Before I knew it, my son and I had finished our first ascent, and after the lengthy gondola ride back to the base, it was time for our first brand on the ascent board.
Even now, that first brand feels so memorable.
It was at that moment that I felt like I could calm down - I was climbing, I had made the summit, and I could keep going.
There was less to be anxious about now - just a mountain to climb, and 7 more ascents to burn into the board.
By the third ascent, the opening jolt of energy had definitely faded.
The finish is a loooong way away…
At that point, I was starting to tire out. Fatigue was setting in, legs were tired, the mountain was feeling hard, AND we weren’t even halfway finished!
I leaned on my determination.
The mountain wasn’t supposed to be easy. It was supposed to push me outside of my comfort zone.
It was supposed to help me grow.
I put my head down and kept climbing.