AMVP (Outward Bound) - One Year Later - Part 2

We found out upon arriving at basecamp, that one of us wouldn't be going back for the second half of the trip. The instructors had decided that the sprained-ankle guy, who had become less and less stable in a mountain environment, would not be allowed back into the wilderness with the rest of the group. This didn't really come as a surprise to most of us considering both his physical and mental condition at the time.

The next day, one short of our original group, we set off into a new mountain range where, hopefully, the weather would be a little more conducive to some peak ascents. We were also beginning a new stage of our expedition: we would be taking a more active role in the everyday leadership of the group. The instructors would gradually hang back from the group, arranging a meeting point on the map that we as a group would have to navigate our way to.

Prior to the trip, our instructors had crafted a "job wheel" outlining the key roles required to have a successful group. Each day the pointer on the wheel would rotate one position, indicating the leader for the day. The other roles were assigned in a specific order, so each person would have multiple chances at all roles. They were:

1. Leader/Navigator
   
2. Co-Leader/Navigator
   
3. Cook 1
   
4. Cook 2
   
5. Clean 1
   
6. Clean 2
   
7. Scribe

The leader and co-leader were responsible for primary navigation for the day, and also setting both the pace and the tone of the group. They would always be in the forward and rear positions, taking resposibility for the group as a whole. The cooks were, obviously, responsible for the three meals for that day and the cleaners were responsible for cleaning up after each meal, as well as for finding our latrine area for each campsite, including digging a proper latrine if the situation permitted. Otherwise, they designated the appropriate area and "per-use" latrines were dug by each person as their needs required. The final role, the scribe, was responsible for documenting each day's activities, including highlights and lowlights.

Being in the Leader role, especially on days when there was extensive travel scheduled without the instructors as part of our actual group, was nerve-racking to say the least. I soon learned that if I were to be successful in that role, I was going to need to ask for support from the other members of the group who had better navigation skills. Lucky for me, I don't mind asking for help when I need it, and I found that I was able to gain the respect of my fellow trip-mates.

I quickly gained two other reputations: a) I was the premier tent-setter-upper; and b) I was fast known as someone who was going to tell you the truth about what I thought. Unlike some of the other, more technically talented group members, I was able to be honest with people, even the one who was asked to leave, in a way that was direct, even challenging many cases, but also openly; and this, above anything else, earned the greatest respect from the others.

When we were dropped off in the mountains again we began to find that our progress was much faster than we were previously used to. I attribute this to three major changes: the removal of the injured guy; the extra day of rest we were given; and an acceptance in the fact that I would complete the trip. Because of this, we quickly found ourselves at a new basecamp that we would occupy for the next five days. But our weather concerns would continue for at least the first few days.

Our camp was in a bowl at the bottom of a large glacier, including a large glacial lake at the bottom. We could see the moraine caused by the flowing and eventual receding of the glacier, moving literally mountains of earth in the process. Some of the boulders that just sat beside the lake were so big around that our entire group couldn't encircle it and still keep our hands together. The glacier would be home to "snow school" in the following days.

To be continued...

Click here for part 3 of this article.