Impossible Mountain Philip Petersen.
Spiritual fiction. Paperback, 202 pages.
ISBN = 1890711063. Published 8-10-2006.
Retail: $14.95 US. On sale: now $9.95!
Abbey Reviews:
"A tour de force in the world of
spiritual fiction. The reader is led
from a story about ascending a very
high mountain to the consideration of some
of the deepest spiritual questions
imaginable. Visualize a mountain which profoundly changes anyone who tries to climb, and you have 'Impossible Mountain'.
From the Publisher:
Impossible Mountain is a novel of outdoor adventure and spiritual discovery. The outdoor adventure is centered on the climbing of a mountain almost as high as Everest which arises in the future by natural cataclysm in the Colorado Rockies. The spiritual discoveries are revealed in steps that get more profound as the story unfolds. They begin with the hearing of a warning in the voice of a departed mother in a cave and culminate with a summit experience which is physically unique for each who reaches the peak. The four major characters conclude that all spiritual experiences, even of the major figures in religions, are the product of each individual’s unique colored glasses, and that the world of each is determined by the choices they have made. They are led by a series of post-summit contacts with an ‘angel’ to promote what they call ‘Brothers In Abraham’, in which Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are found to have a common root beyond hatred and war. Meanwhile, the world struggles in the upheaval of global warming and the results of bad choices for the planet and those on it. The novel brings romance, the skills and challenges necessary to climb a high mountain, and the major spiritual issues of the day into a focus not yet achieved in fiction. The writing is fast moving, exciting, adventurous, and spiritually challenging to readers of all backgrounds.
Synopsis:
Rod Allman, philosophy teacher and climber becomes enchanted with Lisa Cartan, travel agent and gymnast, and together they embark on a life-changing adventure. Their romance and the challenge of the ascent of ‘Impossible Mountain’ are bound to change them forever.
As the result of a large hotspot pushing toward the surface, a mountain nearly the height of Everest has risen in the Colorado Rockies. This has happened over a period of 12 years. Their first visit to the summit of what is first called ‘Mount Harmony’ is by train, where they view the Village of the Spirit, a tribute to the major religions of the world constructed with great difficulty by a Wall Street philanthropist.
Darrell Dogwood, mountain climber by trade, invites them to join a climbing expedition to the top by another route. He is the only person who has climbed what he calls ‘Impossible Mountain’, and suggests that members of his expedition climb alone beyond what has become known as the Dogwood Step, which is near the top. He recommends this because he found the experience uniquely spiritual, and ‘knows’ it will be the same for them. They hook up with Wayne Gatlin, a climber who is a mathematics grad student, and the climbing ‘son’ of Dogwood. He suggests mysterious mathematical implications of the mountain, and Darrell asks Rod to watch out for him during the climb.
The expedition proceeds like a somewhat accelerated Everest or K2 venture, with 27 members, seven of which are Sherpas flown in from Nepal. However, once they get to base camp, Rod and Lisa begin to find the mountain has a character far beyond the physical. In a series of experiences which increase in their strangeness as they go higher up the mountain, Rod, Lisa, Wayne, and the Sherpa Nogal eventually ascend to the base of the Dogwood Step. Their goal is Camp III on the North Col (saddle) between Mount Harmony and Miracle Mountain, a lesser, but newly-elevated, summit.
However, for physical reasons, only Rod and Wayne make the difficult climb up the Step. Then, leaving for the summit individually, separated by a half hours time, each experiences the mountain on their own. Their experiences beyond the Dogwood Step completely transform them. There they get a glimpse of spiritual principles which they believe will unite a world divided by anger and hatred.
Reaching the summit is a different experience for each of them. It is way out of the realm of expectations. In fact, it leads them to question the very nature of reality itself. They also encounter portents of natural upheaval and political change, and meet what they believe is an angel. Together, Rod and Lisa bring out their metaphysical experiences on the mountain in a series of appearances in the media. The world of religious leaders is split on the issues they raise. They apply their fame toward peaceful objectives, recommending Christians, Muslims, and Jews become members of what has become called ‘The Brothers in Abraham’. Slowly, members of these three religions begin to understand that their beliefs have a common origin, and a movement away from the wars and hatred between them starts to crystallize.
