Rise to the Summit-Pt. 1

               The Rocky Mountains are beautiful at night. I hear the soft breath of wind in the grass; see the full moon illuminating the landscape as if it were day. There is almost no one on the roads. Town is abandoned, which makes it seem a little eerie as we drive through in our noisy white car. Before I know it, we’re at the trailhead. “We’ll get a good parking spot,” my Dad says. That’s clear, because there is practically no one there. The only other person I can see is our guide, who beckons eagerly as he lights up his headlamp. As soon as we can strap on all of our gear, we start hiking.

Longs Peak. 14,249 feet. Takes between 11 and 15 hours. 14 miles round trip. Number of potentially lethal scenarios: a lot. All of these things are going through my head as I start climbing one of the most difficult mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park, and certainly the hardest one I had ever tried. Here I was, at 12:30 in the morning, strapping on hiking shoes and a headlamp in order to climb a mountain that averaged at least one death per year. How did I get into this? However, these thoughts are quickly pushed from my mind as I start to lose myself in the trail.

The first few hours pass with relatively little interest. Besides the added challenge of only being able to see a few feet in front of you, it is pretty much regular hiking.

I am amazed by how fast the minutes—and miles—seem to pass when it’s nighttime. It’s like your brain is too sleepy to realize that your body is already getting tired. Anyway, by the time we’ve gone over a few rivers and through a lot of woods, it is actually pretty fun. Before I know it, we’ve arrived at the treeline.

Despite the name, there is no real “line” where the trees stop. It happens gradually, as the huge trees start to be replaced by smaller shrubs and lichens. I start to notice this change of surroundings as we slowly make our way further up the mountain.  Having no trees, of course, makes the view much better. Still, I spend most of my time staring at the ground in order to avoid harming myself on any roots or rocks. The first chance I get to take a look around is during a water break. I am not disappointed.

The mountains around us are silhouetted against the night sky. Their vast, lurking shapes are like sleeping giants. The night sky is pure, with a full moon and stars shining like cold steel. You can see beyond the mountains and into the plains of Colorado, where the twinkling lights of cities dot the landscape. Below us, more hikers make their way up the mountain, their headlamps looking like little candles in a huge religious procession. The whole scene is surreal.

I am tugged from my amazement by the sound of our guide’s voice. “Let’s get going,” he said. We quickly pack up our stuff and get back on the trail. Slowly, the top of the ridge gets closer, and closer, and closer. More hours pass as we hike closer to our goal.

               I catch my first glimpse of the Boulderfield. True to its name, it is covered in humongous boulders of odd shapes and angles. Little tents are pitched for those who complete the climb in two stages.

We start crawling over the first boulders. I can still only see a few feet in front of me, and the going is tough. We pass boulder after boulder after boulder, seeming not to get anywhere. Rocks the size of trucks lie in our path

               Eventually we make our way to the small camp, where a gurgling stream runs. Our guide fills up our now depleted water bottles in the stream, and puts in drops of water cleaner. Apparently, you need to do this to clean the fecal matter out of the mountain water. We carefully replace our bottles inside our packs so that we don’t drink any before it is clean.

I’m starting to quite enjoy wearing a headlamp. The 90 lumens of brightness cut through the darkness like scissors, and the light follows your gaze. Although the only thing I’m looking at is the ground.

At that point, I was actually beginning to feel tired, dusty, and altogether unhappy to be climbing that mountain at such an ungodly hour. But the sunrise made it all worth it. As I looked out over the mountains and saw the magnificent first rays of light coming over the horizon, I forgot about everything.

All of the scenery was lit up with a warm, golden light. The surrounding mountains, formerly cloaked in shadow, are now illuminated in every detail. The enveloping sunlight frames the land as if it were a painting. The new light reveals to me exactly how far we have climbed, which is a lot. We are already nearly even with the tops of the other mountains. I look out over Twin Sisters, Estes Cone, all of those mountains that were once the hardest I had ever climbed. Briefly, I smile, thinking how easy they seemed to me now.

