GOTiHe: Two Sides of a Mountain (Part 1)

GOTiHe:  Two Sides of a Mountain (Part 1)

“For Compass, her journey starts within…mountains are the obstacles in life that stand between us and our true greatness.  When we get to the foot of a mountain, it always seems impossible until we are at its peak.”

Part 1:  Dead Man’s Mountain.

Compass Ion woke up before the sun, with the look of determination written all over her face.  She had been dreaming of climbing Dead Man’s mountain for years.  The mountain got its nickname from the many rumors and stories of the dangers that it imposes on those who dare to scale its rough, jagged terrain.  It is also the highest mountain in the region, with a peak that rips high above the clouds and scrapes the top of the earth’s sky.  The beauty of this majestic mountain is that it hasn’t been commercialized by all of the local ski resorts nestled throughout the landscape due to its dangerously steep slope.  The insurance and liability alone are staggering, for those who dared to attempt such a challenge have either never made it to the top or didn’t leave in the same condition they were in when they started.

Today, she decided that she was going to conquer her fear of heights head on and follow her dream to ski down Dead Man’s mountain.  Her thoughts were whirling around in her head, zipping from fear to courage.  She knew the dangers that lay ahead of her and repeated to herself, “Dead Man’s Mountain is a warning to men, or it would have been called Dead Woman’s Mountain, and I’m not planning on dying any time soon.”  She mustered up the courage, took a deep breath, and wrote in her journal about the great adventure she was about to embark on.  She titled the journal entry “Great Woman’s Mountain” and wrote about her vision of skiing down the treacherous slope and the exhilarating feeling of the crisp mountain air with a vista that surpasses the eyes’ reach and looks like the top of the world.

Compass reviewed her checklist a final time as her life depended on every item; all she needed to do was fill her thermos with her favorite piping hot peppermint lemon zinger tea.  She learned a trick where she pours the hot tea into a cup of fresh snow, allowing her to stay fully hydrated and regulate her body temperature.  She finished her mourning routine, gathered all of her equipment, and set out to the base of Dead Man’s Mountain.

It was still dark out, and the weather was brisk and cold with very low humidity, which was the perfect day for an ice climb.  She turned on her car stereo and played “Work It Out” by BigNard Bernard, a song she always uses to get motivated for adventures and workouts.  She repeated “100% and nothing less” and felt the seriousness of this message resonate with the fact that she had to give it 100% because anything less is not an option.  The part of the song where the lady sang lightened her heart, briefly taking her mind away from the fear causing her to burst out “Aye, Aye, Aye.”  She was feeling an immense sense of appreciation and gratitude for what she was stepping up to.  She knew that this was more than ice climbing; it was climbing to the top of the world and showing all young women that anything is possible.

Stay tuned for Part 2:  The Climb.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think. 😀

Thank you for your support! Follow us on Instagram: and check out our playlist on Spotify: Remember to check out more GOTiHe blogs.

---

---