Chapter 7 Chapter 5 Disaster Strikes

It was half past seven when we left the snow cave.Two and a half hours passed and progress was very slow.Since we left the summit the previous afternoon, we have descended less than 300 meters.According to our original estimate, it only takes six hours to go down to the glacier.I'm getting impatient.I'm tired of the torturous feeling of having to concentrate all the time.This mountain has lost its excitement and freshness, and I want to go down as soon as possible.The air was bitterly cold and there was not a cloud in the sky.The sun scorched the endless ice and snow, and the ice surface reflected dazzling light.I don't care about the weather as long as I can get back to the glacier before the afternoon snowstorm.

Finally, the wild twists and turns of the upper ridge eased, and I could straighten myself across the wide expanse in front of me.There are many whale-backed mounds on the ridge, rolling up and down, leading to the steep slope to the north.Simon caught up to me as I rested on the pack.We did not speak.Enough has been said in the morning, and there is nothing more to say.Looking up, our footprints are connected into a crooked line, which continues to the current position.I silently swear in my heart that I must be more cautious when surveying the route down the mountain in the future. I put my backpack on and set off again, this time with no fear of getting ahead.I wanted Simon to lead the last leg, but I couldn't express my fear. I was more afraid of his reaction than I was afraid of falling again.The wide, flat saddles were thick with snow, and the frustration of stumbling through the powder replaced my apprehension, which deepened with each step.

When I entered the first crevasse, the climbing rope had already been pulled to the end, and Simon got up and followed. Suddenly my whole body sank, although my body remained upright, my line of sight was already at the same height as the snow surface.The shallow crevasses were filled with snow powder, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't lift myself up a bit.Finally I finally pulled myself back to level ground.Simon stood at a safe distance; grinning as he watched me struggle.I continued along the ridge, only to find myself neck-deep in snow again.Shouting and cursing, I struggled back up the ridge.I've only been halfway through the ridge, and I've fallen into similar small crevasses four times.No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see any crevasses.Simon was a full pitch behind me.Frustration and accumulated fatigue are driving me nuts, and if he gets close enough, I'll use him as a punching bag.

I squatted next to the hole I had just dug, adjusted my breathing, and looked back. I was surprised to see that I could clearly see the deep valley below the cracked gully over the ridge.From the hole next to me, I could see the cold west wall below, and the wide wall was shining with blue and white light, penetrating into the hole.I suddenly realized, and finally understood the reason why I fell into the ice crevasse many times.This plateau is made up of a series of huge arching cornices, and I'm walking on a long fault line that runs through all the cornices, and what I just fell into is the same huge ice crevasse.I quickly stood on the side of the crevasse and called out to Simon to remind him to pay attention.The once winding ridge became so wide and flat that I never thought it might be because we were standing on an overhanging cornice of snow.This snow eaves is as huge as the snow eaves on the top of the peak, both are hundreds of meters long.If it had just collapsed, we were both screwed.

After that, I tried to stay away from the edge of the snow cornice, and always kept a safe distance of fifteen meters.At one point Simon fell with a small cornice about twelve meters from the edge.Now that the east wall has changed from glacial ditch terrain to a flat slope, we don't need to take any chances.Trekking through deep snow, my legs felt like lead.I walked towards the end of the plateau, climbed up the last bump of the ridge, and looked back.At a distance from me, that is, about 45 meters, I saw Simon dragging himself forward with his head down, his exhausted appearance was exactly the same as that of me just now.I knew that once I started descending the long, gentle slope ahead, I would lose sight of him.

I was expecting the slope to go all the way down to the col, but that didn't happen.I saw the slope rise slightly, leading to a slight bulge of a snow cornice, and then drop sharply again.Nevertheless, I could still see the southern ridge of Yalupaha clearly, so I concluded that after the steep drop was the col, the lowest point connecting Yalupaha to the Seura Grande ridge.In another half hour we'll be at the col, from where it's easy to get to the glacier.I cheered up. As soon as I started to climb down, I felt the slope slow down.It's a lot easier than struggling in the saddle.If it weren't for the climbing rope pulling my waist, I would definitely be bouncing and running downhill.I almost forgot that Simon was still following my footsteps wearily in the saddle.

