He paid over $170,000 to climb the Seven Summits — despite being ‘terrified of heights’

The man is not a casual traveler.

The executive coach and speaker has traveled all over the world.

The seven summits are the highest mountains on all seven continents.

He estimated that it took him 14 years to complete it.

He did it even though he was terrified of heights.

In an interview with CNBC Travel, Rigney talked about how much it cost to get to some of the highest points on the planet.

He said he had paid between $170,000 and $180,000 to climb the seven summits.

He said that Everest is the most expensive of them all.

He told them to save and build a plan. It took me a long time. After I went to business school, I got a new job and gradually got through it.

Time away from work is one of the costs. He said his employer supported his goals.

He said that personal goals can help lift the spirits of the company.

The Seven Summits are different in terms of climbing difficulty.

He said that Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro isn't difficult at all.

He said that it's high enough to make some climbers stop at the top.

The mountain can be climbed in a week. It can take two weeks if you are lucky, and three to four weeks if you are unlucky.

He said that Mount Everest takes about 2 months to complete. He said the experience was "excruciatingly painful."

He said that every cell in your body says you shouldn't be here. Your intuition is acting crazy.

Rigney climbed Mount Everest for about four to five hours a day. The rest of the time “you’re recovering in your tent alone … no devices, no internet … nothing.”

He said he was in great shape when he arrived. He said he lost 20 pounds while climbing Everest despite consuming 7,000 to 8000 calories a day.

He said that staying warm requires a lot of energy. He said that everything freezes, including the cameras.

The pee bag we have is called a pee bag. You put the pee in the bag because it's warm.

The climbing season lasts about three to five days. It would be a quick victory if they do.

He said that people don't stay around the summit for long. You get off the mountain as quickly as possible.

Corporate executives are learning from Rigney's lessons he learned from pushing himself, mentally and physically to the limit.

He wrote a book about how he used some of the most harrowing moments from his Everest climb for professional success.

Climbers don’t stay long once they reach Mount Everest’s peak, said Rigney. “You get the heck off the mountain as quick as you can.”

He said he helps people achieve balance and break habits, which pull them along.

He said tricks of the mind can be used to overcome fear.

He said that leaders need to accept things that are out of their control.

He chuckled when he thought about arriving at a small airplane hangar in Kathmandu an hour before his flight.

After climbing the “Seven Summits,” Rigney said he is deliberately choosing travel experiences that are less risky. He said several years ago, he found a hobby that is both challenging and fun: scuba diving.

When Rigney went up to the man, he asked what time he thought we would be leaving. By the end of the week, he said, he hoped to be able to.

He said that a climber who got the same answer exploded with rage.

The guy looked over and there was steam coming out of his ears. This is where you are, I think. It's about the weather in the Himalayas.

It is one of many things we can control and things we cannot.