My Dad is snapping sunrise pictures like crazy. I pose for a few of them, making sure that I look like a rugged adventurer.
 

Longs Peak itself is horribly exposed in the new light. The jagged peak stands out against the sky like a crow. Nearby, I can see our objective, the Keyhole. It will be our door to the other side of the mountain, from which we will make our final ascent. I can tell that it will be a long and arduous climb.
 

        We make our way ever closer to the Keyhole, weaving our way through (and over) progressively larger boulders. It is a lot farther than it looks. We stop several times for water and rest. Closer, closer, closer. The Keyhole, once tiny, now looks monstrous. Finally, we are there.

 

I climb triumphantly toward the Keyhole, not knowing what to expect on the other side. My hand grips the boulders at its base, bringing me nearer to it. At last, I pull myself onto the platform. I stand at the top, under that massive rock formation, and look through. A huge abyss waits to swallow me. For a second I wonder whether to go through, whether my long prepared resolve would carry me through to the other side. I step through.

To be continued… in The Conclusion

 

 

The Boulderfield, looking like a strange, alien ocean. This is the first time that it was light enough to take pictures.

 

Climbing towards the Keyhole over huge rocks

 

Me, enjoying the beautiful sunrise.

 

 Getting closer to the Keyhole as dawn breaks

 

The harsh front face of Longs Peak

 

Finally at the Keyhole, uncertain of what lies beyond

Rise to the Summit-Conclusion

Continued from Part 1

               I am on the other side of the Keyhole, the massive rock formation that leads hikers to the final ascent onto Longs Peak. I have already been climbing for at least four hours, and completed most of the mileage. However, I know looking out over the path that the miles I have left will be far harder.

As I stand on the other side of the Keyhole, I look down into a void. The mountain plunges sharply, meaning any missteps will lead to a several hundred foot fall. I can see all the way back to the valley floor. My stomach lurches. I may not be afraid of heights, but I am afraid of dying.

I pull myself away from the cliff only long enough to see the path that we still have ahead of us, which is just as terrifying. Tiny red bull’s-eyes are painted to show you the route across the otherwise vertical cliff face. In a good place, that route is two or three feet wide. In a bad place, the same route is only inches. All the way, slippery rock drops straight down to a sure death.

My guide, seemingly heedless to all of this, bounds on happily. He seems as chipper as ever, probably because he has navigated this deathly expanse before. My Dad and I cautiously follow, always keeping an eye on the huge drop next to us.

Inch by inch we make our way forward, lodging our feet on tiny pieces of rock. Sometimes, we have to shimmy across along the smooth faces of boulders, all the while knowing that losing our foothold could mean meeting our creator. Sometimes, we diverged from the path in order to pursue a less dangerous path.

This section of the trail is called The Ledges, and it is easy to see why. Really, it is impossible to get away from a ledge. This whole face of the mountain is almost vertical, and the trail itself is on an angle, so there really aren’t any “ledges.” The whole thing is one giant ledge!

We journey closer to the Peak ever more slowly. It is tiring, and we often have to stop for breaks. Not to mention the psychological effect of the nearby plunge to death.

At length, we make it past The Narrows. One short scramble over a boulder and I can see the Trough. Here the route turns away from the cliff and on towards the summit. I am relieved to be away from the cliff, but I am worried about the incline of this piece. It looks to be steeper than any part that has come before. Unfortunately for us, it is.

We make just as slow of a pace up the Trough. I have a little fun bounding up the rocks, but it is soon overcome by the monotony of the climb. It is hard work. Grab, pull, step. Grab, pull, step. Over and over again. My Dad is beginning to fall behind, and we have to stop frequently to rest. The Trough seems endless.

We are nearing the top. The bleak scene of rocks and grey dirt begins to melt away, and I can see the sky. We are over! For a second, my heart leaps. However, my joy at being done with one trial quickly disappears as I realize there is a greater one ahead.

