Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face

By SGT Christopher KluttsNovember 17, 2009

Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
1 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, searches for his next hand hold while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders spent more than six years on a mountain... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
2 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, repels from the top of a rock formation while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders has been climbing for 21 years.... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
3 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, puts trust in his feet while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders started climbing while attending college in Gunn... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
4 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, hangs a top a rock formation while climbing while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. When not climbing, Spc. Sanders and the ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
5 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, finds his anchor at the top of a rock formation while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders encourages beginner cli... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
6 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, searches for his next hand hold while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders is stationed at Fort Irwin, Calif. (Pho... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
7 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, puts trust in his feet while climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders started climbing while attending college in Gunn... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Trooper seeks thrills on cliff face
8 / 8 Show Caption + Hide Caption – BARSTOW, Calif. - Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, prepares his harness for a day of rock climbing at the New Jack City climbing site here. Spc. Sanders has been rock climbing for 21 years. (... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT IRWIN, Calif. - Mike Sanders has climbed from Alaska to Argentina. From Mount Mckinley, the highest point in North America, to Mount Aconcogua, the highest point in the Western Hemisphere.

Spc. Michael A. Sanders, a medic with A Troop, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, has been rock climbing for 21 years.

He has climbed rock formations in the Mojave Desert and ice in the Rocky Mountains. After years on a mountain search and rescue team, he decided to take on a real challenge.

He wanted to become an Army medic.

Sanders started climbing while attending Western State College in Gunnerson, Colo.

"I went to college in a small, mountain town," said Sanders, 42, who has been in the Army for two years. "We didn't go to 'water world' or places like that on the weekend. Instead, we went rock climbing."

After college, Sanders continued climbing and conquered many challenges, but he is not planning on slowing down. One challenge left unmet is to climb all 20,320 feet of Mount McKinley at Denali National Park, Alaska.

"I still have not summited Denali. I've made it to 19,000 feet," said Sanders. "That mountain is pretty brutal. Temperatures there get down to 70 below. The whole time you are on glaciers."

After being assigned to the 11th ACR, Sanders has supported the Blackhorse Regiment's unique mission of providing rotational support for units who come to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin for training. The Blackhorse Troopers also train themselves to be ready for combat when called upon.

When not "training the force," Sanders has been showing other Soldiers the basics of climbing.

Pfc. Johnathan A. Robinson, a medic with I Troop, 1/11 ACR, went to Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training and was assigned to Fort Irwin with Sanders.

"Rock climbing has always interested me," said Robinson. "I've always liked high risk, or extreme, sport type stuff. Through basic and AIT, he just talked about it all the time. He was always planning a climb or something. As soon as we came out here, we went out to climb and he got me into it."

The physical aspect of rock climbing offers a great training opportunity for anyone who wants to step up their current workout. Robinson credited a rise in his Army Physical Fitness Test score to rock climbing.

"I think more Soldiers should climb," said Sanders. "If you are a career Soldier, especially infantry, this is ideal cross training and it's a lot of fun."

Sanders has made a point to get other Soldiers involved in his hobby.

"I would be more than happy to take Soldiers out climbing on the weekends through the BOSS program," said Sanders. "Joshua Tree is two hours away, Red Rocks is about two and a half hours, and the Whitney Portal is three hours from here. There is really good climbing at all three of those places."

He has already taken Soldiers from A Troop out to New Jack City, a rock climbing park near here, to show them the basics. Sanders said to choose an attainable goal when starting out.

"It's important they feel a sense of accomplishment," said Sanders. "I always make sure they are going to finish a climb I put them on. As with any sport, if you put them in over their head right away, they're not going to like it, and won't want to try it again."

Also, the adrenaline rush you get while defying gravity during the climb delivers an escape to anyone willing to give it a try, he said.

"Its unnatural to hang from a wall, 100 feet or more off the ground, while attached to just a rope," said Sanders. "It's very psychologically taxing. So, I don't think of anything else while I am up there. The rest of the world could be falling apart, but I am focused on what I am doing in the moment."

Although the goal is to have fun during a climb, safety should be the paramount concern of any climber. Sanders said to climb within your limit and always have a partner.

"I have been doing this long enough that I am very safe at what I do," said Sanders. "It is essential to have a partner, and one with hands on experience is the best."

A person who goes out with an experienced and well equipped partner can start climbing for less than $200. You will need a harness, shoes, a locking billet device, and a chalk bag. The more experienced partner should be able to supply the rope, extra karabiners, and the safety guidance.

"I am going to buy my own rope, extra harnesses and karabiners," said Johnson. "When my friends want to go climbing, I can be the one to get them into it."

In the future, Sanders hopes to climb mountains in Nepal and China. In the meantime, he will keep extending invitations out to the Soldiers he serves with.

"The weekend after the next rotation, I am going to Red Rocks outside of Las Vegas and climbing with people from work," said Sanders. "It might be a big trip. Anyone who wants to go is welcome."