Peter Panagore’s story begins with a near-fatal mistake. He and his climbing partner reached the top of an ice climb in the Canadian Rocky Mountains just as the sun set. The temperature plummeted—perhaps by 30 degrees or more—and though they were aware of the dangers of the wilderness, they were unprepared to spend the night exposed. What was meant to be a one-day ice climbing trip turned into a desperate survival situation. Peter had grown up in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in a loving Greek-American family. He was the youngest of five, raised in a home filled with culture, tradition, and a strong sense of community. But his life changed when his older sister Andrea, whom he deeply admired, ran away from home during the cultural revolution of the '60s. Her departure devastated the family and left a lasting wound. Years later, Peter left home himself, joining a student exchange program that led him to Montana, where he immersed himself in outdoor activities—ski patrol, ...