2,228 meters or 7,310 feet. Australia.\n\nSometimes you're not sure if this one is worth mentioning. It's more of a hike than anything else. The easiest way to get up Mount Kosciuszko is by walking up a dirt road. They hold running marathons on it. That says everything about its difficulty, pretty much.\n\nIt's one of the [[Seven Summits]] all the same. No point in leaving it out when you're talking about your accomplishments.
They say that mountaineering is literally in a Sherpa person's blood. They're Nepalese people hailing from the peaks of the Himalayas. Rumor has it that they're born ready to climb.\n\n[[Back.|get over here]]
It doesn't take you long to get the tent up.\n\nIt's a tight fit. Hartman chooses to sleep next to you, for whatever reason. Blaine curls herself in the corner. Riley's dragged his system into the tent, still messing with the controls. Morinaga is humming something.\n\nTime to get to [[sleep]].
You hear the clink of axes and the crunch of boot spikes in the snowy ice.\n\nThe five of you slip into an easy rhythm with another. Clink. Crunch. Drag. Clink. Crunch. Drag.\n\n[[Keep ascending...]]
You stand closer to Riley. He's hunched over the metal box, fiddling with the dials. He pulls out the antennae and pushes it left and right.\n\n"Are you getting an okay signal?" You ask him.\n\n"The system's trying to recalibrate. I think I overestimated the pressure on this part of the mountain." Riley pats the top of his head. "Man... I could've sworn things were steady this month."\n\n"How so?"\n\n"Because of all the readings other groups have gotten." He sighs, furthering his hunch. "This is so bizarre."\n\n"Hey, let's get the tent [[set up]]!" Sounds like Hartman's done yelling...
Those two being [[Aconcagua]] and [[Kosciuszko]].\n\n[[Back.|Start]]
"...environmental work..."\n\nYou catch snippets of conversation from below you. Morinaga's talking to someone, probably Blaine. The wind's picked up, making it hard for you to make out everything they're saying.\n\n"...sounds cool..." What isn't cool to Blaine?\n\n"...waste removal... Grant for further research..."\n\n"Why Imperius?"\n\n"Because it's..."\n\nIt's too hard to hear the rest of what they're [[talking about]].
Your name is <html><b>Rosa Sanchez.</b></html> You are part of a five-man expedition up Mount Imperius, a six thousander with conditions that rival [[Everest]]. Although you're not the most experienced climber on this trek, you do have [[two]] of the [[Seven Summits]] under your belt. You're more humble about that feat than a certain loud mouth...\n\nYour primary objective is to collect pictures for an environmental magazine.\n\n"Hey Sanchez, would you [[get over here]] and help me with this guy?" Your hear a male voice bellow from the center of Base Camp.
It's colder when you wake up...\n\nThe wind is whipping at your face.\n\nThe sun's bright, beaming down at your face and reflecting on your goggles.\n\n[[What's going on?]]
<html><i>Come one, come all\n<br>Now you too can experience heights that take years of preparation to reach\n<br>Who cares if you've never climbed a mountain in your life?\n<br>As long as your wallet can make mountains of hundreds, you're welcome\n<br>Oh, guess we should amend that "come one, come all" statement then...</i></html>\n\n[[Back.|Everest]]
Emily blonde-hair-in-a-ponytail Blaine. She'd been wearing a purple v-neck sweater and a pair of jeans to the introductory meeting. Intro meetings are a good way to get to know your expedition team before you all look like marshmallow blobs in your mountaineering gear. You get to know them as people.\n\nThe [[drinks]] they chose at dinner described them well.
"Yeah, we'll be okay on our own." Riley leaps on the chance to not look like a complete screw-up. "I've already checked tomorrow's weather conditions. If we start now, we'll be in the clear."\n\n"Sanchez, go get Blaine and Morinaga and start packing up the tent." Hartman claps his gloved hands together. "I'll radio-in to the Sherp's boss or whatever. Riley, prepare...yeah, whatever you want to do. Pack shit. We're [[moving]] out."\n
From tallest to shortest (a funny thing to note when you're talking thousands of meters):\n\nMount Everest\nAconcagua\nMount McKinley\nKilimanjaro\nMount Elbrus\nMount Vinson\nPuncak Jaya\nMount Kosciuszko\n\nThey're the highest peaks of each continent. There's a mountaineering challenge you can complete if you climb them all. It's a badge of honor in your field - and that's saying it [[lightly|Start]].
