Key Moments
Tutkularının Zirvesine Tırmanmak | Nasuh Mahruki | TEDxTarsus American College
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Key Moments
Nasuh Mahruki, the first Turk to summit Everest, emphasizes that risky outdoor sports are crucial for life preparation, teaching problem-solving and resilience. He highlights that financial barriers like the $1M Everest expedition cost can be overcome with determination and sponsorship.
Key Insights
Mahruki initiated Turkey's first nature sports magazine at 22, demonstrating early entrepreneurial drive in sharing information.
He became the first Turkish climber to summit Mount Everest in 1995, a feat requiring extensive preparation and sponsorship, even using a basic project file to secure funding.
Mahruki is one of the youngest people to complete the Seven Summits challenge by age 28, showcasing a global ambition and broad mountaineering expertise.
He pioneered the establishment of AKUT, Turkey's first volunteer search and rescue team, in 1994, which has since become a vital organization in disaster response.
Mahruki's solo ascent of Pobeda Peak, considered one of the most difficult and dangerous 7,000m peaks, at age 24, marked a significant achievement in mountaineering.
He completed the 'From Land to the East Journey' on a motorcycle with his girlfriend at age 29, covering 10,000 km through multiple countries, and later chronicled it in a book.
Embracing risk for life's lessons began in university
Nasuh Mahruki's journey into high-risk outdoor sports started at Bilkent University, which he describes as a 'sea of opportunities' beyond academics. He actively participated in parachuting, mountaineering, speleology, scuba diving, and paragliding. These activities, though risky and requiring him to step out of his comfort zone, taught him essential life skills. He learned problem-solving, planning, logistics, resource management, and the necessity of physical, technical, and psychological preparation. These experiences, he argues, are critical for preparing individuals for the challenges of life. His involvement extended to organizing and participating in events, such as founding Turkey's first nature sports magazine at 22 and winning a rock climbing competition at 23, demonstrating an early aptitude for leadership and risk-taking.
A pivotal solo ascent to secure the Snow Leopard title
At 24, Mahruki embarked on a significant expedition to the Tian Shan mountains, which would later be instrumental in him earning the prestigious Snow Leopard title. This involved climbing five peaks over 7,000 meters in former Soviet Asia. During one climb on Pobeda Peak, a notoriously difficult and dangerous mountain, he had to descend 1,500 meters with a broken crampon, a testament to his technical skill and mental fortitude. He successfully completed the ascent solo, making it Turkey's highest solo climb at the time. This challenging period also led to frostbite in his toes, causing long-term sensitivity, and a broken crampon on another expedition, highlighting the inherent dangers and the need for constant adaptation.
The first Turk on Everest and the role of sponsorship
Mahruki's ambition to climb an 8,000-meter peak led him to target Mount Everest. The expedition required significant funding, estimated at $100,000, which was far beyond his personal means. Despite initial rejections from various entities, he managed to secure sponsorship from Yapı Kredi after presenting a project proposal. This enabled him to become the first Turkish climber to summit Mount Everest in 1995. He also discovered, retrospectively, that he was the first Muslim climber to summit Everest. This achievement was so significant that it became the basis for his second book and a Master's thesis on sponsorship in Turkey. His father's support, in eventually closing down his cargo company to allow Nasuh to pursue his passion, was also crucial.
Founding AKUT and transforming disaster response
The aftermath of a significant mountaineering accident in November 1994, when he was 26, spurred Mahruki to co-found AKUT, Turkey's first volunteer search and rescue team. This initiative was born out of a need for trained and organized rescue operations in natural environments. AKUT's critical role during the 1999 Gölcük earthquake, a devastating event for Turkey, brought national recognition and significantly changed the public's perception and approach to disaster management and search and rescue efforts. The organization's effectiveness and dedication were further acknowledged internationally, notably during the Athens earthquake response.
Completing the Seven Summits and the 'From Land to the East' journey
By the age of 28, Mahruki had achieved the remarkable feat of completing the Seven Summits, becoming one of the youngest people globally to do so. This accomplishment involved climbing the highest peaks on each continent, including Antarctica, Australia, and Africa. In tandem with his mountaineering achievements, he also pursued his dream of a 'From Land to the East' journey. At 29, he and his girlfriend embarked on a 10,000 km motorcycle trip from Istanbul to Kathmandu, traversing Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. This adventure was later documented in his book 'Asia Roads: The Himalayas and Beyond,' further solidifying his reputation as a multi-faceted explorer and storyteller.
