Second Summit Attempt
“We started out after only a few hours of sleep, back up the
route we had retreated from yesterday. The weather was in
our favor and soon we were on the summit ridge. It was time
to clip into “running pro”, the ropes we hooked into for
protection, to keep us from sliding down several thousand
feet on either side, should we fall. The lead guide told us
we were now changing from hikers to mountain climbers. Let
the fun begin! After an hour or two of scrambling over
rocks and ice while wearing our crampons, we reached the
summit!!! I am overwhelmed and exhilarated all at once. I
look toward heaven and yell hi to mom, then kneel down and
kiss the frozen ground. I am carrying the pictures and
cards from loved ones with me. The weather is picture
perfect, at –25 and calm skies. It feels almost balmy in the
sunshine. We wanted to savor every last moment, so we were
the last to exit our slice of polar heaven. After 12 1/2
hours, we return to High Camp, exhausted but filled with
joy.”
Mt. Vinson journal entry:
