Lessons Learned.

Risk vs Reward.  This idea is the assumption at the base of most every decision that one makes in their life.  From the smallest day to day choices, to where the outcome could mean life or death.  Risk vs Reward ideology is at the foundation of human psychology and is often the topic of discussion within the world of outdoor activities.  When taking risks in dangerous situations, the risks have to be meticulously calculated to see if the ‘reward’ is really worth it.  In the case of outdoor adventure, the rewards are often personal feelings of accomplishment or growth, while the risks are very real and tangible.  This makes for highly subjective decision making.

A situation we got into on Sunday had me reflecting on this idea of risk vs reward.  Looking back, the risks came to outweigh the rewards, leaving me feeling vulnerable and stupid.   My idea of risk was very low on Sunday due to a number of human factors.  In this case comfort in numbers and confidence from the day before served to mask signs that I would have normally paid more attention to.  This mistake brought us close to a disaster that we are all lucky to walk away from.

At the bottom I lay down to calm my high-strung nerves, feeling lucky to have made it down safely.  I was humbled into silence as I lay there, processing what had just unfolded.  Im not proud of the decisions I made on Sunday, but am grateful to have had the experience nonetheless.  Some lessons are really only learned the hard way, and here was no exception.