Lessons From a Real Test
I took 7 graduates on a 30-mile backpacking trip. Now, I’m even more convinced that a “standard education” is not enough.
Hello Bar-Setters!
This week we celebrate America—a country characterized by its innovative, dynamic culture, its pioneering spirit, and its visionary foundations. America is rooted in beautiful ideals, which, though not always realized, continue to inspire the best in us and people all over the world. Today, a story that I hope will stir a little frontier spirit in you and yours.
The Need For Peak Experiences
“These moments can come from exerting yourself past what you thought were your limits. They can come from overcoming great obstacles…. You want to deliberately go in search of such moments. Stimulate them if you can. They have the effect… of altering your attitude for good. They expand what you think about your possibilities and about life itself, and the memory is something you will always return to for extreme inspiration.” —Robert Greene
A few weeks ago, I took the graduates of my men’s leadership group to Arkansas for a 30-mile backpacking trip. The Eagle Rock Loop is a beautiful, physically demanding trail through the Ouachita Mountains. So, when my high school men’s leadership group said they wanted to climb a mountain for their rite of passage, I knew it would be the perfect place. It did not disappoint.
My plan was to tackle the loop in three successive days. We’d drive out Thursday morning, be on the trail by 1 pm, hike for five hours and then set up camp a bit after 6 pm. That would leave us all day Friday to knock out the majority of what was left of the trail, leaving Saturday morning as a light, celebratory wrap up. But this orderly agenda quickly fell apart, as plans tend to do.
The drive took longer than expected and we didn’t get on the trail until 2 pm. Then, we stopped hiking early because we found an amazing spot to camp. But these were small “setbacks.” We were still in a good position, heading into day two with just over 20 miles left to go.
Day Two: The Real Test Begins
Day two started well. We made great time early on and saw some gorgeous waterfalls. But then we hit the mountains. The western portion of the Eagle Rock Loop is a succession of five brutal mountains. The trail brings you all the way up to a scenic peak just to bring you all the way back down to the streams. Then it repeats this four more times. I reminded the group that this is what we came for!
They all pushed themselves admirably, even as some of our group started to cramp and deal with muscles that were locking up.
After the second mountain, we found that some of us would need to start carrying part of the load for others. Their bodies simply weren’t capable of pushing much further. After the third mountain, I found myself running ahead to set gear down at a rest spot and then running back to help support some guys as they willed themselves up and then down to this spot.
By the end of the fourth mountain, it became clear that a couple guys would have to jump off the trail and take the road back to our van. They had simply hit their physical limit. This put the rest of us in a time crunch. I did not want the group separated overnight. It was after 4 pm and, although I made contingencies in case we were unable to link back up that night, the mission was clear. We were going to finish the trail that night.
The group charged forward, energized by our new mission. But that sense of glory quickly deflated as we marched right into the longest mountain of the day.
The hits kept coming. Over the next 5 hours we were drenched in a two hour storm, we took a wrong turn off the trail and found that we’d hiked over a mile in the wrong direction, and then darkness came, forcing us to finish the final hour by headlamp. We arrived battered, blistered, chaffed, covered in bug bites, and full of unforgettable memories. The group exploded in euphoria as we were all reunited at the van.
It was the most physically taxing day in all of our lives. Every single person was pushed closer to their limit than they ever had been before. We were repeatedly put in situations where we felt exposed and vulnerable. We were repeatedly forced to adapt and make new plans. We were repeatedly asked to rise to the occasion and meet the needs of the group. It was perfect. I could not have planned it any better.
This is the sort of experience every young person needs. In fact, we all need it from time to time. We all need to stretch ourselves to get insight about ourselves and to gain access to deeper levels of appreciation, connection, and vitality. As Chip and Dan Heath write in their book, The Power of Moments:
“To stretch is to place ourselves in situations that expose us to the risk of failure. What may be counterintuitive is that self-insight rarely comes from staying in our heads. Research suggests that reflecting or ruminating on our thoughts and feelings is an ineffective way to achieve true understanding. Studying our own behavior is more fruitful…
Action leads to insight more often than insight leads to action.”
Today’s kids spend 13 years sitting in school. But no education can compare to those raw, real scenarios where they have to stretch themselves to rise to the occasion. No lessons can compare to the lessons learned starting their own business, working on a ranch, traveling through Asia, or just tackling a trail with friends.
Thank you for reading and sharing with any kindred spirits!
If you enjoyed this topic, you’ll probably enjoy Transformative Experiences—one of my more popular articles. Linked here:
Also related, a friend of mine recently sent me this amazing article: School is Not Enough
That should be more than enough reading to get your through your Fourth of July week! But I have one final thought worth musing on…
The Mysterious Link Between Humor and Pain
The guys on the trip will tell you that it was the most physically miserable day of their lives. BUT we probably all laughed more in that second grueling day than any other day in our lives. I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences. Funny how closely linked suffering and connection can be.
Have a fantastic week! Carry the fire!
Shane
Very cool Shane. Sounds like an awesome experience for these guys. Keep up the good work
Inspiring piece, thanks for all you do Shane!