We knew it was going to be cold, but not that cold. It snowed the whole day. The world is sizzling hot around the globe and we have snow in July in the Alps. When we packed, it was hard to imagine that we would need such warm clothing. Today we put on all the warm clothes we had. Many layers. 

When we left early in the morning, we tried to cover up in order to not freeze. It’s not fun to hike all soaked. Our arms and gloves inevitably got wet as we scrambled up and down steel slopes. It was really dangerous. This is an Austrian expert hike. We are a bunch of friends who are crazy enough to go together on such adventures. 

The women had the rabbi’s back, sometimes literally. The young man in our group helped Beth here and there. Our expert hiker guided us and carried two backpacks at times. 

We kept pushing forward on dangerous faces of the mountain, holding on to metal cables, on slippery rocks, taking small steps, trying to be steady. We prayed and faithfully leaned into grace, as we had no other option. Turning back is impossible because we have reservations at certain huts. And the hike thus far was already arduous enough. Doing it backwards would be just as hard as going forward. So we keep going. 

We laugh with a healthy dose of humor. Silly from exhaustion. Layering random creams that would help with the muscle ache. 

We were close enough before but this adds a layer of up close and personal. Each night we share a room together. Even people that didn’t snore, contribute to the concert due to exhaustion. We go to bed early and wake up way earlier than necessary. We eat a good breakfast. Coffee is provided. Dinner is provided. Delicious food. The best I have ever eaten, but I think is has something to do with how hungry we are at the end of each day. 

We are grateful for the experience. Albeit a bit worried for tomorrow. We are all in a lot of pain. No injuries. Just excruciating muscle ache. I hope we can sleep tonight.