MOE AL THANI - MODERN RENAISSANCE MAN
Moe Al Thani. The name that evokes so many layers and facets of a truly awe-inspiring man: Mountaineer, Philanthropist, and Motivator. As my brother described him to me, “Cool guy and first Qatari to Summit Everest.”
“Great, how the heck am I going to relate to the man that has done the extraordinary multiple times and I’m proud of myself when I run 10 miles a few times a week” - I thought.
In reality, I was uncharacteristically talkative and mesmerized by all the layers that encompass Moe Al Thani. The way he lights up when discussing Rise to Success — the journey and transformation of climbing to the top of the mountain. His passion is so infectious, it has now become my new goal to climb at least one mountain.
Enjoy my most delightful interview with the most gracious and kindest man!
Moe reveals his core beliefs of life and the human spirit through talking about the climb. You will see it is not just a man successfully climbing mountains…it is more. My true fascination stems from what can happen to an individual when there is an intention, and a goal to one’s life.
So we began with me asking Moe to introduce himself…
Moe Al Thani…just Moe Al Thani from Qatar. I do a lot of things, and I love climbing mountains.
What is one of the best kept secrets about you
Oh wow…umf…dirty secrets. Yes, hahaha of course – okay, then what makes you unique? On the mountains and in life I am not the smartest, or the fittest, but I am the one who will never give up. I am the most persistent person on the mountain, and as well in life. Whenever I set my mind to something I do not give up until I make it happen. And I am scared of failure.
You skied to the South Pole, climbed Everest & 7 Summits. Can you take our readers on what is your mindset when you are at the bottom of the mountain, and the mindset as you reach the top of the mountain.
There are no easy mountains, people think some are easy, you can die on any mountain. And every mountain is very serious. So at the bottom of the mountain I am very worried about what I eat, and every step I take, about saving my energy, not wasting anything, and maximizing my chances of reaching the Summit. If you push too hard when you are lower, that means you have less energy tomorrow. You have to focus on eating, eating right, conserving your energy, and basically making the right decisions going to the top. When you reach the top it is important to not push yourself in reaching the top because reaching the Summit is only half way. You still have to go down. Most of the injuries happen on the way down, because people use up all of their energy going up. A majority of the injuries that happen (going down the mountain) are heart attacks, oxygen failure, and exhaustion. Yes, I would be one of those people that would want to just run down. No, but when you reach the top you’re just half-way there, you have to pace yourself.
You are also a photographer! How did this passion start. Was it your love of photography and discovering, capturing new places that led you to this passion
I love taking pictures of people – like kids, and older people. The innocence of the kids, and the expressions of the older people especially in the mountains in some of the remote places that I go. The passion of photography came from my passion of travel. I like to capture nomads, and the village people from each climb.
Please describe ‘Reach Out to Asia’, and what do you enjoy most about being a Brand Ambassador
Reach Out to Asia is a charity based organization in Qatar, with the Qatar Foundation, and they help provide education in the primary and secondary level of education all over Asia, as well in other parts of the world. I truly believe in education, and you know the old saying…’give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime’. We have raised a lot of money with Reach Out to Asia, raised the awareness. I have also done some specialty climbs for Reach Out to Asia, where we built some schools as a result of the climb which was a great success. There is a trip that I do every year called Rise to Success, it is an annual trip for me where I take a number of individuals from all over the world. It’s complete name is called – Rise to Success A Journey of Self-Discovery. It is targeted for people in different points in their lives where they are asking themselves, “Now what?’”.
I have gotten people who were in a tough situation mentally, and some people who are not happy with their jobs, or where their life is going. So they go on this trip, which is more like self-discovery, and finding out more about themselves. It is curated with talks, and events that we have in the evenings. I really enjoy doing that, because we all come in as individuals, but we leave as a family. It happens every year, and it keeps growing every year. It is really important to me, because I see the transformation of the participants. Do you think it is because mountain climbing is such a life or death experience…that it instantly bonds people…for the Rise to Success. Because typically it can be hard for strangers (people) to open up to people they do not know. Do you think it is the climb, and that whole experience. I tell you…you would be surprised how people open up on the mountain, because the first thing is…the one’s that I did like Kilimanjaro, beginners can go, it is not too technical – so it would not be a problem.
The first thing that happens is that they are out of communication. They do have phones but it’s limited communication, it’s not like they have 4G internet. If they really want to make a phone call they can make a phone call, or send a WhatsApp – but it’s a struggle. So people actually communicate with each other. You actually talk to people. When you are walking for six to ten hours a day you are not holding your phone, you are talking to the one next to you. The first days you will be talking but the last days, or week or so your focus is on your next steps – talking to yourself, to your mind. Are you familiar with the ‘State of Flow’? No, I am not. It is a neurological state where your body is present in the now. It is when surgeons do an eight hour surgery, and it seems like minutes have passed (for the surgeon). It is the same concept for race car drivers, and painters. They paint, and when they look around it is twelve hours later. Well, it is the same State of Flow mountaineers go into, because they are so focused on the next step that they are living in the moment (the now). You are so focused on climbing that mountain your brain is consumed by the challenge.
