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September 29th Finally! Our first layover day in 7 days and it was /well/ deserved! Today we added to our knowledge of snow pro and made anchors with pickets and ice axes. Our other classes were on ice climbing (though we didn't get to go) and leadership / a review of the previous, outrageous day.
September 30th "My first glimpse of grass and I've left the world of white behind me. After a comparatively easy day, we reached the rocks and then the alpine meadows of the mountains in the opposite valley. My pack crashed to the ground next to the sound of running water and my back was glad to feel the release. A Poof of dandelion floated overhead and I don't know if I've ever been more at peace. There is life beyond the freakish bugs that live on the ice!
I don't know if I'm more happy about the upcoming ease of travel off the snow or if I'm just relieved that Nate will no longer have the weight of the sun on him, succumbing to the spell of the afternoon heat that turns him into a baby; feeling tortured, he turned into an evil man bereaving his own condition and hid in the tents with sleeping bags to create his bitter enraged, mid-day cave.
It's so strange to be off the snow, I guess it's finally hit me that we're in the home stretch and I'll only be with my new tent mates for another 2 days before we go on solos. It seems like nothing compared to the 2 weeks I spent with my last group."
October 1st The group has made it over the glacier and the instructors have stepped back from their role as wilderness guides. Unfortunately, this happens on the day we're following sheep trails around the Martoli peak. We made it to the right place... kind of. Well, close, but no cigar. Instead of taking a nearly invisible and rather steep path down to the river, I chose to follow another's advice with a path he found across several steep ravines; but hey, at least I could /see/ this path. It's strange that our instructor hiking with us wouldn't prevent us from entering yet another sketchy situation...
And tomorrow we'll be going solo entirely! Oh man, scary stuff; especially when the leaders for tomorrow are having a meltdown outside of my tent before going to bed. After today's hike, I also realized the other comfort of being off the snow: no man-steps to follow! It's actually been pretty challenging at times to be with 13 guys and only 5 women. Nearly all of them had to learn how to hike with us - shorter, thinner, less muscle; and we had to have a considerable amount of patience to try and help them understand. Everything was worth it in the end though.
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