Hey everyone! My name is Rose, and I am so excited to be able to share my experience in the Canadian Rockies with you all. Similar to Ryan, I share a passion for all things outdoors, including hiking, skiing, and snowboarding (and hats!!!). Many of Ryan’s posts and podcasts have been inspiring to me, making me think more deeply about my experiences. So the following are my thoughts and reflections on how I handled skydiving and rocky mountain climbing. ENJOY
My love for adventure started in August 2017 as I experienced my first time ever camping. Accompanied by two great friends I made in college, Ryan and Neil, we wandered the trails of Glacier National Park, MT. I went for the views and the pictures and came back with a new found love for the outdoors and leaving my comfort zone. It was addicting!
When March 2018 came around, buying those plane tickets to Banff was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I was hooked. I knew what was in store. Blisters, pain, no showering, questionable food, and sleeping on rocks. I couldn’t wait!
Two firsts were set for the week. Skydiving and peaking a mountain (Cirque Peak). Skydiving, by nature, is frightening, and I’ll admit that I was scared. (Especially when they opened that plane door and you are staring straight down to the ground, ten thousand feet below). Oddly enough, all fear left upon exiting the plane, this is hard to describe, yet all other accompanying me on that day agreed. The fear was all rooted in anticipation. What followed was about eight minutes of effortless indescribable excitement, pure joy and adrenaline, not even an ounce of fear. It was so puzzling how the part that was supposed to be the scariest, the actual free fall, was just the opposite. I left there craving more, I would have gone ten more times that day if I was offered that opportunity. To skydive takes one very difficult task, leaving your comfort zone on the runway. But, for those of you on the fence about skydiving, you can do it, trust me. And you will not regret a second of it!
A few days later seven of us ventured out to conquer Cirque Peak. I am not the strongest nor the fastest hiker, but I set my mind on peaking that mountain! We were still 2 or 3 miles away from the base when Cirque emerged above the tree line. It was daunting and mighty. Instantly negative thoughts crept in my mind. “Can you handle that?” I was so scared that I wouldn’t make it to the top. However, I marched on. We had already put a bunch of switchbacks and a thousand feet of elevation behind us. We were tired, but we were ready. At the base, I got my mind right. I knew I was in for it. The first section was sandy, and (what felt like) a 45 degree slope. It only looked to be steeper after that. The rocks seemed to become looser and more slippery as we ascended. I put my poles away and resorted to my hands. It was difficult but I did not want to say I “almost” peaked a mountain so I made the decision to keep going. I never wanted to let doubt slip into my mind. After a sketchy scramble I made it to the final ascent and peaked my head over the top. I challenged that mountain to find my limit, and it had failed. The feeling of accomplishment was palpable. I was on top of the world, this was my first mountain summit ever and it was just under ten thousand feet!! I was tired of course but that never felt like the limiting factor on the way up. Climbing a mountain is a test of mental fortitude and it will humble the best of us. It tested my will power but with a little resiliency and some encouraging hiking partners, we conquered it.
As I sat on that peak and tried to comprehend what we conquered as a team, I felt proud. Next I thought back to earlier in the week, when my feet were dangling out of that plane. And I thought about how scared I was. That fear was incredibly small compared to how I felt climbing the mountain. I know that sounds crazy but that mountain was SCARY. This is something that I’ve wrestled with, because it’s hard for me to understand why free falling five thousand feet was free of fear and full of pure excitement yet climbing a mountain, where your feet are firmly on the ground can be so scary. So why was this? I believe it’s because my fear was that at some point the mountain would get the best of me. I did not want to fail. When you’re scrambling up those rocks, it’s hard to predict what’s next and easy to wonder if you can handle it. Quitting is simple and to not try in the first place is even simpler! Skydiving is sort of similar because it would also be so easy to just wait on the runway. However, what makes it different and EASY is that once you have left that plane there was no way to quit, and failure is not in your hands. Once you are out that door you cannot change your mind, the fear has left, you just simply let go. In my mind this is freedom. Perhaps this is why we find hiking so addicting, because it is constantly testing your limit and fears, testing how far you’d go, how far you can push your mind to tell it to keep moving. You have to convince yourself a thousand times to keep moving, but only once to quit. The odds are not in your favor. This is why the peak is so satisfying and the way up so difficult. Success is a conscious decision.
So what have I learned? First, skydiving is not scary. The anticipation sure was, but the free fall, not at all. It was easy. Second, free falling down ten thousand feet is a heck of a lot simpler than climbing up ten thousand feet. Finally, I have come to realize that what defines us is not our fears, as they are out of our control. If I had let my fear of failure define me I wouldn’t have peaked my first mountain, I wouldn’t have even tried! It is okay to be afraid of failing, or heights, or anything! I believe what defines us is our ability to face, and perseverance to overcome. Our tenacity and willingness to stick those doubtful thoughts in our back pockets and carry on is what makes us strong. As Will Smith once said “…the best things in life are placed on the other side of fear.” You never know if you never try. So face your fears and test them! Skydiving and Rocky mountain climbing were two of the best things I’ve ever done!
Perhaps you feel different, perhaps you have a huge fear of heights or flying or you believe skydiving would be impossible for you. In that case, I’d say that’s the exact reason to try it!
Thank you Ryan and the tosummitup community for letting me share my experience with you guys. Thank you also to the 8 other amazing people who were on this trip, it really is the people who make these experiences unforgettable! I hope you enjoyed my reflections and I hope it is thought provoking for you as well. I hope to read more of your personal mountainous triumphs on this blog very soon. Hike on!
-Rose
