Lessons From The Mountains - Finding Purpose Can Come From Unexpected Places

Has a major event ever unexpectedly changed the course of your life?

That’s precisely what happened to Neill Johannson. When a natural disaster upended a mountaineering expedition, the events that followed sparked a new sense of purpose and a desire to help others. 

Neill is a successful architect, adventurer, and mountaineer who has climbed the world’s seven highest peaks, including Mount Everest. And it was upon those unforgiving slopes that the scene was set for an event that would change the course of Neill’s future.

Read on to discover the story of Neill’s perilous journey to safety, and what the mountains were able to teach him - and us - about how to live a more meaningful life.

Part One: Neill’s Story

Neill’s story begins on ANZAC Day, 2015, during one of his many climbing expeditions in Nepal. On this particular excursion, Neill was guiding a group of veterans on a venture set up by former paratroopers, an experience intended to contribute to their healing process.

As it had been 100 years since the ANZAC forces landed in the Dardanelles, the trip would also commemorate those who served in the war. Unfortunately, their planned ceremony was cut short.

‘Just like in the movies, the birds start going crazy. The animals start running around; they know something’s happening, and you get a sort of sixth sense that something might be about to happen…”

It was at that moment that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. “It actually exploded in our faces,’ Neill recalls. ‘And that was a pretty terrifying moment for everybody.”

“And then you have car-sized boulders down the mountain next to you. The track that we had been walking on from base camp disappeared off the side of the mountain.”

Neill describes looking across at the Himalayas, and watching the giant mountains shaking like palm trees. “There were spontaneous landslides and buildings falling around us, and people were knocked to the ground.”

The earthquake's impact was devastating, although Neill wouldn’t discover the extent of the tragedy until days later, after comms were restored. Not only did 19 climbers lose their lives in an avalanche, but further afield, the earthquake claimed the lives of almost 9000 people. Thousands more were displaced following the immense destruction of homes and other infrastructure.

But the ordeal was far from over, and Neill’s next week was spent guiding his terrified group through the mountains back to Kathmandu. “By the time we got to Namche, there had been another 80 tremors, so we were living in this constant state of anxiety for several days.”

Namche is the midpoint between Everest Base Camp and the small town of Lukla, which lies at the head of the trail. This peaceful village is regarded as Nepal's spiritual centre, and Neill describes it as a safe haven during this frightening time. Thanks to the Sherpa people, tents, food, and water began to appear, even though only a day earlier, these locals had still been reckoning with the destruction of their own homes and digging people out of rubble.

“So we were provided sanctuary by these people. In an environment where there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty, when people provide you with something certain and comfortable, even if it’s a very brief moment, it’s pretty special.”

Thanks to the support of the local community, Neill’s group finally arrived back in Lakla and were safely transferred back to Kathmandu to begin their final journey home. But when Neill finally arrived back in Sydney, his journey had only just begun.

After The Earthquake

Far from wanting to forget the tragic experience, Neill couldn’t help but think about the people from Namche village who so graciously supported them.

“I just left in awe of the sacrifice that was being made… that just started a whole chain reaction of events that for me created an indebtedness to the people of Nepal.”

On his way back home, Neill had caught up with Peter Hillary, who had been guiding a group of a similar size. A long-time associate of the Australian Himalayan Foundation, Hillary was continuing his father’s legacy by helping to build healthcare facilities and schools throughout the region.

Neill explains that Hillary was already planning ahead: “What is the relief operation going to look like? Where can we have the greatest impact on the lives of these people?”

This kicked off a ten-year journey in which Neill attempted to address the imbalance between himself and the kindness the Nepalese had shown him; he wanted to contribute as much as he could to the rebuilding program and the lives and well-being of the people there.

Part Two: Lessons From The Mountains

Surround yourself with the right people.

Of course, Neill couldn’t do it alone. Whether climbing a mountain, working as an architect, or creating a rebuilding program, he needed to rely on his connections to make a real impact.

“If someone asked me, 'How can I help?' I would say, 'I'll give you a call tomorrow, and this is what we can do.'”

Neill explains that leveraging the Australian Himalayan Foundation's connections was vital. Following the quake, their community raised $1.3 million to support the rapid emergency response teams and later assisted local partners and NGOS in rebuilding and delivering programs across Nepal.

Understand that success is the result of a team, not solely the individual.

“I respect my environment and the people I work with. It's essential to take the time to consider what you're about to do, whether it's on a mountain or not, and heed advice.”

Neill advises that when working together, we ask questions rather than make statements, listen to people, and take time to carefully process everything before responding in a measured way. This applies whether you’re on a mountain, in life, or in business.

Use your skills to help others.

Working as an architect, Neill had plenty of invaluable contacts within the building industry.

But everyone has something to offer, whether it's money in the form of donations, time, or a specific talent.

Following the earthquake, the education of 1.5 million children was disrupted because over 35,000 classrooms were deemed unstable. By bringing together people with different skills, they developed clever programs and strategies, such as how to mitigate risk by creating earthquake-proof classroom modules, community centres, and teaching programs.

