climbing rock reef pass in the everglades without oxygen

We decided to tackle Rock Reef Pass in the Florida Everglades, just the two of us, and without any supplemental oxygen. Honestly, I thought, "How hard could it be?" I mean, it’s Florida—not the Rockies! But let me tell you, the humidity hit us like a wall. We were sweating buckets before we even got halfway up. My girlfriend kept joking that we should’ve brought scuba gear instead of hiking boots. We’d read online that the view from the top was supposed to be worth it, but when we finally made it, all we saw was a never-ending sea of green and a few stubborn mosquitoes that seemed determined to follow us home. I couldn’t help but wonder: does anyone actually enjoy this kind of challenge, or are we all just pretending it’s fun because we don’t want to admit we’re miserable? I’m curious—has anyone else tried hiking in the Everglades and felt totally unprepared? Or is there some secret to making it more enjoyable that we missed? I’d love to hear if anyone’s found a way to keep the bugs at bay or if there’s a hidden spot with a better view. Sometimes I think these hikes are more about bragging rights than actual enjoyment, but maybe I’m just missing something. #Everglades #HikingAdventures #RealTalk #Travel