A Grand Adventure

Seven years ago today, I summited the Grand Teton.*

The idea to climb, to ascend the Grand came from a friend on a hike one day, “you might really enjoy it,” she shared.  That is the thing with seeds being planted, once they are there, they find nourishment and they begin to grow. The idea of climbing, actualized, manifested.

Climbing the Grand, actually climbing in general, was not something that I sought out. Everything about it was new… well almost everything. I had worn a harness and climbed a chimney when I was at Frost Valley, my summer camp.

Leading up to the actual day we began our ascent, I hiked. I hiked everyday. I went on short hikes, long hikes, new hikes, and familiar hikes. I placed books in my backpack and hiked with the weight. I hiked with friends. I hiked with my dog. I hiked.

I had no idea what to expect. I was stepping in to the unknown.

There have been other times when I have stepped in the unknown or unknown to me. For things are known to some and unknown to others.

I seek the unknown. I long for the unknown. I enjoy the adventure of the unknown. I enjoy the exploration of the unknown. There is a sense of curiosity, for me, that is inherent in the unknown.

You know what I have found in the unknown? My Self. Aspects of myself reveal themselves in the unknown. When I step into the unknown, I am always with my self. There are always some aspects of myself that are known as I step forward in to the unknown. In that sense, there is always known in the unknown. Always known in the unknown.

We began the final ascent under the vast early morning dark sky, lit with the brilliance of the starts. As we climbed, dawn came upon us.

Reminding me, when moving from the unknown to the known… it dawns on you.

Always moving towards the light,

Sara

Here is an email excerpt that my guide Andy sent to me along with the photographs that I have included:

Sara- hope you slept hard. Nice job up there. It was great to climb with you all. I was extremely impressed with your grit, positivity, and ability to learn and perform in a new arena. By the time we were on the mountain, you were solid, consistent and 100% reliable. I hope you remain proud of your accomplishment!

This is an excerpt from an email that I sent to Andy:

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful reflection of our time together.  I was anxious in the days that lead up to our adventure simply because I am not the best with change. However, I am SO GRATEFUL that I had the opportunity to learn from you and to share our experience with you.  Your approach and style was just right for me.  You were clear with the goals outlined for each day and you provided clear feedback in a way that was accessible to me as a learner. I have been sharing my experience with friends and one remarked that she has been climbing for a few years now and that it has taken her that long for her friends to share the information and skill application that you shared with me in 2 days! I appreciated your 'previews' of what was to come and your gentle reassurance that I was not alone when I did not feel 100%. While I did not have any doubt that I can make it,** I was more than overcome with emotion when I made it to the summit and I was spent when I made it back down to the bottom.

Our four days with you reminded me about how much I love to learn new things. Our Grand adventure is one that I will forever remember and cherish. Thank you for being such an integral part of my experience.

*I attempted to post this on 8.04.20, marking 7 years since my climb on 8.04.13.  We had a hurricane come through and took out the power and the internet… The 4th also marks my mom’s birthday, the first I have spent with her in 13 years. Together we looked in our photo albums, one holding the lantern, the other flipping the pages as we seached for the picture of me climbing Mr. Hayden.

Interestingly, once the hurricane passed we went outside. My nieces were riding their bikes. One niece, who was riding her bike with no hands, continued to exclaim, “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe I can do it.”  While my other niece navigated making turns on her bike. I smiled as I thought to myself, from the unknown to the known…just like that. They carried themselves, their known, into the unknown. They trusted, they had trust that it is possible and that they can do it.

 **I am intrigued by my verb choice here. I wrote this email to Andy after I summited… Instead of using “I could make it,” I chose to say, “I can make it.” Again, highlighting the known within the unknown, knowing I can, knowing it is all possible.

After I posted this, I heard this quote from my teacher. Smiling as I type this… “Lean in the direction of expansion. Step out of your comfort zone. Stop living ever repeating known. Challenge yourself.” Anand Ji