Drew Wilson rises to new heights

Drew+Wilson+10+practicing+the+ropes+of+rock+climbing.+%E2%80%9CThere+are+two+mountains+that+we+actually+pulled+out+full+ropes+on%2C%E2%80%9D+Wilson+said.

Drew Wilson 10 practicing the ropes of rock climbing. “There are two mountains that we actually pulled out full ropes on,” Wilson said.

Annie Elizandro, Ranger Review reporter

Drew Wilson 10 enjoys climbing mountains during his free time. He has made it to the top of fifty-two of the fifty-four of the fourteeners in Colorado.

 

When Wilson lived in California, his dad got him into climbing. After they moved to Colorado, three years ago, Wilson decided that he wanted to do something more difficult. 

 

“It’s usually pretty simple,” Wilson said. “The hard part of climbing is the mental aspect. You can be the best climber in the world and you’ll still get freaked out taking that first step. That’s something you can’t get past.”

 

The other part of climbing that inexperienced climbers would consider difficult is more mechanical and exact. For most of the fourteeners, Wilson didn’t need any equipment other than a pair of boots.

 

“Keeping three points of contact on the wall is difficult, especially when you think you’re almost there but then you’ll make a little slip and you’ll fall,” Wilson said. “There are only two that we actually pulled out full ropes on. When you go full ropes all you need is another person and some rope. It’s not that hard.”

 

Wilson has also scaled mountains with a wide range of difficulties. He considers Pikes Peak one of the easier mountains in Colorado. Pikes Peak took the longest of the fourteeners.

 

“There’s Longs Peak which takes forever and it’s actually difficult,” Wilson said. “And then there are some that are quick, just get up and go to the top and come back down. The easier ones take maybe half a day or about six hours. But for the longer ones it actually takes a while to get up.”

 

Wilson has ascended mountains in multiple states. Once he climbed one in Hawaii just because he wanted to. He hopes to someday be able to go up Mount Everest.

“Everest was my dad’s dream,” Wilson said. “He was at the airport and broke his leg there. So now I just have to beat him at that.”