Trail Therapy: The Circle of Life

Risk is the forefront of extreme adventure sports.  No athlete becomes involved without knowing and fully understanding these risks.  Cave diving, rock climbing, mountaineering, surfing: all sports with extreme risk.  But the risk is sometimes what makes the thrill all the worthwhile.  Since the beginning of the climbing generation, humans have been pushing the limits of our imagination. James Whittaker, Yvon Chouinard, Douglas Tompkins, Edmund Hillary, Reinhold Messner have all become household climbing names for there incredible.  We commend these individuals for their vision and for seeking out new thrills in which to broaden our horizons.

One such thrill is the Slipstream rout up Mount Snow Dome in Jasper National Park, Canada.  Its reputation proceeds it with the dangers of extreme weather conditions, intense vertical climbing, and certainty of death.  Several journals depict the difficulty of this route.
A Long and Slippery Slope
The 2nd Ascent

In April 1989 mountain climber William Holland was on his descent from Slipstream when a cornice let loose under Holland's feet and swallowed him into the mountain's snowy depths.  A seasoned climber and mountaineer, Holland understood the risks associated with such an attempt.  But the pull of the

21 years later, in August of 2010, hikers found the partially buried remains of William Holland, at the base of the glacier, almost a kilometer from the location of his fall. The mountain that had taken this man from his family had given him back.

 

After 21 years, Holland's family finally have the opportunity to cope with the death of a loved one.  Holland's daughter, Laurel Holland, is writing a memoir about her father called Spindrift. Dealing with death is a human inevitability.  But under most cases, death comes with certainty, cause, and reason.  There is no doubt or lingering hope.  In rare cases, like Laurel Holland's, hope is kindled by the lack of proof and years pass with the thought of a better tomorrow.

The Holland family has lived in constant wonder for 21 years and finally the healing process can begin.  Laurel Holland's book is a tale of finding peace and coming to terms with loss.  Read about her memoir to see how tremendous tragedy has turned full circle to convey personal closure and humility.

Spindrift: Memoirs of a Climber's Daughter