Day 7 - The animal awakened today...

We had a steep climb up a section called the ski jump today. On it and getting to it, we were winding our way through some monster crevasses. It was an awesome sight...

Since we're double hauling, we had to go up the steep section twice. It was no easy feat, but especially on the second climb, I was in pure eye of the tiger mode.

No play, fun or looking at scenery. I was in it for the fight. That's it...

Christian was breaking trail and route finding, which were both very challenging tasks in this terrain. He crushed it though. If it was me leading, I probably would have taken us all straight into a crevasse :)

To support him in breaking trail through soft snow, I took a bunch of weight from his sled. So both climbs up, I had a pretty heavy sled. Especially today, I loved it. I wanted it...

A long time ago, I would have kept looking up waiting to see when the climb would be over. Today, I sought out every bit of struggle the glacier was going to give me.

Every switchback was extra hard with that heavy sled behind me, but instead of dreading the next switchback, I eagerly awaited it. I called for it.

These are some of the lines that went through my head as self talk throughout the climb...

This is my house.

You were built for this.

This is your world.

Let's go motherfucker.

You're a fucking savage.

This is what you were born for.

This is what you were made for.

I also got into lines from the movie 300 at one point:

This is where we fight. This is where they die.

Remember this day, for it will be yours for all time.

There were 28 switchbacks in total I was told. I could have gone on for 50.

Every day exposes me to another strong why for being out here. Yesterday it was the scenery. Not that today's isn't equally epic, but today it was for that second climb. It was a legendary and beautiful inner battle that will stay with me forever. I will remember this moment the next time I find myself in the pain cave, which will no doubt happen again soon enough :) 

As a team, we all killed it today and came out of the fight smiling. It's a privilege being a part of such a great crew.

Tomorrow, we climb again.