Sunday

Communication and Teamwork: Climbing Closer Together

By Claire Jansen, ‘17

Today we started our overnight hike. I was a little nervous to do this because I did not know what to expect. I have only slept outside in a tent once or twice in my life, so I was also very excited for this experience. At first, the hike started out slightly uphill. The altitude made it much harder for everyone, so most of the time I felt very out of breath. But I was comforted knowing that everyone else in the group felt the same way I did. Everyone was feeling exhausted, and we hadn’t even experienced the hardest part yet.

After about an hour of this, we came to a dead end. Our guides discovered that the trail we had been walking along had been closed due to a landslide. After much consideration, it was decided that we would have to hike vertically up the mountain. This was one of the scariest things I have ever had to do because everyone had to be aware of exactly where they were putting their feet. If we did not, we would fall down the entire mountain. I was so terrified that I basically climbed up on all fours the whole time. Although this may seem like an awful experience, some positives also came out of it as well. We all had to work together to help each other out. I made sure that the person in front of me did not slip and fall, and warned the person behind me if there was a lose rock or thorns in the way. Also, the leaders of the day stopped every few minutes to yell words of encouragement to the group. Even just a simple “you got this” helped me to keep going even when I would much rather sit down and never see the top.

When the hard part was over, we still had to walk a few more hours to go until we reached the campsite. Instead of taking the trail the guides expected, we had to walk through the freezing cold Incan canal and along a thin stonewall for the next two hours. This was also very scary (although not quite as scary as walking vertically for an hour) because it was very slippery. But once again, everyone helped each other out. This definitely brought us closer together because we had to use teamwork and communication the entire time. I remember the exact moment that we made it to the campsite: I have never felt prouder or more accomplished in my life. I never thought we would make it. We all cheered loudly and gave each other high-fives. We couldn’t believe we were there!

Once we were there, we immediately had to pile on all the layers we had. Even though it was late afternoon, it was already freezing. Luckily, we were given warm drinks and popcorn right away. Even just this simple gesture really made a difference because everyone was cold, tired, and hungry after the long day.

Although the hike was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, I am glad we got the experience to do it because it brought everyone closer together. We all learned the value of communication and teamwork. These are skills that will be important for the rest of the trip and for the rest of our lives.