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hill. And I want you all to take it easy. Don’t push yourselves
too hard, or you could get hurt. Now go get some sleep! ”
Up in your room, as you’re drifting off, you hear voices
outside your window. It’s Doc and Hans.
“Come on, Hans,” Doc is saying. “Bumping into a yak
isn’t that big of a deal. I think—”
“A good climber is always alert and aware,” Hans
interrupts, his words cold and clipped. “And it’s not just the
mind I worry about with these three. They seem weak to me.
Weak in the body. When I was their age . . .”
Their voices trail off as they head back inside the lodge.
Now you’re wide awake. Hearing Hans’s doubts about you
makes you question your climbing skills. That’s something
you’ve never done . . . until now, that is.
Finally, morning arrives. You share a quick breakfast
with the team—eggs and pancakes, surprisingly like home—
and head off. Russ leads you along the
Dudh Kosi river gorge
through several villages.
You cross a bunch of
narrow bridges that
dangle over the river
and wobble as you walk
on them.