I expected to reach the cornice rise in a straight line, but was surprised to find that the slope broke off suddenly, and an ice cliff bisected the ridge, cutting my way vertically.I carefully approached the edge of the cliff and looked down. The drop was about seven or eight meters.The base of the slope bends to the right, forming a smooth, steeply angled mountain wall, and beyond that is the last bulge of the ridge, about sixty meters away from this end.The ice cliff rises abruptly where it cuts off the ridge, its narrow edge adjoining the ridgeline, and I am standing almost at the midpoint of this wedge-shaped ice cliff that cuts through the ridge.I cut across carefully, staying away from the edge of the mountain, checking from time to time for gaps in the ten-meter-high cliff.I have given up on rappelling through the cliff, because the snow on the top of the cliff is too soft to support snow piles at all.

I had two options, either go to the top of the ridge, or continue away, hoping to avoid the steep part with a large rappel.I'm standing right at the end of the cliff, and it's not hard to see how exhausting and risky the second approach would be.We had to come down in a big arc, cut across, and come back up to get around the cliff.At first the slope looked very steep and unstable.I was fed up with falling and skidding around the ridge, and falling straight down the slope for thousands of meters, and there was a volley between the eastern glaciers, which made me determined to give up this option.If any of us fell, we would land on the open slope, plummeting straight down.On the ledge we can at least fool ourselves into thinking that if we fall, someone else might be able to jump to the other side of the ledge, if God is so kind.

I turned back, intending to climb down the cliff from the easiest position.I knew I couldn't descend near the top of the ridge because there was a nearly vertical wall of powder.The ice wall within a few meters from the edge of the cliff to the edge of the mountain seems to be very hard. I need to find a breakthrough, such as a ramp, or an ice crack extending downward from the top of the cliff, so that I can have a strong grip on the ice wall. point.At last I found it, a very fine break in the bend of the ice wall.Here the cliffs are also steep and nearly vertical, but not quite.The break is about six meters high, and I'm sure a few quick steps down here will do the trick.

I bent my knees and squatted, with my back to the edge of the cliff, and drove the ice ax deep in, and then slowly lowered my legs down the cliff, my belly against the edge of the cliff, until I was able to kick my crampons into the ice wall below.I feel the crampons gripping the wall of ice, so I pull out an ice ax and drive in just next to the edge, fast and secure this time.I pulled out the hammerhead, dropped my chest and shoulders below the edge until I could see the wall of ice, and swung it across with the hammerhead in hand.I hung on the ice wall with the ice axe, and stretched out my left hand to firmly embed the hammer head into the ice wall.I made it after a few tries, but wasn't quite satisfied, so pulled it out and tried again.I wanted to be able to hold the hammer head absolutely secure so that I could pull out the ice ax and lower it safely onto the hammer head.When I pulled out the hammer head, there was only a sharp cracking sound, and my right hand holding the ice ax suddenly sank.The sudden thrust sent me flipping outwards, and I fell instantly.

