In May 2007, during a family vacation at South Dakota and Wyoming, I was stunned to see rock climbers trying to reach the top of the Devils Tower. The monolith seemed unsurmountable, yet many had successfully achieved this feat. Standing erect, in the middle of nowhere, it is an enigmatic natural creation. Moved by the visit, I wrote a piece in The Hindu (see link below) in August 2007. I still remember the vicarious thrill of watching the climbers negotiate through the nooks and crevices, making their way to the top. Walking around the Tower, with eyes fixed on its mystical proportions, we almost stepped on a snake-but surprisingly it failed to give us a scare.
