When I was 12 I heard I would be going to Wyoming with my family to climb the Tetons. I was relatively experienced with rock climbing, as I had already been climbing for several years prior. This, however, was going to be bigger than anything I had ever climbed before. We were going on a two-day hiking and climbing trip to Cube Point, which is almost 10,000 ft. tall. Although Cube Point is much easier than actually climbing the full height of the Grand Tetons, it was still fairly intimidating for a 12 year old. I had heard many stories of people dying on these larger climbs, so I was worried when I heard I would be climbing it. I worried about it for a several months but when the day we were to go to Wyoming came I decided to get over my fear. I wanted to have a fun adventure and not a scary one. My family hired a guide to help us climb the mountain and we set out early in the morning. After riding the ferry across a lake to the base of the mountain, we started the long trek up to where we would sleep that night. It was springtime so there was still snow on some parts of the mountain. At some points we even had to walk on ice. My parents had told me there was a lake next to where our campground was and I got exited, thinking that I would be able to swim in it. Unfortunately I forgot that there was still snow on the mountain and found that the lake was freezing cold. I attempted to swim to a small island in the middle, but found I could not stand the cold for more than a few seconds.
Aside from the freezing lake, our campsite was fairly comfortable. It had an amazing view of everything around the mountain, and we could see the point where we would be climbing to tomorrow. It looked daunting, especially for a 12 year old. From our view in the camp, I could see a large cliff, with snow at the bottom, leading up to some jagged rocks. Our guide told us that we would be going up the other side.  It was great getting to listen to stories while our guide cooked beans on an open fire. The night was pitch black and we could see thousands of stars in a sky that was almost untouched by human light.
After a restful sleep and breakfast, we started to hike around the mountain peak. We went through winding paths filled with rocks and pine trees. About half way to the top of the peak, we began to rock climbing up. Most of the climbing was fairly easy; as it was similar to climbing I had done before. After several hours we had nearly climbed our way to the top. I was exited to reach Cube Point, but the toughest challenge was yet to be overcome.
Near the top, we encountered a narrow gap between the point and us. To get across, you would be attached to the rope, have to walk on a thin ledge, change the carabineer for the rope midway across, and then jump to the other side. It also looked to be a 500-foot drop off the ledge, which absolutely terrified me. I was pretty afraid I would die if I went across that ledge and every instinct in my body told me not too. My parents and the guide had to adjust the rope so I wouldn’t have to change the carabineer in the middle and then encourage me for about ten minutes to go across. I was still petrified at the thought of walking that thin ledge but eventually I slowly made my way across. After getting past that ledge, we were finally to the top. The view was stunning, it seemed as if we could see the entire state from Cube Point. It was amazing sitting up that high, but eventually we had to start climbing down the mountain. The hike down seemed to go much quicker than the hike up and quickly arrived back at the base of the mountain. I was exhausted in the end and fell asleep almost immediately when we got back to my nana’s house.
Climbing that point has probably been one of my greatest achievements. It taught me that I could overcome my fear and that I could do amazing things, even if they, at first, seem impossible. I never thought I would make it past that ledge, but with the determination to overcome my fear I was able to overcome it. It taught me to not be hampered by fear and to always try my hardest to accomplish my goals.