Pt3
Log Book:
A hungry bird hops around our tent searching for a nibble at ten thousand feet. An avalanche rumbles uphill. Tumbling rocks echo off cliff faces rolling down through the valley.
Blinding light of morning penetrates through thin tent walls like living inside a light bulb. I birthed from the cocoon like a grub that hasn’t fully matured. Grubs can’t grow wings.
Standing at the cliff’s edge above the clouds distant white capped peaks loom magnificent.
It is annoying trying to sleep at 6pm with loud neighbors. Even with earplugs the two individuals who recently arrived in a tent next to us, chatty mick chatterson all evening. I was ready to urinate on their tent. Up at that elevation sound carries. Their tent could have been twenty feet away, I didn’t know. I was snug in my mummy bag trying to prepare and rest for the biggest summit challenge of my life.
There would be huge hungry dangerous crevasses we could fall into. Snow bridges that could collapse. Cat-walk like ladder bridges. Sheer cliffs, general elevation fatigue and altitude conditions. I had to be ready at all times for self rescue or becoming a human anchor if my climbing partner would happen upon an unspeakable situation. It was important for us to summit and return to camp by noon. Once the sun starts warming up the snow, some melting can occur causing snow bridges to weaken, and potential avalanches.
Awaking at 11:30pm, under moonlight we began. A clear beautiful night sky touching the dome of the universe. At this elevation it's damn near outer space. I felt like I could taste the milky way.
Tied tandem with climbing rope spaced about thirty feet apart for glacial travel, headlights in the still quiet night, a mystical feeling, alone, this far up in the atmosphere, half way off the planet, everything is dark, cold, empty, silent, peaceful, still.
breath
Step,
Left foot.
Right.
Plunge ice ax.
Darkness all around.
Find the rhythm.
Begin
It is important to be properly trained and educated on mountain climbing and glacial travel. Rope management, knowledge in the right knots, and self care will be the difference in making it up, and back down.
Always to do your homework and buy/read the latest version of "Mountaineering, The Freedom of the Hills"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaineering:_The_Freedom_of_the_Hills
http://tiny.cc/rope-team-travel
http://tiny.cc/how-to-cross-a-glacier
Music by Chelsea Wolfe, "Maw"
This song and album culminated my Mt Rainier summit trip
Thanks for reading
Mount Rainier pt1:
https://steemit.com/adventure/@ghostfish/mount-rainier-14-410
Mount Rainier pt2:
https://steemit.com/adventure/@ghostfish/mount-rainier-pt2-i-ve-been-waiting
