Whether he's climbing up a volcano in Guatemala or exploring the vast landscape in Austria, he's hardly ever sitting still. Meet Simon, a 10-year-old cat that's been on top of more mountains than most people.
His owner, JJ Yosh, runs a YouTube channel with Simon called "Out There," where the duo's travels include 16-hour flights to spend three weeks in the Alps and solo backpacking in Catalina Island. After 10 years of this, Simon's climbed countless peaks, but Yosh still has some big plans.
And yes, that means a run at Mount Everest.
Simon is a black cat, but really, he's like a dog. He comes when he's called and never wanders further than a few feet from Yosh. It wasn't always this way. When Yosh first got Simon, he tried to run away, and was nicknamed
"Diablo" (they didn't hit it off).
Yosh has always connected with cats. But in 2016 when he was on the go all the time, he was far from ready to adopt one. However, his landlord rescued a litter of kittens, and the choice was either to adopt this cat, or it was going to be put to sleep. So, Yosh found himself with Simon.
On the first day, Simon ran away and spent 12 hours hiding under a rock outside. Thankfully, Yosh coaxed him back, and eventually, the two became inseparable.
"After a couple days of having Simon, something kind of clicked. I don't know, maybe he realized that I was his human or something happened. But he became this sort of angelic cat, my guardian angel," Yosh said.
Yosh always lived an active lifestyle, so when he got Simon, this lifestyle wasn't going to stop, it was just going to change. Yosh started by taking Simon on a few hikes, and throwing him on his backpack when he got tired. To Yosh's surprise, Simon hung on to his backpack, and their new system was born. Simon walks some or sits on Yosh's backpack, then when it's time to head back, Simon treks back and meets Yosh at the car.
Yosh didn't just get lucky with Simon, he trained him from a really young age.
He started by getting Simon to be comfortable with a harness, which took some trial and error. Then, he went on to leash training. Yosh said with cats, you can't restrain them with a leash. You need to give them some slack and let them lead.
"Cats, of course, like to lease. So you have to always let them know they're in control. They don't like to feel resistance. So if I'm like holding the leash too hard, he's going to wiggle out of his harness. So with him, you always have to let him think he is moving you," said Yosh.
Yosh said he also never puts food out in a bowl, he feels his cat by hand to build loyalty. These tricks were just part of getting Simon up a mountain.
Simon also spends every day preparing for his next adventure in a house that suits his adventurous lifestyle.
Simon already lives at 8,000 feet in Boulder, Colorado, in a house that's built on the side of a mountain. Inside the house, trees are planted near the kitchen next to the base of the staircase, reaching up to the roof. When Simon's not getting into Yosh's business, he's using his nails to climb on the boulder — a makeshift wall spanning two floors inside the house — or he heads out on one of his many walks per day in trails outside the house.
This house was built in 1971, and the money Simon brought in basically bought the house. There are passageways in the house that only Simon can crawl through, and an endless supply of lizards and packrats around the property for Simon to hunt.
The adventure kitty isn't done after a decade of traveling. His next stop could potentially be a mountain that few only dream of doing, and even fewer complete: Everest.
Yosh's dream has always been to hike the seven summits — the highest peaks on each continent. However, it's easier said than done when it comes to bringing Simon along. Yosh still needs to make sure they have permits, health certificates and finish the long process of bringing a cat along for the ride.
It's a lot of work for a 10-pound animal, but for Yosh, it's a no-brainer.
Why wouldn't he bring his "good luck charm?"
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: He was too busy for a cat. Now, they hike across the world together
