In June of 2011 I completed a 10 Day mountaineering course with mountain guides Matt Hegeman and Brent Langlinais. We completed 6 days of mountaineering training and a summit of Mt. Baker before continuing on to successfully summit Mt. Rainier via the challenging Kautz Route.
After returning from a trip on Denali in 2014, I learned of the tragic news that my former Rainier guide, Matt Hegeman and 5 more climbers had died in an avalanche on the Liberty Ridge of Rainier. My prayers are with the Hegeman family after the terrible incident. Matt was a phenomenal guide who taught me how to safely climb on my first mountaineering experience. I was personally roped up with him for the entirety of the ten-day trip, and thanks to him, I had a wonderful experience and a successful summit.
I have compiled 5 valuable lessons Matt taught me about mountaineering.
1. Lower your ski pole
“Keep your arms low below your heart and your hands will stay warmer” – Matt- Before we took our first step onto Mt. Baker, Matt shared with us this brilliant little tip. Three years later and I still walk with some of the shortest poles on the team. This tip has kept my hands warm and frostbite free. Matt was detail oriented and full of simple tips that actually make a huge difference.
2. A good mountaineer…looks good doing it
“There is a reason you don’t see pictures of Ed Viesturs climbing with gear hanging all over the place.” -Matt- Keeping a tightly packed bag and well-organized gear seems like a no brainer, but Matt’s acute eye for perfection taught me that good looks can be functional as well. Sticking to this rule has, many times, saved me from losing a critical piece of gear.
3. Laugh a little, climbing should be fun
“Who needs hair gel? If you don’t use shampoo it just works itself out” -Matt- Matt took climbing extremely seriously but he never took himself seriously. He always knew how to inject humor into the conversation and keep the team laughing.
4. There is always time to do it right the first time
“Mental fortitude trumps fitness ninety percent of the time” -Matt- Hegeman was an intensely philosophical climber who always showed us the most technically accurate method of mountaineering. As a new climber I was greatly impressed by his greater focus on keeping your mind sharp and letting your training take care of the rest.
5. Safely returning home is the only goal that truly matters
“Most people can tell when it is time to turn around, but if not I will tell them.” – Matt- Matt loved to climb but knew the importance of doing so safely. He taught me that it is OK to turn back from the summit, it will still be there tomorrow. A hard lesson that he instilled in me from the start.
