From my first hesitant steps in the Alps to navigating glaciated routes and high peaks under my own steam, here is how I went from snow-averse hiker to independent mountaineer—and the lessons learned along the way.
From Fear of the Slip to Trusting the Steel: How I Fell for Mountaineering
I used to hate the idea of hiking on snow and ice.
To me, frozen ground just meant one thing: slipping. The thought of losing traction on a steep slope, sliding uncontrollably, or guessing whether a patch of snow would hold my weight sounded less like an adventure and more like a recipe for a bad fall.
Then came 2021, and a trip up the Breithorn in Switzerland.
It was my very first time strapping on a pair of crampons. I remember looking down at those ten-plus sharp steel spikes protruding from the soles of my boots, feeling equal parts skeptical and intimidated. But the second I stepped onto the glaciated snow and felt the front points bite firm into the slope, something flipped in my brain.
I wasn't slipping. I was locked in.
What I thought was going to be an exercise in managing fear turned into a sudden revelation: with the right tools, technique, and respect for the terrain, the frozen world wasn't a hazard zone—it was a playground. Those spikes didn't just give me traction; they gave me confidence.
I realized that mountaineering could unlock my hiking potential into a more technical playground - learning how to hold an ice axe, read a glacier, and tie into a rope team. I took a course and it helped built the foundation that eventually allowed me to stop relying solely on guides, trust my own judgment, and head out into the mountains on my own terms.
