Compton inspires others to embrace the spirit of adventure

As a longtime elementary principal at Miller Avenue in the Garaway School District, Larry Compton always exuded a quiet, peaceful demeanor that drew students to him.

So it may surprise many of those former students that Compton is a bit of an adventurist, taking in the challenging pastimes of sky diving, scuba diving, spelunking, big game fishing on the high seas and mountain climbing — his biggest passion.

Compton is a mild-mannered Clark Kent with a Superman-sized appetite for adventure and a zeal for living life on the wild side.

On Tuesday, June 18, Compton shared a slice of his life’s adventures when he spoke to a gathering at the Holmes County District Public Library. He presented an hourlong video of his and his team’s scaling of Mt. Everest near Kathmandu, Nepal.

The excursion was nine days of climbing straight up and down the world’s tallest peak, where they eventually rose to base camp — 17,500 feet above sea level.

While what is basically 3 1/2 miles of walking doesn’t seem all that difficult, the actual mileage is much more because the crew had to acclimate itself to the lack of oxygen that high up, only to go back down to allow their lungs to get used to the thinner oxygen level. Also consider much of the trek was over uneven, rocky ground, in nighttime subzero temperatures, hauling their equipment, passing along routes that have claimed the lives of more than a few climbers, and there are plenty of reasons to be totally exhilarated by the experience, which is exactly what Compton wants to experience in every one of his outdoor excursions.

“What I want to let people know is that it’s good to see that life is an adventure, and it’s important to live it to the fullest,” Compton said in sharing his trip, which ended with a Q-and-A time.

While the climb itself and the physical challenges it presents are a big part of every trip he takes, Compton said getting to explore different parts of the world and their cultures and natural beauty only adds to the joy of each journey.

“Experiencing the culture and the people is every bit as important to us as the climb itself,” Compton said. “Here’s all of this majestic beauty, like watching the sun rise over the Himalaya Mountains in the early morning, but to me, experiencing the people and their beauty is every bit as interesting.”

Compton said during his time chatting with those in attendance that whether it’s hauling in a trophy fish, exploring underground caves, or scaling great heights like this trip or Mt. Kilimanjaro, the experiences help him appreciate all of the smaller, more mundane moments in life all the better.

“These types of experiences help us all better understand that life is worth living and every moment is something to cherish, whether it’s grand and exciting or something simple,” Compton said.

Jayden Mackley was one of Compton’s former students at Miller Avenue.

In attending the event, he learned a great deal about mountain climbing but also learned what makes a person passionate and exploring that passion.

“Just watching what he has done and seeing the things he’s accomplished is inspiring,” Mackley said. “It made me want to go out and try it. But even more, it was challenging to go out and try new things and live life to the fullest.”

Which is exactly the message Compton hopes people walk away with when he shares his adventures.