Summits
Some of my larger expeditions:
- 2017 – Mount Rainier (tallest in Cascades)
- 2016 – Mount Denali (tallest in North America)
- 2015 – Mount Harvard (3rd tallest in Colorado)
- 2015 – Mount Rainier (tallest in Cascades)
- 2014 – Mount Shasta in winter (fifth highest in California)
- 2013 – Mount Whitney (tallest in contiguous USA)
- 2010 – Mount Tallac and Mount Massive (2nd tallest in Colorado)
- 2010 – Mount Whitney in winter (tallest in contiguous USA)
- 2009 – Mount Elbert (tallest in Colorado)
- 2007 – Presidential Range traverse in winter
- 2006 – Mount Rainier via Liberty Ridge
- 2006 – Nipigon Ice Fest
- 2005 – Mount Kosciusko (tallest Australia) – All 7 Summits Achieved!
- 2005 – Mount Everest unguided (tallest Asia)
- 2005 – Mount Vinson (tallest Antarctica)
- 2004 – Mount Rainier
- 2004 – Mount Aconcagua (tallest South America)
- 2003 – Mount McKinley (tallest North America)
- 2003 – Mount Kilimanjaro (tallest Africa)
- 2002 – Mount Elbrus (tallest Europe)
- 2001 – Matterhorn, Zugspitze, Dreitorspitze, Washington
- 2001 – White Mountains, New Hampshire
How did you get started climbing?
As a kid I built tree forts 50 feet in the air. My taste for adventure began early in life and hasn’t stopped. After some beginner’s rock climbing in college I took a job with frequent travel to Zurich. “I would gaze out the plane window at the Swiss Alps, and it became my focus.” My first climbs were in New Hampshire and the Alps. With the help of books and advice from fellow trail goers I began tackling larger and larger peaks.
Worth the risk?
I have walked away from mountains that were too avalanche prone or too windy, but I’ve always returned. The concept of no-fear is hokey. I feel it more than most, and that has kept me alive.
Any stories?
Over time I have climbed some challenging summits, including ascending the tallest mountains on all seven continents. By completing the 7-Summits I am among 150 (and growing) other mountaineers to complete this goal, and only a handful did it on the first try. My expedition to Mount Everest lasted 73-days. During this expedition I lost 50 pounds from exertion, helped carry the corpse of a fallen climber, and performed a high-altitude medical intervention to save a climber’s life. I reached the summit on June 2, 2005 and endured fifty-minutes on the summit of the world’s tallest mountain in order to enjoy the view. There is a 360-degree video below.
Why do you climb?
Climbing for me is about entrusting myself to exceed my own expectations. With each mountain I push my edge and see how much higher I can climb. My expeditions have taken me to the far reaches of the earth; from Antarctica to the Rockies, and from the Alps to the Himalayas. The mountains are my classroom. Expeditions have taught me lessons about fortitude, trust and excellence. Corporate america has much to learn from mountain teamwork.
| Personal Records | |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Minnesotan to climb Everest |
| 2nd | Minnesotan to climb the 7 summits |
| 1st | Wharton MBA to climb the 7 summits |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| 1600 people | Climbed Everest, first done in 1953 |
| 125 people | Climbed the 7 Summits, first done in 1985 |
| A handful | Climbed 7 Summits on first try of each |
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7 Summits
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Everest Map
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Photo
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3-Part Mountaineering Series
| Section 1 |
Section 2 |
Section 3 |
6-Part Mount Everest Series
| Basecamp (17,600 feet) |
Camp 1 (19,600 feet) |
| Camp 2 (21,300 feet) |
Camp 3 (24,500 feet) |
| Camp 4 (26,100 feet) |
Summit (29,035 feet) |
| Summit Panorama (29,035 feet) |
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Articles
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January 6, 2005. Chaska Herald Newspaper. “Top of the World” |
March 17, 2005. Chanhassen Villager Newspaper. “Eternal Sunshine, Spotless Climb” |
March 20, 2005. Minneapolis Star Tribune Newspaper. “The High Point of His Career” |
March 24, 2005. Chanhassen Villager Newspaper. “Climb of His Life” |
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May 26, 2005. Chaska Herald Newspaper. “Waiting for Everest” |
May 28, 2005. Minneapolis Star Tribune Newspaper. “Climbing Everest” |
June 2, 2005. Chaska Herald Newspaper. “Mueller Closing in on Everest’s Summit” |
 June 3, 2005. AP News Wire Minnesota. “Chaska Man Tops Mount Everest” |
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June 3, 2005. CBS News TV and Online. “Chaska Man Climbs Everest” |
June 3, 2005. Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Chaska Climber Begins Descent of Mount Everest” |
June 5, 2005. REI Newsletter Minnesota. “Climbing the Seven Summits” |
 June 9, 2005. Chaska Herald Newspaper. “Mueller Makes Highest Summit” |
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June 9, 2005. Chanhassen Villager Newspaper. “Mueller Makes Highest Summit” |
June 16, 2005. Saint Cloud Times Newspaper. “Everest’s Summit Draws 2 Local Men” |
 June 24, 2005. Minnesota Public Radio. “Minnesotan Neal Mueller on Climbing Mt. Everest” |
 July 7, 2005. Chanhassen Villager Newspaper. “Peak of Perseverance” |
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July 10, 2005. Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Chaska Climber Says it’s Lonely at the Top” |
October 1, 2005. Climbing Magazine. Article: “Off the Wall” |
 October 29, 2005. CBS News TV and Online. “MN Man Attempting Feat Only Three Others Have Done” |
 February 23, 2006. Chaska Herald. “Peak Performance” |
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April 16, 2006. ABC News TV and Online. “Mountain Climbers Return After Hard Trek” |
October 22, 2006. Washington Post Newspaper. “Van Halen Fell Silent on Top of the World” |
September 21, 2006. Daily Pennsylvanian. “From Equities to Everest” |
 November 2006. Outside Magazine. Advertisement: Gordini |
November 2006. Backpacker Magazine. Advertisement: Gordini |
Newsreels
| May 31, 2005. NBC Evening News, Minneapolis | June 3, 2005. NBC Evening News, Minneapolis |
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July 5, 2005. NBC Today News, Minneapolis |
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| October 27, 2005. CBS Evening News, Minneapolis | April 16, 2006. ABC Evening News, Minneapolis |
“If you have a dream never lose sight of where you want to go, be focused.”