Laurie Skreslet was raised as an only child in Calgary, Alberta. At the age of 16 he left home and 2 years later was introduced to mountain climbing in 1970. Within two years Skreslet became a member of a successful expedition to Peru's highest mountain Huascaran. Over the years he became an expert in rock climbing, ice climbing, working in high altitudes, and Alpine climbing. As a result, he decided to become an instructor at Colorado and Canadian outward bound Mountain Schools and has taught over forty-five classes. Over the years he still hasn't retired from climbing, has participated in over forty-five world class expeditions and continues to operate his business leadership and challenge courses in the Canadian Rockies. In 2012 he celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Everest climb that gave him the title of the First Canadian to climb Mt Everest.