Climbing the Devil's Thumb A JOURNEY BY joN KRAKAUER
As a youth, I was raised being taught all about figures of male authority. It was a big deal and especially coming from my father, but those figures didn't interest me. For me ever since I was a young teen- climbing was what got my attention. I've always dreamed about climbing the remote mountains up in Alaska and Canada. They were steep and frightening mountains, mountains that were only heard off from the climbing geeks, but it didn't stop me from doing something I've always dreamed about. The world was real and you only live it in once.
Before my adventure and journey, I was working as itinerant carpenter, framing condominiums in Boulder for $3.50 an hour. It wasn't that horrible but it wasn't something I wanted to do for my whole life. I wanted to "climb the world." So one afternoon, I told my boss I was quitting to start my new life.
At first, I was really confused whether or not to go and do something very frightening but I made up my mind and drove as far as Gig Harbor, Washington, and then abandoned my car, just like Chris McCandless- an inspiring climber till this day that inspired me to do what I love to do. So I was walking out from the Gig Harbor, five days later and docked in Petersburg. At Petersburg, I met a nice women named Kai who invited me home for dinner.
I was being so positive throughout all my obstacles, I always told myself that I was doing myself a favor and this was my choice, no one forced me to do this. I wanted to accomplish something that I wouldn't ever think I was going to do. I pushed myself whenever I had difficulties. Like when I almost died on the glacier, I felt weak but at the same time I pushed myself.
I thought that the I was going to die of cold that day, but instead I took out my father's cigarettes and hide in my tent until the winds went away, so I can continue with my climb. I was really stupid back then, what I did will irritate so many people, but I think I should say that I almost burned out my tent because of the cigarette. I know that was so stupid of me, but I learned to be wiser.
I was so hopeful that I was going to reach my destination in the next days but that wasn't the case, eventually a big storm hit the route I was going for, so I tried to learn from my mistakes and went on another route to finish my climb.
It was a success! I did reach the summit and I couldn't be more happier then what I was at that moment. It was magical, for that moment I felt like I was on top of the world and it felt great. I looked down from my view and I still couldn't believe I was where I was at.
