Roland Smith

Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
...
Copyright
Dedication
Map
MOLES !"E #$
T%E &SS!'"ME"T
T%E %OO
& CO(PLE O) ST!TC%ES * T%E SL&MMER
C!RCL!"' T%E DR&!"
T%E T+!"S
ROC R&TS
,&"'O
T%E S(MM!T %OTEL
'E&R O) T%E DE&D
T!,ET
PE& E-PER!E"CE
ROC +E&SELS
'&SP
L&TECOMERS
'&MO+ ,&'
&,C
LETTERS )ROM %OME
MOLES !"E #.
SECRETS
,E&R &"D ,(LL
C&MP )O(R
&RREST
)&M!L/ %!STOR/
("REST
,L!"
S%ORTC(T
C&MP 01
C&MPS )!2E &"D S!-
TOP O) T%E +ORLD
DO+" T%E MO("T&!"S!DE
DE"O(EME"T
&C"O+LED'ME"TS3
%&RCO(RT4 !"C.
Orlando &5stin
"e6 /or7 San Diego
London
Copyright 8 .99; by Roland Smith
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)irst %arco5rt paperbac7 edition .99@
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardco<er edition as follo6s3
Smith4 Roland4 $CD$E
Pea7>Roland Smith.
p. cm.
S5mmary3 & fo5rteenByearBold boy attempts to be the yo5ngest person to reach
the top of Mo5nt E<erest.
F$. Mo5ntaineeringG)iction. .. E<erest4 Mo5nt HChina and "epalIG)iction.
0. S5r<i<alG)iction. J. Coming of ageG)iction.K !.Title.
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TeMt set in Plantin
Designed by &pril +ard
% ' ) E D C , &
Printed in the (nited States of &merica
This is a 6or7 of fiction. &ll the names4 characters4 organiNations4 and e<ents portrayed
in this boo7 are prod5cts of the a5thorOs imagination. &ny resemblance to any
organiNation4 e<ent4 or act5al person4 li<ing or dead4 is 5nintentional.
This boo7 is for Marie4 for gi<ing me all the things that matter
MOLES !"E #$
T%E &SS!'"ME"T
M/ "&ME !S PE&. /eah4 ! 7no63 6eird name. ,5t yo5 donOt get to pic7 yo5r name or yo5r
parents. HOr a lot of other things in life for that matter.I !t co5ld ha<e been 6orse. My parents
co5ld ha<e named me 'lacier4 or &byss4 or Crampon. !Om not 7idding. &ccordin to my mom all
those names 6ere on the list.
2incent4 my literary mentor Hat yo5r school this 6o5ld be yo5r English teacherI4 as7ed me to
6rite this for my yearBend assignment Hno grades at o5r schoolI.
+hen 2incent reads the sentence yo5 P5st read heOll say3 Pea74 that is a r5nBon sentence and
chaotically parenthetical. HThatOs ho6 he tal7s.I Meaning itOs a little conf5sing and choppy. &nd
!Oll tell him that my life is HparentheticalI and the chaos is d5e to the fact that !Om starting this
assignment in the bac7 of a Toyota pic75p in Tibet Ha7a ChinaI 6ith an a5tomatic pencil that
doesnOt ha<e an eraser and itOs not li7ely that !Om going to find an eraser aro5nd here.
2incent has also said that a good 6riter sho5ld dra6 the reader in by starting in the middle of
the story 6ith a hoo74 then go bac7 and fill in 6hat happened before the hoo7.
Once yo5 ha<e the reader hoo7ed yo5 can 6rite 6hate<er yo5 6ant as yo5 slo6ly reel them in.
! g5ess 2incent thin7s readers are fish. !f thatOs the case4 most of 2incentOs fish ha<e gotten
a6ay. %eOs 6ritten something li7e t6enty literary no<els4 all of 6hich are o5t of print. !f he
7ne6 6hat he 6as tal7ing abo5t 6hy do ! ha<e to search the dar74 moldering aisles of 5sedB
boo7 stores to find his boo7sQ
H"o6 !O<e done it. ,5t remember this4 2incent3 +riters sho5ld tell the br5tal tr5th in their o6n
<oice and not let indi<id5als4 society4 or conse=5ences dictate their 6ordsR &nd yo5 tho5ght no
one 6as listening to yo5 in class. /o5 also 7no6 that ! really li7e yo5r boo7s4 or ! 6o5ldnOt 6aste
my time trying to find them. "or 6o5ld ! be trying to get this story do6n in the bac7 of a tr5c7
in Tibet.I
Spea7ing of 6hich...
This morning 6e slo6ed do6n to get aro5nd a bo5lder the siNe of a school b5s that had fallen in
the middle of the road. !n the (.S.&. 6e 6o5ld 5se dynamite or hea<y e=5ipment to mo<e it. !n
Tibet they 5se pic7s4 sledgehammers4 and prisoners in tattered4 =5ilted coats to chip the
bo5lder do6n to nothing. The prisoners smiled at 5s as 6e tried not to r5n o<er their shac7led
feet on the narro6 road. Their cheerf5l faces 6ere co<ered in nic7s and c5ts from roc7
shrapnel. Those not chipping 5sed cr5de 6ooden 6heelbarro6s to mo<e the manBmade gra<el
o<er to potholes4 6here <ery old Tibetan prisoners 5sed battered sho<els and ra7es to fill in the
holes. Chinese soldiers in green 5niforms and 6ith rifles sl5ng o<er their sho5lders stood
aro5nd fiftyBgallon b5rn barrels smo7ing cigarettes. The prisoners loo7ed happier than the
soldiers did.
! 6ondered if the bo5lder 6o5ld be gone by the time ! came bac7 thro5gh. ! 6ondered if !Od
e<er come bac7 thro5gh.
T%E %OO
! +&S O"L/ T+OBT%!RDS 5p the 6all 6hen the sleet started to freeNe onto the blac7 terraB
cotta.
My fingers 6ere n5mb. My nose 6as r5nning. ! didnOt ha<e a free hand to 6ipe my nose4 or
eno5gh rope to rappel abo5t fi<e h5ndred feet to the gro5nd. ! had planned e<erything o5t so
caref5lly4 eMcept for the 6eather4 and no6 it 6as 5hBoh time.
& g5st of 6ind tried to peel me off the 6all. ! d5g my fingers into the seam and h5gged the
terraBcotta 5ntil it passed.
! sho5ld ha<e 6aited 5ntil S5ne to ma7e the ascent4 b5t no4 moron has to go 5p in March. +hyQ
,eca5se e<erything 6as ready and ! ha<e a problem 6ith 6aiting. ! had st5died the 6all4 b5ilt
all my c5stom protection4 and pic7ed the date. ! 6as ready. &nd if the date passed ! might not
try it at all. !t doesnOt ta7e m5ch to tal7 yo5rself o5t of a st5nt li7e this. ThatOs 6hy there are
o<er siM billion people sitting safely inside homes and one...
TMoronRT ! sho5ted.
Option #$3 )inish the climb. T6o h5ndred siMtyBfo5r feet 5p4 or abo5t a h5ndred precario5s
fingerholds Hpro<iding my fingers didnOt brea7 off li7e iciclesI.
Option #.3 Climb do6n. & little o<er fi<e h5ndred feet4 t6o h5ndred fifty fingerholds.
Option #03 +ait for resc5e. Scratch that option. "o one 7ne6 ! 6as on the 6all. ,y morning
Hpro<iding someone act5ally loo7ed 5p and sa6 meI ! 6o5ld be an icy gargoyle. &nd if ! li<ed my
mom 6o5ld drop me off the 6all herself.
(p it is4 then.
! timed my mo<es bet6een <icio5s blasts of 6ind4 6hich 6ere becoming more fre=5ent the
higher ! climbed. The sleet t5rned to hail4 pelting me li7e a s6arm of froNen hornets. ,5t the
6orst happened abo5t thirty feet from the top4 fifteen measly fingerholds a6ay.
! had stopped to gi<e the lactic acid searing my sho5lders and arms a chance to simmer do6n. !
6as mo5th breathing H partly from eMertion4 partly from terrorI4 and ! told myself ! 6o5ld ma7e
the final p5sh as soon as ! ca5ght my breath.
+hile ! 6aited4 a thic7 mist drifted in aro5nd me. The top of the 6all disappeared4 6hich 6as
P5st as 6ell. +hen yo5Ore tired and scared4 thirty feet loo7s abo5t the length of t6o football
fields4 and that can be pretty demoraliNing. Scaling a 6all happens one foothold and one
handhold at a time. Thin7ing beyond that can 6ea7en yo5r resol<e4 and itOs yo5r 6ill that gets
yo5 to the top as m5ch as yo5r m5scles and climbing s7ills.
)inally4 ! started breathing thro5gh my r5nny nose again. ind of snorting4 really4 b5t ! 6as able
to close my mo5th e<ery other breath.
This is it4 ! told myself. )ifteen more handholds and !O<e topped it.
! reached 5p for the neMt seam and enco5ntered a little snag. +ell4 a big snag really...
My right ear and chee7 6ere froNen to the 6all.
To reach the top yo5 m5st ha<e resol<e4 m5scles4 s7ill4 and...
& )&CER
Mine 6as anchored to that 6all li7e a bolt4 and a portion of it stayed there 6hen ! gathered
eno5gh resol<e to tear it loose. "o6 ! 6as mad4 6hich 6as eMactly 6hat ! needed to finish the
climb.
C5rsing 6ith e<ery <ertical l5nge4 ! stopped abo5t fo5r feet belo6 the edge4 tempted to tag this
monster 6ith the blood r5nning do6n my nec7. ,5t instead ! too7 the mo5ntain stencil o5t of
my pac7 Hcheating4 ! 7no64 b5t yo5 ha<e to ha<e t6o free hands to do it freehandI4 slapped it
on the 6all4 and filled it in 6ith bl5e spray paint.
This is 6hen the helicopter came 5p behind me and nearly ble6 me off the 6all.
T/o5 are 5nder arrestRT an amplified <oice sho5ted abo<e the deafening rotors.
! loo7ed do6n. Most of the mist had been s6irled a6ay by the chopper rotors4 and for the first
time in an ho5r ! co5ld see the b5sy street eight h5ndred feet belo6 the s7yscraper.
& blac7 rope dropped do6n neMt to me4 and t6o alarmed and angry faces leaned o<er the edge
of the roof.
TTa7e the ropeRT
! 6asnOt abo5t to ta7e the rope fo5r feet a6ay from my goal. ! started 5p.
TTa7e the ropeRT
+hen my head reached the top of the railing they ha5led me 5p and c5ffed my 6rists behind
my bac7. They 6ere 6earing S+&T gear and "/PD baseball caps4 and there 6ere a lot of them.
One of the cops leaned close to my bloody ear. T+hat 6ere yo5 thin7ingQT he said4 then Per7ed
me to my feet and handed me off to a reg5lar street cop.
T'et this moron to emergency.T
& CO(PLE O) ST!TC%ES * T%E SL&MMER
+%E" ! STEPPED O(T of the ele<ator into the lobby ! 6as shoc7ed by the s6arm of reporters
6ith flashing cameras. %o6 did they get there so =5ic7lyQ
T%eOs P5st a 7id.T
T+hatOs yo5r nameQT
T%eOs bleeding.T
T+hyOd yo5 do itQT
TDid yo5 ma7e it to the topQT
! didnOt ans6er any of their =5estions. !n fact4 ! barely loo7ed at them. The 6hole point of a
spectac5lar tag is not the art6or7V itOs the mystery of ho6 it 6as done.
& s5b6ay rider goes by the same se<enteen abandoned freight cars par7ed on a sidetrac74
6ee7 after 6ee74 year after year4 then one morning all se<enteen of them ha<e been tagged
top to bottom 6ith 6ild bea5tif5l graffiti. Or a dri<er in b5mperBtoBb5mper traffic dri<es 5nder
the same o<erpass a tho5sand times4 barely noticing it4 5ntil the morning the entire span is
painted DayB'lo orange and green.
%o6Od they do thatQ
ScaffoldsQ
!n one nightQ
%o6 many of them 6ere thereQ
+here 6ere the copsQ
+hatOs the pointQ
The mystery. ThatOs the point. &nd there isnOt eno5gh of it4 in my opinion.
My little bl5e mo5ntains 6ere small4 b5t ! made 5p for their siNe by p5tting them in a5dacio5s
places 6here they might ne<er be seen eMcept by a bored office 6or7er or 6indo6 6asher. This
6as my siMth s7yscraper. ! had planned to do nine all together. +hyQ ! ha<e no idea. "o6
e<eryone 6o5ld 7no6 ho6 ! did it. The mystery 6as gone and that 6as the 6orst part of getting
ca5ght.
Or so ! tho5ght.
! eMpected my mom to sho6 5p in the emergency room and tear off my left ear4 b5t she didnOt.
H&nd it t5rned o5t that my right ear 6as still attached to my head4 as 6as most of my chee7.I
The East !ndian emergency doc too7 a loo7 at my face 5nder the light for a min5te or t6o4 then
as7ed me 6hat happened4 eyeing the t6o cops standing in the door6ay as if they 6ere the
ones 6ho had messed me 5p.
TMy face froNe to a 6all.T
T/o5 sho5ld ha<e 5sed l57e6arm 6ater to 5nfreeNe it.T
T!f !Od had some handy ! 6o5ld ha<e.T
T!Om going to clean it 5p and p5t in a co5ple of little stitches.T
! 6as o5t of there in less than an ho5r. The t6o cops dro<e me to the police station and p5t me
in a filthy room 6ith a t6oB6ay mirror. ! didnOt loo7 so hot. ! didnOt feel so good4 either. My
head throbbed. My arms and legs ached. &nd ! had fo5r fingernails split all the 6ay do6n the
middle. !t felt li7e someone had lit them on fire. The emergency doc hadnOt e<en bothered to
loo7 at them.
&fter 6hat seemed li7e t6o days the door opened and a tiredBloo7ing detecti<e in a r5mpled
s5it came in carrying my bac7pac7 and a thic7 file. %e d5mped the contents of the pac7 on the
table and 6ent thro5gh e<erything piece by piece. +hen he finished he scooped the st5ff bac7
in4 then loo7ed at me and shoo7 his head.
T/o5 messed 5p4 Pete.T
TPea74T ! said.
TLi7e in Omo5ntain pea7OQT
TRight.T
T+eird name.T
T+eird parents.T
T/eah4 ! P5st tal7ed 6ith yo5r mother. She said that ! had her permission to beat yo5 to death.T
'ood old Mom.
T! got another phone call4T he added. TThe mayor. !O<e been a cop for thirtyBfi<e years4 and !O<e
ne<er gotten a personal call from the mayor. %eOs 5pset. T5rns o5t he 6as at a reception in the
+ool6orth ,5ilding. They tho5ght yo5 6ere a terrorist4 b5t itOs pretty clear no6 that yo5Ore P5st
a moron.T
%e stared at me4 6aiting for a reaction. ! didnOt gi<e him one. ! 6as a moron. ! sho5ld ha<e
chec7ed the b5ildingOs e<ening sched5le more caref5lly before ! scaled it. The reporters hadnOt
r5shed o<er to snap photos of me. They 6ere already there for the mayorOs reception4 and so
6ere the cops.
TTheyOll ta7e yo5 o<er to SDC in a bit.T
T+hatOs SDCQT ! hadnOt been arrested before.
TS5<enile Detention Center. /o5Oll stay there 5ntil yo5Ore arraigned.T
! 6asnOt s5re 6hat that meant4 either4 and the detecti<e m5st ha<e sensed this beca5se he
eMplained that there 6as a separate co5rt system for P5<enile defendants. The district attorney
6o5ld decide 6hat the charges 6o5ld be and ! 6o5ld ha<e to go before a P5dge and plead g5ilty
or not g5ilty.
TThen theyOll let me o5t4T ! said.
TMaybe4 maybe not. Depends on ho6 m5ch the bail is and 6hether yo5r parents can co5gh 5p
the do5gh. Or4 they might deny bail all together4 6hich means yo5Oll be in SDC 5ntil yo5r trial or
sentencing date. That co5ld be months. The co5rts are bac7ed 5p.T
My mo5th 6ent dry.
T! ha<enOt been in tro5ble before4T ! said.
T/o5 mean yo5 ha<enOt been ca5ght before.T The detecti<e opened the file folder and spread
o5t three photographs on the table. T+eO<e been trac7ing these tags for =5ite a 6hile no6.
Loo7s li7e 6e ca5ght the tagger redBhanded.T
The photos 6ere grainy4 ob<io5sly ta7en 6ith a long telephoto lens4 b5t the bl5e stenciled
mo5ntains 6ere clear eno5gh.
T6o 5niformed cops 6ere 6aiting for me o5tside the interrogation room along 6ith my mom4
6ho 6as so mad she co5ld barely spea7. She loo7ed at the bandages on my face and managed
to as7 if ! 6as o7ay.
T/eah4 !Om fine.T
T+eO<e got to ta7e him to SDC4 maOam4T one of the cops said.
Mom nodded4 then loo7ed at me. T+eOll see 6hat 6e can do4 Pea7. ,5t yo5O<e really done it
this time.T
The cops led me a6ay.
,/ T%E T%!RD D&/ at SDC ! 6as climbing the 6all HliterallyI 5ntil my co5nselor HthatOs 6hat they
call the g5ards hereI told me to stop.
Spider ,oy4 )ly ,oy4 The 'ec7o id 6as frontBpage ne6s e<ery morning. Each article d5g deeper
and deeper into my familyOs past3 my mom4 dad4 stepfather4 e<en my t6in sisters 6ere targets.
There 6ere infrared photos of me clinging to the scraper4 photos from school4 photos of my
mom and dad 6hen they 6ere roc7 rats. &nd my other t6o bl5e mo5ntain tags had been
disco<ered.
! stopped reading the ne6spaper acco5nts after the second day and left the common room
6hen the ne6s came on the tele<ision.
They limited o5r phone calls at SDC. ! 6as only able to catch Mom once to as7 her 6hat 6as
going on4 b5t she 6as meeting 6ith the attorneys and didnOt ha<e time to tal7.
On the morning of the fo5rth day my co5nselor came into my room HthatOs 6hat they call the
cellsI and said ! had a <isitor. )inallyR
! 6as pretty disappointed to see it 6as 2incent in the <isiting room instead of my mom. H"o
offense4 2incent.I %e loo7ed a little shoc7ed 6hen he sa6 my scabbedBo<er face and ear.
T! bro5ght some boo7s for yo5 to read4T he said4 p5shing a co5ple of paperbac7s across the
table. T! imagine it gets a bit boring in here.T
T/eah. Than7s.T
T! also bro5ght along a co5ple Moles7ine noteboo7s.T %e too7 t6o blac74 shrin7B6rapped
noteboo7s o5t of his bag and set them on the table li7e they 6ere sacred teMts. TThey are made
in !taly. 2an 'ogh4 Picasso4 Ernest %eming6ay4 ,r5ce Chat6in dre6 or 6rote in Moles7ines.T
TReallyQT
! g5ess !Od better tell yo5 a little more abo5t my school. !tOs a special school. !n fact4 so special
that it doesnOt ha<e an official name. !tOs simply 7no6n as the 'reene Street School4 or 'SS4
beca5se thatOs the street itOs on. There are one h5ndred st5dents4 7indergarten thro5gh high
school4 from all o<er Manhattan. Most of the 7ids are prodigiesGmeaning they play m5sic4 sing4
dance4 act4 sol<e math problems comp5ters canOt sol<eGand me ... 6ho canOt do any of these
things. ! got in beca5se of my stepfather4 Rolf /o5ng. %eOs on their ad<isory board and does all
of their legal 6or7 pro bono4 meaning for free. The school is t6o bloc7s from o5r loft4 and my
t6in sisters go there4 too4 b5t 5nli7e me4 they deser<e to be there. They are both piano 6iNards.
!t too7 them a year to fig5re o5t my talent4 6hich ! thin7 they made 5p so Rolf 6o5ld contin5e
to do st5ff for free.
TPea7 is o5r 6riterRT the headmistress declared one day4 holding 5p an essay !Od scra6led o5t
that morning as ! g5lped do6n a bo6l of cereal before lea<ing for school.
! 6o5ld ha<e preferred to be their climber4 b5t 'SS doesnOt recogniNe sports as a 6orthy h5man
endea<or.
DonOt get me 6rong4 ! li7e 'SS. The st5dents and teachers are a =5ir7y b5nch and 6ildly
entertaining. !O<e e<en managed to learn some things there. The problem is that ! donOt ha<e
any friends at the school. This isnOt anyoneOs fa5lt4 really. My main interest is climbing. The
other st5dents are interested in things li7e n5mber theory4 6hat 7ind of g5t to 5se on their
<iolin or cello bo6s4 and painting techni=5es.
&ny6ay4 this is ho6 ! got hoo7ed 5p 6ith 2incent. &s the schoolOs English teacher he got st5c7
6ith the Pob of mentoring the alleged 6riter.
%e 5n6rapped one of the Moles7ines and sho6ed me ho6 there 6as a little poc7et in bac7 to
store notes and ho6 the elastic band stretched to mar7 yo5r place or hold the noteboo7 closed.
T! bro5ght yo5 a pen4T he said. T,5t they 6o5ld not let me gi<e it to yo5. They 6ere afraid yo5
6o5ld 6rite on yo5r 6all 6ith it.T
! thin7 they 6ere probably more afraid that ! 6o5ld 5se it to stab somebody Hor more li7ely
someone 6o5ld ta7e it a6ay and stab me 6ith itI.
T! 6ill see 6hat ! can do abo5t getting yo5 something to 6rite 6ith4T 2incent said. %e al6ays
spo7e slo6ly4 en5nciating each 6ord precisely4 and ! had ne<er heard him 5se a contraction.
TSome of the best literat5re e<er 6ritten 6as composed inside prison cells.T
! didnOt plan on being at SDC long eno5gh to compose anything.
T+hether yo5 come bac7 to school or not4 yo5 can still complete this year. ! ha<e tal7ed to the
headmistress. )o5r other a5thors and ! 6ill e<al5ate yo5 by the 6ords yo5 p5t in the
noteboo7.T
E<al5ate meant grad5ate at 'SS.
T! bro5ght yo5 t6o Moles7ines in case yo5 6rite a longer piece. !t m5st be a storyGnot a diary4
or a Po5rnalG6ith a beginning4 middle4 and a deno5ement at the end to tie the story together.
The story can be based on yo5r life4 someone elseOs life4 or e<ents completely from yo5r
imagination. /o5 only ha<e to complete one of the Moles7ines to f5lfill yo5r re=5irement4 5sing
some of the 6riting techni=5es ! ha<e ta5ght yo5 d5ring the past year.T
T!Om coming bac7 to school4T ! said.
%e didnOt loo7 li7e he belie<ed me.
TRegardless4T he said. TThe assignment 6ill remain the same.T
L&TER T%&T MOR"!"' ! had a second <isitor. & 6oman. Long bro6n hair4 pale bl5e eyes4
oli<eBcolored s7in4 carrying a garment bag. She 6as short4 b5t po6erf5lly b5ilt4 6ith good
m5scle tone in her arms. &side from a slight stiffness in her bac7 H6hich yo5Od ha<e to 7no6 her
to noticeI4 the only fla6 she had 6ere her hands. They 6ere scarred from years of climbing.
TSorry ! co5ldnOt get o5t here sooner4T Mom said. T+ith the t6ins4 and the attorneys4 andGT
TThatOs o7ay4T ! interr5pted. SDC 6as at least an ho5rBandBaBhalf dri<e from o5r loft in
Manhattan. !n addition to e<erything else4 Mom 6or7ed f5llBtime at a boo7store she and a
friend o6ned. Still4 ! 6o5ld ha<e li7ed to ha<e seen her before this.
She 6al7ed o<er to 6here ! 6as sitting and loo7ed at the scabs on my face.
T(gly4T she said.
TThan7s.T
She started pacing.
T%o6 are the t6insQT
TThey ha<enOt stopped crying since yo5 got b5sted.T
! 6inced. !t 6as one thing to 5pset my mom4 b5t ! didnOt li7e 5psetting Patrice and Pa5la. TT6o
peas in a pod4T as Mom and Rolf called them4 or TPeaBPeaT as ! called them4 6hich al6ays made
them giggle. They 6ere siM years old and loo7ed 5p to the third TPeaT HmeI li7e ! 6as a god.
T/o5O<e really done it this time4 Pea7. SiM s7yscrapersR TheyOre going to eat yo5 5p and spit yo5
o5t. Rolf has cashed in e<ery fa<or he has in the city4 b5t ! donOt thin7 any of it is going to 6or7.
%e got yo5r arraignment delayed4 and tried for a second delay...T
H! had seen my mom agitated before4 b5t ! had ne<er seen her li7e this. She 6as pacing the
small holding cell li7e a caged leopard.I
T...hoping that the p5blicity 6o5ld die do6n4 b5t after last night thatOs all do6n the t5be. The
district attorney4 6ho Rolf 6ent to school 6ith4 and the P5dge niMed that ideaGT
T+ait4T ! said. T+hat happened last nightQT
She stopped pacing and glared at me 6ith her mo5th open and her eyes 6ide.
T/o5 didnOt hearQT
! shoo7 my head.
T& boy fell from the )latiron ,5ilding. %eOs dead.T
! stared at her. T+hat does that ha<eGT
TTo do 6ith yo5QT she yelled. T!tOs beca5se of yo54 Pea7. The boy had all yo5r ne6s articles
pinned 5p in his bedroom. %e had a can of bl5e spray paint in his pac7. %e had ne<er been
climbing in his entire life4 6hich eMplains 6hy he only made it 5p se<entyBfi<e feet. ,5t the fall
6as eno5gh to 7ill him4 and eno5gh to 7eep yo5 in Pail for the neMt three years.T
T+hatQT ! 6as on my feet no6.
T(nbelie<ableRT She let o5t a harsh la5gh. T/o5Ore circling the drain4 Pea74 and yo5 donOt e<en
7no6 it.T
Circling the drainGa term from o5r past li<es o5t +est. ! hadnOt heard it in years.
T+hat do yo5 mean Othree yearsOQT
T&nd three months4T she said. TThatOs 6hen yo5Oll be eighteen.T
! started pacing no6. &ll ! did 6as climb the +ool6orth ,5ilding. ! didnOt brag abo5t it or post it
on the !nternet. !t 6as my little secret. My 6ay of ... +ell4 ! didnOt 7no6 eMactly 6hy ! had done
it. ! felt bad abo5t the other boy4 b5t it 6asnOt my fa5lt.
TDid yo5 tell DadQT ! as7ed4 meaning my real dad4 not Rolf.
This elicited another harsh la5gh.
T%eOs in "epal. ! left him a message 6ith a Sherpa 6ho barely spo7e a 6ord of English. !Om not
e<en s5re 6hy ! called him. Desperation4 ! g5ess.T
She too7 a deep breath. TLoo74 ! ha<e to go. Rolf and ! are meeting 6ith the attorneys.T
T&ttorneysQT ! tho5ght Rolf 6o5ld be my attorney.
TT6o of them. Rolf canOt represent yo5. %eOs yo5r stepfather4 conflict of interest.T
TDo yo5 thin7GT
%er 6hole demeanor changed 6hen she noticed ho6 scared ! 6as. She softened and her pale
bl5e eyes filled 6ith tears.
T! hope so4 Pea74T she said =5ietly. T,5t !Om not optimistic. The city 6ants to ma7e an eMample
o5t of yo5.T She t5rned a6ay and 6iped her eyes4 then handed me the garment bag. TThis is a
s5it. /o5Oll ha<e to 6ear it tomorro6. &nd ! tal7ed to them do6nstairs. & barber is going to
come in and c5t yo5r hair sometime this afternoon.T
! sat do6n hea<ily in the chair.
T,5c7 5p4T she said 6ith strained cheerf5lness. T! donOt thin7 heOll b5tcher yo5r hair too badly.
/o5O<e got to loo7 li7e yo5OreGT
T!Om not 6orried abo5t my hairR !Om 6orried abo5t those three years. !Om already going craNy in
here. ! canOtGT
!t all hit me at once3 the climb4 the arrest4 the 7id falling from the )latiron.... ! bro7e do6n.
My mom held me.
C!RCL!"' T%E DR&!"
! CO(LD T!E & ,&C%M&"4 bo6line4 b5tterfly4 fig5re eight4 do5ble fisherman4 and a half doNen
other 7nots 6ith one hand in the dar74 b5t ! co5ldnOt get the tie 7notted properly aro5nd my
nec7. The fe6 times !Od 6orn one4 Rolf had done the honors. The g5ard assigned to escort me
to the co5rtroom finally came to my resc5e. ,et6een 5s4 6e fig5red it o5t4 then he led me into
the co5rtroom.
Sitting at a table to the left of the bench 6ere the prosec5ting attorneys Ha man and a 6omanI
sh5ffling papers4 barely loo7ing 5p at the person 6hose life they 6ere abo5t to r5in.
&t the table to the right 6ere my attorneys Hanother man and a 6omanI. They too 6ere
sh5ffling papers4 b5t they stopped 6hen the g5ard passed me off to them4 smiling4 sha7ing my
hand4 introd5cing themsel<es....
! didnOt =5ite catch their names. ! 6as too b5sy staring at the fi<e people sitting behind them.
Rolf4 loo7ing dapper and professional 6ith a perfectly 7notted tie. "eMt to him 6ere Patrice and
Pa5la. They 6ere a little tearyBeyed4 b5t eMcited to see me4 6earing their fa<orite dresses.
HMatching of co5rse.I They 6a<ed and tried to stifle giggles 6hen ! mo5thed TPeaBPeaT at them.
HDonOt get me 6rong3 ! 6asnOt in a Po7ing mood at that moment4 b5t ! felt the t6ins co5ld 5se a
boost. They had been thro5gh eno5gh the past fe6 days.I
"eMt to the t6ins 6as my mom4 loo7ing 6orried4 b5t distinctly more relaMed than she had been
at SDC the day before. Maybe this 6as beca5se of the g5y sitting neMt to her. H&ltho5gh !
do5bted it.I
%is name 6as Sosh5a +oodGarg5ably the greatest mo5ntaineer in the 6orld. %e 6as also my
father.
! hadnOt seen him in se<en years and he loo7ed abo5t as comfortable in his s5it as ! felt in mine.
%e had sha<ed his trademar7 beard. HRecently4 by the loo7s of it.I The s7in beneath 6as pale
compared to the 5pper part of his handsome face4 6hich 6as 6indb5rned and s5nb5rned. %is
lips 6ere chapped and his nose 6as peeling4 gi<ing him the o<erall loo7 of someone 6ho had
P5st been d5g o5t from 5nder an a<alanche.
%is eyes 6ere the same pale bl5e as my motherOs. %e ga<e me a nod and a smile4 6hich ! 6as
too st5nned to ret5rn.
T&ll rise4T the bailiff said4 startling me o5t of my st5por.
One of the attorneys t5rned me aro5nd and ga<e me a daNNling smile. ! eMpected her to say4
TLo<e the tie.T ,5t 6hat she said instead 6as4 TDonOt say one 6ord 5nless ! tell yo5 to. &ct
remorsef5l.T
She 6as ob<io5sly my lead attorney. ! tho5ght her name 6as Traci.
The P5dgeGa to5ghBloo7ing g5y 6ith a 6hite cre6 c5tGtoo7 his seat behind the bench and
made 5s stand for a fe6 seconds more before nodding at the bailiff.
T,e seated4T the bailiff said 6ith a slight =5i<er in his <oice.
My mom 6as right3 The P5dge 6as going to eat me 5p and spit me o5t. %e p5t on a pair of
glasses and 6ent o<er some notes4 then started reading the charges alo5d. TCriminal trespass4
<andalism4 rec7less endangerment...T
!t 6ent on and on.
)inally reaching the end of the list4 he p5shed his glasses to the end of his nose and loo7ed o<er
the top of them directly at me. T%o6 do yo5 pleadQT
Traci p5lled me to my feet and 6hispered the ans6er in my ear. ! 6asnOt s5re ! had heard her
right. She 6hispered it again 6ith the same smile plastered on her face from before.
! too7 a deep breath.
T"ot g5ilty4T ! said.
TTo all chargesQT the P5dge as7ed incred5lo5sly.
TThatOs right4 /o5r %onor4T Traci ans6ered4 her smile 5n6a<ering.
T/o5O<e gotta be 7idding me. The state has <ideotape of him climbing the +ool6orth ,5ilding.
There 6ere t6entyBthree cops on the roof that sa6 him being p5lled o<er the railing. %e signed
a statement attesting to the facts.T
TD5ress4T Traci said. T%e 6as eMha5sted4 inP5red4 and half froNen at the time.T
TOh please. This 7id has recei<ed absol5tely e<ery consideration the system can offer4 incl5ding
delaying this arraignment. "o64 6hatOs this all abo5tQT
T+e 6ant to go to trial4T Traci ans6ered.
The arteries in the P5dgeOs nec7 loo7ed li7e they 6ere abo5t to b5rst. %e glared o<er at the
prosec5torsO table. TDo yo5 t6o 7no6 anything abo5t thisQT
The prosec5tors shoo7 their heads4 <igoro5sly.
TPerhaps 6e sho5ld retire to yo5r chambers4T one of them s5ggested.
T/es4T Traci agreed cheerf5lly.
TThe fo5r of yo5 crammed into my office4T the P5dge said. T)orget it. ThereOs no one here b5t...T
%e noticed Patrice and Pa5la sitting bet6een my mom and Rolf.
TOh4T he said4 then loo7ed o<er at the g5ard 6ho had bro5ght me do6n in the ele<ator.
TDo yo5 thin7 yo5 can ta7e these yo5ng ladies o5t and find them some ice creamQT
T+hat abo5t the prisonerQT the g5ard as7ed.
T! thin7 heOll hang aro5nd for this.T %e loo7ed at the t6ins. TDo yo5 li7e ice creamQT
TChocolate4T Pa5la said.
T2anilla4T Patrice said.
T! thin7 that can be arranged.T
TDo yo5 6ant 5s to bring yo5 bac7 some4 Pea7QT Pa5la as7ed.
T! bet they ha<e stra6berry4T Patrice said Hmy fa<oriteI4 b5t it so5nded li7e Ta6eBberryT beca5se
she had recently lost her front teeth.
T"ah4T ! said. T! had a big bo6l for brea7fast.T
T/o5 did notRT they said in 5nison4 giggling4 as the g5ard too7 them o5t.
The P5dge 6aited for the door to s6ing completely closed before contin5ing the proceedings.
%e nodded at the co5rt reporter. T+eOre off the record.T
She t5rned off her recorder and stopped typing.
T!tOs P5st 5s no64T the P5dge contin5ed4 loo7ing at Traci. T/o5 7no6 as 6ell as ! do that 6e donOt
6ant to go to trial 6ith this. !tOs t5rned into a media circ5s. & boy 6as 7illed t6o days ago. !Om
s5re yo5 and Pea7 and his parents donOt 6ant that to happen again.T
TOf co5rse not4T Traci said. T,5t by the same to7en ! canOt let my client be 5nfairly incarcerated
beca5se the media is o5t of control. This 6hole thing has not been handled 6ell by the police
department or the mayorOs office.T
The P5dge loo7ed at her for a moment4 then loo7ed o<er at the prosec5tors. TShe ma7es a good
point. +hat do yo5 thin7QT
The older of the t6o prosec5tors Hthe 6omanI stood. TPrior to the arraignment 6e offered a
plea bargain of t6o years 6ith siM months off for good beha<ior. Eighteen months is a pretty
good deal considering the charges.T
"ot if yo5Ore ser<ing it4 ! tho5ght. ,5t it 6as better than three years. Traci pic7ed 5p a sheet of
paper from the table.
T!n the last fi<e years4 fifteen ad5lts ha<e been arrested for climbing s7yscrapers in "e6 /or7
City. The longest sentence has been siM months4 and se<eral of these climbers ser<ed no time at
all.T She loo7ed at the prosec5tor. T+e can beat this in co5rt. +eOre going to trial.T
The prosec5tor ga<e her a so5r loo7.
! felt the drain being pl5gged4 b5t it 6asnOt 6atertight yet.
T+hatOs yo5r bottom lineQT the P5dge as7ed.
T& fine 6ith probation4T Traci ans6ered. T&nd no time ser<ed.T
T)orget it4T the P5dge said gr5ffly.
T+hat if 6e co5ld arrange for Pea7 to lea<e "e6 /or7 todayQT Traci as7ed. TO5t of sight4 o5t of
mind4 o5t of the ne6spaper. "o inter<ie6s. The story dies beca5se the story is gone. PoofRT
The P5dge almost smiled. T& disappearing act4 h5hQ EMplain.T
TPea7Os biological father has offered to ta7e c5stody of him.T
! 6hipped aro5nd so fast ! h5rt my nec7.
My father had gotten to his feet.
T! ta7e it yo5Ore the fatherQT
T/es4 sir. Sosh5a +ood.T
TThe climberQT
T/es4 sir.T
The P5dge glanced at Rolf and Mom4 then loo7ed bac7 at Sosh5a. TMr. +ood4 ho6 m5ch time
ha<e yo5 spent 6ith yo5r son latelyQT
T"ot m5ch the past fe6 years4T he admitted.
"ot any for the last se<en years to be eMact4 ! tho5ght.
T+hen Teri and Rolf got married4T he contin5ed4 T6e decided it 6o5ld be best for Pea7 if ! 7ept
a lo6 profile.T
This 6as the first time !Od heard of this. !n fact4 ! 6asnOt s5re my father 7ne6 that Rolf and my
mother had married 5ntil he stepped into the co5rtroom. Maybe she had sent him a postcard
or something. %e certainly hadnOt been in<ited to the 6edding.
T+hy do yo5 6ant to do thisQT the P5dge as7ed.
TPea7 is my son. !tOs time ! stepped for6ard and too7 some responsibility.T
! loo7ed at my mother and Rolf. They 6ere both staring straight ahead4 eMpressionless.
T+hat do yo5 thin7QT the P5dge as7ed.
Traci elbo6ed me in the side and ! t5rned bac7 aro5nd.
TMeQT
The P5dge nodded.
T(h ... that 6o5ld be great ... 5h ... /o5r %onor.T
The P5dge t5rned his attention bac7 to my father. TDo yo5 ha<e the 6here6ithal to s5pport and
raise a fo5rteenByearBold boyQT
T+eO<e prepared a complete financial statement4T Traci said. She grabbed a sheaf of papers
from the des7 and too7 it 5p to the bench.
The P5dge flipped thro5gh the pages.
T&s yo5 can see4 Mr. +ood is a <ery s5ccessf5l b5sinessman.T
TOn paper4T the P5dge said begr5dgingly. %e loo7ed at my father again. T+here do yo5 li<e4 Mr.
+oodQT
TChiang Mai4T my father ans6ered.
T+hat stateOs that inQT
T!tOs in Thailand.T
This 6as follo6ed by a <ery long silence4 and ! felt the drain pl5g loosen.
T+hat abo5t Pea7Os schoolingQT the P5dge finally as7ed.
TThereOs an !nternational School less than fi<e miles from my ho5se4T my father ans6ered. T!O<e
already enrolled him. %eOll begin in &5g5st.T
TPea7 is c5rrently attending the 'reene Street School4T Traci said. T%e only has one
re=5irement left to complete this year. !t sho5ld be easily accomplished in Thailand.T
TThe 'reene Street SchoolQT The P5dge smiled for the first time. T!t P5st so happens that ! 6ent
to 'SS 6hen ! 6as a 7id.T
! didnOt 7no6 they had legal prodigies.
The P5dge 6a<ed the prosec5tor 5p to the bench4 6here they had a long 6hispered
con<ersation. +hen it 6as o<er he loo7ed at all of 5s one by one.
T&ll right4T he said. TThis is 6hat 6eOre going to do. Pea74 yo5 are on probation 5ntil yo5 reach
the age of eighteen. !f4 d5ring that time4 yo5 brea7 a la6 in the state of "e6 /or74 th5s <iolating
yo5r probation4 yo5 6ill immediately ser<e o5t the rest of yo5r time in a P5<enile detention
facility. Do yo5 5nderstandQT
T/es.T
T)5rthermore4 the co5rt fines yo5 one h5ndred fifty tho5sand dollars...T
My shoc7 m5st ha<e sho6n4 beca5se the P5dge p5t 5p his hand for me to calm do6n.
TThe money 6ill be held in escro6 by the state and ret5rned if yo5 f5lfill the terms of yo5r
probation.T %e loo7ed o<er at my three parents. T! ass5me yo5 can scrape the money
together.T
T"o problem4 /o5r %onor4T my father said. Mom and Rolf conc5rred.
T!f !Om going to c5t Pea7 loose4 6e ha<e to ma7e this loo7 good4T the P5dge contin5ed. T!Om
p5tting a gag order on all of yo5. /o5 are not to disc5ss any aspect of this case 6ith the media
or anyone else. Especially the ref5ndable fine. +e 6ant to disco5rage people from copying
Pea7Os idiotic st5nt. !n other 6ords4 6e 6ant this to go a6ay.T
%e loo7ed at Traci and me.
TPoofRT he said.
T%E T+!"S
T%E S(D'E TOLD (S there 6as a s6arm of reporters 6aiting in front of SDC and 6e 6o5ld ha<e
to lea<e the bac7 6ay.
My father 6as the first to go. %e said he had some errands to r5n and he 6o5ld meet me at the
airport. !t occ5rred to me that ! sho5ld than7 him4 b5t by then4 he 6as half6ay do6n the
hall6ay4 tearing the tie off his nec7 li7e it 6as an anaconda. ! g5essed ! 6o5ld ha<e plenty of
time to than7 him later4 since 6e 6ere going to be spending the neMt three years together.
Mom ga<e me my passport and a small bac7pac7 st5ffed 6ith clothes. Rolf had gone off to find
the t6ins.
T&re yo5 coming to the airportQT ! as7ed4 still feeling a little n5mb.
TOf co5rse4T she said. T,5t 6e may not ha<e time to 6ait for yo5r flight to lea<e. Rolf has a
trial.T
! flipped thro5gh the pages of the passport. TSo4 yo5 7ne6 ! 6as lea<ingQT
T"ot really4T she ans6ered. TSosh got in late yesterday4 and 6e spent the 6hole night trying to
p5t this together.T
T&re yo5 o7ay 6ith thisQT
T! donOt 7no64T she said. T!t 6o5ld ha<e been nice to plan it o5t a bit more4 b5t Sosh has to get
bac7. !tOs probably P5st as 6ell. ! thin7 the thing that tipped it for the P5dge 6as the fact that yo5
6o5ld be gone today.T
TPoof4T ! said.
She smiled. T&nd 6e can get yo5 bac7 as fast as yo5 disappeared.T She p5lled o5t a credit card
and an international calling card from her p5rse and ga<e them to me. T!f things go so5r4 or yo5
P5st 6ant to come home4 5se these.T
! slipped the cards into the poc7et of one of the Moles7ines in my bac7pac7.
TOnce yo5 get there4 6eOll ship 6hate<er clothes yo5 6ant.T
T%o6 longQT ! as7ed.
TThatOs 5p to yo54 ! g5ess. !f yo5 ma7e it to the end of s5mmer4 6eOll ree<al5ate. ,5t if yo5 6ant
to come bac7 sooner all yo5 ha<e to do is call. The P5dge didnOt p5t any restrictions on 6hen
yo5 co5ld come bac7.T
T+hat abo5t DadQT ! as7ed. T! meanGT
T! 7no6 eMactly 6hat yo5 mean4T she said. TSosh seems to ha<e mello6ed since the last time 6e
sa6 him. %e tra<eled a long 6ay to help. ! canOt tell yo5 ho6 shoc7ed ! 6as 6hen he stepped
into TraciOs office. &t that point 6e 6ere absol5tely desperate. The best Traci tho5ght she co5ld
do 6as get a red5ced sentence. Sosh listened to the sit5ation4 then proceeded to o5tline eMactly
6hat happened today in the co5rtroom. +hen yo5Ore at the end of yo5r rope thereOs no one
better than Sosh5a +ood. (nfort5nately4 he doesnOt pay m5ch attention 5ntil yo5Ore dangling.T
She la5ghed. TRolf and Traci said he sho5ld ha<e become an attorney instead of a mo5ntain
climber.T
T!Od better go tal7 to the t6ins4T ! said.
&S SOO" &S ROL) and Mom left 5s alone4 Patrice and Pa5la b5rst into tears.
T+hoOs going to 6al7 5s to schoolQT
T+hoOs going to 6al7 5s homeQT
T+hoOs going to play 6ith 5s at the par7QT
T+hat abo5t o5r birthdayQT
T+hy did yo5 ha<e to climb that st5pid b5ilding4 any6ayQT
!t 6as easy to become conf5sed aro5nd the t6o Peas. They had a mysterio5s 6ay of loo7ing at
things. They also tended to finish each otherOs sentences as if they shared the same brain.
! g5ess ! sho5ld eMplain o5r relationship. They 6ere born on my eighth birthday4 6hich at first
did not go o<er <ery 6ell 6ith me. /o5 donOt 6ant to spend yo5r eighth birthday in a loft 6ith a
babysitter 6hile yo5r mother and ner<o5s stepfather are at the hospital ha<ing t6ins. )rom
then on yo5r special day is going to be the t6insO special day4 too. !t too7 me a good t6o years4
b5t the t6ins finally 6on me o<er. They 6ere brilliant4 hilario5s little Peas and 6orshipped the
gro5nd ! 6al7ed on H6hich really helpedI. They had a f5llBtime nanny for the first fe6 years4 b5t
! started spending so m5ch time 6ith them4 Mom and Rolf let her go. Pa5la and Patrice 6ere
probably the best birthday presents ! co5ld ha<e e<er gotten.
&nd for the first time since !Od gotten b5sted4 ! really regretted climbing that st5pid s7yscraper.
+hat 6as ! going to do 6itho5t the t6o PeasQ
T+e read that yo5r daddy is not the same as o5r daddy.T Patrice sniffled.
! cringed. &nother terrible res5lt from the moron climbing the s7yscraper.
+e had ne<er told them that ! 6as their half brother. Rolf and Mom tho5ght it 6o5ld P5st
conf5se them. HThey al6ays 5nderestimated the t6ins.I ,5t ! hadnOt 6anted them to learn
abo5t it from the ne6spaper. !t hadnOt ta7en the reporters long to fig5re o5t Spider ,oy 6as
Sosh5a +oodOs son.
T+eOre half sisters4T Patrice said.
Pa5la shoo7 her head and rolled her eyes. T! already eMplained that to yo5. One half pl5s one
half e=5als one. ThatOs a 6hole. Together 6e are his 6hole sister.T
TThatOs right4T Patrice said. T! forgot.T
H! told yo5 they had a mysterio5s 6ay of loo7ing at things.I
T+e al6ays 6ondered 6hy yo5r last name 6as different from o5r last name4T Pa5la said. T!
tho5ght it 6as beca5se 6e 6ere t6ins and yo5 6erenOt. Some 7ind of name r5le.T
+hen Mom and Rolf got married ! 7ept MomOs maiden name4 Marcello. Rolf offered to adopt
me legally4 b5t ! passed. ! li7ed my last name and didnOt 6ant to change it. &nd ! didnOt li7e Rolf
all that m5ch. HThere 6as nothing the matter 6ith him4 really. !tOs P5st that he 6asnOt my real
father. More on that later.I
T/o5Ore going to Thailand4T Patrice said. T+here they ma7e these.T She p5lled on my nec7tie.
T"ot =5ite4T ! said. TThailand is a co5ntry in So5theast &sia4 P5st so5th of China.T
T+hen 6ill yo5 come bac7QT Pa5la as7ed.
T!Om not s5re4T ! said.
T+ill yo5 be here for o5r birthdayQT
T,irthdays4T Patrice corrected.
T+ill yo5QT
T! hope so4T ! said. T,5t it costs a lot of money to fly from Thailand to "e6 /or7.T
T+e ha<e money.T
TSiMtyBfo5r dollars and thirtyBfi<e cents.T Pa5la shoo7 her head.
TSiMtyBfo5r dollars and fortyBse<en cents.T
T!s that eno5ghQT
TMaybe4T ! said. TLoo74 !Om going to miss yo54 and ! 6ant yo5 to 6rite me a lot of letters.T
T+e promise4T they said in 5nison.
Mom and Rolf came bac7 into the room.
T+eOd better get going4T Rolf said.
ROL) P(LLED (P to the depart5re c5rb at the airport and 6e all got o5t. Mom started crying4
and 6hen the t6ins sa6 her crying4 they started crying.
! ga<e them a gro5p h5g. &s ! held them ! glanced at Rolf. %e 6as standing off to the side4
a676ardly as 5s5al4 and ! realiNed that ! 6as going to miss him4 too. ! gently 5ntangled myself
from the girls and 6al7ed o<er to him.
T!Om sorry abo5t all the tro5ble4T ! said.
Rolf p5t his hand on my sho5lder and smiled. T!tOs going to be pretty boring 6itho5t yo5
aro5nd. Ta7e care of yo5rself and donOt hesitate to 5se those cards.T %e loo7ed at Mom and the
t6ins4 and for the first time e<er ! sa6 tears in his eyes. T+eOre going to miss yo5.T
ROC R&TS
M/ D&D +&S"OT at the airline co5nter 6hen ! got to the airport. O5r flight 6asnOt sched5led
to ta7e off for another three ho5rs4 so ! 6asnOt 6orried ... yet.
! 6ent into the restroom and disco<ered Mom had filled my pac7 6ith all the clothes she li7ed
Hnot necessarily my fa<oritesI4 b5t they 6ere better than the s5it4 6hich ! st5ffed into a garbage
can. !t 6as too small for me4 any6ay.
T6o ho5rs and fiftyBfi<e min5tes to go. +aiting at an airport might be the 6orst ... 6ell4 eMcept
for 6aiting in Pail.
! bo5ght an e<ilBloo7ing hot dog and 6olfed it do6n 6ith a flat soda.
T6o ho5rs and fiftyBthree min5tes.
! 6ent thro5gh my pac7 and fo5nd the t6o Moles7ines4 and ! tho5ght abo5t starting my
assignment. &ll ! had to do 6as fill one of them4 b5t at that point ! had no idea 6hat ! 6as going
to 6rite abo5t.
! fo5nd an a5tomatic pencil in an airport store4 b5t 6hen ! sat do6n and p5lled the 6rapping
off4 the eraser shot off into space4 and ! co5ldnOt find it. ! 6rote3 Moles7ine #$ on the first page4
then p5t the pencil and the Moles7ine a6ay.
Disco5raging.
T6o ho5rs and thirtyBse<en min5tes.
&s ! sat there 6atching e<eryone coming and going4 it finally da6ned on me that ! 6as free4 and
this got me thin7ing abo5t 6hat had led 5p to thisGand ! donOt mean climbing s7yscrapers4 or
getting arrested4 or the trial. ! mean 6ay bac7. ,ac7 before ! 6as born...
! +&S CO"CE!2ED in a t6oBman tent 5nder the shado6 of El Capitan in /osemite "ational
Par7.
&t least thatOs 6hen my mom thin7s it happened.
My parents 6ere t6entyBfo5r years old at the time. The day before the tent4 they had reached
the s5mmit of El Cap along the !ron %a67 ro5te in the record time of thirtyBt6o ho5rs and
fortyBthree min5tes. &nd this 6as not the only climbing record they had bro7en that year3
%all5cinogen +all4 ,ody +aM4 the )ling5s Cling4 and doNens of other records had fallen to the
climbing team of Teri Marcello and Sosh5a +ood.
Climbing magaNines and e=5ipment companies had started to pay attention to them ... and to
pay them money. The r5sty old <an they had li<ed in for three years 6as ditched for a brandB
ne6 fo5rB6heelBdri<e tr5c7 camper. "o more temp Pobs to scrape together money for gas and
food4 no more mooching off the 6ee7end climbers. They bo5ght a piece of property in
+yoming and b5ilt a log cabin in front of a ninetyBfoot <ertical 6all4 perfect for conditioning
climbs. The roc7 rats 6ere on their 6ay 5p.
!Od seen photos of them bac7 then. My father loo7ed li7e a bodyb5ilder4 b5t he 6as as fleMible
as a gymnast. My fa<orite photo of him 6as the one 6here he 6as standing on a high ledge
to5ching his 7nees 6ith his nose.
My mother 6as a foot shorter than my father. She 6as lean4 6ith dreadloc7s tic7ling her
po6erf5l sho5lders4 m5scles in her arms and legs li7e 7notted ropes4 and abs li7e speed b5mps.
She 6as b5lletproof.
,5t she 6as not baby proof.
