JD-0091
Contemplating the Climb, Kok Shaal Tau Mountains, Tien Shan Range, Xinjiang Province, China
© 2000 Jerry Dodrill

It had been a tough climb and the descent was worse. The unnamed peak, seen here enshrouded in clouds, had deeply tested our physical and mental abilities. It threw everything at us, but we climbed on. In the end, just below the top, the peak beat us back. We were denied the virgin summit and nearly electrocuted in a lightning storm. Sometimes the mountains tolerate our presence, but often they do not. The goal is not to conquer the mountain but to experience it, learn from it, and know it's intricate ways. The mountaineer leaves his mark on the mountain, but the mountain leaves a much deeper impression on the mountaineer.