Speaking to people with different expertise and perspectives also helps ensure vital things don’t get missed. For example, as Neill explains, “[building] the toilet block is fundamental, because in many schools that don't have those sorts of sanitary facilities, young menstruating women don't go to school when they're having their period, they just don't go to school.”

Teach others how to lead themselves.

Neill acknowledges that those assisting others must be cautious not to build dependencies when helping others. During their rebuilding efforts, new roofs were constructed using recycled materials and local clay, and gear and skills were passed on to the locals. Neill explained that the knowledge of how to make blocks has created an income stream for the local community, who can now sell blocks to other nearby communities.

“It's all about extracting yourself and leaving the tools and knowledge so that the locals can operate without your involvement.”

This lesson applies to Neill's life in Sydney, too: “I spend most of my time in the office as an architect, working with organisations that aim to energise their employees by creating fantastic workplaces where people can thrive. I derive a lot of satisfaction when I see the places we have created come to life, and the people working in them smile and are truly productive.”

Attention to Detail is Key

Environments like Everest are completely unforgiving, so you need to pay close attention to detail. “Every time you get out of that tent and start gaining altitude, you need to act with pinpoint precision in every movement, step, and piece of equipment to ensure your safety.”

“Every second of the day, I must perform a giant balancing act. Am I alert? Is my gear good? What's happening around the corner? What's my situational awareness like?”

Failure to pay attention to even the smallest detail, such as a belt loop or a harness loop, could have catastrophic consequences. “And I've seen a lot of death on the mountains, and a lot of it is because some didn't drink enough water. Someone tripped over a boot lace that they hadn't tied correctly, but those sorts of things.”

These small things are more likely to result in an unfortunate outcome than getting caught in an avalanche.

Having seen how crucial attention to detail is for success, this lesson still plays an integral part in Neill’s non-mountaineering life.

Think About How Your Ambitions Affect Others

Neill explains that he cannot overstate the role his wife, Dina, played in supporting him.

“Probably the greatest lesson from this entire experience was the need to be very, very honest about what your intentions are, to have those honest and completely transparent conversations about your future.”

When shaping your ambitions, remember to factor in the impact they will have on those close to you, especially your partner and family, as well as your business partner, colleagues, and those in your wider circle. Ensuring that everyone’s needs are considered is a “parallel journey that needs to be undertaken.”

Success has to be for everyone involved, not just those who summit.

“I think for your listeners, and anyone who might be contemplating doing something like this, the long-term outcome of a successful endeavour… is that the success you want to derive from it has to extend well beyond your own personal success and satisfaction.

When you’re on the summit, often it’s those at home who are sacrificing the most, and that needs to be acknowledged.”

Coming down can be harder than getting to the summit.

Arriving at Everest’s peak and knowing you're the tallest man on Earth is a hugely moving experience. But while Neill acknowledges the wonder of seeing the curvature of the Earth, and the brilliance of achieving something incredible that no one could ever take away from him, his next thought was: “I want to get back down to my wife and my kids, and I want to live to tell the story.”

Neill explains that climbing Everest is far more challenging than reaching the top, as it then takes several days of gruelling descent to return to base camp.

Hold onto your joy and achievements even when everyday life feels ordinary.

Furthermore, after the excitement of returning home, you need to learn to hold onto the success of summitting when you’re back at the beginning again. Neill describes being home in Sydney, remembering that just weeks ago he was on Everest and now he’s just walking his regular streets, sitting on the bus, “and that’s the sort of mundanity that starts to overtake you.”

So, after experiencing the peak, you need to find a way to hold on to that achievement and the awe of what you’ve accomplished in the years to come.

“I found myself having to reconnect with everything that had been going on before I started this journey, back to those places of contemplation, back on Sydney Harbour, where I could reflect on things, process what had happened, and reset my focus.”

Neill explains that one of the best outcomes of his conversation with Peter Hillary was the therapeutic value it provided, as he realised he could channel all that good energy into something else really positive.

By focusing on giving back to Nepal in the years that followed, Neill “just felt that the balance in my life, the indebtedness that I felt that I had, was starting to find some form of equilibrium.”

If You Want to Find Your Purpose? Stay Curious

Neill believes that curiosity and self-reflection are key to finding more meaning in our lives. “By staying curious, you’ll find something that excites you.”

So slow down and take the time to think about what you’re naturally drawn towards. Look for new sources of inspiration in your life and consider what you can build with what already excites you. “Because it doesn't require grand gestures for people to be happier in their lives [or] to make a transition in their lives.”

Helping others doesn't need to be huge; small gestures matter too.

You don't have to be an earthquake survivor or a mountaineer to think differently about how you can contribute to people who are less fortunate than yourself.

After all, as Neill says, we’ve all had great days and tough days to draw from, “so don’t wait for something extreme to shift your perspective… let your own lived experience guide you.”

Read more:

Visit the Australian Himalayan Foundation to learn about the programs they are currently involved with, or find out how to get involved through donating, fundraising, or volunteering.

Top of Vinson Massif – highest mountain in Antarctica and the last of my 7 summits