Tenaya Peak: Observation Report

Looking far below at the valley floor, I saw the glistening, deep-blue water of Tenaya Lake amid the sloping forests of Yosemite National Park. However, my appreciation of such splendor was far too short as I quickly refocused my attention to the issue of paramount importance: the enormous, looming wall of granite above me called Tenaya Peak. Only a few hundred feet of this dark, gray behemoth were left to be conquered after my last four grueling hours of exertion on the rock. I bore nothing but my nine centimeter nylon rope, rubber shoes, and safety harness as I clung to the slab of granite just below my father, who lead the route up the northwest buttress of the menacing mountain. As the peak steepened toward the summit, I reminded myself of the one absolute, irrevocable fact while climbing: if I become careless and make a mistake, then I may consequently forfeit …show more content…
Despite my exhausted nine-year-old muscles screaming from oxygen depletion, I still became fully engrossed in the moment and stared confidently down upon the world. At this moment I realized any hurdle can be surmounted given one is properly prepared and trusts one's abilities. This fierce determination that I acquired has guided me well throughout my adolescence and will continue to serve me as I transition into adulthood. Additionally, my entire perspective of the world was drastically shifted by this momentous event; I began the day as an ant, crawling insignificantly on the valley floor and gradually transformed into a bald eagle, soaring gracefully above the Earth and free from terrestrial constraints. Opportunities are presented to every individual throughout life, but only those who are willing to take initiative and endure risks can ever have experiences like climbing