Champion Yale rower has reached six of the seven summits so far (while scared of heights)

The sun peeks over the horizon at dawn on Mount Kenya.

Andrew Towne is already four hours into his climb.

His leather construction boots and corduroy pants are a dead giveaway that he has minimal hiking experience and has never climbed a mountain.

He feels fine, but that’s about to change.

The sun sheds light on the mountain for the first time. Towne looks down and sees a 400-foot ice-packed slope.

If I fall, it’s going to be a long, fast ride down and I’m going to hit something hard. It could be a terrible death.

Towne freezes. His knees shake. His pulse skyrockets.

What’s he doing here?

After all, he’s scared of heights.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/local-sports/4038340-reaching-summit-gfc-grad-has-climbed-six-seven-summits

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