T6o months after El Cap she told my father she 6as pregnant. ! ha<e no idea 6hat his reaction
6as4 b5t ! do5bt he P5mped 5p and do6n for Poy 6hen he got the good ne6s.
!t 6as a diffic5lt pregnancy. There 6ere complications. She 6as told to stay in bed or she 6o5ld
lose me. She did4 b5t my father 6as on the mo<e4 teaching seminars4 endorsing e=5ipment4 and
climbingGshattering records on Mo5nt ilimanParo4 Mo5nt Mcinley4 and &nnap5rna4 6hich is
6here he 6as the night ! 6as born.
%e called her from ,ase Camp on a satellite phone after reaching the s5mmit.
T+hat do yo5 6ant to name himQT Mom as7ed.
TPea7.T
TPeteQT
T"o4 Pea7. PBEB&B. Li7e Omo5ntain pea7.OT
%e didnOt lay eyes on me 5ntil ! 6as three months old4 and thatOs 6hen my mother had her
accident in the bac7yard. ! 6as there4 strapped into a car seat at the base of the 6all Hand at
that age4 probably staring at the prairie dogs popping o5t of their holes4 only dimly a6are that !
had parents at allI.
They 6ere thirty feet 5p the 6all4 freeBclimbing. )or roc7 rats li7e them4 this 6as li7e strolling
across a le<el par7ing lot. Mom reached 5p and grabbed a handf5l of rotten roc7. !t 6as still
cl5tched in her hand 6hen my dad got do6n to her4 6hich 6as probably fi<e seconds after she
hit the gro5nd.
Thirty feet. Shattered hip. ,ro7en bac7.
My dad canceled all his seminars4 climbs4 e<erything4 staying right at her side thro5gh the
6hole orthopedic Pigsa6 p5NNle. !t too7 nearly a year to p5t her bac7 together. +heelchair4
cr5tches4 and finally4 6hen she 6as able to hobble aro5nd 6ith a cane4 Dad left again4 sho6ing
5p a co5ple times a year for a day or t6o at a time.
!t too7 Mom t6o more years of physical therapy to ditch the cane4 b5t she ne<er climbed again.
Dad too7 me climbing for the first time 6hen ! 6as fi<e years old. H+e tried to 7eep it a secret4
b5t the fly rods and fishing gear didnOt fool Mom for one min5te.I Only fo5r more climbs 6ith
him o<er the neMt t6o years4 b5t in bet6een ! made h5ndreds of solo ascents on the 6all in
bac7 of the cabin 6ith Mom manning the belay rope4 sho5ting instr5ctions 5p to me.
Then Rolf sho6ed 5p on o5r doorstep. The "e6 /or7 la6yer in shining armor. %e and Mom had
act5ally gro6n 5p together in "ebras7a. "eighbors. Rolf had been smitten 6ith her since they
6ere eight years old. &fter high school4 Mom hit the road to climb roc7s. Rolf 6ent to %ar<ard
to st5dy la6.
%e arri<ed at the cabin at night in the middle of a bliNNard. +e 6ere sitting in front of the
6oodsto<e reading. H+e didnOt ha<e a tele<ision bac7 then.I There 6as a 7noc7 on the door
Hact5ally more li7e a desperate bangingI4 Polting both of 5s from o5r boo7s. O5r cabin 6as
siMteen miles from the nearest to6n. People didnOt drop by at ten oOcloc7 at night HeMcept for
Dad4 6ho ne<er anno5nced his arri<als and 6o5ldnOt thin7 abo5t 7noc7ingI.
Mom opened the front door and there stood Rolf4 altho5gh she didnOt recogniNe him at first. %e
6asnOt dressed for a +yoming 6inter. %e had on a light Pac7et4 7ha7i pants4 and tennis shoes.
%e 6as trying to control it4 b5t his teeth 6ere chattering. There 6as a =5i<er in his <oice4 6hich
co5ld ha<e been from the cold4 b5t ! thin7 it 6as more from fear. !t had been o<er ten years
since he had seen my mother.
T%i4Teri4T he said.
TRolfQT
T/eah ... 5h ... my rental car 7ind of slid off the road a mile bac7 or so. ! 6o5ld ha<e called4 b5t
yo5Ore not listed.T
T+e 5se a cell phone o5t here. !tOs P5st easiG+ell4 ne<er mind that...T She p5lled him inside
and made him a c5p of hot chocolate4 then ga<e him some of my dadOs clothes4 6hich 6ere too
big for him.
! 6ent to bed4 so ! donOt 7no6 6hat happened that first night4 b5t he became a reg5lar g5est at
the cabin for the neMt se<eral months4 flying in for long 6ee7ends 6hene<er he co5ld. Rolf
made my mom la5gh and ! li7ed him for that4 b5t aside from that 6e didnOt ha<e m5ch in
common. ! g5ess ! resented him for horning in on the simple life 6e had made in the
6ilderness.
%e too7 5s to "e6 /or74 6hich 6as interesting4 b5t noisy and conf5sing compared to the
prairie. &t the end of o5r t6oB6ee7 stay4 they sat me do6n in RolfOs 7itchen and told me they
6ere going to get married.
TO7ay4T ! said4 not really 7no6ing 6hat that meant at the time.
! later learned that it meant 6e 6ere selling the cabin in +yoming and mo<ing to the loft in
"e6 /or7. !t meant that my real dad 6o5ld no longer be popping in for <isits. !t meant the
'reene Street School. !t meant that the closest ! 6as going to get to a roc7 6all for the neMt fe6
years 6as the fifteenBfooter at the /MC& do6n the street4 6hich ! co5ld ha<e climbed
bac76ard 6itho5t protection if the g5ys manning the ropes 6o5ld ha<e allo6ed it. "one of this
helped to s6eeten my relationship 6ith Rolf.
The t6ins sa<ed me. &nd it also helped that my mom let me s5bscribe to a half doNen climbing
magaNines. !n the bac7 of one of those magaNines ! disco<ered s5mmer climbing camps. !t too7
a lot of s5l7ing to get her to let me go to one of them. +hat cinched it in the end 6as that she
7ne6 the climbing instr5ctor. & former roc7 rat gone legit.
&fter this4 as long as ! did 6ell in school4 she let me sign 5p for more camps.
Then the time lag bet6een the climbs became a problem. ! started eyeing s7yscrapers4 telling
myself that ! 6o5ld P5st plan the ro5te 5p b5t not climb it. Right.
To get 5p a roc7 6all yo5 st5dy the o5tside4 trying to pic7 the best footholds and handholds4
g5essing 6here yo5Ore going to enco5nter problems so yo5 ha<e the right e=5ipment 6ith yo5
to get aro5nd them.
To climb a s7yscraper yo5 ha<e to 7no6 the inside as 6ell as the o5tside. H+hich is 6here !
scre6ed 5p on my last climb.I /o5 donOt 6ant to be dangling o5tside of a 6indo6 6hen
someone is at a des7 6or7ing or <ac55ming the floor.
/o5 also ha<e to plan yo5r eMits. Mine 6ere pretty simple. ! 5sed the ele<ators.
Rooftops ha<e doors. Late on the day of the climb4 6hile the b5ilding 6as still open4 !Od go 5p to
the roof and p5t a piece of d5ct tape o<er the latch. &fter ! climbed to the top !Od slip into the
stair6ell and spend the night. !n the morning4 6hen the b5ilding started to fill 5p 6ith 6or7ers4
!Od 6al7 do6n a fe6 floors4 get on an ele<ator4 p5nch the lobby b5tton4 and 6al7 o5t as if ! had
P5st finished an early dentist or doctorOs appointment4 getting home before Mom4 Rolf4 or the
t6ins 7ne6 ! 6as gone.
! g5ess my plan didnOt =5ite 6or7 o5t in the +ool6orth ,5ilding.
,&"'O
O"E %O(R &"D )ORT/BT%REE M!"(TES.
&nd still no sign of my father.
! had made one trip o5t of the co5ntry 6ith Rolf4 Mom4 and the t6ins HLondon4 t6o s5mmers
agoI and 7ne6 that yo5 had to chec7 in early for international flights.
+here 6as heQ +hat 7ind of errands 6as he r5nningQ +hat if he didnOt sho6Q H&nd all the
other boring =5estions that r5n thro5gh yo5r mind 6hen yo5Ore 6aiting.I
! 6al7ed o<er to the flight information monitor4 thin7ing that maybe o5r flight 6as delayed. O"
T!ME4 it read.
&bo<e the monitor 6as a reg5lar T2. ! glanced at it4 and 6as going to t5rn a6ay 5ntil the anchor
said3 TThe state of "e6 /or7 has reached a plea agreement 6ith Pea7 Marcello4 the boy 6ho
climbed the +ool6orth ,5ilding early last 6ee7. %e 6as sentenced to three years of probation
and fined a 6hopping one h5ndred fifty tho5sand dollarsR This is the steepest penalty e<er
gi<en for criminal trespass in "e6 /or7Os history...T
The camera c5t to a shot of the mayor getting into the bac7 of a blac7 limo. %e t5rned to the
reporter and said3 TThis sho5ld p5t an end to people climbing s7yscrapers in the city of "e6
/or7. This illegal acti<ity 6ill no longer be tolerated 5nder any circ5mstances.T
TPea7 Marcello and his family 6ere 5na<ailable for comment4T said the reporter4 Tand it is
belie<ed the boy has left the state of "e6 /or7 for an 5ndisclosed location.T
"ot yet4 ! tho5ght4 t5rning a6ay4 gratef5l they hadnOt r5n a photo of me.
TPea7RT
)inally. My father 6as p5shing a h5ge cart 6ith a mo5ntain of gear piled on it. ! trotted o<er.
T'i<e me a hand.T
! helped him p5sh the cart 5p to the co5nter. T+hat is all this st5ffQT
T! donOt get to "e6 /or7 <ery often and tho5ght ! sho5ld stoc7 5p on some s5pplies. 'i<e me
yo5r passport.T
%e p5t it do6n on the co5nter along 6ith his o6n battered passport4 6hich loo7ed li7e it had
been thro5gh the 6ash a co5ple times.
T/o5Ore c5tting it a little close4 Mr. +ood4T the attendant said.
T! 7no64T my father said. T)amily emergency.T
The attendant pointed at the cart. TThis eMceeds yo5r baggage limit.T
My father too7 a credit card o5t of his poc7et. TS5st p5t it on this.T
,y the time 6e had e<erything chec7ed 6e had only min5tes to catch the flight. +e 6ere the
last ones do6n the Set6ay.
T! co5ldnOt get 5s seats together4T he said as 6e stepped onto the airplane. T,5t at least 6eOre
both in b5siness class.T %e pointed o5t my seat4 then too7 his o6n4 6hich 6as three ro6s
behind me4 and thatOs the last time ! tal7ed to him for thirteen ho5rs.
+e had a threeBho5r layo<er at the "arita airport near To7yo4 b5t ! didnOt get a chance to tal7
to him there4 either4 beca5se he spent the entire time on his cell phone spea7ing in 6hat
so5nded li7e Chinese4 b5t it co5ld ha<e been Thai or "epalese4 as far as ! 7ne6. %e 6as still
Pabbering on the phone 6hen 6e boarded the plane for ,ang7o74 6here ! 6as disappointed
again to see that 6e 6ere in separate ro6s.
&nother siM ho5rs passed.
On the 6ay to c5stoms in ,ang7o74 ! finally ca5ght him bet6een calls.
T!Om really sorry abo5t all this4 Dad yo5 ha<ing to come all the 6ay to the States4 the money4
being st5c7 6ith meGT
T+hoa4T he said4 holding 5p his callo5sed climbing hand. T)irst4 yo5 donOt ha<e to call me Dad. !
donOt deser<e the title. )or the time being4 letOs pretend !Om yo5r big brother. S5st call me Sosh
li7e all my friends do. Second4 donOt 6orry abo5t the money. Rolf and yo5r mom p5t a big
ch5n7 of change in. !Oll get my portion bac7. &nd finally4 !Om not st5c7 6ith yo5. ! co5ldnOt be
happier to ha<e yo5 6ith me. ! P5st ha<enOt had m5ch time to sho6 it beca5se !Om trying to p5t
something together.T
T+hatQT ! as7ed.
T& s5rprise4 b5t in the meantime4 no 6orries.T
+e contin5ed do6n to6ard c5stoms4 6here there 6as another little problem. ! didnOt ha<e a
<isa to enter Thailand. FFstri7e o5tKKMy father Sosh too7 my passport and disappeared into a
room 6ith a co5ple c5stoms officers and came bac7 o5t ten min5tes later.
T+eOre in the clear4T he said4 h5rrying thro5gh the airport to6ard the terminal4 bypassing
baggage claim.
T+hat abo5t yo5r gearQT
T+eOll get it tomorro6. "o 6orries.T
O5tside 6e climbed into the bac7 of a cab.
T+eOre not going to Chiang MaiQT
T"ot yet. +eOll get there e<ent5ally.T
!t 6as 6ell after midnight4 b5t ,ang7o7 6as 6ide a6a7e. The cabbie craNily s6er<ed bet6een
bicycles4 motorcycles4 and cars for t6enty min5tes4 finally coming to a stop in front of a hotel.
Sosh paid the dri<er and 6e 6al7ed into the lobby4 6here the concierge beamed at 5s.
TMr. +ood4 ! ha<e yo5r rooms all ready.T
%e handed each of 5s a 7ey.
TO7ay4T Sosh said as 6e got into the ele<ator4 T! ha<e some more errands to do tomorro6. !n
the morning !Oll ha<e a dri<er 6aiting for yo5 in the lobby. "ine oOcloc7. %eOll ta7e yo5 to the
clinic for a physical.T
TPhysicalQT
T/eah ... (h ... an immigration formality4 and ! 6ant them to chec7 yo5r face and ear.T %e too7
my hands and loo7ed at my damaged fingers. T+eOll need to get those fiMed4 too. &ny6ay4 !Oll
come by the clinic and pic7 yo5 5p 6hen yo5Ore finished4 and 6eOll be on o5r 6ay. !f !Om late4
P5st 6ait for me there. Try to get some sleep. ! donOt 6ant yo5 to fl5n7 the physical beca5se
yo5Ore tired.T
+%E" ! +OE (P ! didnOt e<en 7no6 6hat day it 6as. Co5ldnOt remember if yo5 lost a day or
gained a day in Thailand. ! ate brea7fast4 6ent for a 6al74 and got bac7 to the hotel and 6aited
for my dri<er.
The clinic t5rned o5t to be a h5ge hospital and it too7 a 6hile for me and the dri<er to find Dr.
+ooOs office. %e 6as eMpecting me. !n fact4 it t5rned o5t ! 6as the only patient he had that day.
!Od had physicals before4 b5t nothing li7e this. Dr. +oo and his n5rse didnOt spea7 English4 so
they had to pantomime me thro5gh the battery of tests. ! 6as -Brayed4 C&TBscanned4 and
Pabbed 6ith co5ntless needles. They p5t me on treadmills and stationary bicycles 6ith so many
leads attached to my body and t5bes Pammed in my mo5th4 ! 6o5ldnOt ha<e been able to as7
them 6hat they 6ere doing e<en if ! spo7e Thai. They m5st ha<e dra6n a =5art of blood o<er
the co5rse of the day. They chec7ed my eyes4 ears4 mo5th4 and other holes ! donOt e<en 6ant to
thin7 abo5t. They too7 the stitches o5t of my ear. &nother doctor came in and loo7ed at my
feet4 7nees4 sho5lders4 hips4 elbo6s4 6rists4 and finally my fingers4 6hich he p5t some sal<e on
and bandaged4 then ga<e me instr5ctions on ho6 to do it myself4 6hich ! barely 5nderstood. ,y
the time they finished 6ith me4 it 6as late afternoon4 and ! 6as so eMha5sted ! 6anted to chec7
myself into the hospital as a patient.
The n5rse led me to the 6aiting room and ! promptly fell asleep on an 5ncomfortable chair.
&nd thatOs 6here Sosh 6o7e me sometime after dar7. &pparently4 he had been there for a 6hile
tal7ing to Dr. +oo beca5se he had a thic7 file in his hand4 6hich ! ass5med 6ere Dr. +ooOs
findings.
T&m ! going to li<eQT ! as7ed groggily.
T"o 6orries4T Sosh said. T!Om not s5rprised yo5Ore in s5ch great shape 6ith my and yo5r
motherOs genes. LetOs goV 6e ha<e an airplane to catch.T
! 6as loo7ing for6ard to Chiang Mai4 6here ! co5ld finally get some rest.
%is gear 6as 6aiting for him o5tside the airport4 g5arded by a porter the siNe of a s5mo
6restler. %e paid the porter4 6heeled the cart to the co5nter4 and said4 T+eOre boo7ed on the
flight to athmand5.T
! 6asnOt s5re ! had heard him right.
TDid yo5 say athmand5QT
TRight.T
T! tho5ght 6e 6ere going to Chiang Mai.T
T+e 6ill4T he said as he transferred gear to the con<eyor belt. T,5t 6e ha<e a stop to ma7e
first.T
%e m5st ha<e bo5ght the gear for someone in athmand5.
T&ct5ally4 a co5ple of stops4T he added as he thre6 on the last boM.
T+hereOs the second stopQT ! as7ed.
TE<erest4T he said.
! stared at him. )or a climber4 saying that yo5 are stopping by E<erest is li7e saying yo5Ore going
to stop by and see 'od.
Sosh 6as grinning at me. T! didnOt 6ant to tell yo5 5ntil ! had it all 6or7ed o5t. /o5r physical 6as
the last h5rdle4 that and the Chinese <isa.T
Tathmand5 is in "epal4T ! pointed o5t.
TRight4T Sosh said. T,5t 6eOre not going 5p the so5th side in "epal. +eOre going 5p the north
side in Tibet. /o5 ha<e to be siMteen to get a permit to go 5p the "epalese side. The Chinese
arenOt =5ite so pic7y. They donOt care ho6 old yo5 are as long as yo5 pay the fee. &nd then
there are the t6entyBfi<e clients ! ha<e 6aiting atGT
T!Om climbing E<erestQT ! as7ed4 more st5nned than !O<e e<er been in my life.
T! donOt 7no6 if yo5Oll ma7e the s5mmit4T he said. T,5t if 6e get yo5 5p there before yo5r
fifteenth birthday yo5Oll be the yo5ngest person in the 6orld e<er to stand abo<e t6entyBnine
tho5sand feet.T %e pic7ed 5p the tic7ets and started to6ard the gate.
! follo6ed him n5mbly. %e didnOt ha<e to as7 if ! 6anted to go. E<ery climber in the 6orld 6ants
to s5mmit E<erest4 or at least gi<e it a try.
On the airplane Sosh 6a<ed me into the 6indo6 seat and sat do6n in the seat neMt to mine.
The plane bac7ed a6ay from the Set6ay.
TDoes Mom 7no6 abo5t thisQT ! as7ed.
T(h ... no4 b5t !Oll gi<e her a call. "o 6orries.T
T%E S(MM!T %OTEL
+%E" T%E MESS&'E abo5t my arrest reached Sosh he had been in Tibet on his 6ay to ,ase
Camp on the north side of E<erest. +ith him 6ere t6entyBfi<e clients4 fifteen Sherpas4 and
abo5t fifty porters and their ya7s.
T6el<e of the clients 6ere trying for the s5mmit4 the other thirteen had signed 5p for one of
the fo5r lo6er camps along the northern ro5te. The higher yo5 climbed4 the more it cost.
T! ca5ght a tr5c7 heading bac7 to athmand5 and sent the others on to ,ase Camp4T he
eMplained. TThatOs 6hy !O<e been r5shing aro5nd. ! donOt 6ant to lose my acclimatiNation4 and !
need to get bac7 to my clients. They 6erenOt too happy abo5t me abandoning them on the 6ay
to the mo5ntain.T
TThan7s again for bailing me o5t4T ! said.
T)orget it4T he said4 leaning his seat bac7 and p5lling his cap o<er his eyes. +ithin a min5te he
6as so5nd asleep.
+hy had he done itQ That 6as the =5estion bo5ncing aro5nd in my PetBlagged brain. %e 6as my
father4 b5t that 6as a technicality more than a fact.
! had 6ritten him at least a doNen letters o<er the years4 b5t ! had ne<er gotten a letter Hor e<en
a postcardI in ret5rn. Mom said that Sosh 6asnOt m5ch for letter 6riting4 and that there 6as a
good chance he ne<er got my letters. There 6erenOt too many post offices in the places he h5ng
o5t.
So 6hy4 after all these years4 did he sho6 5pQ '5iltQ "ot li7ely. That emotion didnOt seem to fit
him. My mother told me once that Sosh al6ays slept li7e a baby beca5se he had no conscience
to 7eep him a6a7e. %e 6as demonstrating that right no64 =5ietly snoring as 6e 6inged o5r
6ay to athmand5.
&T%M&"D(. )or me the name conP5red 5p mystery4 ad<ent5re4 possibilities4 b5t the reality
6as some6hat different. The city is noisy4 grimy4 and poll5ted. My eyes b5rned and ! started
cho7ing as soon as 6e stepped o5tside the airport.
TTa7es some getting 5sed to4T Sosh said as o5r taMi sp5ttered into an 5nbro7en line of traffic.
T/o5Oll be staying at the S5mmit %otel.T
TMeQT
TS5st for a co5ple days4T Sosh said. T! need to get 5p to ,ase Camp before thereOs a re<olt. !
donOt ha<e time to stay 6ith yo5 6hile yo5 acclimatiNe4 and yo5 need to acclimatiNe slo6ly. /o5
7no6 the ro5tine.T
! did 7no6 the ro5tine. !Od read at least a doNen boo7s abo5t con=5ering @4999Bmeter pea7s
Hpea7s abo<e .?4999 feetI4 incl5ding the three boo7s my father had 6ritten. There are fo5rteen
of these pea7s in the 6orld.
!t can ta7e at least t6o months to get to the top of E<erest4 6hich is act5ally @4@D9 meters tall.
The long climbing time is not beca5se of the distance4 6hich is less than fi<e miles4 b5t beca5se
itOs 5p.
Most of the climbing time is spent sitting in the siM camps along the ro5te4 letting yo5r body get
5sed to the thin air. !f yo5 go 5p too fast yo5 might get mo5ntain sic7ness4 or high altit5de
p5lmonary edema H%&PEI. %ereOs ho6 %&PE 6or7s3 /o5r l5ngs fill 6ith fl5id4 yo5 canOt breathe4
yo5 go into a coma4 then yo5 die.
The only 6ay to treat %&PE is to get to a lo6er altit5de 6here thereOs more oMygen Hor TOs4T as
climbers call itI. !t doesnOt matter 6hat 7ind of physical condition yo5Ore in. !f yo5 climb 5p
faster than yo5r body can adP5st4 yo5Oll get %&PE and yo5r climb is o<erGmaybe fore<er. The
only chance yo5 ha<e of reaching the top of E<erest Hor any @4999Bmeter pea7I is to Tclimb high4
sleep lo6T 5ntil yo5r body is ready to ma7e the p5sh to the s5mmit. !n other 6ords4 yo5 ha<e
to ma7e s5re yo5r l5ngs 7eep 5p 6ith yo5r legsGitOs a <ery bad idea to lea<e yo5r l5ngs behind.
The other problem 6ith E<erest is that there is only a small 6indo6 6hen the 6eather is good
eno5gh to get to the top. T6o 6ee7s4 maybe less. HSome years4 the 6indo6 is only t6o days.I
/o5 ha<e to be positioned in the right place4 at the right time4 in the right physical condition4 or
yo5Oll ne<er ma7e it to the s5mmit.
,eca5se Sosh has spent most of his life training and climbing at high altit5des he co5ld almost
Pog 5p to ,ase Camp H$@4999 feetI. +ell4 not really4 b5t he co5ld certainly get 5p there in half
the time it 6as going to ta7e me coming from sea le<el in "e6 /or7 City. +itho5t me he 6o5ld
be at ,ase Camp in fo5r or fi<e days. !f he 6aited for my l5ngs to catch 5p 6ith his it 6o5ld ta7e
him ten days to t6o 6ee7s to get to ,ase Camp.
+hat he hadnOt eMplained 6as ho6 ! 6as going to get to Tibet on my o6n4 and he didnOt get a
chance to tell me right then beca5se the taMi had P5st p5lled into the co5rtyard of the S5mmit
%otel4 6here 6e 6ere immediately s5rro5nded by a s6arm of la5ghing4 smiling "epalese.
T%otel staff4T he said.
They ob<io5sly 7ne6 he 6as coming and 6ere o<erPoyed that he 6as there. +e got o5t and he
introd5ced me. "ot spea7ing "epalese4 ! didnOt 7no6 if he told them ! 6as his son or his little
brother. Regardless4 by their eMpressions they 6ere <ery happy to ma7e my ac=5aintance.
They 5nloaded the gear and 6e follo6ed them into the lobby4 6here 6e enco5ntered more
pandemoni5mGthis time from the g5ests. +omen4 men4 tre77ers4 mo5ntain climbers4 old and
yo5ng4 gathered aro5nd Sosh li7e he 6as a roc7 star Hno p5n intendedI. %e signed a5tographs
and ans6ered =5estions 5ntil the concierge4 politely b5t firmly4 dispersed the cro6d.
TPlease4 please ... Mr. +ood needs to rest after his long Po5rney.T
Mr. +ood had no intention of resting. +hen 6e got to the room he started sorting thro5gh the
gear and st5ffing 6hat he 6anted into his bac7pac7.
T/o5Ore lea<ing no6QT ! as7ed4 trying not to so5nd too 6hiny.
T%a<e to.T The last thing he Pammed into his pac7 6as a boM of energy bars.
! didnOt say4 T+hat abo5t meQT beca5se there is no 6ay to say this 6itho5t so5nding pitif5l4 so !
P5st stared at him.
TLopa 6ill be ta7ing yo5 5p to ,ase Camp4T he said. T&side from myself4 heOs the only one ! tr5st
to do it. %e 7no6s all abo5t yo5.T
T+hoOs LopaQ &nd ho6 does he 7no6 abo5t meQT
%e sat do6n on the edge of the bed. TLopa 5sed to be sirdar. /o5 7no6 6hat that isQT
T%ead Sherpa4T ! said.
Sherpas are mo5ntain people 6ho li<e on the slopes of the %imalayas. +itho5t them and their
climbing s7ills4 no one 6o5ld get to the s5mmit of E<erest.
TRight4T Sosh said. TLopa got me to the s5mmit of &nnap5rna the day yo5 6ere born. %e 6as
there 6hen Teri called and ga<e me the ne6s. Since then4 heOs as7ed me abo5t yo5 e<ery time
!O<e seen him. ,5gging me4 really ... saying that itOs not good for a father to neglect his son.T
Ob<io5sly4 Sosh had not listened to him.
TLopa stopped climbing years ago4T he contin5ed. T%eOs a ,5ddhist mon7 no6. Li<es at the
!ndrayani temple. The Lama there has gi<en him permission to forgo his <o6s for a fe6 6ee7s
to ta7e yo5 5p to ,ase Camp.T
T)orgo his <o6sQT
T!tOs not as big a deal as it so5nds. ! donOt 7no6 all the details4 b5t leading yo5 to ,ase Camp
6as considered to be a5spicio5s4 meaning the right thing to do.T Sosh smiled. T&nd !Om s5re the
donation ! made to the temple didnOt h5rt. TheyOre a little strapped for money.T
TSo4 Lopa is o7ay 6ith thisQT
T&bsol5tely. %eOs c5rio5s abo5t yo5. &nd he didnOt say this4 b5t ! thin7 heOs getting 7ind of bored
6ith being a mon7.T
T+hatOs he li7eQT
TCagey4T Sosh said 6ith a smile. T!f he agrees to do something4 heOll do it4 b5t he may not be
doing it for the reason yo5 thin7 heOs doing it. &nd heOll ne<er let yo5 in on 6hy heOs doing it.T
T%5hQT Sosh 6as beginning to so5nd li7e Pa5la and Patrice.
T!tOs hard to eMplain4T he said. T/o5 ne<er 7no6 6hat LopaOs real moti<ation is. ! as7ed him to
ta7e yo5 5p to ,ase Camp. %e said he 6o5ld4 b5t heOs not ta7ing yo5 5p there P5st to do me a
fa<or or beca5se ! ga<e money to the temple. ThereOs another reasonGmore li7ely half doNen
reasonsGhe agreed to do it. &nd yo5 and ! 6ill probably ne<er 7no6 6hat all of them are.
T!t 6as a sad day 6hen he retired4 ! can tell yo5 that. %eOs been on the s5mmit of E<erest more
than any other h5man being. &t least thatOs the r5mor. Lopa says he canOt remember ho6 many
times heOs reached the top4 b5t ! thin7 he 7no6s eMactly ho6 many times itOs been. %e spea7s
perfect English4 and altho5gh he doesnOt tal7 <ery m5ch4 6hen he does yo5 need to listen <ery
caref5lly to 6hat heOs saying. The Sherpas do. & lot of them drop by the temple before they
climb to ha<e him do a reading. !f he tells them not to go4 they 6onOt go 5p4 no matter ho6
m5ch money 6e offer them.T
T%o6 do ! get in to5ch 6ith himQT
T%eOll come by in a day or t6o. !n the meantime4 yo5 need to sort thro5gh this gear. Most of itOs
yo5rs and yo5Oll need all of it to get 5p the mo5ntain. ! 6asnOt s5re on the siNes4 b5t if
something doesnOt fit right tell Lopa and heOll s6ap it o5t at one of the shops do6nto6n.T %e
loo7ed at his 6atch. T!Od better get going.T
%e started to6ard the door and stopped. TCharge 6hate<er yo5 eat at the resta5rant to the
room. Do yo5 ha<e any cashQT
! shoo7 my head.
%e p5lled o5t a thic7 6ad of money and peeled off se<eral bills.
T!tOs not as m5ch as it loo7s li7e. Se<en tho5sand r5pees is abo5t a h5ndred and fifty b5c7s (.
S.T
! too7 the bills and set them on the dresser.
T!Oll see yo5 in a co5ple of 6ee7s4T Sosh said. TMaybe less if Lopa thin7s yo5Ore ready. Oh ...
,efore ! lea<e to6n !Oll call yo5r mom and tell her yo5Ore o7ay.T
! interpreted this to mean that he 6o5ld call and lie to her abo5t 6here 6e 6ere and 6hat 6e
6ere doing. ,etter him than me.
TEnPoy the trip4T he said4 and 6ith this he 6as gone.
! stood there for a fe6 seconds4 staring at the door. My head 6as 7ind of spinning4 b5t it 6asnOt
from altit5de. ! thin7 it 6as SoshOs energy that 6as ma7ing me diNNy.
There 6as a light tapping on the door4 so faint ! barely heard it. ! opened it.
!t 6as the concierge. %e ga<e me a slight bo6.
T! 6ill t5rn do6n yo5r bed.T
%e 6o<e his 6ay thro5gh the P5n7 as if it 6erenOt there4 p5lled the comforter bac74 and fl5ffed
the pillo6s. +hen he finished he loo7ed at the 6indo6. The c5rtains 6ere dra6n.
TThis 6ill not doRT he said. T/o5 are missing the setting of the s5n.T
%e p5lled the c5rtains bac7 6ith a flo5rish.
,ehind them 6ere the %imalayas 6ashed in orange and pin7 light. They 6ere m5ch bigger than
! had e<er imagined.
'E&R O) T%E DE&D
T%E "E-T MOR"!"'4 after a h5ge brea7fast in the dining room4 ! came bac7 5pstairs and
started sorting thro5gh the gear.
&ll the st5ff didnOt ma7e 5p for all the birthdays and Christmases Sosh had neglected4 b5t it
came pretty darn close. !t 6as all stateBofBtheBart e=5ipment4 most of 6hich !Od only seen
ad<ertised in climbing magaNines. Camp sto<e4 coils of rope4 cams4 titani5m ice aM4 crampons4
thermal glo<es4 digital camera4 O
.
reg5lator and face mas74 tent4 s5bNero sleeping bag4 sleeping
pad4 altimeter 6atch4 carabiners4 batteries4 ascenders4 pitons4 harnesses4 climbing helmet4
headlamp ... E<erything ! needed to get thro5gh the death None.
Most of the clothes 6ere too small4 especially the boots. ! s5ppose Sosh co5ldnOt ha<e as7ed my
mother for my siNes 6itho5t tipping her off. &nd he co5ldnOt ha<e as7ed me4 beca5se 5ntil !
passed the physical he 6asnOt s5re ! 6as going4 6hich got me to 6ondering 6hat he 6o5ld ha<e
done if ! had failed the physical.
,5t only for a moment.
The gear called to me4 and nothing matters 6hen yo5 are 5p to yo5r 7nees in brandBne64
eMpensi<e climbing e=5ipment.
!t too7 me t6o ho5rs to fig5re o5t ho6 the altimeter 6atch 6or7ed. &n ho5r to set 5p the tent.
! faced it 6ith the opening to6ard the 6indo6 so ! co5ld see the %imalayas. ! snapped a co5ple
photos of my <ie6 6ith the digital camera4 then ! got h5ngry and decided rather than going
do6n to the dining room !Od P5st coo7 5p some food on my brandBne6 camp sto<e. H! 7no6 this
so5nds goofy4 b5t ! get a little o5t of control 6hen it comes to gear. ! opened the 6indo6 so !
didnOt get carbon monoMide poisoning.I
&s the freeNeBdried beef Stroganoff 6as simmering a6ay there 6as a 7noc7 on my door. !
tho5ght it 6as ho5se7eeping again. They had come by earlier as7ing to clean the room4 b5t !
told them that ! had e<erything ! needed and to come bac7 tomorro6. ! slithered o5t of the
tent4 caref5lly stepped o<er the sto<e Hso ! didnOt tip it o<er and b5rn do6n the hotelI4 and
crac7ed open the door4 hoping they 6o5ldnOt smell the gas b5rning or the food coo7ing.
!t 6asnOt the ho5se7eeper. !t 6as a "epalese boy4 abo5t my age b5t t6o inches shorter. %e 6as
smiling 5p at my head4 6hich is all ! had re<ealed thro5gh the crac7. ,elo6 my head ! had
nothing on b5t my boMers beca5se ! had been trying on gear all day and it 6as getting hot in the
room from the sto<e and the s5n coming thro5gh the 6indo6.
TPea7 +oodQT he as7ed.
T&ct5ally4 itOs Pea7 Marcello4 b5t yeah4 thatOs me.T
TMy name is S5nBPo. Lopa sent me o<er to bring yo5 to him.T
TOh s5re ... 5h...T ! glanced at the mess behind me. ! didnOt 6ant to lea<e him standing in the
hall6ay 6hile ! got ready4 6hich 6as going to ta7e a 6hile.
&ppearing li7e a total idiot 6on o<er being r5de. ! let him in.
S5nBPo loo7ed a bit shoc7ed at the set5p4 b5t he didnOt b5rst o5t la5ghing4 6hich ! might ha<e
done if ! had st5mbled onto something e=5ally as st5pidBloo7ing as my indoor camp spot.
TMy dad ... 5h4 ! mean Sosh4 got me some ne6 gear and ! 6as ... 5h ... testing it o5t4 so ! 6o5ld
7no6...T &h4 forget it4 ! tho5ght. T!Om P5st ma7ing some l5nch. &re yo5 h5ngryQT
S5nBPo said he 6as.
&s ! got dressed4 ! 6atched him chec7ing o5t the e=5ipment4 and ! 7ne6 he 6as a climber. "o
one else 6o5ld fondle gear as lo<ingly. %e pic7ed 5p <ario5s items li7e they 6ere more <al5able
than gold4 6hich they 6ere 6hen they 6ere the only thing 7eeping yo5 from falling off a roc7
face or into a dar7 bottomless cre<asse.
! cleared a spot for 5s on the bed and ser<ed him a bo6l of Stroganoff and an energy bar for
dessert. !t t5rned o5t that S5nBPoOs father had been a Sherpa. (nfort5nately4 he had died 5p on
. the pre<io5s year trying to resc5e a gro5p of climbers. Only one of the climbers s5r<i<ed.
. 6as disco<ered in $@D? by a s5r<eyor named T. '. Montgomery. The stands for
ara7oram. The . means it 6as the second pea7 Montgomery listed on his s5r<ey. &t .@4.D9
feet itOs a bit shorter than E<erest4 b5t most climbers agree itOs a lot harder to reach the
s5mmit.
! told S5nBPo ho6 sorry ! 6as to hear abo5t his father4 b5t he shr5gged it off4 saying he hardly
7ne6 his dad. %e and his t6o yo5nger sisters had spent most of their li<es at a pri<ate boarding
school in northern !ndia.
TMy sisters and ! only came bac7 to athmand5 on holiday4T he said. TMy father 6as 5s5ally 5p
on the mo5ntain d5ring those times.T
%earing abo5t his sisters ca5sed a little ache in my belly for Pa5la and Patrice4 b5t it 6ent a6ay
as ! 6atched S5nBPo cas5ally tie a length of Spectra cord to a heM sl5ng 6ith a triple fishermanOs
7not.
T+here did yo5 learn to climbQT ! as7ed.
TMy grandfather instr5cted me4T he ans6ered.
%is English 6as better than mine. %e had 7ind of a ,ritish>!ndian accent. Mine 6as 7ind of a
,ronM>Cody4 +yoming4 accentG6hich did not so5nd nearly as cool or refined as his.
TSo4 yo5Ore on holidayQT
T"o4T S5nBPo ans6ered. T+hen my father died 6e did not ha<e the f5nds to 7eep all three of 5s
in school. The t5ition is <ery eMpensi<e. My sisters are still in school and ! am here to find 6or7
so they can stay there. +itho5t a formal ed5cation there is no f5t5re for girls in athmand5. !
6o5ld li7e to go bac7 to school myself4 b5t it is 5nli7ely ! 6ill be able to. !t is more important
that my sisters attend school than it is for me.T
S5nBPo 6asnOt m5ch older than ! 6as4 and ! 6ondered 6hat 7ind of Pob he co5ld get that 6o5ld
pay the t5ition.
%e loo7ed at my altimeter 6atch4 6hich he had been playing 6ith thro5gho5t l5nch. T+e
sho5ld lea<e soon. Lopa is 6aiting for 5s at the !ndrayani temple.T
! t5rned off the sto<e and p5t the dishes in the bathroom sin7.
TDid yo5 7no6 there is a dining room here in the hotelQT S5nBPo as7ed. T! ha<e not dined there
myself4 b5t ! hear it is =5ite eMcellent.T
T/eah4 ! ate there this morning. !tOs great. The reason ! coo7ed ... 6ell4 yo5 7no6 ... the ne6
gear...T
S5nBPo smiled. %e 7ne6 eMactly 6hat ! 6as tal7ing abo5t.
O(R TR&"SPORT&T!O" to the temple 6as the saddest motorcycle ! had e<er seen. There 6as
more sil<er d5ct tape on it than chrome.
!t too7 him siM <icio5s 7ic7s to get it started4 and 6hen it finally ca5ght4 the motorcycle belched
o5t a col5mn of gray smo7e so thic7 ! tho5ght the bi7e had b5rst into flames along 6ith my ne6
friend. ,5t the smo7e cleared4 re<ealing a co5ghing S5nBPo 6ith tears r5nning do6n his face and
a mostly intact motorcycleGeMcept for the bolt lying in a pool of oil 5nder the engine.
T!t is m5ch better 6hen 6e are mo<ing for6ard.T %e gasped. T!n this 6ay the smo7e cannot
catch 5s.T
! tho5ght abo5t r5nning 5p to the room and grabbing my climbing helmet4 b5t ! 6as afraid S5nB
Po might die of asphyMiation before ! got bac7 o5t4 so ! climbed on behind him and 6e l5rched
into traffic.
S5nBPo yelled something that so5nded li7e4 TOnly t6o root beers4 last goRT ,5t ! thin7 he meant
that the motorcycle only had t6o foot gears4 fast and slo6. %e 6as right abo5t o5r eMha5st
being behind 5sV the problem 6as that 6e 6ere no6 speeding thro5gh e<eryone elseOs eMha5st.
)or the neMt t6enty min5tes ! s=5eeNed sh5t my b5rning eyes and b5ried my face in his bac74
thereby missing most of athmand5.
T+e ha<e arri<ed4T S5nBPo anno5nced.
! 5ncl5tched my s6eaty hands and opened my eyes.
T/o5 m5st remo<e yo5r shoes before entering the temple.T
! too7 them off and p5t them neMt to abo5t fifty other pairs of shoes and sandals.
T!f yo5 donOt mind my as7ing4T S5nBPo said4 T6hat happened to yo5r faceQT
T!t got froNen to a b5ilding.T
S5nBPo la5ghed. T"o4 really...T
TClimbing accident4T ! said.
TThatOs 6hat ! tho5ght.T
! follo6ed him into the !ndrayani temple4 6hich 6as li7e 6al7ing into another 6orld. One 6here
people 6hispered rather than sho5ted. There 6ere no 6andering co6s H6e had narro6ly
missed three of them on the 6ay o<erI4 no horns hon7ing4 no screeching tires. The smell of
flo6ers and incense sat5rated the air. +orshippers 6ere 7neeling in front of shrines4 spinning
prayer 6heels4 lighting b5tter lamps. Mystery4 possibilitiesGthis 6as the athmand5 ! had
eMpected.
S5nBPo led me to a tea7 bench in the shade of a banyan tree. +e sat for a 6hile 6atching the
orangeBrobed mon7s tal7ing =5ietly to <isitors and offering them blessings.
T+hich one is LopaQT ! 6hispered.
T"one of these.T
TSho5ldnOt 6e let him 7no6 6eOre hereQT
S5nBPo shoo7 his head. T%eOll be along 6hen heOs ready.T
+aiting again4 b5t ! didnOt mind. ! spent the time trying to fig5re o5t ho6 to gracef5lly bo6 o5t
of a ret5rn trip to the hotel on the death motorcycle.
T%ere he comes4T S5nBPo said.
! eMpected Lopa to be a frail old holy man. &nd the mon7 striding to6ard 5s 6as old4 b5t he 6as
anything b5t frail. %is arm and calf m5scles H6hat ! co5ld see of them beneath the hem of his
orange robeI 6ere 6ell defined and po6erf5l.
/o5Od eMpect a ,5ddhist mon7 to ha<e a spirit5al presence4 b5t 6hate<er spirit5ality Lopa had
6as o<er6helmed by his physical presence. +hen he reached 5s he p5t his palms together and
bo6ed. ! follo6ed S5nBPoOs lead by getting to my feet and ret5rning the bo6.
Lopa loo7ed me o<er4 fro6ning at the scabs on my face and ear.
TClimbing accident4T S5nBPo eMplained.
Lopa pointed at my bandaged fingers.
TSplit nails4T ! eMplained ner<o5sly. TTheyOre almost healed.T
T/o5 loo7 li7e yo5r father4T Lopa said. &ct5ally4 ! loo7ed more li7e my mother4 b5t ! 6asnOt
abo5t to disagree 6ith him.
T%o6 did yo5 get hereQT
TMotorcycle4T S5nBPo said.
Lopa shoo7 his head in disg5st. T+hen yo5 go bac7 ta7e a taMi.T %e reached into a fold in his
robe and came o5t 6ith a roll of r5pees as big as his fist.
! didnOt thin7 ,5ddhist mon7s 6ere e<en s5pposed to loo7 at money.
%e peeled off half an inch of bills and handed them to S5nBPo.
T+hat abo5t my motorcycleQT S5nBPo as7ed.
T!f yo5 are l5c7y4T Lopa said4 Tsomeone 6ill steal it. +ait for me at the hotel.T
The mon7 t5rned and 6al7ed a6ay. ! 6as relie<ed abo5t the taMi4 b5t that didnOt eMplain 6hy
6e had come all the 6ay do6n to the !ndrayani temple. +hen ! as7ed S5nBPo abo5t it he P5st
shr5gged and said that Lopa had his o6n 6ay of doing things.
Mysterio5s 6ays4 as it t5rned o5t4 beca5se 6hen 6e got bac7 to the hotel4 Lopa 6as already
6aiting for 5s in the lobby. ! didnOt recogniNe him at first beca5se the orange robe had been
replaced by reg5lar street clothes and an eMpensi<eBloo7ing pair of s5nglasses. The s5nglasses
made him loo7 li7e some 7ind of celebrity4 6hich ! s5ppose he 6as to the tre77ers and climbers
gathered aro5nd him. !t had ta7en 5s ten min5tes tops to catch a taMi o5tside of the temple.
+e dro<e straight to the hotel4 and traffic 6asnOt any 6orse than it had been on the motorcycle
on the 6ay to the temple. &nd yet4 there 6as Lopa chatting 6ith the hotel staff and g5ests as if
he had been there all afternoon.
! loo7ed at S5nBPo4 eMpecting him to be as shoc7ed as ! 6as. %e 6asnOt.
TLopa does things li7e that4T he said.
T%o6QT
&nother shr5g4 6hich ! learned later 6as e<eryoneOs ans6er to =5estions abo5t Lopa.
T/o5Oll get 5sed to it4T S5nBPo added4 then 6ent o<er and greeted the <acationing mon7.
"o64 yo5Ore probably 6ondering 6hy ! didnOt as7 Lopa myself. ,elie<e me ! 6as tempted4 b5t !
didnOt thin7 he 6o5ld tell me. Or 6orse4 he might gi<e me some reasonable eMplanation. !tOs
sort of li7e as7ing a magician to tell yo5 ho6 he does a tric7. Or as7ing a tagger ho6 he got
those se<enteen freight cars painted in a single night. !tOs all abo5t the mystery. Sometimes itOs
better not to as7.
(p in the room4 Lopa sorted thro5gh the gear4 p5tting it in different piles 6hile S5nBPo and !
6atched. Once in a 6hile he 6o5ld stop and ha<e me try something on saying4 T)its4T or
TDoesnOt fit.T+hen he 6as finished there 6ere three piles.
%e pointed to one of the piles. T+e 6ill ta7e this and trade for things that fit.T
My boots4 bl5e sno6s5it4 and se<eral other items of clothing 6ere in a separate pile 6ith some
other st5ff. ! pointed o5t that none of the things in that pile fit4 either.
T! ha<e another 5se for it4T Lopa said.
! didnOt 7no6 6hat that co5ld be4 b5t ! didnOt p5rs5e it. !nstead ! pointed to the trade pile4 6hich
had se<eral h5ndred dollarsO 6orth of pitons4 cams4 ropes4 and other eMpensi<e e=5ipment.
TThis gear is brandBne64T ! said.
T/o5 6onOt need it to get 5p Sagarmatha.T
This is 6hat the "epalese call E<erest.
TMy dad bo5ght it4T ! arg5ed. T%e might need it.T
T/o5r father told me to ma7e s5re that yo5 ha<e e<erything yo5 need to climb the mo5ntain.
%o6 m5ch money do yo5 ha<eQT
! told him4 b5t ! didnOt mention the credit card Mom had gi<en me. ! didnOt thin7 sheOd be happy
abo5t a h5ge bill for E<erest gear.
T!tOs not eno5gh to get the things yo5 6ill need4T Lopa said. T%opef5lly4 6e 6ill be able to trade
all this.T %e started to gather 5p the gear from the trade pile.
T,est not to arg5e4T S5nBPo 6hispered4 and he and ! helped ha5l the gear do6nstairs4 6here a
Toyota tr5c7 and dri<er 6ere 6aiting for 5s.
!T TOO %O(RS to get the replacement gear. !n the process ! got =5ite a to5r of athmand5. !t
seemed that most of the places Lopa li7ed to shop 6ere located do6n dar7 scary alleys. %e 6as
6armly greeted 6here<er 6e 6ent4 5ntil the bartering started4 6hen he and the proprietor
6o5ld end 5p in a sho5ting match 5ntil a bargain 6as str5c7.
The most diffic5lt things to find 6ere my boots. !Od try on a pair ! li7ed4 tell Lopa they fit great4
then he 6o5ld ma7e me 6al74 and sha7e his head.
T"ot right4T heOd say.
T+hat do yo5 meanQT !Od insist. TThey fit great.T
TToo small4T heOd say. T,5t 6hen yo5r toes fall off inside from the s6elling and pinching they
6ill fit perfectly.T
+e finally agreed on a pair that did fit great4 b5t they 6ere pretty battered 5p on the o5tside.
!n fact4 all the st5ff 6e bo5ght 6as banged 5p.
T! hope this gear 6asnOt ta7en from dead climbers4T ! said offhandedly.
Lopa loo7ed horrified. T,ad l5c7 to 5se gear of the dead. "o4 this is from people 6ho come to
athmand5 to climb and decide it is better to stay in bar and drin7.T
! m5st ha<e loo7ed horrified myself.
TDonOt thin7 ill of them4T he said. TThey li<ed.T
Lopa also bo5ght a fe6 things for himself and S5nBPo4 6ho ! g5essed 6as coming 6ith 5s to ,ase
Camp by the gear he 6as getting. (nli7e me4 he listened caref5lly to LopaOs opinions and bo6ed
e<ery time the mon7 ga<e him something.
!t 6as late 6hen 6e got bac7 to the hotel. +e 6ent 5p to the room4 pac7ed e<erything4 then
loaded it into the tr5c7.
T+e lea<e for Tibet tomorro6 morning at siM4T Lopa said.
%e and S5nBPo got into the tr5c7 and dro<e a6ay.
T!,ET
T%E "E-T MOR"!"' S5nBPo4 Lopa4 the dri<er4 and t6o Sherpas 6ere sitting on the tailgate
drin7ing tea. ,y the loo7 of their dishe<eled hair and r5mpled clothes they m5st ha<e slept in
the tr5c7.
S5nBPo confirmed that they had. T,5t only for t6o ho5rs4T he said. T+e 6ere o5t getting
s5pplies 5p 5ntil then.T
%e 6asnOt 7idding. There 6as so m5ch st5ff piled in the bed4 ! didnOt 7no6 6here 6e 6ere going
to sit.
+e s=5eeNed o5rsel<es bet6een the gear along 6ith t6o Sherpas Hbrothers4 named /ogi and
/ashI and left the bl5e haNe of athmand5 behind 5s.
+E TOO O(R T!ME4 stopping at ,5ddhist temples and monasteries along the 6ay4 6here
Lopa pic7ed 5p boMes of food and s5pplies. +e already had plenty of food and some of the
food he 6as gi<en 6asnOt going to last <ery long 5p on the mo5ntain. ! as7ed abo5t it b5t got
the standard shr5g in reply.
&6ay from the city4 "epal 6as e<erything ! had imagined it to be. ,ea5tif5l <alleys4 r5stic
<illages4 fields tilled by oMenBp5lled plo6s4 all against the bac7drop of the massi<e4 spar7ling
%imalayas. ! had been 5p on Mo5nt Mcinley and Mo5nt Rainier4 b5t they 6o5ld be d6arfed by
these sno6Bco<ered pea7s.
+e stopped for the night o5tside a tiny <illage. S5nBPo and ! started to help set 5p camp4 b5t
Lopa 6a<ed 5s off.
T/o5 t6o go climb.T %e pointed to a 6all abo5t a =5arter mile a6ay. TDonOt fall. Come do6n
before dar7.T
%e didnOt ha<e to tell 5s t6ice. +e Pogged o<er to the 6all. !t 6asnOt a diffic5lt climb4 b5t abo5t
half6ay 5p ! had to stop to rest and catch my breath. S5nBPo4 6ho had pic7ed a more diffic5lt
ro5te4 scrambled 5p the roc7 li7e a liNard4 smiling as he climbed past4 6hich ta5ght me a co5ple
of things abo5t him. %e had m5ch better l5ng capacity than meGand he 6as competiti<e.
Climbers 6ill tell yo5 that the thing they lo<e abo5t climbing is that itOs P5st them against the
roc74 blah4 blah4 blah.... That may be tr5e if they are alone on the roc74 b5t p5t another climber
neMt to them4 and the race is on.
! 6as shoc7ed 6hen he ble6 by me so effortlessly. ! 6as the 7id 6ho 6as going to climb
E<erest4 and S5nBPo 6as P5st along for the ride 5p to ,ase Camp. Then ! reminded myself that
ten days ago ! 6as clinging to a s7yscraper a fe6 h5ndred feet abo<e sea le<elGnot eMactly the
best training for scaling the highest pea7 in the 6orld. !f ! 6as going to s5mmit ! 6as going to
ha<e to do better than 6atch S5nBPoOs b5tt disappear o<er the top as ! h5ng belo6 him gasping
for breath.
T! thin7 yo5 pic7ed the more diffic5lt 6ay4T he said 6hen ! finally sat do6n neMt to him on the
rim. +e both 7ne6 this 6asnOt tr5e4 b5t ! appreciated his saying it.