Before I could react, I hit the slope at the bottom of the ice cliff head-on, unable to move both knees.I felt a sharp pain in my knee, as if my bones were exploding, and I couldn't help screaming.The force of the collision slammed me backwards, and I fell off the east wall, headfirst, sliding with my back against the slope.Overwhelmed by the rapid slide, I remembered the drop below, but was otherwise at a loss.Simon was bound to be pulled down the hill by me, he couldn't resist the pull.I stopped abruptly and screamed again. Everything is still, not a sound.My mind was in turmoil.Then, a sharp, burning pain flooded down my thigh, to the inside of my thigh, and jumped wildly in my groin.The pain became more and more severe, and I finally couldn't help crying out, and panting heavily.my leg!God!my leg! I was hanging upside down, my left leg was entangled in the rope above, and my right leg was hanging limply to one side.I lifted my head, buried in the snow, above my chest, and watched the weird twist in my right knee, where my right leg folded into a strange zigzag.I didn't associate the burning pain in my right leg with my groin, which seemed to have nothing to do with it.I kicked my left leg out of the rope and rocked back and forth until my chest touched the snow and my feet dropped.The pain lessened.I hit the slope with my left foot and stood up. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach, and quickly pressed my face into the snow. The biting cold seemed to calm me down a bit.Some horrible, dark thought crossed my mind along with the fear, and I panicked: I broke my leg, yes.I am dead.Everyone says if it's just two people and one of them breaks his leg it's a death sentence and if it breaks it doesn't seem to hurt that much, maybe it's just a muscle tear. I kicked the slope with my right foot a few times, telling myself that my right leg was not broken.But there was a sharp pain in the knee, the bones rubbed against each other, and the burning pain spread from the groin to the knee like a fireball.I screamed and looked down at the broken knee, but I didn't want to believe it yet.Not only was the knee broken, it was cracked, twisted, and shattered, and I saw the kinks at the joints and knew exactly what had happened.The impact of the fall pierced my shin through my knee joint. Oddly enough, looking at my injured leg seemed to calm me down.I actually had a feeling of staying out of it, as if I was doing clinical observation for others.I moved my knee carefully, checked the injury, and tried to bend, but the pain made me gasp and stop immediately.When I move the knee, it feels like something is rubbing against each other, and there are many other things besides the bone.At least not an open fracture, which I found out when I tried to move.No wetness, no blood.I stretched out my right hand and stroked my knee, trying to ignore the searing pain so I could fully feel the injury and make sure I wasn't bleeding.The knee was still intact, but I felt that it had become enormous and crooked, unlike my own knee.Pain rolled and surged around the area, masking the burning sensation. I groaned and closed my eyes tightly.Hot tears welled up, and contact lenses floated with them.I closed my eyes again, hot tears streaming down my cheeks.It's not because of the pain, I'm sorry for myself, how childish, and as soon as this thought pops into my mind, the tears can't be controlled.Death was originally so far away, but now everything is colored with death.I shook my head to stop my tears, but the tears were not dry. I dug through the snow with an ice ax and stomped my good leg into the soft slope, making sure I wouldn't slip.This action made me nauseous again, and I felt dizzy, almost fainting.I moved a bit, and a searing pain immediately drove away the dizziness.I could see the summit of Selia North in the distance to the west, and I was not much lower than that.Seeing this makes me realize how desperate the situation is.We are above 5,800 meters above sea level, and on the edge of a mountain, there is no one here except Simon and me.Looking at the small plateau to the south, I originally hoped to climb up quickly, but now the more I stare at it, the more I feel that it keeps rising.I can't get over it anymore.Simon couldn't take me up there either.He will leave me.He has no choice.I held my breath and thought.being left here?Alone?When I think of this, I feel chills.I think of my friend Rob, who was left alone to die, but he was on the verge of death, probably unconscious.I just hurt a leg, nothing fatal.For a while, the thought of being abandoned overwhelmed me.I wanted to yell, I wanted to curse, but I kept quiet.Once I open my mouth, I will definitely panic.I feel like I'm on the verge of panic. The string that had been taut on my sling loosened at this moment.Here comes Simon!He must know something is wrong, but how do I tell him?Will he help me if I tell him I just hurt my leg but not broken it?I kept imagining what it would be like if I told him about my injury.I buried my face in the snow again, trying to think calmly.I