On top of the Trough, I look into an abyss just as great as that of the Keyhole. The path, known here as the Narrows, once again winds its way along the steep mountainside.

One more quick stop and we are off. Once more, we carefully toe the thin path of the Narrows. Once more, we look down at a long drop. Once more, I wonder if this is ever going to end.

The view is depressing. I can only see more cold stone and steep drops. The mountain seems ever more unfriendly. I look down the cliff and see a pile of skeletons (okay, maybe I made that part up).

Everything is the same. Everything blurs together. I can no longer tell one stone from the next. It is almost dull when we find ourselves on the other side of the Narrows. However, I am quickly excited again when our guide tells us that this is the Homestretch. This is almost the top! I can barely contain my excitement.

With renewed vigor, we start climbing. I bound up rocks as if I hadn’t been climbing since midnight. We were near the Peak!

The Homestretch is the single hardest part of the climb. It is almost as if it was placed at the end intentionally, as one final hurdle for intrepid hikers. It looks almost vertical from afar, but upon closer examination is actually a little sloped. This made it easier. But not too much easier.

As we climb onward, my scarcely operating mind begins to wonder if this is really the top. What if the guide has misled us? What if we still have more climbing to do, or miles to go? I keep climbing.

The first glimpse I catch of the top is almost like a mirage. “It can’t be flat,” I thought, “It has to keep going higher.” But it is flat! As I pull myself over the edge, onto that paradise of flat ground, I felt the greatest pride I have ever felt. I had done it! I had climbed Longs Peak!

The views were incredible. There are hardly words to describe such beauty, such sheer scale and magnitude. The landscape before us looked like a vast ocean, churning with the foam of clouds. The peaks of mountains were like islands far below and far away. The air was pure and chill, like the breath of angels. Beams of sunlight came down like flowing water. Far away, in the flatlands of Colorado, I could see the swaying fields spread out like honey.

I see the cliffs and sheer drops that we made our way across. I see the vast expanse of boulders and those little tents. I see, far below, the beginnings of the treeline. And I hear the soft breath of wind in the grass…

And then I remember that I still have to get back down.

 

 



                                           I love this one

 

The view that greeted me as I stepped through the Keyhole

 

Climbing at a rather odd angle

 

The Red bulls-eyes that mark the path

 

The path was wide here

 

Looking up the enormous Trough, a long and tough climb

 

Looking at the back at the Narrows. Another hiker is making his way across

 

Taking a rest on one of the more level areas, we enjoy the breathtaking view

 

Looking at a different section of the Narrows, the path is not even visible

 

Looking up at the almost-vertical Homestretch

 

Climbing up to the Peak

 

Celebrating on top with a high five

 

The great view over the valley

 

Me perched on top of the altitude marker, which marks the true peak

 

The sea of mountains

 

The elevation marker, at the highest point

 

One of the crystal-clear mountain lakes, reflecting the clouds

 

Mountains rolling off into the distance

 

The brutal front face of Longs Peak

Another amazing view, with the trees lapping the bottom of the mountains like water

 

Looking back down the Homestretch

 

 

 Glory!

 

 

 

 



Helicopter Tour of Chicago

Helicopter Tour of Chicago

Today, I took a helicopter tour with of the city of Chicago with Sun Aero Helicopters. I have to say, seeing the tallest buildings in Chicago up close out the side of a helicopter is awe-inspiring. I wrote this review about the Sun Aero tours and about helicopter rides in general.

Before Going: 10/10

Reason for Score: I thought it would be cool to take a helicopter tour

Note: This review does not put the Sun Aero Helicopter Tour on scale with other 10/10s, like the Pyramids. The helicopter tour of Chicago receives a 10/10 for Chicago, where there is not really an abundance of world shattering historical sites. Still, riding a helicopter is pretty cool, and is certainly worth a review on my site.

What is it?

