Cliffed Out!

The goal that day was Mount Yale. We were taking the non-standard route to the peak from Kroenke Lake. In most of my climbing adventures the day starts one way and ends another. It seldom goes as planned. It is generally an evolving strategy with the beginning and end always in mind but, unforeseen variables are almost a given. When you make a bad decision it sometimes leads you to a cliff where you cannot continue on. On this day my best friend and climbing partner set out with great hopes and the summit in view. Somewhere along the way we detoured. The path to the mountain led over a series of ridges, which from below looked ominous, dangerous and risky. We decided to take the "safe route", choosing rather to skirt around the edge of the mountain. It was a big mistake. The route was difficult. It took much longer than it should. We did finally make the summit.

The summit of a mountain is a magical place. You can see for miles. The exhaustion you feel, the thin air and the top of the world view make your head spin and create this euphoria that is hard to describe. We celebrated, snapped a few pictures and then started back. This time we were not about to traverse back the way we came. We chose an even "safer" route. We descended down the mountain into a valley where the grass was green and rolling and there was no difficulty in sight. Big mistake. We did not learn from our previous mistake. We descended down into the valley and then approached a pass that we would have to overcome to continue on our way. By this time we had been hiking for nearly seven hours. We approached the base of the pass and I can still remember the feeling of looking up at that pass. It was at least 750 ft to the crest and beyond lay two more miles of difficult terrain to get to camp, some food, my sleeping bag and safety. I was utterly exhausted. I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I believed in my heart that there was no way that I could continue. A series of bad decisions had led me here to this place, this moment, this climb. I put myself in a position where there were no other choices. Despite what every cell in my body was telling me I had to continue on. And I did. We made it back, but learned some valuable lessons. Fear is a powerful motivator. It can warn us of danger but it can also push us to make poor decisions. What seems safer is not always better and even when we think we are making the logical, practical decisions it can cost you.

I am at the bottom of that mountain pass today. The climb is difficult and more than I want to bare but there is no other choice. I must push on.

God, carry me over obstacles seen and unseen. When the obstacle cannot be avoided, and when it is to my benefit carry me through. Help me to follow your way even when it seems impractical, improbable or frightening knowing that where you lead me is where I want to be.