When Life Seems Like Mt. Everest...(part 2)

Route Planning
Once you have selected your Expedition Team, you must next determine your route up the mountain, which can either lead you toward great success or tragic failure.

Being in the lead position of a rope team on a glacier can be quite stressful. You not only set the pace for the team, but you also have to exercise extremely good judgment with every step, seeing as one of the primary threats in regards to glacier travel is falling into a crevasse (huge cracks in the ice). So in order to minimize risk, there are several things mountaineers make certain they do.

Gather Beta
Many rock climbers take pride in a successful on-sight climb (leading a climb, on your first try, without any hints – beta). However, glacier mountaineering is a little different. You willingly accept any beta you can acquire: possible routes, route condition, accumulated snowfall, avalanche probability, difficulty, weather forecast, etc. If the particular mountain and route you are interested in has already been done, then you want to learn from that experience. Of course you want to thoroughly vet the beta you receive, as it might be outdated, or even incorrect.

Campsite Selection
Determining where you will camp is not so much about where you will place the tent, rather it is more about your ability to accurately discern how far the team will be able to travel in a given day, allowing for a certain margin of error. This, seemingly simple task, is actually one of the more difficult skills to master in all of outdoor travel. Consideration must be made for pack weight (which changes as food is eaten), accessibility to water, climber ability/fatigue, weather, exposure, acclimation, as well as many others. Pushing the team too hard will likely result with exhaustion or even injury. Not challenging the team's ability will result in boredom, frustration, maybe even desertion.

Cutting Steps
Contrary to popular opinion, traveling on ice can be extremely difficult. Imagine walking down your driveway after an ice storm and you get the picture. Due to this, there are times you must cut steps into the ice, which can be a tedious and exhausting process. Using the adz of an ice ax (the flat, wide end), the person in the lead swings the ax and literally cuts each step into the ice. Care must be made that the distance between steps is just right. Cut steps too far apart and it may cause someone to fall. Cut steps too close together, and precious time & energy are wasted. The interesting thing is, that as each team member uses a single step, it becomes well defined, making it easier for the person after to use the step.

You are probably ahead of me in terms of relating this to our everyday, but when you feel like you are in the dregs of life, the motivation to develop a ‘route plan’ is likely not there, but it doesn't have to be anything formal. Talk to others who have been where you are, determine what your first milestone will be. Give yourself something to focus on and allow yourself a little reward when you get there. Finally, pay attention to the steps you are cutting, pausing to remember to look up to ensure you are still on the right path. The steps we cut in our personal lives will most likely include the difficult (and sometimes horrifying) work of introspection and self-awareness. It is labor-intensive, but required, and most definitely worth it. This is the hard part of life, but it is also where we grow and recognize we may actually be stronger than we once thought we were.

Photo by Dave Pullin: NOLS Outdoor Educator Course '99: Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA.

When life seems like Mt. Everest… (pt. 1)

Expedition Team
Many often speculate at a climber’s motivation to summit a 29,029' mountain. I imagine one reason may be that deep inside each climber looms something so massive, so daunting, that they assign a physical challenge with it. And then, when they are able to face the physical challenge and journey to the top, they reason that they may be able to overcome the internal struggle as well.

Just as each mountain is different, so are there all types of internal struggles. They vary in form, be it addiction, self-esteem, abuse, pride, depression, sin, betrayal, [list your struggle here], but we all have them. It is part of human nature. And although I doubt you have the desire to take up mountaineering, I feel there is a great deal we can learn from those who accept a certain amount of risk in their lives in order to climb these spectacular summits.

When you find yourself in the shadow of one of these mammoths (voluntarily or not), one of the first things to do is figure out who you want on your expedition team. Who is going to climb this mountain with you? This is where you take stock of the tools and skills you have, as well as the ones you are missing. Then identify those around you who can fill any voids. On the mountain you will need a team leader, a lead climber, a cook, a medic, and navigator, communications, sherpas, transportation, etc. What are the tools and skills you need to make it through your internal struggle? Will you need a confidant, a therapist, childcare, a children’s therapist, a pastor, a cooked meal, a best friend, a support group, a mowed lawn, an exercise buddy, accountability?

Surrounding yourself with a small group of people who will be walking alongside of you, whom you trust, who will help you in your time of need, who will be there to pick you up when you fall, who will call you out when you are wrong, who will help you laugh when you need it most, who will tell you the truth in love, and who truly care for you is critical. They will never be able to climb the mountain for you, but they will be there with you every step of the way.

Spend some time thinking about what your needs are, then realize it is okay to ask for help. We aren't supposed to do this in isolation. We were created to be in community, so why is it we always feel like we have to go through these personal crises alone? If you don’t have your team assembled, then start making the calls. I know who my expedition team is…do you?

Photo: NOLS Outdoor Educator Course '99: Glacier Peak Wilderness, WA. That's me in the lead of the rope team.