Erick Bellido, Operations Manager at CriticalRiver, had decided to celebrate his 30th birthday in a special way – he wanted to test his spirit, strength and soul by summiting the highest peak in Mexico, Pico de Orizaba. Pico de Orizaba is the highest volcano in North America, standing at 5,636 meters above sea level.

This was not a decision made on a whim. Erick knew he had to train well to summit the volcano and so in the weeks leading to his climb, he summited Costa Rica’s highest peaks, Cerro Ventisqueros and Chirripó, both above 3,800 meters, and Iztaccíhuatl in Mexico, which stands at 5,230 meters.

This was part of the plan to acclimatize before attempting Pico de Orizaba. Till then, Erick had only focused on one aspect of summiting – reaching to the top. But summiting is much more than climbing to the top. There are many more aspects of climbing which Erick was to learn during his summit.

“The experience taught me two key lessons — First, our bodies are capable of extraordinary things when they are trained, respected, and challenged with purpose. They are machines full of potential, but we must always listen to them. Second, nature is powerful, beautiful, and fragile, and it is our responsibility to both appreciate and protect it,” says Erick.

Erick came home from the summit with not just memories, but with a sense of fulfilment. He realized we can achieve greater milestones if we are willing to step outside our comfort zone.

“Having the support of a team like CriticalRiver makes the journey even more meaningful. It means my organization supports me in reaching the top, not just professionally, but also personally,” says Erick.