My muscles strained against my bronzed skin as I pressed my fingers deep in the crack of rock that would provide me security to move ahead. The roughness of the rock pulled hard at my skin. I applied finger pressure, pulling hard towards my weight from the rock. I took my first foothold and I was now climbing. Carefully I searched the rock above me for even the most miniscule indent where I could place my fingers. A rope dangled downward from my waist, controlled by my best friend as he watched every move I made. The ledge I was climbing had been climbed many times before by me and others. I reached up and slid my fingertips into a small pocket on the rock and pulled myself upright. Another step to the top of this massive ledge was taken.
I reached behind me and dipped my hand deep into the pouch of powder all climbers carried to keep the moisture from theiur fingers. They relied on dryness for a firm and secure grip as they climbed. I could feel the sweat rapidly building as I exerted every muscle in my body. My shirt was soaking up the moisture as fast as it could. Beads formed on my brow, ready to make little rivelts down over my skin. Grabbing a foothold I wiped the sweat away from my eyes and forehead. I was ready to move on. I pulled my leg up and pressed the very tip of my toes and climbing shoes into a indentation in the ledge. I looked above me for my next finger hold praying to find a pocket, no matter how miniscule. I applied all my strength and lifted myself on my legs as my hand reached upward and fell perfectly into the spot I chose. I had started a long adventurous journey which was to culminated by me standing high atop the ledge above.
Having climbed for a few years I respected the big horn sheep and other cliff and ledge walkers, having seen first hand what one false step could do. The sun moved higher in the sky and with the increasing heat I wondered if we should not have waited for a cooler day. There was no turning back now, having started down a one way road I pressed on. It would not be much farther before I would sink my first anchor into the rock. I had chosen the spot as I climbed and knew it had to be able to catch and maintain my body weight incase I lost control and fell off the ledge. Many times I had dropped from losing my footing and or grip, falling down a ledge until my body was yanked to a stop by the safety anchor. I prayed every time that I set foot on a mountain or ledge that I would not experience it ever again. I knew however it was one of the many perils of climbing.
One more pull and I was there. Reaching behind me I undid one of the wedge shaped pitons I had bundled. I plced it into a tight fitting crack and with my climbing hammer I started tapping. I was making sure that I did not loosen the rock around it as I watched it steadily go deeper and deeper into the crack until it was seated to my satisfaction. I clipped a snap link onto the piton and slid my rope through it. There I was tied to nature, secure in her hands. I released my legs and hands, held there by my friend below me and nature's hand. I could feel the blood flowing back into my muscles as they slowly relaxed before I continued my climb. Looking around I could see the valley that spread out below me. Off in the distance was the deep mountain lake where my family had alays fished for trophy trout. I could see the mighty river as it wound its way along the valley floor, disappearing here and there from my view. I felt the peacefulness of being alone on the ledge, with only nature as my company.
The sun blazed down upon me, sending the temperature rising higher. I looked skyward and saw no relief in sight as no clouds appeared against the field of blue. I readied to continue my climb, looking for my nex finger hold. Reaching my arm outstretched I placed my fingers in a very small pocket, readied my feet up under me and lifted my body. I brought my feet up under me again, supporting myself as I searched for another finger hold. I slid my fingers along the rock as my muscles tired from holding my body weight. Suddenly my fingers felt a small crack. Sliding along it even farther the crack opened wider and provided a perfect place to pull my self up from. Just as I slid my fingers into the crack, my feet gave way underneath of me. My heart pounded and a lump formed in my throat. Fear rapidly filled me as my feet frantically searched for a foot hold to catch myself before I fell. My fingers were rapidly tiring and my arm muscles ached under the strain of supporting all my body weight.
My right foot finally found a small indentation and I pressed my toes hard against it. I moved my left foot up and down the ledge, finally finding a small place to apply pressure and hold myself. Quickly I took one hand at a time, dipping them into the chalk bag and prssing them back into the crack. I was unknowing how long my feet were going to hold and I was taking no chances. I Stood there for a couple minutes catching my breath before I searched for the route that would lead me higher. I brought my feet up under me and used them to support my body as I reached and searched for the next spot for my fingers. Up and up I went, slowly, stopping to drive in my second piton, securing my safety rope to it. Looking down I could see I had climbed a substantial ways up the side of the cliff but I also knew the hardest part was directly above me. This would be the part that would test my ability, strength and stamina, over every inch.
I prepared myself mentally as I hung there, suspended from the side of this sheer ledge, held securely by a rope that trailed behlow me. The thrill of moments like these was what drew me to this sport and to the mountains I called home. It was time to move on as I knew the rest of the climbers had started their climb behind me and they were stopped by my rest. Pitons would be driven into the rock closer together now as I was about to enter extreme peril. My first hold was a crack that ran horizontal along the ledge as I slid my fingers into it. I pulled my feet under me, holding myself with one hand and my feet I reached out for another finger hold. I found another crack and secured my grip into it. Chalking my other hand I quickly slid it into the crack as well.