+e sat on the edge for a 6hile ta7ing in the <ie6. !t 6as too late to climb do6n before dar74 so
6e decided to rappel to the bottom. S5nBPo offered to let me go first4 b5t ! shoo7 my head. )irst
5p4 first do6n.
+hen 6e got bac7 to camp dinner 6as ready. Lopa didnOt say anything abo5t the climb4 b5t
there 6as a spotting scope set 5p on a tripod pointed at the 6all. %e m5st ha<e 6atched the
6hole thing.
The neMt morning Lopa told 5s the tr5c7 6as o<erloaded and that S5nBPo and ! 6o5ld ha<e to
6al7 6ith o5r hea<y pac7s.
T+hy did Lopa do thatQT S5nBPo complained as 6e 6atched the tr5c7 dri<e 5p the road. TThe
tr5c7 is fine. +e ha<enOt pic7ed 5p more than fifty 7ilos of s5pplies.T
! shr5gged4 b5t ! tho5ght ! 7ne6 the ans6er. Lopa tho5ght that a hi7e 6ith a f5ll pac7 6o5ld do
me good and didnOt 6ant me to 6al7 alone. Sorry4 S5nBPo.
The 6al7 6as hard4 b5t it 6as better than bo5ncing aro5nd in the bac7 of a tr5c74 and it ga<e
S5nBPo and me a chance to get to 7no6 each other better.
S5nBPoOs father didnOt 6ant him to become a Sherpa.
TThe reason ! climb4T he had told him4 Tis so yo5 6onOt ha<e to.T
TDoes yo5r mother 7no6 yo5Ore on yo5r 6ay to ,ase CampQT
T"o. &nd she 6o5ld be <ery 5pset if she 7ne6.T
Later that day ! spilled my g5ts abo5t climbing the s7yscraper4 6hich ! immediately regretted.
+hen S5nBPo fig5red o5t that ! 6as telling the tr5th4 he stopped in the middle of the road and
la5ghed for at least fi<e min5tes. !t didnOt seem that o5trageo5s to me4 b5t ! g5ess to someone
6ho li<es in the shado6 of the highest mo5ntain in the 6orld4 climbing a s7yscraper is pretty
lame.
TDoes yo5r mother 7no6 yo5 are on yo5r 6ay 5p to SagarmathaQT he as7ed.
T! donOt thin7 so. &nd she 6o5ld m5rder me and my father if she 7ne6.T
+e finally ca5ght 5p to the tr5c7 that e<ening. Lopa s5ggested 6e ta7e another climb before
6e ate4 b5t S5nBPo and ! re<olted and told him to forget it.
The neMt day he made 5s 6al7 again.
%E '&2E (S & ,RE& on the fo5rth day beca5se he 6anted 5s all to cross into Tibet together.
+e reached the )riendship ,ridge abo5t noon. ! s5ppose if yo5Ore crossing so5th from Tibet
into "epal the name fits. ,5t if yo5Ore going north from "epal into Tibet thereOs nothing friendly
abo5t it.
The Chinese border soldiers 6ere s5rly4 s5spicio5s4 and r5de. They eMamined o5r papers for
nearly an ho5r and peppered 5s 6ith =5estions ! didnOt 5nderstand. Lopa handled the ans6ers
calmly4 b5t the rest of 5s 6ere ner<o5sGespecially S5nBPo4 6ho had started to s6eat e<en
tho5gh it 6as only thirtyBfi<e degrees.
T+hatOs the matter 6ith yo5QT ! 6hispered.
T"othing4T he 6hispered bac7. TChinese.T
The soldiers nearly dismantled the tr5c7 loo7ing for contraband. They didnOt find any4 b5t they
did manage to steal some of o5r st5ff in the process. )ood mostly. ,5t no one called them on it.
The day before4 as 6e had 6al7ed4 S5nBPo had gi<en me a short history lesson abo5t Tibet and
China. !t 6asnOt pretty. The PeopleOs Rep5blic of China in<aded Tibet fifty years ago. Since that
time o<er siM tho5sand ,5ddhist monasteries and shrines ha<e been destroyed and h5ndreds of
tho5sands of Tibetans ha<e been 7illed or Pailed.
+hich brings me to that bo5lder in the middle of the road the prisoners 6ere crac7ing into
gra<el. +e passed by it an ho5r after 6e got o<er the )riendship ,ridge4 6hich sort of s5ms 5p
6hatOs happening to the Tibetans.
Or as Lopa p5t it later that night4 TO5r brothers in Tibet ha<e been made sla<es in their o6n
co5ntry.T
+e stopped at e<ery monastery that hadnOt been b5rned to the gro5nd or dismantled by the
ChineseGsome of them 6ell o5t of o5r 6ay. The mon7s 6ere gratef5l for the food4 s5pplies4
and gossip Lopa and the Sherpas bro5ght. !t 6as clear that this 6as one of the half doNen
reasons Lopa had for ta7ing me to ,ase Camp.
S5nBPo and ! hi7ed e<ery day and climbed e<ery e<ening. ,y the time 6e arri<ed at ,ase Camp
ten days later ! 6as feeling strong. So 6as S5nBPo.
PE& E-PER!E"CE
+E &RR!2ED &T ,&SE C&MP P5st in time to see Sosh get into a fistfight 6ith someone. &t
$@49JJ feet4 tho5gh4 it 6asnOt m5ch of a fight.
&n older4 redBfaced man too7 a s6ing4 6hich Sosh easily d5c7ed and co5ntered by p5shing him
in the chest. The man landed on his b5tt in the sno6. &fter this it 6as pretty m5ch o<er eMcept
for the sho5ting.
T! 6ant a f5ll ref5ndRT the man sho5ted. T!f yo5 thin7 !Om going to sit aro5nd ,ase Camp 6hile
yo5 and the others climb to glory4 yo5 ha<e another thing comingRT H%e 6as ob<io5sly one of
SoshOs clients4 and not a <ery happy one.I
!tOs hard to get 5p 6hen yo5 are o5t of breath4 s6addled in do6n clothes4 6ith crampons
strapped to yo5r boots. Sosh offered his hand to help him 5p4 b5t the man slapped it a6ay.
T'eorge4 yo5Ore in no shape to go any farther 5p the mo5ntain4T Sosh said. T/o5 heard 6hat Dr.
rieger said. /o5 ha<e a bad heart4 6hich yo5 sho5ld ha<e told me abo5t before yo5 signed
5p.T
TMy heartOs fineR That 6itch doctor of yo5rs doesnOt 7no6 6hat sheOs tal7ing abo5t.T
& pretty 6oman stepped 5p neMt to Sosh. T/o5 ha<e a heart m5rm5r4 'eorge4T she said 6ith a
slight 'erman accent. T,loc7ed arteries 6o5ld be my g5ess. /o5 need to get it loo7ed at as
soon as yo5 get off the mo5ntain.T
T+ell4 !Om getting off this st5pid mo5ntain today4T 'eorge 6heeNed4 getting to his feet. T&nd
my first appointment is not going to be 6ith my doctor. !tOs going to be 6ith my attorneyR !Oll
s5e yo5 for e<erything yo5 ha<e4 Sosh.T
T!f yo5 6ant to s5e me for sa<ing yo5r life4T Sosh said4 Tgo ahead.T %e t5rned and started to
6al7 a6ay4 then noticed 5s and stopped.
TLoo7s li7e yo5 ha<e an eMtra climbing permit4T Lopa said.
TT6o4 act5ally. +e had a 6oman lea<e t6o days ago4 hac7ing 5p her larynM. &pparently !Om
responsible beca5se sheOs threatening to s5e me4 too.T
Sosh loo7ed at me. The beard he had c5t off for my arraignment 6as gro6ing bac7 in nicely.
TSo4 ho6 6as itQT he as7ed.
T!t 6as good.T
%e loo7ed bac7 at Lopa. TCan he ma7e it 5p the mo5ntainQT
Lopa shr5gged.
Sosh glanced o<er at the tr5c7 6here S5nBPo4 /ogi4 and /ash 6ere standing. TDo yo5 ha<e room
to ta7e 'eorge bac7 do6nQT
Lopa nodded. TThose three are staying. That is if yo5 ha<e 6or7.T
T+eOll see4T Sosh said 6itho5t m5ch enth5siasm. T+e might need some ,ase Camp help4 b5t
6ith t6o less climbers 6e donOt need any more climbing Sherpas.T
%e loo7ed bac7 at the small tr5c74 then loo7ed bac7 at Lopa. T!tOll be a tight fit. /o5Oll ha<e to
ha5l 'eorgeOs 6ife do6n4 too4 and all their gear. SheOs in her tent sic7 as a dog. /o5Oll need to
get them both to the hospital as soon as yo5 get to athmand5.T
TThere 6ill be eno5gh room4T Lopa said. T!Om staying here4 too. &t least for a fe6 days. !Oll tal7
to the dri<er. %eOll get them to athmand5 safely.T
Lopa started to6ard the tr5c7 b5t didnOt get <ery far. & Seep came roaring 5p and s7idded to a
stop4 bloc7ing his path.
Sosh s6ore4 then said 5nder his breath4 TCaptain She7. ,e cool. Let me do the tal7ing.T
& tall Chinese officer in a crisp green 5niform got o5t of the Seep and 6al7ed 5p to 5s4 fro6ning.
TPapersRT
T'ood afternoon4T Sosh said 6ith a smile.
T"o one go 5ntil ! see papersRT
TOf co5rse4T Sosh said.
,5t the captain 6as too late. S5nBPo4 /ogi4 and /ash 6ere already gone. HPoofRI
TSho6 him yo5r <isa and passport4T Sosh said.
! d5g them o5t of my pac7 and handed them o<er.
Captain She7 caref5lly scr5tiniNed them4 glancing bet6een me and the photo.
T/o5 climbQT
T%eOs my son4T Sosh ans6ered. T%eOs on my climbing permit.T
TLast name no match.T
T%e has his motherOs name. +eOre di<orced.T
H! g5ess it 6as too complicated to eMplain that they 6ere ne<er married.I
The captain handed bac7 my passport. "eMt he chec7ed LopaOs papers4 then the dri<erOs. &fter
he finished he loc7ed his dar7 eyes on each of 5s and said4 T+e 6atching all yo5.T %e climbed
bac7 into the Seep and dro<e a6ay.
T%eOs not 7idding abo5t that4T Sosh said. TCaptain She7 and his men are al6ays 6atching.T %e
pointed to a small rise 6ith a ramshac7le b5ilding on top of it. TThey ha<e a spotting scope set
5p there4 and the r5mor is that he has night <ision e=5ipment as 6ell. They monitor the radio
transmissions4 loo7ing for <iolations. She7Os already booted t6o climbing parties this year. Try
to stay clear of him.T
T&nd he doesnOt al6ays sho6 5p dressed in 5niform4T Dr. rieger 6arned. T%e sometimes
dresses li7e a climber and 6anders aro5nd camp catching people 5na6are. !Oll be in the &id
tent.T She 6al7ed a6ay.
T+hat do yo5 thin7 of ,ase Camp so farQT Sosh as7ed.
,eca5se of the arg5ment and Captain She7 ! hadnOt paid m5ch attention to the camp4 b5t ! sa6
no6 that it 6as gigantic. Red4 bl5e4 green4 and yello6 tents 6ere scattered aro5nd for 6hat
seemed li7e a mile.
T%o6 many people are hereQT
TThree h5ndred fifty or so4T Sosh ans6ered. TMaybe another fifty acclimatiNing farther 5p the
mo5ntain.T
Most of them m5st ha<e been in their tents trying to stay 6arm beca5se there 6erenOt too
many people 6andering aro5nd. ! loo7ed at the temperat5re on my 6atch3 fo5rteen degrees.
&ccording to the 6ind ga5ge Hthe 6atch Sosh ga<e me did e<erythingI4 the 6ind 6as blo6ing
ten miles an ho5r4 6hich bro5ght the temperat5re do6n to three degrees abo<e Nero.
Sosh loo7ed me o<er. T/o5 breathing o7ayQ &ny problems on the 6ay 5pQT
,oth 6ere good =5estions considering this 6as only the second time !Od been this high on a
mo5ntain. The s5mmer before ! had almost made it to the top of Mo5nt Mcinley in &las7a. +e
6ere at $@4999 feet H.4999 feet short of the s5mmitI 6hen o5r g5ide t5rned 5s bac7 beca5se of
6eather.
T!O<e had a headache the past t6o days4T ! said. T,5t itOs going a6ay.T
Sosh pointed at 'eorge4 6ho had ret5rned to his tent and 6as angrily pac7ing his gear. TMy
headacheOs going a6ay4 too4T he said. T&t least one of them.T
%e loo7ed o<er at the tr5c7. S5nBPo and the brothers had reappeared and 6ere helping Lopa
5nload it. T+hoOs the 7idQT
T%is nameOs S5nBPo.T
T!s he 6ith LopaQT
T/eah.T
T!nteresting4T he said. TDid Lopa tell yo5 he 6as going to stay at ,ase Camp for a fe6 daysQT
! shoo7 my head. TLi7e yo5 said4 Lopa doesnOt tal7 m5ch.T
T/eah ... +ell4 heOs 5p to something.T
TLi7e 6hatQT
Sosh smiled. T%eOll let 5s 7no6 6hen heOs ready. LetOs head o<er to Pea7 EMperience
head=5arters. !Oll introd5ce yo5 to the ,ase Camp cre6.T
TPea7 EMperienceQT
T! didnOt name it after yo5 eMactly4T Sosh admitted. T,5t ! probably sho5ld ha<e.T
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT
TPea7 EMperience is my ad<ent5re tra<el company. +e started it last year. &lmost 6ish ! hadnOt
no6.T
! follo6ed him to a giant orange tent 6ith pea7 eMperience tagged on the sides. The & in Pea7
loo7ed li7e a mo5ntain. %e p5lled bac7 the flap and 6a<ed me thro5gh.
!nside 6ere se<eral people and more electronic e=5ipment than ! had e<er seen in a tent at
$@4999 feet Hor any tent4 for that matterI3 laptops4 satellite phones4 t6oB6ay radios4 faM
machines4 tele<ision monitors4 and other giNmos.
The cre6 6as so b5sy tal7ing on phones4 listening to radios4 tapping on 7eyboards4 they didnOt
seem to notice 5s. "one of them loo7ed li7e climbers.
T+hat is all thisQT ! as7ed.
TThis is 6hat happens 6hen yo5 get old and start 6orrying abo5t yo5r f5t5re.T %e pointed to a
p5dgy g5y tal7ing on a satellite phone. TThat g5y o<er there is my b5siness partner4 Thadde5s
,o6en. The rest of the people are s5pport staff. There is another b5nch of them bac7 in the
office in Chiang Mai4 and some 5p on . and &nnap5rna.T
T/o5Ore r5nning three eMpeditions at the same timeQT
%e smiled. T'et this3 Most of o5r clients are ran7 amate5rsGsome ha<enOt been higher than
t6el<e tho5sand feet. St5pid4 h5hQ ,5t !Om not alone. There are at least ten commercial
operations li7e this at ,ase Camp. Some of them are r5nning fo5r separate eMpeditions. Things
ha<e changed since yo5r mom and ! 6ere li<ing o5t of the bac7 of that r5sty old <an at El Cap.T
+hen he said that he had clients ! ass5med he meant eMperienced climbers4 nothing li7e this.
TPeopleRT Sosh said. TThis is my son4 Pea7.T
! felt a fl5sh of pride. Some of them nodded4 some smiled4 tho5gh none of them f5lly stopped
6hat they 6ere doing. Thadde5s 6al7ed o<er4 co<ering the mo5thpiece of his satellite phone.
T%o6Od 'eorge ta7e the ne6sQT
T%e too7 a p5nch at me4T Sosh said. TSays heOs going to s5e.T
Thadde5s rolled his eyes. T'reat. !Oll call o5r attorney and tell him to get ready.T %e 6al7ed
a6ay res5ming his phone con<ersation.
& 6oman came o<er and handed Sosh a sheet of paper. TThe film cre6 sho5ld be here later this
afternoon. &nd ! finally trac7ed do6n the 6hereabo5ts of %olly &ngelo.T
The name so5nded familiar to me4 b5t ! co5ldnOt remember 6here !Od heard it.
T+here is sheQT Sosh as7ed.
TSheOs 6ith the film cre64T the 6oman ans6ered. T&pparently she came in on the same flight.
The film cre6 is threatening to m5rder her. She bro5ght along her o6n personal chef and
massage therapist4 and so m5ch gear they had to rent a second tr5c7.T
T! told her she co5ldnOt bring anybody4T Sosh said. T&nd to tra<el light.T
TShe didnOt listen4T the 6oman said. TSheOs also fo5nd o5t that yo5 ha<e an opening on yo5r
climbing permit. She 6ants to go to the top.T
Sosh s6ore. T%o6Od she find o5t abo5t thatQT
T+ord tra<els fast at high altit5des.T
TSheOs here to co<er Pea74 not herself.T
T+hat do yo5 meanQT ! as7ed.
T!Oll tell yo5 abo5t it later4T Sosh said distractedly. TCan yo5 reach her on the sat phoneQT
T!f sheOs not in the middle of a massage4T the 6oman ans6ered4 then started p5nching in
n5mbers.
Sosh t5rned to me. T! need to ta7e care of this. ThereOs a spot for yo5r tent neMt to mine. The
bl5e one o5t bac7. +hy donOt yo5 go o5t and get set 5p.T
S5nBPo helped me ha5l my gear and set 5p the tent. +hen 6e finished 6e too7 a little to5r.
"o64 yo5 might be thin7ing that ,ase Camp on E<erest 6o5ld be one of the most pristine
places on earth. The tr5th is that yo5 ha<e to 6atch 6here yo5 step. &nd hereOs a tip3 &<oid
digging 5p yello6 sno6 to melt for yo5r drin7ing 6ater. &t ten degrees belo6 Nero no one
strays far from his tent to ta7e care of b5siness. E<erest ,ase Camp is a froNen
o5tho5se>garbage d5mp 6ith decades of crap4 discarded food containers4 and b5sted gear. !
had read that some of the climbers and Sherpas 6ere trying to clean it 5p4 b5t by the loo7s of
the camp they hadnOt made m5ch of a dent. Sardine cans4 chip bags4 cartons4 toilet paper4 and
other trash ble6 aro5nd the tents li7e t5mble6eed.
Climbers from all o<er the 6orld 6ere here. Sapan4 ,oli<ia4 MeMico4 !taly4 Canada4 L5Membo5rg
... There 6ere 6omenOs teams4 military teamsV there 6as e<en a team made 5p eMcl5si<ely of
people o<er fifty. HThey had a placard o5tside their camp that read3 T%E 'ER!&TR!C TE&M. ,E+&RE
O) 'R(MP/ OLD CL!M,ERSRI
/o5 co5ld pic7 o5t the commercial climbing operations by the siNe of their tents and their camp
spots4 6hich 6ere 5s5ally the best on the slope. ! co5nted ele<en of them4 and thatOs 6hen it
began to da6n on me that Sosh might be P5st as cagey as old Lopa.
There 6as a lot of competition sitting on the mo5ntain 5nder those large tents. 'etting a doNen
clients to the s5mmit co5ld bring in as m5ch as a million dollars4 and if yo5 6ere sim5ltaneo5sly
mo5nting other eMpeditions on other @4999Bmeter pea7s4 se<eral million dollars.
!f an E<erest 6annabe 6as going to plop do6n a h5ndred grand Hor se<eral tho5sand to get to
one of the lo6er campsI 6ho 6ere they going to gi<e their money toQ The company 6ith the
best s5ccess rateQ The company 6ith the best safety recordQ Or maybe4 the company 6ho p5t
the yo5ngest person in the 6orld on the 6orldOs tallest mo5ntain4 6ho also P5st happened to
ha<e the same first name as the company that p5t him on the top. &nd did yo5 hear abo5t him
climbing those s7yscrapers in "e6 /or7Q
DonOt 6orry abo5t the money. !Oll get my portion bac7.
The film cre6 sho5ld be here later this afternoon.
SheOs here to co<er Pea74 not herself.
! s5ddenly remembered 6here ! had seen the name %olly &ngelo. !t 6as a byline 5nder an
article abo5t me climbing the s7yscraper. She 6as the reporter 6ho bro7e the ne6s abo5t 6ho
my real father 6as. Did she dig 5p this information on her o6nQ Or did Sosh gi<e her a call and
spill his g5tsQ
The yo5ngest person so far to reach the top of E<erest 6as a fifteenByearBold "epalese girl
named Ming ipa Sherpa.
!f ! 6ere one year older ! might still be in ... ! stopped in midstep.
T+hatOs the matterQT S5nBPo as7ed. T"othing4T ! said.
+o5ld Sosh ha<e bailed me o5t if ! had already t5rned fifteenQ ! didnOt thin7 so. +as he 5sing
meQ Probably. Did ! mindQ ! 6asnOt s5re at that point. %e 6as paying more attention to me than
he had my 6hole life.
T!Om going to head bac74T ! said.
T! sho5ld go4 too4T S5nBPo said. TLopa 6ants me to tal7 to the coo7 abo5t helping in the mess
tent.T
T& PobQT ! as7ed.
T)or room and board.T S5nBPo smiled. TOr tent and food4 ! sho5ld say. Perhaps it 6ill lead to
something else.T
Tent and food 6as not going to get the t5ition paid. T! co5ld tal7 to my father4T ! offered. T!f !
as7ed him4 ! thin7 heOd hire yo5 for more than tent and food.T
S5nBPo shoo7 his head. T+e had better lea<e that 5p to Lopa. %e bro5ght me to the mo5ntain.
!t is for him to decide.T
ROC +E&SELS
R&T%ER T%&" CO")RO"T SOS%4 ! cra6led into my tent4 6rapped myself in my sleeping bag4
and fell asleep.
! 7no6 6hat yo5Ore thin7ing3 C%!CE"R Maybe yo5Ore right. ,5t 6hat 6as ! going to sayQ T! 6ill
not be 5sed4 )atherRT Or ho6 abo5t this3 TSend me bac7 to "e6 /or7 so ! can do my time. Ta7e
that4 DadRT
,esides4 ! needed some sleep before ! tal7ed to him. +al7ing aro5nd at $@4999 feet 6ears yo5
do6n. &nd it t5rned o5t that ! didnOt ha<e to find him beca5se he fo5nd me.
T/o5 a6a7eQT he as7ed.
T/eah4T ! said4 altho5gh ! hadnOt been 5ntil he st5c7 his head into my tent.
%e cra6led in and Nipped the flap closed. TDid yo5 get a chance to loo7 aro5nd the campQT
T& little. ThereOs a lot of competition for yo5r company 5p here.T
T/o5 noticed4 h5hQ "eMt year there 6onOt be so many commercial operations. ThereOs only a
finite n5mber of people 6ho ha<e the money4 time4 and desire to get 5p this mo5ntain. This
6ill be the last year for a lot of the operations.T
T!ncl5ding Pea7 EMperienceQT ! as7ed.
%e grinned. T/o5r mom told me that yo5Ore smart4T he said. T! g5ess yo5 got that from her.T
)lattery has ne<er 6or7ed on me. TSo4 ho6 m5ch tro5ble are yo5 inQT
TLi7e the P5dge said4 ! loo7 good on paper. ,5t the tr5th is4 !Om in debt 5p to my cre<asse.T
%5mor4 on the other hand4 al6ays 6or7ed on me. ! la5ghed.
T!f 6e ha<e a good season this year4T he contin5ed4 T6e might be able to reco5p some of o5r
losses neMt year. !tOs all riding on ho6 many people 6e get to the s5mmit in the neMt fe6 6ee7s
and ho6 m5ch p5blicity 6e get.T
T+hich is 6hy !Om here4T ! said.
%e ga<e me a sheepish loo7. T"ot entirely4T he said. T,5t yeah4 thatOs one of the reasons.T
ThatOs the main reason4 ! tho5ght. Might as 6ell get it o<er 6ith. T!f ! had been fifteen 6o5ld
yo5 ha<e come to "e6 /or7QT
%e hesitated4 then said4 TProbably not. ! 6as right in the middle of leading a gro5p of amate5r
climbers to E<erest.T
! 6o5ld ha<e li7ed it a lot better if he had come to "e6 /or7 to sa<e me beca5se ! 6as in
tro5ble4 not beca5se he 6as in tro5ble.
TThe yo5ngest &mericans to top E<erest are a co5ple of t6entyByearBolds4T he eMplained. TSo4
yo5r being fifteen might ha<e 6or7ed4 b5t tr5thf5lly4 getting a fo5rteenByearBold 5p there has a
lot more seM appeal4 especially after yo5r climb in "e6 /or7.
TThere are a lot of celebrities climbing this year3 a co5ple of roc7ers4 an actor4 a football player.
There are se<en doc5mentary and T2 cre6s on this side of the mo5ntain alone4 and P5st as
many4 if not more4 on the so5th side. So4 6hen 6e tried to get the media interested in o5r
climb there 6ere no ta7ers. +itho5t p5blicity 6eOre circling the drain.
T/o5r s7yscraper st5nt 6as beamed all o<er the 6orld. ! 7ne6 abo5t it before yo5r mom called
and as7ed if ! co5ld help o5t. Someone in o5r Chiang Mai office sa6 it on T24 fig5red o5t the
connection4 and called 5p here s5ggesting 6e try to p5t yo5 on top. &t first ! told them no 6ay4
b5t then yo5r mom called. ! tho5ght ! co5ld ta7e care of yo5r problem and mine at the same
time.T
TDid yo5 tal7 to Mom abo5t 6hat 6eOre doingQT
T/eah4 before ! left athmand5.T
T+hat did yo5 tell herQT
T! told her ! 6as going to ta7e yo5 on a climb4 b5t ! didnOt tell her 6here.T
TSheOs not going to li7e it 6hen she finds o5t.T
TDonOt be so s5re. She may not climb anymore4 b5t she 5nderstands 6hat itOs all abo5t. ThatOs
6hy she let yo5 go to those climbing camps. She 7no6s that ! might ris7 my o6n life to s5mmit4
b5t ! 6o5ld ne<er ris7 anyone elseOs4 especially my o6n sonOs4 to get to the top of a mo5ntain.T
T+hatOs going to ma7e her mad is yo5r not telling her beforehand4T ! said.
T/o5Ore probably right4 b5t the reason ! didnOt tell her is that 6e canOt let this o5t 5ntil yo5Ore
bac7 do6n.T
T+hat abo5t the film cre6QT
TTheyOre not going to say anything. +eOre paying them. They 6or7 for 5s.T
T+hat abo5t %olly &ngeloQT
%e ga<e a deep4 foggy sigh. H!t 6as cold in the tent.I
T,lac7mail4T he said. TOr 6hat amo5nts to it4 any6ay.
Someho6 she fig5red it all o5t. ! thin7 she might ha<e a line to Dr. +oo.
T&nd by the 6ay4 if yo5 had fl5n7ed the physical ! 6o5ldnOt ha<e bro5ght yo5 5p here. Period. !
6o5ld ha<e sent yo5 on to Chiang Mai. &nd ! did enroll yo5 in the !nternational School there.
T&ny6ay4 %olly called me here last 6ee7 and said that she 6as going to print a story abo5t yo5r
E<erest attempt 5nless ! ga<e her an eMcl5si<e.T
T&nd no6 she 6ants to climb the mo5ntain herself4T ! said.
T/eah4 and it loo7s li7e !Om going to ha<e to gi<e her a shot. Other6ise4 sheOs going to start filing
reports as soon as she gets 5p here.T
T+hy do 6e ha<e to 7eep it =5ietQT
T,eca5se of the Chinese4T he said. TThereOs no age limit on this side of the mo5ntain4 b5t if they
find o5t 6eOre trying to p5t a fo5rteenByearBold on the top4 they might p5ll o5r climbing permit.
TheyO<e been trying to get a teenager to the s5mmit for years. They 6o5ldnOt be too happy if an
&merican teenager topped it before one of their o6n.T
%e let o5t a harsh la5gh. TPolitics4 p5blicity4 ad<ertising4 sponsorships4 endorsements3 Climbing
has really gone do6nhill. ! canOt tell yo5 ho6 m5ch ! miss o5r roc7 rat days 6hen 6e sho6ed 5p
at the base of a 6all 6ith a bag of trail miM4 a bottle of 6ater4 and an old rope. +eOre roc7
6easels no64 and it 6ill ne<er be the same.T
TSoshRT & highBpitched scream pierced the cold mo5ntain air.
TThat 6o5ld be %olly4T Sosh said.
T/o5 7no6 her <oiceQT
T! ha<enOt heard it in fifteen years4 b5t !Od recogniNe it any6here. ind of li7e fingernails scraping
on a chal7board.T
TSoshRT
+e both 6inced.
T%olly 6as on the circ5it 6riting freelance articles 6hen yo5r mom and ! 6ere climbing. She
act5ally 6rote a co5ple of good pieces abo5t 5s. She climbed4 tooG7ind of.T %e shoo7 his head.
T!t 6as a scary thing to 6atch.T
TSoshRT
TSo4 !Oll ta7e yo5 to the top4T Sosh said. T,5t only if ! can do it 6itho5t 7illing yo5. !f yo5 ma7e it
yo5Oll be famo5s ... and yo5Oll help yo5r old man li<e in comfort for the rest of his life. My plan is
to sell the b5siness in a fe6 years and retire on the proceeds. &re 6e s=5areQT
! 6asnOt s5re abo5t the famo5s part4 and ! 6asnOt happy abo5t his reason for bringing me to
E<erest4 b5t ! did 6ant to get to the top.
T+eOre s=5are4T ! said. T,5t no more caginess. ! 6ant to 7no6 6hatOs going on.T
T!tOs a deal.T %e st5c7 o5t his glo<ed hand and 6e shoo7.
TSoshRT
%e 5nNipped the flap and pee7ed o5t. T+eOd better go and say hello before she ca5ses an
a<alanche.T
'&SP
%OLL/&"'ELO LOOED li7e a redheaded scarecro6 dressed in pin7 goose do6n.
She 6as o<er siM feet tall 6ith limbs li7e a daddy longlegs. &s soon as she sa6 Sosh she 6rapped
her arms aro5nd him 6ith a shrie7 so lo5d e<ery head for a =5arter mile popped o5t of its tent
li7e t5rtles coming o5t of their shells.
Standing neMt to her 6ere se<eral c5rio5s Sherpas4 three camera g5ys4 a personal chef4 and a
massage therapist. The chef and the massage therapist 6ere shi<ering and 6o5ld be dead
before morning 5nless somebody fo5nd them 6armer gear.
Sosh 6riggled o5t of her tentacles and held her at armOs length so she co5ldnOt snag him again.
T/o5 ha<enOt changed a bit4T he said 6ith his trademar7 grin. HMeaning4 ! thin73 T%olly4 yo5 are
still a pain in the cre<asse.TI
%er ha67li7e bro6n eyes darted aro5nd for her neMt <ictim4 6hich happened to be me.
TPeeeea7RT
L5c7ily the dra6nBo5t <ersion of my name do5bled her o<er 6ith a co5ghing fit and she 6asnOt
able to get to me. /o5 6o5ld thin7 that her chef or massage therapist 6o5ld ha<e come to her
aid4 b5t they P5st stood there shi<ering4 6atching their employer bent o<er cl5tching her 7nees.
T,ad co5gh4T Sosh said4 6hen she 6as finally able to right herself.
T"o big ... gasp ... deal. /o5 7no6 ... gasp ... the altit5de and ... gasp ... dry air ... gasp...T
T+eOll ha<e Doc rieger ta7e a loo7 at yo5.T %e 6as still smiling b5t the grin loo7ed a little more
gen5ine. %e did not 6ant to ta7e %olly &ngelo 5p the mo5ntain any farther than he had to. !n
her c5rrent condition it didnOt loo7 li7e she 6as going to get <ery far.
! follo6ed him o<er to meet the film cre63 SR4 +ill4 and Sac7. They all loo7ed fit. %e than7ed
them for coming 5p.
T%appy to be here4T SR said4 then 6hispered4 TDo 5s a fa<or4 Sosh. P5t 5s as far a6ay from %olly
as possible.T
T"o problem.T Sosh loo7ed o<er at the gasping reporter.
%olly 6as already telling the Sherpas 6here to pitch her pin7 tent4 6hich 6as only slightly
smaller than the %W tent.
Sosh fro6ned 6hen he sa6 she 6as erecting the monstrosity right neMt to his and my tent4 b5t
he didnOt say anything to her. %e loo7ed bac7 at SR and pointed to a spot abo5t se<entyBfi<e
feet a6ay.
T,est ! can do.T
T)ine4T SR said. %e and the others headed o<er to the spot 6ith their gear.
Sosh r5bbed his temples. T! probably donOt need to tell yo5 this4 b5t yo5 need to be <ery caref5l
abo5t 6hat yo5 say to %olly. SheOs a reporter and anything yo5 tell her is fair game. S5st
remember that she is more interested in herself and her career than she is in yo5.T
T+hat abo5t the film cre6QT ! as7ed.
T"o 6orries there. +e o6n the footage. +hen 6e edit it do6n 6eOll ma7e yo5 loo7 good no
matter ho6 yo5 scre6 5p.T %e grinned. TS5st 7idding. LetOs go o<er to the mess tent and !Oll
introd5ce yo5 to the other climbers. S5st 7eep in mind4 they 7no6 yo5Ore my son4 b5t 6e
ha<enOt told them that 6eOre trying to get yo5 to the top.T
T+hyQT
T,eca5se theyO<e paid 5p6ard to a h5ndred grand to s5mmit. !n a 6ay4 6eOre 5sing their money
to get yo5 5p there. They might get 5pset.T
TSo4 6hat am ! s5pposed to tell themQT
TThat yo5Ore here 6ith me and donOt eMpect to ma7e it past Camp )o5r or )i<e.T %e loo7ed bac7
o<er in %ollyOs direction. T! g5ess ! better fill her in4 too4 so she 7eeps her big mo5th sh5t. !Oll
meet yo5 o<er at the mess tent.T %e sighed4 p5t on his charming grin again4 and headed to6ard
%olly4 6ho 6as shrie7ing orders at the Sherpas. The Sherpas4 for the most part4 6ere ignoring
her e<ery command.
T%E MESS TE"T 6as nearly as big as the %W tent4 b5t a lot more cro6ded. !t 6as also smo7y
from the 7erosene lamps and sto<es4 and cigarettes. "one of the clients 6ere smo7ing4 b5t
almost e<ery Sherpa had a cigarette dangling o5t of his mo5th as he stood to the side holding a
plate of food.
S5nBPo 6as manning the noodles. ! 6ent o<er to say hello.
T%o6Os it goingQT
T+hat 6as that terrible so5nd o5tsideQT he as7ed. T& reporter.T
T!nP5redQT
T"ot yet.T
! loo7ed aro5nd and noticed Lopa 6asnOt there. T+hereOs LopaQT S5nBPo shr5gged.
& climber 6al7ed o<er and held o5t his plate. S5nBPo scooped some noodles onto it 6ith a big
smile. The man sniffed the pile4 gr5nted4 then 6al7ed a6ay.
T+hat do yo5 thin7 of yo5r fello6 climbersQT S5nBPo as7ed.
T! didnOt li7e that g5y4T ! said4 then loo7ed aro5nd the tent and did a head co5nt. Se<en 6omen4
siMteen men Hincl5ding the r5de gr5nterI. Ten of them had signed 5p for a s5mmit attempt. !
tried to pic7 o5t 6hich ones they 6ere4 b5t it 6as hard to fig5re o5t. )itness helped4 b5t getting
thro5gh the death None 6as more abo5t yo5r blood oMygenation4 and l5c73 things e<en the
fittest climber had absol5tely no control o<er. Most of the climbers appeared to be in their
thirties or early forties4 and of these4 only fi<e or siM loo7ed in good eno5gh shape to get to the
top. ! co5ld see 6hy Sosh 6as 6orried abo5t the climbing season.
! told S5nBPo that ! 6as s5rprised to see the Sherpas smo7ing.
TMost of them belie<e they 6ill die on the mo5ntain4T he said. TSo4 6hy not enPoy themsel<es
6hile they 6aitQT
T,5t doesnOt smo7ing mess 5p their climbingQT
TOnly if they r5n o5t of tobacco4T S5nBPo ans6ered. T,5t Lopa bro5ght 5p se<eral cartons of
cigarettes to sell to them.T
Mon7s 6erenOt s5pposed to 5se any stim5lants. ! g5ess this r5le didnOt precl5de them from
selling them.
TDonOt loo7 so s5rprised4T S5nBPo said. TLopa 6ill gi<e the profits to the Tibetan mon7s. They are
<ery poor. &s yo5 sa6 on the 6ay here4 the Chinese are not fa<orable to6ard them.T
TCagey mon7 reason n5mber t6o4T ! said.
T+hatQT
T"e<er mind4T ! said. T! g5ess !Od better mingle 6ith the other climbers.T
TDo yo5 6ant some noodlesQ They are <ery good.T
TS5re.T
They 6ere good.
!Om not m5ch of a mingler4 6hich dro<e Rolf craNy4 since he is perhaps the greatest mingler on
the planet. ! ha<e seen him go 5p to a complete stranger and as7 for the time He<en tho5gh Rolf
al6ays has a perfectly good 6atch on his 6ristI P5st to get a con<ersation started. ,5t ! donOt
thin7 e<en Rolf co5ld ha<e crac7ed this cro6d.
They had been at ,ase Camp for a co5ple of 6ee7s no6 and had bonded into inseparable
gro5ps. This 6asnOt the first time !Od r5n into this. 'SS al6ays got o5t late for s5mmer. ,y the
time ! arri<ed at climbing camp the other 7ids had already pic7ed their climbing partners. This
left me 6ith the 7ids 6ho had <irt5ally no pre<io5s climbing eMperience4 or if ! 6as l5c7y4 the
climbing instr5ctor.
2incent told me that good 6riters are lo5sy minglers. They are too b5sy ea<esdropping4 or as
he p5ts it3 'athering grist for their literary mills.
So4 beca5se no one 6as paying an iota of attention to me4 ! P5st 6andered aro5nd gathering
grist....
T+E S%O(LD %&2Ebeen 5p at &,C by no6.T
H&,C stands for &d<ance ,ase Camp4 6hich is the neMt permanent camp 5p the north side of
the mo5ntain.I
T+e 6o5ld ha<e been if Sosh hadnOt ditched 5s for his soBcalled son.T
HThe soBcalled son 6as standing fi<e feet a6ay from the t6o g5ys tal7ing.I
T! didnOt e<en 7no6 he had a sonT
T"either did !Gand ! read e<ery article e<er 6ritten abo5t him before ! plopped do6n my life
sa<ings.T
T! hear the reason 6eOre st5c7 do6n here is beca5se heOs 6aiting for a film cre6 and reporter
from "e6/or7T
TThey came in today. "o film4 no glory4 ! g5ess. Sosh is a p5blicity ho5nd.T
TDR. LE&% R!E'ERis the coldest fish !O<e e<er metT
TStraight from "aNi 'ermany4 if yo5 as7 me. ! thin7 sheOs here to perform eMperiments on 5s4 not
treat 5sT
TPoor 'eorge. Do yo5 thin7 he really had a heart conditionQT
T! donOt 7no64 b5t ! heard that 'eorgeOs 6ife begged rieger to p5t in a bad report. She ne<er
6anted him to climb the mo5ntain in the first place4 and sheOs the one 6ith all the money.
,efore they got married4 'eorge didnOt ha<e t6o pennies to r5b together.T
T! +&"DERED O2ERto +illiam ,ladeOs camp this morning. ! co5ldnOt tell if ! sa6 him or not4 b5t
! thin7 ! got close beca5se one of his bodyg5ards r5shed o<er and bloc7ed my 6ay as ! tried to
6al7 past his tent.T
TThin7 heOll ma7e it to the topQT
T%e already has4 as far as !Om concernedT
T/o5 7no6 6hat ! mean3 the s5mmit.T
T!f he canOt do it on his o6n t6o feet4 his bodyg5ards are big eno5gh to carry him 5p there on
their bac7s.T
H+illiam ,lade 6as a famo5s actor. !Od seen most of his films and tho5ght he 6as great.I
T! heard there are three people 5p at &,C 6ith %&PE. TheyOre coming do6n tomorro6.T
T+ell4 theyOre l5c7ier than the g5y 6ho died on the so5th sideyesterday. Stepped o5t of his tent
in the middle of the night to pee. !diot 6as 6earing slippers. %e slid t6o h5ndred yards do6n a
slope into a cre<asse so deep the Sherpas say heOs probably still falling.T
T%e sho5ld ha<e been 6earing crampons.T
TOr at least carrying his aM so he co5ld selfBarrestT
HSEL)B&RREST %&S "OT%!"' TO DO 6ith la6 enforcement. !tOs one of the first things they
teach yo5 in mo5ntaineering. !f yo5 start sliding do6n an icy slope 6ith nothing to grab on to4
yo5Od better 7no6 ho6 to stop yo5rself by digging in yo5r crampons4 or p5nching yo5r aM into
the ice and hanging on for dear life. &ll steep slopes end badly4 in trees4 solid 6alls4 or deep
holes. TScreaming in terror doesnOt slo6 yo5 do6n one bit4T one of my instr5ctors told me. T!f
yo5 6ant to li<e yo5Od better learn to a<oid the <oid.T SelfBarrest 6asnOt my best climbing s7ill.
%earing abo5t a g5y dying beca5se he stepped o5t to go to the bathroom made my s7in cra6l.I
TSOS% !S SO C(TER+hat do yo5 thin7 heOd do if ! sn5c7 into his tent one nightQT
T! donOt thin7 thatOs incl5ded in the permit fee.T
T!f yo5 6ait 5ntil yo5Ore abo<e t6enty tho5sand feet nothing 6ill happen. More than yo5r l5ngs
sh5t do6n atGT
T%E MOST !"TEREST!"' P&RT of my grist gathering got c5t off by the entrance of %olly
&ngelo.
T%ello e<eryoneR...gasp ... My name is %olly &ngelo. !Om a Po5rnalist from "e6 /or7 and !Oll be
Poining yo5 ... gasp ... on top of the 6orldRT
%olly did not mingle4 she mangled. %er gasps 6ere met 6ith other gasps4 b5t not beca5se of
the thin air4 altho5gh a lot of the oMygen 6as s5c7ed o5t of the mess tent 6hen she 6al7ed in.
&ll con<ersation stopped.
& plate of food dropped.
& Sherpa nearly s6allo6ed the cigarette he 6as smo7ing4 then made a mad dash for the bac7
entrance 6ith fi<e or siM other Sherpas. ! 6as going to Poin them4 b5t ! 6as too slo6. Talons 6ith
bright red fingernail polish latched onto my par7a.
T+here ... gasp ... do yo5 thin7 ... gasp ... yo5Ore goingQT
%olly 6hipped me aro5nd to face her 6ith s5rprising strength.
T(h...4T! stammered.
T! need to tal7 to yo5.T
T(h ... o7ay.T
T"o6 ... gasp ... ! ha<e seen yo5r pitif5l ... gasp ... tent and ! thin7 yo5 6ill be a lot ... gasp ...
more comfortable ... gasp4 gasp ... in my tent.T
! tho5ght ! 6o5ld faint.
T! ha<e a lot ... gasp ... of room ... gasp ... an eMtra cot...T
"o one ha5led a cot all the 6ay 5p to ,ase Camp4 b5t she had a spare.
T...and my food is m5ch better than ... gasp ... this s6ill. Pierre is creating something right no6
... gasp ... and Ralph has his massage table set 5p if yo5 need a r5bdo6n.T
T(h...T
T/o5r father said it 6as 5p to ... gasp ... yo5.T
Than7s4 Dad.
Co5ghing fit...
! tho5ght abo5t snea7ing o5t 6hile she 6as co5ghing.
She 6o5ld straighten 5p and ole Pea7 6o5ld P5st be gone. PoofR Then ! tho5ght abo5t 6hat
Sosh had told me3 ,e <ery caref5l abo5t 6hat yo5 say ... and fig5red that it also applied to
6hat ! did. !tOs r5de to disappear 6hen someone is hac7ing their l5ngs o5t.
T+e ha<e so m5ch to disc5ss4T she said 6hen the fit 6as o<er4 6hich seemed to ha<e helped
her gasping. T/o5r mom and ! go 6ay bac7. +eO<e been friends for years.T
!f that had been the case ! 6o5ld ha<e recogniNed her name the first time ! sa6 it in the byline
abo<e the article sheOd 6ritten.
TShe 6o5ld ne<er forgi<e me if ! didnOt 6atch o5t for yo5 5p here.T
T! appreciate the offer4T ! said4 trying to gi<e her my <ersion of SoshOs charming grin H6hich
probably loo7ed more li7e a sco6lI4 Tb5t ! thin7 !Oll stay in my o6n tent.T
This 6as ret5rned 6ith a gen5ine sco6l. ! didnOt care. There 6as no 6ay ! 6as going to become
her tent mate.
T,5t yo5 6ill ha<e yo5r meals 6ith me4T she said4 as if this 6asnOt e<en open to =5estion.
! 6as holding the plate of noodles4 6hich had cooled and congealed and 6asnOt loo7ing its best
at that moment.
T"ot e<ery meal4T ! hedged. T,5t yeah4 !Oll eat 6ith yo5 once in a 6hile.T
%er sco6l deepened and ! thin7 she 6as abo5t to say something nasty4 b5t ! 6as sa<ed by Sosh
coming into the tent.
TO7ay4 people4T he anno5nced. TTomorro6 6e head 5p to &,C.T
& cheer 6ent 5p.
T!tOll ta7e 5s three days and t6o nights to get 5p there if e<erything goes 6ell. +eOll spend t6o
nights at &,C4 then come bac7 do6n. /o5 7no6 the ro5tine.T
TClimb high4 sleep lo64T the team chanted in 5nison.
TLeah 6ill chec7 yo5 tonight to get a baseline on yo5r blood4 et cetera4 then chec7 yo5 again 5p
at &,C to see ho6 yo5Ore doing.T
This ne6s 6as met 6ith m5ch less enth5siasm.
TSheOs 6aiting for yo5 in the &id tent.T %e pinned a sheet of paper on the tent pole. TShe 6rote
do6n yo5r eMam times. DonOt be late.T
T%eil %itler4T a climber m5ttered 5nder his breath.
Sosh shot him a loo7 and he t5rned bright red. "obody got 5p to the s5mmit 5nless the
eMpedition leader said they 6ere going 5p. !t 6as best to stay on the captainOs good side.
T+hat abo5t the p5Pa ceremonyQT someone as7ed.
& p5Pa is a ,5ddhist blessing rit5al that most climbing parties 6ent thro5gh prior to going 5p
the mo5ntain.
T+eOll be going 5p to &,C t6o more times in the neMt fe6 6ee7s4T Sosh said. T+eOll hold o5r
p5Pa before one of those. ! 6ant to get an early start tomorro6.T
& co5ple of the Sherpas didnOt loo7 too happy abo5t s7ipping the p5Pa.
TPac7 P5st eno5gh food for the trip4T Sosh contin5ed. T!t 6ill be a hard climb and yo5 donOt 6ant
to be carrying any more 6eight than necessary.T
The speech ended and the climbers gathered aro5nd the sheet. Sosh 6al7ed o<er to %olly and
me.
T/o5 t6o 6onOt be coming4T he said. T!Om holding SR4 Sac74 and +ill bac74 too. /o5 ha<enOt
acclimatiNed eno5gh to go higher.T
TThen 6hy donOt yo5 6ait a fe6 daysQT %olly as7ed. T+e can ... gasp ... all go 5p together.T
!t 6as a good =5estion. Mostly beca5se ! co5ldnOt imagine being st5c7 in camp alone 6ith %olly
for the neMt se<eral days.
Sosh lo6ered his <oice. T!Od li7e nothing better than to 6ait4 b5t most of these people ha<e
been here for 6ee7s. !f ! donOt get them higher theyOll riot. & third of them ha<e only signed 5p
for &,C. +hen 6e come bac7 do6n theyOre gone4 6hich 6ill ma7e things a lot easier aro5nd
here. !Oll ta7e yo5 5p to &,C as soon as ! get bac7 do6n. ! canOt hold them bac7 beca5se of
latecomers.T
L&TECOMERS
SOS%OS &,SE"CE +&S"OT &S ,&D as ! tho5ght4 altho5gh Lopa 6or7ed S5nBPo and me li7e dogs.
The morning Sosh headed 5p the mo5ntain he had 5s b5ild a siMBfootBtall cairn o5t of roc7s
aro5nd a central flagpole for the p5Pa blessing ceremony. +e then placed smaller poles in the
gro5nd aro5nd the main pole and str5ng 5p doNens of prayer flags bet6een them on strings.
The flags come in fi<e colorsGred4 green4 yello64 bl5e4 and 6hiteGrepresenting the earthOs fi<e
elements3 fire4 6ood4 earth4 6ater4 and iron. &s the flags fl5tter in the 6ind they release the
prayers 6ritten on them and pacify the gods.
+hen 6e finished Sosh had S5nBPo and me gather gear from o5r teamOs tents and lean it against
the cairn to be blessed.
Lopa held the ceremony that e<ening for a 'erman and !talian climbing party going 5p the neMt
morning4 and for o5r gro5p in absentia4 6hich he said 6asnOt ideal4 b5t it sometimes 6or7ed.
%e recited se<eral ,5ddhist prayers4 then as7ed the mo5ntain for permission for 5s to climb
itGin 'erman4 English4 and !talian4 6hich 6as impressi<e.
The ceremony too7 abo5t three ho5rs4 and P5st as it 6as ending4 a blac7 bird landed on the
main flagpole4 6hich Lopa said 6as <ery a5spicio5s.
T+hat 7ind of bird 6as thatQT ! as7ed as 6e headed bac7 to camp. !t loo7ed 7ind of li7e a cro6
or a ra<en.
S5nBPo shr5gged.
!T T(R"ED O(T that e<en tho5gh %olly &ngelo 6as right neMt door to me4 she 6as relati<ely
easy to a<oid.
She ne<er left her tent before ten. ! 6as o5t of mine by se<en e<ery morning. ,eca5se there
6ere so many people in the camp4 it 6as easy to get lost among the tents4 5nless yo5 6ere
%olly4 6ho 6ore the most garishBcolored sno6s5its on the slope. ! co5ld pic7 her o5t a mile
a6ay and hide.
She did manage to snag me for dinner the fo5rth night Sosh 6as gone. ! made the mista7e of
heading bac7 to my tent to drop off my ice aM before dinner HLopa had been gi<ing S5nBPo and
me selfBarrest lessonsI4 and %olly 6as 6aiting for me li7e a g5ard dog.
The food 6as better than 6hat they offered in the mess tent4 b5t the atmosphere 6as grim.
Ralph sat on his massage table 6ith a permanent po5t on his face4 as if he 6ere 6aiting for
c5stomers he 7ne6 6o5ld ne<er come.
Chef Pierre 6atched e<ery bite of food ! too7 and m5ttered abo5t the barbaric coo7ing
conditions at $@4999 feet.
&nd %olly ... +ell4 my headache came bac74 b5t it 6asnOt from the altit5de. !nside a tent her
<oice 6as shrill eno5gh to so5r ya7 b5tter. She 6as no longer gasping4 6hich ! missed beca5se
the pa5ses ga<e my ears a chance to rest.
! tho5ght she 6as going to inter<ie6 me4 b5t it t5rned o5t that ! 6as there to listen to her
inter<ie6 herself. D5ring the t6oBho5r nonstop monolog5e she filled me in on her life4 year by
boring year. ! didnOt really start t5ning in 5ntil she t5rned eighteen4 b5t e<en then it 6asnOt <ery
interesting.
SheOd been married three times and her c5rrent h5sband li<ed in Rome and she rarely sa6 him.
She came from a 6ealthy family and didnOt ha<e to 6or7 for a li<ing. She became a TPo5rnalistT
Has she called itI against her fatherOs 6ishes beca5se she felt it 6as her Tmoral responsibility to
tell the tr5th.T H! didnOt mention that in the article sheOd 6ritten abo5t 5s there 6ere se<eral
things that 6ere blatantly 5ntr5e.I ! also thin7 she eMaggerated her climbing con=5ests4
beca5se 6hen ! as7ed her 6hat mo5ntains she had climbed4 she said4 T/o5 7no64 all the big
ones4T and =5ic7ly changed the s5bPect to dreams4 as7ing if ! e<er ha<e them.
T/es.T
T+ell4 let me tell yo5 abo5t one ! had P5st last night4T she said.
