Personal Narrative: Conquering Leatherman Peak

An informational article clearly stated the risks. They said that climbers “not only have to reach the summit safely, they also have to make their way down”, that “they may not be skilled enough”, they could face “bad weather”, and there is a “ lack of oxygen”. These hazards show the risks, and why mountain climbing is very difficult.

Pine needles and underbrush crunched underfoot as I climbed uphill on the mountainside. The forest canopy acted as a strainer, blocking all but the most lucky rays of sunlight. Sweat rappelled down my face and jumped off the tip of my nose, falling to the soft earth. My body commanded me to stop, to rest, to give up. For days I had already hiked and camped among the Blue Ridge Mountains with no sense of accomplishment, and I hungered for satisfaction. Rain and constant change in elevation broke my spirit, and encouraged me to go home. I felt as if nature itself taunted me, pushing me to give up. It became my worst enemy.

Perfecting a certain skill can take a very long time and a lot of hard work.

With death being an inevitable conclusion to life, it can be said that the true value of a life is not determined by how long it was lived or what was done during its time, but from what it left behind. In a sport of pushing the physical and psychological boundaries, climbers seek recognition in their achievements, whether it is by finding a new climb that will measure its test of time or being the first to climb a daunting line

I was born in February in Nineteen Ninety-Nine. As a little kid all I would do is whine. I played on a soccer team with my friends. We would always hang out on the weekends. I went to a small, private elementary school.

In the book Into The Wild most of the mountaineers go to climb mountains ill prepared or

I have never climbed a mountain before, so I don’t know what mental and physically challenges they when though, but after watching the film it has opened my eyes on how hard it would be to climb a mountain like the one they did. I had dreams before I watched this movie and in my dreams my rope has come lose and I am falling, falling, and all the way down I am screaming, "Stupid! You're so stupid! You climbed all the way up there just so you could fall back down!” Now there is a movie that is more frightening than my nightmares. “Touching the Void” is the most harrowing movie about mountain climbing I have ever seen.

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain peak in the world. Many people of reached its peak while others perished along the way. It is a extremely difficult challenge to reach the top but the challenge is what makes reaching the top so gratifying. It’s climb can also be a symbol for life and the changes in life that everyone goes through to ultimately better themselves. The challenges in life can also be related to this quote,” A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go through the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.” The clay pot being life and the white heat of the furnace being the difficult challenges you go through in life.

Finally, the many voices of the climb must be analyzed in order to help us understand how all the different perspectives make this story what it is today. From those of the climbers who survived to the parents of those who didn’t, to the media, and the public, this story is still one of cloudy facts and unknown details told in many different ways depending on the story teller. By piecing them together we were able to form the background of the story, yet when we tell each an individual we gain a unique perspective into different sides of the

Everest is the literal peak of any climbers career, a standard that many gaunt-faced ancients have laid claim to and that only a few privileged people have the opportunity to attempt each year. Even within the most experienced camps of the esoteric climbing elite when assembled summiting is never guaranteed, ever. while preparations are being made a plethora of factors must be considered with great attention given to even the most minute details. everest has a multitude of adverse conditions that can be presented at any time and the omnipresent and overshadowing feeling of entropy could be the greatest adversary to any mountaineer. This confusion caused by low oxygen, cold weather, malnutrition, and overexertion combine to create a perfect

My heart was thumping heavily, as the bus took a turn towards the mountains. I didn’t know why I had agreed, but it was too late to turn back.

The start of the hike isn’t bad, it’s still early so its not to hot yet. After a little bit more of hiking you could start felling the legs become heavier. As you get up a little further you look back and see the disappointment on people’s eyes because they had to turned back because they didn’t have what it took. When

It was an overcast Saturday in May and a day that I will never forget. Fear of the unknown, fear of inadequacy, fear of my abilities, fear of people I barely knew, and in the midst of my fear I realized time is up! I was at the base of Winding Stair Gap and about to begin a steep 6.2 miles hike up a winding trail at an elevation of 1,500 ft. Fear was stuck in the middle of my throat, and I began to question myself about my decision. I thought, “oh Lord Jesus, I cannot do this”, so I began to pray.

The next key is a painfully obvious one, practice. Practice is needed to perfect any skill, as well as master it. While trying to master a skill, many refer to practice as something they have not something they do. Leonard goes on to write, that practice is a path upon which you travel, the ending destination is mastery. Practice should become a part of daily life, not only something that must be done but needs to be done. Surrender, is the next key, it is inevitable that any new learner will feel clumsy. This sometimes can hinder the learning process, because the learner’s defenses are up. In order to master any skill you must get past the initial feelings of uncertainty are truly learn to trust your instructor. If he or she asks you to do something, give it a shot, it just might work. Personally I believe this next key is the most essential to the success of mastering any skill, intentionality. Leonard describes intentionality as character, willpower, attitude, imaging, and the mental game all wrapped up into one. The mental game is what I believe is the single most important thing to success in any skill. Visualizing a perfect golf swing and then attempting will help the shot. Golfer Jack Nicklaus said “A successful shot was fifty percent visualization, forty percent setup and only ten percent swing.” The last key to mastery the Leonard gives us is what he calls “the edge.” The edge comes when someone has mastered an art and is more likely to push the

Through all of this I got more and more tired. My helpless ankles relying on the sturdy hiking boots strapped tightly onto both of my feet, and I hope that they do not give out on while I am hundreds of feet away from the base of the mountain and the start