Adventure

The sun stared, lidless and relentless, down at the dust and sand I slowly traversed. The town that baked there was hardly deserving of any name connoting civilization, much less that desert wayfarer’s dream-word, “oasis”. No waving palm trees; no pools of cool water to waste on dry and cracked feet. Still, to anyone like myself who had somehow survived even a brief stay in the arid deserts (in the quest for companionship), the low huts that provided shade were as welcome as Eden itself. I sat down against a wall in the center of the town. No one moved about in the heat of the day; for all I knew, the entire town had been wiped out by a sandstorm. I lowered my head and fell instantly asleep.

You should all be relieved to hear that Dan and I did not die on Mt Whitney. Though the summit attempt was a good deal more difficult than it was supposed to be, due to weather. In fact, on our way up the last 1,000 ft or so, our group kicked off a couple small avalanches, causing the team leader to declare emphatically that conditions were very unsafe. Things were so bad, we descended immediately, packed up camp (at 12,000 ft) as quickly as possible, and rushed all the way down the mountain. So unfortunately, we did not summit Mt Whitney. I did get this great picture of it during a short lull in the rogue winter storm that hit us: ...

(taken from summitwhitney.com): Well, the days have gone by, and we’ve been training to the best of our ability; now we are on the eve of the climb. Right now Dan and I are having a gear check, then we’re going to start the drive to Lone Pine, CA, at the foot of Whitney. The drive is made longer since we can’t go through Yosemite at this time of year–we’ll have to go all the way up to Tahoe, then catch the 395 down. We hope to get in a bit of bouldering at Bishop if we have time. I’m not exactly sure how the trip will go, but any worries will have to be put aside, since now is the time for action. It’s time to trust in our guides, our gear, our training, and our resolve to get us safely to the summit. The Summit for Someone website recommended that we ‘be in the best shape of [our] lives’ for the climb. It’s probably safe to say that we are! We’ll do a full write-up and post pictures whenever we get back, after a hopefully successful summit. For now, your prayers for safety are appreciated! And of course, you have our thanks for following our progress and for donating to support our climb. We’re confident that your contribution will have a great impact on kids’ lives this summer.

(this is part III of my recent European trip journal. If you haven’t seen them yet, you should read part I and part II) 4-2, 8:11 AM, The Aegean I slept fitfully last night…it didn’t feel like I slept at all, but 5:30 AM eventually did come. Rachel and I were out of the hostel at 6, meeting up with our hostel-mate Victor, who was traveling to Santorini on the same boat as us. We walked the deserted Athens streets and caught the Metro to Peiraias in time to buy a sandwich and board our ferry–a large, cruise-style ferry with first class, cabins, etc… I think it counts as the biggest ship I have ever sailed on. The seats are large and comfortable! When we set sail, I went to the deck and took pictures of the sunrise as we were leaving port. Again, there was a sense of excitement, as well as a sense of deep sadness. Here at this port and in this ocean were spawned the tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Great men and adventurers saw the same hills as they worked their sails in the harbor. Then, leaving was actually meaningful–the weather was fickle, and there was never a sure return. Traveling took adventure and commitment. Now, all it takes is 30 euros. The port was bustling this morning, as it would have been 2,500 years ago, but today it was filled with the noise and smell of cars, and the waiting ships spouted black smoke in the air. What sadness! Are there any adventures left? It doesn’t seem so. The ocean is a sea of calm, barely a ripple as we glide through. But I wish, just a little, that a storm would come and make things more interesting.