Pursuing higher challenges and personal growth
As Mahruki approached and surpassed the age of 30, his drive for greater challenges intensified. He successfully climbed Lhotse, the world's fourth-highest mountain, in 1998, and K2, the world's second-highest mountain, in 2000, notably without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support for K2. He also undertook a rigorous 180 km sled-dog journey in the Arctic, showcasing his diverse skills. Beyond physical feats, Mahruki pursued intellectual growth, attending the National Security Academy and writing books on patriotism, success, and mountaineering. He married at 41 in Bhutan and received the Gusi Peace Prize, reflecting a life dedicated to continuous personal development and contribution.
Defining success through continuous effort and experience
Mahruki advocates for a philosophy of continuous effort and self-transcendence, referencing Samuel Beckett's 'try again, fail again, fail better.' He stresses the importance of choosing passionate and talented fields for sustainable success and advises embracing new experiences and pushing boundaries. His personal museum, housing over 800 plaques and personal artifacts, symbolizes a life rich in experiences. He believes that multiplying life experiences by doing, trying, going, and seeing new things leads to better self-understanding and more informed future decisions. This dedication to pushing limits and embracing challenges defines his remarkable life.
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Living a Heroic and Adventurous Life
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Common Questions
Nasuh Mahruki was born in Istanbul in 1968. He was an active and adventurous child, skilled in sports. He initially planned to join his father's cargo company after studying business at Bilkent University, but discovered a passion for adventure sports during his university years.
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Mentioned in this video
His quote 'Life is impossible to be happy. The highest thing a person can do is live heroically' was written on a desk in the speaker's father's darkroom.
A Turkish actor whose heroic film roles influenced the speaker's generation.
A Turkish actor whose heroic film roles influenced the speaker's generation.
A Russian mathematics professor from Derbent University who met the speaker and opened the door to advanced mountaineering expeditions in Kyrgyzstan and the Tian Shan mountains.
Wrote the preface for the speaker's second book about his Everest climb.
A captain and a former judo world champion who was assigned by the General Staff to evaluate the speaker's request for special military leave for climbing.
Mentioned alongside Sir Edmund Hillary as one of the first to climb Everest.
His philosophy of 'try again, fail again, fail better' is cited as inspiration for continuous self-improvement despite setbacks.
Selected with the speaker to represent Turkey in the Cam Trophy, forming a strong team.
Author of 'Yeni Dünya Düzeni, Kemalizm ve Türkiye,' whose book profoundly impacted the speaker's perspective, leading him to attend the National Security Academy.
The speaker attended and was highly influenced by its academic and extracurricular environment, particularly its outdoor sports clubs.
Offered a frogman course that the speaker participated in, contributing to his survival and rescue skills.
The university where Dimitri Korotkin was a professor and whose mountaineering club, Club Bars, offered advanced training opportunities.
Organized a rock climbing competition that the speaker won, and later collaborated with the Turkey Climbing Federation on scientific and psychological tests for national team selections.
The mountaineering club of Derbent University, which offered advanced climbing expeditions that the speaker joined.
Its dissolution in 1991 created opportunities for affordable travel and expeditions in its former territories.
Established in 1966, it later organized strict national team selections, which the speaker participated in.
The speaker was instrumental in founding Turkey's first volunteer search and rescue team, AKUT, which became a model for disaster response.
The speaker attended this high-level institution for 5 months, receiving training from the War Academies Command.
A sacred mountain for Turks in the Tian Shan range, which the speaker climbed as part of an expedition.
The north face of this mountain was climbed by the speaker at age 24.
A challenging peak in the northernmost part of the 7,000m mountains, which the speaker climbed solo.
A mountain region in Kyrgyzstan where initial advanced mountaineering training took place as part of an expedition.
A mountain range where the speaker participated in an expedition, including a climb of Khan Tengri.
The speaker achieved the highest winter climb in Turkey on this mountain at age 25.
The speaker climbed the highest peak in the Soviet Union during his military service.
The speaker became the first Turkish climber to ascend Everest in 1995, and also the first Muslim climber.
The speaker attempted this 8,000m peak where a teammate died due to severe weather conditions.
The speaker successfully climbed K2 without supplemental oxygen, becoming one of the few climbers worldwide to ascend both Everest and K2 under these conditions.
The speaker married in Bhutan in a traditional Buddhist ceremony, becoming the first foreign couple to officially marry there.
The speaker climbed the fourth highest mountain in the world, Lhotse, without oxygen support while the rest of his team used it.
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