Nurse carries Cocky to top of Mt. Everest
"Never feel that the way to success may be too hard a climb. Even the highest peaks are reached a single step at a time!" - Patrick Hickey
By Warner M.Montgomery Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com

Patrick Hickey took Cocky to the top of Mt. Everest. In the background are Buddhist flags, laid down by Sherpas (East peope) who guide climbers. Sherpas are a group of people from the mountainous region of Nepal, which is high in the Himalayas.

A professor of nursing at USC is the first nurse to climb the seven highest mountains in the world. He is one of only 108 people to have done so. He told his story at the November meeting of the Greater Piedmont Chapter of The Explorers Club.

Patrick Hickey was raised in a small town in Ontario with his nine brothers. One of his teachers persuaded him to enter nursing, in which he got a diploma in 1976. For eight years he practiced his new career. Then his life jumped into overdrive. He met Carol. "We must see the world," she said, and wanderlust took over.

For a year, they backpacked through Europe, Israel, Canada, and the U.S. After a few years working, they headed out again. This time they had a goal: Around the world in 365 days. They bought two around- the- world plane tickets for $2,000 each, which allowed them 25 stops in a year. Backpacks, hostels, cheap food, and dirty clothes.

Patrick Hickey at the top of Mt. Elbrus

When they reached the Himalayas in Nepal, Patrick was seized by the majesty of the mountains. He decided to honor his relationship with Carol. Taking his tattered long johns to the corner jeweler, he bargained for a ring.

In the shadow of Mt. Everest, Carol agreed to his proposal and the earth shook. An earthquake sealed their promise.

In 1993, King Wanderlust struck again. Patrick and Carol set out on a year- long adventure to Patagonia. Buses, boats, wagons, and hikes through the Andes.

Outside of Quito, Equador, they saw one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, Mt. Cotopaxi. Setting aside his fear of heights, Patrick climbed to the rim, 18,000 feet, his first mountain climb. His life changed forever.

In the U.S., he earned his MS and DrPH from USC. He combined his interest in risk management and safety issues in nursing with his newly found mountaineering obsession. He tested his acrophobia once again on Mt. Rainier, 14,410 feet high. He and Carol had a new goal - the seven summits.

His order of accomplishment was

1. Mt. Aconcagua, Chile, 22,841 feet. The winds reached hurricane force.

2. Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 19,340 feet. He and Carol froze in the burning sun.

3. Mt. McKinley (Denali), Alaska, 20,320 feet. The coldest mountain, minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius.

4. Mt. Elbus, Russia, 17,000 feet. He hid in his luggage from Russian border guards.

5. Carstensz Pyramid, Papua, New Guinea, 16,023 feet. He was a member of the first American team to reach the summit.

6. Vinson Mastiff, Antarctic, 16,067 feet. He reached summit on Christmas Day 2006.

7. Mt. Everest, Nepal, 29,028 feet. Patrick encountered flying ice rocks, ran out of oxygen at camp four, fought 60 mph winds, and lost his vision. His excitement turned to terror, but he shook it off and reached the summit May 24, 2007, at 9:30 am.

Using his satellite phone, he called Carol and gave her the good news. He was the last person to summit Mt. Everest in 2007 and the first nurse to stand on the seven mountains at the top of the world.

In recognition of his two favorite sports, Patrick took a miniature Cocky and a NASCAR flag with him to the top of Mt. Everest. Cocky honored the Gamecocks, and the flag honored Jeff Gordon. At the summit, he spread the ashes of a fellow climber who lost his life before reaching the top. "He has now accomplished his goal," said Patrick.

Visit www.amercan.us for more of Hickey's adventures.