I must admit, this first day’s hike kicked my butt. It was much more challenging than I expected. The first part of the trail wasn’t too demanding and was, of course, very beautiful. From time to time we even shared the trail with horses. As we got a few hours into the hike, the incline became steeper and the terrain became rougher.
As the trail got steeper, my backpack seemed to get heavier and heavier. Eventually, we stopped to eat our bag lunch. I was mostly thirsty and not really that hungry but, I ate as much as I could; hoping to, at least, lighten the load in my backpack a bit.
After our short stop for lunch, we packed up all our trash and continued our upward trek. It’s important not to leave any trash. We want to preserve this place so it will remain the same for many years to come; not only for the hikers that will follow us but, more importantly, for all the animals that call Patagonia home. Hikers have a saying, “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”
I was hoping the trail would get easier after lunch. I was wrong. It was beautiful but demanding. We were walking through a nice wooded area that offered shade from the sun until the altitude didn’t permit any vegetation. As I looked through the branches and could see the bare rocks and how much further I would need to go, my heart began pounding more rapidly and I was breathing much harder. I was doubting my ability to make it the rest of the way. It was then that Christian, one of the guides, pointed out an alternative route that was much easier and also offered a nice view of the towers.
This would be one of those moments when I would look to our BOMLA Creed and our Habits of Mind to lift up my character and perservere. I wanted to take the easy route. I was tired and I really didn’t know if I could succeed.
I decided to take the test; risk the failure and continue pushing upward.
Did I make it?
See what happens in this video.
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