Our third pass and steepest climb - Wayne took this pic looking down on us as the train and climbers wound our way up the scree.  To climb this pass, we followed multiple switchbacks - crossing the face of the mountain again and again - each switchback taking us higher .... further from our camp in the valley below... closer to the 8000ft unnamed mountain pass.

I stopped looking down... the grade of slope and height was overwhelming.  I stopped looking up... the climb was disheartening.  Instead I focussed on the ground ahead of me, where I would place my foot as I took the next step that would eventually take me closer to the promise of yet another breathtaking vista...