Four in the morning bedtimes are more relevant to most Hoyas than 4 a.m. wake-ups. Such an early rise can be exhilarating, though, granted you have a helmet, headlamp, ropes, crampons, a bag filled with more equipment and a mountain to conquer.
Government professor and Ph.D candidate Philipp Bleek (GRAD ‘09) is one of those who gets a high from scaling large masses of stone.
“When looking up at that mountain, it’s that sense of being able to do anything,” says Bleek.
Reaching the top of a snowy peak and looking back at your feat is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s an out-of-body experience.
“It makes me feel like Superman,” Bleek said.
Alpine rock climbing is nothing new for the professor, yet its inherent thrill remains for this veteran enthusiast. The attraction of alpine climbing for Bleek is the perfect marriage of hiking, camping and rock climbing, activities he enjoyed while growing up in Germany and Canada. The Swiss and Austrian Alps served as Bleek’s playground, where he honed his climbing skills. Later at Princeton, he trained climbing guides and led groups through the Adirondacks. Bleek still finds time for climbs in Europe despite a busy travel schedule, as well as teaching and working to earn his doctorate at Georgetown.
The picturesque ideal of the immaculate peaks is not always a reality for the alpine climber. Changing weather conditions increase the difficulty of a trek, and while traversing individual terrains can be fairly easy, Bleek explains, the transition between rock and ice always poses a challenge.
A climber might slip on the uneven surface of the rocks or may punch through the surface of thin ice. These challenges can put climbers in extremely perilous positions. Bleek described one instance when he burst through thin ice and was left dangling over the side of the break in the ice. On another occasion he sustained an avulsion fracture in his foot after slipping and falling. This injury resulted in Bleek being airlifted from the mountain.
Helicopter rescues are not uncommon in this sport.
“The metrics for success and failure are very clear,” Bleek said. Those who are cautious, using helmets, ropes and other gear, as well as a keen focus on the task at hand, are generally safe. Climbers are typically tied together with rope to anchor each other in case of a fall. They work with one another as well as the rock; conforming to the cracks and crevices is vital to success.
While Bleek enjoys the technical knowledge and strategic planning involved in rock climbing, he is also attracted by the “immediacy of the situation” and the necessary individual focus.
Teamwork, however, is crucial to the sport, as each climber is conscious to ensure that no one in the group is injured.
“It is the combination of will-power, camaraderie and the building of a trust relationship that I enjoy,” says Bleek, who has deveoped great friendships through his experiences with other climbers.
Ultimately, it is the exhilarating feeling of being above the clouds that keeps climbers coming back for more. Bleek himself has climbed verticals as high as 4,000 meters (over 13,100 feet) from valley to peak.
Braving dangerous conditions, looking out for your fellow climbers and ascending high above the clouds; Superman sounds about right.
