Yesterday, we climbed Sugarloaf Mountain – the 17th highest mountain in Sierra Leone.
Well, to be correct, we set out to climb Sugarloaf Mountain. But first we accidentally climbed the mountain a little bit to the right of Sugarloaf. Upon arriving at its peak, we realized that our intended destination was over to the left, which meant that we would have to climb halfway down Mountain Peak #1 and proceed the rest of the way up correct mountain.
No problem.
Despite it bordering on “sports” – it turns out that I actually really enjoy hiking. Especially this type of hiking. No real trail. Continuously assessing various options for routes to see which is more manageable. Hanging off vines. Climbing up and then sliding down granite rock faces. I find it sort of exciting.
Whilst climbing a mountain (which I should clarify, is an activity that I have experienced exclusively in West Africa), I waiver back and forth between images of Maria and the Von trapp children in the last scene of "The Sound of Music" and singing “The Climb” in my head. Yesterday, we threw some Pocahontas "Colours of the Wind" in there, just for variety’s sake. Needless to say, I was really enjoying myself.
For the first two and a half hours.
Then the climb got a little bit ridiculous. By this point, we were well off the so-called trail. We had been drenched from the rain for about three hours now. It was dark, and the path seemed to be less and less present. My legs were starting to hurt, and everyone’s breathing was getting faster and heavier. It seemed like a really good time for the relief of reaching the summit.
That’s when we arrived at the top of Mountain #2. Which unfortunately, turned out again, to not be the peak of Sugarloaf. It was at this point that I was wholeheartedly ready to bail on our adventure. We had reached the top of two mountains – neither of which had a particularly impressive view - and I was done.
Thank goodness for the rest of the group who remained committed to the goal. If I had been the decision maker for the group, we would have turned around at this point. I knew that however far we had gone up, we still had to climb down, and I just didn’t think I had it in me to keep going. But they didn’t waiver. They wanted to reach our destination, and there was no doubt in their minds that we were going to persevere until we found it.
I think that’s the only reason we ever did make it. It wasn’t physical endurance, because I definitely was feeling it in every muscle and wanted to quit. It wasn’t our navigational skills; because they failed us multiple times. The only thing that really got us there was the perseverance of my friends.
So, we made it to the top of Mountain #3. And it really was amazing. We spent 45 of the best minutes overlooking Sierra Leone, eating packed lunches, and listening to birds and the wind.
And, if it had been left to me – I would have never made it.
Thus, I am left concluding yet again, that life is all about the lessons we learn through it. Yesterday reminded me why it is so important that we live life together, and not alone. Why we need to function in teams. Why two heads are better than one.
Because if not for my “others”, I would still be sitting at the top of Mountain #2, wondering what I ever was thinking!
