Mountaineering Champions

George Andreou

Rock Climbing Champion

The Journey!

Everything has started a long time ago when a single image became a Goal and finally an avoidable Dream.

As human beings, we get used to focus on the final result, on the final effort, the tip of an iceberg. But, there is a big story and a series of important facts behind any achievement. Most of the times, this great story hides great failures. These moments are invisible to all those who are watching the effort of a single man to the top.

Pretending and presenting yourself untouchable is a part of the game, a role you have to play so you can stand a chance to win in the very end of your story. If you can‘t see yourself on the top before you even get there, you will never succeed in your ultimate goal. We embrace success or failure in our lives.

Everest was not in my own reality, at least consciously. But different experiences in life and intense images managed to attract this dream. Slowly and steadily , I found myself climbing on its summit ridge.

During the preparation, I had the honor and the great fortune to meet my coach and personal mentor, Kypros Nicolaou. He showed me the road and the way to the summits ahead through his own precious life experiences as an athlete and as a professional coach. A great interaction came on time to initiate a mystic quest.

A journey has begun through dozens training hours of pain so one day, on the summit of the Mt Everest, I realized that many more summits wait for me in Life which I have never dared to climb before.

The spark was given when I attended an epic rock climbing course run by the pioneers of Rock Climbing in Cyprus, Thanasis Kaishiaris and Pavlos Georgiades who taught me the basics and lighted my way.

Then my first mountain came to initiate me into the majesty of the vertical world. On Caucasus Mountains, I felt awed gazing at the special environment and the demands of mountaineering. Elbrus mountain expedition lasted for 15 days during which I have the opportunity to practice my mountaineering skills along with a group of good friends.

On the North Alps of New Zealand, I fell in love with the challenge of a mountain ridge during 12 epic days of advance alpine course with Lydia Bradey, a well known mountaineer.

In South America, I was shocked from the impact the thin air has on our body and mind sinking into a 3 weeks expedition on the Mt Aconcagua.

In Bolivia, I spent 15 days climbing volcanoes and found myself celebrating my 38birthday under the summit of the Sajama Volcano.

On French Alps, I let my soul and mind to travel above the clouds on the summit of the Mt Mont Blanc during a 15 days wondering and climbing around on technical peaks.

On Everest during my 2 months expedition, I met inspiring people together with I managed to survive in a very hostile environment. There I had the privilege to meet a giant called Marty Schmidt killed the year after on the Mt K2 along with his son in an thavalanche. On the 19 of May, 2012, I finally touched the sky and learnt that my real Journey in Life has just begun. Back at home my brave wife was waiting to give birth to our child. I was there in time to hold the world into my hands whilst, few days ago, I was standing on the top of the world.

It is very important in life to continuously grow yourself and have a reference point from where you can draw strength and stamina to succeed and prevail in real life scenarios. The more you explore, the closer you get to your purpose in life. Great things can happen when you chase the dreams which emerged from your personal mission in this world.

My journey as a Climbing Instructor enriched my life with knowledge, techniques and precious values which along with my experience in Industrial Climbing Industry I desire to share with my students through the climbing courses.

Climbing mountains can be a personal call to an inspiring lifestyle which gives you the opportunity to contribute in this world. But your real success in life is defined only by the positive impact your actions have when you interact with other people’s lives.

The Summit is only a reminder that we can reach the sky if we want, a reminder for our real potential.