Andrea takes a break on a river rock
To me, it was clear that it was not the destination, but the journey and obstacles that I encountered on my course in the High Sierra that made it unforgettable. Through this 14-day backpacking and rock climbing adventure, I was able to expose my true self through course obstacles and my instructors. They helped us discover the character traits that are truly valuable, yet hidden, only to be revealed in a challenging moment.
The first time I set foot on the surreal scenery of Courtright Reservoir, emotions took complete control. I didn’t know what I was feeling–possibly regret? It couldn’t be possible! I had worked so hard to be here and I had been waiting for months. I felt welcomed, and yet so alone. The day hadn’t even ended and I was already out of my comfort zone.
I signed up for this because I wanted to attain self-discovery, a new perspective of living with less and for once feel purely human rather than relying on technology to keep me distracted from boredom, or simply keep me connected with the world. With so much power at my fingertips, I had forgotten what it was like to not posses any devices and be present in the moment. Adventure awaited the 13 incredible souls that were selected to be on this journey–we called ourselves “The Super Sexy Sore Stoked Soaked Smiling Slick Summiting Sierra Squad, or s10 for short.
“Everyone take a harness!” Our rock climbing portion of the expedition had begun and I was told to“get stoked!” I was not scared, despite the fact that I had no rock climbing experience. Almost everyone else in the group had rock climbed either at a gym or outside on real rocks. First, our instructors Kling Kling (Chris) and Sam taught us how to belay and climb. Part of me wanted to volunteer to climb first, but I chose to let others go ahead and watch them. Meanwhile, the climbers needed belayers and back-up belayers, so that’s when I stepped up. I struggled at first–so much movement had to be done quickly, and I felt under pressure because I knew that someone was relying on me. I was extremely proud of myself for not giving up.
Now it was my turn to get climbing! As I was getting geared up, I looked up at the rock, trying to figure out where exactly I’d place myself, in order to successfully get to the top. Mentally, I had everything down. The start was a piece of cake, and I felt like Spider Man climbing my way up. Then came the crux. I had no idea where to position myself. It was then that I realized that not everything always goes as planned. I had been on the tip of my toes for what felt like an eternity. I started panicking, trembling and struggling to gasp for air. I closed my eyes, still on my tippie toes, took a couple of deep breaths and told myself how easy it was to give up and come back down, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to finish it all, and be at the top to see for myself what lay upon that rock that I had been climbing. I opened my eyes, looked down and saw my crew cheering me on, screaming my name telling me that I could do it. My crew was right–I was capable of finishing the climb. It was scary, but when I was determined to take that necessary leap, I took it without a single thought. I failed at first– I didn’t make it over. But I got back up stronger, trusting my arms and legs, and finally made it to the top!
S10 hiking uphill
Backpacking a pass over Devil’s Punchbowl took me by surprise later on course. It opened my eyes to what I was truly capable of. At the moment, I was completely terrified to hike a mountain pass due to my terrible balance. Add a 40 pound pack and steep granite rocks? It was insane! The gray sky followed us throughout our hike over the Punchbowl. The storm that approached was something to take seriously. If we climbed that pass in the rain, it could be dangerous. We sped up our pace, with short water breaks every hour. We couldn’t risk taking more time–we had to get moving. As I rushed to climb the steepest rock on the path with nothing to grasp but a tiny crack, my foot slipped! Tears rolled down my cheeks–I had never been pushed so hard in my life. With our instructors and crew motivating everyone through the pass, we made it just in time.
I felt like I was in a movie–it didn’t feel real! We snapped a quick group photo just as rain began to pour. Soon after, roaring thunder came along, then lighting! Everyone quickly grabbed their rain gear, a snack, and their mat, sitting in lightning drill. Hail came down on us while we balanced on our packs. I was a tiger who had earned its stripes, made of scrapes and bug bites.
There wasn’t a day that passed where I didn’t think about my family or my bed at home. I learned to not take anything for granted and to appreciate all that I have. On my solo expedition, I found myself in tears, reflecting upon how hard my parents work and how much of their time they devote to providing my siblings and me with the very best. The most touching thing was realizing that my parents don’t complain about a thing; if it’s for their children they will gladly do it. They are a huge inspiration to me. Many thoughts came into mind when I spent time by myself on my solo. This part of my expedition, of being alone and reflecting was the most valuable to me.
When I found myself wanting to give up the most, that was the time where my true character evolved because I craved to find the type of person that I am: a quitter or a doer. My mind commanded my body to complete what had already been started; I couldn’t just turn my back and say, “I’m not doing this anymore”. I was empowered. I felt limitless.
Being on course, time felt eternal but in reality, my time in the Sierras had come to an end quickly. When I finally made it back home, I knew I could do anything. My perception of the world around me had shifted, my confidence blossomed, and my desire to imprint a positive impact on the Earth had sprouted I thought of myself differently–I discovered that I am a doer.
Andrea is a Wishbone Scholar, who lives in Hayward. She utilized Wishbone’s peer to peer fundraising site to pay for half of her course tuition, the rest of which was paid for by generous donors like you.
If you want to make an impact on the lives of courageous teens like Andrea, please donate today.
