Resilience Isn’t Where You Think You’ll Find It

During Exercise Midnight Sun in Greenland in 2008, I was part of the Ice Camp team camped near a glacier that frequently broke off and thundered into the sea

Our mission? To climb unclimbed mountain peaks

We’d already summited one that the previous Ice Camp team couldn’t. Next, we set off for a second, far more remote peak. The journey meant navigating glaciers and unstable boulder fields

Time caught up with us. We had to turn back and abseil down a steep face. On the way, my crampons punctured a teammate’s boot - thankfully without injury

Our instructor chose a direct descent to the fjord. On paper it looked fine. In reality, one contour line on the map was the size of a five-storey building. Impassable. We had to climb again

As darkness fell, energy drained. And then the strongest member of our team - a military Physical Training instructor - began to falter. He lacked reserves to keep going. Suddenly others had to carry the load

Somehow we scrambled back to camp at 10pm utterly exhausted

That night taught me two lessons I’ve carried ever since:

1. Never assume resilience looks the way you expect

The strongest person in your team might not have the reserves when it matters most. Environment and time change the game. Build reserves for yourself - and for your team

2. Understand the ICEberg effect

What you see on the surface isn’t always what’s happening inside. Know your people’s tipping points and plan for them

👉 If you’re navigating challenges right now and need someone to help you build strength from the inside out, you can book a private coaching session with me here.

Resilience is rarely obvious. It often shows up in the least expected places - sometimes even in you.

Stay resilient,
Ruth