Glacial Challenges by Pep Moore
It had been a long day. I was leading on the ten-mile, nine-hour hike to a hut where, for the first time in ten days, we would sleep with a roof over our heads. We had been in good spirits for the first half of the hike, even during the steep climb and descent with heavy packs. It was the second half, a five mile slog through a rocky riverbed in the blazing sun, where we started to tire.
With about a mile and a half to go, we hit the first of two glacier-fed lakes that served as landmarks to help us find the hut. Cresting a small rise in the riverbed, we caught sight of the bright green lake and the glacier on the ridge across from us. After a break to rest, skip rocks, and take in the incredible view, we pushed on over the last obstacle in our way, rolling hills of large, loose rocks deposited by the glacier.
Finally, after one last river crossing, we made it to the edge of the second glacier lake that marked the end of our hike. We turned into the woods and caught sight of it, working our way through fallen trees. As soon as we all sat down, exhausted, we heard a sound like rolling thunder from the other side of the valley. Looking through a gap in the trees, I caught sight of the mountain across the valley. We had seen it when we got over the rocky hill, but I hadn’t really taken it in, as I was too focused on finishing the hike and making sure we were in the right place. After ten days of hiking through stunning valleys surrounded by snow capped peaks, it might seem easy to get used to, but for me, each new view was just as breathtaking. From my vantage point through the trees, I could see the ice and snow that covered the top of the ridge like a blanket, waterfalls linking it to the lake below. What caught my eye, however, was the cause of the thunderous sound: an avalanche on the bottom edge of the glacier. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, massive amounts of snow falling down like a waterfall, disappearing into a crevice in the rock. It left behind an almost bare face of rock with only small patches of snow scattered over it.
This continued throughout the day and into the night, the sound drawing me to the edge of the trees every time. It was a simultaneously amazing and tragic view, reminding me of the power of nature but also knowing that I was watching this glacier shrink forever because of our impact on the earth. I feel endlessly lucky to be able to experience a place like this, and I want to do everything in my power to make sure it will last for years to come.
5 Key Takeaways from my HMI Experience by Maddie Bollman
One: One of the scariest and most exciting parts of adulting is having experiences that no one from home will ever fully be able to understand.
Two: However much effort and passion you put into your community, you will get back out of that community–and even more importantly, it will help you realize the impact that community has had on you.
Three: There is great beauty and power in silence. Being away from internet access, social media, and music during these past few weeks has been one of the most transformative experiences. It taught me how to sit with my own thoughts, form opinions that are fully mine (without being influenced by media or fear of judgment), and I rediscovered reading books.
Four: Being scared or fearful of something is all the more reason for you to accomplish it (or at least try to). Your mind and body are a lot more capable than you realize. I felt this primarily while climbing on extremely windy days. At the base of every route, I felt more nervous than usual. After climbing the route and reaching the anchor, it felt incredibly relieving and motivating when I realized I was capable–and more times than not, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.
Five: Achieving your own goals is incredibly rewarding. But even more so, celebrating each other’s accomplishments is even more fulfilling. A couple of instances when I really felt this were:
- We were all cheering on Yash so proudly and loudly on a route at El Diente and it was so inspiring and obvious that he was trying so hard and putting in so much effort to send.
- I was belaying Tucker and watched him onsight a route called ‘Way Mule’. I watched him overcome the mental and physical challenge of completing the route and when he got to the top, he was so proud of himself. That made me even more proud of him.
- I had a conversation with Ama towards the end of the semester and we talked about how far she’s come with leading routes. At one point, the idea of putting up a route was very scary, and now, during the final section, she is hanging draws and leading routes every day.
- I talked to Leo after he sent his project, and he explained how he surprised himself with how confident he felt while climbing and how ‘solid’ it felt compared to the last attempts. He put in the work and sending the route while also feeling good about his climbing was something so exciting to hear about.
- Ella constantly motivated and pushed me to try hard. She was always so eager to work through progressions and push herself to accomplish her next goal. This was so inspiring to watch and led to so much psych amongst the group.
It’s easy to feel intimidated by other people’s success. I have a friend who often reminds me, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s human, and I’ve definitely experienced this in my home life, but out here it’s hard to feel intimidated when all of my peers express genuine psych and support in helping each other achieve goals. Rather than feeling uncertain, intimidated, or pressured, I felt inspired and motivated. I think that is one of the most beautiful gifts I’ve gotten to experience out here.
Proceed with Caution by Connor Chinn
Being an adrenaline junkie, I would say that hands-down my favorite part of our Patagonia trip was the windstorm we encountered. Waking up in the middle of the night to our tent folding on top of our faces and the seams ripping at every corner was surreal. There was something extremely thrilling about packing up all our gear and hunkering down behind rocks so we wouldn’t get blown away while we attempted to sleep.
The next morning was even more spectacular as we started our evacuation route out. The wind was so strong that simple tasks like cooking or using the bathroom were nearly impossible to do without risking a disaster. Once we started hiking through the wind, one of the first things we saw was a beautiful herd of horses on top of a ridge. It was incredible watching them battle the same conditions we were dealing with.
But once we got onto the ridge, things got real. The wind was blowing so hard that standing on two feet was nearly impossible. And yet, I was having the time of my life running across that ridge to safety! I remember fighting the wind, screaming with excitement, and laughing hysterically at how fun it was. I know it was a tenuous situation, but something about that risk factor combined with the sheer beauty of Patagonia had me yelling “WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!” every five seconds.
It was truly an unreal experience, and it was awesome to have that windstorm spice up the adventure. I’m eager to use the skills I learned from that event the next time I’m in a sticky situation!
Full Circle by Ben Thomas
Before HMI, I had spent much of the last three years hyper-focused on completing my computer science degree and landing internships. But after years of long hours, stress, and neglecting my social life and mental well-being, I was burnt out and needed a break. At HMI, I wanted a chance to do things that I was neglecting; to build experiences, see the world, take time to simply think, and build great friendships with the people I traveled with. After nearly 3 months at HMI, I feel I have done all I intended to.
I saw the beautiful fall Aspen groves and the world from the top of Mount Elbert in Colorado. The surreal sunrises in the Utah canyons and the remarkable mountains and alpine lakes of Patagonia.
All the while, taking extensive time to think about who I am and what I want for my future. But best of all, I got the experience of three months with this incredible group. So sitting here now at the end of our last expedition, I feel proud of myself, more sure of who I am, and simultaneously sad this experience is coming to an end, while excited to return to the real world a fuller person.