Kate Gran noticed three weeks blocked off of the calendar in her father Eric’s office. “Ama Dablam,” it read. Ama Dablam is a 22,349-foot peak in the Khumbu Valley of the Himalayas. 

Both Kate and Eric Gran were no strangers to leaving home for weeks in the wilderness, but as Kate’s high school graduation approached, Kate wanted every second she could get with her father.

“He’s my guy for everything,” Kate says. 

“Well, why don’t you just come with me?” Eric asked. 

Two weeks later, Kate and Eric departed on the weeks-long journey to Kathmandu, with hopes to climb tens of thousands of feet above the world. 

Kate, a 17-year-old senior at Marist High School, and her dad, Eric, are a dual act. Eric introduced Kate and her twin brother, Nick, to hiking, surfing, mountain biking and backpacking at a young age. Eric climbed Everest in 2021, so when the opportunity arose to take his daughter climbing in the Himalayas, the pair jumped at it. The climb would test their skills as mountaineers, their ability to withstand physical pain, and their bond as father and daughter. 

As a parent, Eric doesn’t see a risk in taking his kids adventuring, so long as they are mentally and physically prepared.

“If it’s death or serious injury, OK, we’re not going to do that. But if it’s, you know, fear and bruising, maybe up to a broken bone, why not?” Eric said. 

She’s never broken anything, he clarifies. 

“Except my foot,” Kate interjects. 

“That was when you jumped out of a tree,” Eric responds. “And I told you not to do that.”

Eric is a veteran of the Obsidian Climbing School and Santiam Alpine Club. He’s made some of his best friends pursuing outdoor adventures. Kate grew up going to mountain biking camp on Mount Bachelor and learning from the best, her dad. 

“I also just had this idea of always putting them in uncomfortable situations so that they could overcome their fears, overcome their hesitation, and learn what they’re capable of,” Eric says of the twins. 

According to Kate, she’s always been a “daddy’s girl.” Eric says she was “born ready,” a ball of muscle and curiosity. 

During Kate’s first time summiting Mount St. Helens, Eric forgot all their snacks and water back at the car. He told Kate to keep going, and he’d run back and catch up with her. 

“I was climbing up by myself like this little freshman who’s never climbed before, and I’m like ‘No, Dad, please don’t go,’” Kate says.  

There were a number of times on that hike, Eric reminded Kate she’d have to find it in herself to keep going. “He has a joke that he’s made me cry on every mountain in Oregon,” Kate says. 

Though Eric reminded her they could turn around anytime, it makes it that much harder, says Kate, knowing it’s her decision. 

Kate and Eric’s shared outdoor experience translates to their everyday relationship. Eric says his kids passed his academic ability in third grade, and their mom, Virna Gran, keeps them organized. His role is to help the kids in the ways he knows how. 

“I literally go to him about boyfriend trouble, girl drama, literally everything,” Kate says. “We can have those deep conversations, and we understand each other emotionally.”

Part of that ability is due to the early mornings and treacherous climbs. Communication and vulnerability on the mountain is key, and they’ve had so many experiences bonding over facing collective fears and challenges. 

“I didn’t realize that, but that’s true,” Kate says.

“I thought about that from the beginning,” Eric says. 

In 2020, Eric became climbing partners with Peter Urban, an accomplished mountaineer. Out of the blue, Urban had the idea to climb Mount Lhotse, a 27,000-foot peak in the Himalayas and the fourth-highest mountain in the world.

While poring over the map, then-12-year-old Kate’s brother, Nick, pointed out how Lhotse was just about three kilometers south from Everest. 

“Why don’t you just do Everest?” Nick asked.

“Because that’s crazy,” Eric said.

And then he looked closer.

“Everest, Lhotse. Six, seven,” Eric shrugged, weighing his hands.

“Gross, Dad,” Kate laughed. 

Eric and Urban decided on Everest. With three months to prepare, they acknowledged they were completely out of their depth. Eric had never climbed above 19,000 feet, which is right about where Everest Base Camp starts. 

“So we went, I gave it a shot, and made it,” Eric says.

“Reasonable faith,” Kate says.

“Reasonable faith,” Eric repeats.

After deciding to fly on her own adventure to Nepal, Kate prepared by doing weeks of schoolwork in advance. The two of them planned to climb just shy of Everest Base Camp, then Kate would break off while Eric continued on to Lobuche and then Ama Dablam.

Eric showed Kate pictures of Mount Lobuche, a 20,000-foot peak typically climbed on the way to Everest, to which Kate responded, “Heck no, that looks so scary.” Though she caught him packing climbing gear for her, “just in case.”

The two agreed to take it one step at a time. Planning itself was a win, getting to Nepal was another, and everything after that was icing on the cake.

“We took that initial pressure off. Let’s just see how far we can go,” Eric says.

“Whoever thought we’d be in Nepal together in the Himalayas, trekking up the Khumbu Valley towards Everest?” Kate says. 

The trek to the trailhead alone is a three-day journey. From the beginning, Kate was sleep-deprived and sick. Altitude sickness only made it worse as they started to ascend. Kate felt a pounding in her heart and her breathing was labored. Going to the bathroom from her tent left her winded. Her appetite dropped, and all she could think about was barbecue wings with ranch dressing. 

Before leaving, Eric drilled into Kate this would be the hardest thing she’s ever done. Your whole day is going to suck, the aftereffects are going to suck, and you’ll want to quit every step of the way, he said. 

“It’ll be suffering with a great view,” Eric summed up. 

Right up until the first day of climbing, Lobuche was touch-and-go. Kate managed 12 hours of rest and woke up with an unshakable determination.

“Until then, I was like, I’m not climbing Lobuche, but as soon as I landed, in the Himalayas, I was like, I’m doing Lobuche,” Kate says.

It was a two-week process of climbing and descending before summiting the peak.

Kate and Eric looked down. On the peak, shadows cast upwards. The panoramic view of Everest and the surrounding mountains engulfed the two of them as they embraced.

“Most people don’t get the chance to do this,” Kate says. “I mean, it’s otherworldly.”

On Lobuche, Kate stood face to face with Everest. It made the journey, the support and the experience that much more personal. 

The Sherpas and six other climbers on the trek met Kate with a standing ovation.

“How many other 17-year-old girls do they see do this?” Eric says. 

Kate didn’t notice the culture shock until two or three weeks back in Eugene. The biggest surprise was taking a hot shower and sleeping in her bed, having air conditioning and heating and getting to pick whatever she wanted to eat instead of trail food. She picked up in her routine just as she left it, but she felt more grown up. 

“I didn’t change insanely drastically, but I feel opened up to the wider world,” Kate says. 

Kate plans to graduate from Marist in the spring and is committed to Oregon State University to study chemistry in the fall. She hopes to become a detective in the FBI, but isn’t married to any one plan for the future. 

“It’s better if you enjoy the journey along the way and take that as the win, rather than some abstract hold that’s not guaranteed,” she says.