"It Shifted....."

I actually am not sure how many times we have climbed and scrambled this amazing Tower which overlooks Moraine Lake in Banff. But I do know we have enjoyed sharing the rock there in all four of the seasons. I particularly was enchanted during a winter climb with the mountains and valleys before us painted as beautifully as any classic black and white work of art. The views across up to Larch Valley, over Consolation Lakes, gazing over at the Ten Peaks, at the majesty of Mt. Temple, and across that wonderful expanse of Moraine Lake itself are unparalleled...

The one technical climb where we traced our route upon the Tower Of Babel's rock face was an exceptional day out. One of blue upon blue sky, no whisper of any wind, and crisp cool air where the echoes of climbing calls seemed to carry forever...

The route was full of the cracks, loose rock, and large blocks of stone common to our northern Rockies. This Tower though seems to hold its stone longer than many mountains... Some of the blocks are so very loose, yet so huge... I was seconding a section that has imprinted a moment in my mind, one where while moving upward I placed my hand deep into a crack, only to find that something very big moved a bit... "It shifted", were the two words I said out loud in surprise as I froze in place...

I just couldn't believe something that large could be moved, by what seemed to be a subtle placement of something as small as my hand and a bit of pressure. But shifted it had, as likely I had braced and pulled more out than down. Every second can be recalled of how we then backed off, traversed across slowly, and moved past that immense block of rock. My partner kept the lead and only smiled at me as I kept mumbling, 'It Shifted', in renewed surprise again and again...

Adventures are experienced within the moment, while the lessons from them, we often become more aware of later... I replayed the movements and placements over and over to see what might be grasped and learned from this. There was lots to ponder as we sat amongst the many huge cairns built by successive climbers atop this Tower of Babel... Like that rock, our perspectives may shift greatly at times too out there... All part of what keeps us aware, focused, having great experiences and fun within those moments of amazingly cautious enjoyment in the wild places...

I still wonder today about how that huge block of stone shifted.....

DSD