To read part two of day nine, click here.

“I wish I could tell you that you were going to be fine, that you didn’t have to worry. But if I did tell you that, you wouldn’t believe me.”

He paused for a moment, thinking about what to say next.

“We’ll all be there to help you. Bruce, Luke, Sarah Margaret and Maggie are going to be helping everyone across, and they’ll keep you safe. I know the water is strong, but you’re stronger. And if you need to leave your pack on this side of the river, someone will carry it across for you.”

“I can leave my pack here?”

“Yeah, Jen said she or Katie would carry it across if you needed to leave here.”

I looked at the river, trying to decide whether I was going to carry my pack or leave it.

Carrying my pack would make it more difficult. It would make it easier to slip, and if I went down, my whole pack was going to be soaked. All of my things. But it was also a pride issue – I didn’t want someone else to have to carry my pack.

It was almost my turn. I went to stand by Luke, who was standing at the edge of the water.

“You can leave your pack here if you want to, Dora. You don’t have to carry it.”

I had made my decision, I just prayed that I wouldn’t regret it.

“Thanks, Luke, but I’m going to carry it.”

The look he gave me did not help. I almost decided to put my pack down but stepped into the water before I could. It was freezing! I had taken my hiking boots off and put on my sport sandals to cross the river, and the holes in the sports sandals let the water touch my feet.

“Hey, Dora. You’ve got to unfasten the waist and chest straps – if you fall and go under, you need to be able to get out of your pack.”

As I unclipped the straps, the weight on my shoulders dragged me down. For the third time I thought about leaving my pack on the shore, and for the third time my pride won.

I took my first step, ready to clutch at Luke if I slipped. I slid my foot along the bottom of the river, almost losing my balance when the rock I was on dropped off.

Luke walked me to the little island that was about a third of the way across the river. He handed me off to Bruce, who helped me get to the other end of the island, where Sarah Margaret was waiting. She showed me the best spot to cross the remaining two thirds of the river, and sent me off.

I was terrified. I forced myself to keep walking, sliding one foot in front of the other. The water was trying to pull me downstream, forcing me to walk upstream so I would get out of the water where Maggie was.

“C’mon Brett, you’re almost to the edge!”

Maggie held out her hand to pull me up the bank. I reached for her hand and missed, but she grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

I stumbled a couple of feet away from the edge, dropping my pack and sitting next to it. I had done it! I hadn’t slipped and fallen into the river, I hadn’t gotten my pack soaked… Okay, the bottom of my pack was soaked. But that’s only because I’m so short, and the water reached over my waist.

I opened my pack and dug out my hiking boots – it took me a while, since I had put them in my Happy Sack (the trash bag that kept our stuff dry in the water). I found them and tied them on, hanging my soaking wet sandals on the outside of my pack.

When everyone was across and had their boots on again, we moved out.

Click here to read the next part of Day Nine.

*Everything here is from my own memory and may not be correct. Outward Bound is not responsible for anything I post here. Thanks too NCOBS for letting me use their photos.*