The most memorable hike from the trip to Vatnajökull National Park was the 11-mile trail that we completed on the second day. Before this, the longest hike I had done was an 8-mile trail on Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. Going into this weekend I expected to be challenged since I had never hiked that distance before. It went relatively smoothly until the last section right before we reached the peak, and the trail became especially steep. My greatest fear has always been climbing. I am fine with heights once I get to the top, but the act of climbing a steep, rocky slope terrifies me. Approaching this section I knew that the choice was mine to keep going or to turn back. In that moment, I found myself thinking back to last summer when I waited by the road as my friends climbed down a rocky terrain to a swim hole near the Catskills. With support and tips from the group I slowly completed the steep part by relying a lot on my hands. I feel as though I made up for that moment last summer by pushing past my fear and completing the hike, no matter how shaky I might have been while doing it.
