Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: MOUNTAIN (07/02/20)
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TITLE: Stuck on Cumberland Mountain | Previous Challenge Entry
By Stephen Kimball
07/09/20 -
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Alex grimaced as he reached out. Stretching his body as far as he could, he wrapped his fingers over the next ledge. His body ached. Only about twenty-five feet from the crest, and with every muscle in his entire body feeling like they were all about to collapse in total exhaustion simultaneously, he made the mistake of looking down. Fear sent his mind reeling.
At this height, there is no way I would survive a fall.
Gathering himself, he looked upward to locate his next move. Just then, he felt his lower leg muscle begin to cramp up and he knew, from experience, this might spell the end for him. Trying to wait it out, and wish the cramp away, he was quickly losing the ability to hang on. Lifting his leg to reach for the next toe hold, the cramping suddenly became intense. With his mind caving to the stress and his body screaming at him to stop, he gave in to his limitations and let himself fall…again.
Alex desperately wanted to conquer this mountain; he had wanted it since first laying eyes on this incredible sanctuary months before. After all, he had done things more difficult than this in the past.
Climbing had become a love that he first flirted with while attending the University of Texas. At twenty years of age, he was in pretty good shape and learned to navigate the indoor climbing walls like an expert. Before graduation, he had gone with his classes, on several actual climbs, which he progressively found to be more and more challenging and exhilarating.
He had caught “the bug” at age sixteen while visiting Yosemite National Park in California on a trip with his family. The giant wilderness of Yosemite, in all of its natural beauty, was the most awe-inspiring thing he had ever seen. While they were there, he was able to witness part of a climb up the three-thousand-foot sheer granite wall of “El Capitan”, which he learned was the most extreme rock-climbing challenge in North America. A couple of years later, in college, Alex found himself scaling some of the best cliffs the state of Texas had to offer.
Life after school, though, found him distracted. Climbing became less of a passion and more of a hobby. With a move to Tennessee, he left his rock climbing roots behind. He still went out, once in a while, when the weather was good, but he no longer trained for it like he did in college. And although unwilling to admit it out loud, he was beginning to lose his stamina and agility.
When looking for a job, Chattanooga had been at the top of Alex’s wish list, because the city happens to be smack in the middle of the “Cumberland Plateau”, a 300-mile ridge that holds some of the most pristine and daunting climbing areas in the southeast. Up until now the mountains called him, but on this day, they taunted him.
After repelling back down the cliff, Alex sat for a good long while, on an outcropping of rocks at the base of the falls. What used to be an untouchable belief and desire now seemed to be melting into failure and defeat.
I’m done, I can’t keep doing this!
But by the time he got back to the car, after rehydrating and enjoying a body numbing swim under the falls, he had undergone a change of heart. The words from his college program came drifting back into his mind, “The climb is the greatest journey the human heart will ever see.” He could not accept defeat.
Just a few months later, on a crisp fall day at Cumberland Mountain and surrounded by friends from his new climbing club, Alex stood victoriously on its crest. His belief was renewed and he understood more than ever that the most difficult climbs truly lead to the most astounding views.
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just giving up the climb for that day.