! hate hearing abo5t peopleOs dreams4 b5t ! 6as spared by the arri<al of +illiam ,lade and three
bodyg5ards the siNe of yetis.
!n his films +illiam ,lade had been shot4 stabbed4 star<ed4 beaten4 and tort5red4 b5t he had
ne<er loo7ed 6orse than 6hen he hobbled into %ollyOs tent.
T%is bac7 6ent o5t4T one of the bodyg5ards eMplained. T+e 6ere 6ondering if yo5r massage
therapist can p5t him right.T
TOf co5rseRT %olly said4 p5shing things o5t of the 6ay Hincl5ding meI to ma7e room.
Ralph smiled for the first time since he had arri<ed on the mo5ntain and gleef5lly began laying
o5t liniments and lotions and fleMing his m5scles H6hich 6erenOt <ery impressi<eI.
! stayed long eno5gh to 6atch them get ,lade o5t of his clothes and onto the table4 6here he
started yelling and s6earing at e<eryone in the tent as if 6e 6ere personally responsible for his
bad bac7.
! didnOt see 6hat happened the neMt day HLopa had S5nBPo and me climbing a treachero5s icefall
o5tside campI b5t 6e heard all abo5t it 6hen 6e got bac7 that afternoon.
&fter Ralph 6or7ed his magic on the film heroOs bac74 ,lade offered to pay him t6ice as m5ch
as %olly 6as paying to mo<e o<er to his camp. &pparently4 Ralph co5ldnOt get his gear together
fast eno5gh. +hen Pierre sa6 this he begged ,lade to ta7e him4 too4 6hich he did4 lea<ing %olly
absol5tely alone in her giant pin7 tent screaming in rage.
The bet 6as she 6as going to =5it the mo5ntain. The only person 6ho p5t cash do6n on her
staying 6as Lopa. %e met e<eryoneOs 6ager 6ith the money he had gotten from his cigarette
sales.
!t 6as ho5rs after the incident before %olly emerged from her tent. !t t5rned o5t that she
6asnOt abo5t to head home to her (pper East Side pentho5se apartment.
+e 6ere in the mess tent 6aiting to hear from Sosh and the team 5p at &,C. They 6ere
s5pposed to lea<e that morning for ,ase Camp4 b5t got pinned do6n by a sno6storm. +e had
heard that some of the people 5p there had %&PE4 b5t the storm had 7noc7ed o5t f5rther radio
comm5nication4 so 6e didnOt 7no6 6ho 6as sic7 or ho6 bad it 6as. !f the team 6asnOt able to
start do6n the neMt day4 the sit5ation 6o5ld t5rn critical. They had bro5ght only eno5gh food
for t6o days at &,C.
& co5ple of the Sherpas 6ere tal7ing abo5t ha5ling 5p some food for them.
T"ot tonight4T Lopa said. TThe storm is mo<ing do6n the mo5ntain.T
The Sherpas and a small gro5p of other climbers 6ere arg5ing 6ith Lopa abo5t his 6eather
prediction 6hen %olly sa5ntered into the mess tent.
T!Om going to the top4T she anno5nced calmly4 then 6al7ed o<er and got a plate of food.
The only person smiling 6as Lopa. &nd 6hy notQ %e had P5st 6on a pot of moneyGliterally. The
mess coo7 had been 7eeping the bets in a tenBgallon rice coo7er4 6hich 6as no6 o<erflo6ing
6ith r5pees.
S5nBPo had told me that if Lopa 6on the bet he 6o5ld gi<e the money to the Tibetan mon7s.
They 6o5ld ha<e to 6ait to get their cash. ! didnOt 7no6 this yet4 b5t P5st li7e %olly4 Lopa had no
plans to go home anytime soon.
TThe sno6 is here4T one of the Sherpas said.
TThatOs impossible4T ! said. ! hadnOt been in the tent more than t6enty min5tes. +hen !Od
6al7ed o<er from %W there 6asnOt a clo5d in the s7y.
The coo7 p5lled the flap bac7 and 6e stared o5tside in disbelief. The sno6 6as so thic7 ! 6asnOt
s5re ho6 ! 6as going to find my tent.
'&MO+ ,&'
! M&DE !T &S )&R as the %W tent4 b5t no farther that night. The storm d5mped abo5t fo5r feet
of sno6 on ,ase Camp. !t 6as m5ch 6orse 5p at &,C.
Sosh managed to get thro5gh on the radio only once d5ring the night. !t 6as scratchy and
bro7enB5p4 b5t 6e thin7 he said there 6ere s5stained 6inds of se<entyBthree miles an ho5r and
g5sts of o<er a h5ndred. The team members 6ere h5n7ered do6n in their tents4 b5t there 6as
no 6ay for Sosh to chec7 on them beca5se of the 6eather.
&t first light he d5g o5t and reported in again. T,ase4 6eOre all acco5nted for4 b5t 6e ha<e t6o
cases of %&PE. )rancis and ,ill. One se<ere4 one mild. %o6Os the 6eather do6n thereQT
TClear4T the radio operator4 Spar7y4 ans6ered. T! P5st chec7ed the meteorological maps and
thereOs nothing ne6 coming in 5ntil tonight.T
T+henQT
TStormOs ET& is nineteen h5ndred4 gi<e or ta7e se<eral ho5rs.T
Sosh ga<e a harsh la5gh4 follo6ed by a co5ghing fit. +hen he finally reco<ered he said4 T! hear
yo5 on that 6eather 6indo6. !Oll start e<eryone do6n as soon as 6e get them rehydrated.
+eOre gi<ing ,ill eMtra Os and heOs responding 6ell. ! thin7 heOll be able to ma7e it do6n on his
o6n. Leah and ! 6ill follo6 behind him 6ith )rancis and a co5ple Sherpas. +eOll gi<e ,ill a hand
if he needs it. +eOre trying to get )rancis into a 'amo6 ,ag.T
)rancis 6as the g5y 6ho gr5nted at the noodles. & 'amo6 bag Hprono5nced T'&MBoffTI 6as
in<ented by !gor 'amo6 in the late $C@9s and has sa<ed a lot of climbers from dying of %&PE.
!tOs li7e an airtight body bag. &t high altit5des the air press5re is eMtremely lo6. /o5 Nip the
<ictim inside a 'amo6 bag4 p5mp it f5ll of air 5ntil itOs abo5t the same press5re as it 6o5ld be
at sea le<el4 and bingo4 the climber can breathe again ... hopef5lly.
T+eOll start loo7ing for the first climbers in abo5t eight ho5rs4 then4T Spar7y said. T,e caref5l
coming do6n. &<alanche ris7 is high.T
Teep 5s posted on the 6eather.T
TRoger.T
! D(' M/ TE"T O(T of the sno64 then Lopa as7ed S5nBPo and me to dig o5t %ollyOs tent4 6hich
too7 5s ho5rs. She didnOt help 5s4 b5t she did 7eep 5s s5pplied 6ith hot tea and coo7ies.
Late that afternoon the first of o5r team members started to straggle in4 loo7ing li7e Nombies
from "ight of the Li<ing Dead. !t too7 them each three m5gs of steaming s6eet tea in the
mess tent before they 6ere finally able to p5t a coherent sentence together.
T!t 6as a nightmare.... The sno6 started a tho5sand feet belo6 &,C. !t 6as so thic7 6e had to
fiM a rope and tie o5rsel<es together so 6e didnOt lose anyone.T
TCo5ldnOt see a bloody thing past yo5r eyelashes. Then it really started sno6ing.T
TT6entyBt6o belo6 at &,C 6itho5t the 6indchill. +e nearly froNe to death trying to get o5r
tents 5p.T
The g5y tal7ing gingerly p5lled the glo<e off his right hand. Three fingers 6ere discolored and
blistered. Trieger says !Oll 7eep the digits4 b5t the little toe on my left foot is going to slo5gh off
in abo5t a 6ee7. "e<er li7ed that toe4 any6ay.T %e la5ghed4 b5t it 6asnOt a merry so5nd. T!Od
sho6 it to yo54 b5t it 6o5ld P5st ma7e yo5 sic7.T
TThe bliNNard 6asnOt the 6orst of it4T another climber said. T"ot by a far sight.T %e 6as a
co6boy from &bilene4 TeMas. T&n a<alanche hit 5s at abo5t t6o in the morning. So5nded li7e
the biggest dang stampede yo5 e<er heard. +iped o5t se<en tents. DidnOt lose a so5l4 than7 the
Lord4 b5t 6e had to do5ble and triple 5p in the remaining tents li7e sardines.T
TThen the food ran o5t4T the man 6ith the frostbitten fingers said. TSosh only had 5s bring
eno5gh for the trip 5p and bac7. This morning there 6asnOt a raisin to eat bet6een 5s. +eOre
l5c7y it cleared 5p. & co5ple more days and 6e 6o5ld ha<e star<ed to death.T
T/o5Ore right abo5t that4 partner4T the TeMan agreed. T+hen ! cra6led o5t this morning ! 6as
eyeing one of them ya7s 6ith m5rder in my heart. '5ess 6e sho5ld ha<e had that dang p5Pa
ceremony before 6e started 5p the hill.T
T+hereOs myG6hereOs SoshQT ! as7ed.
T%im and rieger are still ha5linO )rancis do6n4T the TeMan dra6led. TThey didnOt lea<e till late4
from 6hat ! hear. T5rns o5t )rancis is cla5strophobic. Sho5ld ha<e g5essed it. %eOs al6ays
sleeping 6ith half his head o5tside the tent door. %e abo5t 6ent pl5mb craNy 6hen they Nipped
him into that bag. The only thing that sa<ed him 6as that he passed o5t after a bit.T
/o5 might be thin7ing that the abo<e con<ersation 6as a little coldhearted. &nd yo5Od be right.
!t 6as ten belo6 Nero o5tside4 slightly 6armer in the mess tent b5t not by m5ch. +hen yo5 are
eMha5sted4 ha<ing a hard time catching yo5r breath4 freeNing4 star<ing4 6aiting for yo5r little
toe to drop off4 yo5 ha<e other things on yo5r mind than the 6elfare of yo5r fello6 climbers.
Lopa 6a<ed S5nBPo and me o<er to him and told 5s to get o5r gear. +e 6ere going 5p the
mo5ntain to help Sosh and Leah.
SR4 +!LL4 &"D S&C Poined 5s. They had been filming o5r climbing lessons 6ith Lopa the past
fe6 days4 and ! 6asnOt s5re they 6ere coming 6ith 5s to help or to get footage of the 'amo6
bag in action.
! didnOt thin7 a tho5sand feet 6o5ld ma7e that m5ch of a difference4 b5t at that altit5de e<en a
h5ndred feet made a difference. %a<ing to plo6 thro5gh freshly fallen sno6 didnOt help. &bo5t
e<ery t6enty steps ! stopped4 s5c7ing in ragged breaths of freeNing air. &t this stage4 my hope of
getting to the s5mmit4 a mile and a half abo<e 6here ! 6as c5rrently s5ffocating4 seemed abo5t
as li7ely as me flying a 'amo6 bag to S5piter. My only consolation 6as that S5nBPo and the film
cre6 6ere ha<ing as m5ch tro5ble as ! 6as.
The one person 6ho 6asnOt affected 6as Lopa. %eOd 6ait for 5s 5ntil 6e 6ere abo5t fifty yards
behind him4 then contin5e 5p the Rongb57 'lacier li7e a mo5ntain goat brea7ing trail.
,y late afternoon there 6as still no sign of Sosh and the others. !f 6e didnOt find them soon4
6eOd be searching in the dar74 b5t e<en 6orse4 clo5ds 6ere starting to come in.
Lopa let 5s catch 5p to him P5st as the s5n started slipping behind the mo5ntain.
TMaybe theyOre spending the night at Camp T6o or the intermediate camp4T SR s5ggested
bet6een gasps.
There are t6o camps on the 6ay 5p to &,C3 an intermediate camp4 and Camp T6o4 6hich lies
threeB=5arters of the 6ay 5p to &,C. The intermediate camp 6as no6here in sight4 6hich
meant 6e 6erenOt nearly as far 5p the mo5ntain as it felt.
T&nd if they are not at the intermediate camp or Camp T6oQT Lopa as7ed. HMeaning if Sosh and
Dr. rieger had passed the camps4 or hadnOt reached them yet4 they co5ld freeNe to death.I
T'ood point4T SR conceded. T+hat sho5ld 6e doQT
Lopa loo7ed do6n the glacier4 then s=5inted 5p at the dar7ening s7y.
T& storm is coming4T he said. T/o5 can get do6n to ,ase Camp in an ho5r and a half4 maybe t6o
ho5rs. !f yo5 lea<e no6 yo5 can beat it.T
SR ga<e him a s7eptical loo7. +e had been climbing for o<er fo5r ho5rs no6.
TDo6nhill4T Lopa said by 6ay of eMplanation. TThe trail is bro7en. DonOt 6ander off it.T
T+hat abo5t yo5QT ! as7ed.
%e p5lled his headlamp o5t of his pac7 and strapped it aro5nd his par7a hood4 then started to
slip his pac7 bac7 on. T! 7no6 yo5r father. %e 6ill not 6atch that man die. %e 6ill try to get him
off the mo5ntain.T
! thin7 all of 5s 6anted to go bac7 do6n to ,ase Camp H! 7no6 ! didI4 b5t none of 5s 6anted to
go do6n 6itho5t Lopa4 especially 6ith bad 6eather mo<ing in.
+e p5t on o5r headlamps and follo6ed LopaOs light.
T6o ho5rs later4 in the dar74 6ith the sno6 beginning to fall4 6e spotted t6o headlamps
flic7ering a fe6 h5ndred yards abo<e 5s.
Sosh and Leah loo7ed completely done in. ! donOt thin7 they 6o5ld ha<e made it m5ch farther
on their o6n. &nd ! donOt 7no6 6ho 6as happier to see 6ho. They 6ere happy 6e 6ere there
to help get )rancis do6n4 and 6e 6ere happy to find them beca5se it meant 6e got to go
do6n.
TDid yo5 bring OsQT Sosh as7ed4 7ind of sl5rring his 6ords.
Lopa p5lled an oMygen tan7 and mas7 o5t of his pac7. Sosh cran7ed 5p the reg5lator and
handed it to Leah4 6ho too7 in se<eral deep l5ngf5ls. Sosh 6as neMt. +hen he finished he
offered it to 5s4 b5t 6e all bra<ely shoo7 o5r heads. +e hadnOt been 5p as long or as high as he
and Leah4 and the only reason they too7 hits 6as beca5se they 6ere eMha5sted. Climbers
5s5ally didnOt start s5c7ing Os 5ntil they got to Camp )i<e.
Lopa pointed to the bag. T%o6 is heQT
T&li<e ... at least the last time 6e loo7ed. ,5t he has %&PE bad.T
SR pointed his headlamp at the transparent 6indo6 on the top of the bag4 b5t it 6as too fogged
5p to see inside.
T/o5 still 6ith 5s4 )rancisQT Sosh sho5ted.
! tho5ght ! heard a m5ffled reply4 b5t it 6as hard to tell in the ho6ling 6ind.
T%eOs 6riting a message4T Leah said.
+e stared as a feeble4 bac76ard sey appeared in the condensation on the 6indo6.
Sosh managed to la5gh4 then loo7ed at Leah. TSho5ld 6e let him o5tQT
She shoo7 her head.
T/o5Ore the doctor.T %e s=5atted and got closer to the bag. T%elp has arri<ed4 )rancisR +eOll
ha<e yo5 do6n to ,ase Camp soonRT
Soon t5rned o5t to be fo5r more ho5rs. The glacier 6as steep and icy. +e had to place ice
scre6s and lo6er the bag on ropes a fe6 feet at a time so it didnOt ta7e off li7e a toboggan.
+e st5mbled into ,ase Camp long after midnight. The camp 6as 5s5ally lit 5p li7e a Christmas
tree 6ith bl5e4 red4 and green tent lights4 b5t this late4 most of the climbers 6ere asleep. +e
ha5led the 'amo6 into the &id tent and laid it on a cot. Leah p5lled off her o5ter and inner
thermal glo<es 6ith her teeth4 then slo6ly 5nNipped the bag.
T%o6 are yo5 feelingQT she as7ed.
)rancis 6as the color of a corpse. %e blin7ed his eyes open and managed to gi<e her a 6ea7
smile. %e 6hispered4 T!Om not cla5strophobic anymore.T
Leah smiled and p5t a stethoscope to his chest. T,5t yo5 still ha<e %&PE.T
T!Om not going to the s5mmitQT
T"ot this year4T Sosh said4 loo7ing P5st as disappointed as )rancis. %e had another opening on
his climbing permit.
+E LE)T )R&"C!S &"D LE&% and 6ent into the mess tent. & handf5l of the team4 staff4 and
Sherpas 6ere still 5p drin7ing tea and playing cards. Sosh reported on )rancisOs condition. +hen
he finished he as7ed ho6 ,ill 6as.
T"ot too good4T the TeMan ans6ered. T%e doesnOt 6ant to go bac7 5p.T
Sosh s6ore. &nother climber do6nGand no one had climbed higher than &,C yet.
The mess tent cleared o5t pretty fast after that4 lea<ing me4 S5nBPo4 Lopa4 and Spar7y. !t felt
good to drin7 hot tea and to breathe and ha<e air act5ally fill my l5ngs. ! felt li7e ! 6as sitting in
an oMygen tent4 not a mess tent.
TPea7 and Miss &ngelo need to get 5p to &,C4T Lopa said.
T! 7no64T Sosh said. T! 6as going to ta7e them and the film cre6 5p 6hen ! got bac74 b5t !Oll ha<e
to 6ait a fe6 days no6. !Om 6iped.T
T!Oll ta7e them all 5p tomorro64T Lopa offered.
! co5ldnOt e<en imagine 6al7ing bac7 5p the glacier in a fe6 ho5rs4 b5t ! co5ldnOt protest in front
of Sosh or Lopa. ! 6ished that SR4 +ill4 and Sac7 hadnOt headed to their tents after filming )rancis
being freed from the 'amo6 bag. !f they had been there to hear LopaOs s5ggestion4 !Om s5re
they 6o5ld ha<e protested for me.
T! canOt as7 yo5 to do that4T Sosh said.
T/o5 didnOt as7 me4T Lopa said. T! offered. They need to go 5p. The 6eather 6ill brea7 in a fe6
ho5rs.T
T"ot according to the satellite maps ! P5st loo7ed at4T Spar7y said.
Lopa shr5gged. TThe maps are 6rong.T
T+hat abo5t %ollyQT Sosh as7ed.
T! had a doctor from another camp loo7 at her earlier today4T Lopa ans6ered. TShe can go.T
Sosh grinned. TSo4 yo5 already had this fig5red o5t before yo5 came 5p to get me.T
Lopa ignored the comment. T+e 6ill ta7e some of the porters and ya7s4T he said. TRes5pply
6hat 6as lost in the storm. There are some Sherpas ! 6o5ld li7e to <isit at &,C before ! lea<e
the mo5ntain.T
TDid yo5 tal7 to PaBsangQT
PaBsang 6as SoshOs sirdar4 6ho ! had seen aro5nd camp b5t had ne<er officially met. %e 6as
constantly r5shing aro5nd4 yelling at the porters4 arg5ing 6ith Sherpas4 or in the %W tent tal7ing
to the ,ase Camp cre6.
T%e had the porters pac7 6hat 6as needed this afternoon4T Lopa ans6ered.
Sosh loo7ed at me. T&re yo5 ready for t6entyBone tho5sand feetQT
! said ! 6as4 b5t ! had some serio5s do5bts. ! hoped Lopa 6as 6rong abo5t the 6eather.
&,C
T%E "E-T MOR"!"' ! po7ed my head thro5gh the tent flap.
Crystal clear4 t6entyBeight degrees4 no 6indGby far the best 6eather 6eOd had since getting to
,ase CampGand ! co5ld not ha<e been more disappointed.
! had a sore throat and it felt li7e the m5scles and Points inside my s7in had been replaced 6ith
bro7en glass.
S5nBPo 6as sitting o5tside 6aiting for me4 dressed in my former clothes4 incl5ding my soBcalled
P5n7 boots. &nd there 6as an added to5ch3 The Pea7 EMperience logo had been se6n on both
the par7a and his stoc7ing cap. ! tho5ght Lopa had traded all that st5ff a6ay. +hy 6as S5nBPo
6earing my clothesQ
T/o5 do not loo7 6ell4T he said.
T! do not feel 6ell4T ! croa7ed bac7 at him. T+hatOs 6ith the clothesQT
TThey didnOt fit yo54T he ans6ered. TLopa ga<e them to me.T
! 6as too o5t of it to p5rs5e it any f5rther. ! reached bac7 into the tent for my 6ater bottle and
fo5nd it 6as froNen solid. ! 6as so tired the night before4 ! had forgotten to p5t it in the sleeping
bag 6ith me to 7eep it from freeNing. !Od spent ho5rs pac7ing and repac7ing my gear for the trip
5p to &,C.
S5nBPo p5lled his 6ater bottle o5t of his bac7pac7. ! too7 a deep s6ig and handed it bac74
6ondering 6hy he had a bac7pac7.
T&re yo5 going 5p to &,C 6ith 5sQT
T/es4T he ans6ered. T&nd ! 6o5ld li7e to lea<e before the herders. ! donOt li7e stepping in ya7
d5ng.T
TMe either4T ! said4 altho5gh ! had ne<er seen ya7 d5ng. The porters 7ept ya7s corralled at the
far end of camp. ! hadnOt been o<er there yet4 b5t yo5 co5ld s5re smell the shaggy bo<ines
6hen the 6ind ble6 from that direction.
! 6ondered 6hy Lopa hadnOt mentioned S5nBPo going 5p to &,C 6ith 5s the night before4 b5t !
6as too tired4 h5ngry4 and 6orried abo5t the climb to as7 S5nBPo abo5t it right then. T'5ess
6eOd better try to 6a7e 5p %olly.T
TShe and Lopa ha<e already left4T S5nBPo said.
! loo7ed at my 6atch in a panic4 b5t it 6as only nine oOcloc7. T+hen did they lea<eQT
TT6o ho5rs ago.T
T+hy didnOt Lopa 6a7e me 5pQT ! as7ed Haltho5gh ! 6as glad for the eMtra sleepI.
TMiss %olly is a slo6 climber. +e 6ill o<erta7e them.T
! grabbed my gear and chec7ed it one last time4 then 6e 6ent o<er to the mess tent to get
something to eat. The only person inside 6as the coo7. ! 6as disappointed Sosh 6asnOt there to
see me off4 b5t considering 6hat he had been thro5gh the past fe6 days4 ! co5ldnOt blame him
for sleeping in.
%alf6ay thro5gh my brea7fast4 SR4 +ill4 and Sac7 dragged in4 bl5rryBeyed and irritable4 b5t after
half an ho5r of coffee and carbs they began to per7 5p.
TLetOs get this o<er 6ith4T +ill said4 smearing glacial cream on his face to pre<ent it from
b5rning.
XXX
&T )!RST !T &PPE&RED that %olly 6as a faster climber than S5nBPo tho5ght4 b5t her speed 6as
eMplained a fe6 ho5rs later 6hen 6e finally ca5ght 5p to her near a stream of glacial
melt6ater3 Lopa had been carrying both his and %ollyOs hea<y bac7pac7 as they made their 6ay
5p the steep glacier.
E<en 6itho5t the bac7pac7 she 6as ha<ing a hard time catching her breath. She tried to smile
6hen she sa6 5s b5t co5ldnOt =5ite manage it. Lopa loo7ed a little haggard4 too4 6hich 6asnOt
too s5rprising considering he 6as carrying as m5ch 6eight as a ya7.
Spea7ing of 6hich4 the ya7 herd had been gaining on 5s all day long and 6ere no6 less than a
h5ndred yards behind. Each ya7 carried o<er a h5ndred po5nds of s5pplies and their o6n
fodderGthere 6as nothing else for them to eat this high.
+ith a grim eMpression Lopa loo7ed at the long line of animals. ! g5ess he didnOt 6ant to tr5dge
thro5gh their d5ng anymore than 6e did.
TThose co6s are going to r5in o5r shots4T SR said.
TTheyOre not co6s4 theyOre ya7s4T ! said. T&nd ho6 are they going to r5in yo5r shotsQT
T+eOre filming yo54 not a b5nch of herders and their ya7s.T
! tho5ght that at $C4999 feet all my hot b5ttons 6ere o5t of reach4 b5t SR had P5st managed to
p5nch one of them dead center. ! hated tele<ision doc5mentaries 6here they filmed the
intrepid scientist4 climber4 or eMplorer in the middle of some dreadf5lly hostile en<ironment all
alone. Oh yeahQ Then 6hoOs operating the camera as they battle the elements all aloneQ
,ac7 at ,ase Camp ! had o<erheard climbers complaining abo5t the TfilthyT porters and herders
and their Tstin7ingT ya7s. +hen something 6as missing from one of the camps4 the porters and
herders 6ere al6ays the first s5spects.
S5re4 ! didnOt 6ant to step in ya7 d5ng4 b5t it 6as pretty h5mbling to hear those same herders
and porters in their cheap boots4 ratty clothes4 and hea<y pac7s coming 5p behind 5s 6ith the
strength and breath to 6histle4 chant4 and sing as they ha5led o5r gear 5p the mo5ntain. "one
of 5s 6ere 6histling or singing and 6e 6ere carrying a tenth of 6hat they had on their bac7s.
T+itho5t those herders4 ya7s4 and porters 6e 6o5ldnOt be here4T ! said to SR. TLea<ing them o5t
of the film is li7e lea<ing E<erest o5t of the film. TheyOre more important to a climber getting to
the s5mmit than the climber.T
! didnOt ha<e eno5gh breath for any more4 b5t ! thin7 ! made my point beca5se Lopa la5ghed4
long and hard H6hich is hard to do at that altit5deI. &nd 6hen the ya7s and herders and porters
reached 5s SR filmed the entire procession crossing the stream4 incl5ding the bloody spots in
the sno6 left by the ya7s that had c5t their hoo<es on sharp roc7s.
+e gladly follo6ed their d5ng trail all the 6ay 5p to the intermediate camp. The camp 6asnOt
eMactly 6hat ! eMpected.
!t 6as located at the <ery edge of an 5nstable cliff abo<e a roaring glacial ri<er. ,ehind 5s 6as a
slope that loo7ed li7e it 6as going to come t5mbling do6n on top of 5s. ! pointed o5t these t6o
potential disasters to Lopa4 and as an eMclamation mar74 a bo5lder popped loose and came
t5mbling do6n the slope4 sliding to a stop abo5t fifty feet from 6here 6e 6ere standing.
T!tOs le<el4T Lopa said as if a comfortable sleep 6ere all that mattered before 6e 6ere cr5shed
to death.
! loo7ed aro5nd at the others. "one of them seemed bothered4 b5t that might ha<e been
beca5se they 6ere so eMha5sted they co5ld barely mo<e. ! 7ne6 eMactly ho6 they felt. The
simplest tas7s seemed to ta7e fore<er and 6e 6erenOt e<en 5p at &,C yet. There 6ere three
higher camps abo<e that.
&fter setting 5p o5r tent HS5nBPo and ! had decided to b5n7 together so 6e didnOt ha<e to carry
5p an eMtra tentI 6e set 5p %ollyOs. She hadnOt 5ttered a single 6ord since 6eOd ca5ght 5p to
her. She 6as sitting sl5mped on a flat roc7 li7e a p5ppet 6ith its strings c5t4 6atching 5s
thro5gh d5ll4 lifeless eyes.
S5nBPo 6ent to help Lopa and the other Sherpas get dinner ready4 and ! 6al7ed o<er and as7ed
%olly ho6 she 6as doing.
She too7 se<eral deep breaths4 and on the last eMhale managed a 6heeNy T)ine.T
&t sea le<el anyone 6ho loo7ed li7e she did 6o5ld be in the bac7 of an amb5lance on their 6ay
to emergency4 b5t at $C49.@ feet the emergency threshold 6as proportionately higher. E<en so4
! didnOt li7e %ollyOs chances for getting any farther 5p the mo5ntain in the condition she 6as in.
& shot of Os 6o5ld per7 her right 5p4 b5t it 6o5ld also defeat the p5rpose of acclimatiNation.
%er body 6as act5ally climbing as she 6as sl5mped on that cold roc74 6hich 6as the 6hole
p5rpose of climb high4 sleep lo6....
TRed blood cells are m5ltiplying by the millions to protect o5r bodies from the thin air. These
ne6 red cells stic7 aro5nd d5ring the rest periods at lo6er altit5des4 ma7ing it easier the neMt
time yo5 go 5p. So e<en tho5ghGT
TSh5t 5p4 Pea74T %olly managed to say 6ith a small smile.
T+hatQT
T! 7no6 ... gasp ... ho6 ... gasp ... red blood cells ... gasp... 6or7.T
! stared at her completely d5mbfo5nded 5ntil ! realiNed that some6here in the middle of my
tho5ghts ! had started tal7ing o5t lo5d 6itho5t realiNing it4 6hich sho5ld gi<e yo5 some idea of
6hat 7ind of shape ! 6as in.
TSorry.T
%olly nodded. T%elp me to my tent.T
+hen ! got her 5p she s6ayed4 b5t a co5ple of shallo6 breaths steadied her. !t too7 5s a good
fi<e min5tes to 6al7 the fifteen feet to the tent4 and by the time 6e got there 6e 6ere both
gasping. !t felt li7e somebody had c5t my strings. +hat 6as happening to meQ
! deposited %olly in her tent4 then slo6ly made my 6ay o<er to S5nBPo and Lopa4 6ondering if !
6as going to ma7e it there 6itho5t collapsing. Lopa handed me a c5p. ! too7 it from him4 b5t !
6asnOt s5re 6hat ! 6as s5pposed to do 6ith it.
TDrin74T he said.
Oh yeah4 ! tho5ght sl5ggishly. & c5p. /o5 drin7 from it. That first sip flo6ed do6n my
esophag5s and hit my belly li7e some 7ind of magic eliMir. T+hat is this st5ffQT Lopa stared at
me. TTea4T he said. T+ith s5gar.T
T+hat 7ind of teaQT
TPlain old green tea.T
%e reached into the inside poc7et of my 'orteM coat4 p5lled o5t my 6ater bottle4 and shoo7 it.
!t 6as nearly f5ll.
TDehydration4T he said. T/o5 are not drin7ing eno5gh. This 6ill 7ill yo5 faster than the thin air.T
%e nodded to6ard S5nBPo4 6ho also had his hands 6rapped aro5nd a m5g of tea. TS5nBPo is
g5ilty4 too.T
! hadnOt felt thirsty all day4 b5t ! 7ne6 Lopa 6as right. !f yo5 6aited to drin7 5ntil yo5 6ere
thirsty at this altit5de it might be too late.
T%ollyRT ! said 6ith alarm4 thin7ing she 6as s5ffering from dehydration4 too.
Lopa shoo7 his head. TMiss %olly has had plenty of fl5ids4T he said. T! made certain.T
TSheOs not doing 6ell4T ! said.
T! ha<e seen 6orse4T Lopa said. T&nd some of those made it to the s5mmit. /o5 can ne<er tell
6ho the mo5ntain 6ill allo6 and 6ho it 6ill not.T
! %&D & M!SER&,LE "!'%T.
! 6ent a little o<erboard in my hydration and had to get 5p three times to pee. Then4 it seemed
that e<ery time ! started to doNe off4 a bo5lder from the slope let loose4 ca5sing me to sit 5p in
terror as ! 6aited for it to cr5sh 5s. ,5t the 6orst problem 6as my throat. ,y morning it felt li7e
! had a hardBboiled goose egg lodged in it.
+ith all my tossing and t5rning and peeing4 ! donOt imagine that S5nBPo got m5ch sleep4 either4
b5t he didnOt complain.
On a bright note4 the morning 6as as mild as the pre<io5s morning4 and %olly 6as m5ch
impro<ed. She managed to 6al7 to the mess tent to ha<e brea7fast 6ith 5s. HThe night before4
Lopa had ser<ed her dinner in her tent.I
The herders and ya7s left an ho5r before 6e did. They 6o5ld go straight 5p to &,C 6itho5t
stopping at Camp T6o4 6hich sho5ld gi<e yo5 some idea of the 7ind of shape they 6ere in
compared to 5s.
SR came 5p as ! 6as pac7ing the tent and said he 6anted to do an inter<ie6 6ith me before 6e
headed 5p. S5nBPo and Lopa 6ere pac7ing 5p %ollyOs gear.
! had already done se<eral of these inter<ie6s do6n at ,ase Camp and ! dreaded doing any
more. ! had disco<ered that a camera in my face and a microphone boom dangling abo<e my
head t5rned me into a babbling idiot.
TS5st act nat5ral4T SR 6o5ld say. T,e yo5rself.T
Right.
Then he 6o5ld gi<e me little prompts li7e3 T+hatOs it feel li7e to be 5p on the 6orldOs greatest
mo5ntain 6ith yo5r dadQT Or3 T%o6 does being 5p on E<erest compare to climbing
s7yscrapersQT
! 6o5ld try to ans6er the =5estions 6ith straightfor6ard honesty and end 5p spe6ing forth the
most incredibly lame ans6ers imaginable.
! stopped pac7ing and Poined the cre64 trying not to loo7 too gl5m. They had positioned the
camera in front of the rotting slope4 and ! 6as 5p all night listening to the slope belch bo5lders.
+ill made me s=5at4 p5lled the hood off my head so they co5ld see my face4 and 6iped off all
my glacial cream4 6hich ! had P5st caref5lly applied.
TMan4 6o5ldnOt it be great if one of those big bo5lders let loose 6hile 6eOre doing thisQT Sac7
said. H%e 6as the so5nd g5y and 6as al6ays hoping that something horrible 6o5ld happen
6hen the film 6as rolling.I
TO7ay4T SR said. T+eOre going to 7eep it real simple today. ! P5st 6ant yo5 to repeat 6hat yo5
said yesterday abo5t the ya7s and porters. That 6as really poignant. &nd yo5 6ere absol5tely
right. ! donOt 7no6 if theyOll 5se it in the final <ersion b5t they s5re o5ght to.T
! 6as thrilled. !n fact4 d5ring my sleepless night ! had tho5ght abo5t 6hat ! said and 6ished
theyOd had the camera rolling.
SR ga<e the c5e. TOn three ... t6o ... one ... tape rolling...T
! opened my mo5th and nothing came o5t.
T+eOre rolling4T SR said impatiently. HThe camera batteries didnOt last <ery long in cold 6eather.I
! tried again4 b5t nothing came o5t.
T&ny time4 Pea7.T
T& bo5lderOs coming loose4T Sac7 said eMcitedly.
TCome on4 Pea7RT
! pointed to my mo5th and shoo7 my head. My <oice 6as gone.
SR s6ore.
TThat bo5lderOs ready to pop4T Sac7 said. T! thin7 itOs going to miss 5s4 b5t it 6ill definitely be in
the frame.T
TLopaRT SR yelled. TCan yo5 come o<er for a little standB5pQT
Lopa shoo7 his head and pointed at S5nBPo. TLet S5nBPo do it.T
T'et o5t of the frame4 Pea7RT SR sho5ted.
! mo<ed and S5nBPo =5ic7ly stepped into my place.
T+eOre still rolling4T SR said. TTal7 abo5t yo5r feelings to6ard the mo5ntain4 S5nBPo. Maybe
something abo5t yo5r father. On three ... t6o ... one...T
TMy father came to Sagarmatha 6hen he 6as my age4T S5nBSo said in his cool accent. T%e
started as a porter and 6or7ed his 6ay 5p to become a Sherpa and an assistant sirdar. %e told
me that he climbed mo5ntains so ! 6o5ld not ha<e to4 b5t ! thin7 there 6as more to it than
this...T
The bo5lder Sac7 hoped 6o5ld fall did4 along 6ith a ton of other debris. S5nBPo did not flinch4 or
e<en glance behind him at the miniBa<alanche. %e P5st 7ept tal7ing4 and SR 7ept filming.
TMy father 6as a stranger to me4 b5t here on the mo5ntain ! am getting to 7no6 him thro5gh
the con<ersations of the Sherpas and climbers and porters. ! came here to see the mo5ntain4
b5t 6hat !Om disco<ering is my father.T
T,ea5tif5lRT SR said.
!t 6as bea5tif5l. &nd ! hate to admit it4 b5t ! 6as a little Pealo5s of S5nBPoOs smooth
performance. (nli7e me4 he 6as totally comfortable in front of the <ideo camera. SR had ne<er
praised me after a taping. Of co5rse ! 6as lo5sy at it4 b5t still...
Sac7 and +ill 6ere patting S5nBPo on the bac74 telling him 6hat a nat5ral he 6as. ! 6al7ed bac7
to o5r tent and finished pac7ing. ! donOt thin7 they realiNed ! had left.
&T M!DMOR"!"' the 6eather t5rned4 6ith gray clo5ds coming in from the 6est and a bitterly
cold 6ind blo6ing do6n the mo5ntain. +e had to stop and p5t on more layers of clothes. !
co<ered my face 6ith a sil7 balacla<a and 6ool scarf. My throat 6as no better4 b5t ! tr5dged on4
one step at a time4 stopping e<ery half ho5r4 5n6inding my shro5d to drin74 and gagging on
e<ery g5lp.
Lopa 6al7ed behind 5s4 still carrying %ollyOs load and gently coaMing her 5p the slope as if he
6ere her personal Sherpa or something. ! didnOt 7no6 if she had hired him4 or promised to gi<e
money to the Tibetan mon7s4 or if it 6as something else. ,5t 6itho5t him4 she 6o5ld ha<e been
going do6nhill instead of 5p.
!t too7 5s eight ho5rs Hhalf a mile an ho5rI to get to Camp T6o. There 6ere so many climbers
there 6e barely had room to pitch o5r tents. Some of the climbers 6ere coming do6n from
Camp )o5r abo<e &,C4 some 6ere on their 6ay 5p to &,C4 and some 6ere 5sing the site as
their ,ase Camp4 6hich 6as hard to imagine beca5se ! co5ld barely breathe. The film cre6 had
to set 5p their tents on the far side of camp from 5s.
The camp 6as at the P5nction of t6o glaciers3 East Rongb57 and ,eifeng. /o5 co5ldnOt see the
E<erest s5mmit from the camp4 b5t there 6as a spectac5lar <ie6 of three other %imalayan
pea7s3 Changtse4 ChangNheng4 and LiMin.
There 6asnOt eno5gh room to set 5p the mess tent4 so 6e 6ere on o5r o6n for dinner.
! got the sto<e going 6hile S5nBPo 6al7ed do6n to a glacial pond to get 6ater. ,y the time he
got bac7 it had started sno6ing. +e p5t the 6ater on the sto<e and 6aited for it to boil4 6hich
6as ta7ing longer and longer the higher 6e climbed.
! 6asnOt h5ngry4 and ! donOt thin7 S5nBPo 6as4 either4 b5t 6e both 7ne6 6e had to eat.
S5nBPo as7ed me ho6 ! 6as doing. ! tried to ans6er4 b5t all that came o5t 6as a hissing croa7. !t
didnOt bother me that ! co5ldnOt tal7. +hat 6orried me more 6as that the sore throat might be
the beginning of something 6orse. There 6as a nasty <ir5s going thro5gh ,ase Camp that had
e<eryone in an 5proar. !f yo5 catch something bad eno5gh yo5r climb is o<er. &s a res5lt the
teams had circled the 6agons by staying in their o6n camps and s5spicio5sly eyeing the
approach of other climbers as if they 6ere plag5e carriers. Typically4 one of the porters 6as
acc5sed of bringing the <ir5s to camp4 as if the climbers 6ere incapable of carrying a <ir5s to
E<erest.
&s 6e 6aited for the 6ater to boil 6e 6atched Lopa set 5p %ollyOs tent4 6hich she cra6led into
as soon as it 6as 5p. %e then p5t 5p his o6n tent and started ma7ing their dinner.
T! 6as tal7ing to one of the other climbers4T S5nBPo said. T%e told me that tomorro6 6ill be a
big test. %eOs been 5p to &,C and has spent one night 5p at Camp )o5r. %e said if 6e ma7e it
that far 6e sho5ld be able to ma7e it to the s5mmit...T
! sho5ld ha<e been paying more attention to 6hat S5nBPo 6as saying4 b5t at that moment ! 6as
ha<ing a minor crisis that had nothing to do 6ith my sore throat. +hat 6as ca5sing the
meltdo6n 6as the fact that it had been a relati<ely easy day b5t ! 6as a complete 6rec7.
/o5 can ne<er tell 6ho the mo5ntain 6ill allo6 and 6ho it 6ill not. LopaOs 6ords had been
echoing in my brain all dayGand ! 6as betting that Pea7 Marcello 6as in the TnotT cro6d4 right
beside 'eorge 6ith the clogged heart and )rancis of the 'amo6 bag.
Dr. +oo had been 6rong abo5t my conditioning or else ! had scre6ed myself 5p by getting
dehydrated. ,5t if that 6as the case4 6hy 6asnOt S5nBPo s5fferingQ ! loo7ed o<er at him. %e 6as
stirring the pot4 chattering a6ay li7e 6e 6ere camped on a beach.
T%E "E-T MOR"!"' LOP& dragged 5s o5t of o5r tent before da6n. There 6as abo5t a foot of
ne6 sno6 on the gro5nd4 b5t it had stopped falling.
T%ard climb today4T he said. T&nd 6e need to get 5p fast4 or there 6onOt be a place to pitch o5t
tents. %o6Os yo5r throatQT
! shoo7 my head. My <oice 6as still gone4 b5t ! didnOt feel any 6orse than ! had the night before4
6hich ! considered a <ictory.
O(TS!DE C&MP 6e started 5p the Tro5gh4 a depression that sits bet6een t6o ro6s of Pagged
ice pinnacles that loo7ed li7e giant canine teeth. The main path 6as 6ell 6orn and clearly
mar7ed by the ya7s. Lopa 6arned 5s to stay on the path.
T!f yo5 6ander off it4 e<en to ta7e a pee4 yo5 co5ld be lost fore<er in the ice maNe.T
H! promise this is the last time !Om going to tal7 abo5t highBaltit5de bodily f5nctions. &ns6ering
a call of nat5re on the mo5ntain is a h5ge ordeal beca5se at that altit5de yo5 canOt do anything
fast and yo5 ha<e to ta7e off layer after layer of clothing. !t can delay yo5r climb by a half ho5r
or more4 6hich can r5in yo5r chances of getting higher beca5se bad 6eather mo<es in so
=5ic7ly. This is 6hy yo5 try to ta7e care of all this before yo5 lea<e camp.I
&bo5t noon 6e ran into the porters4 ya7s4 and herders heading bac7 do6n to ,ase Camp. They
6ere still 6histling and singing and ! 6as tempted to get in line 6ith them. ! thin7 the only thing
that stopped me 6as that %olly had been in front of me all day long4 and ! 6asnOt abo5t to let
her get any higher 5p the mo5ntain than me.
T6o ho5rs later 6e got o5r first loo7 at &,C. S5nBPo pointed o5t the tiny colored tents in the
distance4 b5t the camp 6asnOt as close as it loo7ed. !t 6as three more tort5ro5s ho5rs a6ay.
The only bright spot 6as that S5nBPo and ! managed to pass %olly and Lopa abo5t a h5ndred
yards before they reached the camp.
&,C3 .$4$?$ feet. %igher than ilimanParo and Mo5nt Mcinley. &nd ! felt it. The cr5de camp
made e<ery other place 6e had stayed seem li7e paradise. !t 6as sit5ated on a pile of r5bble
bet6een a glacier Hthat loo7ed li7e it had been formed by froNen se6ageI and a rotten roc7
6all. The gro5nd 6as littered 6ith an7leBbrea7ing roc7s and lifeBending cre<asses.
SR filmed o5r tri5mphant arri<al. ! barely had the strength e<en to loo7 at the camera as !
tr5dged by it.
There 6ere only abo5t siM tents set 5p4 so there 6as plenty of room for 5s to sta7e o5t an area
for the team. (nli7e at ,ase Camp4 people 6erenOt 6andering aro5nd socialiNing. They 6ere
either too pooped to mo<e or terrified abo5t t6isting something this close to the top.
,y the time Lopa and %olly arri<ed4 6e had o5r tents set 5p and a fire going from the 6ood the
porters had left.
T%o6Os yo5r throatQT %olly as7ed.
S5nBPo and ! nearly fell off the roc7s 6e 6ere sitting on. This 6as the first f5ll sentence she had
p5t together since 6e left ,ase Camp4 and her <oice almost so5nded normal. +e had passed
her4 b5t she seemed in better shape than 6e 6ere.
T!tOs ... still ... sore4T ! said 6ith diffic5lty.
T! thin7 thereOs a doctor 5p here4T she said. T!Oll go find him.T
,y the time 6e had her tent 5p she 6as bac7 6ith the doctor in to6. %e loo7ed li7e he needed
a doctor himself4 b5t he eMamined my throat4 then called Leah rieger do6n at ,ase Camp.
They decided to p5t me on antibiotics.
Sosh came on the radio and as7ed me ho6 it 6as going. ! co5ldnOt ans6er4 so ! t5rned o<er the
radio to %olly4 6ho ga<e a glo6ing report. Sosh said they 6ere heading 5p to &,C4 then to Camp
)o5r for a night and 6o5ld no do5bt see 5s on o5r 6ay do6n.
H! sho5ld mention something abo5t the radios here. The fre=5encies 6ere 6ide open4 and
people had nothing better to do than sit in their tents and monitor the chatter. This incl5ded
Captain She7 and the soldiers. &s a res5lt4 e<eryone 6as caref5l abo5t 6hat they tal7ed abo5t4
especially eMpedition leaders li7e Sosh.I
The neMt day 6as basically spent lying in o5r tents trying to breathe4 hoping that o5r red blood
cells 6ere doing 6hat they 6ere s5pposed to be doing. +hen 6e mo<ed it 6as in slo6 motion4
li7e 6e 6ere on the moon. /o5Od get a plate of food and stare at it4 thin7ing a co5ple min5tes
had passed4 and tell yo5rself yo5 sho5ld try to eat before it cooled off....
)or7 to mo5th.
!ce cold.
%5hQ
Loo7 at 6atch.
%alf an ho5rQ
%o6Q
,y the morning 6e left4 the antibiotics had 7ic7ed in and my throat 6as better. ! e<en managed
to croa7 o5t a co5ple of 5nderstandable sentences.
S5nBPo4 on the other hand4 6asnOt feeling good. %e had spent a good deal of the night <omiting
o5tside o5r tent door. E<ery time he p57ed4 Lopa 6o5ld come o<er and ma7e him drin74
6orried abo5t dehydration. ! felt bad for him4 b5t to be honest4 his getting sic7 per7ed me 5p a
little. HTerrible4 ! 7no6.I ! felt better 7no6ing that ! 6asnOt the only one ha<ing a diffic5lt time.
The threeBday trip 5p too7 5s nine ho5rs to complete on the 6ay do6n. +e ran into Sosh
bet6een the first and second camps. %e as7ed ho6 my throat 6as4 then contin5ed to6ard &,C4
sho5ting do6n to 5s that he 6o5ld see 5s in a fe6 days.
%olly not only carried her o6n bac7pac7 on the 6ay do6n4 she beat 5s to ,ase Camp by half an
ho5r. /o5 can ne<er tell 6ho the mo5ntain 6ill allo6 and 6ho it 6ill not.
LETTERS )ROM %OME
T%&T )!RST "!'%T ,&C in ,ase Camp ! slept for fifteen ho5rs.
+hen ! finally 6o7e 5p ! felt as good as ! had e<er felt in my entire life. ! co5ld ha<e easily gone
o5t for an $@49JJBfoot Pog4 b5t instead ! 6al7ed to the mess tent and ate abo5t nine po5nds of
food.
Dr. rieger came in and 6atched me 6olf do6n my last plate4 then too7 me o<er to the &id tent
to loo7 at my throat. She said that it 6as better4 b5t ! needed to 7eep ta7ing the antibiotics for
the neMt 6ee7 to ma7e s5re it 6ent a6ay.
My neMt stop 6as %W4 6here they congrat5lated me on ma7ing it to &,C and ga<e me a pac7et
of letters from home. There 6as a card from Rolf4 t6o letters from Mom4 and fi<e thic7 letters
from Pa5la and Patrice. The en<elopes 6ere cr5mpled and smeared 6ith dirt and grease. !
loo7ed at the postmar7s. The mail had been sent to SoshOs office in Chiang Mai4 for6arded to
athmand54 and from there4 no do5bt4 thro6n into a tr5c7 headed to the mo5ntain.
ThinBair mail.
'etting the letters ca5sed my good mood to tan7. ! hadnOt spent one min5te thin7ing abo5t my
family since !Od arri<ed at ,ase Camp4 and ! felt a little g5ilty. ,5t 6hat really bothered me 6as
that the letters had arri<ed at ,ase Camp in the first place. This meant that some of those
letters ! had sent to my father 6hen ! 6as a 7id probably had arri<ed4 too.
%e had gone into a tent at some highBaltit5de camp P5st li7e this4 and come o5t 6ith a stac7 of
letters4 6hich incl5ded a letter from his son.
! 6as so mad ! 6anted to r5n 5p to &,C and p5nch him in the goggles. !nstead4 ! decided to
finish Moles7ine #$ H6hich yo5 are readingI and send it to my mom. ind of li7e a long letter. !
6as not going to ignore my family the same 6ay that Sosh had ignored me. &nd it 6o5ld f5lfill
my re=5irement for 2incent at 'SS.
The neMt morning ! 6ent to the mess tent to get something to eat before getting bac7 to the
Moles7ine. S5nBPo 6asnOt there.
T,oy <ery sic74T the coo7 told me
! too7 a thermos of hot tea o<er to S5nBPoOs tent. %e 6as cocooned in his sleeping bag li7e a
caterpillar lar<a 6ith only his stoc7ingBcapped head stic7ing o5t.
T/o5 sho5ldnOt be here4T he croa7ed4 b5t ! co5ld tell he 6as happy to see me.
%is eyes 6ere s5n7en and bloodshot. &nd maybe it 6as the dim light coming thro5gh the bl5e
nylon tent4 b5t he loo7ed li7e he had lost ten po5nds since ! last sa6 him.
! po5red him a c5p of tea.
T/o5 sho5ldnOt be here4T he repeated.
T)orget it4T ! said. T/o5 and ! ha<e been s6apping germs for 6ee7s. !Om imm5ne.T ! p5t the c5p
to his lips4 hoping ! 6as right.
T! 6ill be better in a fe6 days.T
Loo7ing at him4 that 6as hard to belie<e4 b5t ! said ! 6as s5re he 6as right.
! stopped by the &id tent. ! 6asnOt s5re if Dr. riegerOs d5ties incl5ded treating 7itchen help4 b5t
if they didnOt ! 6as going to tal7 her into it.
She 6as tapping a6ay on her laptop4 b5t stopped 6hen ! came in.
T%o6 are yo5 feeling todayQT
T)ine4 b5t !Om 6orried abo5t S5nBPo.T
She made me open my mo5th and shone a light do6n my throat.
T!nflammation is almost gone4T she said4 clic7ing off the light. T,5t yo5 need to 7eep ta7ing
those antibiotics4 especially if yo5 insist on <isiting sic7 people in their tents.T
TSo yo5O<e seen himQT ! said.
TLast night and this morning.T
T&ndQT
T&nd heOs sic74 b5t heOll li<e.T
! spent the neMt t6o days 6riting and managed to finish the first Moles7ine on the day Sosh 6as
to ret5rn from &,C and Camp )o5r. +hen ! got to the end of the noteboo7 ! 6rote letters to
Pa5la and Patrice than7ing them for the art6or7 they had sent and telling them ho6 ! had
pinned it 5p in my tent so it 6as the first thing ! sa6 in the morning and the last thing ! sa6 at
night. ! told them that ! missed them so bad4 ! 6as thin7ing abo5t r5stling a ya7 and riding it
bac7 to "e6 /or7.
Last4 ! 6rote to Rolf. %e had sent me a card 6ith a photo of ing ong clinging to the Empire
State ,5ilding. !nside 6ere three oneBh5ndredBdollar bills and a hand6ritten note3
%ang in there4 Pea7.
! miss yo5.
! 6ant yo5 home.
Lo<e4 Rolf
"ot T6e.T ! miss yo5. ! 6ant yo5 home. +ith these t6o sentences he had done more for me
than Sosh had e<er done4 or co5ld e<er do.
! 6ent o<er to %W and addressed the en<elopes. Spar7y told me the mail 6o5ld go o5t the
follo6ing morning.
