- 2,305m (7,562 ft) Station 5 -
Pitch black midnight. Head lanterns are synchronized with the movement of each curious glance at unfamiliar surroundings. Quiet, tranquil. The chilly air and the fog caught by the lamps suggest an eery existence. Despite what on-line predictions
say about hiking after climbing season, the parking lot at the bottom of a small hill provides a handful of cars, which infers the mountain won't be alone on this night. Invisible to the naked eye, the stars hide above the clouds. The walking begins up the hill toward the onset of the path and nerves slowly arise, as only a four hour car ride can provide. Your gut whispers faintly, "I'll give you my nerves if you can control them." You listen and move on.- 2,400m (7,874 ft) Just past Sation 6 -
Steady conversation with climbing mates keeps the mood light and you're surprised at how quickly the first stage has already come and past. The excitement is long from worn off and the reality of hiking nearly 1,500m in 5 hours hasn't yet registered. The air is invigorating and the path is wide. The incline is apparent but the excitement overrides any negativity. Body and mind are in the same place and expectations are high. Trees are scarce and the only sound other than words is the calm, crunching of volcanic rocks beneath your feet. Left stride, right stride, short step, long. You take your coat off because your back is sweaty and tell the guys to wait up. Your feet whisper, "I'll give you balance if you can keep it." You listen, grab your pack and move on.
- 2,700m (8,858 ft) Station 7 -
A slight strain has begun to set in. The incline, paired with the length of walking (1.2 hours) is getting it's share of attention from your legs. The darkness provides a fascinating dynamic: there is little visibility and the distance, time and space from one destination to the next is masked. It becomes a battle not of time, but rather of will and mental distance. There is only the proverbial finish line and the rest is darkness. However, along with this mysterious identity of space, there is a lingering quintessence from the unknown surroundings. Constantly facing the mountain and climbing upward, it becomes natural to lose track of everything outside of you, the path and the methodic trudge of your tennis shoes. However, blessing comes in the realization of the vastness behind you. It's at that point of realization that your shoes stop shuffling, your head pics up and slowly turns. The hushed lights in the sleeping town from which you came, glitter dimly below. Sides of mountains are visible from the town's lights, which show off the night's different shades of black. The path below is barely recognizable, yet the desire to SEE how much distance you've covered is slowly replaced by the idea that actual distance is irrelevant. The vastness becomes your reason for being here and your soul whispers, "I'll give you my pride, if you swallow it whole." You listen and move on.
- 3,020m (9,908 ft) 8th Station (2.5 hours past) -
The mountain has waged war on your body. The terrain has changed completely. What was previously a high incline on a widened path of switch-backs, has become a steep and rugg
ed incline scattered with rocks and boulders. It's clear
that this portion must be conquered with the accompaniment of hands and arm strength. Chains and white arrows guide the path above, yet placement for feet and hands have no direction or signs. You've graduated from walking, which has been replaced by thrusting, pulling and hoisting up onto rocks. Thighs burn, calfs ache and with each step, your arms realize they are not doing as much work as your legs. They try to compensate, but with this assistance comes full-body fatigue and you realize pulling and grabbing may overexert your overall energy too much. Therefore, you go back to relying on just your legs. You scan your brain and think back on all of the information and advice your friends gave you about the hike before you came and you don't remember hearing a thing about this portion. Your thighs whisper, "I'll give you more, if you can take it." You listen, smile and move on. - 3,350m (10,990 ft) Past Station 9 -
The infamous sun begins to make it's debut. As it creeps ever so slowly, the first glint of light can be seen when you
turn your head and look directly behind you. It's almost as if the eye of the sky is beginning to open and the light blue shade depicts the top eyelid. The orange sliver at the horizontal ridge means the giant is awakening and with it's opening, light will spill out over everything. This introduction to the powerful star is deceitful however, because after being awake all night with the expectation of this one momentous event looming, the slightest introduction to the sun creates a vague reality. There is still a large portion of the mountain to climb and bodily strain is still imminent. Not only this, but as you ascend, you begin to see many moving lights above you. While you were focussing on your body, your mind, your energy and your strength, you completely forgot about the rest of the world. In doing so, you disregarded the rest of the head lamps that would be making their way to the summit at the very same time. These other lamps had a different plan. It seems that they chose to hike up earlier in the night and when they got to the 9th station, they decided to sleep until the perfect time for the last haul. Sudden panic sets in as you realize you have 45 minutes to get to the top before the sunrise takes place and no more than 10m from where you stand, an enormous queue has formed that follows all the way to the top. Hurriedly you catch up to the line and your quick, steady pace comes to an unanticipated standstill. You look back at the sky and shades of black have been effortlessly painted pink and blue. Control has escaped you and once again you are at the mercy of the mountain. Your patience whispers, "I'll give your reward, if you exert me." You listen, unmoving.
- 3,776 (12,388 ft) Summit - 10 minutes before sunset -
It's a funny thing trying to put this moment into words. There aren't many that can do it justice. Maybe a couple: Awe, Beauty. These words however, are merely tools that are commonly known in our language, which in this case, are used to express one's feelings. When you go through a full body experience such as this, it's a big brick wall that you run into when such feelings have no words to be paired with. All we can do is try to find the essence of what made that moment amazing. The feeling of satisfaction fills your heart and reminds you of who you are. The rush of adrenaline surges through you like an orgasm, a runner's high or a straight-A report card. You have the ability to share it and that allows you to connect and feel satisfaction. However, when it's stripped of all it's exteriority, it can't be touched, taken or seen by anyone. This is the most satisfying awareness of all. No one can touch it because it's yours and it will always be. Your eyes whisper, "I'll give you this treasure, if you promise to remember." You listen, close them and lock it away.
If you'd like to see all the pictures feel free to copy and paste this link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30051362@N07/
No comments:
Post a Comment