must be calm.If he found that I was terrified and hysterical, he might give up saving me immediately.I struggled to control my fear.Be sensible, I think.I felt calmer, my breathing became even, and even the pain seemed bearable. What happened?How are you? I looked up in surprise.I didn't hear him approaching.He stood on the top of the cliff, looking at me below with a puzzled face.I try to speak normally as if nothing happened: I fell down.The edge of the cliff collapsed.I paused, and then said as quietly as I could, I broke my leg. He changed his face instantly.I can see the whole process.I keep looking straight at him.I don't want to miss any messages. Are you sure you broke it? Yes. He stared at me.Then he seemed to feel that he was staring at me for too long and too focused, so he turned his face away quickly.But still not fast enough.I had roughly seen the expression on his face, and at that moment, I knew what he was thinking.He had an oddly indifferent look.I felt uneasy, feeling suddenly far away from him, alienated.His eyes reveal many thoughts.There are regrets, and there are other things than regrets.He's trying to hide it, but I can see it.I turned my face away, filled with fear and apprehension. I descend to you. With his back to me, he leaned over a pile of snow and drove it into the soft snow.His voice sounded calm, and I wondered if I was paranoid.I waited for him to say something more, but he remained silent, and I began to wonder again what he was thinking.The rappelling distance is short but dangerous because the snow stakes cannot be inserted very firmly.But he was by my side in no time. He was very close to me, without saying a word, glanced at my leg, but said nothing.He rummaged for a while, took out a pack of antipyretic and pain relievers, and handed me two.I swallowed the pill and watched him try to pull the rappelling line down.But the rope didn't budge.Around the piles he had dug some snow piers, and the rope must have been wrapped around these snow piers.Simon cursed as he climbed towards the narrowest point on the cliff face, which happened to be the top of the ridge.I knew it was powdery and flimsy, and he knew it too, but he had no choice.I turned my face away, almost convinced that he would fall off the west wall and die by doing so, and I didn't want to see it happen.Of course, this would also kill me indirectly, just a little later. Simon didn't say what his plans were, and I felt uneasy, but I didn't dare to remind him.Suddenly, an insurmountable rift was created between us, and we were no longer teammates working together. ◆Simon's Narrative◆ Joe disappeared behind a plateau on the ridge and began to move at a speed I could not keep up with.I'm glad we're finally out of the steepest section and feel like we're about to leave that ridge.I was slipping and falling and was tired from walking along the edge of the west wall, so I was glad I could follow Joe's footsteps without breaking the trail. Seeing Joe stop, I also took a break.Clearly, he hit a snag.I think I'll wait until he moves on again.The rope began to move again, and I took heavy steps and moved forward slowly. Suddenly, the rope is taut, and it is spun down the slope with extreme tension.I was pulled forward by the rope for a few meters, and hurriedly plunged the ice ax into the snow to hold myself back from rushing forward.Nothing happened.I knew Joe had fallen, but I couldn't see him, so I stayed still.I waited about ten minutes before the taut rope let loose and hung on the snow, and I was sure he had shifted his weight off.I began to move forward cautiously along his footsteps, thinking that something else was going to happen.I'm on high alert, ready to plunge my ice ax into the snow as soon as I see a problem. I climbed up to the plateau and saw the rope disappear on the edge of a drop down the slope.I approached slowly, wondering what was going on.Reaching the top of the drop, I saw Joe just below, leaning against the slope with one foot in the snow and his face buried in it.I asked him what was wrong and he looked at me in surprise.I knew he was hurt, but didn't realize how serious the problem was. He told me very calmly that he had broken his leg.He looked pitiful.And my first thought was without a trace of emotion: you bastard, you're going to die, there's no second possibility Absolutely sane.Knowing where we were, I immediately weighed everything around me and knew he was going to die.It never occurred to me that I might die, too.I'm pretty sure I can go down alone without a problem. I knew what Joe was trying to do before he fell, and realized that unless I could rappel, I would do the same.There is a patch of snow on the top of the cliff, which is very scary for climbers.I shoveled as much snow off the surface as possible, and buried piles in the soft snow below.I knew very well that this would not be able to bear my weight, so I started to dig a wide snow pier around the snow pile.After digging, I turned my back to the cliff and pulled the rope hard. The snow pile was firmly fixed, but I was not very confident.I