+hen Sosh arri<ed late that afternoon4 ! didnOt tell him abo5t the Moles7ine or the letters. %e
didnOt deser<e to 7no6.
MOLES !"E #.
SECRETS
T%E MEET!"' +&S SECRET4 held at %W after the other climbers had all gone to sleep.
,y in<itation only3 Sosh4 the film cre64 Spar7y4 Dr. rieger4 Thadde5s ,o6en4 and Lopa4 6ho had
bro5ght S5nBPo 6ith him. HS5nBPo loo7ed a little better4 b5t not m5ch.I Sosh glared at him4 and !
tho5ght for a moment he 6as going to as7 him to lea<e4 b5t he let it go.
T+hereOs %ollyQT
"o one seemed to 7no6.
T+eOre not 6aiting4T Sosh said. %e t5rned to Dr. rieger.
T%o6Os Pea7Os healthQT
T! thin7 6e might ha<e gotten the infection 6ith the antibiotics. &s long as it doesnOt migrate to
his l5ngs he sho5ld be fine. There 6ere three ne6 cases of pne5monia reported in camp today.
! s5spect itOs a secondary infection from the <ir5s. +illiam ,lade is one of them. E<eryone in his
team is sic7. They left this afternoon and 6e =5arantined e<erything they left at their
campsite.T
The ne6s abo5t +illiam ,lade and her former ento5rage 6as going to please %olly to no end.
Sosh t5rned to Lopa. TCan Pea7 ma7e it to the topQT
! 6as still serio5sly annoyed 6ith Sosh o<er the letters and this 6as not helping. ! hate it 6hen
people tal7 abo5t me as if !Om not there.
Lopa shr5gged. T+e 6ill ha<e to see ho6 he does at Camp )o5r. %e 6as fine at &,C.T
! 6asnOt TfineT at &,C4 b5t ! appreciated him saying so.
TThan7s for getting him 5p to &,C4T Sosh said. T! s5ppose yo5Oll be heading bac7 to athmand5.T
Lopa ga<e him another shr5g.
T+hat abo5t %ollyQT Sosh as7ed.
TSheOs strong4T Lopa said.
Sosh loo7ed a little s5rprised. ! 6as4 too. She 6as fine 6hen she finally got to &,C4 and on the
6ay do6n4 b5t ! 6o5ldnOt ha<e characteriNed her climb as strong. +hat 6as Lopa 5p toQ
T!t 6onOt h5rt 5s to get %olly to the s5mmit4T Thadde5s said. TSheOll tal7 and 6rite abo5t it for
the rest of her life. 'ood PR for Pea7 EMperience.T
T! s5ppose yo5Ore right4T Sosh rel5ctantly agreed. %e p5lled a noteboo7 o5t of his poc7et and
flipped thro5gh the pages.
TO7ay. +e ha<e ten people to get to the top4 co5nting Pea7 and %olly. O5t of those4 siM or
se<en ha<e a decent chance if they hit the 6eather 6indo6 right.T %e loo7ed at Spar7y. TDo
yo5 ha<e some dates for me yetQT
T!Om loo7ing at the 6ee7 of May t6entyBfifth thro5gh S5ne fo5rth.T Spar7y loo7ed o<er at Lopa.
T,5t astrology might gi<e 5s a better idea than meteorology.T
T&ny ideas4 LopaQT Sosh as7ed.
Lopa shoo7 his head. T! P5st loo7 5p at the s7y.T
This got a la5gh from e<eryone4 b5t ! donOt thin7 Lopa meant it to be f5nny.
T!f yo5r 6eather prediction is right4T Sosh said to Spar7y4 Tthat doesnOt gi<e 5s m5ch time.T %e
6al7ed to the calendar on the 6all. TPea7Os birthday is siM 6ee7s from today. That gi<es 5s
abo5t fi<e 6ee7s to get him into position for a s5mmit attempt. &nd !Od li7e to get him 5p there
earlier than that.T
T! agree4T Thadde5s said. T!f something happens and Pea7 canOt get to the s5mmit4 6e might
ha<e a chance for a second try.T
TThadde5s4 there 6onOt be a second chance4T Sosh said. TPea7 either ma7es it on the first try or
he doesnOt.T
Sosh 6as right. Second tries 6ere <irt5ally 5nheard of on E<erest. !f yo5 fail yo5 ha<e to ret5rn
to ,ase Camp. ThereOs not eno5gh oMygen at the other camps to get yo5r strength bac7 and
reco<er. !t ta7es three days to get bac7 to ,ase Camp 6ith a night at Camp SiM and a night at
&,C. )i<e days at ,ase Camp Hlonger if yo5Ore really hammeredI4 then bac7 5p4 6hich can ta7e
eight or nine daysGall together nearly three 6ee7s. !t 6o5ld be midBS5ne before ! co5ld ma7e
another attempt4 long after my fifteenth birthday. Climbers ha<e been stopped one h5ndred
yards from the s5mmit Hby 6eather4 eMha5stion4 or timeI and ha<e ne<er made another
attempt as long as they li<ed.
T%ereOs 6hat !Om thin7ing4T Sosh contin5ed. TThereOs a co5ple signed 5p to go to Camp )o5r4 b5t
theyOre strong eno5gh to go a lot higher. !n fact4 they ha<e a better chance of getting to the
s5mmit than most of the others on the team. !f 6e p5t them on the t6o scratched permits it
6o5ld increase o5r s5mmit percentage by at least t6enty percent.T
TDid yo5 tal7 to themQT Thadde5s as7ed.
T/eah4 b5t no promises. ! 6anted to disc5ss o5r options first.T
T! thin7 yo5 sho5ld send S5nBPo to the s5mmit4T %olly said4 startling all of 5s.
(ncharacteristically4 she had slipped into the tent =5ietly.
T+hoQT Sosh as7ed4 annoyed.
TLopaOs grandson4T %olly ans6ered.
This s5re got e<eryoneOs attention. +e stared at S5nBPo and Lopa 6ith o5r mo5ths hanging
open. ! thin7 my mo5th 6as open a little more than the others. Sosh loo7ed li7e he had been
slapped in the face. +hy hadnOt S5nBPo told me that Lopa 6as his grandfatherQ
S5nBPo sat 6ith his chin c5pped in his hands4 seemingly obli<io5s to o5r shoc7.
T+hatOs yo5r fatherOs nameQT Sosh as7ed him.
T%is name 6as iBtar Sherpa4T S5nBPo ans6ered.
T! 7ne6 him4T Sosh said =5ietly. T! didnOt 7no6 he had a son.T %e loo7ed o<er at Lopa and ga<e
him his trademar7 grin. T+hat are yo5 5p toQT
Lopa ans6ered 6ith a shr5g. "one of 5s belie<ed him. There 6as a lot more to this than Sosh4
S5nBPo4 and Lopa 6ere letting on.
Sosh loo7ed bac7 at S5nBPo. T%o6 old are yo5QT
T!Om fo5rteen years old4T he ans6ered.
! thin7 6e had P5st gotten to the main reason Lopa had agreed to lea<e the !ndrayani temple
and ta7e me to ,ase Camp.
Sosh 6as no longer grinning4 nor 6as anyone else4 especially me. ! considered S5nBPo a friend.
%e m5st ha<e 7no6n abo5t a s5mmit attempt bac7 in athmand5. %e certainly 7ne6 that Lopa
6as his grandfather. ! sho5ld ha<e g5essed something 6as 5p 6hen Lopa o5tfitted him in my
climbing gear. %olly clearly had been let in on the secret4 6hich might eMplain 6hy Lopa had all
b5t carried her 5p to &,C.
T+hen is yo5r birthdayQT Sosh as7ed.
S5nBPo loo7ed at Lopa4 6ho ga<e him a nod.
TMay thirtyBfirst.T
SiM days before my birthday.
Sosh 6as <isibly relie<ed4 b5t only for a second.
T%o6 do 6e 7no6 thatQTThadde5s as7ed.
S5nBPo reached into the poc7et of his HmyI par7a and prod5ced a tattered piece of paper sealed
in a Liploc plastic bag. %e p5lled o5t the paper and handed it to Thadde5s.
TThis is in "epalese4TThadde5s said.
Sosh too7 it from him and read it o<er. T"o4 itOs Tibetan4T he corrected4 then loo7ed bac7 at S5nB
Po. T/o5 6ere born in TibetQT
T/es4 sir4T S5nBPo ans6ered. T! 6as fi<e 6hen my father managed to get my mother and me
across the border into "epal. ! am a free Tibetan.T
TThere is no s5ch thing4T Sosh said. T%o6 did yo5 get bac7 into TibetQ /o5 certainly didnOt 5se
this.T %e handed the piece of paper bac7.
T)orged doc5ments4T Lopa said.
Sosh s6ore. T+ell4 yo5r grandson isnOt going to be a free Tibetan for long if Captain She7 finds
o5t abo5t the bog5s papers4T Sosh said. TTheyOll arrest him. /o5Oll probably be ha5led a6ay4
too.T
This eMplained S5nBPoOs disappearing act 6hene<er the soldiers 6ere aro5nd.
T& s5mmit attempt is 6orth the ris74T Lopa commented.
Sosh loo7ed at S5nBPo for a moment4 then bac7 at Lopa. T! o6e yo54 Lopa4 b5t ! ha<enOt decided
if S5nBPoOs getting a shot at the top. &nd besides4 6e donOt ha<e eno5gh climbing Sherpas to get
three teams to the top. &nd thatOs 6hat 6eOre tal7ing abo5t. Three separate teams.T
T/ogi and /ash4T Lopa said.
Sosh la5ghed and shoo7 his head. T/o5 had this all fig5red o5t before yo5 left athmand54
didnOt yo5QT
Lopa didnOt ans6er4 b5t it 6as clear he had.
TMaybe yo5 and ! sho5ld go someplace a little more pri<ate to tal7 abo5t this4T Sosh s5ggested.
TThat is 5p to yo54T Lopa said. T,5t ! donOt mind spea7ing abo5t it here.T
TS5it yo5rself.T Sosh loo7ed at e<eryone in t5rn b5t lingered 6hen he got to %olly. TThis is
totally off the record. "othing 6e say here is to lea<e this tentGand ! mean e<er. !f the Chinese
get 6ind of this they co5ld sh5t do6n o5r eMpeditionGb5t 6orse4 they might grab S5nBPo and
p5t him in prison.T
! tho5ght of the shac7led road gang 6e had passed after 6e crossed the )riendship ,ridge and
ga<e an in<ol5ntary sh5dder. ! 6as mad at S5nBPo4 b5t ! didnOt 6ish that on anyone. ,eing
arrested in the (.S. 6as nothing li7e being arrested in Tibet. ! loo7ed at him. %e seemed
6orried4 almost as if it had P5st da6ned on him 6hat 6o5ld happen if Captain She7 ca5ght him
6ith false papers.
E<eryone nodded in agreement4 altho5gh ! thin7 the film cre6 6o5ld ha<e lo<ed to ha<e their
camera rolling. H"ot that Sosh 6o5ld let them 5se any of the footage in the final doc5mentary.I
TS5nBPoOs mother 6as born in a small <illage on this side of the mo5ntain4T Lopa eMplained. TMy
son met her on an eMpedition. !t too7 him years to get her and S5nBPo o5t of Tibet into "epal.
S5nBPo is both Tibetan and "epalese.T
TThe Chinese 6onOt see it that 6ay if S5nBPo gets ca5ght 5p here4T Sosh said.
T!f 6e p5t him on the s5mmit theyOll ne<er gi<e 5s a climbing permit for the north side againRT
Thadde5s sho5ted. TThat co5ld ta7e a6ay half o5r b5siness. The Tibet ro5te is harder than the
"epal ro5te. !t has more prestige. ,y bringing S5nBPo here yo5O<e PeopardiNed o5r entire season.
&nd for 6hatQ !f Pea7 and S5nBPo ma7e it to the top4 S5nBPo still 6onOt be the yo5ngest to reach
the s5mmit.T
T,5t he 6o5ld be the yo5ngest free Tibetan to s5mmit4T Lopa pointed o5t. T!tOs a matter of
national pride.T
T+eOre in b5siness4T Thadde5s said. T"ot politics.T
T+hat is the differenceQT Lopa said.
TEno5gh4T Sosh said. %e loo7ed o<er at SR. T%o6Os the filming goingQT
TO7ay4T SR ans6ered. T+e ha<e some decent climbing se=5ences4 a co5ple of good inter<ie6s.T
! cringed a little hearing this. %e co5ldnOt be tal7ing abo5t the inter<ie6s 6ith me.
T&ny footage of S5nBPoQT
T& lot. %e and Pea7 ha<e been climbing together. +hat are yo5 thin7ingQT
T/eah4T Thadde5s added a little belligerently4 T6hat are yo5 thin7ingQT
T!Om not s5re yet4T Sosh said. %e loo7ed o<er at me. T%o6 do yo5 feel abo5t sharing the gloryQT
T/o5O<e gotta be 7idding me4T Thadde5s said.
Sosh ignored him. T+hat do yo5 thin74 Pea7QT
! 6asnOt doing this for the glory. Or 6as !Q ! loo7ed o<er at S5nBPo and Lopa. They 6ere both
stoneBfaced. ! 6as f5rio5s 6ith both of themGS5nBPo more than Lopa beca5se Lopa ne<er told
anybody anything.
! 6anted to tell Sosh to send S5nBPo pac7ing bac7 to "epal4 b5t instead4 6itho5t m5ch
enth5siasm4 ! said4 T!tOs o7ay 6ith me.T
TCan ! tal7 to yo54 SoshQTThadde5s as7ed. T&lone.T
TS5re.T
&fter they left e<eryone sat there for a fe6 moments 6itho5t saying anything. SR finally bro7e
the silence.
TPo7erQT %e p5lled a dec7 of cards o5t of his par7a.
TMight as 6ell4T Spar7y said. TSosh and Thadde5s co5ld be a 6hile.T
T!Om in4T %olly said.
! 6al7ed o<er to 6here S5nBPo and Lopa 6ere sitting.
TThan7 yo5 for s5pporting me4T S5nBPo said.
T/o5 sho5ld ha<e told me.T
T! did4T S5nBPo said4 glancing at Lopa g5iltily. T&t least indirectly.T
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT
TO5r first night at &,C4T he ans6ered. T! tal7ed abo5t ho6 if 6e got 5p to Camp )o5r 6e had
a good chance at the s5mmit.T
%e 6as right abo5t it being indirect. ! barely remembered the oneBsided con<ersation. TThatOs
pretty lame4T ! said.
Lopa came to his defense. TS5nBPo did not 7no6 in athmand54T he said. T%e tho5ght ! 6as
ta7ing him here to become a Sherpa. !t 6asnOt 5ntil 6e 6ere on o5r 6ay to &,C that ! told him
abo5t the s5mmit.T
So Sosh and ! 6erenOt the only ones Lopa played cagey 6ith. ! glanced o<er at the po7er game4
6hich 6as in f5ll s6ing4 6ith a pile of money in the center of the table. They 6ere l5c7y Lopa
6asnOt playing.
T!Om going o<er to the mess tent for some tea4T Lopa said.
! 6aited 5ntil he 6as o5t of the tent4 then as7ed S5nBPo 6hy he hadnOt told me that Lopa 6as
his grandfather.
TLopa tho5ght it best if 6e 7ept that to o5rsel<es4T he ans6ered.
!f Lopa as7ed me to 7eep something to myself ! probably 6o5ld ha<e4 too4 b5t it still bothered
me that S5nBPo didnOt tell me.
Lopa ret5rned 6ith a thermos of tea and se<eral m5gs. ! too7 my m5g o<er and 6atched them
play po7er. ! 6asnOt really interested in the game4 b5t ! didnOt 6ant to hang 6ith Lopa and S5nB
Po. %olly 6on e<ery hand4 m5ch to e<eryoneOs annoyance.
&bo5t t6enty min5tes later Sosh and Thadde5s came bac7 into %W. &t first ! tho5ght Thadde5s
had gotten his 6ay beca5se he 6as all smiles. S5nBPo noticed his eMpression4 too4 and loo7ed
disappointed.
T&ll right4T Thadde5s said4 smiling at S5nBPo and Lopa. T/o5O<e got yo5r shot at the s5mmit.T
T/o5Ore all heading bac7 5p to &,C the day after tomorro64T Sosh added.
The film cre6 groaned.
,E&R &"D ,(LL
T%REE TE&MS3 &4 ,4 &"D HS%%RI C.
+e 6ere the C team3 S5nBPo4 me4 the film cre64 and %ollyGled by Lopa4 /ogi4 and /ash. H! g5ess
the brothers had not hitched a ride to find a Pob on the mo5ntain. They already had a Pob. Lopa
had hired them to help him get S5nBPo to the s5mmit.I &nd ! thin7 the C stood for Tco<ert4T not
third4 beca5se 6e 6ere getting the first s5mmit shot4 not the last4 and someho6 6e 6ere
s5pposed to 7eep all of this =5iet.
The night before4 Sosh and Thadde5s hadnOt told 5s to o5tright lie to the other climbers4 b5t
they came pretty close to it.
T+eOll ha<e to 7eep this to o5rsel<es4T Thadde5s had said4 lo6ering his <oice despite the fact
that it 6as ten degrees belo6 Nero o5tside and the 6ind 6as ho6ling do6n the mo5ntain at
abo5t t6entyBfi<e miles an ho5r. !t 6asnOt li7ely someone 6as standing o5tside the flap
ea<esdropping.
TThadde5s is right4T Sosh agreed. TSome of the other climbers are real head cases. ThereOll be a
fight o<er 6ho goes first. !tOs ridic5lo5s4 b5t itOs the same e<ery year. They canOt get it into their
oMygenBstar<ed brains that reaching the s5mmit has nothing to do 6ith the order yo5 climb. !t
depends on the 6eather.T
Sosh 6as f5dging this a little. Sitting at ,ase Camp4 or 5p at &,C 6aiting yo5r t5rn4 increases
yo5r chances of catching a <ir5s or t6isting an an7le4 to say nothing of the sheer boredom and
psychological damage of lying in yo5r cramped tent day after day 6ondering if yo5 are going to
ma7e it to the top.
+e 6ere getting the first shot beca5se of my birthday. Period. !t co5ld ta7e e<ery one of those
thirtyBpl5s days to get me to the top before ! t5rned fifteen.
T!n case anyone as7s4T Thadde5s said4 Tthis is 6hat 6eOre doing.T %e loo7ed at the film cre6.
T/o5Ore ma7ing a doc5mentary abo5t Sherpas.T %e loo7ed at %olly. T/o5Ore 6riting a story
abo5t Sherpas.T %e loo7ed at me. T/o5Ore P5st tagging along to help 6ith the filming. &s far as
anyone 7no6s4 a s5mmit attempt is not part of the doc5mentary.T
TS5nBPoOs going to ha<e to mo<e to the porter camp tonight4T Sosh said. T!tOs the only 6ay 6e
can 7eep him 5nder 6raps. Can yo5 arrange that4 LopaQT
Lopa nodded.
Sosh loo7ed at S5nBPo. TCaptain She7 and the soldiers rarely go to the porter camp4 b5t P5st to
be safe4 yo5 need to dress and act li7e a porter. "o fancy 6estern climbing clothes. The porters
are ha5ling s5pplies 5p the mo5ntain the day after tomorro6. /o5Oll all go 6ith them. +hen
yo5 get to !ntermediate Camp4 o5t of sight of the Chinese4 yo5 can change into yo5r climbing
gear. +hen yo5 come bac7 do6n yo5Oll need to change yo5r clothes and stic7 6ith the porters.
!f She7 catches yo54 yo5Ore toast.T
TToastQT S5nBPo as7ed.
T/o5Oll be chipping bo5lders into gra<el4T ! eMplained.
TOh.T & loo7 of dread crossed S5nBPoOs 5s5ally calm and cheerf5l face.
TSo4T Sosh contin5ed4 TLopa 6ill lead the C team. !Oll lead the & team. &nd PaBsang 6ill lead the
, team.T
! 6as disappointed that ! 6o5ldnOt be trying for the s5mmit 6ith my father4 b5t ! 6asnOt
s5rprised. HTChange of plansT had been the theme of o5r relationship my 6hole life.I ! 6as also
6orried abo5t Lopa and S5nBPo.
TParanoia feeds on thin air...TThatOs a direct =5ote from one of SoshOs climbing boo7s4 and the
feeling 6as beginning to gna6 at my g5ts.
+ith S5nBPo in the miM it seemed to me that he and Lopa had e<erything to gain if ! didnOt ma7e
it to the s5mmit. !Om not saying that they 6o5ld try to stop me4 b5t e<en the slightest mista7e4
accidental or intentional4 co5ld end my climb. &nd no one 6o5ld be the 6iser. ,ad things
happen on mo5ntains. !tOs part of e<ery climb. &nd 6hen something goes 6rong itOs 5s5ally
blamed on bad e=5ipment4 bad 6eather4 bad l5c7Grarely on the climbers themsel<es.
T&ny =5estionsQT Sosh as7ed.
! had a co5ple doNen =5estions4 li7e3 !f Lopa co5ld get forged papers good eno5gh to get S5nBPo
o<er the )riendship ,ridge4 6hy sho5ld 6e tr5st his tattered birth certificateQ %e co5ld be siM
months yo5nger than me for all 6e 7ne6. Lopa 7ne6 eMactly 6hen my birthday 6as. %e 6as
there 6hen Mom radioed Sosh on &nnap5rna.
+as Sosh hedging his bets by sending S5nBPo 5p 6ith meQ !f ! didnOt ma7e it4 SoshOs company
6o5ld still recei<e the credit for getting the yo5ngest climber to the top of Mo5nt E<erest. S5nB
Po 6as on his climbing permit. Did it really matter to Sosh 6hich of 5s made it to the topQ
,5t ! didnOt as7 =5estions or e<en ma7e a comment. ! 6as so conf5sed and mad4 ! didnOt tr5st
myself to open my mo5th.
TThereOs no 6ay 6eOll be able to 7eep this a secret from the other climbers4T SR said. TThereOs
only one final approach to the s5mmit and 6eOll all be ta7ing it4 single file li7e ants.T
Sosh ga<e him the grin. T"o 6orries. Once the & and , teams get to Camp )o5r the only thing
theyOll be thin7ing abo5t is 6here their neMt breath is coming from.T
T+hat abo5t 6hen they get bac7 to ,ase CampQT SR as7ed.
T!f they get to the s5mmit they 6onOt care 6ho made it to the top and 6ho didnOt4T Sosh
ans6ered. TThe important thing is to gi<e them a good chance. /o5r team 6ill be fo5r or fi<e
days ahead of & and ,. +hen yo5 get abo<e Camp )o5r be caref5l 6hat yo5 say on the radio.
One slip of the tong5e and e<eryone on this side of the mo5ntain 6ill 7no6 6hat 6eOre 5p to.
+hen yo5 pass 5s on yo5r 6ay do6n donOt say anything abo5t the s5mmit. +eOll sort it o5t
later.T
TThe other climbers are done 6ith their second trip to &,C4T SR persisted. TTheyOre at least a
6ee7 ahead of 5s in terms of acclimatiNation.T
%e 6as right. The third trip to &,C 6as 6hen yo5 5s5ally tried for the s5mmit. +e 6ere a trip
behind SoshOs other climbers.
T!f the 6eather brea7s o5r 6ay 6eOll try to get them to the top sooner4T Sosh said. T!f not4 theyOll
ha<e to 6ait it o5t in ,ase Camp along 6ith e<eryone else. +e canOt all head to the top at the
same time. There isnOt eno5gh room.T
+hich meant the other climbers co5ld be sitting at ,ase Camp for another siM 6ee7s before
getting their shot at the s5mmit. &nd ! 7ne6 that 6o5ld not sit 6ell 6ith them.
! %&D & LO(S/ "!'%T lying in my sleeping bag4 thin7ing of all the 6ays Lopa and S5nBPo co5ld
sabotage my s5mmit try if they 6anted to. !t 6as a depressingly long list.
Late the neMt morning 6hen ! finally po7ed my head o5t of my tent4 a light sno6 6as falling. !
got dressed and 6ent o<er to the mess tent4 6here ! fo5nd Lopa and the film cre6 tal7ing
=5ietly abo5t the shift in the doc5mentary.
HOr 6ere they tal7ing abo5t me 5ntil they sa6 me 6al7 5pQ Sosh 6as s5re right abo5t that thinB
air paranoia thing.I
T&re yo5 sic7 againQT Lopa as7ed.
DonOt yo5 6ish4 ! tho5ght4 b5t told him that ! had ne<er felt better in my life. %e didnOt loo7 li7e
he belie<ed me. ! dished 5p a bo6l of oatmeal4 then too7 a seat at the table neMt to them. +e
had the tent to o5rsel<es eMcept for the coo7 cleaning 5p after the brea7fast r5sh.
T&s soon as yo5 finish eating4T SR said4 T!Oll sho6 yo5 ho6 to 5se the camera.T
T+hyQT
T,eca5se thereOs a decent chance that Sac74 +ill4 and ! 6onOt ma7e it to the s5mmit. Someone
has to get it on film.T
They 6ere all strong climbers. !t hadnOt occ5rred to me that they might not ma7e it to the top.
T+eOll try4T Sac7 said4 Tb5t yo5 ne<er 7no6.T
TThis is my third trip to E<erest4T SR said. TThe closest !O<e gotten 6as P5st abo<e Camp SiM. The
6eather t5rned 5s bac7 and that 6as it. !Oll gi<e yo5 one of o5r minicameras.T %e loo7ed at his
6atch. T+eOll meet yo5 and Lopa o5tside %W in fifteen min5tes4 then head o<er to the porter
camp to shoot some footage.T
They got 5p and left the tent.
! loo7ed at Lopa. T%a<e yo5 seen SoshQT
T%e too7 some of his team 5p the mo5ntain to practice climbing techni=5es.T
! m5st ha<e loo7ed a little annoyed beca5se Lopa st5died me for a moment4 then said4 T%o6 do
yo5 feel abo5t yo5r father no6 that yo5 ha<e spent time 6ith himQT
T! ha<enOt really spent m5ch time 6ith him4T ! ans6ered4 dodging the =5estion.
Lopa sipped his tea4 then said4 T%e canOt help himself4 yo5 7no6.T
T+hat do yo5 meanQT
T!n climbing he has fo5nd something he is <ery good at4 something he has a passion for. "ot
many men find that.T
T,5t 6hat do yo5 do 6hen yo5 get too old to climb mo5ntainsQT
Lopa la5ghed. TMost climbers do not get old.T
T/o5 did.T
T! stopped climbing.T
T+hyQT
TMy children 6ere gro6n. ! no longer needed the money.T
T/o5 m5st ha<e climbed for more than money.T
TOf co5rse4 b5t if ! 6asnOt paid ! 6o5ld not ha<e climbed at all. /o5 climb for sportV Sherpas
climb to s5pport their families.T
TSo yo5Ore here to help S5nBPo become a Sherpa4T ! said.
T"o. !Om here so S5nBPo does not ha<e to become a Sherpa.T
T+hat do yo5 meanQT
T! 7no6 yo5Ore angry at me for not telling yo5 abo5t my plan for S5nBPo. &nd yo5Ore 5pset 6ith
S5nBPo for not telling yo5 that ! am his grandfather.T
T+hat does that ha<e to do 6ith yo5r not 6anting S5nBPo to become a SherpaQT
TTo get him this far there 6ere things ! had to 7eep to myself. Things ! as7ed S5nBPo to 7eep to
himself. %e really didnOt 7no6 6hat ! had in mind 5ntil ! told him at &,C. ! co5ld not tell him
5ntil ! sa6 ho6 he did on the mo5ntain. !f he ma7es it to the s5mmit4 the notoriety it brings him
6ill allo6 him to go bac7 to school. !Om hoping he ne<er has to climb again.T
T!s that birth certificate realQT
T/es. S5nBPo is a 6ee7 older than yo5.T
T+hat if ! ma7e it to the s5mmit4 tooQT
Lopa shr5gged.
This 6as not the ans6er ! 6as hoping for. T! 7no6 6hat yo5Ore thin7ing4T ! said. T/o5 can ne<er
tell 6ho the mo5ntain 6ill allo6 and 6ho it 6ill not.T
Lopa smiled and got 5p from the table. T!Oll see yo5 o<er at %W.T
T!Om going to ma7e it to the s5mmit4T ! told him as he 6al7ed o5t of the mess tent.
!n a strange 6ay the con<ersation helped to center me. !t reminded me that climbing4 e<en
tho5gh there might be other people in yo5r party4 is a solo sport. /o5r legs4 yo5r arms4 yo5r
m5scles4 yo5r end5rance4 yo5r 6ill are yo5rs alone. & partner can enco5rage yo54 maybe e<en
stop yo5 from falling4 b5t they canOt get yo5 to the top. ThatOs entirely 5p to yo5.
! finished my brea7fast feeling a little better and 6al7ed o<er to %W to meet the film cre6. Lopa
6as there4 b5t %olly 6asnOt.
TSheOs already o<er at the porter camp4T SR eMplained. TDr. rieger had some meds for S5nBPo4
b5t didnOt 6ant to ta7e them to the camp herself. Captain She7 6o5ld find that s5spicio5s.
Doctors do not treat porters. %olly too7 them o<er for her.T
! g5ess ! 6asnOt the only one being transformed by the mo5ntain. %olly had 5ndergone a
remar7able change since 6e got 5p to &,C. &nd it 6as clear by SROs attit5de that ! 6asnOt the
only one to notice. %er <oice 6as still a little shrill and she still 6ore her garish clothes4 b5t she
had ta7en care of me at &,C and no6 she 6as loo7ing after S5nBPo. ! donOt thin7 she 6o5ld ha<e
done that the first day she got to ,ase Camp.
SR handed me a small camera abo5t the siNe of a sand6ich. T! 7no6 it doesnOt loo7 li7e m5ch4T
he eMplained. T,5t itOs reliable at high altit5des and it ta7es pretty good <ideoGnot as good as
the one 6eO<e been 5sing4 b5t ha5ling the big 5nit to the s5mmit is a pain in the ass.T
%e sho6ed me ho6 to Noom in and o5t4 ho6 to frame a shot4 ho6 to 5se the b5iltBin
microphone4 and ho6 to change the memory card4 6hich held abo5t an ho5r of <ideo.
T/o5 ha<e to be pretty close to pic7 5p a <oice4T Sac7 eMplained. TEspecially if the 6indOs
blo6ing. +hoe<erOs tal7ing 6ill probably ha<e to sho5t.T
TConsider the camera yo5rs 5ntil the climb is o<er4T SR said. T+e ha<e another one 6eOll ta7e to
the top if 6e ma7e it that far. /o5 need to practice 6ith it. The hardest part is hitting the little
b5ttons 6ith glo<es on. So practice 6ith glo<es. !f yo5 ta7e off yo5r glo<es abo<e Camp )i<e
yo5r fingers 6ill fall off and yo5Oll be p5shing b5ttons 6ith yo5r nose for the rest of yo5r life.T
Pleasant tho5ght.
T+hat am ! s5pposed to be filmingQT ! as7ed.
TThe story4T+ill said.
T+hat storyQT
TThatOs the big =5estion4T SR ans6ered. T&nd part of the f5n.T
T&nd the mystery4T Sac7 added.
TSosh hired 5s to film yo54T SR contin5ed. T"o6 S5nBPoOs been added to the miM4 6hich changes
the story. !f yo5 and S5nBPo donOt ma7e it to the s5mmit the story 6ill shift again. !t might be
abo5t ho6 yo5 didnOt ma7e itG6hat stopped yo5. !t might be abo5t the friendship bet6een
yo5 t6o...T
H+hich 6as pretty sha7y at the moment4 b5t ! didnOt tell SR that.I
T...or S5nBPo and Lopa4 or yo5 and yo5r father. The point is that 6e 6onOt 7no6 6hat the story
is abo5t 5ntil 6e 7no6 ho6 the story ends. &ll 6e can do no6 is film details. +hen 6e get done
6eOll piece the doc5mentary together li7e a Pigsa6 p5NNle.T
+hich is eMactly ho6 2incent at 'SS ta5ght me to p5t a story together. %e 6o5ldnOt let me
6rite a 6ord 5ntil !Od finished my research. %old the story inside 5ntil yo5 are ready to b5rst.
%e made me 6rite my research notes on threeBbyBfi<e cards. On each card 6as a scene4 a
character note4 or a detail from my research.
+hen yo5 do yo5r research 6rite do6n 6hate<er interests yo5. +hate<er stim5lates yo5r
imagination. +hate<er seems important. & story is b5ilt li7e a stone 6all. "ot all the stones 6ill
fit. Some 6ill ha<e to be discarded. Some bro7en and reshaped. +hen yo5 finish the 6all it may
not loo7 eMactly li7e the 6all yo5 en<isioned4 b5t it 6ill 7eep the li<estoc7 in and the predators
o5t.
H! 6ondered if 2incent 6o5ld accept a doc5mentary in place of a Moles7ine4 b5t ! do5bted it.I
T!t 6o5ld be great4T SR contin5ed4 Tif yo5 co5ld 6rite do6n yo5r shots. !tOs not easy to do4
especially at high altit5des4 b5t it 6o5ld help 5s 6hen 6e edit.T
T!f yo5 canOt 6rite them do6n4T Sac7 s5ggested4 Tyo5 can record 6hat yo5Ore doing on the
microphone.T
)ROM & D!ST&"CE the porter camp loo7ed neat and prospero5s4 b5t as 6e got closer it
became clear that it 6as neither. !t seemed that e<erything in it 6as made o5t of castoffsGas if
the porters h5ng aro5nd after the climbing season and collected the lefto<ers from o5r camp
and p5t it in theirs. There 6ere a co5ple of shac7s that had more flattened tin cans nailed to
them than 6ood. The tents 6ere se6n together from bits and pieces of other tents. The ya7
halters 6ere made from frayed climbing ropes.
The camp had a different smell to it as 6ell3 d5ng4 6oodBsmo7e4 and the old palm oil that the
porters coo7ed their food in. ,5t the smell and disarray 6ere soon forgotten in the minor
stampede of men that came r5nning 6hen they sa6 Lopa. S5nBPo and %olly came o5t of a
battered tent and Poined 5s. S5nBPo still loo7ed pretty 6ea74 6hich ! 6asnOt 5nhappy to see. !
6ondered ho6 he 6as going to do tomorro6 6hen 6e headed bac7 5p to &,C.
%e p5lled me to the side. T! appreciate yo5r standing 5p for me last night4T he said. T! am sorry !
didnOt tell yo5 abo5t Lopa.T
T)orget it4T ! said4 altho5gh ! hadnOt come close to forgetting it myself. T%o6 6as it staying here
last nightQT
T!tOs not as comfortable as the climbing camp4 b5t the porters ha<e been 7ind.T
The porters had lined 5p in a long ro6 and Lopa 6as 6al7ing do6n the line greeting each in
t5rn and gi<ing blessings. +hen he finished 6e sat do6n in a large circle on blan7ets and
sleeping bags and tal7ed4 6ith Lopa translating.
& good 6ay to 5nderstand 6hat the porters do for a li<ing is to thin7 of them as %imalayan
tr5c7ers. The only difference is that their tr5c7s ha<e legs instead of 6heels and are f5eled by
grass instead of diesel.
The nearest resta5rant to o5r cabin in +yoming 6as a tr5c7 stop. Mom and ! 5sed to go there
all the time and 6e lo<ed it. The tr5c7ers 6ere friendly4 f5nny4 and f5ll of stories. !t 6as no
different 6ith the porters. ! got so in<ol<ed in their stories4 ! completely forgot abo5t 5sing my
camera.
The porters 6ere from all o<er Tibet and "epal and spent nine months o5t of the year a6ay
from home. +hen they 6erenOt ha5ling gear 5p E<erest and other mo5ntains they 6ere g5iding
tre77ers or mo<ing s5pplies at lo6er altit5des. Most of the yo5nger porters 6anted to become
climbing Sherpas beca5se the money 6as better. The older porters seemed satisfied dri<ing
their ya7s in spite of the hardships. They told 5s stories abo5t falls and getting lost4 b5t the
most grim story 6as related at the end of the day by an old porter named '5l54 6ho 6as from
the same <illage 6here S5nBPo 6as born.
H'5l5 7ne6 S5nBPoOs mother 6ell and claimed to ha<e ta7en S5nBPo on his first ya7 ride 6hen he
6as a baby. The porters and Sherpas 6ere spread o5t o<er tho5sands of barren miles4 b5t there
al6ays seemed to be connections li7e this bet6een them.I
On the 6ay bac7 to camp SR said that '5l5Os story 6as compelling b5t he co5ldnOt 5se it in the
final doc5mentary. "o room. +hich is 6hy ! incl5de it here. H2incent ta5ght me that 6hat
ma7es a story 5ni=5e is not necessarily the information in the story b5t 6hat the 6riter
chooses to p5t in or lea<e o5t.I
+%E" '(L( 6as a yo5ng man he bo5ght a bea5tif5l ya7 b5ll from a distant <illage. !t had
ta7en him three years to sa<e the money for the b5ll4 6hich he planned to 5se to increase the
siNe of his small herd.
T!t 6as a long distance to the <illage 6here the ya7 6as being sold4T '5l5 said4 sha7ing his gray
head. TThe Chinese soldiers 6ere e<ery6here4 and it 6as dangero5s on the road. ! tra<eled at
night and hid in the hills d5ring the day so they did not rob or 7ill me.T
!t too7 him so long to get to the <illage that he 6as afraid the b5ll 6o5ld be gone 6hen he got
thereGeither sold to another b5yer or 7illed by the soldiers for food.
T,5t the b5ll 6as there4T he said4 Tand more magnificent than ! remembered. %is hair 6as as
dar7 as a moonless night4 his bac7 6as as straight as a floor timber and as broad as ! am tall.T
%e la5ghed. TThe o6ner regretted the price 6e had agreed 5pon and tried to raise it.T
They arg5ed for three days. !n the end '5l5 ga<e the o6ner all the money he had and a
promise to bring him the first t6o cal<es the b5ll prod5ced the follo6ing year.
T&ll of this too7 too long4T '5l5 eMplained. TThe 6eather had t5rned bad. To complicate things !
no6 had a ya7 6ith me that had been past5red for o<er a year 6ith <ery little eMercise. %e 6as
6ea7 in the legs from being penned. ! had to stop often for him to rest and eat. The other
diffic5lty 6as that ! had no money and ! myself had to sca<enge for food.T
%e decided the only 6ay he 6o5ld ma7e it home before he and the ya7 star<ed 6as to ta7e a
shortc5t thro5gh the mo5ntains. %e had heard abo5t the shortc5t b5t had ne<er tra<eled it.
T&t first the ro5te 6as good. !t 6as far eno5gh from the roads so that ! co5ld tra<el d5ring the
day 6itho5t fear of soldiers. Then the path started to rise. The 6eather 6orsened the higher 6e
climbed. The sno6 6as deep. ! sho5ld ha<e t5rned bac7...T %e grinned and shr5gged. T,5t ! 6as
yo5ng and foolish and ! contin5ed to climb4 dri<ing the b5ll before me.T
They reached the shortc5tOs s5mmit and started do6n the other side4 '5l5 confident no6 that
he and the b5ll 6ere going to ma7e it home safely. ,5t as he 6as loo7ing for a place to sleep an
a<alanche roared do6n the mo5ntain and b5ried him ali<e.
T! 6as so cold4T '5l5 said 6ith a sh5dder. TMore cold than ! had e<er been in my life4 before or
since. ! remember thin7ing ho6 5nfair it 6as that the a<alanche hadnOt 7illed me 6hen it str5c7.
! 6aited for death in that cold dar7 place4 6ondering ho6 long it 6o5ld be. &fter a 6hile ! felt a
t5gging on my right arm li7e a fish nibbling on bait. &t first ! didnOt 7no6 6hat it 6as4 then !
remembered the b5ll. +hen 6e reached the s5mmit ! had p5t a rope aro5nd his nec7 to 7eep
him close. !t 6asnOt a long rope4 t6o meters4 maybe a little shorter. %e 6as close4 and he 6as
ali<e4 b5t 6as he abo<e me or belo6Q The sno6 6as so tight aro5nd me ! didnOt 7no6 if ! 6as
facedo6n or face5p. ! co5ld ha<e been standing on my feet for all ! 7ne64 or 5pside do6n on
my head.T
+e all la5ghed4 b5t being b5ried ali<e isnOt f5nny.
T! am not s5re 6hy4T '5l5 contin5ed4 Tb5t it seemed important to reach the b5ll. To to5ch him
one last time. To apologiNe for ta7ing him from the safety of his past5re. ! started to p5ll myself
along the rope. !t 6as slo6 and painf5l 6or7. The farther ! got 5p the rope4 the harder the ya7
p5lledGsometimes smashing my face into the ice before ! co5ld clear it a6ay. Perhaps the b5ll
is free4 ! tho5ght4 standing on the s5rface4 tethered by the man beneath. ! finally bro7e thro5gh4
gasping for breath. The b5ll 6as on the s5rface4 b5t he 6as not standing.
T&s ! eMamined him he 7ic7ed me se<eral times4 b5t ! 6as so n5mb ! barely felt it. My bea5tif5l
b5ll had t6o bro7en legs. ! felt shards of bone stic7ing thro5gh his flesh. There 6as only one
thing to do. ! 5nsheathed my 7nife and c5t his throat.T
The b5ll too7 a long time to bleed o5t. '5l5 6atched 6ith tears freeNing to his chee7s. Three
years of hard 6or7 and sacrifice lay at his feet bleeding into the sno6.
T,5t there 6as no time for sorro64T he told 5s. T! had to get bac7 to my <illage. !f ! didnOt4 my
family 6o5ld ha<e to pay the debt of the t6o cal<es. ,5t first ! had to s5r<i<e the night.T
%e slit the ya7 open4 p5lled his g5ts o5t onto the sno64 then climbed into the body ca<ity to
6arm himself.
TEarly the neMt morning my sleep 6as interr5pted by a <iolent sha7ing. ! tho5ght the ya7 6as
slipping do6n the mo5ntain. ! p5t my head o5tside the carcass4 and ! donOt 7no6 6ho 6as more
s5rprised3 ! or the bear p5lling my precio5s b5ll do6n the mo5ntainside.
T!t reared 5p on its hind feet and let o5t a heartBstopping bello6 that shoo7 e<ery bone in my
body. ! 6as certain ! 6o5ld be eaten. ,5t ! 6as sa<ed by the Chinese army.T
)o5r soldiers had been trac7ing the bear and ca5ght 5p to it P5st as it bello6ed. They fired and
missed4 b5t the b5llets 6ere eno5gh to frighten the bear a6ay. !t l5mbered 5p the slope and
disappeared into the trees.
T&ll ! had to do no6 6as contend 6ith the soldiers4T '5l5 said. T,5t ! didnOt thin7 this 6o5ld be
a problem. ! had no money. !f they 6anted the ya7 for food they 6ere 6elcome to it.
T&s they reached the carcass4 ! cra6led o5t from my bloody shelter. +hen they sa6 me4 the
soldiers screamed li7e frightened children and thre6 do6n their rifles. ,efore ! co5ld spea7
they ran a6ay.T
&fter '5l5 ret5rned home he heard a r5mor abo5t fo5r soldiers coming across a yeti feeding on
a ya7. & fe6 6ee7s later there 6as a story abo5t a co6 gi<ing birth to a f5llBgro6n man.
T%o6 did yo5 pay for the cal<esQT SR as7ed.
'5l5 smiled. T! sold the soldiersO rifles. There 6as eno5gh money to pay for the cal<es and to
b5y a ne6 b5ll. %e 6as not nearly as magnificent as the one that ga<e birth to me4 b5t he 6as a
good breeder and increased my small herd tenfold.T
C&MP )O(R
LOP& RO(SED %OLL/ &"D ME o5t of o5r tents at s5nrise. &nother bea5tif5l day3 clear4 crisp4
t6entyBt6o degrees and risingG6hich meant 6eOd ha<e to pac7 o5r cold 6eather gear on o5r
bac7s instead of 6earing it. To ma7e things 6orse4 Lopa ga<e each of 5s a pile of S5nBPoOs gear
to ha5l 5p to the first camp.
%ollyOs share 6as a lot smaller than my share. She finished repac7ing =5ic7ly and left for the
mess tent. !t too7 me fortyBfi<e min5tes to reorganiNe 6hat !Od pac7ed the night before. ! 6as
slo6ed do6n by my ill feelings to6ard S5nBPo and Lopa. ! co5ldnOt belie<e it. "ot only had Lopa
ta7en my gear and gi<en it to S5nBPo4 b5t no6 ! had to ha5l it 5p the mo5ntain for him. !t
seemed that he 6as doing e<erything in his po6er to ma7e s5re ! 6as too 6ea7 to get to the
top.
+hen ! finally finished my pac7 6as fifteen po5nds hea<ier than it 6as for my first time 5p to
&,C. "ot good. One po5nd can ma7e a h5ge difference at this altit5de. ! 6as trying to decide
6hat to lea<e behind 6hen Captain She7 6al7ed 5p.
T/o5 try for s5mmitQT he demanded.
%e 6as o5t of 5niform4 dressed li7e a climber4 6hich is probably 6hy ! didnOt notice him
snea7ing 5p on me.
T"ot today4T ! said.
T%o6 old yo5QT
%e m5st ha<e been 6atching and had 6aited to catch me alone li7e this.
T%o6 old yo5QT he repeated aggressi<ely.
Tric7 =5estion. %eOd seen my passport. %e 7ne6 eMactly ho6 old ! 6as. %e 6anted me to lie. !
told him the tr5th.
T+here other boyQT
(hBoh.
T+hoQT !Om a terrible liar.
T,oy yo5 climb mo5ntain 6ith last 6ee7. ,oy yo5 6al7 6ith in camp. /o5 and he good friends.T
Captain She7Os English 6as a little ro5gh4 b5t the sarcasm 6as crystal clear. %e had 6atched 5s
6al7ing aro5nd camp. %e had seen 5s head 5p the mo5ntain to &,C.
TOh4 him4T ! said st5pidly. T! ha<enOt seen him in a co5ple days.T
T+here he goQT
! shr5gged.
T/o5 lying to meRT
H&pparently ! co5ldnOt e<en shr5g a lie.I
T! 7ic7 yo5 off mo5ntain if yo5 lie.T
T'o ahead4T ! said4 Nipping my pac7 closed. Probably not the brightest thing to say4 b5t !Od had
abo5t eno5gh of Captain She7 and e<erything else on E<erest.
%e loo7ed li7e he 6as abo5t to eMplode. ! donOt thin7 he 6as 5sed to ha<ing a fo5rteenByearBold
call his bl5ff. %e raised his arm4 and for a second ! tho5ght he 6as going to hit me4 b5t then he
smiled as if he realiNed the TThis is the PeopleOs Rep5blic of China4 yo5 ha<e no rightsT thing
6asnOt going to 6or7 6ith me.
T+hat is other boyOs nameQT he as7ed in a m5ch more reasonable tone.
T%e didnOt say.T ! pic7ed 5p my pac7.
T! 6atching yo5.T
! 6al7ed a6ay feeling his eyes drilling into the bac7 of my nec74 pro5d of myself for not e<en
thin7ing abo5t ratting o5t S5nBPo.
&s soon as ! fo5nd Lopa ! told him abo5t the con<ersation. %e 6as a lot calmer abo5t it than !
6as4 saying that Captain She7 6as the least of o5r problems.
T!n a fe6 days yo5 6ill be at Camp )o5r4T he said. TThis is all yo5 need to 6orry abo5t.T
!t t5rned o5t that he 6as right.
+E SO!"ED & SM&LL 'RO(P of porters and their ya7s heading 5p the mo5ntain. S5nBPo 6as
not 6ith them. +hen ! as7ed Lopa abo5t this he said4 T%e 6ill be along.T
The trip 5p to !ntermediate Camp 6as a lot easier than the first time. ! 6asnOt able to sing and
chant 6ith the porters4 b5t ! 6as able to tal7 as ! 6al7ed4 6hich 6as a big impro<ement. ! e<en
managed to 5se the tiny <ideo camera and disco<ered that ! 6as a lot more comfortable behind
it than ! 6as in front of it.
The landscape had changed dramatically from the pre<io5s 6ee7. The 6arm 6eather had
created se<eral ne6 streams of glacial r5noff. !t 6as diffic5lt to find places to cross 6itho5t
drenching o5rsel<es. The other problem 6as the roc7s. The tha6 6as ca5sing them to pop
loose from the ice. !t 6as li7e the glacier 6as a bo6ling lane and 6e 6ere the pins. One of the
porters and his ya7 got hit by a large roc7 and had to ret5rn to ,ase Camp.
TDid yo5 get the stri7e on tapeQT Sac7 as7ed.
T(h4 no.T
%e s6ore.
! spent most of the trip 6ith %olly4 6ho 6asnOt doing that 6ell H! thin7 beca5se she 6as carrying
her o6n pac7I. ! offered to l5g it for a 6hile4 b5t she insisted on carrying it herself Hfor 6hich !
6as relie<edI.
She said she 6as thin7ing abo5t heading home after 6e got do6n from Camp )o5r and 6anted
to 7no6 if ! 6o5ld gi<e her an eMcl5si<e inter<ie6 after ! got do6n from the s5mmit.
T/o5Ore going to =5itQT
TReaching the s5mmit of E<erest 6as not on my toBdo list this year. !f it had been4 ! might ha<e
done some practice climbs and <isited the gym a little more leading 5p to this. Or maybe e<en
climbed a s7yscraper or t6o.T She grinned and pointed at the pea7. The clo5ds had cleared
eno5gh for 5s to see the <ery top. T! donOt 7no6 if yo5O<e noticed4 b5t thatOs one of the most
da5nting sights on earth.T
T/o5 donOt stri7e me as easily da5nted.T
T/eah4 6ell...T She too7 a deep breath. T!O<e learned a co5ple things abo5t myself 5p here. One4
!Om getting older. &nd t6o...T She too7 another deep breath. TThis mo5ntain is a lot bigger than
! am. !tOs h5mbling. The tr5th is !O<e had time to do some thin7ing. ! canOt tell yo5 ho6 long itOs
been since !O<e been alone. ThatOs been h5mbling4 too. Pierre and Ralph ta7ing off 6as probably
the best thing that e<er happened to me.T
,eing in a camp 6ith o<er three h5ndred people is not eMactly being alone. ,5t ! 7ne6 6hat she
meant. /o5 donOt ha<e to be alone to feel alone.
T+hat abo5t that inter<ie6QT she as7ed again.
!Od been doing some thin7ing4 too. T+eOll see4T ! said.
! co5ld tell that %olly 6anted to arg5e4 b5t she 6as too o5t of breath to p5rs5e it.
She and ! straggled into camp after e<eryone else and 6e 6ere both s5rprised to see S5nBPo
sitting on a roc7 6ith a c5p of hot tea in his hands4 loo7ing a little r5mpled in his porter clothes.
T+hen did yo5 get hereQT
T& half ho5r ago.T
T/o5 left ahead of 5sQT
T"o4T he said4 T! left the same time that yo5 left.T
! tho5ght he 6as p5lling my leg. There had been a doNen or so porters and maybe half that
n5mber of ya7s. ! co5ldnOt ha<e missed him.
T! rode on '5l5Os ya7.T
T/eah4 right4T ! said. T+hen yo5 6ere a baby.T ! had 6al7ed 6ith '5l5 some on the 6ay 5p. The
only thing !Od seen on his ya7Os bac7 6as a pile of hay.
T"o4T S5nBPo insisted. T! 6as concealed beneath the hay.T
T/o5Ore 7iddingQT
%e shoo7 his head. T!t 6as hot and 5ncomfortable.T
! told him abo5t Captain She7.
& 6orried loo7 crossed his face. TThat means !Oll ha<e to go 5p the mo5ntain again on the ya7.
!Om not loo7ing for6ard to that. Than7 yo5 for carrying my things 5p here.T
! 6ished he 6asnOt al6ays so polite. !t 6o5ld be easier to be mad at him. T"o problem4T ! said4
and realiNed that the eMtra 6eight hadnOt been a problem. That 6as enco5raging.
! loo7ed aro5nd camp. !t had not impro<ed in the past 6ee7. The bo5lderBbelching slope loo7ed
e<en more 5nstable than the last time 6e had been here. Lopa 6as loo7ing at the slope4 too4
sha7ing his head.
T+e cannot camp here tonight4T he said. T+e 6ill go farther 5p.T
! didnOt recall any6here to camp farther 5p4 and ! 6as right. %e stopped 5s abo5t a tho5sand
feet abo<e the collapsing 6all and had 5s car<e sleeping platforms into the ice. !t too7 ho5rs4
and it 6as eMha5sting 6or7 at that altit5de4 b5t ! 6as happy to do it. &nything 6as better than
sleeping 5nder the 6all.
