Francesco, on Everest to Help Children in Nepal

When he completes his endeavor, he will have climbed the seven highest peaks on the seven continents.Francesco Rovetta, is a 41-year-old Bocconi alumni from Milan but adopted by San Francisco, where he is advisor to several companies working in the web industry. He is also the creator ofSummit Stories, an initiative that brings together his passion for the mountains and his desire to leave a lasting impression on social issues. For each of the seven summits that he is climbing, Francesco raises funds to support educational projects for children at local non-profit organizations. The summits he is taking on include the mother of all mountains, Everest. Francesco will be there in April, and his mission will help the Nepal Youth Foundation, which houses children in situations of extreme poverty struggling against the evils of juvenile slavery.

Rovetta, a 1996 Bocconi graduate in economics, started Summit Stories approximately a year and a half ago and is now at four: "In 2013 I climbed Aconcagua, in Argentina (6,962 meters), Kilimanjaro (5,895m), Mount Elbrus in Russia (5,642m) and Puncak Jaya (4,884m) in Indonesia. The next objectives are Everest (8,848m), Mount McKinley in the United States (6,194m) and Vinson Massif in Antarctica (4,892m). This last mission, though, has been postponed for the moment, because it's not easy to find a local non-profit to support!" Half-way through his endeavor, Francesco is already developing the next phase for his athletic-philanthropic project: "I would like Summit Stories to continue even after completing the seven missions. I would like it to become a project for participation and support of social issues that is no longer defined by single expeditions."

But how will he prepare himself to reach the highest summit in the world? "Essentially with mental preparation," says Francesco. Of course, specific physical training is vital, "but the real difficulty to be faced is the psychological laceration that is felt up there. It's about living in high altitudes for two months, in a barren region, with temperatures of 40 degrees below zero, wind and formidable avalanches, far from your loved ones. Without enough persistence, you won't last." Francesco is not new to this kind of endeavor and he has lived through several difficult moments at high altitudes. "I remember the ascent to Chopicalqui in Peru, a height of 6,400 meters, all ice, with 70-degree inclines. Or the beginning of Aconcagua's summit, last year in Argentina. I had to wait for days at -30/-40 degrees and in the end I had to give up. I later found out that, due to weather conditions, other expeditions reported injuries or ended in ill-fated situations." When you're stuck at 6,000-7,000 meters, with 50% of the oxygen available compared to the amount at sea level, "you realize how weak you are and how much the force of nature achieves in its vastness. You can't do anything if you can't maintain control." And, if nothing can be done, the important thing is not to insist on completing the mission. "A mountain expedition," says Francesco, " should always be roundtrip."