also thought about climbing back from the highest point of the ridge, that is, from the narrowest position of the cliff, but I still think it is more dangerous to do so.I descended the cliff half-rappel, half-climb, trying to keep my weight off the rope.I felt the rope go through the pier, very strong. When I got to the bottom of the cliff, I saw that Joe's leg was badly injured, and he had suffered a lot.His appearance was calm, but there was a look of probing and fear in his eyes.He knew as well as I did what the outcome would be.I gave him some painkillers, but I also knew they wouldn't do much.His legs were twisted and his knee joints were deformed, and I thought that if I could see the damage under his thick thermal trousers, it would be very bad. I do not know what to say.Fate changed so suddenly.I found the rope tangled and knew I had to climb up alone to untie it.In a way, this allows me to stop thinking for a while and buy time to adapt to the new situation.I had to climb back up the cliff alone, and the top of the ridge was the only way to go.I'm terrified of doing this.Joe was trying to move next to me, nearly fell, and I grabbed him to regain his balance.He has been silent.He had already untied his body so I was only just rappelling down.I guess he didn't say a word because he knew he would have fallen under the east wall if I hadn't caught him.Then I left him and forgot him for a while. Climbing up this cliff edge was the hardest and most dangerous thing I've ever done.Several times I stepped through the snow wall and stepped on the air.Halfway up, I realized I couldn't go back, but I didn't think I'd be able to climb it either.I seem to be climbing a nothingness, and whatever I touch, it shatters.Each step either sinks along the west wall or causes it to collapse or crumble.But unbelievably, I kept climbing.I don't know how long it took, it felt like hours, and I finally pulled myself up the slope.At this time, I was shaking all over, extremely nervous, and had to stop and rest for a while to calm down. I looked back and was surprised to see that Joe had started to crosscut away from the cliff.He was trying to move slowly along the terrain of the small plateau ahead.He hammered the ice ax deep into the snow until his arms were buried in it, then hopped sideways on one foot, a small but terrifying look.He dragged his injured leg across the slope, head down, completely lost in his effort.Below him is an open mountain wall of thousands of meters, extending to the Glacier Bay Road in the east.I quietly observed his every move.I can't help him.It suddenly occurred to me that he would probably fall and die by himself.But the thought failed to disturb my innermost being either.In a way I want him to fall.Because as long as he is still working hard, I can't leave him behind.But I don't know how to help him either.I can go down the mountain by myself, but if I take him down the mountain with me, I may die with him.It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that it's unnecessary and pointless.I kept staring at him thinking he was going to fall After a long time, I turned around to the snow pile, relocated the snow pile, and then returned to the edge of the cliff again, and I prayed that the snow pile would hold me.As I descended the slope, I prayed that the rope would not get tangled.I don't want to climb up again.This time the rope slipped easily.I turned around with the rope, thinking I should lose sight of Joe.In fact he was still climbing there.During the time I climbed up and down, he only moved thirty meters.I set off after him. Simon suddenly appeared beside me.I couldn't watch him climb to the top of the ridge.I was sure he would fall off.I think, instead of looking at him, it's better to think of a way to act first.I knew I couldn't get over high ground, so I began to weave along the terrain.I didn't think about the consequences.I saw Simon struggling on the powder.The progress is slow and wears me out.Concentrating on moving carefully, though, made me forget most of the pain.Pain became a new problem that I had to deal with, and it was tightly integrated with other problems (maintaining balance, snowy conditions, and going downhill on one leg). At first I waddled and hopped on one foot, then gradually developed a forward pattern.I repeat the pattern carefully, taking a small step across the slope with each repetition.Slowly, I feel that everything around me is moving away from me.I don't think about anything but forward mode.I stopped only once to look back at Simon.He seemed to be on the verge of falling, and I turned my head away quickly.The east wall continued to extend downward under my feet, as if it had no end.I couldn't help but imagine myself surviving the fall, but I knew that even though the slope was mostly gentle all the way down, the speed of the fall would tear me to shreds before I reached the bottom.I figured I'd fall anyway, but it didn't matter to me.I'm not scared at all.It seemed all too clear and inevitable.Actually it's all empty talk.I knew I was going to die, and it didn't make