At Rotary’s December 16 Zoom meeting, extreme climber and West Concord native Jim Davidson related his experiences conquering many of the world’s highest peaks, including those in Nepal, Bolivia, Alaska, Ecuador, Mexico, and Tibet. Jim has published two books. The first, The Ledge, relates his experience descending Mount Rainier when a hidden snow bridge collapsed beneath his feet, taking him and his friend into a cavern where they were buried by snow. His friend did not survive but Jim was able to climb the ice walls to safety. The second, The Next Everest, chronicles his survival of a 7.8-magnitute earthquake that released avalanches destroying his escape route, trapping him at 20,000 feet. A helicopter rescued him and his team after two days. A 1980 graduate of CCHS, Davidson’s background is in geology and environmental science. His comfort with heights began when as a boy he worked at his Dad’s painting company. Thanks to Jim’s talk and excellent photos, we left the meeting informed and inspired.