A Dangerous Side-hike

Friday, September 28, 2012
Vahagnadzor, Lorri, Armenia
There's not as much interaction with people here as during his hikes around Yerevan, other than the occasional helpful passerby offering him a ride. Here it's more about the landscape and adventure. As the valley narrows to a steep gorge He hears the roar of a waterfall far below--and it looks like there's a path that leads down there, so he figure this is a discovery he can't pass up. 
 
But the terrain gets steeper and steeper--and it's becoming very questionable that this is even a trail at all . Common sense tells him to cut his losses, but that voice of craziness tells him to keep going. he does... grabbing onto branches and roots as he clambers down the cliff. Until...
 
No more branches just a rockslide prone area and nothing to stop him from going over the cliff and into the river far below. And no view of the waterfall. Now it's really time to give up and head back.
 
He begins the climb back up the cliff, only to realize that it's much more difficult going up than down. He's suddenly struck with a thought that if something were to happen, There's nobody to help him--and with the roar of the waterfall, nobody to would be able to hear his calls for help.
 
I've really got to stop taking risks for stupid reasons, he tells himself. I think this will be the last time I'll ever climb down a cliff by myself just to try to take a picture.  
 
Forget about making resolutions. Let's focus on trying to get up this cliff. Plan A: climb up with all my stuff on my back. Plan B: sacrifice my gear and climb up without it. Plan C: There is no plan C.
 
Lucky for him, with a lot of effort, Plan A works.
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