any difference how I died. Simon passed me, stepped into a ditch that spanned the slope, and disappeared around the bend in the slope.He said to go ahead and see what was around the corner.Neither of us talked about what to do next.I think we all felt like there was nothing to do.So I'm back in my forward mode.This section of the ditch is easier to walk, but still requires full concentration.I think we're all dodging the question.For more than two hours after the accident, we all acted as if nothing had happened.We have a tacit understanding.Just let time figure it out.We all know the truth.The truth is simple, I was hurt and it was impossible to live.Simon could go down the mountain by himself.As I waited for his action, it was like holding onto something very precious and fragile.If I ask Simon for help, I may lose this precious thing.He may abandon me.I kept silent, but not this time out of fear of losing control.I feel sane and calm now. I kept repeating the forward pattern like a machine.I was a little surprised when I heard Simon ask me how the situation was.I'd forgotten about him, had no idea how long I'd been repeating this pattern, and had almost forgotten why I was doing it.I looked up and saw Simon sitting in the snow looking at me.I smiled at him, and he smiled back at me with his mouth crooked, but the smile couldn't hide his worry.He sat there, looking down at the slopes that rolled down the side of the plateau we circled.Behind him is the top of the ridge. I saw the col.He said.When I heard this, hope was born in my heart, and this hope penetrated my whole body like a cold wind. Is it clear?I mean, can you go all the way down the slope?I asked, trying not to sound the least bit excited. Roughly the same I speed up the forward mode, but also restrain myself from rushing.Suddenly, I was startled by the drop below.I felt myself shaking and realized that if I had felt this way when I started out, I would never have gotten to where I am now.I caught up with Simon, lying on the snow wearily. Simon put his hand on my shoulder and asked: What's wrong with you? Better.It still hurts, but I feel like telling him that would be silly and unhelpful.His concern scares me, and I'm not sure what lies behind it.Perhaps he wanted to inform me of the sad news in a tactful way.I'm done, Simon, at this rate, I don't think I'm going to go down. If I was expecting an answer, I got none.Saying these words only added sentimentality, and he ignored my hints.He started to untie the rope from the harness. I looked down at the col, which was within 200 meters of us, slightly to the right.Subconsciously, I started plotting a feasible route to get there.Climbing straight down to the col is difficult because that means having to climb obliquely down over the sharp corners of the slope.The feasible route should be to go straight down first, and then cut parallel to the col.The distance to traverse looks shorter than the slope I just climbed. Do you think you can bear my weight on this snow?I asked. We have no more snow piles.If Simon were to pull me with a rope, he would have to stand on an open slope with loose snow and no anchors. Let's dig a large hollow so I can bear your weight.If the dimple shows any signs of collapsing, I yell and you immediately remove the weight. good.It should be quicker if you tie the two ropes together and let me down. He nodded in agreement, and then started digging out a hole to make sure of the sitting position.I grabbed two ropes, tied them together with a knot, and tied myself to one end of the rope, the other end already attached to Simon's harness.In this way, we are actually tied to each other with a rope nearly 100 meters long, which can cut the hole digging time in half and double the distance of a single descent.Simon could use the belay to control the speed of my descent, and also to dampen the momentum of my weight so that if he lost his grip on the rope because his gloves were frozen, the rope wouldn't come out of him.The knot that binds the two ropes is a problem.The only way to get the knot through the bezel is to untie the rope from the bezel first and then tie the knot on the other side.This is only possible if I stand up and let my weight off the rope.Thank God I didn't break both legs. alright.are you ready? Simon sat down in the deep snow hole he had just dug on the slope, his legs planted in the snow for support, holding the lock securer, the rope stretched taut between us. alright.Now focus on keeping it steady and yell out whenever you slip. Don't worry, I will.If you can't hear me when it's time to untie the knot, I give the rope three tugs. good. I lay face down directly under Simon and slowly moved down until all my weight rested on the rope.At first I dared not lift my feet off the snow.If the pit in the Simon collapsed, we would fall in at once.Simon nodded and smiled at me.Buoyed by his confidence, I lifted my foot and began to slide.It works! He releases the rope at a steady pace.I cling to the snow, holding an ice ax in each hand, and I can plunge into the snow as soon as I feel