THE FALL OF THE WILD

The wind cuts into my face, and the snow, falling harder now,
obscures the surrounding jagged peaks and the rocks lying hundreds of feet below until my world becomes a vertical wall of ice and snow. I step up, throw throw, kick kick – the ice axes and crampons responding with satisfying, muffled thuds as they sink in. Then, after one last look down into the white abyss below, I push off from the cliff... to my surprise, the three foot drop expands to five with the stretching of the rope, twisting me in mid-air, to finally careen into the cliff side with a rather less satisfying thud.



Today is no expedition deep in the Andean mountains
or a technical climb in Banff. No, I was on a totally different, more important quest – training, to ensure I can get back in one piece from such places if everything doesn’t go as planned. Safely handling an emergency situation where a climbing expedition deteriorates to a self-rescue situation is a test not only of skills, but also of self-confidence and mental will-power. Thus I find myself alone in the Rocky Mountains, with only my experience, gear, and nerves to battle the unwelcoming environment.

I check that all my equipment is still attached after the fall – resources that could mean life or death on a big mountain. Then I make a mental note to drop my arms next time so I don’t get the pointy ends of the ice axes so near my soft spots while spinning. Throw throw, kick kick, cinch – this time moving up the prusiks (small cord loop knots that secure me to the main line), taking up the slack so I will not fall again. It is surprising how easy the prusiks move even after a big fall. I smile, the new pieces of gear are beginning to lose their shine and earn my trust. Honing my techniques, I practice many more falls, ascents on the fixed line, setting up anchors, tying and untying knots with and without gloves, and much more until my tracks leading to the base of the ice flow are covered with a blanket of new snow.

Three months later, I find myself at the top of Mount Rainier
enjoying the view with two friends. Prepared for the worst, we reached the summit and then returned to the base unguided, traversing under avalanche and rockfall areas, around crevasses, and over ice bridges for an amazing and incident-free climb – just the way we like it!





Return to my short stories webpage here