My review of the Sun Aero (don’t ask me about the name, it seems weird to me too) Helicopter Tour is really broken up into three distinct parts; the marshes, the lakefront, and the inner city. The tour begins in a small airport/heliport outside of Chicago, from which you first visit the marshes. The marshes, a name that I made up for this review, are a small area outside of Chicago crisscrossed (yeah, that's a word) by canals and swamps. It is actually kind of fun to see the tiny barges and shipping vessels meandering through the small locks and waterways. However, this is far surpassed by the next part of the helicopter tour, the lakefront. Imagine the view of Chicago that you always see on T.V., but outside the window of the helicopter! The lakefront tour takes you over some of Chicago’s most famous landmarks, such as Soldier Field, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the Shedd Aquarium. Still, my favorite part of the whole helicopter tour is the inner city of Chicago. When I say Inner City, I mean weaving in between buildings! The pilot of the helicopter took us right around the skyscrapers that Chicago is famous for. We could even see the people inside the Sears Tower! Lastly, we circled back around Chicago and returned to the airport.

Why you should go:

I would recommend a helicopter tour to three sets of people; people who like thrills, people who like views, and people who like Batman. People who like thrills would enjoy flying through the air in one of the most unique machines on Earth, the helicopter. It isn’t exactly a roller coaster ride, but I still found it exciting. Next, the helicopter is a great vehicle to take in the views of Chicago. You can see every building and monument in a way that you just couldn’t match from the ground. Not to mention that you can take great pictures out the windows of the helicopter. Finally people who like Batman are rewarded by the views of Gotham City, most of which was constructed from Chicago. Christopher Nolan filmed most of the panoramic shots of Gotham here, out the doors of helicopters, for his Dark Knight trilogy. I’ll talk a little bit more about Batman in my next post. So, in summary, fans of adrenaline, panoramas, and Gotham should go. Conveniently for me, I fall into all three of those categories.

How:

I don’t really have too much advice for this one. Make sure to bring a coat, because it sometimes gets cold up there in flying helicopters, and sunglasses, for the glare from buildings. The tour length depends on how long you have scheduled for. Nevertheless, if you have the option to, I recommend scheduling your tour in the morning. In my opinion, the lighting is best at that time for helicopter riding. If you decide to take a helicopter tour with Sun Aero, be aware that they are a little hard to make plans with. Don’t forget to confirm your tour before making any definite assumptions. Also, don’t forget to check the weather frequently before your tour. The tour may be rescheduled if there is any sign of rain. Finally, don’t get angry if the company tells you that their helicopter is broken. That happened to me, but I figured that it was a lot better for it to break before my tour than during it. You can find Sun Aero Helicopters at www.sunaerohelicopters.com.

After Going: 10/10

Reason for Score: I could see the people in the Sears Tower!

Email me at michaelworldtravel@gmail.com with anything; questions, comments, concerns, you name it.

Have you ever been in a helicopter? Or been to Chicago? Tell us about it in the comments section and you may be recognized in my next post.

I apologize for the quality of the photos, my Dad only took ones where you can see me :)

I am not at all affiliated with Sun Aero Helicopters, I actually don't care about them whatsoever.

 On the tarmac

 Flying out over houses

 Flying up the lakeshore towards the city

 The buildings of Chic- ahem, Gotham

 Preparing to buzz the Sears Tower

Back on the pad

Britain in Action-The Churchill War Rooms

This post is going to be about the Churchill War Rooms, an underground bunker in the center of London. During World War II, Winston Churchill ran England and coordinated the war effort from this bunker. It has been kept in its original condition since then, and is now open to tourists. I visited it last year, and very much enjoyed it.

The Churchill War Rooms

Before Going: 9/10

Reason for Score: I wanted to see the real places of World War II, history’s most famous war.

