Failure to Summit
I spent the past week preparing for my climb. I was getting pleanty of sleep, hiking small mountains in the area and taking altitude sickness pills. I went out to Cotopaxi on Wednesday and we left to try to summit at 1 am on Thursday. I was tied to the first guide with some Swedish guy while this Aussie girl was tied to the second guide. We got about half way up (about three hours left to the top) when a pretty heavy storm hit leaving powder on the mountain in our path. I was too heavy and kept sinking up to my knees in the snow while my guide and the Swedish guy were able to walk with ease. I was clearly slowing the Swede down and climbing out of these holes was exhausting so I chose to turn around with the second guide and Aussie girl who were ready to go back after she fell in water-filled crevass. 30 minutes later, the Swede and first guide turned back when the weather got even worse. So, climbing Cotopaxi was pretty hellish and ended in failure. Oh well. I think I'm going to head to the coast and sit on the beach for the rest of my trip.
posted by American Dilettante at
10:23 AM
1 Comments:
I quit on my dream to climb Mt. Rainier during the training phase. I had heard that more than 50% don't make it all the way up on their first attempt and bowed to the statistics. This decision is something that is only now starting to disappoint me.
Congratulations for following through on the attempt, Dilettante. Clearly the only alternative was probably to ignore logic and risk your life and others - obvioulsy that not a real choice. I trust that you are able to bask in the glow of how much you kick ass, through setting the goal & following through - from all the training, all the way through the climb, the whole experience. Maybe someday you'll make another run at the summit - maybe not? Would it even matter?
I think you are well aware of how it all works by now.
By
mizerock, at 5:33 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home