Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

 I was just about to sit down on my favorite sofa with a plate of nachos and a cold beer when there is a knock on my door.  Getting  up from the sofa I wonder who could have the nerve to interrupt a perfect afternoon with a plate of nochos and Homer Simpson, it’s my friend and his wife. They inform me that they are on there way for a quick hike and ask me if I would like to join them. Being that they are avid hikers my first question is how long and difficult is this hike. They assure me it is quick and easy a mire four miles, I can handle four miles so I decide to go along. After a short drive we arrive at the base of the trail, we get out of the car and they start removing their gear from the trunk suddenly they take out a pair of poles I’m wondering to myself what would you need ski poles for. What ever, we start to walk up the trail it looks easy a nice flat trail with some brush around it, I mention that the trail looks like an easy hike and shouldn’t take long at all. They just smile at me and we continue our hike about a mile into the hike I start to notice that the trail seems to be getting steeper, I mention it to my friend. He informs my that the trail has an incline of 900 meters from here, I’m shocked 900 meters I did a quick calculation and then exclaimed that’s 2700 feet your going to kill me, you told me it would be a short hike. His wife respond by telling me that it is a short hike but if I would like to turn back and wait for them at the car. Well I’m not about to be out done by her, when I start something I finish it. On we go about 100 yards down the trail a sharp pain hits me like a knife in the stomach It’s just a stitch in my side but painful, I stop and rest as they look at me with disgust my friends wife goes on without a moments thought. My friend stays behind because he’s my buddy and would never leave me alone on the trail he encourages me to carry on he tells me his wife wont wait for us, I get up and carry on with the hike. We continue the hike all the time my lungs are starting to burn as we climb higher I can feel the pain in my legs I stop for a rest to regain my energy my friends wife is about fifty yards ahead of us looking back after a short rest we move on this time my friend lets me use his hiking poles which aleveated some of the pain in my legs. The brush becomes thicker as we reach the alpine I push myself through the brush until we reach an opening and a trail about 100 yards leads to the summit. Exhausted I rest when I  look up I see the most incredible view that stretches out for miles as I rest a sense of pride and accomplishment over come me, I made  it to the top.