The Conquest of a Great Peak Brings Moments of Exultation and Bliss, Which in the Monotonous, Materialistic Existence of Modern Times Nothing Else Can Approach

Mt Diablo Summit

We tackled Mt Diablo and three other summits in the Bay Area, starting in the early morning and finishing very late in the afternoon after 6000 feet of climbing that include brutal ascending and descending 20-30% grades, gusts to 30-40mph on the summit, expansive views that no camera can really capture well. It was a ferocious buttkicker of a hike, a marathon that ended with leggs wobbling, knees screaming, and an exhaustion that laid me down for 10 hrs of on again off again sleep, and this morning, I finally felt the sense of accomplishment that I was too exhausted to feel yesterday. Kilimanjaro, I’m as ready for you as I ever will be.