WHY?
There were times when my life took turns organically without any hesitation about the next step. The voices in my mind subsided at such times; it felt as though the issue had been well debated and firmly settled long prior, leaving me with that unavoidable step. There was serenity in that decision to commit, as if to recognize that it was all meant to be.
The First Solo Circumnavigation by Human Power
I had big dreams. Doubts crept in leading up to my moment of decision. Excuses were plentiful to avoid commitment. I had stopped talking about life goals having already been confronted by cynics; not everybody needs to know, was my conclusion. Deep down, there was the shame of inaction. There was an opportunity cost in delays. Baby steps that I took in private toward the dream somewhat relieved that tension; but there it remained, casting a dark shadow on my psyche.
In my research I read Ultimate High, the book about the solo climb of Everest by Göran Kropp after bicycling to Nepal from Stockholm in 1996, towing a trailer behind him loaded with his climbing gear. When I had the opportunity to meet Göran in Seattle, I shared with him my dream of a circumnavigation by human power. He was not cynical at all. His first two questions to me were: "when are you starting" and "do you have sponsors?" Yet, in our first opportunity to rock climb together in 2002, he fell to his death from a short pitch of basalt columns in eastern Washington.
After the accident when Nancy and I sat at the dinner table across each other, I said: "I must do this now." Nancy's response was: "You must. You will." We never looked back. It was my time to act, my duty to carry the torch.
Nancy and I made deliberate choices together. We reorganized our lives and consolidated everything to keep the journey in motion. We sold the second car, we sold our lake view condo near downtown Seattle and moved farther away to afford living on one salary while I cashed out my retirement funds. The journey became the True North to our compass as we navigated the turbulent path forward.
Rowing on the Indian Ocean just northwest of Madagascar in November 2010.
Five years and 14 Guinness World Records later, I completed the first solo circumnavigation by human power. By then, I had become the first person to row the three major oceans. We had raised and applied about 120,000 USD through the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Around-n-Over with the mission to educate and inspire especially children. The cost to our family budget was a 1/4 million dollars because sponsorship had been sparse during the global financial crisis, media coverage insignificant. Defiance had powered the last couple years of my journey. I had put our money where my mouth was to deliver on our promises and I derived great satisfaction in that.
Map depicting the circumnavigation route. Everest, Elbrus and Aconcagua remain on my Six Summits Project.
The Great Pacific Race
As of today, the record for career total in days at sea by an ocean rower is 937 days. It belongs to Peter Bird, who was lost at sea in 1996 on his last day while trying to row from Vladivostok to California. This was his last attempt at trying to row mainland to mainland from Asia to North America, which no one has yet accomplished.
Peter was a pioneer of ocean rowing who at the time was living in the Russian River Valley in northern California. His circle of friends, including Kenneth Crutchlow, the founder and director of the London based Ocean Rowing Society, became my support network leading up to my launch on the Pacific Ocean from Bodega Bay in 2007. The Pacific crossing would be the first leg of my circumnavigation toward Australia following in Peter's wake. I carried Peter's logo on my rowboat ever since that launch. The logo is still on the boat after all these years and all that rowing.
Louis Bird and I receive our predeparture safety check by Lia Ditton at Monterey.
Kenneth Crutchlow loved his time in the Bay Area. When he passed away, his wife Tatiana brought his ashes to San Francisco to spread them in the Bay. My wife Nancy was representing us in the ceremony. She called me soon after the ceremony and handed the phone to Louis Bird, Peter's son. Louis had arrived at Monterey Bay with a rowboat to join the 2016 Great Pacific Race but his partner went into surgery for appendicitis. The race committee was not going to allow solo rowers; besides Louis had not rowed an ocean before. He asked if I would consider rowing from Monterey to Hawaii with him. This was my 10-day notice to be at the start line and of course I accepted. It was quite a busy time to get ready traveling from Seattle to Monterey, gathering food, fuel, medical kit, the list is long. But we made it.
Just after crossing the finish line by Diamond Head near Waikiki on Oahu.
Louis wanted to understand what drew his father to the oceans. He was a toddler when Peter died and this was the only way that he could perhaps connect with his dad. During our row, I perceived my responsibility as to ensure safe passage and to hold space for Louis to grieve. There were many tears shed during that passage, much vulnerability observed. I pushed us to perform, knowing full well that throwing Louis at the challenge would serve him better. Had we kept a leisurely pace, my own reward would have been to exceed Peter's career total of 937 days. We reached Waikiki in a record time of 54 days; my career total now stands at 934, three days short of Peter's record! Fair play at its best and I am proud of what we achieved. The best part is that his mom did not get that dreaded phone call for a second time. The work, the sweat, the time spent, the financial cost, all had been worth it. It had to be done. It was the right thing to do.
After we rowed our vessel to shore in Waikiki, we were greeted with leis around our necks, a trophy in our hand and country flags for pride.
Six Summits Project
Göran’s funeral took place in Stockholm in November 2002. On the flight back, I drew the world map on the proverbial napkin and marked the highest summit on each continent except Antarctica. I then sketched a line from one to the other, ruminating over how I could go around the world and climb these respectively. I would reach these by human power as had Göran and dedicate the summits to his memory. The idea of the Six Summits Project was planted.
I left Seattle by bicycle on Feb 1, 2003 using studded tires on my bicycle, pedaling north in winter conditions to climb Mt McKinley. With four other friends who joined me, we worked our way up the mountain, reaching the summit on May 29, 2003. I reached the summit of Kosciuszko in Australia in 2010 and that of Kilimanjaro in 2011. Nancy was with me in both of those climbs.
It is my goal the summit Everest, Elbrus and Aconcagua before too long. I will continue my educational mission through Around-n-Over and highlight the plastics problem in our oceans. If I can be a voice for the voiceless, I will feel like I made the world a better place.
Erden.