Ray learns from Japhy on the first spiritual mountain climbing experience on Matterhorn and applies his knowledge to his final destination up Desolation Peak. Afraid and inexperienced Ray, struggles both mentally and physically on the first climb as he attempts to summit Matterhorn Mountain. During his first trip he struggles with drinking, although Japhy assures Ray he won’t need to drink on the mountain, instead find a way to enjoy the adventure without using alcohol. Ray realizes taking a step back from drinking is healthy, he said “…would do me a lot of good and get me away from drinking and maybe make me appreciate perhaps a while new way of living” (Kerouac, 55). Japhy and Ray spend alone time hiking up the mountain reading each other
