adventure! Tom French makes a compelling case that trying hard things when you’re older offers different rewards than in one’s youth—this is a beautiful account that will almost certainly get you out the door!”
“An inspiring and thrilling account of a quest to fulfill the dreams of youth and summit the most challenging mountains of the world, from Mount Washington to Aconcagua to Everest. A story not just about the power of determination, but more importantly about the restorative power of the outdoors.”
“Tom takes us on an inspiring journey and so much more in his beautifully written book. He has penned a mountain climber’s white-knuckle thriller all the while closely examining the arc and purpose of life. To read it is to be moved!”
“In The Gap Years, French shows it's never too late to reignite old passions. His journey is a powerful reminder that age is no barrier to rediscovering what truly makes us feel alive.”
“In The Gap Years, French embarks on a profound journey that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pull of their passions amidst the demands of life. This inspiring exploration of aging, adventure, and self-discovery reminds us that it’s never too late to reconnect with the dreams that define us.”
“French has provided conclusive proof that sixty is the new forty. The Gap Years is a tremendous adventure story and vibrant travelogue. It is also a poignant and sensitive insight into one man’s efforts to balance family and occupational commitments with a life-long passion for testing himself on some of the world’s highest mountains.”
“Joy floods Tom’s life and his writing; with climbing logistics and impossible weather, with friendships built with fellow climbers, guides, and Sherpas. He writes for himself, but also for those who prefer the proverbial armchair to read what it took to descend Everest’s Lhotse face in a snowstorm, or to stand on Cholatse’s summit in bright sunshine.”
“As French returns, at age sixty, to the Nordic trails of New England and the peaks of the Himalayas, he reminds us that the most elegant outdoor journeys always end where they begin. The Gap Years is a riveting must-read for any mountain athlete wishing to keep the fire burning.”
“As a veteran of fifteen Everest expeditions I was moved by Tom’s description of this special region of Nepal. The Gap Years allows armchair adventurers a glimpse into climbing and skiing at the highest level, while chasing the zeal of youth.”
“A gripping story of high-altitude mountaineering, competitive cross-country skiing, and real-life risk; in a multiyear quest pursuing life’s dreams head on without regrets. Tom highlights the importance of knowing ‘why!’”
“In The Gap Years, French shares an inspiring tribute to what draws us to the mountains, and to why we need to protect them for future generations.”
“The Gap Years takes us on a captivating journey from corporate boardrooms to the summits of the highest mountains of the world. Along the way, it vividly confirms how much meaning and joy remain to be discovered in the latter chapters of our lives.”
“The Gap Years is an inspiring tale of one man’s rediscovery of the physicality that once defined him.”
“It's not too late for extraordinary adventure! Tom French makes a compelling case that trying hard things when you’re older offers different rewards than in one’s youth—this is a beautiful account that will almost certainly get you out the door!”
“An inspiring and thrilling account of a quest to fulfill the dreams of youth and summit the most challenging mountains of the world, from Mount Washington to Aconcagua to Everest. A story not just about the power of determination, but more importantly about the restorative power of the outdoors.”
“Tom takes us on an inspiring journey and so much more in his beautifully written book. He has penned a mountain climber’s white-knuckle thriller all the while closely examining the arc and purpose of life. To read it is to be moved!”
“In The Gap Years, French shows it's never too late to reignite old passions. His journey is a powerful reminder that age is no barrier to rediscovering what truly makes us feel alive.”
“In The Gap Years, French embarks on a profound journey that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pull of their passions amidst the demands of life. This inspiring exploration of aging, adventure, and self-discovery reminds us that it’s never too late to reconnect with the dreams that define us.”
“French has provided conclusive proof that sixty is the new forty. The Gap Years is a tremendous adventure story and vibrant travelogue. It is also a poignant and sensitive insight into one man’s efforts to balance family and occupational commitments with a life-long passion for testing himself on some of the world’s highest mountains.”
“Joy floods Tom’s life and his writing; with climbing logistics and impossible weather, with friendships built with fellow climbers, guides, and Sherpas. He writes for himself, but also for those who prefer the proverbial armchair to read what it took to descend Everest’s Lhotse face in a snowstorm, or to stand on Cholatse’s summit in bright sunshine.”
“As French returns, at age sixty, to the Nordic trails of New England and the peaks of the Himalayas, he reminds us that the most elegant outdoor journeys always end where they begin. The Gap Years is a riveting must-read for any mountain athlete wishing to keep the fire burning.”
“As a veteran of fifteen Everest expeditions I was moved by Tom’s description of this special region of Nepal. The Gap Years allows armchair adventurers a glimpse into climbing and skiing at the highest level, while chasing the zeal of youth.”
“A gripping story of high-altitude mountaineering, competitive cross-country skiing, and real-life risk; in a multiyear quest pursuing life’s dreams head on without regrets. Tom highlights the importance of knowing ‘why!’”
“In The Gap Years, French shares an inspiring tribute to what draws us to the mountains, and to why we need to protect them for future generations.”
“The Gap Years takes us on a captivating journey from corporate boardrooms to the summits of the highest mountains of the world. Along the way, it vividly confirms how much meaning and joy remain to be discovered in the latter chapters of our lives.”
“The Gap Years is an inspiring tale of one man’s rediscovery of the physicality that once defined him.”