Why you should go:

I was fascinated by the World War II history of the War Rooms. It was really cool to see the nerve center of the English war effort, and where Winston Churchill wrote himself into the history books. The Churchill War Rooms are all in their original condition (as far as I could tell), with even the furniture in the same position.  My favorite War Room is the Map Room, completely covered in maps of the world. These maps were used to keep track of all of the fronts and territorial changes during the world’s most devastating war, World War II. It was pretty wonderful to see the same pins and strings from the War in the same place as they were when the War was won. Phew! Try saying that 10 times. Anyway, I would highly recommend this place to anyone who is interested in World War II. If you consider yourself a World War II buff, or even an amateur who has a little curiosity, consider visiting the places like this where the war was fought.

How:

I advise touring the Churchill War Rooms without a guide. Everything is set up like a giant museum, and the individual rooms are very well organized and explained. You can decide which rooms you are interested in, but, if you’re short on time, I recommend sticking to the main route and skipping the attached Winston Churchill Museum. It should take you no more than two hours to visit the War Rooms in their entirety, but you can do it in less if you have to. If you’re pressed for time, try setting a limit on how long you spend at the site and don’t get too involved in reading individual signs.

After Going: 9/10

Reason for Score: It’s like a WWII museum where WWII actually happened.

Sorry about only having two pictures, they don't let you take any inside.

 The spectacular Churchill War Rooms sign

A back entrance to the Churchill War Rooms

Poll Results

The poll on what I should write about next is closed. It ended up being a tie between Jerusalem and Paris, with a grand total of one vote each. Come on guys! If even one of you votes in the next poll, you might decide what I publish next! Try it.

Three Steps to Enjoy Travel

How to enjoy travel according to a 14 year old (me):


Step 1. Meet People
You can understand another culture a lot better if you talk to a few locals than if you read an encyclopedia (though I would recommend doing both). There are many people in the Middle East and Europe who I would consider my friends. Now, when I say meet people, I don't mean just walk up to a person on the street and expect to become lifelong companions. Instead, maybe ask the tour guides a few more questions than the average tourist. Or strike up a conversation with a shopkeeper about local events. It makes your trip much more enjoyable if you can get a local's perspective.

Step 2. Don't be lazy
You can sleep in another time, folks. For many people, a trip like this is a once in a lifetime event. Use your time here to the fullest. Get up early, stay out late, always be rushing to the next sight. Enjoy yourself! To get the most out of your time, it helps to know what you want to see, so you may want to research a little beforehand. There is always one more thing you can visit!

Step 3. Go outside your comfort zone
Most of the time, people plan vacations to relax. I think that vacations should be a time to try new things; a time to be adventurous. Whenever you think you are too tired, or too nervous, or you don't have enough time, ask yourself "when will I have the chance to do this again?" Another part of getting out of your comfort zone is abandoning technology. Computers and Ipads should be left at home. Sure, bring your phone, but don't use it to check your email five times a day. When my Dad and I were in the Middle East, we joked that there could have been a new President elected in America and we wouldn't know it. I think that it's a good thing to be unplugged from the news for a little while.

Abide by these three simple ideas and your trip to wherever you're going will be a pleasant one.

Email me at michaelworldtravel@gmail.com. I would love to answer your questions and respond to your suggestions.

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Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Today, I’m going to tell you about Westminster Abbey, the most recognizable church in England. If you’ve been following the English Royal Family, you’ve probably seen this place on the news. Most recently, it was the site of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and now-Princess Kate. Even if you don’t care about the monarchs, though, Westminster Abbey is still a beautiful church that is worth visiting. If you want, read my one of my other articles on London by clicking here.

Before Going: 9/10

Reason for Score: I had seen the Abbey a lot on T.V. J

Why you should go:

The three biggest interests at Westminster were the famous graves, the beautiful architecture, and the Royal Family. First, I saw a whole lot of famous people buried in the Abbey.  My favorites were Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and Rudyard Kipling, who were all buried here. Second, I was really struck by the beauty of the building in general. The architects didn’t spare any expense in designing the building to be as detailed as it is huge. Of course, it helps to have access to the King’s checkbook J. Finally, the Royal Family has had a long history here. Coronations and other royal events have occurred here for almost a millennium.  I remember most watching the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate on the news. It was pretty cool to know the Abbey from T.V. before ever even going. I loved Westminster Abbey, and I hope you will too.

