In writing about my experience... I would first like to thank my wonderful wife, Jessel. She supported me in countless ways, prayerfully, emotionally, and then she took care of our children, Alana, 3, and Joey, 1, while I was in Russia for two weeks. I also want to thank everyone who prayed for us and who supported our efforts in raising funds to build wells in Liberia. God has richly blessed our efforts with wonderful success!A year ago, I had never even heard of Mt Elbrus. I had no experience in climbing and was somewhat out of shape. My interest in this expedition to climb Elbrus came through a conversation with Todd Phillips last fall. He was sharing stories about some of his past mountaineering experiences and telling me about this upcoming trip to Elbrus. Jessel was there and she was supportive. So although I had absolutely no mountaineering experience, other than watching the Discovery series, Everest: Beyond the Limit, I verbally committed to this climb.
Now normally I am a procrastinator. However, I knew that training for this climb would require discipline. I would not be able to wait until the last minute and succeed. So with this mountain set before me as my goal, I began a disciplined work-out regimen with six months to train for this climb.
Fast-forward to Monday, June 30th. After spending eight days with our awesome team running throughout the streets and subways of Moscow and climbing around the mountains of Terskol (in the valley below Elbrus), we had a fun time bonding together as a team. With great attitudes, we were finally heading up on to Mt Elbrus. That Monday, we made our way to about 13,100’ where we would stay for two nights at the “high-hut.” We arrived and immediately it seemed like about half of our team had splitting head-aches and some were feeling nausea from the altitude.
We spent Tuesday, July 1st doing some training and went to bed early on Tuesday night in anticipation of our alpine start.
The wake-up call came at about 1:30am Wednesday morning. Adrenaline was pumping. We started the climb at around 3:00 am. I was mentally preparing myself for six breaks and then reaching the summit. (Normally, you climb for 1 – 1.5 hours and then break for 15 minutes.) As we began our climb, it was dark, windy, and cold.
We made it to the first break and I was feeling just okay. The wind was making this climb much more difficult and my body was beginning to feel weak. After the first break, as we began the second leg of the climb, it was becoming apparent to me that my body was succumbing to the number one medical condition experienced by international travelers.
This was not good. It was windy and it was cold. And at 15,000’, while climbing through snow and ice, the last thing you want going through your mind is, “When you’re sliding into first and you feel a something burst…”
Well, my fears were realized at the next break.
The climb continued. My body continued to feel weak, and this headwind that we were climbing into was not going away…
After eight hours of climbing what seemed to be an endless, ascending traverse; we entered into the saddle. The saddle, separating the east and west summits, lies at an altitude of 17,765’. It is a bleak and windswept place. As we entered... the flatness of this stretch was desperately welcomed by my tired and weary legs. However, as we turned further into the saddle, the path up to the summit came into view. The approach up to the summit looked to be incredibly steep, and suddenly my body began to feel weaker. As I continued to focus on the steepness of the impending climb up to the summit, I began to question in my mind whether or not I was going to be able to make it.
This was not good. It was windy and it was cold. And at 15,000’, while climbing through snow and ice, the last thing you want going through your mind is, “When you’re sliding into first and you feel a something burst…”
Well, my fears were realized at the next break.
The climb continued. My body continued to feel weak, and this headwind that we were climbing into was not going away…
After eight hours of climbing what seemed to be an endless, ascending traverse; we entered into the saddle. The saddle, separating the east and west summits, lies at an altitude of 17,765’. It is a bleak and windswept place. As we entered... the flatness of this stretch was desperately welcomed by my tired and weary legs. However, as we turned further into the saddle, the path up to the summit came into view. The approach up to the summit looked to be incredibly steep, and suddenly my body began to feel weaker. As I continued to focus on the steepness of the impending climb up to the summit, I began to question in my mind whether or not I was going to be able to make it.
As a result, when I got back to my pack, I did not have much time. I missed Tap’s speech instructing us that each climber was only to press on if he was sure that he could make it... I was trying to quickly eat some food, but all my energy bars had frozen at this point. I drank some of my ice-water and quietly determined that I would be able to make it up to the summit. “Just one foot in front of the other,” I said to myself.
Tap, our guide, instructed us to leave our packs in the saddle and only take our ice axe, some food, water, and our cameras. Tap grabbed me and locked my harness into the rope. The next think I knew, we were on the last leg of this unrelenting climb. Pushing myself forward with the will to get to the top…
Finally, we had reached the summit!We had all suffered on this mountain together and now were able to celebrate the accomplishment of our goal! We were elated, filled with emotion and joy. The moment was surreal.
Now that I have had the time to process this whole experience, I am reminded of Philippians 3:12-14 which states:
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Just as the disciplined training regimen helped me in my body’s ability to endure through this climb, through bad weather and sickness… A disciplined training regimen of spending time in Scripture and in prayer will help to see me through the temptations and trials that I will be faced with in my spiritual life. However, it will never be my own efforts but only Christ working through me.
In all our success, may God be the one who gets the glory!
