14
You glance around the cramped cabin at the other
members of your team. Across the aisle is Garrett Scott, a
thirteen-year-old Australian kid. “Brave young passengers? ”
He laughs. “Thanks, mate! ”
Next to Garrett is Julia Reyez, who’s also thirteen. She’s
from Argentina. Though you just met Garrett and Julia in
Kathmandu this morning, you like them both already.
You give Julia a thumbs-up, but the dark-haired Argentine
doesn’t notice. She’s staring wide-eyed at something outside.
You look out the window too—and grip the armrest
tightly. Tiny Lukla airport is approaching fast. This is the
world’s third-highest airport, and some say the most terrifying.
“That’s the runway?” Jake Staples shouts behind you.
“My driveway is longer than that! ”
Jake is a sponsor of the expedition. Everest climbs are
expensive, so you have many sponsors, but most of them
just fork over money. Jake, the president of a big video game
company, decided he wanted to climb with the team.
Next to Jake is Hans Moser, an expert climber from
Switzerland. Jake hired Hans to help him train and to be
his personal guide for the trip. Hans’s icy blue eyes and
weatherworn face make him look very serious. You have yet
to see him crack a smile.
