"There were only 20 people there," he said. "It's not like I could just blend in."
Movin' On Up
Though the mount is a mere 6,288 feet tall, it is the highest mountain in New England.
Mount Washington has the worst and most unpredictable weather in America--almost 100 people have died on it. Luckily, the peak did not live up to its wild reputation last Monday.
"It was actually a really nice day outside," said Luke Y. Wang '00. "It was kind of surprising."
The most interesting part of the trip was when the group reached the top, Wang said. Climbers reaching the summit are greeted by the sight of a huge parking lot, part of the visitors' center.
"It's like the Simpsons episode where Homer and Apu scale a mountain, only to find this giant commercial Kwik-E-Mart just sitting at the top," Wang wrote in an e-mail message.
Wang and Alberto Fassinotti '00 organized the trip for their blockmates because the first time Wang climbed the mountain he had not gotten a picture. This time he did indeed snap a shot.
Scaling the mountain was also a cheaper alternative to whitewater rafting, their original plan.
Meeting the other hikers was a highlight, Wang said. But another perk of the 15.5-hour adventure was the group's conversation, spanning topics from cannibalism to the vote on China's Most Favored Nation status to thong underwear.
The trip, the students said, was a perfect end to four arduous years at Harvard.
"The constant phrase we kept mentioning was from Gladiator: 'Strength and honor,'" Wang said. "It was really hard at the beginning because we didn't know how much farther, or what it was going to be like, but once you reach the top it's a really glorious feeling."