HU Saves a Climber from Sudden Death

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Guest Post by RJ McBride

Driving through the Great Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I came upon a challenge that beset my fingertips to tingling. Standing before me was a massive 800-foot, free standing, solid rock wall. Because I was no stranger to the practice of free-climbing, I carefully scanned the best route for my intended climb and began my ascent, which by my calculations should, if all went well, take no more than a couple of hours. 

The weather was perfect; not too warm or too cold, light winds, clear blue skies with no hint of mountain storms. The first 100 feet were pretty much as expected but doable as there were wide enough cracks to place toe and finger tips in for support. Locating access to critical “thank-God holds” lent promise to a successful climb. All was going well until I reached a point that I could not have foreseen. 

Realizing I’d arrived at a place where I could neither continue climbing upward nor climb back down without falling to my death, I turned my attention inward, sang the prayer song of “HU,” asking my Inner Guide for further guidance and protection, all the while inching my way toward a gap in the rock spanning some three feet across. 

If I had any chance of surviving this climbing blunder, I needed to leap across this divide trusting once on the other side I’d find the necessary hand and foot holds. Suddenly, a picture flashed to memory showing a much earlier incident when climbing Beacon Rock in  the Columbia Gorge. My survival, now as then, was totally dependent on my Inner Guide’s protection.

Extending the position of my body as far as safely possible, I sang HU and lept out into the void. Next thing I felt was my quivering body attached to the opposing wall, gratefully clinging to a narrow but sustainable ledge which hopefully would see me safely to the top. Scrambling up the remaining hundred or so feet to the summit gave greater cause to my Inner Guide’s promise: “I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU.”

Grateful to still have a living role to play in life’s ongoing drama, I arrived at the summit a little ragged and worn for wear and tear. Resting before taking the even more dangerous climb back down the cliff, I saw what appeared to be a trailhead leading down to the floor of the park. It offered a much safer route to the bottom.

On my return to where I’d left my car parked, I came upon a dire warning which read: “CAUTION! Only use the provided trail. Do not attempt to climb the face of this rock. Others tried and died.” 

Thankfully, with the help of my Inner Guide and the power of HU, I survived to tell my story.

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RJ McBride is an author, memorialist, novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, and former art instructor. His three books in The Book of Ray series may be found on Amazon:
The Book of Ray, Volumn One: The Early Years: One Man’s Journey through Time and The Book of Ray, Volumn Two: The Middle Years: In Pursuit of Fulfillment. The Book of Ray, Volume Three: A Walk in the Light and Sound: Last Will and Testament; A Time to Remember, A Time to Honor, A Time to Forgive, A Time to Heal. 

Please note: Images are for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.