Together on top of the world

the long version

On May 16, 2002, Phil and Susan Ershler reached thetop of Mt. Everest and became the first couple in historyto scale the fabled Seven Summits. What madetheir achievement all the more remarkable was that Susanwas not a mountain climber, but a high-poweredFortune ® 500 executive who had never hiked or climbeduntil she met Phil at the age of 36. Phil, a professionalmountain guide who was the first American to summitEverest from its treacherous north face, had climbed hiswhole life with Crohn's disease, a chronic, debilitatingillness. Adding to these challenges, just before their finalsummit, Phil was diagnosed with colon cancer, and theresulting surgeries and complications were expected toend his career. This is Susan and Phil's story: a tale oflove set in the mountains, a story of triumphal highsand devastating lows in quest of a seemingly impossibledream.