Base Camp

It was the fall of 1995 and we had our tents set up at base camp on Longs Peak in Colorado. The next morning we were going to summit our first 14’er ever. That’s what they call all the mountains in Colorado with an elevation of fourteen thousand feet or more.

In order to get to the summit and back off of it before the weather changes we had to start our climb in the wee hours of the morning. I think we were planning on getting started at 3am if my memory serves me right.

However, Mother Nature had a different plan in store for us. Some time between going to sleep and our alarms going off a fierce thunderstorm blew in. We were awoken by loud, booming thunder and flashes of lightning that were so bright it was as if a camera flash was going off right in your face. And they were this bright inside our tent. The wind was ripping and we weren’t sure if our tents were going to stay upright or not.

Time to Get Up

So much for sleeping. After the storm passed we were too riled up to go back to sleep. It was a storm like I’ve never seen before, and I live in Nebraska where we experience several thunderstorms a year.

We decided to eat a bite, throw on our gear and begin our journey. The first hour or so was pretty much your typical hike. Just follow the trail and take in the beautiful scenery around us. That is after the sun came up. It can be a bit nerve racking when you’re walking up a mountain trail in the dark and you hear something off in the woods. A bear? A squirrel? A mountain lion? A sasquatch? Or just a tree creaking? We’ll never know because we never saw anything. But it makes your mind start to play tricks on you.

The Boulder Field

After an hour or two of hiking up the trail we came to our first challenge, the Boulder Field. Why do they call it the Boulder Field? Well, because that’s what it is. It’s a huge field of boulders that lead up to the Key Hole. And the Key Hole is a passage through the mountain that looks like, well, a key hole.

This wasn’t too technical, but we just had to be careful where we stepped so we didn’t get our foot caught in between a rock or fall down in between a couple of boulders. It was definitely challenging but we took our time and proceeded with caution so we didn’t have any incidences.

Through the Key Hole Onto The Ledges

At the top of the Boulder Field awaits the Key Hole for those who want to journey to the top. And that we did. As you can imagine, the higher up the mountain we got, the more technical it became and the consequence for any mistake made was more severe.

Now The Ledges sounds like we were walking on a ledge, but that’s not exactly the case. Yes, it was a trail with a drop to one side, but it wasn’t a sheer drop. The ‘cliff’ had some degree of an angle to it and we weren’t walking right on the edge. We’ll get to that part of the journey soon.

The ledges is basically the last part of the climb that’s, what I would call a warm up. It’s before the real challenge begins and the areas where very little room for mistakes is allowed.

In the Trough

It’s about to get real. This is where it gets steeper and you have to dig deeper if you’re going to make it to the top. It’s a little bit like the Boulder Field but it’s more technical and the angle is steeper. You start climbing, at least in parts, a little bit like a bear in the Trough, using both your hands and feet.

The Trough isn’t a real long part of the journey but in my opinion, it’s where the real challenging part of the climb begins. The other areas are no walk in the park but this area is where people decide to go back down or keep heading to the top.

However, at the top of the Trough is where I almost ended my journey. It’s not because I almost died but because of the technical transition onto the next section of the climb.

Welcome to the Narrows

At the top of the Trough we came to the Narrows. Now this part is fairly narrow. As narrow of a ledge that this flatlander from Nebraska wants his ass on. Because if you go over the edge here it’s definitely game over.

When we got to the transition between the Trough and the Narrows there was a vicious wind blowing around the corner and it’s a little bit tricky. I definitely had a minor ‘come to Jesus’ moment in order to talk myself around the corner. But I did. There was another group coming towards us and one of them slipped on some gravel and/or sand. It wasn’t a real close call or anything, but slipping next to a sheer cliff of any height will make someone fill their pants and I think he might have.

This was definitely the hairiest section of the climb thus far. It was an area where we were definitely paying the most attention and proceeding with the most caution. We were focused on one step at a time.

The Home Stretch

There it was. After hours of climbing we were finally almost there. All we had to do was make our way up the Home Stretch and our mission was accomplished.

This section of the mountain was pretty steep and there was some bear like climbing involved. Meaning we were using our hands and feet because of the severity of the angle but it wasn’t overly technical. We just used caution and it lead us to our ultimate goal.

Welcome to the Summit

Once we reached the peak we were enamored by the beauty surrounding us. We could see of miles and miles and miles in every direction. It was truly amazing and for as long as we stood there we forgot about how tired we were. We forgot about all the work it took to get there. We just took it in and enjoyed the moment and the beauty around us.

Until you stand on the top of a mountain you can’t really know what the view truly looks like. Pictures just don’t do it just. Maybe it’s a combination of the view and sense of accomplishment. I don’t know. But it was amazing and and experience I’ll never forget.

Your Journey to the Top

I used a mountain for the symbol of Decide Conquer because climbing a mountain is parallel to any goal you have in life. We all start at base camp, where we are now, decide what we want in life, the summit, our goal, and chart the course to get there.

Along the way are different stages. Some are definitely more challenging than others and some will even be so scary or challenging, that we’ll want to give up and quit. That’s where we’ll experience the ultimate test. The test of how bad you really want it. That’s when you decide if seeing the view from The Keyhole is good enough for you, and if it is, that’s fine. Never let anyone else determine what your peak, your summit(goal) is.

Only you know what you truly want in life. It’s YOUR life. Just know that’s it’s a journey and there’s going to be challenges. But the sense of accomplishment and the view from the top will make it all worth it. Those challenges aren’t that bad either if you’re prepared.

What If

That’s a great question we ask ourselves over and over in life. Unfortunately, we tend to focus on the negative outcome of the question and never take action.

But it’s time to change your perspective, start asking what if and focus on the possible positive outcome of things. I’ve written a book with fourteen different scenarios that will help you do that.

Enjoy your journey.