Mali Bukaniku

This past weekend I went with the High Albania group to climb Mount Bukaniku (around 1800 meters). The peak looked to be a relatively straightforward ascent, especially since we were starting from 900 m. Well, it probably is straightforward in the summer, but as it turns out there's a lot of snow there in January. In the end, it took us six hours, with around two of those hours spent post holing up a steep slope through breakable crust on top of sugar snow, sinking in up to mid-thigh (or above) with every step.

Now this is interesting because (as my loving spouse will tell you), I normally eschew post holing. In fact, my standard reaction to the least little bit of post holing is immediately to start sniveling about being wet and cold, followed by didactic discourses along the lines of "since I'm so much shorter the snow is proportionally deeper for me making it much harder for me than everyone else" etc etc etc.

Enjoying the novelty of deep snow

But I didn't snivel this time. Instead, I broke trail. Partly I did it for the warmth generated by the extra exertion (since I didn't really bring much in the way of winter hiking gear); but mostly I felt honor-bound, as the one with the most winter training and experience, to lead. I noticed that only a few of the Albanians had technical clothing (one young man actually came the whole way in what appeared to be leather street shoes and dress socks). I don't think many of them had experienced these types of snow conditions before. And I know the steepness and the post holing wore them out long before we reached the summit.

Yet, wet, cold and tired, they laughed and joked all the way to the top. There was no complaining, and certainly no sniveling. They never thought of turning back. In short, they embraced the experience.

The group's enthusiasm certainly transformed my reaction. It's so important and yet I am prone to forget - attitude is everything. I shouldn't need to travel halfway around the world to remember that simple truth; yet sometimes stripping away the familiar and routine is exactly what we need to remind us about what's important in life.

The summit at last!