Resurrecting Buried Dreams

[mountainhesh]

To recap, up untill last July, mountain climbing was my consuming passion. I fractured my neck last July, paralyzing my body and am fighting like a champ to try walking again.

 

For the last months, I've pretty much put thoughts of climbing on the backburner in my mind. While it should inspire, it detracts and depresses me. There are some local trails through the woods I get out and push on, but it's not the same. I've barely sat around a day in my life, so this is quite the adjustment.

 

Seattle winter will drive you mad, so we got out and headed down to Zion NP. My best friend Ryan lives in Vegas and I head down a few times a year to climb with him and his friends. When he heard I was coming, he threw out the idea to get up Angels Landing, a 2.5 mile, 2000' gain hike in the canyon.

 

We spent a day in Vegas, saw Cirque de Soleil "O", the most mindblowing show ever and got to tour backstage and meet the performers at the Collosium where Celine plays and Ryan calls the show. My family flew/drove in and we drove to the canyon. It is mindblowing, a 200m-year-old rusted-red sandstone canyon carved by ancient rivers. Why it is not packed with climbers is beyond me, there are lines everywhere.

 

We spent the first few days exploring the flat trails and realized the hardships of going downhill, I'd about fall out of the chair and Angels Landing was to be much steeper than that. I called Ryan and let him know it might be a bust, but he admonished me and said don't worry. The summer prior, we knocked off a 90 mile stretch of alpine trail in 3 days, I know what he's made of and trust him.

 

He showed up with Mario and his brother Jean Francois from Montreal. Jean had never even been to Vegas/Zion and, an avid climber himself, should have crammed in as much vertical as he could. Instead he selflessly signed on to the task of getting me to the top. I threw together a video documenting it...

 

 

...enjoy.

 

[My dad is a midwest worrywart, the guy in the full brimmed hat trudging his way up. It was as much an accomplishment for him to get up there as anyone, man he was scared.]

 

Let me say, sitting 2 ft' from a 1500' drop was a dream come true. For something I had put out of mind, I never dreamed I'd be back up so soon. 7 months ago I was on a ventilator, I actually wore through the palms of my gloves from pushing miles and miles of trail on this trip. Was it like old times? Of course not, but so many of the variables I loved were there...thrill of danger, scenery, amazing friends and family, height, fresh air. There is still a world out there to explore and enjoy.

 

Edited March 20, 2007 by mountainhesh

[billcoe]

Good to hear it Hech. Keep on it and keep your spirits up dude. Nice to have buddies who care so much they're with you through thick and thin.

 

Your recovery must be coming along a bit?

[ivan]

keep working at it dude! and take the proper viking perspective - there will be many more lives and this one is training for the next:

 

"...............wise sir, do not grieve

it is always better to avenge dear ones

than indulge in mourning -for every one of us,

living in this world means waiting for our end

let he who can achieve glory before death

when a warrior is gone that will be his best and only bulwark"

 

seeya in valhalla!

[G-spotter]

Dude, you can be a quad and still climb walls

http://www.verticalchallenge.org/

[Dechristo]

In an age where exploration is no longer defined in geographical terms, a new breed of disabled athletes are exploring and redefining the outer limits of human potential.

[catbirdseat]

The only time I have been to Zion National Park was when I was about 15 years old, back in the 1970's. Our family of five rented a motor home and toured the Southwest.

 

It was frustrating as hell for me because I wanted to get out away from the road and explore. I knew about some of these great hikes, but I couldn't get my folks to do any of them. Most of what I saw was through the windows of the motorhome.

 

I'd still love to do that Angel's Landing hike. Someday.

[mountainhesh]

Thanks both for the links. The wall climber looks pretty fun even if can walk! I continue to improve, have come far and the journey continues.

 

cbs - Just have to pop a cheap flight to vegas and rent some wheels. There is tons of open camping if you go preseason. You remember correctly, the mormons aptly named it!

[RideT61]

Right on! Thanks for the video, very inspiring. Good luck on the recovery.

[archenemy]

Good on ya!! All the best to you:tup:

[hemp22]

Definitely an inspiring video hesh!

good friends like that can make any journey memorable.

it looks like you guys were really hauling up the "Wiggle" switchbacks at the top too.

 

Off-season is definitely a great time to be in Zion - to avoid the crowds & shuttle buses.

It looks like you had much better weather for your trip than I did when I did Angel's Landing (although Zion under snow was certainly something nice to see as well).