What do climbing a mountain and writing a book have in common? They are both not easy. And its the not-so-easy things that I just love to do.

To jumpstart my journey in writing a second book, a follow up to my first self-published best-selling book The Tale of Juliet, I took on the challenge of climbing the Grouse Grind - a 2.9 kilometer trail up the face of Grouse Mountain which is the highest peak in Vancouver, Canada.

With an elevation of 2,800 feet and an approximate 30 slope, Grouse Grind is not for the average hiker. Apart from the rugged and steep terrain, hikers will need to face off with 2,830 stairs!

It will take an average of an hour and a half to reach the top, but for new hikers, two hours or more is recommended. It is a trail that requires physical and mental preparation.

On a cloudy Wednesday morning, I arrived at the site at 6:30AM with a friend. Usually there are more hikers during summer, but because of the light rain, we only saw a few hikers.

At the base of the summit, we took a moment to visualize our goal of writing and publishing the book. My friend happened to be a children’s book illustrator and she will do the illustrations for the book.

“Write the book, draw the illustrations, publish the book, launch the book,” this was our mantra as we took our steps.

The first few steps were a breeze, but after 10 minutes, the weight of climbing up the steep terrain was already getting on our legs. 30 minutes after, we were already panting and  catching our breaths.

And what we thought was already a long and painstaking achievement was only…

The rugged terrain was getting harder and harder as we move closer to the summit. The light drizzle turned into a shower, making the trail slippery and requiring more caution from those that step on it.

“Write the book, draw the illustrations, publish the book, launch the book.”

“Write the book, draw the illustrations, publish the book, launch the book.”

It was our mantra that kept us going,  plus the sheer beauty of the trees and the fog that embraces it.  As some hikers were giving up, we went ahead and pressed on.

We then reached the half-mark, and then the three quarters. These markings were like medals to our feat, cheering all hikers that the summit is within reach.

Our water and granola bars were done. We can hear the gondola from afar, it was like music to our ears! The bright light from the summit is already cheering us on, waiving hello to us.

We knew it’s only a few minutes and we can reward our tired legs with a wonderful rest.

As we reach the summit and saw the peak of the chalet, we felt like olympic champions. Oh we were shouting with joy! “Yes, we did it!”

1 hour and 30 minutes, that was our time. We didn’t finish it like the pros who complete the trail in less than 40 minutes. But we were so happy! The climb itself means nothing is impossible to achieve.

And so the journey to Grouse Mountain by climbing it has ended. But its end is only the beginning. It is the bell that heralds the journey to writing my second book. It is like the torch light that signals the start of a 3-month book project.

So  please stay tuned as I post more on the development of my second book!

Have you ever done a physical challenge to jumpstart another chapter in your life?

Marathon for a career change, skydiving to love again?

Share it with me!

After resting my tired body, off I went to the slopes again. Visibility was very poor, and it was snowing heavily. The day’s weather forecast was a mix of rain and sunshine with temperature of negative 10 degrees on top of the mountain. Not really the best time to snowboard.

In the back of my mind, I can see myself falling a hundred times  that I can feel the pain of it already. Why was I projecting negative energy when I know all the positive mantra tools? And so I tapped into the energy and hope I have left. Indeed, thoughts are powerful. My excitement rose up.

This is my second time going up on a chairlift, an aerial steel chair that lifts three to four persons from one terminal to another, up to a vertical rise of over 600 meters. My heavy snowboard dangles from my right foot which makes the ride quite uncomfortable. I was hoping that a snowboarder would join me on the way up, and to my surprise, there he was.

Oliver, a professional snowboarder from Berlin, Germany, has been practicing the sport for eight years. I’m surprised he didn’t mind joining me, after seeing my amateur moves earlier. Breaking the ice, I hit off the conversation by asking how he finds his stay and where he came from. Then I went straight to my favorite topic – snowboarding. Introducing myself as an author with a blog, I asked permission if I  can record our conversation and he willingly agreed. Carpe diem!

To avoid injuries while dismounting the chairlift, Oliver said one must always point the board on the direction of the hill or where the lift is going. The next step is to prepare your body to a standing position and put forward one leg, that which is not strapped to the snowboard, next to the bindings. Once you are about five inches to the ground, give yourself a little push off the chairlift and then slide forward. He said it is okay if I fall, just get up again.

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