"I'll go second," you announce as you approach the ice rock face. You're not so trusting of Hartman. He inserted himself into the leadership role without discussing it with anyone. Well, maybe with Riley. "Blaine, you want to be last?"\n\n"The weight distribution will be off. I have to be fourth." She explains. Blaine looks mildly disappointed that that hadn't been a given.\n\n"Quit talking and get moving." Hartman grumbles. "Morinaga, you're third. I'm last."\n\nYou unclip your climbing axe, then swing it into the rock to give yourself a grip. There are some holdings in the face but they don't seem the most stable.\n\n"Watch yourselves," you warn as you start [[scaling]] the line Riley eases down.
"This guy's a joke," Hartman complains. He keeps poking at him. "He's saying we can't go anywhere today because he was only paid enough to lead us to Base Camp. What a fucking lie!"\n\n"Only enough for first stop. Installment plan." The Sherpa's English is clear enough.\n\n"That doesn't make any sense. What did Riley say about it?" You want to rescue the Sherpa from all the prodding, but another part of you wants to shake him down for more information.\n\n"Riley!! Get out here!" Hartman yells towards the [[tent]].
That's all he's going to say?\n\n"You brought more money for him, didn't you?" You ask him.\n\n"No. I didn't think we'd need it." Riley yanks his mask over his nose. He lowers his goggles down from his forehead. "Can we pay you afterwards?"\n\n"No. Go back down to ground level. Talk to my employer." The Sherpa's not having any of that. He steps out of Hartman's reach.\n\n"Screw that. Let's climb without 'im." Hartman raises his arms in frustration. "We've got me, we've got Sanchez, we've got Blaine. People with [[skills]]!"
You walk over to where Hartman's fighting with Blaine, your boots sinking into the soft snow.\n\n"I'm leading this expedition, don't forget that." Seeing you, Hartman lowers his voice to a hiss. "I'll accept you as second-in-command, but that's it."\n\n"I'm more experienced than you." Blaine hasn't raised her voice an inch.\n\n"Check the dossier. I'm the lead." Hartman yanks down his mask and spits phlegm into the snow.\n\nWhat's wrong with them? Why were they fighting already? You shake your head.\n\n"Let's get the tent [[set up]]." He glances in your direction.
You eventually make it to Base I. The air's colder up here than at Base Camp. You eye Riley the weatherman. He gets down onto his knees and starts unpacking his things to set up his testing equipment.\n\nMorinaga stretches out his arms. You wonder how the climb was for him. Too strenuous?\n\nHartman's barking orders at Blaine. You get the feeling that's going to be happening a lot.\n\n[[Talk to Riley.]]\n[[Talk to Morinaga.]]\n[[Talk to Hartman and Blaine.]]
6,961 meters or 22,838 ft. Andes mountain range. Argentina.\n\nIt took you over two weeks to make it to the summit. On the way up, a medical helicopter rescued two of your crew members. The harsh weather conditions had nearly killed them. You remember how torturous the winds had felt.\n\nYou lost air as fast as you breathed it in. You barely kept your footing. It was a wonder you made it to the top in [[one piece|two]].
Whiskey for Brad Hartman.\n\nA sprite for Kent Riley.\n\nRed wine for Larry Morinaga.\n\nA fruity mixed drink for Emily Blaine.\n\nAnd a seltzer for you.\n\nThe conversation stayed light. You didn't participate in it much. Blaine and Hartman carried it forward. Riley put in his awkward two cents every now and then. You focused your attention on figuring out their credentials.\n\nStraight and narrow [[Sanchez|Blaine]]...
Sometimes, you see their chilled faces in your sleep... Two names you refuse to recall from your Mount Aconcagua climb.\n\nYou'd nearly [[jeopardized]] the mission when you insisted on [[staying]] with them.
<html><b>Kent Riley</b></html> pushes through the flap and makes his way over. He seems like he's having trouble walking in his bulky snow pants. Riley wears the most layers out of any of you. He's about a hundred pounds soaking wet, so skinny that you swear if he wasn't in gear, you could see his organs through his skin.\n\nHe pulls his face mask down so his weasely voice can be heard better. "Yes, Hartman?"\n\n"Sherp says you've got us on an installment plan. What is that shit?" Hartman's eye looks like it's about to burst.\n\n"Really? Oh..." Riley [[frowns]].
You wanted to play the hero. You wanted to pull them up alongside the mountain with the rest of the crew. [[Leave no man behind.]]
"Ladies! Let's get going!" Hartman stomps right by the three of you. He doesn't bother addressing Morinaga. Riley's already ahead, starting the ascent. You're surprised that Hartman's letting him take the lead. Something must've happened between them while you were talking to Blaine.\n\nYour [[gear's heavy]], but not unbearably so.
