He Lost it All, Then Did the Impossible

Oprah Winfrey (0:00)

My guest today is someone who endured unimaginable loss and then used that loss to fuel an endeavor that was simply impossible. Jim Morrison became the first person ever to ski down the north face of Everest. What made you think you could not only get to the top, but then ski down? There was someone missing, your life partner, Hilaree Nelson. She was killed in a climbing accident three years earlier. In 2011, your wife, Katie, and your two children were killed in a plane crash. How do you recover from that? Are there more mountains to climb or have you done the thing you came to do?

Hi, everybody. It's so great to be with you on The Oprah Podcast. Whether you're in your car or you're on a walk right now or you're taking a break from work or all the caregiving that's going on in so many people's lives, I understand. I am grateful to be a part of your day wherever you are. And you know, all of us face obstacles in our lives and losses in our lives. None of us are immune from that. If you keep living, it's going to happen at some point where you run into an obstacle or you have some loss. But my guest today is someone who endured unimaginable loss and then used that loss to fuel an endeavor that was just impossible. It was simply impossible. And his life is a lesson that we can all learn from. I'm telling you, whatever you're going through right now, you're going to be so moved, so inspired by the tenacity, by the adventure and the living a fully alive life from my guest today. Even if you see what he accomplished, it is still hard to believe it. Let's watch.

Every year, hundreds of adventure seekers flock to Nepal to attempt to climb the tallest mountain on Earth, Mt. Everest's south side. On the north face of Everest, the route known as Hornbine Kular in Tibet is far more remote and even more challenging. Only five people in the history of the world have successfully climbed what's known as the Super Direct Route. It's a 9,000-foot wall of snow, rock, and ice.

Last year, a group of mountaineers and filmmakers, including Academy Award-winning documentarian, Jimmy Chen, successfully completed the notorious Holy Grail of climbing, the Hornbine Kular. Then, one man in that expedition, Jim Morrison, became the first person ever, only human being, to ski down the grueling vertical descent of the North Face. Jimmy Chen and his team who carried their cameras and gear over this unrelenting terrain, turned their breathtaking footage into a must-see documentary called Everest, the Other Side. This two-hour film follows Jim Morrison's heart-stopping journey. Everest, the Other Side, will play in theaters and IMAX worldwide starting October 30th. National Geographic calls Jim Morrison's incredible feat the most audacious ski run in history.

Well, that, it is. Jim Morrison, I'm so happy to have you here in the teahouse.

Jim Morrison (3:46)

I'm happy to be here.

Oprah Winfrey (3:47)

Listen, my eyes start watering and my heart starts palpitating when I look at that, because I'm just like a blue-level skier.

I'm not even trying to ever get to blacks. So when I look at that, I start to feel... What do you feel when you are looking at that?

Jim Morrison (4:06)

A little bit of that, a little bit of... Heart palpitations. But a lot of just...

I'm very proud of it. And it was quite a journey, quite an adventure.

Oprah Winfrey (4:18)

You know what it took to do that.

Jim Morrison (4:20)

And yeah, like drinking from the cup of life in a very direct way.

Oprah Winfrey (4:27)

Ooh, I love that.

Jim Morrison (4:28)

Being really alive and really present and really focused.

Oprah Winfrey (4:32)

So what is actually going through your mind when you're skiing down a sheer cliff of ice on the world's highest mountain? Well, first of all, just, you know, moments before you've summited to the highest place on earth, there is no higher point on earth than where you were, you and your teammates, right?

Jim Morrison (4:54)

Yep.

Oprah Winfrey (4:55)

And while they are taking selfies and yay, yay, yay, and rah, rah, rahing, you are preparing to ski down.

Jim Morrison (5:03)

I'm preparing to ski down. And it's very, what's in front of me is very serious and very scary. And the conditions are really difficult. And I just kind of tuned everything out and got laser focused and took a real lifetime of experience and convinced myself in my doubt that you got this, this is what you're here for. This is your moment, go do it.