If you are reading this and have followed the posts on Facebook, you already know what I am writing about. But for those of you who are not on Facebook, well, you'll be asking yourself that question after seeing the below photos - WHAT WERE THEY THINKING????
John is ambitious to try certain "things." I'm not as much, but will go along for the ride and usually I end up loving the experience. Well, I certainly loved the experience and the achievement now as I look back on the day, but my body, my mind, my lungs and at times my attitude were going against me completely.
We wanted to hike to Kjerag, a boulder that is wedged in the mountain and looks out over a fjord at over 3,200 feet ABOVE the surface. (Here is Wikipedia's link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kjerag). Yeah, I'm all in for the hike - I love to walk, but I am NOT going out on that boulder - that is where I draw the line! 😮 Holy Hannah - for two out of shape, no true "hiking" experience, at or near 50 years of age couch-potatoes, we were surprised we didn't die on that mountain. It is beyond all expectations we could have thought of.
I talked a lot to my mom and dad while hiking asking them to somehow create wings on my back so I could get to the boulder and back to the parking lot....but of course that didn't happen. I felt their guidance, their scolding (my mom especially LOL!) and encouragement. Mom told me several times while growing up "You always do the hardest things first, don't you?" At that time it was her observation of whatever project I was engaged in, but she was right. At the end of the day when we were chewing on our ice cream bars and could feel our muscles cramp and shake, I realized this day set the bar for me. I felt if I could achieve this mountain, this task I set for myself that day - and accomplished it - I could do just about anything if I put my mind to it if I wanted it.
I'm not going to bore you as the reader of all my feelings on this as I want to keep them for myself and also to not completely distract you from this post, but I will tell you that hike was more than a hike. It took us 8 hours to complete - 4 up and 4 back. It is classified as a "1" on the local brochures as "hardest" and we did it all without that knowledge. It normally takes a hiker in good shape and experience about 6 hours to complete. On the way back down the mountain, two gals behind me were chatting about the climb. One had been around the world hiking. Her friend asked "How would your rate this climb to all the others you've taken." The gal replied "Well, with the hikes I've taken, Nepal was the hardest. I would give this one a 6." Nepal is where Mt. Everest is located and a person can hike to base camp and she rated that as the hardest.
Yeah, John and I feel pretty damn accomplished after this hike!!
The "BEFORE" shot - oh so innocent and pain free.
Chains -- WE LOVE THE CHAINS!
THANK GOODNESS FOR THE CHAINS!!!! I'd still be back on that mountain trying to figure out how to climb! The chains were not placed in the entire route - only in the spots where the ascent/descent was at a steep pitch - like - almost straight up/down!
Me - completely out of breath - trying to regulate my breathing so I wouldn't pass out! Difficult and worrisome since I was basically hyperventilating and becoming light headed from climbing - again "WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING????"
We aren't even half way up at this point
Yea! I made it here ------- thumbs up and cheer
I did have a death grip on that chain shortly before he took this picture.
Ahhhhh - snow - more snow --- that should tell you it was cold!
A hang glider coming down over us
Yep - that's a long way down.........
You have no idea how heartbroken we were to see we STILL had 2.9 km to go to get to that boulder
ALMOST THERE!
MY "MR. MYAGI" HUSBAND⇩⇩
The below picture is what the boulder looks like from the "other side."
The gal in the picture below is next in line to stand on the boulder. She is looking at the narrow walk to get to the boulder.
I felt horrible the first time John went out on the rock because I didn't get the pictures he wanted. I didn't get the fjord in the background nor did I get the full boulder with him as he was imitating the Karate Kid. So I pleaded with him several times to go back out there so I could get the better pictures. FINALLY - he did and is happy he went back so I could get the perfect shot. :)
He took this shot while standing on the boulder - it a shot of what is behind him looking down.
SELFIE TIME!
John's selfie
Mr. Cool walking off the boulder for a second time. And in case you are wonder, no one has ever fallen off this boulder --- so at least we are told. :)
The decent was just as hard because we were exhausted from the 4-hour climb/hike out to the boulder. We rested (along with about 150 other folks) while we were at the landing to the boulder. We drank our water, ate raisins and applies and granola for energy (which we brought with us), but our physical bodies had had enough! I hurt in places I didn't even realized existed. But we had to get back - we didn't have a choice. No Motel 6 was waiting for us at the boulder site. We had to walk, climb, jump, and descend rock surfaces all the way back - same route as before.
Mr. Funny Man thought it would be a great idea to take a picture of my backside as I struggled with screaming muscles, a running nose, and a headache trying to descend the surface backwards (because going forward down was not working for me).
My back was finally starting to get the better of me. I had a discectomy in 2013 and have been dealing with pain from scar tissue ever since. The climb up I felt perfect - no pain, no sciatic - nothing. Probably due to me being slouched trying to climb up instead of walking, which is when the pain usually happens for me. Thank goodness that parking lot was now in sight - that was my motivation - after 8 hours it was the prettiest thing my eyes had seen!!
I CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YEP WE MADE IT BACK!!! We didn't die, didn't fall off the boulder, the mountain, and best of all WE ARE STILL HAPPILY MARRIED!!! :)
If I can achieve this, I can achieve just about anything!
If these shoes could talk!
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