Drove 8 hours to climb Mount Whitney last summer and had to turn back at 12,000 feet because of altitude sickness.

I was halfway up the trail near Lone Pine, feeling fine one minute then splitting headache and nausea out of nowhere. Made the call to head down even though our permit took 3 months to get - has anyone else bailed on a big goal and felt dumb about it?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo_campbell2d ago

Made the call to head down" - that takes more guts than pushing through most of the time. I've noticed this same pattern with people in everyday stuff like cutting a project short at work or skipping a workout when they're beat, not just on big mountain trips. Smart decisions feel dumb in the moment but they're usually the ones that keep you coming back for another try.

uma_lopez1d ago

Has anyone else found that the worst decisions happen when you're most sure about them, like that time I tried to finish a puzzle but ended up losing a piece?