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29029 Whistler Recap

Whistler's Wisdom

By 29029 Everesting

August 29^th, 2024

Whistler is renowned for its expansive alpine playground. Adventurers from around the world come to the twin mountains - Blackcomb and Whistler - for a glimpse of the grandeur that these jagged peaks offer.

The Ascent Trail on Blackcomb climbs through three distinct sections - Little Burn, Big Burn, and Heart Burn - and challenges those who dare tackle it with a varying trail that ascends through old-growth rainforests into the unforgiving alpine.

Here, nature demands respect and resilience for all who wish to reach the summit, and it’s against this dramatic backdrop that over 300 adventurers lined up for 29029 Whistler.

You were here to test your mettle.

Climbing Above the Clouds

Nearly 4,000 feet of vertical gain along 3.9 miles awaited for your first ascent - the first of many! Morning clouds briefly parted, revealing the mountain’s majesty behind you. The surrounding peaks were blanketed in small patches of ever-changing clouds - a dramatic hint at what was to come.

Reaching the summit for your first time was more than just an accomplishment - it was a fleeting glimpse of grandeur, one that incoming storm clouds would soon obscure…

600 Year-Old Allies

As you continued your quest for Everest, Mother Nature threw a curveball. The clouds that had started small grew into storm clouds that battered the mountain with rain.

But on the lower slopes, you found yourself in a sanctuary. Surrounded by towering douglas firs and cedars, you were sheltered from much of the rain, the 600-year-old canopy of trees acting as your umbrella.

Here, in the calm, lush, tranquil forest of green, Mother Nature was less an adversary and more of an ally, providing respite from the rain. It was a reminder that even in the harshest of times, there is beauty and strength to be found not only within you, but also in the natural world.

Elemental Adversary

A transition to the sub-alpine forests marked the mid-way point of each ascent. Here, you left the calm, peaceful, sheltered old-growth forests behind, and Mother Nature turned from ally to adversary.

There was little shelter from the torrential west-coast rains up here.

With nowhere to hide, all you could do was continue to climb.

Each step up the muddy, slippery, slick trail required a bit more effort and a bit more concentration, testing both your physical and mental resolve.

This would not be easy.

You weren’t just climbing a mountain, you were locked in a dance with the elements, every step marking another blow in the battle against relentless rains, slippery slopes, and your own exhaustion.

Into the Abyss

As day turned to night, the mountain revealed even more challenges. The familiar trails now morphed into an intimidating, shadowy abyss. The rain clouds that had settled in during the afternoon weren’t budging, obscuring what little reprieve from the darkness the moonlight could have offered.

The once comforting canopy now felt like a labyrinth - the towering trees casting strange shadows from your headlamp and playing tricks on your fatigued mind.

With the trail reduced to a spotlight, the mountain was only revealed one footstep at a time.

Your decision to keep climbing - battling the relentless rain, your own exhaustion, and the eerie darkness - demanded unparalleled grit.

Perhaps you hadn’t realized you had a well of grit deep enough to tap into, but it only took a single nighttime hike to shine that light inward, revealing your potential.

Through newfound resolve, you kept climbing.

Climbing Into the Clouds

As dawn broke on Saturday, the mountain’s challenge evolved yet again. The darkness receded, and in its place, a thick fog enveloped the slopes. It was as if the mountain had pulled the clouds down to meet you, wrapping the slopes in a ghostly shroud.

With each step, you ascended through this otherworldly atmosphere, the mist, clouds, and forest providing a thick silence, broken only by the sound of your breath and the steady rhythm of your steps.

You weren’t just climbing up a mountain, but into the very clouds themselves.

In this isolated, dream-like state, the climb took on a new dimension. It was as if the mountain was testing not just your physical endurance, but your ability to navigate through the unknown.

Each climb through the clouds reminded you that your summit was always there, even if you couldn’t see it.

Whistler's Wisdom

After 36 hours of climbing, you had a chance to listen to the mountain, for all this time, it was speaking to you.

Whistler’s wisdom was not just found on the signs of the ascent trail, but also in your journey itself.

The mountain taught through experience.

You climbed through darkness, rain, fog, clouds, mud, and more for over 36 hours, and in that time, you absorbed truths not from words, but from the grind, the shared struggles, and the triumphs over adversity.

Reaching your final summit, you earned more than your highest summit medal or Red Hat - you earned Whistler’s wisdom. These lessons came as uniquely as each individual on the mountain - each one tailored perfectly based on the experience you had on the slopes.

While learned on the mountain, these lessons are woven into your journey long after your final ascent.

Here are just a few of those Whistler wisdoms.

"The clearest way into the Universe is through the forest"

Jess Seidel's life had been filled with challenges, many of them self-created, and many of them seemingly insurmountable. From battling addiction, to custody battles, and more, one day, Jess woke up and realized she could choose a different path.

She started down a tough path to escape an already tough life.

That path brought her clarity and led her to 29029. The forests of Whistler were not just scenery, they symbolized her journey. In the quiet of the towering cedar forests and through the relentless rains, Jess was not just climbing a mountain, but cementing a new strength within herself.

As she neared the summit for the eighth time, the universe within her emerged - shaped by hardship, perseverance, and a commitment to facing the hard things, she had reached the Red Carpet. She found her Universe - and her Red Hat - through the trees.

“Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience”

Faye Ferracoli climbed at Whistler in 2022. She was taken off the mountain during her 4th ascent after it was deemed unsafe for her to continue. Although she left it all on the mountain in her attempt, it didn’t sit well with her.

She signed up for 2023, but just weeks before the event, broke her foot, keeping her from the slopes. The Red Hat remained elusive.

In 2024, after two years of patience, Faye was back.

She tackled the mountain with a fire fueled by two years of patience, using that to propel her toward the summit.

Late on Saturday, as thick clouds enveloped the mountain, Faye crested the summit for the eighth time and earned a Red Hat that was three years in the making, a Red hat that now symbolizes the patience and perseverance Faye has when it comes to working towards her goals.

“On earth there is no heaven, but there are pieces of it.”

At 76 years old, Jack Reed stood tall - literally and metaphorically - alongside his sons, Michael and John, as they embarked on their Everesting journey together. It wasn’t just the towering trees of the mountain that cast long shadows - the Reed family’s nearly 7-foot statures made them hard to miss.

But it was Jack’s resilient spirit that stood out most.

Trained and determined, “Pops” had stepped far out of his comfort zone to tackle the mountain alongside his sons. When it became clear that Everest was out of reach, he didn’t quit, instead opting to climb once more alongside JT’s Red Bib lap, bringing "Pops" total ascents to 4 - Kosciuszko.

In that moment, surrounded by mist-covered peaks, Jack didn’t find heaven on earth - but he did find a piece of it: a piece that was built on determination, family, and the quiet satisfaction of pushing oneself beyond expectations.

Your Legacy

In the end, 29029 Whistler was more than just a test of physical endurance. It was a journey through the heart of nature and into the depths of the human spirit. As the final steps were taken, what remained wasn’t just the accomplishment of reaching the summit, but the profound wisdom gained along the way.

You left this mountain carrying more than memories—you carry the wisdom of Whistler. This wisdom was not gifted, but earned—earned through struggle, resilience, and persistence.