The neMt morning the cold 6as bac74 6hich 6as good beca5se it lessened the chances of
a<alanches. On the 6ay to Camp T6o 6e heard o<er the radio that there 6ere three climbing
parties mo<ing 5p to Camp )i<e. They 6ere going to ma7e a s5mmit attempt the follo6ing day.
'5l5 6as concerned beca5se they had ta7en only one load of oMygen tan7s to Camp )i<e. Lopa
radioed Sosh.
T! heard4T Sosh said. T!diots. "one of them are f5lly acclimated. This is only their second time
abo<e Camp )o5r. &s far as the tan7s go4 some of them are going to try to get to the top
6itho5t s5pplemental Os. So there sho5ld be eno5gh for those 6ho need it.T
T!f the 6eather holds4T Lopa said.
T! tal7ed to them abo5t that4 b5t their concern is that there 6onOt be another good 6eather
6indo6. "othing 6e can do abo5t it. &fter they get to Camp )i<e theyOre on their o6n.T
+hat he meant by this is that abo<e Camp )i<e there is little chance for resc5e. The air is too
thin for a helicopter and at that altit5de e<eryone is too o5t of it to help anyone b5t
themsel<es. !f yo5 die abo<e Camp )i<e yo5r corpse stays there fore<er.
TOh4T Sosh said4 Tone more thing. Captain She7 has been as7ing aro5nd abo5t a Sherpa boy.
Says he thin7s he came 5p on the tr5c7 6ith yo5.T
TS5nBPo4T Lopa said. T%e left a fe6 days ago to go bac7 to school. %e P5st came 5p for the ride.T
T!Oll pass that on to the captain.T
This part of the con<ersation 6as ob<io5sly completely planned for Captain She7Os benefit. The
only problem no6 6as that if the captain ca5ght sight of S5nBPo again4 Lopa 6as going to be in
tro5ble4 too.
TE<erything else o7ayQT Sosh as7ed.
T/es. +e are all fine.T
T!Oll chec7 in later.T
Lopa signed off and SR pointed his <ideo camera at Lopa. TDo yo5 thin7 those climbers 6ill
ma7e it to the s5mmitQT
TPerhaps4T Lopa said. T,5t it is too early in the season. !f they ma7e it4 others 6ill try and some
of them 6ill die. There are no shortc5ts to the top of Sagarmatha.T
,y the time 6e reached &,C the follo6ing afternoon 6e 6ere all eMha5sted4 especially S5nBPo4
6ho 6as still feeling the effects of his recent illness. !n a role re<ersal from o5r last time at &,C4
! made dinner for 5s 6hile he lay in his sleeping bag. !Od li7e to say that ! felt sorry for him4 b5t
the tr5th is that ! didnOt. ! 6as still resentf5l abo5t his horning in on my climb.
&fter 6e ate ! 6ent o5tside and fo5nd the porters and Sherpas sorting thro5gh the gear they
6ere going to ha5l 5p to Camp )i<e.
Lopa eMplained that the ya7s co5ld not go m5ch past &,C. The Sherpas 6o5ld carry the gear on
their bac7s to camps )o5r4 )i<e4 and SiM and establish camps a fe6 days before 6e made o5r
s5mmit attempt. !n the meantime a co5ple of them 6o5ld stay at &,C to g5ard o5r st5ff.
TPeople 6o5ld steal itQT ! said.
T!t has happened4T Lopa said. T"ot all eMpeditions are as 6ell e=5ipped or f5nded as yo5r
fatherOs. Some climbers come to the mo5ntain 6ith nothing more than 6hat they can carry4
and sometimes they borro6 e=5ipment they find along the 6ay.T
The neMt morning he had 5s lighten o5r pac7s4 carrying only 6hat 6e needed for a night at
Camp )o5r4 6hich 6as a good thing beca5se4 three ho5rs abo<e &,C4 6e reached the foot of
the Col4 6hich is basically a pass bet6een t6o pea7s.
!t 6as clear 6hy the Col 6as a dead end for the ya7s. The 6all leading 5p to the pass 6as
enormo5s. &nd from the base it loo7ed terrifyingly 5nstable. %alf of the 6all 6as smooth4
ro5nded off by strong 6inds4 gi<ing it the loo7 of soft ice cream. The other half 6as made o5t of
nasty seracs Hor ice to6ersI that loo7ed li7e giant Pagged teeth. !f !Od had eno5gh breath the
sight 6o5ld ha<e ta7en it a6ay. ! loo7ed at my altimeter 6atch3 ;4999 meters or ..4C?D feet.
%olly slogged 5p and rested her hands on her 7nees before loo7ing 5p at the terrible 6all.
T"o ... gasp ... 6ay4T she said.
! agreed.
/ogi and /ash 6al7ed 5p neMt4 fro6ning and sha7ing their heads. Lopa and S5nBPo arri<ed last.
Lopa 6as carrying S5nBPoOs pac7. S5nBPo loo7ed really bad. +hen he sa6 the 6all his face filled
6ith dread. ! almost felt sorry for him.
T!magine 6hat it 6as li7e t6o days ago 6hen it 6as tha6ing4T Lopa said.
!t 6as a good point. Three teams had made it 5p to the Col in 6orse conditions than this.
The first stage 6as the hardest. !t 6as 5p a steep pitch of soft ice. Sherpas had c5t steps into
the ice and there 6ere fiMed ropes4 b5t the ice 6as slic7 and the ropes 6ere still coated 6ith ice
beca5se 6e 6ere the first 5p that day.
+e fell into an agoniNing rhythm. Slide the P5mar 5p the rope. H& P5mar is a mechanical
ascender 6ith a handle that slides 5p the rope and grabs on so yo5 ha<e something to hold on
to as yo5 p5ll yo5rself 5p.I Step4 breathe4 P5mar4 step ... Three ho5rs later it 6as more li7e3
P5mar4 thin74 loo7 5p4 thin7 again4 step4 rest4 rest4 rest4 h5g the 6all4 pray ... as a ch5n7 of ice
the siNe of a %5mmer fell past4 crashing belo64 follo6ed by the so5nd of o5r leaders4 /ogi and
/ash4 la5ghing. Real f5nny. They 6ere brea7ing a6ay the loose ice along o5r ro5te so it
6o5ldnOt 5neMpectedly peel 5s off the 6all or 7noc7 o5r heads o5t of o5r b5ttsGhelmet and all.
! 6as neMt in line follo6ed by the film cre64 %olly4 S5nBPo4 and Lopa. The climb 6as anything b5t
=5iet 6ith the brothers sho5ting T!ceRT and Lopa sho5ting T)asterRT
)o5r ho5rs after 6e started 5p ! reached the steepest pitch. )ifty feet. !t might as 6ell ha<e
been fifty miles. My arms and legs 6ere n5mb and <irt5ally 5seless4 b5t the 6orst part 6as the
air. There 6asnOt any. Or so it seemed. Each breath seemed to yield only a thimblef5l of
precio5s oMygen. Maybe eno5gh to 7eep a bird ali<e4 b5t not eno5gh for an eMha5sted
fo5rteenByearBold climber. Dr. +oo had been 6rong. There 6as something the matter 6ith me.
/ogi and /ash 6ere already on top. One of them 6as manning the ropes and ! hoped the other
one 6as boiling sno6 at Camp )o5r. +e 6o5ld all need a steaming c5p of tea 6hen 6e got
there. !f 6e got there.
%olly4 S5nBPo4 and Lopa had dropped farther behind4 b5t ! co5ld still hear Lopa sho5ting at them
to mo<e faster.
! 6as abo5t ready to gi<e 5p and head bac7 do6n and go home 6hen SR came 5p behind me.
%e loo7ed terrible. %is beard and goggles 6ere co<ered 6ith ice. !t 6as a 6onder he co5ld see
6here he 6as going.
TThan7s for 6aiting4T he rasped. T! need to film yo5 arri<ing. 'i<e me a co5ple of min5tesO head
start to set the shot.T
! didnOt ha<e eno5gh breath to tell him that ! hadnOt been 6aiting. ! loo7ed at my 6atch4 and by
the time ! fig5red o5t 6hat time it 6as4 SR 6as already se<eral feet abo<e me. +itho5t act5ally
thin7ing abo5t it ! started 5p behind him.
&n ho5r later4 6hen ! finally reached the top4 /ogi ha5led me o<er the edge by my bac7pac74
6hich ! 6as s5re 6as not the shot SR 6anted. /ogiOs assist reminded me that se<en 6ee7s ago
to the day a cop had done the same thing to me on the top of the +ool6orth ,5ilding. !Od come
a long 6ay and it felt li7e it. ! spent a good ten min5tes on my 7nees trying to catch my breath
5ntil it da6ned on me HagainI that at this altit5de there 6as no breath to catch. +ith diffic5lty !
got to my feet and st5mbled o<er to 6here /ash 6as trying to boil 6ater.
Camp )o5r 6as tiny4 and to ma7e it 6orse4 there 6as a gaping cre<asse r5nning beneath the
crest4 6hich !Od read 6as getting 6ider e<ery year. Some belie<ed that one of these days
Hhopef5lly not todayI the 6hole thing 6o5ld collapse and climbers 6o5ld ha<e to de<ise a ne6
ro5te 5p the north side.
! loo7ed to6ard the s5mmit4 6hich 6as shro5ded in gray mist4 b5t ! co5ld see eno5gh to pic7
o5t the ro5te along the north ridge and across the north face to the pyramid. !t seemed li7e a
<ery long 6ay from 6here /ash and ! 6ere s=5atting.
! co5ldnOt imagine the three climbing parties trying for the top feeling li7e ! did. My ribs ached
from trying to get eno5gh Os into my l5ngs to s5r<i<e. ! 7ne6 that Lopa 6as carrying at least
t6o tan7s in case of emergency and ! s5spected that /ogi and /ash had a co5ple stashed as
6ell. Sherpas do not climb 6itho5t loads. )or them that 6o5ld be a 6aste of effort. ! tho5ght
abo5t begging /ash for a hit off the tan74 b5t resisted the 5rge4 7no6ing it 6o5ld defeat the
p5rpose of the climb. !nstead4 ! started to p5t together my tent4 6hich seemed a lot more
complicated than it had at &,C the day before.
Sac7 and +ill came o<er the top neMt. +ill spent a good ten min5tes on his hands and 7nees
p57ing. HSR did not film this.I
)ortyBfi<e min5tes later ! 6as still 6or7ing on the tent 6hen /ogi ha5led %olly o<er the edge4
follo6ed by S5nBPo and Lopa.
Lopa 6as sha7ing his head in disg5st m5ttering4 TToo slo64 too slo64 too slo6...T %e bent do6n
to the t6o slo6po7es. T!f yo5 climb li7e that abo<e here yo5 can forget the s5mmit.T
%olly and S5nBPo 6ere o5t of it and didnOt appear to ha<e the slightest idea of 6hat he 6as
saying. ! tho5ght he 6as being pretty harsh considering %ollyOs lac7 of conditioning and S5nBPoOs
recent sic7ness. %e came o<er to 6here ! 6as str5ggling 6ith the tent and ! tho5ght4 here it
comes4 b5t instead he patted me on the bac7.
T/o5 did good4T he said. T/o5 ha<e a chance.T
That 6as li7e a 6hole tan7 of Os flo6ing into my bloodstream. Maybe he 6asnOt going to try to
stop me from getting to the s5mmit.
S5ddenly4 the tent made complete sense. ! had it together in less than fi<e min5tes. ! got
e<erything 5npac7ed4 the pads and sleeping bags spread o5t4 then ! started in on %ollyOs tent as
she and S5nBPo 6atched thro5gh d5ll4 lifeless eyes.
The b5rst of energy cost me. &s soon as ! finished4 it 6as all ! co5ld do to get to my feet. Lopa
bro5ght o<er three m5gs of tea and made 5s drin7 them do6n.
T'et yo5r sto<es going4T he said. T! 7no6 yo5 are not h5ngry4 b5t yo5 ha<e to eat and drin7.T %e
loo7ed 5p at the s7y. T!tOs going to sno6 tonight.T
&RREST
LOP&4 T%E +E&T%ER MO"4 6as right. "eMt morning3 t6o feet of ne6 sno6.
S5nBPo and ! probably didnOt get three ho5rs of sleep bet6een 5s. %e m5st ha<e been feeling
better4 tho5gh4 beca5se he groggily offered to start the sto<e. The process sometimes ta7es ten
or fifteen min5tes beca5se there isnOt eno5gh oMygen to 7eep the flame going on the gas lighter
long eno5gh to light the sto<e.
! cra6led o5t 6ith o5r pan to collect some sno6 to melt and sa6 Lopa4 the Sherpa brothers4
and the film cre6 6ere already 5p. &nd it 6as ob<io5s from the steam coming off their pan of
6ater that they had been 5p for =5ite a 6hile. Lopa 6as tal7ing on the radio. That co5ld mean
only one thing this early in the morning. Someone 6as in tro5ble. ! glanced to6ard the s5mmit
thro5gh the s6irling sno6. !f it 6as this bad do6n here4 it 6as m5ch 6orse 5p there.
T/ogi and /ash 6ill stay here at Camp )o5r4T Lopa 6as saying. T!f the 6eather brea7s they 6ill
try to get oMygen 5p to Camp )i<e.T
T!Om not s5re 6e can get them do6n to Camp )i<e4T a sha7y 'ermanBaccented <oice said.
T/o5 m5stRT Lopa said forcef5lly. TThere is no chance of resc5e at Camp )i<e or SiM. !n this
6eather yo5 6ill ha<e to come do6n to Camp )o5r. /o5 m5st lea<e Camp SiM as soon as yo5
can. Do yo5 5nderstandQT
This 6as follo6ed by a long silence4 then a disco5raged and =5iet4 T)a4 <erstehe ich.T
%e 5nderstood.
Lopa ga<e him a blessing in "epalese and signed off. T&re these the same 'ermans yo5 did the
p5Pa ceremony forQT ! as7ed.
Lopa nodded. TThe !talians are 5p there as 6ell.T
T+hatOs going onQT
TT6o cases of %&PE at Camp SiM4T SR ans6ered. TMaybe another mild case at Camp )i<e. T6o
climbers headed 5p to the s5mmit a little after midnight and ha<enOt been heard from since.T
!n this 6eather that meant they 6ere probably dead4 or hypothermic and close to death.
TMaybe 6e can go 5p to Camp )i<e 6ith /ogi and /ash and help4T ! said.
Lopa shoo7 his head. T/o5 and S5nBPo and Miss &ngelo need to get do6n to &,C. Other Sherpas
are coming 5p to help4 b5t 5ntil the climbers get to Camp )i<e there is nothing anyone can do.
&s soon as yo5 eat pac7 yo5r things. +e need to lea<e before the 6eather 6orsens.T
,eca5se of the sno6 and ice4 getting do6n the Col 6as 6orse than going 5pGand it 6asnOt
made any easier by thin7ing abo5t the climbers dying farther 5p the mo5ntain.
+e passed the Sherpas coming 5p to help. They 6ere loaded 6ith oMygen bottles and 'amo6
bags. Their plan 6as to get to Camp )o5r that afternoon. !f the 6eather didnOt hold them bac74
they 6o5ld head 5p the mo5ntain the follo6ing morning to help /ogi and /ash get 6hoe<er
had made it to Camp )i<e do6n to Camp )o5r. !f the 6eather bro7e4 a resc5e helicopter might
be able to get that high4 b5t e<en on the best day an airlift 6as dicey. !f the chopper co5ldnOt
ma7e it4 the Sherpas 6o5ld ha<e to get the climbers do6n to &,C as best they co5ld.
+e made it do6n to &,C in pretty good time in spite of the sno6. ! thin7 6hat dro<e 5s 6as o5r
eagerness to cra6l into o5r tents and sleep for t6o days. The camp 6as nearly empty. S5nBPo
6as still pretty 6ea74 b5t confident that he 6o5ld be better by the time 6e came 5p. ! 6as
beginning to feel a little less s5rly to6ard him. This probably had a lot to do 6ith LopaOs
compliment the night before. ! 6as pretty s5re they 6erenOt o5t to sabotage my climb.
The neMt morning the film cre6 members 6ere all <omiting. !t loo7ed li7e they had ca5ght the
same thing S5nBPo had. Lopa c5t their acclimatiNation short and arranged to ha<e them go do6n
to ,ase Camp 6ith another climbing party. "one of them complained.
T!Om going4 too4T %olly said.
Lopa shoo7 his head. T/o5 are fine. To complete the acclimatiNation yo5 6ill need to stay here
at least t6o days.T
She ga<e him a smile. T!tOs o<er for me4T she said. T! ha<e no desire to go higher than Camp
)o5r.T
T/o5 co5ld ma7e it to the s5mmit4T Lopa insisted.
She shoo7 her head4 and grinned. TToo slo6. !tOs not in me this year. ! appreciate all yo5O<e
done.T She shoo7 his hand4 then t5rned to me. T+hat abo5t that inter<ie6 after yo5 get to the
s5mmitQT
T! may not ma7e it to the s5mmit4T ! hedged.
T! thin7 yo5 6ill.T She loo7ed at S5nBPo. T%o6 abo5t yo5Q +ill yo5 gi<e me an eMcl5si<e
inter<ie6 after yo5 come do6nQT
T/es.T
! tho5ght he 6as being o<erly optimistic4 b5t ! didnOt say anything.
T!tOs a deal and yo5r grandfather is o5r 6itness4T %olly said. T!t means yo5 canOt tal7 to any
other print Po5rnalist 5ntil after yo5 tal7 to me.T
TCall yo5 in "e6 /or7 CityQT
T/es.T She 6rote do6n se<eral n5mbers. TDonOt lose them.T
,efore she left she ga<e me a h5g. ! didnOt mind this time. !n fact4 ! 6as going to miss her4 6hich
s5rprised me.
T!f yo5 e<er get bac7 to "e6/or74 Pea74 yo5Od better call.T
T! 6ill.T
&s they headed do6n4 SR stopped and sho5ted bac7 for me to remember to 5se the camera.
S5st before dar7 fi<e climbers Ht6o 'ermans4 three !taliansI and their Sherpas st5mbled into
&,C loo7ing li7e they had been b5ried ali<e. Most of them had frostbite someplace on their
bodiesGfingers4 toes4 ears4 noses. One of them had sno6 blindness and had been led into camp
by a rope tied aro5nd his 6aist.
There 6as no doctor in camp4 so Lopa and '5l5 H6ho had stayed behind 6ith his ya7 so he
co5ld snea7 S5nBPo bac7 into ,ase CampI did their best treating their inP5ries. +hen they
finished it 6as clear that three of the climbers 6ere not going to ma7e it do6n to ,ase Camp on
their o6n. The other t6o 'erman climbers 6ho had %&PE 6ere not going to ma7e it do6n at
all. They had died at Camp SiM t6o ho5rs after Lopa tal7ed to the distra5ght 'erman climber
the pre<io5s day. )o5r dead4 ass5ming the t6o climbers headed to the s5mmit didnOt ma7e it
H6hich 6as a pretty good ass5mption at that pointI.
!tOs hard to thin7 straight at that altit5de4 b5t ! had eno5gh feeling in my oMygenBstar<ed brain
to feel a little shame o<er the 6ay ! had been thin7ing abo5t S5nBPo. Climbing E<erest is not a
competition. !tOs life and death.
The s5r<i<ing climbers at Camp SiM headed do6n to Camp )i<e. /ogi and /ash 6ere helping
them ha5l the climber 6ith mild %&PE to Camp )o5r. Those 6ho co5ld 6o5ld ha<e to ma7e
their 6ay to &,C the neMt day.
Lopa radioed Sosh and told him 6hat 6as going on.
T+e ha<e a chopper here 6ith a Chinese pilot 6illing to ta7e a ris74T Sosh said. T,5t the 6eather
is going to ha<e to get a lot better 5p there before he can gi<e it a shot. Do yo5 thin7 it might
clear before dar7QT
Lopa did not ha<e to loo7. 2isibility 6as do6n to abo5t t6enty feet. T"egati<e4T he ans6ered.
TThen 6eOll ha<e to 6ait 5ntil tomorro6. &ny idea 6hen the climbers from Camp )o5r 6ill ma7e
it do6n to &,CQT
T"o4 b5t 6e 6ill go 5p to meet them. Early afternoon4 ! hope.T
TThe chopperOs small4T Sosh said. T!t 6ill hold only fo5r people aside from the pilot and Captain
She7. /o5Oll ha<e to choose 6ho gets a ride and 6ho goes do6n on their o6n t6o feet.T
TCaptain She7 is coming 5pQT
TThatOs 6hat ! hear. %eOs still loo7ing for that 7id.T
T+hyQ The boy left. %e is certainly not 5p here.T
T! told She7 that4 b5t apparently he doesnOt belie<e it. %e searched the porter camp yesterday.
&nd today he has soldiers chec7ing e<eryone coming do6n to ,ase Camp.T
T! g5ess he can do 6hat he 6ants4T Lopa said4 b5t ! co5ld see he 6as 6orried.
So 6as S5nBPo. ! 6asnOt s5re ho6 they 6ere going to get him bac7 do6n to the porter camp.
'5l5Os ya7 had eaten its hay4 so there 6as nothing for S5nBPo to hide 5nder. Captain She7
chec7ing climbers 6as not good ne6s4 nor 6as his search of the porter camp.
T+e ha<e a lot of inP5red climbers 5p here4T Lopa contin5ed. T+e co5ld 5se the room in that
helicopter.T
T! 7no64T Sosh said. T!Oll tal7 to Captain She7 again. Maybe heOll realiNe that ta7ing 5p an empty
seat might be the death of a climber4 and the death 6o5ld be his fa5lt.T
!t 6as tr5e4 b5t the con<ersation 6as entirely for Captain She7Os benefit4 6ho 6as no do5bt
ea<esdropping.
T! hope so4T Lopa said4 then changed the s5bPect. TDid Miss &ngelo and the film cre6 get
do6nQT
TThey P5st arri<ed. %ollyOs pac7ing her gear. ThereOs a tr5c7 lea<ing tomorro6. To tell yo5 the
tr5th4 she made it farther 5p the mo5ntain than ! eMpected. DocOs ta7ing a loo7 at the film cre6
right no6. They barely made it into camp. &lmost e<erybody has the <ir5s do6n here. LeahOs
going craNy treating e<eryone. The chopper bro5ght in more antibiotics. )i<e more climbing
parties p5lled 5p sta7es this morning and left the mo5ntain4 sic7 as dogs. ! thin7 !Om getting it4
too. !f it 7eeps 5p no one is going to get to the s5mmit from this side.T
! hoped that 6hat !Od gotten o<er 6as the same <ir5s e<eryone else 6as getting no6 and that !
6o5ldnOt get it again. !Od ha<e to be caref5l 6hen ! got bac7 do6n. ! 6asnOt abo5t to ha<e a <ir5s
6rec7 my chances of getting to the s5mmit.
E&RL/ T%E "E-T MOR"!"' Lopa sent e<eryone do6n to ,ase Camp eMcept for the climber
6ith sno6 blindness and the man 6ith frostbitten feet. S5nBPo and '5l5 6ent 6ith them. S5nBPo
co5ldnOt <ery 6ell stay at &,C 6ith Captain She7 coming 5p. ! didnOt as7 ho6 they 6ere going to
get him to the porter camp4 b5t ! g5essed they 6o5ld 7eep him at one of the camps bet6een
&,C and ,ase Camp 5ntil Captain She7 ga<e 5p.
Lopa as7ed if ! 6anted to go4 too. ! did4 b5t ! told him !Od stay and help him 6ith the climbers
coming do6n from Camp )o5r.
The 6eather had bro7en d5ring the night. !t 6as still cold4 b5t the clo5ds had thinned and the
6ind had died do6n some. The climber 6ith mild %&PE had gotten 6orse d5ring the night and
they p5t him in a bag. This meant they 6o5ld not be able to bring him do6n the treachero5s ice
6all. The chopper 6o5ld ha<e to resc5e him at Camp )o5r.
O5r Pob 6as to help /ogi and /ash get the remaining climbers and Sherpas do6n to &,C as
=5ic7ly as possible. !f some of them needed to be flo6n to ,ase Camp they had to be ready to
go 6hen the chopper landed at &,C. There 6o5ld only be one flight.
+E TR&2ELED L!'%T and got to the base of the Col P5st as /ogi 6as coming do6n. %e said that
/ash 6as staying 6ith the inP5red climbers at Camp )o5r.
T%o6 manyQT Lopa as7ed.
TThree. T6o 6ith bad frostbite and the one 6ith %&PE.T
%e loo7ed 5p. TSome of those coming do6n co5ld also 5se a ride to ,ase Camp.T
There 6ere siM climbers all together4 eMha5sted b5t happy to get off the 6all. Lopa offered
them hits of oMygen4 6hich most of them gratef5lly too7. "o point in acclimatiNation no6. &fter
they got to ,ase Camp they 6o5ld be going home.
& half ho5r o5tside &,C the chopper fle6 o<er 5s on its 6ay 5p to Camp )o5r. Lopa h5rried
e<eryone along thin7ing the pilot 6o5ld not stay long after he landed at &,C.
!t t5rned o5t the stay 6as longer than eMpected.
The chopper landed ten min5tes after 6e arri<ed. Lopa pic7ed t6o of the most debilitated
climbers for the ride do6n and one bac75p in case Captain She7 had listened to reason and
stayed at ,ase Camp.
%e hadnOt.
%e stepped thro5gh the minibliNNard ca5sed by the rotors 6earing a f5ll 5niform incl5ding a
pistol. The pilot follo6ed behind him and loo7ed as 5nhappy as all of 5s did. %elicopters arenOt
designed to fly at that altit5de. !f the 6eather got 6orse it 6o5ldnOt be able to fly.
Captain She7 didnOt appear to be in any h5rry at all. %e cas5ally 6al7ed o<er to the mess tent
and loo7ed inside4 then smelled the pot of ste6 simmering on the gas sto<e li7e he 6as some
7ind of go5rmet.
T! 6ill see e<erybody papers4T he said.
%e had to be 7idding. !t 6as one thing to chec7 e<eryone coming off the mo5ntain4 b5t to do it
at .$4$?$ feet 6ith inP5red climbers 6aiting to be e<ac5ated 6as o5trageo5s. Se<eral of the
climbers let o5t a ho6l of protest despite the thin air and their condition.
T+hy 6o5ld 6e ha<e o5r bloody papers 5p hereQT
TThis is an emergencyR +e need to get the inP5red to ,ase CampRT
T&re yo5 craNyQT
Captain She7 seemed a little shoc7ed at the response4 and changed his tact. T+e search camp
before 6e lea<e4T he said4 ca5sing another <ocal o5tb5rst4 6hich he ignored.
%e and the pilot 6ent thro5gh all the tents Haltho5gh the pilot 6as clearly not happy abo5t the
d5tyI.
+hen they finished Captain She7 said4 T+e loo7ing for boy.T
E<eryone loo7ed at me.
T"ot that boy. "epal boy. Same age.T
T%e 6ent bac7 home o<er a 6ee7 ago4T Lopa said.
Captain She7 shoo7 his head. T! donOt thin7.T %e pointed at the chopper. T/o5 come 6ith me.T
T+e ha<e inP5red climbers4T Lopa said mildly. T!Oll chec7 in 6ith yo5 6hen ! get to ,ase Camp
tomorro6.T
T"o4T She7 said. T/o5 come 6ith me no6. ! arrest yo5.T
One of the 'erman climbers too7 a step to6ard the captain. %e 6as the team leader 6ho had
tal7ed to 5s from Camp SiM. %is name 6as Dietrich. %is face 6as bright red and it 6asnOt from
the cold. %e began sho5ting in 'erman4 6hich ! didnOt 5nderstand.
! donOt thin7 Captain She7 5nderstood4 either4 b5t he p5t his hand on his pistol.
Lopa stepped in front of Dietrich and said something to him in 'erman4 then t5rned to the pilot
and as7ed something in Chinese.
The pilot tho5ght abo5t it for a moment4 then ans6ered.
T%e thin7s he can ta7e fo5r climbers4T Lopa said.
There 6ere t6o additional climbers 6ho co5ld ha<e 5sed a ride4 b5t Dietrich relaMed a little and
ga<e a terse nod.
T+hat abo5t yo5QT ! as7ed Lopa.
Lopa shr5gged. T!tOs P5st a mis5nderstanding.T
%e and ! 7ne6 it 6as more than that. The =5estion 6as4 ho6 m5ch did Captain She7 7no6Q
T!Oll radio Sosh and tell him 6hatOs going on.T
T,e caref5l going do6n4T Lopa said. T/o5Oll ha<e to lea<e early and go slo6. &s7 Sosh to send
some Sherpas 5p to meet yo5 in case !Om detained longer than ! eMpect.T
Ten min5tes later they too7 off. ! radioed Sosh and told him abo5t LopaOs arrest.
TShe7Os a maniacRT he sho5ted. TThe Sherpas and porters do6n here are going to go n5ts 6hen
they find o5t.T
! 6ondered if Captain She7Os men 6o5ld pass this on to him. ! s5spected they 6o5ld. ! also
s5spected thatOs eMactly 6hy Sosh said it.
)&M!L/%!STOR/
T%E "E-T D&/ ! eMpected to see S5nBPo at one of the intermediate camps4 b5t he 6asnOt hiding
o5t in either one. This meant they had fig5red o5t a 6ay to get him do6n to the porter camp4
or else Captain She7 had gotten his hands on him. +hate<er his fate4 ! didnOt ha<e a lot of time
to 6orry abo5t it beca5se o5r trip do6n to ,ase Camp 6as a nightmare.
Once again the 6eather had 6armed 5p4 t5rning some of the glacial ri<ers into raging torrents.
!f 6eOd had boats and paddles instead of crampons and ice aMes 6e co5ld ha<e been do6n to
,ase Camp in min5tes.
,y the time 6e reached the first intermediate camp abo5t half o5r party 6as ready to gi<e 5p
and spend another night high on the mo5ntain.
T+e sho5ld p5sh on4T Dietrich 5rged them. T+e need to get the frostbite ta7en care of. +e can
be at ,ase Camp in three ho5rs.T
(nfort5nately4 no one else seemed to share his opinion Hincl5ding the other 'ermans on his
team4 6ho ! thin7 blamed him for their s5mmit fail5reI. They sat on roc7s staring at him d5lly as
if he had lost his mind. ,5t Dietrich 6as right. +e 6ere headed do6nhill. E<en 6ith their
inP5ries it 6o5ldnOt ta7e long to get to ,ase Camp. ! 7ne6 they 6ere tired and h5rting Hso 6as !I4
b5t spending another night at a cr5mmy camp this close to ,ase 6as st5pid. The Sherpas
appeared to be behind Dietrich $99 percent. "one of them had e<en sat do6n to rest.
T! thin7 Dietrich is right4T ! said.
One of the 'ermans la5ghed. T&h4 no6 6e ha<e a child telling 5s 6hat to do.T Some of the
others la5ghed 6ith him.
O5ch. ! sho5ld ha<e 7ept my mo5th sh5t. ! 6asnOt really in a position to tell them 6hat to do4
e<en if ! 6as right.
T+hatOs the matter 6ith all of yo5QT someone behind 5s sho5ted.
! t5rned aro5nd and 6as shoc7ed to see Sosh. &nd he 6asnOt alone.
T,ad 6eather coming in tonight4T Lopa added. T/o5 cannot stay here.T
Sosh 6as grinning4 b5t ! co5ld tell he 6asnOt feeling 6ell. %is eyes 6ere bloodshot and he loo7ed
pale and haggard. %e patted Dietrich on the bac7. TSorry abo5t the tro5ble 5p on the
mo5ntain.T
Dietrich loo7ed li7e he 6as abo5t ready to cry. ! 6asnOt s5re if it 6as from grief o<er the dead
climbers or relief that Sosh and Lopa had sho6n 5p to gi<e him a hand.
Sosh 6al7ed o<er to the sitting climbers. T!f 6e lea<e right no6 6e sho5ld be able to get do6n
before dar7. +e ha<e a team of doctors 6aiting to treat yo5. %ot food. 'et 5p. LetOs go.T
"o one 6as la5ghing at Sosh5a +ood. ! remembered 6hat my mother said abo5t there being
no one better than Sosh 6hen yo5 are at the end of yo5r rope. %e 6as ob<io5sly sic74 b5t here
he 6as enco5raging climbers 6ho 6erenOt e<en members of his o6n eMpedition.
Slo6ly4 one by one4 they started getting to their feet. Lopa too7 the lead 6ith Dietrich. Sosh and
! follo6ed behind.
T%o6 6as Camp )o5rQT he as7ed tiredly. T&ny problemsQT
T!t 6as hard4 b5t not as bad as ! tho5ght it 6o5ld be. My ribs h5rt from trying to get eno5gh
air.T
T"o 6orries. E<erybody goes thro5gh it. Lopa says yo5Ore ready for the s5mmit.T
!t 6as one thing for Lopa to gi<e me some 6ords of enco5ragement after a hard climb. !t 6as
another thing for him to tell Sosh that ! 6as ready to s5mmit. ! didnOt 7no6 6hat to say. &t that
point the s5mmit seemed li7e too big of a s5bPect to tac7le4 and maybe e<en bad l5c7 to tal7
abo5t. ! thin7 Sosh 7ne6 ho6 ! felt4 maybe better than ! did4 beca5se he didnOt say any more
abo5t it. The s=5irt of paranoia from a fe6 days before seemed to ha<e e<aporated.
T+hat happened 6ith Lopa and Captain She7QT ! as7ed.
T& minire<ol5tion. &s soon as the porters and Sherpas heard abo5t LopaOs arrest they all
gathered aro5nd She7Os head=5arters to hold a silent <igil. They 6ere there 6hen the chopper
landed. She7 tried to disperse them4 b5t they 6o5ldnOt b5dge. %e ha5led Lopa into the b5ilding4
hoping to o5t6ait them4 b5t that didnOt 6or7. TheyOd still be there if he hadnOt c5t Lopa loose.
%e had no choice b5t to let him go.T
T&nd S5nBPoQT
TThatOs the best part. She7 p5lled all the soldiers bac7 to head=5arters4 6hich made it easy to
snea7 S5nBPo bac7 into the porter camp. !f he hadnOt detained Lopa4 !Om not s5re ho6 6e 6o5ld
ha<e gotten S5nBPo off the mo5ntain. %e might ha<e had to stay at one of the intermediate
camps 5ntil he tried for the s5mmit.T
T+hy is Captain She7 so 6orried abo5t himQT
T! thin7 he 7no6s more abo5t 6hat 6eOre trying to do than heOs saying.T
T%o6Od he find o5tQT
Sosh shr5gged. T!tOs hard to 7eep a secret 5p here4 e<en if e<erybody 7eeps their mo5ths sh5t.
Spea7ing of 6hich...T %e slo6ed do6n. T/o5r mom called.T
The grin 6as gone. %is easygoing mood had completely changed.
T+hyOd yo5 6rite herQT he as7ed.
T,eca5se she 6rote to me4T ! said a little more belligerently than ! intended. H! g5ess my mood
had changed4 too.I Sosh loo7ed conf5sed.
! 7ne6 that one day !Od ha<e this con<ersation 6ith him4 b5t ! didnOt thin7 it 6o5ld be at .94999
feet 6ith him sic7 and me so tired ! co5ld barely lift my feet. ,5t ! g5ess there is no ideal time or
place for something li7e this.
T! tho5ght 6e had an agreement4T he said. T! tho5ght 6e 6ere going to let me handle yo5r
mother.T
TThere 6as no agreement4T ! said4 and ! didnOt thin7 anyone co5ld ThandleT my mother.
+e glared at each other.
TThe least yo5 co5ld ha<e done4T he said4 T6as to tell me that yo5 6rote her so ! 6asnOt
blindsided.T
TThe least yo5 co5ld ha<e done is to 6rite me bac7RT
T+hat the hell are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT
T! sent yo5 letters.T
T/o5 mean 6hen yo5 6ere a 7idQT
T/eah.T
TSoQT
T/o5 got the lettersQT ! sho5ted.
%e stopped and p5lled his goggles aro5nd his nec7. T/eah4 ! got yo5r letters. +hat does that
ha<e to do 6ith telling yo5r mother abo5t E<erestQT
TE<erything4T ! said.
%e didnOt get it and he didnOt seem to care. T+ell4 sheOs royally pissed off4T he said. T!t 6as all !
co5ld do to stop her from flying o<er here and yan7ing yo5 off the mo5ntain. &t least ! thin7 !
stopped her. She 6ants yo5 to call her as soon as yo5 get to ,ase Camp.T
T)ine4T ! said.
TShe insisted that ! ta7e yo5 to the top myself4 6hich scre6s 5p e<erything. !Om either going to
ha<e to go 6ith yo5 and S5nBPo4 or yo5Oll ha<e to Poin my team. +hich means there 6ill be a
long delay in yo5r s5mmit attempt beca5se it loo7s li7e 6eOll be the last team to go. !Om in no
shape to climb and neither is anyone else on the team.T
TL5c7y yo5 ha<e a bac75p in S5nBPo4T ! said. TEither 6ay yo5Oll get the yo5ngest climber in the
6orld to the s5mmit.T
T!s that 6hat this is abo5tQT he as7ed. T/o5Ore mad beca5se itOs not abo5t P5st yo5 anymoreQT
T!t 6as ne<er abo5t me4T ! said. T!tOs al6ays been abo5t yo5.T
! 6al7ed a6ay from him4 past the inP5red climbers4 past Dietrich4 past Lopa4 arri<ing bac7 at
,ase Camp a half ho5r before any of them. ! barged into %W4 grabbed the sat phone4 and
p5nched in the n5mber as ! stomped o<er to my tent. Mom ans6ered on the first ring.
TPea7.T
! got a little cho7ed 5p 6hen ! heard her <oice4 and it 6as a second or t6o before ! co5ld
respond.
T%i4 Mom.T
Silence. That 6ent on so long that ! tho5ght !Od lost the connection.
T/o5 sho5ld ha<e told me4T she finally said.
! 6as tempted to say that ! had told her in the Moles7ine4 b5t ! 7ne6 that 6o5ldnOt fly. TSorry4T !
said.
TThat didnOt so5nd <ery sincere4 b5t !Oll accept it. %o6Od yo5 do at Camp )o5rQT she as7ed
=5ietly.
! 6as shoc7ed at ho6 calm she 6as. T!t 6as hard4T ! ans6ered. T,5t !Om good.T
T/o5r ribs are o7ayQT
T& little sore4 b5t yeah4 theyOre fine. /o5Ore not madQT
T)5rio5s.T
That 6as more li7e it4 b5t she didnOt so5nd f5rio5s. TSosh told me yo5 6ere sic7.T
T!Om o<er it4 b5t a lot of the others ha<e it no6.T H!ncl5ding Sosh4 b5t ! didnOt tell her that.I
T! 7no64T she said. TSince ! got yo5r Po5rnal !O<e been s5rfing the E<erest 6ebsites. Loo7s li7e a
lot of climbers are lea<ing the mo5ntain. ! also read abo5t the deaths at Camp SiM.T
T! 6al7ed do6n the mo5ntain today 6ith the 'erman team leader4T ! told her. T%is name is
Dietrich.T
T&nd ho6 is heQT
T! donOt 7no6 ... de<astated4 ! g5ess.T
T&nd ho6 are yo5QT
T+hat do yo5 meanQT
T+ell4 fo5r people died less than a mile a6ay from yo54T she said4 so5nding a little more li7e my
mother. T&ny tho5ghts on thatQ )eelingsQ ReactionQT
! didnOt 7no6 6hat to say. T! feel badT didnOt =5ite c5t it. Mom 6as P5st getting 6armed 5p.
T)o5r people died on the mo5ntain. %5man beings4 Pea74 6ith mothers4 fathers4 brothers4
sisters4 children4 6i<es4 h5sbands4 girlfriends4 boyfriends sitting at home 6orrying abo5t them.
,y no6 theyO<e gotten a phone call or an eBmail 6ith the bad ne6s. OSorry4 yo5r
h5sband>6ife>da5ghter isnOt coming home. "o4 6e canOt retrie<e a body abo<e Camp )o5r. !tOs
too dangero5s...OT
! reached my tent and climbed inside.
TLet me as7 yo5 a =5estion4T she said.
T'o ahead.T
TDo yo5 thin7 yo5Ore a better climber than the fo5r 6ho diedQT
T"o.T
TDo yo5 thin7 yo5Ore l5c7ier than they 6ereQT
T! g5ess4T ! said. T!Om ali<e.T
TThatOs not 6hat !Om getting at.T
T/o5Ore saying that the same thing co5ld happen to me.T
T/o5Ore not on the 6all in bac7 of o5r cabin or at a climbing camp. /o5Ore on E<erest. People die
5p there4 Pea7. /o5 might die.T
TThe g5ys 6ho died 6erenOt acclimatiNed4T ! protested. TThey sho5ld ha<e 6aited. They sa6 a
brea7 in the 6eather and got s5mmit fe<er. They made a mista7e.T
T/o5 thin7 that means anything to those 6ho 6ere 6aiting at home for themQT
! loo7ed 5p at the dra6ings that the t6o Peas had sent.
T+ellQT Mom persisted.
One of the dra6ings 6as a stic7 fig5re clinging to a s7yscraper 6ith a helicopter ho<ering
o<erhead. S5st abo<e the stic7 fig5re 6as a little bl5e mo5ntain.
T!Om trying for the s5mmit4T ! said. T!O<e gone thro5gh too m5ch to gi<e 5p no6.T
This 6as follo6ed by a longer silence than the first.
T! 6ish yo5 6o5ldnOt do it4 Pea74 b5t !Om not s5rprised by the decision. ! 7no6 6hat ! 6o5ld
ha<e said to my mother if ! 6ere on E<erest getting ready for the climb of my life.T
She rarely tal7ed abo5t her parents. They still li<ed in "ebras7a and ! had met them only t6ice.
!t 6asnOt m5ch f5n either time. They didnOt appro<e of Mom4 me4 Sosh4 Rolf4 or e<en the t6o
Peas. Mom had left home right after high school and ne<er li<ed there again.
T!Oll be caref5l4T ! said.
T"o one climbs a mo5ntain thin7ing theyOre not coming bac7 do6n.T
T%o6 are the t6o PeasQT ! as7ed. T/o5Ore changing the s5bPect.T
T/eah.T
Mom sighed. T%ang on a min5te.T
&bo5t thirty seconds later the sat phone earpiece 6as filled 6ith a pair of screaming4 giggling
siMByearBolds.
T+here are yo5QT
T+hen are yo5 coming homeQT
T! miss yo5RT
T"o4 ! miss yo5RT
TDid yo5 get o5r lettersQT
TMommy 6as mad at yo5.T
T&re yo5 coming home for o5r birthdayQT
This 6ent on for a 6hile and ! P5st listened 6ith a big st5pid grin on my face. (ntil ! heard them4
! hadnOt realiNed ho6 m5ch ! missed them.
Mom finally too7 the phone a6ay from them. TO7ay4 o7ay4T she said. T/o5 ha<e to let Pea7
ans6er yo5r =5estions. !Om going to p5t him on spea7erphone. /o5 t6o are going to sit there
=5ietly. !f yo5 ma7e one so5nd4 the phone callOs o<er.T
! heard a clic7.
T! miss yo54 too4T ! said. T!Om on a big mo5ntain called E<erest. !n a co5ntry called Tibet. ! ha<e
yo5r dra6ing hanging 5p in my tent. !Om loo7ing at it right no6. !Om not s5re if !Om going to be
there for o5r birthday or not. ! ha<e to get to the top of the mo5ntain firstGT
TCan ! as74 MommyQT Patrice as7ed.
T/es4 b5t only one =5estion. Then Pa5la can as7 a =5estion. Then yo5 both need to go bac7 to
the 7itchen and finish brea7fast or yo5Oll be late for school.T
T,5tGT
T"o.T Mom c5t her off. TOne =5estion each4 then bac7 to brea7fast. Do 6e ha<e a dealQT
The t6ins rel5ctantly agreed.
TDid yo5 get o5r other letterQT Patrice as7ed. TThe hea<y oneQT
T"ot yet4T ! said. T,5t !Om s5re itOs on its 6ay. The mail is <ery slo6 6here ! am.T
TMy t5rn4T Pa5la said. TMommy ga<e yo5r blac7 diary to Mr. 2incent.T
T! hope he li7es it4T ! said.
T%eOs f5nny4T Pa5la said.
TO7ay4 thatOs it4T Mom said.
T,5t ! didnOt as7 a =5estion4T Pa5la complained.
T+e had a deal. ,oth of yo5 go bac7 to the 7itchen.T
There 6as some gr5mbling and 6hining4 b5t the t6o Peas obeyed.
T+hat time is it thereQT
T& little after eight in the morning.T
! hadnOt e<en tho5ght abo5t 6hat time it 6as. Mom had probably been 6aiting all night for my
call.
T%o6Os RolfQT
T%eOs o5t of to6n on a b5siness trip. %eOll be bac7 tonight. &nd heOs going to be 5pset that he
missed yo5r call.T
Mom sighed. TPea74 ! ga<e it my best shot to try to tal7 yo5 o5t of trying for the s5mmit. ,5t
no6 that the decision has been made4 yo5 need to foc5s on the tas7. /o5 canOt thin7 abo5t me4
Pa5la4 Patrice4 Rolf4 or anyone else. To stay ali<e yo5 are going to ha<e to thin7 only abo5t
yo5rself.
TDo yo5 7no6 6hy ! =5it climbingQT
T/eah4T ! said. T/o5 fell from the 6all in bac7 ofGT
T"o4T she interr5pted. T! =5it beca5se of yo5.T
T+hatQT
T+ith some 6or7 ! co5ld ha<e gotten my climbing condition bac7. !n fact4 the reason ! 6ent for
that climb the day ! fell 6as beca5se Sosh 6anted me to get bac7 on the circ5it 6ith him. S5st
before ! fell ! 6as thin7ing abo5t 6hat 6o5ld happen if a rattlesna7e slithered 5p to my baby
strapped in his car seat do6n belo6. !f !Od been thin7ing abo5t the climb ! 6o5ld ha<e realiNed
the roc7 ! grabbed 6as loose before ! p5t 6eight on it. To climb at SoshOs le<el yo5 ha<e to be
completely selfish4 Pea7. +hen yo5 6ere born ! co5ldnOt do that anymore.
T! ha<e no do5bt yo5 ha<e the physical ability to s5mmit E<erest or any other mo5ntain yo5
6ant. ,5t yo5 may not ha<e the ability to not care. )or the neMt fe6 6ee7s yo5 ha<e to harden
yo5rself inside. /o5r g5ts and heart need to be stone cold.
T! didnOt do a lot of high altit5de 6hen ! 6as climbing4 b5t ! did eno5gh to 7no6 that the thin air
messes 6ith yo5r brain. /o5 need to forget e<erything else and concentrate on the climb. /o5
ha<e eno5gh eMperience to 7no6 6hen itOs o<er. &nd 6hen itOs o<er donOt ta7e another step
higher. !f yo5 do4 it co5ld be o<er for good. T5rn aro5nd. ThereOs no shame in it. Li<e to climb
another day. &nd 6hen yo5 come bac7 do6n ! hope that good and caring heart of yo5rs tha6s.
!tOs the most important m5scle yo5 ha<e. ! lo<e yo54 Pea7.T
&nd 6ith this she c5t the connection. ! donOt 7no6 ho6 long ! lay there thin7ing abo5t 6hat she
said4 b5t ! can tell yo5 there 6ere plenty of tears. &s the bl5e light thro5gh the tent faded to
dar7 ! 6as still lying there 6hen the flap opened.
!t 6as Sosh. T/o5 ha<e the sat phoneQT ! sat 5p. T/eah ... sorry. ! sho5ld ha<e bro5ght it bac7.T !
ga<e it to him.
TSo4 yo5 tal7ed to yo5r momQT
T/es.T
TOne thing 6e need to get straight4T he said. T'etting S5nBPo to the top is not a bac75p plan. !Om
gi<ing him a shot beca5se ! o6e him and Lopa.T
T+hat do yo5 meanQT
TT6o years ago iBtar sa<ed my life.T
TS5nBPoOs fatherQT
T(p on ..T
T/o5Ore the climber 6ho s5r<i<ed.T
T+eOd been sno6ed in for three days. "o food4 no Os4 no hope of s5r<i<al. ! 6atched my
climbing party die one by one 5ntil ! 6as the only one left. ! sho5ld ha<e been neMt4 b5t iBtar
came 5p the mo5ntain thro5gh the 6orst bliNNard !O<e e<er seen. %e came alone. "one of the
other Sherpas 6o5ld come 6ith him. %e all b5t carried me bac7 do6n. +hen 6e got to ,ase 6e
st5mbled into the &id tent. ! too7 one cotV iBtar too7 the other. +hile Leah 6as treating my
frostbite and gi<ing me !2 fl5ids4 the man 6ho sa<ed my life died not fo5r feet a6ay from me.
%is heart ga<e o5t. ! didnOt e<en get a chance to than7 him. ! tho5ght yo5 o5ght to 7no6.T
%e closed the flap and ! heard his footsteps cr5nching thro5gh the sno6 as he 6al7ed a6ay.
("REST
,E!"' SEL)!S% &"D )OC(SED t5rned o5t not to be a problem.
&fter Sosh dropped the . bomb in my tent4 he dropped a second bomb on his clients. %e told
them abo5t his plan to get me to the s5mmit. ! 6asnOt in<ited to the meeting4 b5t ! certainly
eMperienced the aftermath of the eMplosion the neMt morning.
! slept late and 6o7e 5p sore and famished. !t had sno6ed a co5ple of feet d5ring the night and
! had to dig my 6ay o5t of the tent. +hen ! finally got to my feet and loo7ed aro5nd ! 6as
s5rprised ho6 m5ch the camp had emptied o5t. H! g5ess ! 6as so 5pset the day before ! hadnOt
noticed.I Most of the big commercial operations 6ere still in place4 b5t it loo7ed li7e at least a
third of the smaller eMpeditions had p5lled 5p sta7es.
! glanced 5p at Captain She7Os compo5nd and 6as tempted to gi<e him a 6a<e4 b5t decided not
to. ! didnOt ha<e time for P5<enile antics. ! had to stay foc5sed and disciplined if ! 6anted to get
to the s5mmit. ,esides4 ! 6as star<ing and the delicio5s 6hite smo7e billo6ing from the mess
tentOs chimney 6as calling to me. !nside 6as food4 6armth4 and con<ersation4 b5t ! 6as a little
6orried abo5t the con<ersation part. ! didnOt 6ant to get too close to anyone and catch the b5g
that 6as threatening e<eryoneOs climb.
! neednOt ha<e 6orried abo5t the con<ersation part beca5se as soon as ! stepped inside all
con<ersation ceased. The only so5nd 6as the hiss of the gas b5rner and the clatter of the lid on
the boiling noodle pot. There 6ere ten people inside the tent and they 6ere all staring at me.
"one of them 6ere smiling. ! 6o5ld ha<e t5rned aro5nd and left if ! 6asnOt so h5ngry.
TSpea7 of the de<il4T the co6boy from &bilene dra6led. %e loo7ed li7e he had lost t6enty
po5nds since the last time ! sa6 him. !n fact4 all the climbers loo7ed li7e they had dropped
6eight. "one of them 6ere eating.
T+hatOs going onQT ! said as cas5ally as ! co5ld 6ith ten pairs of eyes glaring at me. ! 6al7ed to
the shelf and grabbed a plate.
T+eOre ha<ing a meeting4T someone said.
T& pri<ate meeting4T someone else said.
That 6as ob<io5s. There 6asnOt a single person from %W there. "o coo7. "o film cre6. "o
Sherpas.
T!Om P5st getting something to eat4T ! said. T!tOll only ta7e a min5te and !Oll get o5t of yo5r 6ay.T
T+ell4T the co6boy said4 T6hile 6e got yo5 here maybe yo5 can fill 5s in on 6hen yo5 fo5nd
o5t yo5r daddy 6as planning to p5t yo5 on the top of the mo5ntain.T
+hat goes aro5nd comes aro5nd. "o6 ! 7ne6 ho6 S5nBPo m5st ha<e felt the 6ee7 before. !
scooped a pile of noodles onto my plate4 b5t my appetite 6as =5ic7ly going a6ay.
T"ot 5ntil ! got o<er here4T ! hedged4 then p5t a for7f5l of noodles into my mo5th4 hoping !
