The Gap Years
Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back
Buy the Book:Brandeis University Press
Published by: Brandeis University Press
Release Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN13: 978-1684583027
OVERVIEW
At the end of 2019, Tom French retired from a four-decade career in business, determined to return to interests that had defined his youth and see what meaning they still held. One of these interests was mountaineering. Another was adventure travel, with a particular focus on Nepal. A third was cross-country ski racing. Over the following three years, he rebuilt his athletic strength, competed in cross-country ski marathons, and climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, including two expeditions to Everest. On the first Everest climb, a cyclone forced him to turn around high on the mountain and descend the treacherous Lhotse Face in a blizzard. On the second, he approached the mountain through the remote Makalu Barun region, the first Everest climber ever to do so, and climbed to the summit on a moon-lit night. This is a book about much more than Everest. It is about beauty and joy found in wild places, about cross-country ski racing and mountaineering more broadly, and – most of all – about a journey to find meaning in life and reconnect with the passions of youth.
ADVANCE PRAISE for The Gap Years
"The Gap Years is engaging, exciting, and revelatory - an adventure story that will take the reader to some of the remotest places in the world and yet remains grounded in the more familiar terrain of the human heart."
—Nathaniel Philbrick, Bestselling author of In the Heart of the Sea, Mayflower, and Travels with George
"It's not too late for extraordinary adventure! Tom French makes a compelling case, I think, that trying hard things when you're older offers different rewards than in one's youth—this is a beautiful account that will almost certainly get you out the door!"
—Bill McKibben, author of Long Distance, and founder Third Act
“Tom takes us on an inspiring journey and so much more in his beautifully written book. He has penned a mountain climber’s white-knuckle thriller all the while closely examining the arc and purpose of life. To read it is to be moved!”
—James Gorman, Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, former CEO of Morgan Stanley
“An inspiring and thrilling account of a quest to fulfill the dreams of youth and summit the most challenging mountains of the world, from Mount Washington to Aconcagua to Everest. A story not just about the power of determination, but more importantly about the restorative power of the outdoors.”
—Nicole Zussman, President and CEO of the Appalachian Mountain Club
“In The Gap Years, Tom French embarks on a profound journey that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the pull of their passions amidst the demands of life. This inspiring exploration of aging, adventure, and self-discovery reminds us that it is never too late to reconnect with the dreams that define us.”
—Wendell Weeks, Chairman and CEO of Corning
“Tom French has provided conclusive proof that 60 is the new 40. The Gap Years is a tremendous adventure story and vibrant travelogue. It is also a poignant and sensitive insight into one man’s efforts to balance family and occupational commitments with a life-long passion for testing himself on some of the world’s highest mountains.”
—John Morton, author of A Medal of Honor and Sports and Life, multi-time Olympian
EXCERPT
Prologue
In December 2019, shortly before Christmas, I drove to the office for the last time. In the final enactment of a daily ritual I had performed for thirty-three years, I arrived at a building overlooking the Boston waterfront and pulled into my spot in the underground garage. I walked through the marble-floored lobby, passed the gourmet coffee shop, and waved at the security guards as I entered the express elevator. I had wondered how doing all this for the last time would feel. It felt pretty normal.
When my firm moved to this new building in 2013, I ended up in one of the prime offices, with views over the burgeoning Seaport District. There was always plenty to look at: boats crossing the harbor, office buildings going up over the piers where clipper ships used to dock, and a steady stream of planes taking off and landing at Logan Airport. I enjoyed monitoring the daily air traffic: early morning commuter flights to the Eastern Seaboard, wide bodies to the West Coast, and afternoon arrivals of the long-haul jumbos from Europe. I had spent a lot of time on all those flights.
On this last day, I removed photographs and mementos from the walls, threw files into a shredder bin, and prepared my laptop for return to the IT Department, pausing occasionally to enjoy final views out the window. The office was quiet. Many people had already left for holiday vacations and others were doing last-minute shopping. Over the past weeks, there had been some nice events at which people said gracious things and wished me well. I didn’t expect any of that today. By midafternoon, I was done. I left my identity card on the desk, walked down the hallway to the elevators, exited the building, and headed home.
The following afternoon, I was in northern New Hampshire, anchored to a vertical ice cliff by the front points of my crampons and two ice axes.....