No Summit, Week 1: "Right, kid."

Right, kid.

Okay, so take this with a grain of salt, as I am an adult reading this book, but here's the first thing I was struck by:

How do the adults in Jordan's life let him do this!??!

As you certainly know by now, this book is told from Jordan's viewpoint. He seems to me to be a plucky kid, full of confidence and ready to challenge himself. I am intrigued by him, but my focus keeps falling to the adults in the book. I don't personally have kids, but I wonder how I would feel if my 10-year-old son asked to climb the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Or how I would respond to him if I were Samuel. What would I think of this boy telling me he wants to go the hardest route up Kilimanjaro? Would I let him? Or would I laugh at him and say, "Right, kid. If you wanna climb the mountain by that route, you're going to have to get yourself another guide."

What do you think of Jordan? In what ways are you like him? In what ways do you differ?

For me, when I was ten, I thought I pretty much had the answer to everything. I quickly found that not to be the case, but I don't yet see that happening for Jordan. I did chuckle at what happened when he turned down his father's help on Mt. Kosciuszko, and I appreciated his understanding that climbers younger than him probably climbed Kilimanjaro without being acknowledged. But I will be looking forward to see if he continues to be as cocky or if he finds a bit more humility as he continues his quest. 

Globe Trotter

I am particularly enjoying the global aspect of this book. As I read, I'm keeping my internet open and briefly researching any names of tribes or places. I have appreciated seeing the pictures of Elbrus and Kosciuszko, as well as learning about the Masai tribe that Jordan mentions en route to Kilimanjaro (I can't bring myself to call it "Kili"). This research is enriching my experience of the book (though it also makes my reading take longer), and I look forward to learning more about the other continents as the book progresses.

Inspirations

While I am not currently attempting to summit seven or eight different mountains, I am finding plenty of inspirational moments in this book. If you found a quote you found particularly inspiring, feel free to post it (with a page number) below. Mine for this week is:

"Shelter makes all the difference in a storm." - p. 71. I might talk more about why I find that inspirational later. For now, I'll just leave it there and look forward to checking in with you all after Mount Aconcagua and Denali (after page 199). 

A Little Something For You

As a gift for reading Week One's entry, here's a picture of me at rock climbing school (age 12). I thought of this picture when Jordan spoke of the "Kissing Wall." How Jordan describes his experience there reminded me of this moment (though I was much closer to the ground (though definitely not much cooler)). 

Happy reading!