"It's a Nikon. Just a point and shoot." You curse yourself for forgetting to zip it away. Leaving it out would've been a safety hazard. It could've snagged on something while you were scaling.\n\n"You sure it's going to last? When I climbed Denali, my photographer's camera busted. The barometric pressure killed it." Blaine clips the tent to her bag. Despite her small size, she's used to carrying most of the weight.\n\n"I've got a manual one in my pack."\n\n"Sweet," you can sense her grin. "I would've expected nothing less from [[a fellow Summiter]]."
You brought one along to get shots for a magazine. The job sounds [[easy enough|Blaine]]. You've done tougher shoots than what they're asking you to do.
You see a large triangular cloth blowing away into the sky. The tent's gone. The wind grips at your coat, hard enough to roll you over. It picks up even more, whistling through your ears. You have to hold your gloved hands over them.\n\n"Riley! Where's Riley?!" Hartman yells out.\n\nBlaine grabs onto Morinaga. "We've got to move!" She goes left with Morinaga.\n\n"Not that way!" Hartman goes in the opposite direction, hurrying fast.\n\n"Stop!" Neither one of them listens to you. The wind's going to blizzard soon. You have to get to shelter.\n\n[[Chase Hartman.|tbc]]\n[[Chase Blaine and Morinaga.|tbc]]
"Jeopardized the mission?"\n\nThat was an easier way of saying that you'd nearly lost your life, all because [[you cared too much|staying]].
You [[ascend]]...
Morinaga doesn't look you in the eyes as you work together to tear down the tent. He's a scientist with an agenda—barely any experience at all—but it's his university that's helping to fund this expedition so you're trying not to hold that against him. Morinaga's research has something to do with the summit. That's about all you've gathered from him.\n\n"Hey, Sanchez. Are you excited?" Blaine's blue eyes shine from beneath her goggles.\n\n"For the climb?"\n\n"No, to roll up this tent." Her sarcasm was loud and clear. "Dr. Morinaga, I can handle it from here."\n\n"Thank you..." He lets [[Blaine]] take over the rolling.
Mount Imperius
But that's exactly what you did. You made sure that people saw you struggle with your decision to leave them, and then you continued on with the trek. Everyone had to know you were selfless, that you were a decent and kind leader, someone who didn't make choices lightly.\n\nThat was [[all an act|Blaine]], wasn't it?
<html><b>TO BE CONTINUED</b></html>
His book on his harrowing Everest expedition, <html><i>Into Thin Air</i></html>, was one of the reasons you became interested in [[mountaineering|Everest]] in the first place. A funny way to be introduced to the love of your life.
There wasn't anyone else that could be other than <html><b>Brad Hartman</b></html>. Years of screaming at students has left his voice hoarse. A burly man, he was a climbing wall instructor before he started getting into real climbs. Hartman always walks with his shoulders square and his chest puffed out.\n\nIf they would've fit on his boots, you bet there would've been spurs on them.\n\nRight now, he's jabbing his finger into a [[Sherpa]]'s chest.\n\n"What's going on?" You ask him, knowing full well what the answer's [[going]] to be. Something's wrong and he's not happy.
You're confident in your climbing abilities. <html><b>Emily Blaine</b></html>'s fared well on similar climbs, so you know you can trust her. She's done five of the Seven Summits. Hartman, Riley, and <html><b>Larry Morinaga</b></html>, you're not so sure about... Having a Sherpa would make up for what they lacked.\n\n"Hold on. Are the guide lines set up? Multiple groups have been here before. The safest way to do this is to follow their lines." You weren't going to let the Sherpa walk away without confirming that at least.\n\n"Those are for tourists. We're better than that." Hartman kicks at the [[snow]].
8,848 meters or 29,029 feet high. Inexperienced climbers beware.\n\nProbably the most infamous ascent there is. In recent years it's become even more of a bucket list attraction for people. You're not sure why that is. You would think that people would've bought into [[Krakauer]]'s criticisms of its [[commercialization]] by now, but they [[haven't|Start]].
"I guess." You would've shrugged if you could. You've heard stories about Imperius. Nothing groundbreaking has happened during Imperius climbs.\n\n"What kind of [[camera]]'s that?" Blaine tries again to start a conversation with you. She's been like this since [[the day you met]] her, a couple weeks back. Always asking questions, always trying to get to know you better. You don't like distractions. You prefer to know your team members on a professional level and that's it. It makes it [[easier]] to focus on getting [[the job done]].
kaleidofish
"Hey," you step over to him. "Was that your first time?"\n\n"No." His voice is muffled from his hood-and-mask combo.\n\n"Your gear's comfortable, right? I can readjust your hooks if you need me to." You check out the way he has his pack strapped on. There's a better way for him to wear all of his stuff.\n\n"No, thank you." Morinaga turns away.\n\nAlright...\n\n"Hey! Let's get this tent [[set up]]!" Sounds like Hartman's done yelling at Blaine...