A Captivating Sunrise Was Worth the Effort & Sweat
Response to reciprocal nature prompt: Captivating sunrise
Come with me and celebrate the first rays of the rising sun.
I recall my climb of Mount Cook in New Zealand with fondness. My guide and I left the Plateau Hut at midnight. The air was bracing. The snow under our crampons crunched with each step. The sky was a mass of Milky Way stars. We used headlamps to light our way.
We followed the trail of other climbers on the Linda Glacier. Our goal was to gain the summit of the highest peak in New Zealand. Roped teams of two slogged in the dark. No one broke the silence, each absorbed in private thoughts. I trained for this moment for over a year.
Taking the first steps is tiring. The rest of us would sink our boots in their impressions. My guide caught up to the young men in front. “Why don’t I spell you guys for a while. You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll relieve you setting steps.”
They thanked him with relief. I followed my guide as we took the lead. He weaved past towering ice seracs. How did he know where to go? A seasoned guide he led clients on Mount Cook for years. His pace was steady with no let up. I matched his exact steps. Crevasses stretched in parallel lines across the glacier. The danger was very real. We…
