The Mountain Climber: Rocky Mountain Expedition

“This is what I call majestic!” said Todd with amazement, as he drove into British Columbia. “Look at those fantastic snow caps!” 

Todd was an accountant and a budding mountain climber, on his first trip to the Rocky Mountains. Their their sheer beauty left him breathless, but at the same time, the humongous mountain ranges appeared very foreboding.

“This is frightening, but I’ve never seen anything so beautiful!  At home, the mountains are more like hills compared to these.” 

Todd had been practicing mountain climbing techniques at the local sports complex all winter. Now, he was determined to climb a real mountain and have a real-life experience that he could relate to the amateur mountain climbers in his group. None of them had ever climbed a real mountain.

Todd had decided to travel alone.

“I never should have come without a buddy,” he thought. Even the rock cuts along the highway were far larger than anything he had ever seen. “I’ve watched so many adventure movies. People climb these kinds of mountains all of the time. If they can do it, so can I. 

He slowed down and pulled into a rest area beside the highway to stretch his legs. The mountains loomed darker and seemed more threatening than ever.

“This is a reality check. It’s gorgeous, but these mountains are too big for me to climb!” He grabbed his backpack and sat down at a picnic table. “I need some coffee and a bite to eat, too.” He rummaged through the snacks he'd packed for his first mountain climbing expedition.

“Unless I find a mountain I know I can climb, I won’t need these.” He had come well prepared for mountain climbing, purchasing everything his coach had suggested, but he had never expected to find mountains like this. 

“I have an idea.” Todd pulled out his digital camera and began taking photographs of the different mountain ranges. Later, he stopped repeatedly and took more pictures.

"My time hasn’t been totally wasted,” he told himself, as he pulled into a motel for the night.  'I have to do some serious research and speak to the expert mountain climbers here. Then, I’ll really have something to show the guys.”