Skaman
11-06-2003, 07:35 PM
Hey guys, I recently wrote this for my English class. The topic was: Describe a job experience...
Kananaskis: a pristine area of the Rocky Mountains rich in tree top foliage, sprawling rock giants, and a cool mountain breeze. The drive through on the Trans Canada highway makes everything else feel so insignificant and miniscule; the immense topographical region is overwhelming, reinforcing the idea that one is but just a small unit of this elaborate macrocosm that encompasses all life. With millions of years the process of weathering and mountain gorging has forged this beautiful area into what it is today. I truly count myself lucky to be offered the opportunity to travel to Kananaskis and climb the immense Mt. Lady Macdonald as a member of the Canadian army reserve. This mountain operations course offered me an opportunity to challenge myself and test my potential in overcoming such a monumental task.
It was early August 2003; the ten of us were waiting at the bottom of a creek bed to depart on the long journey ahead of us. Beads of sweat rolled down my face, and ripples of heat hovered above the ground like a tarmac at a race track. I struggled to my feet with my 45lb. C6 machine gun strapped to my back, along with my harness, ropes, webbing, and other assorted climbing and combat equipment. This was it, we were on the move; I had my own self doubts as I glared up into the beating sun trying to locate the summit some 2000 meters from where I stood. The early hours of the day did not prove too difficult as we traversed fallen logs in the cool glacier fed river, and hiked in a general lateral direction, free of any significant uphill portions. Lady MacDonald’s lush forest almost put you into a sublime trance; unconsciousness to what was going on, far too focused on the sprawling wilderness, rich in wildlife and untouched by man.
It was 16:00 and we had finally reached the route which we were traveling to the peak. Analyzing the route proved impossible, as the actual angle of the climb was obscured by a canopy of trees and jagged rock outcroppings. None of us actually knew how long it would take to reach the top, yet we continued on our bearing and pushed uphill one foot after the other. The farther we climbed the more difficult the trail came to be. Loose gravel, displaced earth, and slack stumps made it easy to lose your footing and tumble down the mountain side, particularly at a steep sixty degree angle. The vertical wooded portion of the mountain was taking a toll on the troops as heavy breathing and gasping forced one of the privates to withdraw from the exercise and set up a secondary firebase in the creek bed some two kilometers down the slope. If Lantz could not complete this training, then what is to say I could, after all, we are both in equal shape, and tasked with identical equipment. Facing my friends and family upon failure would be far too difficult, this was not an option. I carried on despite my fears I too would have to fall out, my pride and stubborn ego pushed me onward. I can do this.
Judging the current topography, our patrol had climbed as far as we could. Currently, the nine of us stood at the edge of a giant gorge, realizing the rest of our trail was beyond this 200 meter obstacle. The only option at this point was the create a zip line where we could glide to the other side, then rappel down the rock face only to trudge up another creek bed and continue our precipitous ascent to the summit.
What occurred next can only be described as a leap of faith. I slowly fastened my locking carabineer from my harness to the nylon rope, sprinted forward, and heaved myself off the side of the mountain sending a few loose rocks falling to the bottom of the chasm. The initial slack creates a drop of about ten feet which in turn allows you to bounce back and slide down the rope safely to the other side. My heart beated a steady thump with the lump in my throat feeling like a bowling ball. While I was apprehensive at first, the absolute awe and beauty of the view, and pure adrenaline rush overcomes any notions of fear I previously had. After reassembling on the far side, we quickly continued on our rappel down the cliff side.
The rappel most definitely provides a significant challenge with so much weight on your back. Additionally, the outcropping trees out of the cliff face entangle your rope on the descent, making it that much more dangerous. Rappelling is far more psychological than physical, and if one can overcome “mind over matter”, they should reach the bottom with outmost safety. Unfortunately this is not always true, and one of my fellow infantrymen was kicked off the exercise failing his mountain operations course. We chatted amongst ourselves in disbelief, continuing on, trying not to dwell on his failure.