Then when you reach that Summit, then your brain is just empty. For me my priorities always just line up, what is important to me just comes first. Wherever we are now we are spoiled to the things around us, there is a lot of noise around us – even if you do not realize it. In the mountain when you reach the Summit, there is no noise, there is clarity. You know exactly what your purpose in life is, you know exactly what you need to do. Whatever is important to you, you will know. Usually when I start to get unfocused , that is my que that I need to go climb again.
How do you think traveling changes a person, I know I have my ideas…
I’ll tell you something…you can travel and change, or travel and not change. It all depends on your mind and how you see it. You can travel, live and be with the people, in the villages. Or, you can travel and stay at a resort – but the one I came up with, you get something personal from it. Like, one you travel and stay in your safe bubble, your comforts, or you can experience the real country. Yes, I like to travel, drive in the countries, getting lost…that way you meet random people and you experience the countries.
What is the most powerful tool/thing to make change in the next generation
Rise to Success is about inspiring people to make change. When I first started climbing, I discovered my purpose in life was to inspire others. I then started doing these random climbs and events. Even in my Instagram, it is about inspiring people. My message is not for everyone, but there are many people around the world who are privileged. And when I say privileged I mean – if you have a bed, a house, and you don’t need to think a lot about what to eat – then you are privileged.
When you go to remote places where people are really hungry, or they have no access to education or food but they are still happy. Most of us do not have dreams, we don’t dream enough. For me Mt. Everest was a dream, if you would have told me in University that I was going to climb that mountain, there is no way…I would laugh. But, I put it in my head, and I actually climbed it. If you do not have dreams there is nothing…There is nothing to aspire to. Exactly.
Who inspired you the most when you were a young child, and how
I always use to be inspired by random people. I get inspired if someone challenges me. I am not usually inspired by people per say…but…if I see that one person doing something (I am very competitive); I always love to do it better. I always try to be the best, I try always to give one-hundred percent. Did you do sports as a child. I played soccer when I was young but that is it. Then how did you get your competitive streak, or does it come naturally…being competitive doesn’t have to be only from being in sports, I have always been competitive. They call me the mastermind, I love planning. So even now I always plan. My problem is not the past, I am always planning for the future. That is one of the COVID tests for me, to live in the now. All the future plans are on hold, one of my big lessons from COVID. Like I am always the planner for the climb, I go through each detail – which plane we will fly with, what company we are going to climb with, what route we are going to take, and which gear we will be taking, and how to train. Then once the climb starts I just enjoy it, and my friend takes over. Yes, you have done all the prep work (the planning), now you can enjoy it. Yes, just like with the businesses I start, once I have started them, I let someone else do the day to day (someone whose better at it than I), I don’t enjoy it.
What and how do you think is the best way to inspire others
There are two ways of inspiring people. If you want to inspire people, ok there are two things (not myself)…people who actually inspire are people true to themselves and people see that, and know they are true to themselves, and believe what they are doing. And they really fight hard for reaching to what they want. If you see any inspiring movies, that character would go to the ends of the earth to reach whatever they want. What inspires you is them making it to the end, after giving their one-hundred percent. That is what inspires people in other people. Also people are actually inspired by experiencing. Like climbing a mountain, the climb starts when the climber signs, not when you are at the mountain. Then you start training. So when you are on the mountain, you have started four to five months before. The training every day for that mountain. Then when you reach that Summit, no one helped you, you put in the had work, the sacrifices. When you did Rise to Success, you said that you take everyone from every walk of life, I was curious – how do you tell them to train. How I find them, I get people from some that I have met, some are referred, and some just find me. But the last trip I had like twenty seats, and had about two-hundred people apply. So I really had to choose. I then send them a questionnaire to see who would benefit the most from these trips. For me it is more than just to climb Kilimanjaro, if you want that you can sign up and just go. With me, it is about how I see you change the moment you walk onto the trip. So I take them on a complete journey. Once they sign up, they take the assessment test, then I send them a schedule of what they should be doing, and I send them what I am doing. I tell them I have climbed this mountain five times and this is how hard I am training, so they need to train hard as well. The more fit you are the more you enjoy the climb.
The world is changing on every front. What are your thoughts on this evolving time, Did you think this evolution would happen
I don’t think anyone could forsee COVID19. I think we are definitely at a pivotal moment in history, and we will definitely read about this in history books. We have definitely made history in humanity; and how people are reacting, and how the world is changing. We will have Pre-COVID, and Post-COVID just like Pre-WW, and Post-WW.
What is the best book that you have read and why
Yes, Stealing Fire by Jamie Wheal and Steven Kotler. It is about how it unlocks parts of the brain, and it talks about psychedelics. Also how the Marines do an induced State of Flow by taking psychedelics, but of course in the mountain it is a natural one.
The last and most fun question…what is your favorite way to unwind and relax
Definitely spending time with my friends. Getting lost with friends in a remote location where there is no communication…What, like wild boys…No, actually on a trip it is four to five of us, and we switch our phones off. It is an amazing feeling to be connected with everything around you, the best way…
Thank you….thank you.
