Week 5 - Up? that's optional, going down? Thats Mandatory.

This week began at roughly 4,500 meters with my guide falling into a crevasse and ended with me partying in Amsterdam after hitchhiking across Europe for three days.

Which is a sentence that becomes increasingly less responsible every time I read it.

During our Mont Blanc climb, we were traveling across glaciated terrain when the snow beneath my guide suddenly gave way. One moment he was walking in front of me, and the next he disappeared into a crevasse.

There was no dramatic warning or cinematic pause. The rope tightened, my stomach dropped, and everything became extremely real extremely quickly.

This is exactly why climbers rope together on glaciers. Crevasses can be hidden beneath thin snow bridges, making completely normal-looking terrain surprisingly dangerous. At approximately 4,500 meters, even basic movement already required more effort. Trying to stay calm, secure the situation, communicate clearly, and help get another person out was an entirely different challenge.

I am not going to pretend it was a solo action-movie rescue. Glacier rescue is a team effort, and my guide had considerably more experience than I did. Still, I had to respond immediately and help get him safely back onto the surface.

Once he was out and we confirmed that he was okay, the adrenaline finally arrived. It was one of those moments where your brain handles the immediate problem and then, several minutes later, politely informs you that what just happened was actually terrifying.

We still had to continue moving and eventually descend safely. Reaching the summit of Mont Blanc was incredible, but the crevasse incident became the moment I remembered most clearly. Mountains have a very effective way of reminding you that confidence and preparation are useful, but neither makes you invincible.

After returning to Chamonix, the logical decision would have been to rest, shower, eat a real meal, and sleep for approximately two days.

Instead, I began hitchhiking across Europe to reach Defqon.1 in the Netherlands.

Naturally.

For the next three days, my transportation plan consisted mainly of standing near roads and petrol stations, explaining where I was trying to go, and hoping a stranger happened to be traveling vaguely in the same direction. One ride became another, and the route gradually carried me through France, Germany, and eventually toward Amsterdam.

Hitchhiking is a strange way to travel because you surrender nearly all control over the schedule. A trip that looks simple on Google Maps becomes a series of small negotiations with geography, luck, and whoever is willing to let you into their car.

It also led to some of the most random interactions of the entire summer. I stayed in last-minute housing with people I had barely met, slept wherever there was space, and relied on strangers far more than I normally would. Somehow, despite the language differences and questionable logistics, people continued helping me move in the right direction.

There is something oddly reassuring about crossing several countries almost entirely through the kindness of people who have no real reason to help you.

After three days of hitchhiking, unpredictable rides, minimal sleep, and random places to stay, I finally made it to Amsterdam for Defqon.

Then the festival was canceled.

Of course it was.

After everything required to get there, the main event disappeared from the itinerary. We briefly considered being devastated, but Amsterdam is not exactly the worst place in the world to have an unexpectedly free weekend.

So we adapted.

The rest of the weekend became a blur of crowded venues, loud music, new people, late nights, and exploring the city with absolutely no resemblance to the original plan. Defqon may have been canceled, but the party apparently had not received the announcement.

This week contained no internship hours because I was still on approved leave, but it taught me plenty about staying calm, adapting quickly, and accepting that plans are mostly optimistic suggestions.

I started the week helping pull my guide from a crevasse high on Mont Blanc. I ended it dancing in Amsterdam after hitchhiking across Europe for a festival that did not happen.

Not the week I planned.

Probably a better story because of it.