Darkness was creeping upon us, and reaching our destination before dawn proved that much more pressing. Climbing without sufficient light can be very hazardous; especially in the absence of moonlight, which tonight was going to be masked by a cold front and heavy cloud cover. We pressed on, once again hiking up a sharp forested portion on the east side of the Lady MacDonald behemoth. It was 18:00, getting dark fast, and we were no where near were we supposed to be. A daunting vertical cliff face was presented to the remaining four of us some 1500 meters above the town of Canmore, Alberta. I swallowed the lump in my throat, tied into the fixed line, and scrambled blindly in the darkness up the cliff face with my Sgt. cursing me all the way up. While the 200 meter climb was completed, we still had an exhaustive uphill march along a narrow, jagged, rock path that spelt death if you happen to fall to your right. I squinted in the darkness, peering for suitable rocks to place my next foot. I bit my lip and continued on despite the horrible cramping in my legs that felt as if all my tendons were being ripped and stretched at once. The higher the climb the colder it grew, vegetation and life all ceased to exist as we traveled among a grave yard of white bone rocks and whistling voices in the wind. An eerie silence was broken by the desperate cry of one of my fellow infantrymen who had misplaced his foot, and now hung on by his life, dangling in the wind by a small rock hold. We ran to his help, heaving the ghostly white climber to safety. He was breathing hard, and smiled in thanks, coming so close to death; unfortunately we lost another course member, and he began the arduous descent down to the others- three remained. I looked at my fire team partner in disbelief and tried to focus on the task ahead. Ironically, our luck started to improve as the clouds began to disperse allowing us some decent reflective light from the moon which definitely raised my spirits and I reassured myself I was going to make it through this in one piece. The inner jubilation I felt when I finally saw the peak, cannot clearly be described, I smiled to myself and let out a sigh of relief.
One cannot understand the feeling of triumph upon completing something as demanding as this climb; here I stood at 6:00 the following morning like a god over his land, the world so far below in a view that stretched as far as the eye could see. I always remember as I child I was fascinated my nature, scanning the pictures of Equinox and National Geographic, yet here I was, viewing those world renowned images with my own eyes, unaltered by paper or lens. Ultimately, the objective of this exercise was to successfully put into practice mountain climbing skills in conjunction with effective tactical military patrol doctrine, and I did that
There is no such job that I have ever had that creates such patriotism in an individual and an inner feeling of fulfillment. I pushed the threshold of my pain, strength, and inner will. I can look back on my experience in satisfaction knowing I have done something not only beneficial to my great nation, but for myself. This climb which spanned foutreeen hours will be etched into my memory forever as the greatest moment of my life.
Kananaskis: a pristine area of the Rocky Mountains rich in tree top foliage, sprawling rock giants, and a cool mountain breeze. The drive through on the Trans Canada highway makes everything else feel so insignificant and miniscule; the immense topographical region is overwhelming, reinforcing the idea that one is but just a small unit of this elaborate macrocosm that encompasses all life. With millions of years the process of weathering and mountain gorging has forged this beautiful area into what it is today. I truly count myself lucky to be offered the opportunity to travel to Kananaskis and climb the immense Mt. Lady Macdonald as a member of the Canadian army reserve. This mountain operations course offered me an opportunity to challenge myself and test my potential in overcoming such a monumental task.
It was early August 2003; the ten of us were waiting at the bottom of a creek bed to depart on the long journey ahead of us. Beads of sweat rolled down my face, and ripples of heat hovered above the ground like a tarmac at a race track. I struggled to my feet with my 45lb. C6 machine gun strapped to my back, along with my harness, ropes, webbing, and other assorted climbing and combat equipment. This was it, we were on the move; I had my own self doubts as I glared up into the beating sun trying to locate the summit some 2000 meters from where I stood. The early hours of the day did not prove too difficult as we traversed fallen logs in the cool glacier fed river, and hiked in a general lateral direction, free of any significant uphill portions. Lady MacDonald’s lush forest almost put you into a sublime trance; unconsciousness to what was going on, far too focused on the sprawling wilderness, rich in wildlife and untouched by man.
It was 16:00 and we had finally reached the route which we were traveling to the peak. Analyzing the route proved impossible, as the actual angle of the climb was obscured by a canopy of trees and jagged rock outcroppings. None of us actually knew how long it would take to reach the top, yet we continued on our bearing and pushed uphill one foot after the other. The farther we climbed the more difficult the trail came to be. Loose gravel, displaced earth, and slack stumps made it easy to lose your footing and tumble down the mountain side, particularly at a steep sixty degree angle. The vertical wooded portion of the mountain was taking a toll on the troops as heavy breathing and gasping forced one of the privates to withdraw from the exercise and set up a secondary firebase in the creek bed some two kilometers down the slope. If Lantz could not complete this training, then what is to say I could, after all, we are both in equal shape, and tasked with identical equipment. Facing my friends and family upon failure would be far too difficult, this was not an option. I carried on despite my fears I too would have to fall out, my pride and stubborn ego pushed me onward. I can do this.
