Mustang Abroad
Mira Costa student voyages into the wild north
by Parnia Mazhar
Every person has at least one life-changing experience that brings some form of clarity about the world he or she lives in. Seventeen-year-old Aaron Kissel has already experienced his.
For 17 days, Kissel hiked through Waddington Range, a treacherous stretch of mountainous terrain located in British Columbia, Canada. He caught sight of a bald eagle, climbed through icy glaciers, tore and dislocated two tendons and ruptured a ligament, all while backpacking through extraordinarily wild backcountry.
“I really enjoy these excursions because they are very relaxing, even though they can be miserable at times,” said Kissel. “I also get a sense of accomplishment when I reach a goal because I know I worked hard to get there.”
Kissel has been hiking his whole life, but started mountaineering at the age of 15. Waddington Range has been his longest expedition thus far.
With 20 degree Fahrenheit mornings, 80 degree afternoons and bush so thick that they were forced to sleep on their backpacks, Kissel and nine other young adults from across the country set out on one of the most physically and mentally challenging expeditions the National Outdoor Leadership School has to offer.
“While hiking through Waddington Range, when I faced a particularly difficult moment, I always looked for something good that would happen if I completed the challenge,” Kissel said. “When we were bushwhacking, I looked forward to being out in the open snow. And if it was really cold one morning, I was looking forward to experiencing the warmth of the afternoon.”
Kissel believes his hiking experiences allowed him to develop a better tolerance and a stronger sense of self-reliance. But even more, his experiences have helped him form a sense of maturity well beyond his years.
“One morning, I got to stand in this glacier valley, hearing the river run below me. It was mind-boggling to think that I was sitting in a place where nobody had been for a year, and this moment happens at this very spot every day, with no one to take advantage of it,” Kissel said. “This is why mountaineering is important, so people value things in life that don’t just benefit themselves.”
Kissel experienced frostbite, consumed little food and sat through storm days in his tent with nothing but the site of yellow nylon above his head.
“This trip helped me understand that you have to learn how to be tolerant in life because sometimes you are not going to be comfortable, like when it’s cold outside or when you have to stand in a line for three hours,” Kissel said. “Being tolerant is not necessarily just dealing with physical pain, but more developing mental toughness to deal with your challenges in the best way possible.”
Kissel has taken on risks and has gone through accidents that most his age would not even dream of experiencing. But what truly sets him apart from the average teenager is that he has already found his passion at such a young age.
“The worst moment I have ever had while hiking was on my most recent excursion at Waddington Range,” Kissel said. “Not because I got injured, but because my injury meant that I had to leave the trip early.” ER
