During the final three days of the climb, wildfires blazing in the space add their very own type of hell to the combo. “Every day is as hazy as you can imagine,” Musiyenko says. “Your body hurts. You’re exhausted. And now you’re breathing fucking smoke.”
After ascending one other eight mountains on the next day, Musiyenko can barely bend his severely swollen knee. (*8*) he says. “Honestly, I just want to be done with this thing.” The near-death march carries on with Mount Powell, Clyde Spires West after which aptly named Crumbly Spire, the place rocks increased than three stacked fridges can tumble nearly simply by them the unsuitable method. “This is the worst rock I’ve ever seen,” says Musiyenko, who then hobbles over the summits of Clyde Spires East, Mount Wallace Mount Haeckel and Mount Darwin.
“At this point, I’m very close to zoning out,” he recollects. Relentless self-discipline pushes him ahead—in addition to a long-held perception and commentary he received’t let himself neglect, particularly proper now.
“People tend to give up whenever things get really tough and the odds start to feel almost insurmountable,” he says. “When you’re at that point, you just have to keep remembering that this is actually the whole point. It’s supposed to be this hard. You’re meant to face adversity and work through it with every inch of your mind and body.”
On Musiyenko’s eighth and ultimate day, each inch of his physique (and thoughts) aches. With a nub of a Snickers bar and three gummy worms left to eat, he pushes over extra mountains—Tom Ross, Lamarck, Keyhole Plateau, Keyhole Plateau North—and ultimately the ultimate, anonymous 12,600-foot summit of the Goliath Traverse, merely marked “Peak” on the map. It overlooks Piute Pass and the path that leads him out. He reaches his automobile, parked there like a mirage, leans in opposition to it and sobs for 10 minutes.
