What You Heard is Not What I Meant
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-19T16:11:47+02:00One Key Way Communication Breaks Down In Teams and What You Can Do About It A year ago I reached the summit of Mount Logan, the highest peak in Canada. [...]
The art of focus – Ski the gaps, not the trees!
Cathy O'Dowd2020-04-28T10:32:48+02:00“Ski the gaps, not the trees.” That always seemed to be one of the silliest pieces of advice I was given as a novice skier. Let’s get real here. I [...]
The Art and Joy of Serendipity
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-18T18:09:50+02:00Why the power of serendipity means you should focus on gaining skills and experiences, rather than achieving goals. Mountain climbing would seem to be the ultimate goal-driven activity, everything resting on [...]
What is holding you back?
Cathy O'Dowd2020-04-30T23:55:46+02:00When to stop focusing forward and instead look at what is holding you back. With snow still sadly sparse in the Pyrenees, I found myself out rock climbing with friends on [...]
Why to make it up as you go along
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-19T16:12:09+02:00The difference between ‘fluid decision-making’ and ‘making it up as you go along’ can be hard to detect. I’ve just returned home after a nine-day ski-tour in the Ecrins, a [...]
When past performance doesn’t predict future success
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-23T16:35:28+02:00Why super-star hires can be an expensive mistake In a culture that worships success, failed projects normally just sink out of sight, vanishing without explanation. One prematurely terminated adventure [...]
When keeping it simple leads to stupid
Cathy O'Dowd2020-04-28T13:26:29+02:00Yesterday an infographic from BBC World swirled pass in my twitter feed, celebrating the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, done by Tommy Caldwell and Kevin [...]
Mission: Dufourspitze! (or not…)
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-19T16:12:17+02:00A team of five, a week to prepare - the goal: to ascend and ski the second highest peak in the Alps! Now the only thing that lay between failure [...]
When I met Nelson Mandela
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-23T16:35:36+02:00"I know you are going to succeed." The thing about camp two on Everest - at least back in the day when there were only 11 teams [...]
The art of serendipity and skiing
Cathy O'Dowd2020-05-19T16:12:26+02:00While I am very much a believer in planning and preparation, the fact remains that the adventures I enjoy most are often the ones that unfold spontaneously. I've just returned [...]