the sign of falling.From time to time, the crampons on my right boot got caught in the snow, which shook my injured leg.I tried my best not to scream, but I couldn't hold back.I don't want Simon to stop. After a while, he stopped moving.I looked up and saw him recede, with only his head and shoulders protruding from the hollow.He was yelling something, but I couldn't hear it, and then he gave the rope three hard tugs, and I understood.Compared with the time it took me to cross that high ground before, I have now descended forty or fifty meters, and the speed makes me unbelievable.I was so surprised and delighted that I almost wanted to laugh.In such a short period of time, I have completely shaken off hopelessness and become incredibly optimistic.The shadow of death has faded.To me, death is now a very vague possibility rather than an inevitable fact.I put my weight on my uninjured leg and the rope let go.I know very well that we are most prone to accidents when Simon is adjusting the knot.Once I fell, I would have slipped a full pitch before the rope was taut, and then the momentum of the rope would pull him down as well.I dug my ice ax into the snow and waited motionless.I saw the col below me to my right, much closer.At this time, the rope was pulled a few more times, and I cautiously leaned my body against the slope, and the second descent began. Because of the distance, Simon has become a small red and blue dot. I wave to him and see him stand up from his seat.He turned, facing the slope, and stomped hard into the snow.The rope bent and hung from me, and Simon was climbing down.So I turned around and started digging another hollow.I dug deeper into the slope until I found a snow hole where he could sit all over.The snow cave is arc-shaped from the back wall to the bottom of the cave, and then leads upwards to the entrance of the cave.After I finished, I looked up again and saw Simon was climbing towards me quickly. This section of the descent is much faster.The approach we take is very efficient.While we're growing more optimistic, one shadow hangs over us and that's the weather.The weather conditions deteriorated rapidly, with clouds skimming over the col and large swathes of cloud rolling in the eastern sky.The wind also intensified, blowing snow powder across the slopes.Puffs of snow and dust gushed out from the sky above the west wall.As the wind strengthened, the temperature also dropped.I felt the cold wind pricking my cheeks, my jaw and nose were numb from the cold, and my fingers were starting to go stiff. At the end of the second descent, Simon caught up with me.At this point we are almost at the same height as the col, but we still need to traverse to the edge of the col. I went ahead and dug a ditch.Said Simon. He started off before I could answer.Watching him gradually go away, I feel a little lonely and helpless.It looks like a long way from the col here, and I'm wondering if I should untie the rope.I don't want to do this, although I know very well that the rope can't save me now, and if I fall, Simon will be dragged down, but I still can't give up the psychological comfort brought by the rope.I look to Simon.It's unbelievable!He had already reached the col, but it looked like he was only twenty or thirty meters away from me.It turned out to be an illusion caused by the evening light. come on!I hold on to the rope.His shout came from the wind. There was a slight tug on my waist.He has already gathered up the extra rope, intending to act as my securing point himself.I think he was planning to jump west if I fell.There was no other way to stop my fall.I limped to the side, almost lost my balance as soon as my foot got caught.Something like cartilage was churning in my knee, and the pain was so intense that I cried uncontrollably.When the pain subsided, I scolded myself for not paying attention.I'm back in the same slog-forward mode I was in before.When I couldn't swing my leg through, I bent down, moved my leg along the trench Simon had made, and returned to my forward mode.The leg was lifeless, like a heavy and useless encumbrance.If it got in the way, or caused me pain, I would curse and lift it aside as if it were just a chair tripping me up. The depression is open and the wind is strong. Here we can see the western mountainside clearly for the first time.The glacier we walked through five days ago is just below the mountainside, and the glacier winds its way to the moraine and crevasse, beyond which is our camp, and now we are almost 900 meters above the camp.這一路還需要多次長距離放繩下降，不過都是下坡路。在冰崖上侵襲我們的絕望情緒如今已被拋到腦後。到達這座山坳是至關重要的一步。如果在冰崖和山坳之間有任何陡峭的地形，我們都絕對無法通過。 what time is it?賽門問我。 It was just after four o'clock.我們時間不多了，對吧？ 我看出他在權衡繼續前進的可能性。山坳下面的山壁已經有雪塵飄動，雲團也幾乎完全成形。冷風一直挾帶雪粉朝我們襲來，很難判斷是否已經開始下雪。在山坳上沒坐多久，我就已經凍到失去知覺。我想繼續下降，不過要看賽門的決定。我等著他拿主意。 我認為應該繼續前進，你可以嗎？he said finally. no problem.let's go.我都快凍死了。 Me too.我的手又沒知覺了。 如果你願意，我們可以挖雪洞休息。 No.天黑前我們到不了冰河，但下面是空曠的斜坡。我們最好降低高度。 good.我不喜歡這天氣，看起來不妙。 我也正擔心這個。好吧，我把你從這裡放下去。我們本來應該再向右降低一些，不過我覺得你沒辦法斜向下降。我們就試試垂直向下吧。 我離開山稜頂部，順著西壁下降。賽門從邊緣往後靠，撐住我的重量。大量雪粉開始朝我傾瀉而下，產生強大推力。我下滑得更快了，大聲呼喊賽門放慢一點，但他聽不到。