What a journey. What an experience. As I think about the Faith for Hayden climb of 2025, I have some reflections I'd like to share with you. However, I would be remiss if I didn't start by giving you a huge THANK YOU for the support you have provided for this climb! We originally set out to raise $14,000 to fund Schaaf-Yang Syndrome ("SYS") research. In the end, we collectively raised over $50,000!!! What an incredible achievement and testament to the power of community. I'm forever grateful.
I reflected on the climb, while on the trail and then back home. I've organized my thoughts in the following categories. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you realize how impactful this project was for me, which is in large part due to your support and encouragement.
- Mountain climbing is hard
- Mountain climbing is unpredictable
- Mountain climbing is rewarding
- Everything in life takes support from others
Mountain climbing is hard:
About a week before the climb, I went to my doctor to see if he would prescribe me Diamox – an altitude sickness pill. However, before he prescribed it, he said he needed me to come in and talk with him about the medicine and the climb. Everything he could have told me about the medicine could have been done in a quick message, but the real reason he brought me in was to ensure I understood what I was about to do was, in his words, "an extreme sport!"
Climbing over 7,000 feet of elevation gain, across nearly 23 miles with a pack weighing somewhere between 20-35 pounds, in temperatures that got down into the low-30's, in just over 48 hours is hard. What is even harder is most of that was done above 11,500 feet of elevation. The available oxygen in the air at 14,000 feet is 38% less than it is at sea level. This is something that I underestimated. I felt well-trained for this trip, I worked on leg strength, walked with a weighted vest, and focused heavily on cardio and increasing my VO2 max. However, you can't really replicate it until you are in the situation.
The mental aspect of climbing is hard as well. Having the mental strength to see a stretch of the climb where you have to ascent 1,700 feet in less than a mile is daunting, especially after spending the first 2.5 miles of the trip knowing it is coming. To put the elevation gain into perspective, the Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall. Also, an alarm going off at 3:30 AM to get going on the trail with a headlamp is not the easiest thing to do either.
Mountain climbing is unpredictable:
The great American philosopher, Mike Tyson, once said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." When you are dealing with mother nature, especially in the Rockies, weather can change fast and the best laid plans you had quickly go out the window and you must adapt.
On our first summit day, we got on the trail around 4:40 AM and ascended over 2,000 feet across more than 3 miles. We made it to the summit ridge at 13,500 feet of elevation for Mt. Harvard at 7:30 AM, which is the first time we got a chance to see west. What we saw was not what we expected. Typically, thunderstorms come in the afternoons and the "rule of thumb" is to be off the mountain by noon to avoid the storms. However, what we saw looked daunting and the last thing you want to be is exposed on a mountain and be the tallest thing on it. In some cases, it can be a life-or-death situation. We didn't want to take any chances, so we chose life and (after a significant amount of effort getting within 900 feet of the summit) descended the mountain. On the descent, we got snowed on…
That was the first thing that didn't go to plan… Our plan, with the first contingency was as follows:
- Summit Mt. Harvard, then traverse to summit Mt. Columbia on the same day
- Summit Mt. Harvard on Friday, summit Mt. Columbia on Saturday
At the point we decided to abort the Harvard summit, both of these options were off the table. We were then faced with a decision when we got back to camp at 9:00 AM after spending 4.5 hours, 6 miles, and 2,000 feet of elevation gain – if we were going to get both summits on this trip, we needed one today. So at 9:30, we decided that we were going to go for it and began our second summit attempt of the day and started on the trail to Mt. Columbia. For a variety of reasons, including weather, fatigue, and likely a lack of water to complete the climb, we decided after nearly two miles and getting to 12,600 feet of elevation it wasn't going to happen. Two summits were now off the table. To make it worse, we had expended a bunch of energy and were concerned whether a summit on Saturday morning was even in the cards. Read the "everything in life takes support by others" to see how the rest played out.
