Well, what can I say… crazy, yes! Stupid, a little, but sometimes the greatest achievements in life are those where you have to overcome a major obstacle. Let me back up a moment and tell you how I ended up here.
It was my last day in Patagonia, and my last chance to climb the famed Torre mountain route to the glacier cradling its final spire, jetting straight into the sky like the needle of a skyscraper. I had been waiting all week for the best weather, and it was now or never.
It wasn’t the perfect day, but I did have a window of opportunity. I had to summit by 3 PM before an expected afternoon storm moved in.
I did what any reasonable person would do (debatable logic) and got up at 5 AM, cooked breakfast, and hit the trail.
The average hiker could do this route in a few hours, but me, being me, stopped often to shoot videos and photos at every turn. Not my brightest move, but the route was so breathtaking, I couldn’t help myself. If you’ve ever hiked with me, you’ll know this is my kryptonite.
To make a long story short, all was good up the mountain trail. Partly sunny skies, low winds, moderate temperatures (around 48 F / 9 C). Near perfect hiking weather. I was even making good time, arriving early at 12 PM.
Unfortunately, as I crested over the ridge in full view of the glacier field, alpine lake, and the Torre spire ahead, I realized the storm had also decided to arrive early. Over the ridge, the winds raged at full fury, pelting ice crystals, sand, and rocks at gale force speeds at anything daring to stand in its way. There I stood with a number of other hikers, bracing for dear life, some sheltering behind boulders and others pushing forward.
Traversing the final half mile (600 m) to the glacier’s edge was totally out of the question now. That stretch was on a knife’s edge and would surely result in loss of life or limb. No hiker dared try. A few of us pushed forward towards the water's edge. There stood fragments of glacial ice that floated across the alpine lake and touched my toes. My exuberance was palpable but quickly turned to self-preservation as the storm worsened by the minute.
As I and others made our way from the edge toward the protective shelter of the opposite side of the ridge, the winds gusted to levels beyond comprehension, and I watched people get picked up off their feet and dropped on their backs.
The moment was surreal, a bit scary, yet exhilarating at the same time. I came out relatively unscathed; however, my phone suffered a cracked screen protector, even though it had never left my hands. That’s how powerful the winds and debris were.
In reflection, I walked away with a deep sense of satisfaction for having overcome such a difficult moment. The most rewarding achievements in life are often the hardest!
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