Don’t you love it when you stumble upon a fascinating book? I absolutely do, and earlier this year I came across the book Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home (Parrado, N. (2006) Crown Publishers). It caught my attention initially because I was too young to be aware of this tragedy when it occurred, and I was a bit curious. Once I started reading, I was drawn into the details of it because of some of the key planning and goal-setting methods the author used to help rescue the final 16 survivors of a plane crash.

This notable tragedy occurred on Friday October 13, 1972. (Yes, Friday the 13^th if you are superstitious).   This chartered flight was carrying a rugby team called the Old Christians, along with supporters and family members. This team from Montevideo, Uruguay, was flying to Santiago, Chile to play an exhibition game with the Chilean champions. The author, Nando Parrado gives a first-person account of the event, and the spectacular journey of him and another team member to save the remaining group after over half of the 45 crew and passengers perished either in the crash or shortly thereafter. After spending 2 months at the crash site, the two hiked 70 miles through the rugged snow-covered peaks of the Andes Mountains to rescue the remaining survivors.  

From a planning perspective, this poignant story catches your attention because it had the following elements:

• The survivors developed a goal (to rescue themselves), but didn’t know how to execute it.
• The odds of success were miniscule, but the outcome for failure was catastrophic (starvation and death).
• They had few resources and had to use a continuous trial and error methodology to not only survive, but implement their rescue plan. 

Nando Parrado’s incredible biography of this event was noteworthy because of the two mental tools he implemented:

1. Visualizing successful achievement of the goal
2. Implementing incremental steps to benchmark progress

Regarding the visualization, Nando continuously visualized reuniting with his beloved father. He mentally rehearsed how he could help his father cope with the death of his mother and one of his sisters in the crash.  

As for the importance of implementing incremental steps (like benchmarks, which we use for retirement planning), Nando tells in colorful detail the enormous obstacles they faced in navigating the Andes Mountain range. With his shoes falling apart, Nando tells of how he would climb for hours, focusing his attention on a target— “a rock, a shadow, an unusual ruffle in the snow—until the distance to that target became all that mattered in the world” (Parrado, 2006, p. 190).

Not only does the book outline the successful accomplishment of the rescue, but it subtly highlights the transformation of Nando himself.  

In the 50 years since the crash, he pursued and achieved multiple goals. He married a lovely woman, raised two daughters, and worked with his wife and father to not only take over and expand his father’s business, but also engage in multiple other business ventures. His life is an example of the adage that success begets success.

Above all, you may find this book an interesting read because of the perspective it gives you. No matter what circumstances are right now, they likely pale in comparison with being stranded in freezing cold temperatures without food, warm clothing, running water, or other necessities.  

You may recall our three-step approach to planning which includes articulating the following 3 key elements: where you are now, where you want to be, and how you will get there. In this story, the survivors weren’t exactly certain where they were, where they needed to go, or a planned approached to getting there. Their first few attempts to rescue themselves failed and they were forced to regroup. They had to retrace their steps or completely change their course of action many times. They had to continually experiment and moved forward with tremendous uncertainty. Perhaps most important: their efforts worked. This story had a happy ending for the remaining 16 survivors of this crash. Nando had made a promise to the group that he would have them home to their loved ones by Christmas, and on December 23, 1972, the remaining survivors were rescued.

So, if you have been craving a well written and gripping tale of adventure, creative thinking, survival, and success, I recommend adding this one to your reading list. 

As always, we are here to serve you and help you navigate your financial obstacles.  Please reach out if there is any way we can help you.

Link to Book on Amazon:

Read more in this Wikipedia entry with additional details on this event.

Kristina Bolhouse, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Vice President/Shareholder

© 2023 Kristina Bolhouse and The Arkansas Financial Group, Inc., All rights reserved.

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