Another part of the unpredictability is how your body will react to the altitude, regardless of whether you have medicine or not. Staying hydrated, eating enough calories, keeping your body loose, keeping a steady pace, etc. are all things that seem easy. However, when you are at elevation, things happen. For example, after our 2nd aborted summit and getting back to camp, Chris was concerned a summit the next day wasn't going to happen as he could not force himself to eat more trail food (nuts, trail mix, granola, protein bars). He needed calories, he needed nutrition, but altitude does funny things. I convinced him to trade his trail food for one of my dehydrated meals and we would get on the summit. Another thing altitude brings is hallucinations… we won't go into some of the things we "saw" on the trail.
Mountain climbing is rewarding:
Despite the challenge, mountain climbing is rewarding. The sense of accomplishment you feel when you arrive at the summit is indescribable. The training, the preparation, the elements, the mental capacity, everything goes out the window and it is sheer joy. To know you've set a goal, put in months of work, and achieve that goal makes you forget about the pain it took to get there.
This summit meant a whole lot more, however, as there was so much purpose behind it. To know I set out to climb this mountain for my daughter that climbs her own mountains every day was an emotional moment for me. I know Hayden struggles; I see it every day. I know she works her butt off to achieve her own summits every day. She is disadvantaged in many ways, none of which she can control. However, she approaches every day with joy and determination, which gives me the strength to attempt to match the joy and determination she has. Most days I fall short, but I did not fall short on this day.
In addition to the accomplishment, the views early in the morning while climbing mountains are majestic. Taking our first break at 6:20 AM on Saturday, the sky was clear and we could see for miles. Looking out into God's creation makes you realize how mighty and powerful He is and how blessed we are to be a small part of his creation. The peace it brings to take it all in is pure wonder.
Everything in life takes support by others:
While some may think mountain climbing is an individual sport, it is very much a team sport. Yes, the training is individual. Yes, the effort is individual. Yes, the planning is individual. However, to pull it all together you need the support of your community.
At times, during the climb, I doubted whether I had enough strength to continue. However, I thought of why I was doing this and the encouraging words I'd receive from my friends and family before heading out. When the alarm went off at 3:30 on Saturday morning, I didn't think it was possible to get up the mountain, but I thought of all the encouragement and donations our support group gave to complete this climb.
While some of the encouragement came from afar, a lot of the encouragement came from Chris. As a more experienced mountain climber (in better physical shape!), he was leading the trip in nearly every way. When times got difficult, the words of encouragement came from his love and experience. Most of the encouraging words like "You're doing great" or "Nice work" were clearly said with love. However, there were times that the words were not so "encouraging" and you had to dig deep to find the love – however, it was there. Sometimes we need to hear the things we don't want to hear that come from a place of love. I'm grateful for Chris, the encouragement he provided, and the support he provided me on this climb and in our journey with Hayden.
Believe it or not, Chris doing this climb for Hayden is nowhere near the biggest thing he has done to support Courtney and I on our journey with Hayden. In the early days after Hayden's birth, NICU stay, and diagnosis, we were in crisis. Having three other kids that needed love and attention, in addition to the logistics of going to school, activities, etc. was challenging when faced with a rare disease diagnosis. Chris, with a family of his own and limited vacation time with his job, saw we were in need. He decided to use his vacation and leave his wife and children at home to come support Courtney and I for two separate weeks. During that time, not only did Chris provide us with the logistical support for our family, but he provided us with the emotional support we needed at the time. He gave me the encouraging words I wanted to hear but also the things I needed to hear, but didn't want to – all from a place of love. I'll never forget the time he spent with us, the plan he made for us, and the encouragement he gave at every step of the way. Hayden is lucky to have an uncle like him, and I'm lucky to have a brother like him.
As I conclude on my reflections, I want to end with thanking you for your support. The climb was challenging and unpredictable, but it was rewarding and I couldn't have done it without your support. In life, some people need more help and support than others. For this climb, I was that person and received support and encouragement from my entire community, which I'm grateful for. However, Hayden needs more support every day. You provide support and encouragement for me and Hayden every day. Your financial support of this climb is a huge step towards providing funding for the critical research to make significant strides to improve Hayden's life. Real progress is being made in research, and we are on the verge of a breakthrough in SYS research. I'll explain more on the work going on at our Annual Celebration of Hayden in November.
Grateful,
Matt