How:

It doesn’t really matter whether you enjoy the Abbey with or without a guide. The Abbey is a large place, but it is easy to navigate on your own. I went with a guide only to make sure I saw all of London before I had to leave. It takes roughly an hour to see the Abbey at a relaxed pace, but you could do it more quickly. Because of my aforementioned hurry, I did it in much less than an hour. The point is, make sure to see Westminster Abbey on your tour of London.

After Going: 9/10

Reason for Score: It is a great, historical church where Isaac Newton is buried

Email me at michaelworldtravel@gmail.com

 The giant statue of Oliver Cromwell, an English hero

 Me and my guide, John Gowing, outside the Abbey

Can you see the change in the design of the buttresses? This was caused of kings in England. The new king wanted to outdo his predecessor and leave his mark on the church.

Decorative statues that are as big as I am!

Yeah, it's that big

The Tower of London

The Tower of London:

Before Going: 8/10

I’m going to write about the Tower of London, a massive castle complex in (can you guess?) London.  It is important because it was the residence of the kings of England. The Tower, and the neighboring Tower Hill, is a place where many famous people were put to death, including Anne Boleyn. Besides this rather grim purpose, though, it also holds the Crown Jewels of England. It is definitely one of my favorite parts of Britain. If you're interested in Britain, click here for my other articles

Why you should go:

The three best parts of the Tower of London are the White Tower, the Crown Jewels, and the (nearby) Tower Hill. My favorite of these, the White Tower, is the innermost and oldest part of the extensive Tower complex. I like the small museum inside, containing period weapons and armor. Admittedly, I didn’t see the Crown Jewels because I was short on time. Still many tourists visit them every year and I would suggest going. Lastly, the Tower Hill is the official execution place of London (not anymore, mind you) and is where most notorious criminals were put to death.  There is a small plaque on the ground that lists some of those killed.

The primary reason I wanted to go was to see the enormous medieval castle, which I think is something most of us could relate to. However, there are also plenty of entertaining stories from London’s history that took place here, and it is quite memorable to see where these occurred. The final reason you should go is that The Tower is important to British history, and you all know how much I like history. The Tower was originally built by, if you can believe it, the French kings of England.  Anyone who doesn’t see the Tower of London on their trip to England can’t claim to have really seen England.

How:

I advise going with a guide, just because of the sheer volume of history at the site. Guides can keep you interested with the amusing tales that have taken place in the Tower, and some darker ones too. More importantly, a guide can helped me tie these stories to the specific locations in which they happened better than you ever could have with a guidebook. My favorite guide for all of London is John Gowing, at www.gowingguiding.co.uk. He gave me a great tour of the Tower and a great explanation of its history. I spent roughly two hours at the Tower, but I wasn’t able to see everything fully. You should probably leave 3-4 hours, depending on how long you are in London for. Make sure to pick up a map at the gate, (if they still offer them, I haven’t been there for a while). I loved my tour of the Tower of London, and I hope you do too.

I’ll warn you about the pictures, though. For those of you that have read my Middle East series of posts, I look pretty young in these Europe ones!

After Going (not Gowing): 9/10
Reason for Score: It is a very impressive place and has quite an interesting history

Email me at michaelworldtravel@gmail.com with any questions or comments. For more info on this topic, read my other posts on Britain here.

 The labyrinthine Tower of London, with banners still flying for the benefit of the tourists.

 Me talking to John Gowing, our guide for London

The harmless-looking Tower Hill, where hundreds were executed.

Tower Bridge, sometimes misidentified as the famous London Bridge

 The infamous Traitor's Gate, where prisoners were brought in by boat

The White Tower and I

 A detailed model of the Tower and its environs

 The building that houses the Crown Jewels,,, and the huge line

Me at the other side of the White Tower 

A monument to Ann Boleyn, executed so that Henry VIII could marry again and produce an heir