By Michael Butler

It was a bit of a hairy situation. Ian Pendergrass was hanging over a crevasse on Mount Rainier, the largest mountain in the contiguous U.S. at 14,410 feet.

“My feet were just dangling,” he said. “I managed to get out of it.”

It was a brief setback in what would become an incredible experience. Pendergrass set a goal to climb the mountain and raise money for Children’s Hospital. He conquered both, reaching the summit and raising about $5,000 with his Mountains4Miracles fundraiser.

“I was on the mountain for four days. The altitude can mess with you. You get a little wobbly. That’s nothing you can prepare for. It was pretty gnarly.”

Pendergrass was with eight others in his group.

“We did not make it to the very top. I was disappointed. A blizzard came right when were on top of the mountain, a little bit less than a thousand feet (to go). I was very glad (with) the fundraiser. In the end, everything was a success.”

If scaling a mountain that spans almost three total miles was not daunting enough – especially while lugging about 100 pounds of gear, the elements added an extra level of difficulty.

“The winds were getting around 60 miles per hour while you’re getting on top of the mountain. The slope is like 45 degrees. It was very steep. You’re basically on a giant sheet of ice. Your legs are hurting. With altitude, you’re constantly working with every step.”

Pendergrass will be a senior at Tallassee High School this August. He has also enlisted in the National Guard.

“I’ll be going to basic (training) after I graduate. (I’m) excited. It made the most sense financially, giving me opportunities.”