A pilgrimage to America’s Mountain for the 104th running of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Chris Nelson returns to the legendary course for a weekend of racing, remembrance and life on the mountain, where records are broken, risks are real and the road to the summit still carries the weight of those who have taken it on before.

What begins as a childhood memory of Peter Pan and his missing shadow becomes a deeper reflection on Jung’s idea of “shadow work”, the hidden parts of ourselves we learn to deny, bury or leave behind. In this personal blog, Chris Nelson explores shame, memory, childhood fear and the slow work of making peace with the parts of ourselves that still want to be seen.