I had now started out over what we climber's termed the belly of the cliff. There would be times that I woul dbe hanging from my feet and fingers, like a treed monkey, navigating out and up over the bulge. I paused for a deep breath before I reached around the rock for my first finger grip. I quickly found it, shifting my weight slightly. My second hand immediately fell into an indent in the rock. I tested it for a second to make sure I would be able to hold on knowing that all my weight would be trying to pull me off that cliff. I pressed with my legs, standing with my body suspended a couple hundred feet above the ground below. I looked like a spide perilously making my way across a net, trying not to fall off. I pulled my feet up, taking some of the pressure off of my arms. I reached once again and easily found spots for both hands, snaking my way along the smooth underside of the belly. I had managed to come to the curve and aperfect place for a survival piton to be driven. Carefully I placed it, hammering it in slowly and quickly snapping my rope into it.
I tested my weight on the rope then released my hands and feet as I sat there in my harness, sitting like a child on a swing in a school playground. What an exilherating feeling to be this high up and know that only a length of rope and a piece of metal seperated me from a possible deadly plunge. I had a yell from below to urge me on as the rest were waiting to follow my trail. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, arms and hands and reached back for a thick coating of chalk. The white of the chalk was a deep contrast to deep brown tan of my skin. I moved along up over the underside of the belly until I was once again leaning tight against the smooth rock face of the front. Slowly I moved upward, cautiously making sure that every grip I took with both feet and hands would support my weight.
A couple more and I knew I would be on the relaxing part of the climb, having made it up onto the top of the bulge, where I could stand and usher up the climbers. Reaching for my finger grip I found a small compact indentation for my left hand and pressed my fingers hard against the rock. Reaching with my other hand horror suddenly filled me. I was experiencing a climbers worst nightmare, my left forearm was cramping and I could feel my fingers slipping. The edge of the grip was all that held me from falling now. I knew I had a decision to make. I could fight to keep my balancewith my other hand and feet. This would make my falling even worse as I might slam against the cliff. My other choice was to accept that I Was going to fall and control it as much as I could. I quickly opted for a control fall and let my fingers slip from their grip. I felt the pressure undeneath me release as I used my arms and feet to push against the cliff, stopping me from hammering into and being knocked unconcious.
My only thought now was if the safety piton I had put in would hold all the pressure of my weight yanking on it. It seemed like minutes as I fell downward, yelling to let the group below know that they needed to hang on in casemy rope yanked on them. Any little sudden change in tension could mean them being plucked from the side of the cliff themselves. A violent yank stopped my body from its frightening free fall. I opened my eyes and looking up I could see the piton had stayed and I was now dangling approcimately ten feet below it on the end of a rope. I laid therefeeling little shooting pains running up and down my back. I moved my fingers and toes to see if I had done any serious damage to my back. I had feeling in all extremeties and knew I had been really lucky. Shouts came from below asking if I was all right, which I quickly returned to ease their worries. My one major dillema I faced now as that I was ten feet from any surface at the end of a rope, tied to a harness that stopped me from dropping another three hundred or more feet.
Only way out of this was to get my arms up to the rope and using the rope ascenders that I had carried, to pull myself back up to the ledge.Locking onto the rope and pulling with all my strength I made my way back up the rope. It was a slow muscle draining process and with each pull of my arms I knew I was using much needed muscle strength. Soon I was at the ledge and relaxing my arms. I wondered how I would manage to make it the rest of the way. My body was soaked in sweat, most of my chalk had spilled from its pouch and my whole body ached. Suddenly from somewhere above me I heard someone shout out asking if I was all right. I replied quickly as my heart raced. Had I been so fortunate that climbers were working their way down the cliff and could help me? Had a group gone out before us and had better luck taking a different path over the belly? Only concern I had now was any loose and falling debree from them above me coming down and hitting me.
A rope dangled by my head now as I reached and pulled it to me. I listened as they gave me instructions to tie into it and release the other rope to my group. I was quickly secured to the rope that would guide me to safety, or so I was hoping. I notified the unknown people above me that I was secured to them and they instructed me on how they were going to pull me up over the belly to them. I felt the rope jerk upward, pulling me slowly up the rock as I used my feet to keep my body off the stone ledge. Making my way up over the belly a hand reached out to take mine. Looking up I saw a large smile that I was quite accustomed to. I was looking eye to eye with my boss, the captain of our search. rescue, and recovery office. He laughed as he pulled me up and we stood there as I unfastened the rope from my harness.
I thanked him and the men with him for the help they had given me. They all smiled as my captain slid his arm around my shoulder and we walked back to a couple of rocks to sit a spell. I looked at him waiting for the lecture that I knew was going to come spewing from him. He always made a point of letting any of his men know when they did something, testing the calling of death. After a few minutes he looked me in the eye as I braced myself for his wrath. His smile grew as he said, "I am always having to save you from yourself, ya know that?" I looked at him as he stood, waiting for the rest of his normal lecture. He picked up his climbing rope and aftersecuring it to the ledge he tossed it over the side, letting it uncoil as it fell. He motioned me over to the edge of the ledge we all stood on and with a coy smile said, "You can be our tester, hook up and slide on down to your group. I hooked onto the repel rope and soon was sliding don over the ledge. In seconds I was standing with all the others on flat level ground.
We packed up our gear and started our trek out of the woods. We laughed about the days events, releasing the tension knowing no one had been hurt. I thought back to my boss and his group up there on the mountain still, wondering if they were climbing down or up. I grinned as I thought to myself, "Had to be coming down as he always took the easy way out. With that in my mind we got in our vehicle and headed back home. Tomorrow was a new day and back to work, knowing there ould be pranks and jokes gaolore to listen to until the next recue specialist had to be rescued.
(C) Tall Mountain Dreamer June 1, 2007