Judging the current topography, our patrol had climbed as far as we could. Currently, the nine of us stood at the edge of a giant gorge, realizing the rest of our trail was beyond this 200 meter obstacle. The only option at this point was the create a zip line where we could glide to the other side, then rappel down the rock face only to trudge up another creek bed and continue our precipitous ascent to the summit.
What occurred next can only be described as a leap of faith. I slowly fastened my locking carabineer from my harness to the nylon rope, sprinted forward, and heaved myself off the side of the mountain sending a few loose rocks falling to the bottom of the chasm. The initial slack creates a drop of about ten feet which in turn allows you to bounce back and slide down the rope safely to the other side. My heart beated a steady thump with the lump in my throat feeling like a bowling ball. While I was apprehensive at first, the absolute awe and beauty of the view, and pure adrenaline rush overcomes any notions of fear I previously had. After reassembling on the far side, we quickly continued on our rappel down the cliff side.
The rappel most definitely provides a significant challenge with so much weight on your back. Additionally, the outcropping trees out of the cliff face entangle your rope on the descent, making it that much more dangerous. Rappelling is far more psychological than physical, and if one can overcome “mind over matter”, they should reach the bottom with outmost safety. Unfortunately this is not always true, and one of my fellow infantrymen was kicked off the exercise failing his mountain operations course. We chatted amongst ourselves in disbelief, continuing on, trying not to dwell on his failure.
Darkness was creeping upon us, and reaching our destination before dawn proved that much more pressing. Climbing without sufficient light can be very hazardous; especially in the absence of moonlight, which tonight was going to be masked by a cold front and heavy cloud cover. We pressed on, once again hiking up a sharp forested portion on the east side of the Lady MacDonald behemoth. It was 18:00, getting dark fast, and we were no where near were we supposed to be. A daunting vertical cliff face was presented to the remaining four of us some 1500 meters above the town of Canmore, Alberta. I swallowed the lump in my throat, tied into the fixed line, and scrambled blindly in the darkness up the cliff face with my Sgt. cursing me all the way up. While the 200 meter climb was completed, we still had an exhaustive uphill march along a narrow, jagged, rock path that spelt death if you happen to fall to your right. I squinted in the darkness, peering for suitable rocks to place my next foot. I bit my lip and continued on despite the horrible cramping in my legs that felt as if all my tendons were being ripped and stretched at once. The higher the climb the colder it grew, vegetation and life all ceased to exist as we traveled among a grave yard of white bone rocks and whistling voices in the wind. An eerie silence was broken by the desperate cry of one of my fellow infantrymen who had misplaced his foot, and now hung on by his life, dangling in the wind by a small rock hold. We ran to his help, heaving the ghostly white climber to safety. He was breathing hard, and smiled in thanks, coming so close to death; unfortunately we lost another course member, and he began the arduous descent down to the others- three remained. I looked at my fire team partner in disbelief and tried to focus on the task ahead. Ironically, our luck started to improve as the clouds began to disperse allowing us some decent reflective light from the moon which definitely raised my spirits and I reassured myself I was going to make it through this in one piece. The inner jubilation I felt when I finally saw the peak, cannot clearly be described, I smiled to myself and let out a sigh of relief.
One cannot understand the feeling of triumph upon completing something as demanding as this climb; here I stood at 6:00 the following morning like a god over his land, the world so far below in a view that stretched as far as the eye could see. I always remember as I child I was fascinated my nature, scanning the pictures of Equinox and National Geographic, yet here I was, viewing those world renowned images with my own eyes, unaltered by paper or lens. Ultimately, the objective of this exercise was to successfully put into practice mountain climbing skills in conjunction with effective tactical military patrol doctrine, and I did that
There is no such job that I have ever had that creates such patriotism in an individual and an inner feeling of fulfillment. I pushed the threshold of my pain, strength, and inner will. I can look back on my experience in satisfaction knowing I have done something not only beneficial to my great nation, but for myself. This climb which spanned foutreeen hours will be etched into my memory forever as the greatest moment of my life.