Mountain climbing

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Longs Peak A recap of the climb for anyone thinking about climbing Longs Peak. Started at 4am and climbed till 11am to get to the summit, but worth every minute. Once the trees are cleared and the sun is rising there's nothing else like it. The Rockies slowly wake up to a dark purple glow behind them. As the sun rises so do the mountain peaks. The air gets thinner beyond the tree line, but if you have a taken a weeks worth of time to acclimate in town before the trek, you'll be golden. After the switchbacks up the mountain, comes the Boulder field. Giant boulders that you walk/ hop from one to the other. In the Boulder field are two privies to relieve any bowel movements. I highly suggest using them. Do not hold off using the bathroom. If you don't you'll regret it further on. At the top of the Boulder field there is a quaint stone hut built into the side of Longs, complete with a window overlooking the boulder field. The hut stands guard coviniently next to the Key hole. The Key hole is the door to the other side. Once through the key hole the blazes begin. (Blazes are yellow and red circles that pock mark rocks to keep on the right path up the mountain) It is a very windy entrance the key hole. Once through it wind hits you hard and below thousands of feet. Welcome to the ledges. The ledges have a 4-5ft width of space in which to climb on the side of the mountain. On your left the mountain juts up, on your right a drop off that will most certainly kill you if you decide to test Newton's first law of gravity. You will be smashed to bits if you fall off,and if not smashed or killed, sustain serious injuries. Once you have cleared the ledges its onto the trough. The trough is unforgiving. It's a strenuous climb. up you go at a 45-50 degree angle. It's hard work. Watch out for ice be cause no matter when you go there's sure to be some. Keep a good footing and take breaks. Well done you made it up the trough. Touch the engineer seal. As you look out on the top of the ledges you see to your left the beginning of the narrows curving up and around the mountain. You look out and wow, what a view, then you look down, oh sh*t! You are pretty high up at this point. Longs is over 14000 feet high. You've cleared the majority, but it's not over yet. Carefully begin the narrows. The narrows live up to their name. At this point in the journey it is advisable not be overly fat. Even large people who are not fat will find this leg of the trip very taxing. In my opinion the narrows were made children. As you gratefully leave the narrows, you look up and it's the last push up to the top. I call this part the trough 2.0. Because it's just like the trough. Half up you may glimpse people at the top looking down this should spur you on to finish what you started. Time to haul ass. As your hand grasps the last handhold at the top of the 2.0, your up. And the view is truly uncanny. The air is clear or would be on a nice day. You can see for miles upon miles.You have reached the summit.Well not quite. The actual summit is on the northeast corner of the top of Longs Peak. It's a big round boulder. Stand upon that giant sphere of rock and you have conquered the mountain. Don't forget to make your log in the journal, and please, don't write about weed, there's too many of those entries all ready. The view. Drink some water on the summit. Maybe nap a little and eat some snack or a packed lunch. Take pictures. Remember to laugh. Laughing at high altitudes increases oxygen to the brain making it easier to acclimate and relieve stress from tired muscle groups. Enjoy it all. Take it in. You will never see anything else like this, unless of course you come back for seconds. I like to think of the climb as an extreme Dorah the explorer episode. Through the woods, over the waterfall, trek the switchbacks, hop the boulderfield, climb through the key hole, brave the ledges, endure the trough, stomach the narrows, push through the final descent or trough 2.0, and then stand victorious upon the summit because you and the map made it up without being swiped by the mountain. Now you just have to climb down...