At the age of 21,  Jake Meyer, was on top of the world… Literally, whilst studying at Bristol University he became the youngest Briton to summit Everest and broke the record of the youngest man to complete the ‘Seven Summits’.  But we all started somewhere, how can you join Jake and reach outdoors euphoria?

One of the best in his field, Jake Meyer has accomplished almost everything in the mountaineering handbook. From Marlborough to Mount Vinson, climbing has allowed him to explore the best the world has to offer. But how did an “accidental” trip to the British coast make Jake “fall in love” with adventure?

School is a time where we make friends, play sports and muck around. Jake described how he was an “unusual” kid that became obsessed with the outdoors. But where did it all begin? 

Jake’s PE teacher had a spare seat for a car trip down to Swanage, to hike up ‘dancing ledge’, a Welsh hotspot accessible for all levels of outdoor enthusiasts. Jake said: “My mate signed me up at the beginning. I didn’t even want to go. But I quickly discovered that… 

“This was my first taste of camping and climbing. Being completely surrounded by the friends it felt like a proper adventure, we were camping, burning sausages and having a laugh with my teacher.”

“From then on, I knew I wanted to continue to pursue a career in climbing.”

Jake stays true to his British roots. He told us that “getting outdoors is not about where you do it. It’s immersive and about culture, friendships and relationships. This idea stuck with me throughout my career”.

Quite the jump from Swanage, Kilimanjaro was Jake’s next target. What would become the first of the ‘Seven Summits’. But it was not a professional job, no team, no guides, it was an all family affair.

He said: “I was trying to make a quick buck, selling my friends cigarettes at school. My father found them in my schoolbag and said ‘I hope you’re not smoking, you are going to need the fitness for our holiday this year.

“I asked myself, why on earth would that be? I was thanking him on the way up Kilimanjaro…”

Africa’s highest peak may seem like a pipe dream, but if you are wanting to ascend abroad, start here. It is climbable all-year round (with the right guide), and can be ascended without the use of specific mountaineering training or equipment, requiring hard work, fitness and do not forget your waterproofs…

“It was my first expedition” Jake described, “we underestimated the environment assuming Africa would be boiling. We brought no waterproofing. One day in the rainforest and our equipment got completely soaked.

“I was miserable in the tent that night, but my father said… 

‘Wait till morning, we’re out having an adventure, it doesn’t matter what happens we are together.’

“By morning, the clouds cleared and there was the summit. I said maybe we’ll do it, give it one more day…Five days on and we reached the summit in time for the dawn of the Millennium. It was incredibly memorable, and meaningful. It was the ultimate new years resolution and I have never looked back.”

Look, it may not be everyone’s new year’s resolution to summit one of the highest mountains in the world. But don’t be disheartened! Jake explored how a trip up “Snowdonia” or “Scafell Pike” can give you the same “satisfaction” as long as you are with the right people.

He said: “In the outdoors there is a wonderful openness and climbing is an intensely personal challenge where you only compete against yourself.

“You create the rules of the game you want to play, this can be at a local climbing centre, moving up from 5c wall to a 6a wall, a harder route up the peaks, all the way up to with or without oxygen and guide support.”

Despite breaking British records at Everest and the ‘Seven Summits’, it was not always plain sailing for Jake. As a 16-year old his school organised a trip to South America and the beautiful Argentinian peak of Aconcagua.

An ambitious school trip for a plucky group of sixth formers and one that proved difficult to complete.

Jake said: “Nobody submitted, we were caught out by the weather but I got bad altitude sickness, when you are younger you tend not to acclimatise that well.

“I felt embarrassed, I considered myself to be a climber and a mountaineer and I  got altitude sickness. I thought I wasn’t cut out for this.”

“But I learnt the most important lesson, nothing in life is a certainty, the allure of the mountains is difficult and gives it credibility. The point of an expedition is to have an amazing experience, to come home safe and come home as friends. That is a success.”

“I think that it gives people permission to challenge themselves without comparison to other people, comparison is the thief of joy. If you do Snowdon and get the train up, it doesn’t matter, you should be proud.”

Altitude sickness is a difficulty that can affect any-level of climbers, although less common in the UK, it can make or break a summit, climb or hike. Something to be wary of the next time you ascend. 

Like any passion, Jake believes climbing is “practised hard work”. A self-confessed “climbing geek” even in his youth, he said: “Whilst my friends had pictures of Lamborghinis and Pamela Anderson I put up posters from national geographic.

“They were fascinating and inspiring to me, maps were my porn.”

Jake’s passion has sent him worldwide, but he has done plenty within Britain too. As a well-known ‘high-pointer” Jake has completed the three highest peaks in the United Kingdom Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in just under 24 hours. 

He has visited all of the highest points in each county as well, completing the challenge with his army regiment in 2008. Scaling all the way from Shetland to Devon.

For a man that has ascended the highest peak on the planet and immersed in hundreds of cultures you would have thought the UK was no longer up to scratch. 

In fact it’s quite the opposite, Jake sings the praises of the British landscape, he said: “We are spoilt for amazing places. There are plenty of great National parks in a relatively small area. Something we don’t appreciate enough.

“Take your family to Snowdon, it is always epic, I love it. I recently took my daughters to Snowdon…

“You can’t beat that special time with those you love.”

From Tetbury to Tibet, Jake has seen it all. He has toured in Afghanistan as an officer for the Armed forces, got married and had three daughters but his ideals have remained the same.

He said: “It has not changed my desire to climb, I still daydream about mountains but now I do have four times the reason to come back and achieve ‘the goal’.

The two highest peaks on earth have claimed hundreds of lives. Requiring years of preparation and months of adventure, they are the most gruelling expeditions in the world.  For us they are a dream, for Jake a reality.

In 2005, he reached the top of the world, and in doing so, became the youngest Briton to climb Everest aged 21. 64 days of pure climbing.

Jake said: “When I finally reached that summit, it’s hard to explain how it felt… It was elation, exhaustion, relief and pure unbridled emotion. Looking around the view was beautiful. 

“The climb was ten weeks longer than all of the ‘Seven Summits’ put together, with just a small team of two guides and my climbing partner Diahanne. We had such fun together – looking at the other team dynamics on the ridge – we were so lucky.”

Jake stole the record away from superstar Bear Grylls who sent him a letter to congratulate his achievement 

K2 was next on the list. Known as the ‘savage mountain’ it has only been summitted about 300 times and is arguably the most difficult mountain to ascend on the planet.

For Jake his age-old mantra of trying, trying and trying again was vital as he took three attempts to reach its peak. Once in 2009, 2016 and finally achieving his target in 2018.

He told us about what it felt like in his successful expedition, saying: “When I returned for a third time in 2018 it was the same as any expedition, up until the summit push, you think this is gonna be the one. I thought: “If you are not willing to buy the ticket you won’t win the lottery.”

“When he hit the top. Imagine you have accomplished something, your last exam, won a trophy, I unleashed all that pent up emotion, it was immense pride, achievement and relief.”

Ascending K2 may not be the top of everyone’s priorities however, what we can learn from Jake’s persistence, passion and desire to achieve is special as we all want to conquer the outdoors. 

He also demonstrates to us that no matter the scale, “getting out there and giving it a go can be the hardest part”, everything is an achievement, and remembering the “target” and the “goal” is always vital to any adventure.