This photo was taken just before sunset on the Lower Saddle. This is it, our entire climbing route layed before us. Our route took us along the right hand ridge on the upper portion of the mountain, this is called THE EXUM RIDGE. It is quite terrifying to sit on the Lower Saddle and look at something of such magnitude knowing you will attempt to climb it in a few short hours.

Our plan was to wake up at 3:30 AM the next morning and be climbing the mountain by 4:00 AM. In actuality we were up by 3:00 AM after a very restless night. I was so wired up and anxious to climb I really could not sleep. I had been thinking about climbing this mountain for at least a couple years, and it was only a few hours away. When you are in the mountains, my experience has been that sleep does not matter much. It is amazing how far you can push the body when you have to.