Emilee Ray
Staff Writer
Mira Costa junior Aaron Kissel partakes in ski mountaineering, an activity very different from other students, where he challenges himself to be the best he can be and pushes himself to the limits.
His true desire to ski mountaineer, climbing up and skiing down various mountains, came to him three years ago while skiing down Twining Peak, Colorado. His motivation to further challenge himself came from his aspiration to push the limits and see what he can achieve according to Kissel.
“The idea that you can push yourself to do so much more than you ever thought possible is what inspires me,” Kissel said. “I always love to test myself and see how far I can go while also minimizing the risk.”
It is difficult for him to mountaineer regularly, but he goes often considering the distance. He makes the trip several times per month. Kissel is constantly training in order to maintain his fitness to make it up the mountain without exhausting himself. He does about six hours of hard cardio per week and four hours of weights as well.
“It’s like a puzzle to me; every piece must fit perfectly for a summit and ski descent to be possible, let alone enjoyable,” Kissel said. “I love being in the clean air and not having to deal with the stresses of regular life.”
Kissel has a variety of different mountains that he enjoys climbing. He would go almost anywhere that he could find a challenge for himself and that would make him better physically and mentally said Kissel. He travels across the world to climb mountains in places like California, Colorado, Canada, and Switzerland.
“I go anywhere that I can find a challenge, but my favorite places to go are the Savoy Alps in Switzerland and the Elk Mountains in Colorado,” Kissel said. “I also enjoy the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, and the Waddington Range in Canada.”
He continues to ski mountaineer because it is very fun, but mainly to self-improve according to Kissel. Everytime he goes on the mountain, he feels that he becomes more experienced with the weather, terrain, and how far he can push himself, said Kissel. The skills that he learns in the mountains become applicable to his daily life.
“I feel as though I have gained a different perspective on issues because of my experiences in the mountains,” Kissel said. “Even though it may not seem like it, the experiences and skills that can be learned in the mountains are applicable in daily life.”
His future plans consist of climbing the Sierra Nevada Mountains during summer, the Elk Mountains this fall and again in December, and plans to finish with the Swiss Alps in February. He does not see himself taking ski mountaineering further than a hobby said Kissel.
“Ski mountaineering is always a challenge, both physically and mentally, so I plan to keep it just as a hobby but I think I’ll keep climbing increasingly difficult mountains because it pushes me to be the best that I can and keeps me active and I just love it a lot,” Kissel said.
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