Stephens Peak sunrise

Sunday morning, 4am and the call of the wild was hard to resist. It’s been a while since I attempted to climb Stephens Peak, so this morning seemed as

good a time as any. As I stepped out into the chilly morning air I started to question my decision, but my mind was made up, so I loaded up the car and headed out to appease my sense of adventure.

I arrived at the walking trail and it was pitch black, the lights on my trusty headlamp seemed to be swallowed up by the blackness of the still morning air. It was at this point that I realised that I may not be able to find the access path to the climb and I would need to rely on my memory and instinct to find the way up. I reached a familiar point on the trail and started my climb.

Now, since it has been a while I don’t remember the climb being this steep (or is it my lack of fitness?) Anyway, the path seemed to keep going so I was either going to find my

way to the top of Stephens Peak by a way I never have encountered before or I would find a familiar landmark. The only thing that came to mind was the “sisters”, but they are near the top and it’s a long way back if I had indeed gone the wrong way.

I finally reached the “Sisters” just as the dawn chorus of the giggle chickens belted out their familiar song. (or were they just making fun of me? not sure - but I was almost to the top.

The climb was certainly making my decision to rug up a bit of nonsense, but the cold sting from the dew on the rocks reminded me that it still is indeed the middle of Winter. As the path got narrower, it was hard to tell if to my right was a steep drop and the glow from my headlamp just seemed to vanish into the cold night below. So the climb went to a crawl as I fumbled my way through the night air to find my way to the top.

It’s always a sense of accomplishment once I reach the top and despite the nagging aches during the climb, I managed to once again put self-doubt and fear aside and achieve what I had set out to do. ( Not quite “One small step for a man” material but I’ll take it anyway).

So, friends, I give you this morning from Stephens Peak. This would be so much easier in a helicopter.