6o5ldnOt ha<e to ans6er any more =5estions on my 6ay o5t the door 6ith my plate.
TCo5rse yo5 realiNe the noodles yo5Ore eating4 the plate theyOre on4 and maybe e<en the par7a
yo5Ore 6earing 6ere paid for by the people sitting in this mess tent.T
This 6as an eMaggeration4 b5t he had a point4 so ! set my plate on the table and 6al7ed o5t4
hoping that one of them 6o5ld call me bac7 in and say they 6ere 7idding. "o one did.
The %W tent 6as less hostile4 b5t not m5ch cheerier. Sosh4 Thadde5s4 Leah4 and the others
seemed to be ha<ing a meeting of their o6n.
T! 6as P5st o<er at the mess tent4T ! said.
T%o6 6as their moodQT Thadde5s as7ed.
T(gly.T
TTheyOll get o<er it4T Sosh said. T!tOs been a ro5gh climbing season 6hat 6ith the 6eather and
e<eryone getting sic7. !O<e seen it all before. &s soon as 6e get a co5ple people to the top
e<erything 6ill be fine.T
"o one else in the room seemed to share his optimism4 least of all Thadde5s4 6ho said that he
tho5ght the climbers 6o5ld s5e Pea7 EMperience and 6o5ld probably 6in.
TDid yo5 tell them abo5t S5nBPoQT ! as7ed.
T"o4T Sosh said. TThat 6o5ld ha<e sent them o<er the edge. ThatOs o5r little secret4 altho5gh
She7 seems to ha<e fig5red it o5t. +eOre going to shift e<erything again. Lopa4 S5nBPo4 /ogi4 and
/ash are the C team. TheyOre still on o5r climbing permit4 b5t theyOre on their o6n. Pea74 yo5Ore
on the & team 6ith me. +eOll di<ide the film cre6 bet6een the teams. &s soon as SR is better
6eOll start him filming the & and , teams. +e probably 6onOt 5se any of the footage4 b5t the
fact theyOre being inter<ie6ed for the doc5mentary might impro<e their attit5des.T %e loo7ed
at Leah. T+hatOs yo5r best g5ess abo5t 6hen this <ir5s 6ill r5n its co5rseQT
T& 6ee74 maybe longer.T She loo7ed li7e she 6as s5ffering from it4 too. TThe bigger problem is
the aftereffects. ,eca5se 6e canOt eMercise and canOt 7eep food do6n 6eOre losing o5r
conditioning. E<en 5nder ideal circ5mstances it 6ill be diffic5lt for any of 5s to s5mmit.T
TThereOs nothing 6e can do abo5t that4T Sosh said. T+eOll either ma7e it or 6e 6onOt. &nd thatOs
no different than any other year.T
The tent flap opened and the TeMan stepped inside.
T'lad yo5Ore all here4T he said. T+eO<e been tal7ing and 6e tho5ght yo5Od li7e to 7no6 that
none of 5s are climbing 6ith the boy. +e didnOt spend o5r money4 time4 and effort to get a 7id
5p to the s5mmit.T %e loo7ed at me. T!tOs nothing personal4 son. ! thin7 yo5 landed right in the
middle of this mess P5st li7e 6e did.T
TThan7s for telling me4T Sosh said. T,5t ! decide 6ho goes to the s5mmit and 6hoOs on 6hat
team.T
The TeMan ga<e him a hard smile. T+ell4 Sosh4 yo5Ore the boss. ,5t if yo5 decide 6e ha<e to
climb 6ith yo5r boy4 then 6eOre not climbing at all. +eOll head home and yOall 6ill ha<e to deal
6ith o5r la6yers.T
T+ell4 yOall might as 6ell pac7 5p and lea<e today4T Sosh said angrily. TT6o or three years from
no6 yo5 might 6in yo5r case and maybe e<en get some of yo5r money bac74 b5t none of yo5
6ill ha<e made it to the top of the 6orld.T
!f the TeMan had had a siMBshooter strapped aro5nd his 6aist ! thin7 he 6o5ld ha<e dra6n it.
!nstead4 he glared at Sosh for a moment4 then stomped o5t of the tent.
T%eOs bl5ffing4T Sosh said confidently.
Thadde5s didnOt loo7 nearly as confident4 nor did anyone else.
!n 7eeping 6ith my motherOs s5ggestion abo5t being selfish ! did not step for6ard and offer to
gi<e 5p my spot. ! might ha<e4 if ! tho5ght Sosh 6o5ld ref5se my selfless sacrifice for the team4
b5t ! 6asnOt s5re 6hat he 6o5ld do. The arg5ment 6eOd had from the day before 6as far from
resol<ed. &nd nobody had mentioned it4 b5t the delay from my team change meant that there
6as a good chance ! 6o5ldnOt get to the s5mmit before my fifteenth birthday. ,oth Sosh and
Thadde5s had to ha<e fig5red this o5t. The bottom line 6as that if S5nBPo made it to the top
they didnOt need me.
T%E "E-T CO(PLE D&/S ! 7ept a lo6 profile4 6hich 6asnOt hard since no one 6anted anything
to do 6ith me. SoshOs clients didnOt pac7 5p and lea<e4 b5t they didnOt bac7 off4 either. ! thin7
they 6ere stic7ing aro5nd to see if Sosh 6o5ld bac7 off. There 6ere no more complaints abo5t
my eating TtheirT food in the mess tent4 b5t the silent treatment and resentf5l glares
contin5ed.
!nstead of getting enmeshed in the mo5ntain madness ! 6ent climbing. One thing Camp )o5r
had ta5ght me 6as that ! needed to hone my iceBclimbing techni=5es. ! thin7 one of the reasons
! had had s5ch a diffic5lt time climbing to the Col 6as my cl5msy crampon mo<es. ! hadnOt done
a lot of ice climbing. Efficiency sa<es energy4 and energy is as el5si<e as air the higher yo5 go.
! fo5nd an ice 6all abo5t a half mile o5tside camp and spent ho5rs e<ery day trying different
ro5tes to the top. ! slipped4 fell4 and scraped myself4 b5t ! got a little better 6ith each climb.
&t night ! stayed in my tent 6riting in my second Moles7ine and tried to <is5aliNe my final
assa5lt on the s5mmit. ! e<en 6ent so far as to ma7e a special prayer flag. ! too7 one of the
yello6 flags and caref5lly dre6 a mo5ntain on it 6ith a bl5e Sharpie. ! h5ng it inside my tent4
staring at it for ho5rs. On top of the s5mmit is a pole b5ried in the ice 6ith a metal 6ire hanging
from it 6ith doNens of prayer flags beaten by the 6inds. O<er and o<er again ! imagined myself
str5ggling 5p to that pole and tagging E<erest.
Captain She7 6as still loo7ing for S5nBPo. E<ery morning 6hen ! headed to the 6all he had a
soldier follo6 me. ! g5ess he tho5ght my practice climbs 6ere a r5se to meet secretly 6ith the
mystery boy. ! act5ally didnOt mind being follo6ed. !f ! had an accident at least there 6o5ld be
someone aro5nd to help me4 or r5n bac7 to ,ase and get help.
Lopa4 /ogi4 and /ash 6ere staying at ,ase Camp b5t 7eeping a lo6 profile. ! sa6 them once in a
6hile4 b5t 6e hadnOt spo7en since 6e got bac7. ! s5spected Captain She7 6as 6atching them4
too4 and they 6ere 7eeping their distance.
On the third day 6e got 6ord that nine climbers had reached the s5mmit from the north
sideG<irt5ally e<ery climber 6ho tried that day. "o64 yo5 6o5ld thin7 this ne6s 6o5ld be
recei<ed 6ith great Poy4 and on the s5rface it 6as4 b5t P5st belo6 the s5rface 6as a great deal of
Pealo5sy and resentment.
T!f 6e hadnOt gotten sic7...T
T!f Sosh hadnOt abandoned 5s on the trip to the mo5ntain...
T!f he hadnOt bro5ght his son to E<erest...T
TThat co5ld ha<e been 5s. +e co5ld be headed home in a fe6 days...T
TThere may not be another 6indo6...T
&nd other complaints 6ere 6hispered P5st lo5d eno5gh for me to hear in the mess tent that
e<ening d5ring dinner. The carping 6as interr5pted by the appearance of Sosh and Thadde5s
along 6ith the film cre6. ! hadnOt seen any of them in the mess tent since ! ret5rned from Camp
)o5r. Li7e the other climbers4 SR4 Sac74 and +ill had lost 6eight and still loo7ed a little 6ea74 b5t
better than they had on the 6ay do6n.
T!f yo5r health contin5es to impro<e4T Sosh began4 Tand if the 6eather is good4 ! hope to start
the teams 5p to the s5mmit in a 6ee7 to ten days.T
TTomorro6 morning 6eOll start filming inter<ie6s 6ith yo5 for the doc5mentary4T SR added.
The teams 6ere not impressed by either anno5ncement.
T/o5 still planning to p5t yo5r son on the topQT the TeMan as7ed.
T/es4T Sosh said. T&re yo5 still planning to =5it if ! doQT
T!f he goes 6e lea<e. ThatOs the deal.T
%e didnOt loo7 li7e he 6as bl5ffing. "or did the others. These 6ere not professional climbers.
They 6ere all s5ccessf5l b5sinesspeople and <ery 5sed to getting their 6ay.
TS5it yo5rsel<es4T Sosh said 6ith a sad grin.
! had a bad feeling that Sosh 6as the one bl5ffing4 not them. %e 6as going to blin7 first. &nd if
he didnOt4 Thadde5s 6o5ld blin7 for him.
,L!"
T%E "E-T MOR"!"' ! 6as end5ring another 5ncomfortable brea7fast at a separate table from
my team members 6hen Sosh and Thadde5s came into the tent.
! tho5ght they 6ere going to ma7e an anno5ncement abo5t the filming sched5le or something4
b5t instead Sosh said4 T+eO<e reached a decision.T
%e too7 a sheet of paper o5t of his poc7et and slo6ly 5nfolded it. T, team4 led by PaBsang4 6ill
consist of the follo6ing members.T %e read off the names. T& team4 6hich !Oll lead4 6ill
be...TThen he read off another list of names 6ith one <ery important omission.
My name.
,efore ! co5ld find my <oice the TeMan spo7e 5p4 so5nding almost as st5nned as ! felt. T&re yo5
saying Pea7 isnOt getting a s5mmit shotQT
TDid yo5 hear me read off his nameQT Sosh as7ed tersely.
T"o4T the TeMan said =5ietly.
!tOs a ploy4 ! tho5ght desperately. Other6ise Sosh 6o5ld ha<e told me abo5t the decision before
this br5tal anno5ncement. %e 6as trying to get their sympathy. Trying to get them to say3
T"o64 P5st hold on a min5te4 Sosh. +e didnOt really mean for yo5 to...T !t 6as brilliantR !f they
decided ! sho5ld come they co5ldnOt gro5se abo5t it later.
! 6aited for those magic 6ords4 b5t they didnOt come.
!nstead Sosh loo7ed at me. T!Om sorry4 Pea74 !O<e been a Pac7ass abo5t this. TheyOre right. This is
their climb. TheyOre paying the tab.T
! tho5ght he 6as o<erplaying it and hoped he 7ne6 6hat he 6as doing. ! loo7ed at the TeMan.
"o6 6as the time for him to say4 T&h sh5c7s4 6e 6ere P5st ha<ing f5n 6ith yo5. Of co5rse yo5
can s5mmit E<erest 6ith 5s...T
!nstead he said4 T+ell4 thatOs settled4 then.T
T+ait a secondRT ! said. TThatOs not fair. ! 6or7ed P5st as hard as anyone here to get 5p to Camp
)o5r.T
TLet it go4 Pea74T Sosh said =5ietly.
T! 6onOt let it goRT ! almost 7noc7ed o<er my chair standing 5p.
T/o5 donOt ha<e a choice4T Sosh said4 raising his <oice. T!tOs all been arranged. LopaOs pac7ing
yo5r gear right no6. /o5 and he and his Sherpas are heading to athmand5. The tr5c7Os
6aiting.T
! stared at him in disbelief. !t 6asnOt a ploy. %eOd blin7edR
T!Om sorry it didnOt 6or7 o5t4T he contin5ed. TMaybe 6e can try again neMt year. /o5Ore yo5ng.
/o5Oll get plenty of chances to get to the s5mmit.T
T! donOt belie<e this.T
T!Oll help yo5 pac7.T
T)orget itRT ! p5shed past him and ran o5tside.
,y the time ! got to my tent4 my gear 6as already in the tr5c7 and ready to go. So4 it 6as all
planned. Lopa4/ogi4 and /ash 6ere sitting in the bed 6aiting for me.
! 6iped a6ay my froNen tears. T/o5 sho5ld ha<e told meRT
Lopa shoo7 his head. T,etter to learn the 6ay yo5 did.T
TThe only thing !O<e learned is that yo5 and my father are liarsRT
T+e m5st lea<e4T Lopa said calmly. T+e ha<e a long 6ay to go before dar7.T
! glared at him eMpecting more4 b5t it 6as clear the disc5ssion Hif yo5 6ant to call it thatI 6as
o<er. The dri<er started the tr5c7.
&s 6e p5lled o5t of camp Sosh stepped o5t of the mess tent and 6a<ed at me. ! ret5rned the
6a<e 6ith a gest5re of my o6n. %e ret5rned the ins5lt by gi<ing me his trademar7 grin. !f Lopa
hadnOt grabbed my collar ! 6o5ld ha<e P5mped o5t of the bac7 of the tr5c7 and 7illed him 6ith
my bare hands.
! co5ld not belie<e ho6 =5ic7ly it had all come to an end. ! mean4 ! 7ne6 ! might not ma7e it to
the top of E<erest4 b5t ! tho5ght it 6o5ld be d5e to 6eather4 inP5ry4 or end5rance ... not some
st5pid b5siness decision.
Sosh hadnOt bothered to mention 6hat ! 6as s5pposed to do once ! got bac7 to athmand5.
+ait for him4 ! s5ppose. Or maybe ! 6as being sent do6n to Chiang Mai. !t didnOt matter. &s
soon as ! got to 6here<er ! 6as going ! 6o5ld call Mom and find o5t if things had cooled off
eno5gh for me to go bac7 to "e6 /or7. The only thing ! 7ne6 for s5re 6as that ! 6as not going
to ha<e anything to do 6ith Sosh5a +ood e<er again.
+e b5mped along the ro5gh road for a co5ple of miles 5ntil 6e came to a roadbloc7 manned
by Chinese soldiers. They chec7ed o5r papers4 then thoro5ghly searched the tr5c7. This is 6hen
! realiNed that S5nBPo 6asnOt 6ith 5s. ! 6as so mad 6hen ! got booted o5t of camp4 ! hadnOt e<en
tho5ght abo5t him. ! had to 6ait to as7 Lopa 5ntil 6e 6ere bac7 on the road.
T+hereOs S5nBPoQT
T%eOs 6aiting for 5s 5p ahead4T Lopa said.
!t loo7ed li7e S5nBPo 6asnOt getting his shot at the s5mmit4 either. ! g5ess Captain She7 had
made it too ris7y. Shamef5lly4 this made me feel a little better.
& co5ple miles later the tr5c7 slo6ed do6n. ! loo7ed o<er the top of the cab eMpecting to see
S5nBPo4 b5t it 6as P5st a ya7 and a porter heading 5p to ,ase Camp. +hen 6e dre6 5p neMt to
them the dri<er stopped. The porter 6as '5l5. %e ga<e me a toothless smile4 then he and Lopa
tal7ed for a 6hile4 b5t ! co5ldnOt 5nderstand 6hat they 6ere saying. +hen they finished4 '5l5
6a<ed4 then contin5ed to6ard ,ase Camp.
+e dro<e do6n the road for another mile or so4 then came to another stop. &t this rate it
6o5ld ta7e 5s a year to get to athmand5. /ogi and /ash hopped o5t of the tr5c7 and started
5nloading gear.
T+hatOs going onQT
TTeam C4T Lopa ans6ered.
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT
!nstead of ans6ering Lopa p5lled a cr5mpled piece of paper o5t of his poc7et and handed it to
me.
Sorry abo5t the dramatics4 b5t 6e had to ma7e it loo7 good so Captain She7 6o5ld thin7 yo5
and S5nBPo 6ere gone and stop loo7ing for him. ! also had to appease my bonehead clients. !t
6as the only 6ay ! co5ld get yo5 to the s5mmit before yo5r birthday. LopaOs idea. H! told yo5 he
6as cagey.I %eOll ta7e yo5 5p to &,C along a different ro5te. %eOs 5nder strict orders to 7eep yo5
ali<e. !f he doesnOt4 yo5r mom 6ill 7ill me. ! hope yo5 ma7e it to the top4 b5t if yo5 donOt4 no
6orries.
Sosh
! read the note o<er t6ice4 then loo7ed 5p at Lopa. %e 6as smiling.
T+e 6ill ta7e a shortc5t to &,C4T he said. T,5t 6e 6ill ha<e to mo<e =5ic7ly before Captain
She7 disco<ers o5r deceit.T
! 6asnOt s5re if ! 6as angry or happy 6ith him and Sosh. !t had been a cr5el tric7. ! 5nderstood
6hy they had done it4 b5t they sho5ld ha<e tr5sted me to play a role. ! co5ld ha<e p5lled it off4
and ! 6as abo5t to tell Lopa this 6hen S5nBPo came o<er the top of a small hill and 6a<ed.
&side from the r5mbled porter clothes and the grass in his hair from '5l5Os ya74 he loo7ed
ready to climb.
S%ORTC(T
'(L( %&D %&(LED a lot more than S5nBPo o5t of the porter camp. On the other side of the hill
6as a small mo5ntain of climbing gear. Coils of rope4 oMygen bottles4 mas7s4 tents4 food ... !
6ondered ho6 6e 6ere going to get it to the 5pper camps.
On o5r bac7s4 as it t5rned o5t4 beca5se Lopa 6ent right to 6or7 di<iding the gear into fi<e
separate piles. &s he sorted thro5gh the st5ff ! as7ed S5nBPo 6hat 6as going on. %e didnOt 7no6
m5ch more than ! did. %e said that '5l5 had 6o7en him in the middle of the night and told him
that they had to lea<e the porter camp right a6ay.
T&t first ! tho5ght Captain She7 had disco<ered ! 6as there4T he said. T,5t 6hen 6e 6ere safely
o5t of camp4 '5l5 told me that Lopa 6as leading yo5 and me to the s5mmit in a separate
eMpedition from yo5r fatherOs4 b5t still on his permit.T
! didnOt tell him abo5t ho6 ! fo5nd o5t beca5se ! 6as still mad abo5t it4 and a little embarrassed.
/ogi and /ashOs loads 6ere bigger than o5rs4 b5t S5nBPo and ! still had plenty to carry. +e had
most of the food di<ided bet6een 5s. Lopa la5ghed as 6e gr5nted 5nder the eMtra 6eight. T!t
6ill become lighter as yo5 eat yo5r 6ay thro5gh the contents4T he said.
XXX
T%ERE !S & RE&SO" +%/ ,ase Camp and all the other camps abo<e it are sit5ated 6here they
are. The traditional ro5te may not be the shortest 6ay 5p the mo5ntain4 b5t it is the safest and
easiest. H"ot that anything is safe or easy on E<erest.I LopaOs Tshortc5tT might ha<e been
shorter4 b5t it 6as ten times more diffic5lt than the reg5lar ro5te. O5r first obstacle 6as a <ast
field of Pagged ice stic7ing o5t of the gro5nd li7e great 6hite shar7 teeth. S5nBPo and ! 5sed o5r
6al7ing poles so 6e didnOt slip and impale o5rsel<es. The Sherpa brothers didnOt bother 6ith
the poles4 forging ahead li7e they 6ere iceBs7ating 5ntil they 6ere t6o tiny dots on the horiNon.
! thin7 Lopa co5ld ha<e easily 7ept 5p 6ith them4 b5t he slo6ed his pace4 staying abo5t a
h5ndred yards ahead of 5s so he co5ld glance bac7 once in a 6hile and ma7e s5re 6e hadnOt
st5mbled and 6ere bleeding o5t on the froNen fangs.
,y the time 6e ca5ght 5p to them late that afternoon4 /ogi and /ash had the camp set 5p4 food
on the sto<e4 and 6ere am5sing themsel<es by thro6ing their ice aMes at a 6all of ice that
appeared to br5sh the s7y.
My legs 6ere sha7ing 5ncontrollably from fatig5e. My nec7 and sho5lders felt li7e they had
been 6or7ed o<er by a sledgehammer. My only consolation 6as that S5nBPo loo7ed more doneB
in than me. %e didnOt e<en ha<e the strength to get the pac7 off his bac7. !t too7 5s t6o hot
m5gs of tea before 6e co5ld tal7.
,y the third m5g of tea ! 6as able to foc5s eno5gh to ta7e a good loo7 at the 6all. !t seemed to
r5n for miles in both directions. ! fig5red the neMt morning 6e 6o5ld follo6 it 5ntil 6e came to
a pass then ma7e o5r 6ay to the top.
+hen ! mentioned this to Lopa he la5ghed and pointed directly abo<e 5s. TThis is the pass4T he
said.
T/o5Ore 7idding.T
%e shoo7 his head.
There 6asnOt a single handhold or foothold for as far as ! co5ld see. !t made the ice 6all !Od been
practicing on loo7 li7e an indoor roc7 climbing 6all.
&fter dinner Lopa t5rned on the radio and 6e listened to the mo5ntain chatter. Three more
people had made it to the s5mmit that morning. Eight had t5rned bac7 6ithin a fe6 h5ndred
feet of the top. & climber had bro7en her leg 5p at &,C. The <ir5s seemed to ha<e r5n its
co5rse4 and e<eryone 6ho had st5c7 it o5t at ,ase Camp 6as rapidly getting better.
! 6as abo5t ready to call it a day and cra6l into my tent 6hen Sosh came on the radio ma7ing
small tal7 6ith one of the other eMpedition leaders 5p at Camp )o5r. This 6as <ery 5n5s5al.
Sosh 6as a firm belie<er that the radio sho5ld only be 5sed to transmit important information.
%e hated it 6hen people 5sed it li7e a cell phone.
They tal7ed abo5t the 6eather4 the 6oman 6ith the bro7en leg4 and sched5ling s5mmit
attempts.
T%eard yo5 had a fallingBo5t 6ith yo5r son4T the leader said.
There 6ere no secrets on the mo5ntain.
T/eah4 he left4T Sosh said. T,5t 6eOll patch it 5p 6hen ! get do6n. %eOs a good 7id. ! thin7 Captain
She7 6as going to try to yan7 his climbing permit4 any6ay. "ot that ! 6o5ld ha<e let him.T
T!s She7 still h5nting for that other 7idQT
T/ep. Still on the 6arpath. %e detained a porter this afternoon named '5l5. %e let him go after
a pretty to5gh grilling4 b5t '5l5 didnOt 7no6 anything. That 7id left here 6ee7s ago. "ot s5re
6hat heOs trying to pro<e. ! heard he 6as ha<ing some more soldiers tr5c7ed in. Some of them
are climbers. %eOs going to send them 5p the mo5ntain to chec7 the higher camps. !tOs insane. !
sent an eBmail to the Chinese go<ernment and ! ha<e my la6yers chec7ing into other official
actions. The Chinese ma7e a lot of money on these permits. ,e a shame if one o<erNealo5s
soldier dried 5p that re<en5e so5rce4 b5t 6hat are yo5 going to doQ &ny6ay4 good l5c7 at Camp
)i<e. !Oll chec7 in 6ith yo5 tomorro6. O5t.T
Lopa s6itched off the radio. The entire con<ersation had been set 5p for 5sGat least on SoshOs
end. +e co5ldnOt participate4 b5t 6e co5ld learn a great deal by listening. "one of 5s li7ed the
idea of the Chinese climbers coming in.
TThey 6onOt be able to get past &,C4T ! said. TThey ha<enOt had time to acclimate.T
TPerhaps4T Lopa said.
T%o6 do 6e get by them on the 6ay bac7 do6nQT S5nBPo as7ed.
Lopa shr5gged. ,5t this time ! thin7 he really meant it. %e didnOt 7no6.
,/ T%E T!ME LOP& 7ic7ed S5nBPo and me o5t of o5r sleeping bags4 /ogi and /ash 6ere already
fifty feet 5p the 6all setting ice scre6s so 6eOd ha<e something to hoo7 on to. The s5n 6as
barely 5p. They had to ha<e started 6hen it 6as still dar7. +e ate =5ic7ly4 pac7ed4 then
strapped on o5r crampons and harnesses. Lopa said he 6as staying belo6 to tie the pac7s and
6o5ld climb last.
& bitter 6ind blasted the 6all headBon4 6hich 6as good beca5se it p5shed 5s into it. !f the 6ind
had been coming from an angle it 6o5ld ha<e blo6n 5s right off the 6all. !ce aM in each hand ...
Dig crampon in. ,5ry aM. !ce splinters in yo5r face. P5ll. Dig other crampon in. ,5ry aM ... &bo5t
siMtyBfi<e feet 5p ! clipped onto an ice anchor and too7 a breather. /ogi and /ash had already
reached the top4 dropped ropes4 and ha5led 5p all the gear.
Lopa had P5st started 5p the 6all. S5nBPo 6as cla6ing his 6ay 5p t6enty feet belo6 me. %e
seemed to be str5ggling4 6hich 6asnOt too s5rprising considering he had been sic7 and for the
last fe6 days4 cooped 5p in a porterOs tent. ! 6aited 5ntil he loo7ed 5p and ga<e him a 6a<e. %e
ret5rned it 6ith a grim nod.
! started again4 and had gotten 5p abo5t three steps 6hen ! heard the yell. !t too7 me a second
to get myself anchored so ! co5ld loo7 do6n. +hat ! sa6 6asnOt pretty. S5nBPo had slipped
do6n abo5t ten feet and 6as hanging on the edge of a protr5sion by one aM. !Od seen the
protr5sion on the 6ay 5p and 7ne6 it 6as too far from the 6all for him to get his crampons
planted in the ice.
T!Om comingRT Lopa sho5ted 5p at him4 b5t it 6o5ld ta7e him at least fortyBfi<e min5tes to reach
him.
S5nBPo 6o5ldnOt be able to hold on for more than a fe6 min5tes. ! 6as a lot closer4 b5t the only
thing harder and slo6er than climbing 5p an ice 6all is climbing do6n an ice 6all. ! loo7ed 5p4
hoping to see /ogi or /ash4 b5t there 6as no sign of them. They m5st ha<e already forged
ahead to set 5p the neMt camp.
! didnOt e<en ha<e time to thin7 abo5t 6hat ! 6as going to do neMt4 6hich 6as P5st as 6ell. !
started scrambling side6ays across the 6all to6ard the gear rope4 thirty feet a6ay. Lopa
contin5ed to sho5t enco5ragement to S5nBPo. %e 6as climbing the 6all as fast as he co5ld4 b5t
he had to 7no6 that no matter ho6 fast he 6ent4 it 6o5ldnOt be fast eno5gh to sa<e his
grandson.
+hen ! finally reached the rope ! ga<e it a t5g. !t seemed solid eno5gh4 b5t ! didnOt 7no6 if it
6o5ld hold my 6eight. The brothers might not ha<e anchored it properly beca5se they 6ere
P5st ha5ling gear 6ith it.
T!Om slipping4T S5nBPo said desperately.
T!Oll be there in a min5teRT ! sho5ted.
T%ang on4 S5nBPoRT Lopa sho5ted4 catching on to 6hat ! 6as trying to do. TDonOt gi<e 5pRT
! 6anted to test the rope more b5t there 6asnOt time. ! hoo7ed on to it and ga<e it all my
6eight. !t stretched a little4 b5t held. ! s6allo6ed my heart and crabbed my 6ay bac7 to6ard
S5nBPo. +hen ! got directly abo<e him ! =5ic7ly hoo7ed the rope to an ice scre6 ! 7ne6 6as
sec5re and rappelled to him4 getting the rope hoo7ed on his harness P5st as his aM slipped from
the ice.
T'ot himRT ! sho5ted do6n to Lopa4 then loo7ed at S5nBPo. T/o5 o7ayQT
%e nodded.
%e 6as crying.
So 6as !. &pparently ! had forgi<en him.
!T TOO (S another ho5r to get to the top. Lopa got there abo5t ten min5tes after 5s4 loo7ing
concerned and relie<ed.
T"othing bro7enQT he as7ed.
S5nBPo shoo7 his head.
T+hat happenedQT
TMy aM bro7e.T
Lopa nodded4 then loo7ed at me. TThan7 yo5.T
T/o5 can than7 /ogi and /ash for sec5ring that rope4T ! said. The first thing ! did 6hen 6e got to
the top 6as chec7 it. The rope 6as tied to a carabiner attached to a threeBinch ice bolt that
6asnOt going any6here. S5nBPo and ! co5ld ha<e played TarNan on that rope all day long.
T,5t yo5 didnOt 7no6 that4T Lopa said.
T/eah ... 6ell4T ! said4 a little embarrassed4 T/ogi and /ash 7no6 6hat theyOre doing.T
T"ot al6ays4T Lopa said. TOne of the aMes S5nBPo 6as 5sing today 6as the same one they 6ere
thro6ing at the 6all yesterday afternoon.T
(hBoh. ! s5spected they 6ere going to hear abo5t that 6hen 6e ca5ght 5p to themGand ! 6as
right. +hen 6e got to camp4 Lopa too7 /ogi and /ash to the side and spo7e to them for a good
ten min5tes. %e ne<er raised his <oice4 b5t 6hen they came bac7 they loo7ed li7e he had
6hipped them.
TT+O TR(CLO&DS of Chinese soldiers got here today...T Sosh 6as tal7ing to a different
eMpedition leader 6ho had P5st arri<ed at &,C. T...along 6ith siM military climbers. The place
loo7s li7e an army encampment.T
T'lad !Om 5p here4T the leader said.
T+ell4 yo5Ore not off the hoo7. )rom 6hat ! hear theyOre heading 5p the mo5ntain tomorro6
morning to chec7 e<erybodyOs papers. !f yo5 donOt ha<e yo5r passport4 <isa4 and permit theyOre
going to boot yo5 off the mo5ntain.T
T+e ha<e them. +hatOs his problemQT
T+hen the tr5c7 that Lopa and my son left on yesterday got to the second chec7point4 Lopa
and my son 6erenOt on it. The dri<er claimed they got on a second tr5c7 and 6ent another
6ay.T
T! hope yo5r sonOs o7ay.T
T"o 6orries. Lopa 6o5ldnOt let anything happen to him. !Om s5re theyOre 6ell on their 6ay to
"epal by no6. ! tho5ght !Od P5st gi<e yo5 a headsB5p abo5t 6hatOs going on do6n here.T
TThan7s4T the other leader said. T+hat abo5t the Chinese climbersQ &re they any goodQT
TTheyOre g5ng ho and 6ell e=5ipped. They p5lled them off a highBaltit5de climb4 b5t !Om not
s5re 6here they 6ere. ! 6o5ldnOt be s5rprised if they tried for the s5mmit 6hile theyOre 5p
there. ! 7no6 ! 6o5ld.T
T! hear yo5. !tOs going to get cro6ded at the top.T
Lopa and the brothers spread a map o5t and started tal7ing in "epalese.
T+hatOs going onQT
TLopa says 6e canOt stay in any of the camps 5ntil 6e reach Camp )i<e4T S5nBPo eMplained.
TTheyOre pic7ing alternati<e sites.T
! loo7ed at the map. +e 6ere P5st abo5t parallel to Camp T6o4 b5t se<en or eight miles to the
north. !t 6o5ld ta7e 5s at least another day to p5ll 5p e<en 6ith &,C.
+e co5ld be 5p on the s5mmit in less than a 6ee7.
C&MP 01
LOP& P(S%ED (S %&RD the neMt t6o days. +e 6ere o5t of camp before da6n climbing 6ith
headlamps. /ogi and /ash 6ere al6ays long gone before 6e started o5t4 and 6e didnOt see
them 5ntil 6e stopped at the end of the day.
! had no idea 6here 6e 6ere4 b5t according to my altimeter 6atch4 6e 6ere gaining altit5de.
H"ot that ! needed the 6atch3 E<ery breath 6as painf5l no6.I &t the end of the day it 6as all
S5nBPo and ! co5ld do to eat a little food4 drin74 and then cra6l into o5r bags.
On the third morning ! 6as s5rprised to open my eyes and see s5nlight coming thro5gh the bl5e
tent fabric. ! loo7ed o<er at S5nBPo and sa6 that he 6as staring at the light4 too.
+e had barely tal7ed the past fe6 days. "o time4 no breath.
T%o6 are yo5 doingQT ! as7ed.
T"ot 6ell4T S5nBPo said.
T/o5O<e done o7ay the last co5ple of days.T
%e shoo7 his head. T!t has been <ery hard.T
That 6as an 5nderstatement. +e had done se<eral technical climbs the past fortyBeight ho5rs.
!t had been some of the most diffic5lt climbing ! had e<er done.
T&ny idea 6here 6e areQT
S5nBPo sat 5p 6ith a groan. T)eels li7e 6eOre on the s5mmit.T
! la5ghed4 6hich t5rned into a short b5t painf5l co5ghing fit. +hen ! reco<ered ! said4 TMaybe
Lopa is going to gi<e 5s a day off.T
T"ot li7ely.T
+e 6ent thro5gh the contortions of getting dressed in o5r small tent4 then cra6led o5t. Light
sno6 and freeNing fog. +e hadnOt seen the s7y in three days. /ogi and /ash 6ere cro5ching neMt
to the camp sto<e.
/ogi said something that made S5nBPo blanch.
T+hatQT ! as7ed.
TLopa is sic7.T
! 5nderstood 6hy he 6as 5pset. Lopa didnOt get sic7. Lopa 6as the iron man. %e had seemed
fine the night before 6hen 6e got to camp. +e h5rried o<er to his tent. %e loo7ed
terribleGbloodshot eyes4 r5nny nose4 paleGb5t he managed to sit 5p in his sleeping bag 6hen
he sa6 5s.
T+e 6ill go 5p to Camp )o5r this afternoon4T he said.
%e 6asnOt going any6here in his condition.
TThe <ir5sQT ! as7ed.
T! thin7 so4T he ans6ered 6ith a slight smile. TOr maybe itOs P5st age.T
TRegardless4T S5nBPo said4 T6e sho5ld go bac7 do6n. +e need to get yo5 help.T
T+e cannot go do6n4T Lopa said. TThe Chinese are 6aiting for 5s. O5r only escape is 5p.T
T+e ha<e to come do6n e<ent5ally4T ! said.
T,5t not on this side.T
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT
T"epal is a little more than a mile a6ay from here.T
! tho5ght he 6as delirio5s or something. !t 6o5ld ta7e 5s days to reach the )riendship ,ridge
into "epal.
%e too7 o5t the map and pointed to the so5th side of the s5mmit. TThis is "epal4T he said. %e
pointed to the north side. TThis is Tibet.T %e 6al7ed his fingers 5p the north side of E<erest4
then do6n the so5th side.
T/o5 mean 6eOre not coming bac7 do6n the north side into TibetQT ! as7ed.
T+hen yo5 reach the s5mmit4T he said4 Tyo5 6ill head so5th into "epal.T
T,5t 6eOre not set 5p for the so5th side4T ! protested. T+e donOt ha<e tents or gear orGT
TSherpas 6ill help yo54T Lopa said. T)riends of mine. +e ha<e already gotten 6ord to them.
They 6ill be 6aiting on the other side. /ogi and /ash 6ill ta7e yo5 to the s5mmit.T
T+hat abo5t yo5QT S5nBPo as7ed.
T&s yo5 can see ! am in no condition to climb. Camp )o5r is as far as ! 6ill be going.T
TThen 6eOll 6ait 5ntil yo5 get better4T S5nBPo insisted.
TThatOs right4T ! said. T! donOt care if ! get 5p to the s5mmit by my birthday. !tOs not
importantGto me4 any6ay. +eOll set 5p a camp some6here4 or stay right here 5ntil yo5 get
better.T
Lopa shoo7 his head. T+e donOt ha<e eno5gh food or s5pplies.T
T/ogi and /ash can get more s5pplies from the other Sherpas.T
TThat is not the only obstacle4T Lopa said. TThe 6eather. !n three days it 6ill be good for a
s5mmit attempt. /o5 6ill ha<e to be in position.T
! glanced bac7 o5tside. !t 6as sno6ing harder and the fog had thic7ened. T%o6 can yo5 7no6
thatQT
Lopa shr5gged.
%e 6as impossibleR TO7ay4T ! said4 Tso the 6eather brea7s and 6e ma7e it to the s5mmit and
someho6 ma7e it do6n the so5th side. %o6 are yo5 going to get past the Chinese soldiers on
the north sideQT
T!Om a "epalese citiNen in Tibet 6ith legal papers. Captain She7 has no gro5nds to arrest me.
/o5 sa6 6hat happened the last time he tried. ! donOt thin7 ! 6ill be ca5ght4 b5t if ! am4 the <ery
6orst he can do is deport me4 6hich is 6hat ! 6ant4 any6ay. !Oll see both of yo5 on the other
side.T
T! donOt thin7 ! can ma7e it to the s5mmit4T S5nBPo said. T! had a lot of tro5ble yesterday.T
T!Om afraid !O<e p5t yo5 in a terrible sit5ation4 S5nBPo4T Lopa said. T/o5 6ill ha<e to ma7e it to
the s5mmit no6.T
! tho5ght abo5t offering to stay 6ith Lopa at Camp )o5r and help him do6n the mo5ntain after
he got better. ,5t this 6as clearly not in 7eeping 6ith my motherOs instr5ctions to stay selfish.
&nd ! did 6ant to get to the s5mmit. The debate 6as resol<ed by Lopa.
%e ga<e me a mon7ish smile. T! donOt need yo5r help4 Pea7. ,5t S5nBPo 6ill.T
! P5st stared at him4 relie<ed ! didnOt ha<e to ma7e the decision and st5nned that he seemed to
ha<e read my mind. T%o6GT
Lopa held 5p his hand. TS5nBPo 6ill not reach the s5mmit 6itho5t yo5r help4T he said. T! need to
rest. &nd so do both of yo5. +e ha<e a hard climb ahead of 5s.T
S("BSO TOO LOP&OS &D2!CE. ! tried to sleep b5t co5ldnOt. ! Poined /ogi and /ash at the fire.
/ogi p5lled o5t an oMygen tan7 and mas7 o5t of his pac7. %e sho6ed me ho6 to attach the
mas7 to the reg5lator4 then he held 5p t6o fingers4 indicating ! 6as to set the dial to t6o liters
per min5te. Then4 5sing /ash as a model4 he sho6ed me ho6 to p5t on the mas7.
+hen he finished he too7 e<erything apart and had me p5t it all bac7 together. !t 6asnOt as
easy as it loo7ed. ! had to p5ll off my o5ter mitts4 and my fingers 6ent n5mb in spite of the fact
that ! 6as still 6earing glo<es. This reminded me that ! still had SROs little <ideo camera in my
pac7. ! had completely forgotten abo5t it. ! needed to start filming o5r trip. H+hich sho5ld gi<e
yo5 a little idea of ho6 the brain f5nctions4 or doesnOt f5nction4 at high altit5des.I
! managed to get the mas7 hoo7ed 5p to the tan74 then ! p5t the mas7 on and tried to adP5st
the straps for a tight fit o<er my nose and mo5th. The mas7 6as cold4 5ncomfortable4 and a
little cla5strophobic. /ash had a perfect sol5tion to the discomfort. %e t5rned on the oMygen.
!n my entire life ! had ne<er felt anything so 6onderf5l. The Os flo6ed into my body li7e some
7ind of magic eliMir. )or the first time in 6ee7s ! felt 6arm4 sharp4 and strong. The feeling 6as
shortBli<ed beca5se /ogi t5rned it off almost immediately. Rel5ctantly4 ! too7 off the mas7. The
Sherpa brothers 6ere smiling at me. /ogi said something in "epalese4 then held 5p fi<e fingers.
T'ot it4T ! said. T"ot 5ntil Camp )i<e.T
Theoretically4 yo5 co5ld 5se Os all the 6ay 5p the mo5ntain. The problem 6as yo5 6o5ld ha<e
to 5se a half doNen Sherpas to carry eno5gh oMygen tan7s to get 5p the mo5ntain. The tan7s
didnOt last that long.
/ogi and /ash left aro5nd noon. & co5ple of ho5rs later Lopa came o5t of his tent loo7ing li7e a
corpse emerging from a tomb. Three m5gs of hot tea seemed to re<i<e him ... a little. ! pac7ed
his gear4 then ro5sed S5nBPo4 6ho loo7ed a lot better after his nap.
+e started o5t for Camp )o5r. This time S5nBPo and ! had to 6ait for Lopa. &bo5t half6ay there4
he p5t on an oMygen mas7 and cran7ed it 5p. This certainly p5t a little more spring in his step. !
6as en<io5s.
C&MPS )!2E &"D S!-
,EC&(SE O) O(R L&TE ST&RT4 ! tho5ght Camp )o5r 6as close4 b5t 6e didnOt get to the
dreaded 6all leading 5p to it 5ntil 6ell after dar7.
T+eOre climbing the 6all at nightQT ! as7ed4 shoc7ed.
Lopa too7 off his mas7. T!tOs the only 6ay to get into Camp )o5r 5nnoticed. E<eryone 6ill be
asleep.T
They 6o5ld be in their tents all rightGthe 6ind 6as ho6ling and it hadnOt stopped sno6ing all
day. ,5t from o5r last eMperience ! 7ne6 they 6o5ldnOt be sleeping. !f they 6ere li7e me 6hen !
6as 5p there4 they 6o5ld be lying in their sleeping bags 6ondering if there 6as eno5gh air to
7eep them ali<e thro5gh the night.
The last time 6e 6ere here it too7 me o<er fi<e ho5rs to reach the top and ! nearly ga<e 5p on
the 6ay. The 6eather 6as 6orse no6Gand it 6as dar7.
/ogi and /ash had thro6n a rope o<er the side for 5s to 5se.
T/o5Oll need headlamps4T Lopa said.
TRight4T ! said.
Slide the P5mar 5p the rope4 step4 breathe4 P5mar4 step4 P5mar4 thin74 loo7 5p4 thin7 again4 step4
rest4 rest4 rest4 h5g the 6all4 pray ... The same ro5tine. ,5t in a strange 6ay the climb 6as
easier4 or at least less scary4 6ith the headlamp. The light 7ept me foc5sed on the ice and roc7
in front of me. ! had no idea 6here the top or bottom 6as 5ntil a light appeared o<er the edge
abo5t ten feet abo<e me. !t 6as /ogi4 altho5gh it 6as hard to tell4 b5ndled 5p li7e he 6as. !
managed to get to the top 6itho5t his ha<ing to grab me. &s ! rested on my 7nees trying to
catch my breath and not p57e4 ! loo7ed at my 6atch. ! had climbed the 6all in less than fi<e
ho5rs this time.
)ifteen min5tes later S5nBPo came o<er the top4 loo7ing li7e he 6as abo5t to pass o5t. ! sho5ted
in his ear that he had made it 5p the 6all a half ho5r faster than he had the last time. This
seemed to cheer him 5p. %e managed to get to his feet.
Lopa 6as last. %e 6as in terrible shape. !t too7 all three of 5s to p5ll him o<er the edge4 and
6hen 6e got him there he didnOt mo<e. ! chec7ed his oMygen tan7. !t 6as empty. /ogi h5rried
off and came bac7 6ith a fresh tan7 and /ash. They got the Os flo6ing and carried Lopa to their
tent. &fter an ho5r or so he reco<ered eno5gh to open his eyes and drin7 something. & fe6
min5tes later he as7ed the brothers if they had heard anything from Sosh.
The Chinese soldier climbers had reached &,C that afternoon and 6ere planning on staying
there a day or t6o before climbing to Camp )o5r. They had chec7ed e<eryoneOs papers and
searched all the tents. The climbers at &,C said the soldiers 6ere in great shape and had made
terrific time. There 6as no do5bt they 6ere going to try for the s5mmit.
This seemed li7e the 6orst possible ne6s4 b5t Lopa didnOt seem at all dist5rbed by it.
T/o5 6ill be a day ahead of them. Tonight and tomorro6 yo5 6ill rest. The follo6ing morning4
before light4 yo5Oll climb to Camp )i<e.T
T+hat abo5t yo5QT S5nBPo as7ed.
TDo yo5 really thin7 they are going to be 6orried abo5t a sic7 old mon7 6hen they get 5p hereQ
!f they really are s5ch good climbers4 the soldiers 6ill all 6ant to try for the s5mmit. +hich of
them 6ill stay behind to escort the old man do6n the mo5ntainQT %e ga<e a 6heeNy la5gh. T,y
the time they get bac7 here ! 6ill be gone.T
T+hy canOt 6e P5st go 5p to Camp )i<e 6hen it gets lightQT ! as7ed. T+eOll be P5st that m5ch
farther ahead of the soldiers.T
TThere 6ill be a storm in a fe6 ho5rs4T Lopa ans6ered. TTomorro6 morning is yo5r 6indo6.T
T%E STORM %!T (S M!DMOR"!"'. !f 6e had left 6hen ! 6anted 6e 6o5ld ha<e been abo5t
half6ay to Camp )i<e. &nd 6e 6o5ld ha<e died4 along 6ith the three climbers 6ho did lea<e
that morning. "one of them made it to Camp )i<e4 and nobody co5ld help them. The 6eather
6as too se<ere.
! tried to 6rite in my Moles7ine and fo5nd that ! co5ldnOt concentrate long eno5gh to string
more than t6o or three 6ords together at a time. &fter a 6hile ! ga<e 5p and managed to get a
little sleep4 and so did S5nBPo4 mostly beca5se there 6as nothing else to do b5t lie in the tent.
Lopa didnOt 6ant 5s 6andering aro5nd camp Hnot that 6e had the energyI4 and the storm 6as
so bad4 e<eryone there 6as h5n7ered do6n 6aiting for it to stop.
&bo5t eight oOcloc7 that night it did4 s5ddenly. One moment the 6ind and sno6 6ere
threatening to blo6 o5r tent a6ayV the neMt moment it 6as perfectly calm. ! st5c7 my head
o5tside the tent4 along 6ith e<eryone else in camp4 and sa6 a perfectly clear s7y o<erhead
scattered 6ith bright stars.
/ash left for Camp )i<e three ho5rs ahead of 5s to get the camp ready. /ogi st5c7 his head into
o5r tent an ho5r before 6e 6ere to lea<e and told 5s to pac7 o5r gear. +e 6erenOt ta7ing m5ch
6ith 5s. Most of 6hat 6e needed 6o5ld be 6aiting for 5s at Camp )i<e yogi and /ash had
ha5led it 5p the last time 6e 6ere at Camp )o5r.
,efore 6e too7 off 6e chec7ed in 6ith Lopa. %e 6as sitting 5p drin7ing a m5g of tea. %e 6as off
the Os and some of the color had ret5rned to his face4 b5t he still loo7ed pretty 6ea7.
TSpeed is e<erything no6. !f yo5 stay in the death None too long yo5 6ill die. !f yo5 donOt reach
the s5mmit by one thirtyBfi<e P.M. the day yo5 lea<e Camp SiM4 ! ha<e as7ed /ogi and /ash to
t5rn yo5 aro5nd. !t is better to get ca5ght by the Chinese than it is to die on the mo5ntain.T
This seemed to contradict his plan to get S5nBPo o<er the top to safety4 b5t he 6as right. )rom
Camp SiM yo5 ha<e to reach the s5mmit and ret5rn in abo5t eighteen ho5rs. OMygen or not4
there 6as a limit to ho6 long yo5 co5ld s5r<i<e abo<e Camp SiM. !f 6e made the s5mmit 6e
6o5ld ha<e to reach the top camp on the other side in eighteen ho5rs.
T%a<e /ogi and /ash been to the s5mmitQT ! as7ed. !t had been a =5estion on my mind since
Lopa had anno5nced he 6asnOt ta7ing 5s there himself.
TOf co5rse4T Lopa said. TThree times.T
T'ood4T ! said. TDoes Sosh 7no6 yo5Ore not coming 6ith 5sQT
Lopa shoo7 his head4 then ga<e 5s a blessing and said4 T!Oll see yo5 both in athmand5. "o6
go.T
!t 6as clear and bitterly cold as 6e left the dar7 camp and started 5p the north ridge to the
s5mmit. !t 6as hard to 7eep my eMcitement in chec7. & night at Camp )i<e4 a night at Camp SiM4
then the top of the 6orld.
!T +&S MORE O) & )ORCED M&RC% to Camp )i<e than a climb. +e hoo7ed on to a series of
fiMed ropes. /ogi set the pace. ! tried a regime of t6el<e steps4 a min5te of gasping to reco<er4
then another t6el<e steps. &fter an ho5r it 6as do6n to abo5t eight steps4 and !Om not s5re
ho6 many min5tes to reco<er. !t 6as hard to belie<e that some climbers had made it to the
s5mmit 6itho5t any s5pplemental Os at all. Sosh 6as one of them4 altho5gh ! s5spected on this
trip he 6o5ld be s5c7ing do6n the Os4 if for no other reason than to stay sharp so he didnOt lose
one of his clients.
The s5n came 5p and ga<e 5s the best <ie6 of E<erestOs pyramidal s5mmit yet. !t 6as
enormo5s. Coming off the top 6as a dis7 of ice crystals against the bl5e s7y. The sight inspired
my sl5ggish brain to remember the camera4 6hich ! had p5t in my poc7et before 6e left Camp
)o5r. ! sho5ted ahead at S5nBPo to 6ait 5p4 6hich he 6as more than happy to do. +hen ! got to
him ! too7 off my o5ter mittens4 p5shed the record b5tton4 and tried to imitate SR as best as !
co5ld.
T+hat are yo5 feeling right no6QT ! as7ed. T/o5Ore less than a mile from the highest point on
earth.T ! had him framed perfectly against the s5mmit.
T)rightened4T S5nBPo said. T&nd hopef5l. &nd 6orried abo5t my grandfather. ! had no idea it
6o5ld be this hard.T
ThatOs abo5t all my 5nmittened fingers co5ld ta7e.
T! can film yo5 no6 if yo5 li7e4T S5nBPo offered.
T"ah4 thatOs all right. +e ha<e to get mo<ing.T
&bo5t half an ho5r later 6e sa6 o5r first corpse. S5nBPo sa6 it first. ! 6al7ed 5p to him as he
6as staring do6n at it. /ogi had breeNed by as if he hadnOt noticed b5t ! bet he had. !t 6as a
6oman. &bo5t fifty feet a6ay 6as another corpse b5t ! co5ldnOt tell 6hat it 6as beca5se it 6as
lying facedo6n.
! had ne<er seen a dead person4 let alone a froNen dead person. She loo7ed more li7e a 6aM
fig5re than a former h5man being4 and in a 6ay this 6as e<en more dist5rbing to me. She had
been there a 6hile if her shredded clothes 6ere any indication. !t loo7ed li7e she had died
sitting 5p and had fallen o<er on her side. She 6as only a fe6 ho5rs from her tent at Camp
)o5r. !Om not s5re ho6 long 6e stood there staring4 and 6e 6o5ld ha<e stood there a lot longer
if /ogi hadnOt sho5ted at 5s to h5rry 5p. &fter fi<e more corpses ! stopped loo7ing.
&t noon 6e came to a steeper part of the north ridge. !t 6as m5ch colder. The fiMed ropes 6ere
froNen and Sherpas had chipped shallo6 steps into the ice to ma7e it easier to climb.
/ogi 6aited for 5s to catch 5p to him. %e pointed to the tents do6n at Camp )o5r4 then 5p to
tents at Camp )i<e and said something in "epalese.
T%alf6ay4T S5nBPo translated. TSiM ho5rs to go.T
To ma7e that siM ho5rs 6orse4 the 6ind pic7ed 5p. +e had to bend o<er as 6e climbed so 6e
6erenOt blo6n off the ridge. My initial eMcitement 6as long gone. ! thin7 the only thing that
7ept me going 6ere the Os 6aiting for me 5p ahead. ! donOt 7no6 6hat 7ept S5nBPo going.
Probably the Chinese climbers behind him and freedom ahead.
