I spent five hours today rock climbing. What I enjoy about the climbing is the exhilaration of ascending the 60 foot wall and the descent. I like the danger which is minimal when you are not on an actual rock face and when you are on the rock face. It is the power of being able to conquer mother nature.
Today, I pushed myself to the point that my biceps, triceps and deltoid are aching. My extensor digitorum, extensor pollicis longus and extensor carpi ulnaris are still twitching. I at least wore my ace wrap on my right knee which I know has a lateral meniscus tear, however, the wrap has at least saved my knee today as I have no swelling. I know I am so pushing myself but this is my exercise, my joy and what keeps me going.
The reason for the blog is that I have found so much challenge and joy in climbing. My little obsession.
When I came home tonight, ate a bit then sat to relax as my body is not liking that i am pushing it. Decided to watch a movie and ended up watching a documentary called "Touching the Void" the story of Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, the only two mountaineers to successful alpine climb the Siula Grande in the Andes.
One thing I admire is that they actually climbed to the peak of the Siula Grande. They used the skill and knowledge needed to conquer the mountain. However, upon the descent Joe fell putting excessive pressure on his left leg causing the fibula to jolt up and bang into his femur causing a severe break. Simon tried to get Joe off the mountain after going over a huge ice ledge and making no progress, Simon thought Joe was dead and cut the 150 foot rope.
Luckily, Joe had fallen in a crevasse in a glacier and miraculuslly made his way down to basecamp and out of the Andes alive.
Brings me to my point, should we be climbing these high peaks? Everest has become the "tourist" mountain for unexperienced climbers. Look back at the 1996 disaster on the mountain in which two of the worlds most experienced mountaineers sacrificed their lives to save the unexperienced climbers who paid them to take them on the mountain.
The dangers of climbing over 20,000 feet; ice, poor oxygen, frost bite, extreme wind chill, changes in temperature from day to evening, dangerous descents, storms, white outs, and more dangers.
My thoughts, climbing is a fun adventurous sport however it is dangerous and important make sure you double check your knots, equipment, have trust worthy climbing partners and experience. Personally for myself, I would not go up Everest, K12, Siula Grande or any other high peaks. Our grand creator of the earth did not intend for humans to be at such elevations. Kudo's to those whom climb the elevations. You will still see me on the rock but I won't be in places of snow and ice.
No comments:
Post a Comment