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DAN MAZUR

Daniel Lee Mazur was born in Illinois. His family came from Złotów, Poland, and Bristol, England, where his ancestor Humphrey Hooke was a Merchant Venturer and Alderman during the 16th century. As a boy he spent his summers exploring the wilderness waterways of Canada by canoe with a YMCA group. Each summer the family would load the Ford station wagon with the kids and the dog and visit the national parks for a two week camping trip. He was an active Boy Scout for many years and was taught to ski by his father Robert. At age 12 his mother Mary started bringing Chinese students home to live in the house, so he learned his first words of Chinese around the dinner table and while doing chores. He first tasted the high peaks at age 17, while a student at the University of Montana, climbing Gunsight Peak and the Sperry Glacier in Glacier National Park.

When he is not climbing Everest and Himalayan Peaks, or traveling the world giving slide shows to raise money for charities such as    Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development of Nepal and Tibet, or the Mountain Fund, he lives in Bristol, England, and Olympia, Washington. He is a member of the Alpine Club, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a member of the American Alpine Club, a fellow of the Explorers Club, Pacific Northwest Chapter, a member of the British Mountaineering Council, the AMGA, Mountain Leader Training Board, Certified Guide Federation, Access Fund, member of the Mountaineers Club, holds a certification in Diesel Mechanics, a PhD in Social Policy Analysis from the Heller School at Brandeis University, read for the PhD at the University of the West of England in Bristol, and holds a BSW from the University of Montana.

Having reached the summit of Mount Everest on an expedition together with Anatoli Boukreev in 1991, he has subsequently climbed six more of the world's 8,000-meter peaks and led expeditions more than 15 times to the world's highest, including Everest 7 times (x), K2 2x, Lhotse2x, Makalu, Kangchenjunga 2x, Cho Oyu 2x, Manaslu, Gasherbrum 1, Gasherbrum 2 and Shishapangma.

His current employer, www.SummitClimb.com, are now in their sixteenth year of organizing expeditions to Tibet, Nepal, China, Africa, Pakistan, Tajikistan, India, and North America.

Dan has lived in England, Asia, and North America, but spends more and more of his time lecturing and raising funds for the Mount Everest Foundation for Sustainable Development in Nepal and Tibet, or the Mountain Fund, building hospitals, schools, and environmental projects with the low-income families who live around Mt. Everest, in both Nepal and Tibet. He leads "www.ServiceTrek.org" for the MEFSD. In 1993, Climbing magazine named Dan the "most successful to ever launch an expedition". As an articulate but humble Himalayan explorer and scholar, he has been active in climbing the highest peaks of the Himalaya for many years. His personal link with the region and its peoples began in 1986 when he traveled, trekked, and climbed throughout Tibet and Nepal with friends. Since then, he has been personally leading and organizing successful overland, trekking, and mountaineering expeditions for 18 years.

In a May 2003 article written by John Climaco, Climbing magazine said: "How has Dan Mazur become one of the most successful Himalayan mountaineers?" When you meet him in person, Dan comes across as humble and unassuming. But take him to a high mountain, and Dan becomes the true and naturally gifted mountaineer that he is. His style has won him plaudits from the professional mountaineering fraternity, and it wins high praise from all who are privileged enough to climb with him on his expeditions."

Dan's written, photographic, cinematic, audio, and cyber works are featured in The London Times, The New York Times, The Bristol Evening Post, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, Associated Press, Reuters, BBC Television, NBC Television, The Discovery Channel, The Seattle Times, The Olympian, The Independent, The Guardian, People, Sports Illustrated, Reader's Digest, National Geographic Adventure, London Alpine Journal, American Alpine Journal, Ito-Yuki Journal of the Japanese Alpine Club, Himalayan Journal, High Magazine, Climb Magazine, Climbing Magazine, Climber Magazine, On the Edge, Outside, Rock and Ice, Vertical, Explore Magazine, EverestNews website, Mountainzone website, BBC Radio and National Public Radio. *

For more on the Mt. Everest Mind Camp guests and events: VISIT our HOME page to learn more about the amazing guests we have visiting our site for 2009!

Accomplished mountaineers, award winning authors, leaders in the development of human potential and awe inspiring philanthropists. It's a huge menu of opportunity and we are excited to serve it up and fill your mind and spirit with motivation!

So visit early and often and in the meantime enjoy life and live your dreams!

PREVIOUS GUESTS: CLICK HERE

 

 

FEATURED JANUARY 2010 GUEST: Dan Mazur

Mountaineer, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist Extraordinaire

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France

 

©Dan Mazur on Ama Dablam

Q: What continues to fuel your passion for climbing and organizing expeditions in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal?

A: I really enjoy climbing and trekking together with friendly teams of men and women of all ages and working with the local people.

Q: Who are your role models (climbers and non-climbers) that inspire you as a mountaineer and as a philanthropist?

A: I was taught to climb by Anatoli Boukreev and friends. Kurt Diemberger taught me to keep going as long as one can. Greg Mortenson taught me to try and help the local people.

Q: How has your position as a leader in the high mountains around the world shaped your leadership within the Mount
Everest Foundation?

A: Well, I try to do what I can to give back to the local people who help us so much. We couldn't do our climbs and treks without them so we have to give back.

©Dan Mazur

Q: How do you internally manage the thoughts and emotions surrounding the ethical decisions that come up in a situation like what happened on Everest in 2006, with David Sharp who was left to die by 40 other climbers on their way to the summit vs. Lincoln Hall, who was discovered and rescued by you and members of your team?

A: It's not easy to turn back just below the summit of Everest in order to rescue a total stranger. If I ever get sick up there and need help, I hope someone like the members of our team will be up there to help me.

Q: As an Adventure and Motivational Speaker, what are the key elements of your talk that seem to resonate the most with your audience?

A: Strive to get the audience thinking about their choices and what they would do in a difficult situation. It's not always so clear cut, not always so easy to make the right decision or even know what the right decision might be.

©Dan Mazur

Q: Can you give us 3 points that a person from any background could implement in their work and home life, that also applies to climbing in the mountains?

A: *Take your time and think through carefully what your options are before you act. *Always have a fall-back plan or a "Plan B". *You are only as good as the people you are with. *The rope team can only go as fast as it's slowest member.

Q: What is on your suggested reading list for us in the categories of self development, philanthropy and mountaineering?

A: Self development, go for Anatoli Boukreev's book: Above the Clouds. Interesting lessons in there. Philanthropy, get Greg Mortensen's book: Three Cups of Tea. Mountaineering, there is so much, but why not check out Maurice Haerzog's, Annapurna. The French were first!

©Dan Mazur

Q: What is currently your most important project within the Mount Everest Foundation and how can people get involved?

WWW.EVERESTSERVICEWALK.ORG and also check out, WWW.REMOTENEPALSERVICEWALK.ORG

Q: Finally, why climb and trek mountains?

A: It's a great way to be a part of a team effort with friends and local mountain people and their families, get in touch with the natural world and really feel alive! *


©Mt. Everest Mind Camp 2009

 

 
 
 
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