Climbing High Read Online Free PDF Page A

cutout, and started hitching himself up it. Tantalizing flashes of Siree’s toned thighs teased him each time he looked up to track his route. Above Siree, Ernst struggled, forcing Siree and Jake to hold position and wait for him to move on. It made it a lot more tiring than needed, and Jake could only guess at the toll it took on her lighter muscled frame. He’d speak to the issue when they got to a decent place to stop and hold a quorum. But no such advantage appeared and seventy-two minutes ticked by on Jake’s watch. A slug could cover the distance faster than this. His contempt for a guy who jeopardized the safety of a woman just to be with her, increased exponentially with the pace they moved. He dug deeper for patience. But damn it, at this pace, none of them would summit. Swiss born Pierre-Andre Gobet had ascended the same route and descended in just seconds over five hours, ten minutes, and here they were at the five hour mark still ascending with the summit hours away.
    Within seconds of the thought, Fate wrested his decision to speak up from his control. Stretched like spiders they inched their way up a flat granite slab with limited handholds. Two climbers above him, Gretta gave a sharp cry and swung out from one arm and foot, barn-dooring as she searched for a second toehold to take her weight. Sig, above Gretta and to the left, instantly moved downward to help his wife. In his haste, he kicked loose rocks that came down on Ernst directly below.
    “Rocks!” Ernst yelled, ducking to the side. He lost one of his toeholds and started swearing like only a frightened Frenchman could. Using the smearing technique to literally press himself up the face by forcing friction from foot to rock, Jake moved up fast to get to Gretta. Siree also crabbed on a diagonal to her friend. Sig reached Gretta first, grabbed her foot and stuck it in a narrow fissure, then wrapped himself over her while she got her free hand back on the rock. The sound of their accelerated breathing cut the still air. Ernst turned a loud sob into a rasping cough.
    Siree moved up beside Sig and Gretta. “We have to make that chimney, Gretta. Then you can tuck yourself in and take all the time you want to shake this off. But move now.”
    Gretta nodded and lifted her foot to find her next toehold. Sig leaned back and let her climb up out of his arms, then followed her, keeping as close as possible. In five minutes they were all tucked into the chimney. Jake assessed the group. Gretta had scraped her hands raw and an ugly bruise colored her thigh, where a rock had struck, taking her foot out from beneath her in the first place. Shaking, sweating, Ernst took a long slug from his flask to steady his nerves.
    “I have to bail,” Gretta spoke into the quiet. “My hands are a mess, and I’m not even sure I have the nerve to get down. I turned into a panic bear on you.”
    “No, you were definitely a barn door, flapping about in the wind.” Sig’s rusty laugh signaled his relief. He climbed even with her and wrapped her in his shaking arms.
    “We’ll belay you down,” Sig and Jake said at the same time. Gretta looked up at her lead, then down to Jake and took a cleansing breath. “Yes, I can get there with a belay or two.” Her voice shook only slightly. “But there is no need for the rest of you to lose the climb if Sig will take me.”
    “Sig’s the best lead around and puts in a pin better than anyone I know. Let’s do what we can for your hands.” Siree turned her back to Jake. Reading her intent, he pulled her First Aid kit from the pocket on her pack. In minutes they had Gretta’s wounds sterilized, and a stretchy dressing protected the worst of her cuts.
    It seemed Siree had made her decision to summit. Jake felt a leap of excitement. She fascinated him. Fearless, logical and disciplined, she’d responded instantly and strategically when Gretta needed her, the ideal climbing partner. He felt so closely tuned to her they didn’t need