McChord commander summits mountains with squadron pride

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keoni Chavarria
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  If you wanted to show the pride you have with the Airmen you work with every day, how would you do it?

To show his pride, Maj. Clinton Varty, 62nd Maintenance Squadron commander, has carried the 62nd MXS flag to the summit of the three highest mountains in Washington: Mount Rainier, Mount Baker and Mount Adams.

"As a squadron, anytime we are together, we have our flag with us and taking the flag up was something I found important. I wanted to carry the pride of our squadron up these mountains, and I hope it encourages more Airmen to get out there," said Varty.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Varty has also accomplished a long-awaited goal he has had since he was a child.

"I have admired Mount Rainier my whole life growing up and looking at it," said Varty. "When I look up at the summit now, it's cool knowing I've been to the top and taken a piece of the squadron with me."

To prepare for the hikes, Varty and his climbing partner practiced rescue procedures, checked their gear to ensure they are ready, and went into the climb knowing that there is always a possibility that something bad could happen.

"For Mount Rainier, we did three training climbs with our packs containing all of our gear to prepare," said Varty.

Even though Varty thoroughly planned for each hike, it did not eliminate all of its challenges.

"I think climbing down a steep pitch with a pack and all our climbing gear was more nerve-racking than going up," he said. "During the decent, you're tired from the climb up, and making sure each step was slow and deliberate was important"

On all three of the hikes, Varty and his partners set up camp to stay on the mountain for the night prior to the ascent.

"The hard part, even a simple as it is, was trying to get some sleep at 8 p.m. in the summer while the sun is still out," said Varty. "Knowing that you're going to start climbing in the dark at 1 a.m. makes getting some rest before the climb just as important as the other preparations."

According to the major, a key point to the hike was to keep moving.

"You don't want to stop," he said. "Once you start climbing, especially above 9,000 or 10,000 feet, if you stop for more than a few minutes for a break, your face, hands and feet can start to get cold along with the sweat that's on you. If it's windy like it was on Mt. Baker, the cold wind, coupled with an extended break we ended up taking, had an impact and it took about half an hour for my toes and fingers to get warmed up again."

Varty added that one thing that pushed him through the hike was the belief that people can do anything that they put their minds to.

"If you put your mind to anything, you can accomplish it," said Varty. "Physically and mentally it was difficult, but if you keep your end goal in mind, which was the summit, you will be able to do it."

During the time of these climbs, Varty was a newcomer to the world of alpine climbing, but he said he had two great climbing mentors, Steve Dorsey and Alex Rising. He said he hopes that in the near future he will be able to pass on what he has experienced and learned and take other Airmen that are interested out to a summit or two.

"I highly encourage all Airmen to get outdoors and explore the Pacific Northwest," said Vary. "There is an amazing coast and rainforest to the west, world class skiing up north, and amazing hiking, climbing, and camping areas in every direction out here."

For more information on these opportunities, contact the Northwest Adventure Center at 253-967-8282.