Hannah Parker
Online News Editor
While most Mira Costa students take the chairlifts up the mountain, Costa sophomore Aaron Kissel takes the back routes.
Kissel mountaineers, a sport that entails climbing all terrain in order to reach a summit. Kissel first took up the sport in 2013 when he went on a trip to Maine with his dad. According to Kissel, the first challenging mountain he conquered was Twining Peak in Colorado in July 2014. The peak was challenging because the summit measures 13,718 feet.
“I was intially drawn in by the challenge and the increasing difficulty found in the hikes,” Kissel said. “I was deterred at first due to the thunder storms and coldness on my first hike, but I have continued because it’s really fun.”
Kissel has also conquered mountains outside of the United States such as Mt. Breithorn (13,661 feet) near Zermatt, Switzerland, and Mt. Castor (13,871 feet) in Switzerland in July of 2015. At the peak of each of these mountains, there is only 60% of the oxygen that would usually be available at sea level. In both cases, Kissel had to use crampons, ice-axes, and a number of ropes in order to reach the top.
“There was this one part of the mountain that required you to walk out on a narrow ledge 4,000 feet up,” Kissel said. “I was even able to meet people from all different places, which was interesting and makes the experience that much better.”
Most recently, Kissel traveled to Big Sky, Montana to ski Lone Peak (11,162 feet), which he climbed to reach the top. During the climb, wind speeds reached 70 to 100 miles per hour, which made it difficult to climb, Kissel said. Additionally, the slope of the mountain averages 50 degrees, which qualifies this as the steepest climb Kissel has ever completed.
“I was by myself during this trip, which increased the risks of danger,” Kissel said. “Although I prefer to mountaineer with groups, sometimes it’s very peaceful to go alone.”
Kissel typically goes mountaineering several times a year and goes skiing once a month during the winter. He trains on easier peaks like the Sierra Nevadas and the San Gabriels to prepare for his trips. Additionally, he exercises one to two hours a day to stay in shape.
“To mountaineer, you have to eat right and work out to be equipped to the high elevations,” Kissel said. “I also have to be well versed in the different types of rock and snow and be familiar with weather patterns to avoid being stuck at an exposed peak.”
However, despite preparation and trainning, mountaineering still has its risks. For the last four years, Kissel has been dealing with a dead ankle due to osteonecrosis, induced by his skiing; additionaly, on a trip to Montana last year, he fell off a steep run while skiing, causing him to break his thumb and crack his tooth.
“My injuries do not deter me from mountaineering because I will always love the sport,” Kissel said. “My parents have expressed their concerns, but they know I enjoy it and want me to continue if it is what makes me happy.”
Kissel is currently training to climb Mt. Waddington (13,186 feet) in British Columbia this summer. Kissel is set to spend a month camping on the glacier with three guides and 12 other mountaineers. The mountain is remote and infamous for its terrible weather, which makes the climb much more diffucult, Kissel said.
“My goal is to complete Mt Waddington because, if I do, then I’ll be offered an invitation to climb Mt. Denali, which is over 20,000 feet,” Kissel said. “However, my long-term goal is to complete the Seven Summits, which would be the ultimate achievement as a mountaineer.”
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