Climbing a 14er
An Interview
A friend of mine, Mary Pat, is mountain climber with some wisdom to share about climbing the highest peaks.
Doug:
MP the picture of Rainier you contributed to the "14ers"
page is awesome. Would you be so kind as to tell me about about
your experience as a climber (skill level, greatest accomplishments,
etc).
MP: I am a pretty novice climber. I would say my
greatest climbing accomplishment was leading Karl (photo left) to
the summit of Mt. Hood. We were climbing with another person, who
was technically the leader (by far most experienced), but he was feeling
ill at around 10,000'. It was Karl's 1st attempt at the summit, so
I lead the rest of the way!
Doug: Tell me about your climb of Mt Rainier (your
route, how technical, emotional high point and low point).
MP: I have attempted Rainier a couple times, but
have never reached the summit. I have attempted by a couple different
routes. The emotional high point on my Rainier attempts is just the
thrill of climbing in such an amazingly beautiful place. The emotional
low point was realizing that we were too tired to make it to the summit
AND back safely, so we turned around. It was additionally disappointing
on my 2nd attempt because climbing conditions were about as ideal
as you could ever hope for! We were tired because even though we had
climbed before, this was the 1st time we attempted to make such a
long trek to the summit and as a result, we needed more supplies,
so our packs we heavier than usual. If I get the opportunity to do
it again, I would build in an extra day to reach the summit.
Doug: What do you believe, in general, it takes to
climb a 14er (physical condition, skill level, etc).
MP: Practice, preparation, technical
skills (ropes, avalanche, ice axes, safety, emergency first aid),
knowing your limits, and of course physical conditioning.
Doug: How do you prepare mentally for a climb?
MP: I generally go over the plan in
my head a few times, then I think about some of the serious things
that could go wrong and how to respond to them. That way, if something
bad happens, I have already visualized my response and actions so
I can act more quickly.
Doug: Under what conditions would you turn back from
a climb?
MP: Anytime I feel that returning home safely may
be compromised if I continue, I will turn back. This can be due to
weather, general climbing conditions, or my own personal issues (too
tired, sick, injured...). The mountains aren't going anywhere... I
want to be around for a while longer.
Doug: What's your next climb?
MP: When my toddler is out of college! Seriously,
I don't know. It will probably be a few years before I undertake any
serious climbs. It is just not a good time for me to be away for a
few days in a remote, dangerous place right now.
Doug: Thanks MP. Enjoy being a mom!
