From Failure to the Top of the World

By Lieutenant Colonel Romil Barthwal (Retd)

In January 1998, I walked into the Indian Military Academy after three years at NDA. Like every cadet, I carried dreams of glory—but I also carried a sobering truth: I was terrible at academics, poor in cross-country, and only average in physicals.

The only real quality I could cling to was resilience.
No matter how many times I failed, I didn’t stop trying.

That stubborn streak would take me places I could never have imagined—but it would also expose me to the harshest lessons life has to offer.

In May 1998, I joined a mountaineering expedition to Mt. Kedardome in the Gangotri region. It was my first serious climb—and my first encounter with tragedy.

During the summit push, our team was caught in an avalanche. We lost our medical assistant. One moment he was with us, the next he was gone. The grief was raw, the shock unforgettable.

I walked away from mountaineering for 20 years.

Those two decades were far from idle. I served in Operation Vijay during the Kargil War, became a paratrooper, and jumped into unknown terrain with trust in my training and my team.

Adventure found me even when I wasn’t looking. I led Army teams in ultra-marathons, coached soldiers for adventure triathlons, and pushed through cycling brevets, marathons, duathlons, and half Ironman events. Each finish line taught me that endurance isn’t about medals—it’s about refusing to quit when your mind says stop.

Somewhere along the way, I returned to academics, completing a Master’s at IIT Kharagpur—a quiet victory for someone who once struggled in classrooms.

In 2018, two decades after Kedardome, I faced my fear. I joined the Army mountaineering team—not just as a climber, but as a leader.

And then, in 2019, I led the Army Special Forces team to the top of the world—Mt. Everest.

Standing on that summit wasn’t about planting a flag. It was about closing a circle that began with grief and failure. It was proof that scars don’t define you—how you rise after them does.

Lessons in Resilience

1. Failure isn’t final. You don’t need to be the fastest or the strongest. You just need to refuse to quit.

2. Scars can become strength. The avalanche haunted me for years—but it made me a stronger, more compassionate leader.

3. Endurance builds character. Every marathon and triathlon taught me that toughness is quiet persistence—step after step.

4. Dreams don’t expire. It took 20 years to return to mountaineering. Everest reminded me that dreams wait for those who chase them.

Reflection
I was never the best at anything. I failed more times than I can count. But what kept me going was the refusal to stop trying.

If you take anything from my story, let it be this:

1. You don’t have to be perfect to achieve greatness.

2. You just have to keep showing up.

3. And when life knocks you down—stand back up.

Today, as CEO of Boots & Crampons, I lead people into the mountains and tell them: the mountain isn’t here to break you—it’s here to reveal you.

ABCEL Perspective
This story reminds us that resilience is not about talent—it’s about persistence. From a cadet who stumbled through academics to an Everest expedition leader, his journey proves that grit can carry you where strength and luck cannot. Veterans like him inspire us to keep climbing—because the climb matters more than the summit.

Disclaimer:
Edited for clarity and storytelling with contributor permission. ABCEL has not verified this story for accuracy.
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