+e got to Camp )i<e a little before se<en3 .D4$C? feet. !t seemed impossible that 6e co5ld e<er
go any farther. !t 6as the end of the 6orld. &nd it really 6asnOt a camp. !t 6as a series of
cleared platforms stretching 5p the north ridge for at least a =5arter of a mile4 6ith absol5tely
no shelter from the ho6ling 6ind. The big platforms co5ld hold fi<e or siM tents4 the small
platforms one or t6o. Se<eral of the platforms had tents on them4 b5t it 6as hard to say ho6
many people 6ere 5p there. ! s5spected most of the tents 6ere 6aiting for climbers coming 5p
from Camp )o5r4 or do6n from Camp SiM after their s5mmit attempt.
O5r tiny r5bble pile 6as P5st big eno5gh for t6o tents pitched on the garbage of the former
occ5pants. /ash had 6ater boiling for tea4 b5t 6hat ! 6as interested in 6as the mas7 strapped
to his face p5mping Os into his l5ngs. %e 6as mo<ing t6ice as fast as 6e 6ere.
! grabbed a tan7 from the pile4 p5lled the mas7 o5t of my pac74 hoo7ed it 5p4 and st5c7 my face
in it. The feeling ! had 6ith the first l5ngf5l of oMygen is indescribable. ,liss is abo5t as close as
! can come4 b5t it 6as 6ay beyond that.
/ash helped S5nBPo set 5p his rig4 and 6hen he got it on 6e loo7ed at each other and started
la5ghing.
+e 6ere going to li<e. +e might e<en ma7e it to the s5mmit.
TT%E C%!"ESE &RE %E&D!"' (P to Camp )o5r tomorro64T one of the climbers from &,C told
Sosh.
T/o5Ore 7iddingRT Sosh said. T+hat abo5t acclimatiNationQT
TThese g5ys are acclimated. One of o5r climbers spea7s a little Chinese. They told her they 6ere
5p on . 6hen they 6ere ordered to come here. They ha<enOt said it4 b5t ! donOt thin7 theyOre
coming bac7 do6n 5ntil they ta7e a shot at the s5mmit. TheyOre li7e climbing machines. +hen
are yo5 heading 5pQT
TThe day after tomorro6 if the 6eatherOs good4T Sosh ans6ered. T! 6as going to hold off a little
longer4 b5t ! too7 my people o5t for a climb today and they all did pretty 6ell. The <ir5s seems
to ha<e r5n its co5rse.T
T+eOre heading 5p to Camp )o5r in the morning. +eOll see yo5 on the 6ay bac7 do6n.T
T'ood l5c7.T
TO5t.T
This 6as probably the last transmission 6e 6o5ld hear. ! 6ondered if Sosh 6o5ld be 6orried
6hen he didnOt pass me on his 6ay 5p.
! as7ed S5nBPo ho6 he 6as doing.
TThe oMygen helps4 b5t !Om still concerned. ! had a lot of tro5ble today.T
T/o5Ore not the only one. !tOs hard 5p here.T
T! ha<e to ma7e it4T he said. T)or my sisters and my mother.T
Those 6ere great reasons to ris7 yo5r life4 ! tho5ght. ,5t 6hy 6as ! doing itQ )or SoshOs
b5sinessQ )or my egoQ
"o6 that my brain had oMygen ! fo5nd myself really missing the t6o Peas4 my mom4 and e<en
Rolf. This got me to thin7ing abo5t the corpses 6e sa6 on the 6ay 5p here. +ho had they left
behindQ These 6ere <ery 5ncomfortable =5estions to fall asleep on.
T%E O-/'E" +&S +O"DER)(L4 b5t the mas7s 6ere a pain in the b5tt to sleep in. !t 6as hard
to find a position 6here the straps didnOt dig into yo5r face. &lso4 the eMha5st system stan7.
Small pools of icy slime collected in the mo5thpiece <al<e. +hen ! mo<ed my head sl5shy spit
ran do6n my nec7. ,eca5se of this4 S5nBPo and ! 6ere 5p early.
+e chec7ed and rechec7ed o5r gear. Lea<ing something behind li7e a spare headlamp battery
or a glo<e co5ld be a death sentence.
/ogi too7 the lead this time4 lea<ing /ash to ta7e 5s 5p to Camp SiM. O5r first obstacle 6as a
steep sno6field that 6e had to fo5rBpoint 6ith ice aMes and crampons. St5pidly4 ! ass5med that
no6 that 6e 6ere on Os4 it 6o5ld be li7e climbing at sea le<el. "othing co5ld be f5rther from
the tr5th.
,y the time 6e reached the top of the sno6field my l5ngs 6ere screaming for air. ! tho5ght
there 6as something the matter 6ith my mas7 or the tan7 had r5n o5t of oMygen4 b5t
e<erything 6as 6or7ing perfectly. The t6o liters of oMygen didnOt sim5late sea le<elV it simply
allo6ed me to stay ali<e abo<e .D4999 feet. &nd there 6as a h5ge difference bet6een lying in a
tent doing <irt5ally nothing and climbing a steep sno6field on all fo5rs. ! too7 the little camera
o5t and filmed S5nBPo crabbing his 6ay 5p to me. ,y the eMpression on his face ! co5ld see he
6as ha<ing the same O re<elation !Od P5st had.
T! donOt thin7 ! can ma7e it.T %e gasped. T!Om serio5s4 Pea7V this is too m5ch.T
T+e P5st p5shed it too hard going 5p the field4T ! said 6ith a confidence ! didnOt feel. T+eOll P5st
ha<e to pace o5rsel<es.T
%e nodded4 b5t there 6as fear in his eyes. ! 7ne6 eMactly ho6 he felt. +e had passed another
three or fo5r corpses on the 6ay 5p.
& fe6 ho5rs later ! stopped to rest and loo7ed at my altimeter 6atch. +e had P5st passed
.?4999 feet and 6ere officially in the death None. E<ery min5te from no6 on 6e 6ere dying a
little.
+e st5mbled into Camp SiM li7e three Nombies. /ogi had the tents set 5p4 b5t he didnOt loo7
m5ch better than 6e did. %e told S5nBPo to get o5r sto<e going to boil sno6 and drin7 as m5ch
6ater as 6e co5ld. The <ery idea of drin7ing or eating anything made my stomach l5rch.
! t5rned on the <ideo camera and shot S5nBPo lighting the sto<e4 or trying to light the sto<e. !t
m5st ha<e ta7en him fifty stro7es to get the cigarette lighter going in the thin air. +hen it
finally ignited his th5mb 6as bleeding li7e he had sliced it open 6ith a 7nife.
+e gagged do6n as m5ch 6ater and food as 6e co5ld4 then 6rapped 5p in o5r sleeping bags to
6ait. Sleep 6as o5t of the =5estion.
The inside of the tent 6as filled 6ith a thin layer of frost from o5r breath. E<ery time one of 5s
mo<ed4 the freeNing crystals fell on o5r faces.
They say that 6hen yo5 die yo5r life flashes before yo5r eyes. Mine 6as passing before my eyes
in slo6 motion li7e a horror mo<ie. ! thin7 it 6as the corpses that did it. ! tho5ght of Mom
falling off that 6all4 the boy !Od ne<er met falling off the )latiron ,5ilding4 S5nBPo hanging by a
thread on that ice 6all4 and S5nBPoOs father sa<ing my father then dying of heart fail5re....
The only thing that stopped the depressing playbac7 6as the tent flap opening and the
appearance of /ogiOs mas7ed face.
T+e go4T he said.
+ell4 not =5ite. !t 6as more li7e3 T+e get ready to go.T They made 5s drin7 more 6ater4 then
told 5s to do o5r toilet4 6hich is a lot easier said than done at thirty degrees belo6 Nero. T6o
ho5rs later 6e 6ere ready.
+e left for the s5mmit of Mo5nt E<erest.
! loo7ed at my 6atch. !t 6as $30D &.M. +e had t6el<e ho5rs to get there.
TOP O) T%E +ORLD
O(TS!DE C&MP S!- 6e pic7ed o5r 6ay across t6o sno6fields. /ash led the 6ay 6ith /ogi
stic7ing close to 5s. On the far side of the second field 6e started to enco5nter bare roc7. ! 7ept
my eyes on /ashOs headlamp. %e 6as probably $D9 yards ahead of 5s. ,reathing 6as diffic5lt
and it 6as freeNing o5t4 b5t ! started to thin7 this might not be as bad as ! tho5ght. !t 6as
certainly no 6orse than 6hat 6e had already been thro5gh.
Then to my 5tter shoc74 /ashOs headlamp started to rise from the gro5nd. ! blin7ed se<eral
times4 thin7ing it 6as some 7ind of optical ill5sion. !t 6asnOt. %e 6as climbing a steep 6all.
T/ello6 ,andRT/ogi sho5ted abo<e the ho6ling 6ind. TCaref5lRT
+e started 5p. Large ch5n7s of yello6ish sandstone bro7e off 6ith almost e<ery handhold4 and
the crampons strapped on o5r boots 6ere 6orse than 5seless. TheyOre made for ice4 not roc74
b5t there 6asnOt time to ta7e them off. &t ,ase Camp it 6o5ld ta7e three min5tes to sh5c7 the
crampons. (p here in the thin air4 it might ta7e half an ho5r or longer. +e didnOt ha<e a half
ho5r to spare. &nd 6e 6o5ld ha<e to p5t them bac7 on the neMt time 6e came across ice or
sno64 6hich ta7es longer than ta7ing them off.
There 6ere ropes4 b5t most of them 6ere rotten4 flapping 5selessly in the 6ind. &bo5t an ho5r
into the climb ! grabbed one to help me o<er a diffic5lt pitch and it popped loose from its
anchor. ! barely ca5ght myself before ! 7eeled o<er bac76ard. ! didnOt to5ch another rope on
the 6ay 5p.
There 6ere three steps leading to the s5mmit and this had to be the first. ,5t if that 6as the
case4 6hy had /ash called it the /ello6 ,andQ M5st be the Sherpa nic7name for it4 ! tho5ght.
)i<e ho5rs later ! fo5nd o5t ! 6as 6rong.
+e got to the top P5st as the s5n 6as coming 5p and there it 6as3 the ridge. !t loo7ed li7e a
gigantic dragonOs tail 6ith s6itchbac7s and scales and compleM roc7y steps. ! co5nted the soB
called steps. One ... t6o ... crap ... three. The /ello6 ,and 6as the /ello6 ,and. The first step
6as yet to come.
/ash and S5nBPo ca5ght 5p to me a fe6 min5tes later. ! taped them resting 6ith their hands on
their 7nees4 then s65ng the camera aro5nd to the s5mmit. /ash pointed to his 6atch and
started to6ard the base of the first step.
/ogi 6as sitting on a roc7 6aiting for 5s. %e chec7ed o5r oMygen tan7s4 made 5s drin7
something4 then pointed 5p.
The first step 6as abo5t siMtyBfi<e feet. !t 6as ;399 &.M. and min5s thirtyBfi<e degrees o5t. Lopa
6as right abo5t the 6eather again. There 6asnOt a clo5d in the s7y4 b5t that co5ld change in a
matter of min5tes.
The first ten feet led 5p a crac7 on the left side of the cliff. "eMt came a tra<erse across an
5nstable ledge4 made m5ch harder by o5r 6ea7ened legs. HMine 6ere sha7ing almost
5ncontrollably the entire tra<erse.I The final part of the climb 6as a 6ild scramble bet6een t6o
bo5lders.
+e got to the top of the first step at @309 &.M.
The second step 6as t6ice as steep and t6ice as high as the first. ,efore 6e attempted it4 /ogi
changed all of o5r oMygen tan7s. ,oth S5nBPo and ! nearly passed o5t 6hile 6e 6aited for him to
reconnect the precio5s Os.
There 6ere al5min5m ladders attached H7ind ofI to the 6all of the first section. They mo<ed
and t6isted 5nder o5r 6eight and made a terrible scraping noise against the roc7. Climbing the
slippery r5ngs 6asnOt made any easier by 6earing crampons. !t 6as li7e trying to climb a ladder
6ith ice s7ates. ! 6as delighted to get off the ladders4 b5t the final mo<e to the top 6as m5ch
6orse. !t 6as a tension tra<erse 6here yo5 co5ld only 5se yo5r arms4 then s6ing 5p to the top
by a b5nch of old ropes tied to a sling. ! 6o5ldnOt ha<e tho5ght it possible4 b5t ! 6atched /ogi
do it 6itho5t a hitch. S5nBPo 6as right behind me. %e loo7ed as sic7 abo5t the mo<e as ! did.
! follo6ed /ogiOs ro5te mo<e for mo<e4 b5t 6hen ! grabbed the rope my crampon slipped and !
fo5nd myself dangling by the rope li7e a dead fish 6ith absol5tely no moment5m to get me to
the top of the step. !n addition to this ! had gotten t6isted aro5nd 6ith my bac7 to the 6all.
! glanced o<er at S5nBPo and /ash. They stared bac7 at me helplessly. There 6as nothing they
co5ld do. ! loo7ed 5p. /ogi 6as leaning o<er the ledge trying to reach the sling so he co5ld p5ll
me 5p. %e 6asnOt e<en close. +e hadnOt bro5ght any rope 6ith 5s. The eMtra 6eight 6o5ld slo6
5s do6n and that co5ld 7ill 5s.
! 7ne6 the longer ! h5ng there the more fatig5ed my arms 6o5ld become. !f ! 6aited too long
for a sol5tion4 ! 6o5ldnOt ha<e the strength to eMec5te it. ! had to mo<e. "o6R
! flipped bac7 aro5nd4 smashing my face into the 6all4 then dro<e the front spi7es of my
crampons into the hard roc7. One of them st5c74 and p5tting 6eight on that leg4 ! 6as able to
relie<e the press5re on my arms. %olding as tight as ! co5ld 6ith my left hand4 ! let my right
hand go. ! p5lled off the o5ter mitten 6ith my teeth and let it drop4 then shoo7 the arm o5t. H!
had another pair of mittens in my pac7.I ! repeated the proced5re 6ith my left arm. ! 6as going
to need all the strength ! co5ld in my arms for the neMt mo<e. &nd ! hoped /ogi 6as paying
close attention abo<e beca5se ! 6as going to need his help.
! 6al7ed 5p the 6all 6ith my crampons 5ntil ! 6as in a [ position4 then ! basically stood 5p4
hoping the crampons held. They did. &t the last second ! let go of the rope 6ith my left hand4
hoping ! co5ld stretch it high eno5gh for /ogi to grab. %e grabbed it4 b5t he 6as still going to
need help getting me 5p. %e had ta7en off his o5ter mitts4 too4 and had me pretty solidly. ! let
my right hand go and flailed a6ay blindly for a handhold. ! fo5nd a crac74 P5st big eno5gh to dig
the <ery tips of my sore fingers into. ! p5lled 5p 6ith all the strength ! had. !f it didnOt 6or74 /ogi
6as going to ha<e to let me drop. +hen ! 6as as high as ! tho5ght ! co5ld go ! bro5ght my right
7nee 5p to my chest and tried to get my foot into the sling. ! barely snagged it4 b5t it 6as
eno5gh. &ll ! had to do no6 6as stand 5p and ! 6o5ld be 6ithin inches of the top.
/ogi dragged me o<er the edge and he and ! lay there on o5r bac7s gasping for breath. %e
reached o<er and cran7ed my tan7 5p to fo5r and ! did the same for him. E<en 6ith the eMtra
oMygen it too7 5s a good fi<e min5tes to catch o5r breath.
! 6ondered 6hat 6as going thro5gh S5nBPoOs mind after he sa6 that. &pparently4 he had
learned by my mista7e beca5se a fe6 min5tes later he s65ng 5p o<er the edge li7e a spider
mon7ey. /ash 6as right behind him.
They let me rest for another fifteen min5tes. ! needed it. /ogi didnOt t5rn my oMygen do6n 5ntil
6e 6ere ready to lea<e. ! needed that4 too.
The third step 6as the easiest of the three for me4 e<en tho5gh it came higher in the climb.
Compared to 6hat ! had P5st been thro5gh4 it 6as a breeNe.
+hen 6e got to the top 6e sa6 another corpse. %e 6as lying on his bac7 6ith one arm splayed
o5t and the other hand b5ried in the poc7et of his do6n par7a. The corpse loo7ed pretty fresh.
!t might ha<e been one of the 'erman climbers 6ho had died 6hen 6e 6ere at &,C. There 6as
no sign of the other climber he had been 6ith. ! 6ondered if he had died on the 6ay 5p to the
s5mmit4 or the 6ay do6n. ! 6ondered ho6 many people 6ere 6aiting for him to come home.
"o one climbs a mo5ntain thin7ing theyOre not coming bac7 do6n. ! loo7ed a6ay from the dead
climber4 trying to sh5t o5t MomOs 6arning.
,eyond the corpse lay the s5mmit pyramidOs ice field4 then the s5mmit ridge.
/ogi pointed at his 6atch4 then held 5p t6o fingers. T6o ho5rs left.
+e clipped on to ropes and started across the ice field. ! donOt 7no6 abo5t S5nBPo4 b5t this is
6hen ! shifted into s5mmit fe<er. &t this point ! sho5ld ha<e been completely spent4 b5t instead
! 6as totally P5iced. MomOs 6arning disappeared into thin air. PoofR "othing 6as going to stop
me from getting to the top.
The sno6field became steeper4 c5r<ing aro5nd into 6hat ! tho5ght 6o5ld be the s5mmit4 b5t
instead 6e ran into fresh a<alanche debris. Some of the ch5n7s 6ere as big as school b5ses. !
s6ore. To come all this 6ay only to be stopped by an a<alancheQ !t 6o5ld ta7e 5s ho5rs4 if not
days4 to scramble o<er the debris.
/ogi pointed at the debris and shoo7 his head.
"o 7idding4 ! tho5ght4 staring at the debris bitterly. %e yan7ed on my slee<e. ! tho5ght he 6as
telling me that 6e had to go bac7 no6. That it 6as o<er. ! 6as going to sho5t that 6e had to try
for S5nBPoOs sa7e4 e<en tho5gh ! 7ne6 it 6as hopeless.
,5t /ogi 6asnOt trying to t5rn me aro5nd. %e 6as pointing at another roc7 cliff flan7ing the final
b5ttress. The debrisBfilled ice field 6as not the ro5te to the s5mmit.
Once again 6e had to tra<erse a narro6 ledge along the face4 clipping on to a rope that loo7ed
li7e it had been there for three h5ndred years. &bo5t a h5ndred and fifty feet along the ledge
6e ran into an o5tcropping that too7 a lot of finesse4 and time4 to get aro5nd. &t the end of the
tra<erse the ro5te stepped 5p in a series of small ledges4 6hich too7 5s abo5t t6enty min5tes
to climb. +e emerged onto the 5pper slope of the s5mmit pyramid ice field past all the
a<alanche debris.
The 6ind 6as really blo6ing no6. /ash led 5s to the shelter of an o5tcrop4 6here 6e rested for
a fe6 min5tes before o5r final p5sh. /ogi pointed at his 6atch again and stood. ! too7 5p the
rear and recorded him4 S5nBPo4 and /ash heading for 6hat ! tho5ght 6as the s5mmit. !t 6asnOt.
+hen 6e reached the top of the ice field the real s5mmit 6as re<ealed. The colorf5l prayer
flags on the s5mmit pole 6ere fl5ttering in the 6ind ?D9 feet a6ay.
+e stopped again to rest4 b5t ! c5t mine short.
T!Om p5shing aheadRT ! sho5ted abo<e the deafening 6ind. T!Oll film yo5 coming 5pRTThis 6asnOt
eMactly the tr5th. The real reason 6as that ! co5ldnOt 6ait to get to the top.
?99 feet...
T6o football fields. &t nearly .C4999 feet it felt more li7e t6enty miles.
Three steps ... rest ... three steps ... rest ... t6o steps ... rest...
! disco<ered it 6as best to a<oid loo7ing 5p at the s5mmit. E<ery time ! pee7ed it appeared
farther a6ay4 as if ! 6ere 6al7ing bac76ard. S5nBPo4 /ash4 and /ogi 6ere abo5t a h5ndred feet
behind me mo<ing at the same snailOs pace. ! shot them for a co5ple min5tes4 then started o5t
again.
$99 feet...
C9 feet...
! stopped and chec7ed my Os4 thin7ing the tan7 m5st be empty. !t 6as half f5ll4 hissing o5t t6o
liters per min5te4 6hich didnOt seem nearly eno5gh to 7eep me ali<e.
@9 feet...
D9 feet...
! loo7ed at my 6atch. $39C P.M. T6entyBsiM min5tes to t5rnaro5nd time. ! stopped to rest. ! 6as
standing at .C4990 feet4 higher than any other mo5ntain on earth3 0. feet to go.
!t 6as cold and 6indy4 b5t the 6eather 6as rarely better at this altit5de. ! co5ld see for
h5ndreds of miles in e<ery direction. T,ea5tif5lT doesnOt describe the <ie64 nor does TmaPestic.T
The closest 6ord ! co5ld thin7 of 6as Tdi<ine4T b5t e<en that fell short of 6hat it 6as li7e.
S5nBPo had made 5p some time. %e 6as less than t6enty feet a6ay from me. /ogi and /ash
6ere 6al7ing on either side of him. ! 6anted to t5rn aro5nd and finish the climb4 b5t instead !
too7 o5t the camera and recorded my team coming 5p. ! co5ld see no6 that S5nBPo 6as
str5ggling and /ash and /ogi 6ere act5ally helping him along. !t 6as $3$C by the time they
reached me. S5nBPo fell do6n on his 7nees and 6as ha<ing diffic5lty breathing. ! chec7ed his
oMygen tan7 ga5ge and sa6 they had already cran7ed it 5p to fo5r liters per min5te.
! ga<e him some time to rest4 then s=5atted neMt to him. T/o5 can do this4 S5nBPo. !tOs only
abo5t thirty feet a6ay. Loo7RT ! pointed to the ridge pole.
%e gaNed 5p at the colorf5l prayer flags snapping in the 6ind and ga<e a d5ll nod4 b5t he didnOt
mo<e.
T&fter yo5 to5ch the pole4T ! said4 TitOs all do6nhill.T
S5nBPo shoo7 his head. T! donOt thin7 ! can do it.T
T/o5 ha<e to do itR )or yo5r sisters. )or yo5rself.T
%e contin5ed to sha7e his head. ! loo7ed at /ogi and /ash. They 6ere in as bad a shape as S5nB
Po. 'etting S5nBPo this far had nearly done them in. ! loo7ed at my 6atch. T6el<e min5tes to
t5rnaro5nd time. E<en if 6e left right that second4 ! 6asnOt s5re 6e 6o5ld ma7e the s5mmit by
$30D.
T/o5 go4T S5nBPo said 6ea7ly. T!Oll start bac7 do6n.T
T/o5 canOt go do6n the north side. The Chinese are 6aiting for yo5.T
T! 6ill get aro5nd them.T
%e and ! both 7ne6 this 6asnOt tr5e. ! loo7ed do6n the mo5ntain. T6o other climbing parties
had topped the third step and 6ere 6inding their 6ay 5p the dragonOs tail. They m5st ha<e
gotten a late start or had r5n into problems along the 6ay. !f the 6eather held they might be
o7ay.
/o5 can ne<er tell 6ho the mo5ntain 6ill allo6 and 6ho it 6ill not.... S5nBPo 6ill not reach the
s5mmit 6itho5t yo5r help....
TLetOs go.T ! p5lled S5nBPo to his feet. +e started bac7 5p and 6ith each little step4 S5nBPo
seemed to gain strength. .D feet ... .9 ... $; feet ...
$9 feet...
! stopped and stared 5p at the s5mmit pole4 then t5rned aro5nd and loo7ed belo6.
T+hatOs the matterQT S5nBPo as7ed.
! loo7ed bac7 5p at the s5mmit pole4 then p5lled my goggles do6n and loo7ed at S5nBPo. TDo
yo5 7no6 the dateQT
%e shoo7 his head.
TMay thirtieth4T ! said.
TSoQT
T! thin7 this is as far as !Om going.T
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQ The s5mmit is only a fe6 steps a6ay. +hat does the date ha<e
toGT
TTomorro6Os yo5r birthday. /o5 ha<e a reason to be here4 S5nBPo. &n important reason. /o5r
f5t5re and yo5r sistersO f5t5re. ! donOt ha<e a reason for being here. !Om heading bac7 do6n the
north side.T
S5nBPo stared at me li7e ! 6as craNy4 and maybe ! 6as at that moment4 b5t the decision ! had
made d5ring the last fe6 feet felt right. ! didnOt 6ant to be the yo5ngest person to s5mmit
E<erest. S5nBPoOs father died sa<ing my father. Reaching the top 6o5ld sa<e S5nBPo and his
sisters. +ith the money from the e=5ipment endorsements he 6o5ld recei<e they 6o5ld all be
able to go bac7 to school.
T!t is too m5ch4T S5nBPo said.
T!tOs nothing.T
TCome 6ith 5s do6n the so5th side into "epal.T
! shoo7 my head. T!f ! climb do6n the so5th side e<eryone 6ill 7no6 that ! reached the s5mmit.
The only 6ay do6n for me is the 6ay ! came 5p. ,5t ! do ha<e a fa<or to as7.T ! too7 off my pac7
and fo5nd the Moles7ine. The yello6 prayer flag 6ith the bl5e mo5ntain 6as hidden in a poc7et
in the bac7 of the Po5rnal. ! too7 it o5t and handed it to him. T+hen yo5 get to the top tie this
on the pole.T
TOf co5rse4 b5tGT
T/o5 need to go.T
S5nBPo p5t his thic7 glo<es together in the ,5ddhist 6ay and bo6ed. TThan7 yo54 Pea7. ! 6ill not
forget this.T
T+eOre r5nning o5t of time. !Oll tape yo5 getting to the top so thereOs a record of the climb.T
S5nBPo =5ic7ly eMplained 6hat ! 6as doing to /ogi and /ash. &t first they loo7ed shoc7ed4 then
they both bro7e into broad smiles and clapped me on the bac7.
T/ogi is coming 6ith yo54T S5nBPo said.
T!Oll be all right.T
T%e insists4T S5nBPo said4 Tand so do !.T
T)ine.T
+e all shoo7 hands and h5gged4 then ! recorded S5nBPo and /ash ta7ing those last ten steps.
+hen they reached the s5mmit of the highest mo5ntain in the 6orld they too7 off their mas7s
and smiled and 6a<ed for the camera.
S5nBPo tied my yello6 flag to the pole4 then he and /ash crossed into "epal.
DO+" T%E MO("T&!"S!DE
! DO"OT REMEM,ER M(C% abo5t the trip bac7 to Camp SiM. +e st5mbled into camp 6ell after
dar7. ! <ag5ely remember /ogi hoo7ing 5p a fresh oMygen tan7 to my mas74 b5t after that itOs a
blan7. ! didnOt ha<e any tro5ble sleeping. ! 7no6 that. &nd ! didnOt ha<e any regrets abo5t not
reaching the s5mmit.
! 6o7e 5p 6ith spit froNen all o<er my face and the 6orst headache of my life. The oMygen tan7
6as empty. ! grabbed another one and cran7ed it 5p to siM for a fe6 min5tes. That got rid of
most of the headache.
/ogi and ! 6ere eager to get do6n and chec7 on Lopa. +e bypassed Camp )i<e and 6ent
directly to Camp )o5r. &s soon as 6e stepped into camp 6e 6ere confronted by one of the
Chinese soldiers. %e 6as dressed li7e a climber4 eMcept for the pistol strapped aro5nd his 6aist.
!n pretty good English he as7ed 6ho 6e 6ere and 6hat 6e 6ere doing.
TMy name is Pea7 Marcello and this is /ogi Sherpa4T ! said. T+e too7 s5pplies 5p to Camp )i<e
and 6eOre headed bac7 do6n to ,ase Camp.T
%e called Captain She7 on the radio and they had a long con<ersation in Chinese.
TThe captain 6ants to tal7 to yo54T the soldier said and handed me the radio.
TThis is Pea7 Marcello4T ! said.
TSosh5a +oodOs sonQT
TRight.T
T+hat yo5 doing on mo5ntainQT
TLi7e ! told yo5r officer4 ! helped ta7e some s5pplies to Camp )i<e. Sosh is ta7ing a climbing
party 5p tomorro6.T
T,5t yo5 lea<e mo5ntainRT
T+hat are yo5 tal7ing abo5tQT ! as7ed4 enPoying myself immensely. T!Om 5p at Camp )o5r.T
T/o5 ha<e big arg5ment 6ith yo5 father.T
TOh that. %e told me that he 6asnOt going to let me try for the s5mmit. !t made me mad4 b5t at
least he let me get as far as Camp )i<e.T
T+hat abo5t other boyQT
T+hat other boyQT
TS5nBPoRT
TOh him4T ! said. T%eOs in "epal.T +hich 6as the absol5te tr5th.
T! donOt belie<e. ! ha<e soldier bring yo5 and Sherpa bac7 to ,ase Camp.T
T+hate<er4T ! said and handed the radio bac7 to the soldier.
They had another long con<ersation in Chinese4 b5t ! 7ne6 6hat this one 6as abo5t. The other
soldiers had gathered aro5nd the radio and 6ere listening intently. The one 6ith the radio
finally signed off and shoo7 his head 6ith resignation.
T/o5 donOt ha<e to escort 5s do6n4T ! said.
T+e ha<e orders4T he said.
TThatOs fine 6ith me4 b5t 6eOre going to ,ase Camp. +here else 6o5ld 6e goQT
&bo5t that time Sosh came on the radio as7ing for me. The soldier handed me his radio again.
T!s e<erything o7ay4 Pea7QT
T! g5ess. +hatOs the matter 6ith that captainQT
T! donOt 7no6. &ny6ay4 6eOre headed 5p to &,C tomorro64 so ! g5ess 6eOll see yo5 on yo5r 6ay
to ,ase Camp. Than7s for helping /ogi get those s5pplies 5p to )i<e.T
! co5ld see him and the others gathered at %W monitoring the call from Captain She7.
T"o problem4T ! said. T!s there any 6ay yo5Od reconsider gi<ing me a shot at the s5mmitQT
T+e already tal7ed abo5t that4 Pea7. The ans6er is no. Maybe neMt year4 or the year after4
6hen yo5Ore a little older. /o5Ore not ready.T
TO5t.T ! handed the radio bac74 trying to loo7 disappointed.
The soldier loo7ed at me for a moment. TDo ! ha<e yo5r 6ord that yo5 are going do6n to ,ase
CampQT
! held 5p my right hand. T/o5 ha<e my 6ord. &ll ! 6ant to do right no6 is cra6l into my tent and
go to sleep.T
%e nodded.
/ogi and ! headed o<er to LopaOs tent not s5re 6hat 6e 6o5ld find. +hat 6e fo5nd 6as a note.
Pea74
! left Camp )o5r yesterday. &ll is 6ell. ! 6ill see yo5 on the road.
Lopa
! 6as glad to hear he 6as o7ay4 b5t the note frea7ed me o5t. !t 6as addressed to meR The plan
had been for me to top the mo5ntain 6ith S5nBPo and cross into "epal. %o6 co5ld Lopa
possibly ha<e 7no6n 6hat ! 6as planning to doQ ! didnOt 7no6 6hat ! 6as planning to do 5ntil !
6as ten feet a6ay from the s5mmitR
/O'! &"D ! +OE (P early and left Camp )o5r before anyone 6as a6a7e. ! 6anted to gi<e the
soldiers an o5t so they co5ld tell the captain that 6e had left before they 6ere 5p.
+hen 6e got to &,C 6e 6ere met by more soldiers. They 6ere in 5niform and loo7ed
5ncomfortably cold. Once again ! 6as gi<en a radio 6ith a <ery angry Captain She7 on the other
end.
T/o5 lea<e Camp )o5rRT
TRight.T
T+itho5t soldiersRT
T+e left before light. +e didnOt 6ant to 6a7e them. ,esides4 6e 7no6 o5r 6ay do6n to ,ase
Camp. +e donOt need an escort.T
TSoldiers at &,C escort yo5RT
T)ine.T
The t6o soldiers pic7ed for the d5ty 6ere delighted to be lea<ing &,C.
+e ran into Sosh and his clients P5st as they 6ere arri<ing at Camp T6o. They m5st ha<e left
,ase Camp early4 beca5se they had made good time. Sosh too7 me to the side o5t of earshot of
the Chinese soldiers.
TDid yo5 ma7e the s5mmitQT he as7ed =5ietly.
T"o.T
T+hat happenedQT
TRan o5t of steam.T
T"o 6orries4T he said. T+hat abo5t Lopa4 S5nBPo4 and /ashQT
TLopa got sic7 and didnOt get past Camp )o5r. ! donOt 7no6 6here he is no6. ! 6as hoping that
yo5Od seen him.T
Sosh shoo7 his head. T!Om s5re heOs fine. %e probably slipped into the porter camp at night and
is laying lo6.T
T! hope so.T
T&nd S5nBPo and /ashQT he as7ed. T&s far as ! 7no6 theyOre in "epal.T
T+hatQT
! told him abo5t LopaOs plan.
%e bro7e into a broad grin. TThat son of a ... Captain She7 is going to flip 6hen he finds o5t.
Topping the mo5ntain.T %e shoo7 his head4 then t5rned a little more serio5s.
T%o6 far did yo5 ma7e itQT
T&bo<e Camp SiM.T
T+ell4 yo5 made it a lot farther than most people. !Oll ta7e yo5 neMt year or the year after. +eOll
go 5p on the "epal side. &fter She7 finds o5t abo5t S5nBPo !Oll ne<er get a permit to climb on this
side again. +hen did S5nBPo s5mmitQT
TOne thirtyBt6o P.M. May thirtieth. & day before his fifteenth birthday.T
%e p5t his hand on my sho5lder. T! 6ish it co5ld ha<e been yo5.T
T"o 6orries4T ! said.
T+e goRT one of the soldiers said.
T!n a min5teRT Sosh said4 then t5rned bac7 to me. TShe7 is going to detain yo5 6hen yo5 get to
,ase Camp and as7 yo5 some =5estions. Thadde5s 6ill be there 6ith yo5. !n real life Thadde5s
is a la6yer and is fl5ent in Chinese and Chinese la6. /o5Oll be o7ay.T
! 6as going to be o7ay4 b5t not for the reason he tho5ght. &nd ! 6as not going to Poin him on
another E<erest climb. !Od had eno5gh of @4999Bmeter pea7s littered 6ith corpses.
T!Om going home4T ! said.
T+hat do yo5 meanQT
T,ac7 to "e6 /or7.T
T+eOll tal7 abo5t that 6hen ! get bac7 do6n.T
T! 6onOt be there 6hen yo5 get do6n4T ! said.
T+hatOs the h5rryQT
T/o5 6o5ldnOt 5nderstand.T
TTry me.T
TO7ay. ! 6ant to be home for the t6insO birthday.T
,y the loo7 on his face ! 6as right. %e didnOt 5nderstand.
T! ha<enOt missed one yet4T ! said.
Sosh stared at me for a moment. T+ell4 ! g5ess Thadde5s can get yo5 a ride to athmand5.T
T+e go no6RT the Chinese soldier sho5ted.
T+eOre P5st abo5t finished4T Sosh said irritably.
T! g5ess !Od better go.T
T/eah ... 6ell ... Sorry it didnOt 6or7 o5t.T Sosh p5t o5t his hand.
T&ct5ally4 it did 6or7 o5t4T ! said4 sha7ing his hand. T!Oll see yo5 aro5nd.T
! started follo6ing the soldiers and /ogi4 then t5rned bac7 and sho5ted4 T+rite 6hen yo5 get a
chance.T
Sosh loo7ed at me and grinned. T! might P5st do that.T
+E 'OT TO ,&SE C&MP abo5t fi<e oOcloc7. Captain She74 se<eral soldiers4 and Thadde5s
,o6en 6ere 6aiting for me. They 6erenOt interested in /ogi and let him go into camp.
+hen 6e got to She7Os head=5arters4 the first thing he did 6as to d5mp e<erything in my pac7
onto a large table. Then HP5st li7e my "e6 /or7 detecti<e a cent5ry agoI he eMamined the
contents item by item.
%e fo5nd nothing of interest eMcept for the digital camera Sosh had gotten for me4 SROs <ideo
camera4 and my Moles7ine. %e flipped thro5gh the Moles7ine4 fo5nd mostly blan7 pages4 and
p5t it bac7 do6n. The cameras he p5shed to the side of the table.
TSit4T he said.
There 6as a single straightBbac7 chair.
! sat.
%e as7ed me the same =5estions he had as7ed me 5p at Camp )o5r4 b5t this time he had a tape
recorder going and a soldier ta7ing notes. ! ans6ered the =5estions in the eMact same 6ay.
+hen he finished he told me ! co5ld repac7 my things. ! began st5ffing things bac7 in4 b5t 6hen
! got to the cameras the captain stopped me.
T"ot those4T he said.
T/o5 ha<e no right to ta7e anything4T Thadde5s said.
TCameras 6ill be ret5rned after 6e loo7.T
T+ell4 there better not be any damage to them 6hen they are ret5rned4T Thadde5s said.
Some la6yer4 ! tho5ght. 'lad he 6asnOt defending me 6hen ! 6as in front of that "/C P5dge. !Od
be in Pail right no6.
+hen 6e got o5tside the b5ilding he 6hispered4 T+as there anything incriminating in those
camerasQT
T!tOs a little bit late to be as7ing no64T ! said. T,5t the ans6er is no. ! too7 the memory card o5t
and p5t a blan7 one in.T
T+here is the memory cardQT
TSomeplace safe.T H!t 6as act5ally st5ffed in my soc7.I
! 6as tired. ! started to6ard my tent4 and it 6asnOt 5ntil ! got there that ! remembered ! didnOt
ha<e a tent there anymore. ! cra6led into SoshOs and ! 6as a little s5rprised at ho6 tidy
e<erything 6as. &ll the clothes 6ere neatly folded4 gear stored in boMes. %e had a little folding
des7 6ith pens4 paper4 and a laptop comp5ter. "eMt to the comp5ter 6ere t6o stac7s of mail.
The first stac7 6as addressed to him. The second stac7 6as addressed to me. HMy stac7 6as a
lot smaller than his.I ! co5ld ha<e gotten mad again at the 6hole mail thing4 b5t ! didnOt ha<e
the energy or the interest anymore. Li7e ! said4 T/o5 donOt get to pic7 yo5r name or yo5r
parents.T Sosh5a +ood is 6hat he is. ! co5ldnOt change him or the fact he 6as my father. &ll !
co5ld do is try not to become him.
! opened the big en<elope4 addressed to PE& TPE&BPE&T M&RCELLO. !nside 6as a dra6ing and a
smaller en<elope. +ritten on the o5tside of the en<elope 6as3 airplan far HsiMByearBold spellingI.
!nside 6as siMtyBse<en dollars and eightyBsiM cents. "ot =5ite eno5gh to get to "e6 /or74 b5t !
still had RolfOs three h5ndred b5c7s4 and the credit card. ! p5lled o5t the dra6ing. !t 6as an
in<itation to a birthday party. ! 6o5ld ha<e to h5rry if ! 6as going to ma7e it in time.
! started to6ard %W to find Thadde5s4 b5t on the 6ay ! heard a tr5c7 start. ! ran o<er to see if !
co5ld hitch a ride and fo5nd /ogi in the bac7.
The dri<ers charged me a h5ndred b5c7s b5t ! didnOt care. ! 6o5ld ha<e paid t6ice as m5ch. !
6as on my 6ay home and the tr5c7 6as nicer than the one 6eOd ta7en to the mo5ntain. The
co<ered bed 6as empty4 6ith plenty of room to lie do6n and sleep.
The t6o dri<ers too7 t5rns at the 6heel4 and 6ere both in a h5rry. They only stopped for f5el.
+hich 6as fine 6ith me.
XXX
+%E" +E C&ME TO T%E RO&D abo<e the )riendship ,ridge 6here the prisoners had been
chipping the bo5lder4 the tr5c7 slo6ed4 then came to a stop.
/ogi and ! hopped o5t of the bac7 to find o5t 6hat 6as going on.
The bo5lder and prisoners 6ere gone. !n their place 6as a ,5ddhist mon7 6ith a sha<ed head
and an orange robe. %e 6as tal7ing to the dri<er 6ith his bac7 to 5s.
&s 6e 6al7ed 5p4 he t5rned aro5nd and smiled. !t 6as LopaR %e loo7ed f5lly reco<eredGas
healthy as he had the first day ! met him in the !ndrayani temple.
T%o6 did yo5 get hereQT
%e held 5p his th5mb. T! hitchhi7ed.T
Someho6 ! do5bted that. +hy 6o5ld someone drop him off on this lonely stretch of roadQ The
only thing nearby 6as the border crossing at the )riendship ,ridge. (nless he as7ed to be let
o5t here. ! 6ill see yo5 on the road4 his note had said. ! fig5red he had messed 5p the phrase
and meant do6n the road. ! g5ess ! 6as 6rong. The three of 5s got into the bac7 of the tr5c7.
! tho5ght 6e 6ere in for a big hassle at the bridge4 b5t 6hen 6e got there4 the g5ards loo7ed in
o5r tr5c74 glanced at o5r papers4 then 6a<ed 5s thro5gh 6itho5t a 6ord.
+e made one more stop before 6e got to the airport in athmand5. ! complained that !
needed to get to the airport4 b5t Lopa made a good point3 TThey 6ill not allo6 yo5 on an
airplane loo7ing and smelling li7e yo5 do.T
The mon7s at the monastery 6ashed my clothes as ! too7 a long bath.
XXX
LOP& RODE TO T%E &!RPORT 6ith me.
,efore going into the terminal ! p5lled o5t the note Lopa had left for 5s at Camp )o5r.
T%o6 did yo5 7no6 yo5Od see me on that roadQT
Lopa shr5gged. The ans6er didnOt s5rprise me.
! 5nNipped a side poc7et on my pac7 and p5lled o5t the memory card. T/o5 might need this to
pro<e S5nBPo got to the s5mmit.T
Lopa too7 the card and stashed it in the folds of his orange robe. T+ill 6e see yo5 again on
SagarmathaQT
! 6anted to shr5g my reply4 b5t ! co5ldnOt beca5se ! 7ne6 the ans6er. T"o4T ! said. T,5t ! might
ret5rn to athmand5 to <isit.T
T/o5 are 6elcome anytime.T Lopa bo6ed and ga<e me a blessing.
+hen he loo7ed 5p he said4 TThan7 yo5 for 6hat yo5 did for my grandson.T
! ret5rned the bo6. TThan7 yo5 for 6hat yo5r son did for my father.T
DE"O(EME"T
!T TOO T+E"T/B)O(R %O(RS to get to "e6 /or74 b5t beca5se ! crossed the international
date line going 6est4 ! got there only a fe6 ho5rs after ! left athmand5.
! grabbed a cab and ner<o5sly fidgeted as the dri<er fo5ght the hea<y traffic into the city4
hoping that ! 6o5ldnOt be too late. +hen he p5lled 5p in front of o5r b5ilding ! ga<e him a fistf5l
of cash 6itho5t e<en co5nting it. ! too7 the ele<ator to the loft.
! heard the party before ! sa6 it. Rolf 7ne6 ho6 to thro6 a party. HMom and ! 6ere a little 6ea7
in that area.I There 6o5ld be no less than se<entyBfi<e people in the loft3 parents and their 7ids4
teachers from 'SS4 neighbors4 people from MomOs boo7store4 la6yers from RolfOs office.... Last
year for entertainment4 Rolf had hired a gro5p of performing dogs. The year before he had
bro5ght a reptile 6oman H%elen the %erpetologistGthe t6insO fa<oriteI 6ith bags of sna7es4
t5rtles4 and liNards.
!t t5rned o5t that ! 6as the entertainment this yearGat least thatOs 6hat it loo7ed li7e 6hen !
6al7ed thro5gh the front door.
T! told yo5 he 6o5ld be hereRT
T! did4 tooRT
The t6o Peas dropped their presents and thre6 their little arms aro5nd my thighs. Mom 6as
neMt4 then Rolf. ! told myself that ! 6asnOt going to cry4 b5t that idea 6ent right o5t the 6indo6
as soon as ! sa6 them. &s 6e h5gged4 e<eryone sang T%appy ,irthday.T
+hen e<erything had settled do6n a little4 Mom p5lled me into the 7itchen and as7ed me ho6
! 6as. ! told her ! 6as tired and a little sore.
T/o5O<e lost 6eight.T
T! g5ess.T
She loo7ed at me for a moment4 then ga<e me another h5g. T!Om glad yo5Ore bac7.T
TMe too.T
TSo4 yo5 didnOt ma7e it to the s5mmit.T
T%o6Od yo5 7no6 thatQT
TSosh called this morning. Said to tell yo5 happy birthday.T
That 6as a first. T+here 6as heQT
T%e didnOt say ... some6here 5p the mo5ntain. The connection 6asnOt <ery good. !t reminded
me of the old days.T
T! bet4T ! said. T! 7no6 ! sho5ld ha<e called4 b5t ! 6anted it to be a s5rprise.T
T!t 6as still a s5rprise4T Mom said. T! didnOt thin7 yo5Od get here in time for the
birthdayGaltho5gh the t6o Peas insisted ! 6as 6rong.T
T!s e<erything o7ay here ... ! mean is it all right that ! came bac7QT
T/o5r s7yscraper st5nt is old ne6s4 and Rolf and ! are trying to 7eep it that 6ay.T
T+hat do yo5 mean OtryingOQT
T%olly &ngelo.T
T(hBoh.T
TSheOs been hanging aro5nd a lot.T
T!Om sorry.T
T"o4 itOs o7ay. ! 7ind of li7e her4 and the t6ins are 6ild abo5t her. RolfQ +ell4 he tolerates her.
+eO<e tal7ed her into not 6riting abo5t yo5r E<erest trip. !t 6o5ld P5st bring 5p the 6hole
s7yscraper thing again and 6e donOt 6ant to do that4 especially no6 that yo5Ore bac7 in to6n.
!tOs best if 6eGT
Rolf opened the 7itchen door 6ith an apologetic4 6orried loo7 on his face.
TPeeeea7RT
%olly p5shed him aside as she assa5lted the 7itchen 6earing a bright pin7 pants5it4 lime green
scarf4 and a red p5rse the siNe of a s5itcase. ! let her thro6 her spidery arms aro5nd me and
act5ally h5gged her bac7. !t 6as good to see her.
+hen she finally set me free she glanced f5rti<ely aro5nd the 7itchen as if she 6ere loo7ing for
spies. T! heard yo5 didnOt ma7e it to the s5mmit4T she 6hispered. T!Om sorry.T
T%o6 did yo5 find o5tQT
T!O<e tal7ed to Sosh se<eral times in the past co5ple days.T
%e 6as being pretty chatty4 it seemed.
%olly p5t her red p5rse on the co5nter4 loo7ed aro5nd again4 then p5lled o5t a ne6spaper.
TThis is abo5t to hit the streets.T
/O("'EST PERSO" S(MM!TS E2EREST by holly &ngelo. !t 6as a f5llBpage spread 6ith se<eral
photos ta7en from <ideo ! had shot. The biggest photo 6as of S5nBPo4 /ogi4 and /ash sitting neMt
to the s5mmit pole.
T! thin7 thereOs a boo7 in this4T %olly said. T! tal7ed to S5nBPo today. %e said to say hello and to
6ish yo5 a happy birthday. %e also told me heOs enPoying the birthday present yo5 ga<e him4
and so are his sisters.T
! smiled.
T+hat did yo5 get himQT %olly as7ed.
T"othing m5ch4T ! said. T!Od better go o5t and mingle.T
Rolf ga<e me a do5btf5l loo7.
! said hello to a fe6 people4 got a to5r of the t6insO presents4 then noticed 2incent sitting in the
corner by himself4 gathering grist. ! 6as s5rprised to see him. +e al6ays in<ited him to the
parties4 b5t he rarely sho6ed 5p.
TThan7s for coming4T ! said.
T! 6as P5st abo5t ready to lea<e 6hen yo5 6al7ed thro5gh the door4T 2incent said. T/o5 ha<e
had an interesting fe6 6ee7s.T
T/o5 read the Moles7ine4T ! said.
T/es4 and it 6as 6ell 6ritten. (nfort5nately4 there is only a beginning and a partial middle to
the story. E<en tho5gh yo5 managed to fill the Moles7ine !Om afraid the assignment is
incomplete. The story lac7s a climaM4 an end4 and a deno5ement. So4 ! cannotGT
TThereOs a second Moles7ine4T ! said. T!Om not s5re abo5t the climaM4 b5t the story does ha<e an
end ... 7ind of. &nd !Om right in the middle of the deno5ement4 literally.T ! pointed at the
partygoers.
2incent smiled. TOf co5rse. ! see yo5r point.T
T%o6 abo5t if ! finish it 5p tomorro6 morningQT
TThat 6ill be fine. ! 6ill be at 'SS 5ntil noon. School is o5t for the s5mmer and the deadline for
yo5r assignment has passed4 b5t 5nder the circ5mstances ! thin7 6e can ma7e an eMception.T
%e stood 5p. T&nd again4 itOs a 6ellBcrafted story. /o5 left me hanging. !Om desperate to find o5t
6hat happened.T
!OM S!TT!"' !" M/ ,EDROOM finishing the Moles7ine.
The t6ins are a6a7e. ! hear them giggling and arg5ing as they eat their midmorning snac7. !
promised to ta7e them to 'SS 6ith me 6hen ! drop off the Moles7ine.
%ere they come4 their little feet pattering 5p the steps. The door opens.
T+hat are yo5 doingQT
T/o5 said yo5Od ta7e 5s to school.T
T!Om 6or7ing on my assignment.T
T+hatOs thisQT Patrice points at the ne6spaper article abo5t S5nBPo pinned on my b5lletin
board.
T!s that yo5QT Pa5la as7s4 pointing at S5nBPo.
T"o.T
T+hat are those flagsQT
TPrayer flags.T
T+hatOs a prayer flagQT
TThereOs a prayer 6ritten on the flag. +hen it blo6s in the 6ind the prayer goes 5p to 'od. !f
yo5 p5t the flag really high on a mo5ntain the prayer gets to 'od faster.T
TLoo7s li7e that yello6 one has a bl5e mo5ntain on it li7e the ones yo5 5sed to dra6.T
T!t co5ld be. "o64 sit do6n on my bed and be =5iet so ! can finish this.T
T+e missed yo54 Pea7.T
T+e lo<e yo54 Pea7.T
T! lo<e yo54 too. !Om almost finished.T
! loo7 at the t6ins4 smiling4 and 6rite my last sentence...
The only thing yo5Oll find on the s5mmit of Mo5nt E<erest is a di<ine <ie6. The things that really
matter lie far belo6.
&C"O+LED'ME"TS3
! 6ant to than7 ate %arrison for her 6onderf5l editing and enco5ragement4 and for gi<ing me
the Os to finish the climb. ! also 6ant to than7 &nne Da<ies4 6ho has gone off to climb her o6n
pea7.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
...
Copyright
Dedication
Map
MOLES !"E #$
T%E &SS!'"ME"T
T%E %OO
& CO(PLE O) ST!TC%ES * T%E SL&MMER
C!RCL!"' T%E DR&!"
T%E T+!"S
ROC R&TS
,&"'O
T%E S(MM!T %OTEL
'E&R O) T%E DE&D
T!,ET
PE& E-PER!E"CE
ROC +E&SELS
'&SP
L&TECOMERS
'&MO+ ,&'
&,C
LETTERS )ROM %OME
MOLES !"E #.
SECRETS
,E&R &"D ,(LL
C&MP )O(R
&RREST
)&M!L/ %!STOR/
("REST
,L!"
S%ORTC(T
C&MP 01
C&MPS )!2E &"D S!-
TOP O) T%E +ORLD
DO+" T%E MO("T&!"S!DE
DE"O(EME"T
&C"O+LED'ME"TS3
Table of Contents
Title Page
Table of Contents
...
Copyright
Dedication
Map
MOLES !"E #$
T%E &SS!'"ME"T
T%E %OO
& CO(PLE O) ST!TC%ES * T%E SL&MMER
C!RCL!"' T%E DR&!"
T%E T+!"S
ROC R&TS
,&"'O
T%E S(MM!T %OTEL
'E&R O) T%E DE&D
T!,ET
PE& E-PER!E"CE
ROC +E&SELS
'&SP
L&TECOMERS
'&MO+ ,&'
&,C
LETTERS )ROM %OME
MOLES !"E #.
SECRETS
,E&R &"D ,(LL
C&MP )O(R
&RREST
)&M!L/ %!STOR/
("REST
,L!"
S%ORTC(T
C&MP 01
C&MPS )!2E &"D S!-
TOP O) T%E +ORLD
DO+" T%E MO("T&!"S!DE
DE"O(EME"T
&C"O+LED'ME"TS3