It's Only A Mountain

Wow..... The last week has been absolutely insane... First off...... Bum...BUm... BUM!!! The Säntis, the most intense mountain. Ever... The climb reminded me of the story of Jeremy`s, with climbing mountains. The hike started out really warm, with a little bit of fog. I was wearing my giganticous coat and sweatshirt just in case and man I started sweating to bad, it was completely disgusting. So I took that off and kept going.

The hike was easy, then it got steeper and steeper... And narrower and narrower... One side is next to a rock wall and the other is a cliff. I could only see 3 people ahead of me then all the fog hid everyone else. We climber higher and higher, narrower and narrower,steeper and steeper.. The weather started to turn bad. The wind picked up, and was blowing like crazy! Then the rain came, and I was wet from sweat and wet from the rain. We kept climbing up and up. Then the temperatures started to drop, and snow, and wind grew stronger and stronger against us. We were walking through snow, ice, slush and remember... We are next to a cliff and a rock wall.. Talk about between a rock and a hard place, or at least a hard fall^^ Then we got to a solid rock wall and we climbed straight up it, with no equipment and no gear, just straight up in the crazy weather. 

We climbed and climbed. Then we got to the top.. A path covered in snow, mostly ice, and a cliff on both sides. One wrong step and bye bye Elder Annen. But of course, there was a miraculous chain, covered in ice that we could hold onto. I didn't bring gloves. I was told in my mission call to buy some on the mission in winter time. So held to that chain with hands that screamed in pain because first of fear and second because of how cold it was. My hands were completely numb and yet they burned with the freezing chain. We kept going and came to a drop off where 30 feet we went down 50 feet then straight back. People,missionaries, were slipping everywhere and that was so scary. Because if one slipped everyone behind them would be in trouble. We climbed and with frozen, blistering hands, faces, wet feet, we made it to the top.

The most interesting connection came to me though. The chain was freezing, the path narrow, surrounded by mists of darkness... Anyone seeing a connection? I thought of the iron rod story. The chain was freezing and I wanted to let go so badly the whole time. We have to hold to the rod even if it kills our hands. I have to go apparently and will talk later.

Love you,
Elder Annen