I can’t believe this day have finally come. After all of that pain for the past few days we finally get to do what I came here for. Thinking back the pain isn’t as bad as it had seemed in the moment but it will all seem worth it today. I thought this mountain might never end but now the top seems so close I feel as if I can reach out and touch it. I can’t wait to stand up there and look down at everything I have conquered.
We spent three days climbing and hiking while carrying a backpack as big as myself just to get to this point. The first two days seemed manageable and we only had to walk on trails that people before us already cut out. The third day we hit snow and had to go through snow school to ensure no one would slip down the side of this mountain. It is now the fourth day, the day we get to summit to the top. In order to get to the top we have to cross glaciers, survive the microwave bowl and conquer the rest of this mountain.
     First we have to cross the microwave bowl. It is a log, flat surface, about a mile, that is lower than all the mountains around us. We have to walk down to get in it and up to get back out. It is completely covered in snow along with everything else around you. They call it the microwave bowl because the sun reflects off all the snow around you and you slowly bake, like food in a microwave. We almost finish crossing it. Walking in a few feet of snow, each step sinks into the puffy, white top layer of snow until hitting the rock solid ice layer underneath. The brutal, powerful sun beats down on the snow and reflects right back at me. Sun rays attack my bare skin forcing me to wear long sleeves and pants, even though I have sweat dripping down my face and covering the rest of my body. Even with sunglasses on the sun is still blinding, reflecting off everything around me. Each step I take I can feel the sun sucking the energy out of me as I get closer to the end. My whole body feels like it’s on fire, just as it would if I stood in a microwave.
     In order to avoid falling into the deep, deathly crevasses we all have to be put on rope teams made up of four people. A crevasse is a deep, open crack in a glacier. From eye level these are difficult to pick out so you never know where one could be at. If someone were to fall and slip into a crevasse, the rest of the rope team would catch them by falling into the position we were taught. We have to hold our ice ax across our body and swing around onto our stomach and dig the ax into the snow catching ourselves and the person falling. Each of us are wearing harnesses that go through our legs and around our hips, with a rope connecting us all with about ten feet of rope between each person. There are four groups of rope teams, each following right behind the other.
We have finally reached the end of the microwave bowl.
  “Stopping!” My rope team leader Kirsten bellows out. I look up to see this one last hill staring me down. My rope team is the third one in line. As I look up I see the other two rope teams have already started climbing, and now it’s my turn.
“Walking linear,” She shouts out again. I am the third one in my rope team as we start up this snowy hill. The leader of the first rope team has to lead the pack and make steps for reach of us to walk in. They have to dig their toes into the hard, crisp snow, swinging their leg until they make a solid step to walk in. It is easier and quicker for everyone else to make it up the hill because we already have footsteps carved into the snow for us. We all walk one behind the other so each footstep gets more solid and distinct. It is just like we are walking up stairs except for in snow.
    As I walk up these snow steps I focus on keeping my rope tight with the person in front of me just in case one of us were to take a poor step and end up sliding down this hill. Ice ax, step, step, ice ax, step, step. This is my rhythm of walking while heading up the side of this mountain. Holding on to the head of the ice ax I dig the bottom of it into the ground for stability and balance. I feel like my whole body is on repeat doing the same actions over and over again. I think about anything and everything to keep my mind off how much my legs ache and how badly I wish I was lying in my warm, comfy bed right now.
   My legs feel like noodles from walking an unbelievable amount in the last few days. My body is tired form not getting enough sleep and my feet are numb and wet from the cold, bitter snow. I look up to hollers of excitement and see that the first rope team has just gotten to the top of the mountain. I am close, I can do this, I think to myself as I continue walking up the stairs, one step after another. I put the rest of my energy into climbing this one last hill. As I get closer and closer butterflies of excitement start swarming in my stomach. Adrenaline rushes through my whole body giving me loads of energy that I didn’t know I had left in me. Only a few steps separate me from standing at the top of this mountain.
  Only one more step. My heart is racing with anticipation. I have waited for this one moment since the first step I took at the start, all the way down at sea level. I take my last step and I holler with excitement. A chill rushes through my body as I realize I did it, I finally made it to the top of Mt. Albert. Joy and happiness take me over and everyone celebrates. Smiles cover the faces of all fifteen people around me and sighs of relief and thankfulness poor out since we all made it to the top safely. As I stand at the highest peak of Mt. Albert, all the never ending days, all the painful steps, and carrying that backpack that felt like 500 pounds, at this very moment all seemed worth it because it got me to this point.
  I look out at this gorgeous view and I see snowcapped, rugged mountains for miles in every direction. It is a beautiful day out with clear, blue skies and a few white puffy clouds. I never thought that I would look down at mountains while standing on top of one I have just climbed. It feels as if I am standing on top of the world. All my worries vanish and my pain disappears. It was a long, brutal journey getting to this point but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.
  Making it to the top of this gigantic, high mountain, I proved to myself that if in my heart I really want to do something and I set my mind to it I can accomplish anything. Life is full of struggles, just like climbing this mountain was. We encountered setbacks and pain and times I wanted to throw my backpack down the side of the mountain and sit down. But on the other hand we also had good times and moments full of laughter, smiles and singing. Every time I wanted to stop, slow down or even quit I thought about getting to this moment and this place. I had to push through all the pain, mentally and physically. But that makes this even more rewarding, knowing that I had to go through all of that just to get here. I have never felt more accomplished and proud of myself and everyone standing around me. We all did this together with the help and encouragement from one another. This is a once in a lifetime thing and it’s something I will never forget. I feel proud to say I made it to the top and that I stand here looking down at everything I have accomplished.