Moving Mountains

When I was in 7th grade, my dad handed me the book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. The story is written in first-person perspective from a journalist-cum-adventurer who attempts to summit Mt. Everest in pursuit of the ultimate story. Little did he know that he would be part of a bit of history now known as "The Everest Disaster," referring to a single day of the 1996 climbing season, May 11, 1996, when eight people died on Mount Everest during summit attempts. In the entire season, fifteen people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest single year in Mount Everest's history.

The book was both gripping and harrowing to read, engrossing me in every detail of their expedition, from preparations at base camp to turning back just hundreds of feet from the summit, to leaving members of the expedition for dead on the side of the mountain. It was a book about how deadly and dangerous it was to climb such a mountain, and it made me instantly want to try it. I was going to become a mountaineer, some way, some how. The book had the same effect on my dad, and he and I claimed we'd go summit Everest together one day.

Little did I know, that ten years later, I would take up the sport of rock climbing. I wasn't outdoorsy until I graduated college, and even car-camping would have been a far stretch for me just a few years ago. But now, I camp on a regular basis and love heading out into the woods to hike or to find somewhere to climb.

Last night, a friend invited me on facebook on a trip to go winter backpacking at Mount Rogers in Virginia. I was tempted to jump on board, but was ashamed because I'd actually never really been backpacking. Perhaps my first trip shouldn't involve snow and sub-freezing temperatures. So I declined.

As I drove into work today, I thought about how much I love climbing, and my dreams as a kid to summit the tallest mountain in the world. Where did those go? Why hadn't I put two and two together yet and attempted mountaineering? Perhaps because I don't know where to start? That's no excuse.

So here's my belated New Year's resolution: I will climb a mountain this year. I don't know when, where, or how, but I'm going to get to it... and maybe tackle Everest next year. ;)