On top of the World.

On top of the World - Mt. Whitney Summit - 14505ft (4420 mt). The highest point in the contiguous United States.

I left Crabtree Meadow on a beautiful morning, not exactly unusual out here. I walked through pine forest gradually thinning to reveal tantalising glimpses of the rocks and peaks ahead and towering above me. Before long I was removing my shoes to cross creeks that were full with melt water. Cautiously I made my across, step by step as the sound of the gushing water assaulted my ears and the ice cold temperature numbed my legs. 5 minutes later I was following the same procedure again.

The track scraped past crystal clear lakes fed by numerous streams tumbling over rocks from the mountains above. Marmots scampered about when they saw me coming. Curiosity always got the better of them as they peeked at me from over a rock as I walked past before scurrying into a hole. Vertical snow chutes striped the rocks like an artist had brushed them on.

The route suddenly became steeper and I picked my way across snow slopes gingerly with ice axe in one hand, trying not to look down. Controlled breathing became laboured as I gasped for each breath like it would be taken away from me before I could grab it.

I summited at 12.50pm on 4th July, Independence Day, after 4.1/2 hours of sustained effort. The panorama was magical, mountain range after mountain range stretched away, reminding me of what I still had to conquer.

Sometimes it's hard seeing what I still have to overcome, so I only look a few days ahead, planning 'baby steps' that piece together the bigger picture.