Day 5: Someone’s Gotta Cut the Steps

The weather had changed and we got up at 3 AM to get packed for the bid for the summit. A cuppa coffee, a bit of granola, making sure we had all the right gear in our pack and off we went in the dark.

The trail is somewhat primitive and at one point crossed over 2 rivers (Suneet took a dip). We did some traversing and then bam straight uphill.

There’s this low ground level plant that is everywhere and it’s both hideously irritating and awesomely available. So what do I mean by that? It means that when you’re going up, it’s bashing you in the face and bashing you in the legs and just bashing you all over the place cause you’re pushing through this bush. What’s awesomely available about it is when you come down you’re grabbing it and holding onto it for dear life while you down climb the sections that are steeper.

Up and up and up until we got to the snow. Then we geared up with our equipment, crampons, harness, helmet, and we went.

Walking on snow was awesome. In my opinion, so long as you put one foot in front of the other, you always get to your destination.

Nonetheless, at Broderick Pass my leg was hurting too much from the river accident and I decided to turn around. Suneet came with me and Axel led us down. The rest of the group went up.

We turned to Elka just as we split up, to make sure that as the only X chromosome she would look after the guys, her retort was someone’s gotta cut the steps!!!

Our descent had us move through those same bushes now providing a lifeline, across the same rivers, Suneet take a dip again, and we were home. Now we have to wait for the heroes to return.

From the boys and Elka, after they separated from us, they continued to climb and at times it just felt like it was never going to end, just up and up and up and up. Never ending wall of snow. Short roped, 1 guide per person, pack off, tremendous work and all of a sudden there they were at the top of Mt MacKenzie. On the way down they did some long stepping and then finally just resorted to bum sliding, which is hysterical when you see the video which we will try to upload tomorrow when we have better reception. Total ascent 5,000 feet. Boy howdy. They walked in the hut…. High fives all around.

Tmrw we start the river raft.