An epic triumph - elated, exhausted, and emotionally rocked. Still processing the magnitude of what just happened with us, to us, for us, by us. Humbled, beyond satisfied, remarkably grateful - for this life, this time, this opportunity, this achievement, this depth of experience, my enormously courageous partner Luke Gavigan (age 13). . Rock climbing the "East Face" route of Mt. Whitney (14,508ft / an alpine classic III, 5.7+, 13 pitches, 1500' vert, 15 hr/day) - highest peak in contiguous 48 states. . Stripping away the noise (nonsense) to reveal a depth of connection, respect, & crisper understanding to the moment, to Luke, to myself, to honesty of each moment, the critical nature of each move / each decision, to the natural world, to our place, to physical perseverance, to priorities - to it all. . I still can't find the words for how deeply proud I am for Luke. This achievement for a 13 year old is legendary (that is not hyperbole). His self-awareness, his process, his quiet, his strength of heart, his focused/calm mindset, his belief, his honorable caretaking of us, his respect for the elements & unknown, his grit & grind, his engaged character. I'm beaming with joy and pride to depths never felt before. . "Breathe. Go slow. Focus. Be here now. I love you. I trust you. I will. I can. I must. Breathe. Now is the time. Good job Luke. Can't stop, won't stop. Pray w/ me. Please don't look down. Careful babe. Anything good takes effort. Let's go. You've got this! I love you." . Finally, mountains of gratitude for the masterful, rock-zen wisdom, expert judgement, impactful counsel, and guardianship of our mountain guide: Michael O'Connor / @mikeclimbs to ensure a safe successful, deeply satisfying experience. Loved & appreciated his quiet enthusiasm, his numerous micro-assessments - our lives, in many moments, were literally in his hands (especially as we hung out over 1000'+ of vertical exposure on Fresh Air Traverse). He's family now. . “If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.” ~ Jim Whittaker, First American to Summit Everest. . #boom #mentor #rocked #summit #2ndtime #MtWhitney #soar #lifealtering