My Journey in Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 and the Ascent to Mount Bazardüzü

A friend and reader of us sent the below article about her adventures in Azerbaijan, and her thoughts resonates a lot with our way of thinking! Thank You Regi for sharing!

The questions I was searching for answers to:

Why did I have to be there?!What did the mountain teach me?!

# Slow Down!

I live my everyday life at full speed. I juggle a thousand things at once — I’m a mother, a business leader, a colleague, a friend, a runner, and I could go on... and I give 100% to everything. I often overdo it.On the mountain, I learned that sometimes 100 meters doesn’t take 1–2 minutes — it can take half an hour, and that’s perfectly okay.It’s not a matter of if we’ll reach the top, but when 😉

# Team Spirit!

I started the hike with a pinched lower back. Carrying myself was painful — let alone a 10–15 kg backpack. My best friends were Cataflam and Diclofenac.Somehow, I got through the first day of city exploration, but I knew I had to climb a mountain the next day.Our tour guides took as much weight out of my pack as they could. Once we reached base camp, I knew I wouldn’t be able to climb the 4,466-meter peak.While the others went on an acclimatization hike, I stayed in the tent and collapsed into myself.Then a thought came: I remembered my sister and her yoga. I started doing yoga, stretching. It took about 40 minutes.When I got out of the tent, my pain had vanished — as if I had been replaced with a new version of myself 🙏

# Weakness Is Not Shameful!

I consider myself a strong woman — someone who almost never lets herself be seen as weak. Because weakness is vulnerability, and vulnerability invites harm.I grit my teeth and move forward with a poker face.But the mountain broke me.As the elevation increased, I felt worse. I fought through the lack of oxygen, the fatigue, and someone was always there to support me — either by pushing a glucose tablet into my mouth or by encouraging me, pulling me along.

I have a terrible fear of heights. Going up, it didn’t bother me much — I mostly stared at the backpack of the person in front of me.But on the way down, there was a narrow ridge, where we had to walk in tiny steps, with steep drops on both sides.That’s when panic took over. I started shaking, crying, and stopped. I grabbed onto the rock and said, “I’m not going anywhere from here!”

That’s when my teammates came to help.We took every step together.I still hear their words:“Right foot here, left foot there. Plant the stick here, lean on it. You can do it! You’re doing great — we’ll finish this together.”

Meanwhile, tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t control them — I just cried.Me… the one who always has everything under control.I was tired, sleep-deprived, hungry, and terrified.But I kept going.I’ll be forever grateful to them — because I can say they saved my life up there.If they hadn’t been there, I would have waited for a rescue team for sure 😆

# Learn to Ask!

Those who ask, receive. Those who don’t, don’t.That’s a golden rule — and it’s true.I had to learn how to ask for help.And accept it.And I received so much more: encouragement, support, kind words, strength, glucose tablets, water… and so much more.

# Perseverance!

It’s strange who comes to mind when you feel like you’ve reached your limit.For me, it was my kids and loved ones.When I felt like I couldn’t go on, I thought of my kids — that I couldn’t give up, because they were waiting for me at home and they needed me.

And a mother never, ever gives up.

I thought of my daughter — how strong she is, how she faces diabetes every day — and I knew I couldn’t be the one complaining that I couldn’t go on.Of course I could!

Every meter was hard, but each one brought me closer to the goal.The weather was brutal — a snowstorm near the summit, snow up to the knees in places.

But after 6 hours of trekking, when I reached the top — that’s when I realized:Yes, I am capable of anything!I could only cry and hug my teammates: we did it — together!

This journey taught me:To slow down a little.That comfort isn’t a given — people live in incredibly hard conditions and are still happy.That it’s not shameful to be weak or ask for help if you can’t do something alone — because when you ask, people reach out to you.

That people should be accepted as they are.That I shouldn’t judge — I should get to know someone before forming an opinion.That I must believe in miracles.That people watch out for each other, and don’t leave anyone behind or trample others just to get ahead.

That love creates love, a smile brings more smiles, and laughter breeds laughter.You must enjoy life — because you only get one! ❤️

I will be forever grateful to the entire summit team — for the experience, and for the life lessons 🙏