What Goes Up MUST Come Down

While on a college senior retreat at Diamond Lake Resort, I with a group of 5 college senior guys, (5 of whom had never summitted a mountain before, 2 of whom were "low-landers" and natives of Hong Kong) took off on a day hike to conquer this mountain which was so prominent and visible from our lodge. The day was warm and crystal-clear. Nearly the whole thing seemed an easy cake-walk, but we gulped a bit at the last 80 near-vertical feet (class 3/4). I was the only semi-experienced climber, and when we started down, I was chagrined to remember how hard it is to get down what you more easily go up. At one point I began to wonder if one or two of the group (our Hong Kong friends) would stay and wait for a helicopter rescue (or for the summit to erode). It took nearly an hour for the 6 of us to coax and help each other down that 80-foot stack. A rope would have at least been a psychological comfort although not technically necessary. Ultimately, for 5 greenhorns, it was a "best" first mountain summit experience. Great place to take a newbie to see if mountaineering is in their blood (and how much adrenalin might be part of the mix).