Thanks for not mentioning the one Dad who didn’t make the summit! But he didn’t care because his son and his friends did and were transformed. And not sure the son would have attempted it if his Dad weren’t along for the effort. The unexpected events on this trip that resulted not from poor planning but from putting ourselves in a situation that allowed those things to happen made this an unforgettable experience and completely validates Jake’s point.
The title reminded me about an experience I had many years ago. My roommate at the college and some of his friends had been exploring a nearby cave for a couple of years when I arrived at the collage. My roommate was a straight A student in Geology. He knew whether the cave ceiling would hold or not. So, when they invited me to go spelunking with them, why not? The entrance to the cave sometimes contained some water. Once, we had to swim in order to exit - it rained more than we expected. Soon after the entrance there was a 15 ft high mud wall that had to be scaled. Eventually, the cave ended at a small pool of water. My roommate was convinced that the cave went beyond this point. We just had to go into the water and under some rock. One person went, but some came back reporting that there was nothing there. My roommate was still convinced. I went next. Height of that waterway was about 2-3 ft, half filled with water. I brushed the sand from below me as I went, to give me more breathing room. Kept my head turned to breathe. 15 or more very slow strokes later, I came out into the other, as yet unexplored part of that cave. It was glorious to be out! It was glorious to see what all was there. This part of the cave was bigger than the rest of the cave. And, it had huge rooms.
Love this Jake! I didn’t know your trip last year entailed such a climb. Bob’s doing Kili in 2 weeks, so has been on the mind. I agree with your changing definition of luxury…it’s a word I use to describe Ventures, since the luxury of time and space for connection and curiosity is much more valuable than seamless check-in! Happy Summer to you.
Thanks for not mentioning the one Dad who didn’t make the summit! But he didn’t care because his son and his friends did and were transformed. And not sure the son would have attempted it if his Dad weren’t along for the effort. The unexpected events on this trip that resulted not from poor planning but from putting ourselves in a situation that allowed those things to happen made this an unforgettable experience and completely validates Jake’s point.
The title reminded me about an experience I had many years ago. My roommate at the college and some of his friends had been exploring a nearby cave for a couple of years when I arrived at the collage. My roommate was a straight A student in Geology. He knew whether the cave ceiling would hold or not. So, when they invited me to go spelunking with them, why not? The entrance to the cave sometimes contained some water. Once, we had to swim in order to exit - it rained more than we expected. Soon after the entrance there was a 15 ft high mud wall that had to be scaled. Eventually, the cave ended at a small pool of water. My roommate was convinced that the cave went beyond this point. We just had to go into the water and under some rock. One person went, but some came back reporting that there was nothing there. My roommate was still convinced. I went next. Height of that waterway was about 2-3 ft, half filled with water. I brushed the sand from below me as I went, to give me more breathing room. Kept my head turned to breathe. 15 or more very slow strokes later, I came out into the other, as yet unexplored part of that cave. It was glorious to be out! It was glorious to see what all was there. This part of the cave was bigger than the rest of the cave. And, it had huge rooms.
Love this Jake! I didn’t know your trip last year entailed such a climb. Bob’s doing Kili in 2 weeks, so has been on the mind. I agree with your changing definition of luxury…it’s a word I use to describe Ventures, since the luxury of time and space for connection and curiosity is much more valuable than seamless check-in! Happy Summer to you.