The chapter starts from within a tent. Simon and Joe are in the middle of the Cordillera, huayhash in the middle of the Peruvian Andes. Richard is introduced, a friend they met in Lima whilst he was travelling. He is described as quite eccentric. They invited him to join them at camp, so he could look after their things. Joe describes Simon as the ideal climbing partner. They had doubts about the weather so spent a day expoloring, they returned exhilirated. They got food supplies from two girls that lived in the mountains. They set off for Yantauri, the next day for Siera Norte both to confirm weather wories and to get a closer look. They told richard they should be back within 4-5 days.
Chapter two - Tempting fate.
They started climbing, after an unsteady start they picked up the pace and felt exhilirated after a stress free 2000 feet. They gave them self a target of 6 hours to find the right gully climb it and dig a snow cave. The easy relaxed day became more difficult as they were bombarded by ice and rocks and then faced a wall with bad ice. After a 15 hour day they bivied and luckily found a ready made hole. Joe reminices about a past climb with Ian Whittaker in the Chamonix Valley where they found a ledge for a bivi site, which broke loose and they plummeted downwards. The safety rope held them luckily, but they had a 12 hour wait to be found. Joe had a fear of bivi sites after this.
Chapter three - Storm at the summit.
Simon thought they would reach the summit in the day, but joe had doubts. They were both in high spirits and thought it would be completed with ease. After hitting a rough, more difficult patch of ice, they took a break, and also got a view of the summit. After assessing the sitution they changed their minds about reaching the summit that day. Finding the right fluting was difficult.They climbed up 300 feet below the summit, and dug a snow cave to take shelter for the night, Simon had suspected frostbite on his finger It was -40°C. They had one gas can left for the descent. The next day they reached the summit, and Joe felt a strange felt it was an anti-climax. On the descent there was a white out and they were finding it diffcult to see the route. Simon had a fall, but Joe held him by his ropes, part of the ridge had fallen off under his feet.
Chapter four - On the edge.
Joe and Simon faced a difficult decent. They took rest and dug a snow cave. Simon had confirmed frostbite in his finger.In the past Simon had witnessed two climbers fall to their deaths, and Joe feared the same happnening to them. Joe woke the next day in high spirits, which where dampened when Simon showed him his worsened frostbite. They used their last gas cansiter. Another cornice collapsed and Joe fell, but it wasn't as bad as he thought. He continued to follow the ridge. Simon facThe day was not enjoyable for either of them.
Chapter five - Disaster.
After leaving the summit, in 6 hours they had only descended 1000 ft, instead of getting all the way down. They were getting fed up of the slow progress. As Joe tried to lower himself onto the cliff edge, part of it fel off and he catapulted downwards and broke his leg bady. The impact drew his lower leg up through his knee joint. Joe worried about Simon leaving him and considered the prospect of death. Simon found him and Joe felt they were no longer a team. Italics - Simon. Joe told him what had happened. Simons immediate thoughts were, "Your Fucked matey!" Simon tried to think of what to do. He climbed back up the cliff as his roped jammed, and as the snow was very mushy it took a long time, but by the time he got back down to Joe, he had only traversed 100 ft. Simon guilily wanted him to fall, so he was no longer his responsibility and he would without a doubt get down safely himself. Joe - They were there for 2 more hours. They worked out a lowering system where Simon would sit in a trench and lower Joe down on two, tied 150 ft ropes. Joes fears of death eased.
Chapter six - The final choice.
They needed to descend diagonally, but it was impossible. Joe was in agony during the lowering as his crampons kept snagging on the snow. Simon made an estimate that they should be down by 9pm. They were making progress and he felt that they were a team again. The weather was worsening. Both Simon and Joes hands were wooden from the cold. Joe felt they were making a "controlled and orderley descent." Simon thought they might even be on their last lower. Joe noticed the slope steepening and sensed a drop approaching, he tried to shout to Simon and dug his axes into the snow to break but neither succeeded. Suddenly he was hanging in space. He was 6 ft away from the wall and 100ft above the base of a crevasse. He tried to climb up the rope, but dropped the loop so it was impossible. Joe gave into the fact of death. He compared himself to Toni Kurtz. Simon - He was proud of their progress. He jerked foward and was nearly pulled off the mountain. He realised Joe was hanging free. An hour passed and he was slowly slipping off rhe montain. On impulse he cut the rope. He thought he had killed Joe. He didnt feel guilty, he felt empty. He dug and snow cave and coulnt sleep. He hadnt had any water for 24 hours. The next morning he resumed the clim down , expecting to die.
Chapter seven - Shadows in the ice
Joe hung on waiting for Simon to be pulled of the cliff. What he was waiting for arrived and he fell down into the crevasse, but he was alive. He had landed on an ice bridge with two drops either side. He managed to screw himself to the wall to prevent him from falling. It was difficult because he had frostbite. He kept experiencing uncontrollable bouts of laughter, but his rational side told him it was the cold and shock. He got a glimmer of hope, as if simon had fell to and landed above the crevasse, his body weight would beenough for Joe to pull himself up on. He pulled the rope and found the frayed cut end. He cried himself to sleep. In th morning he felt beter and tried to climb up the crevasse wall. After several painful failed attempts he stopped. He tried shouting for simon, and after a long time he gave up and resorted to the one thing he could do. He screwed his rope to the wall and started to abseil downwards.
Chapter eight - silent witness
Simon. He got up the next day and continued his descent. In the clear weather hecould see the ice cliff that Joe had hung off. He was devestated to see that last nightd events were inevitable after all their efforts. Simon saw the crevasse and was horrified by what he had done to Joe. He worried about what he would tell people on return. He shouted into the crevasse but got no reply. He was thankful that the crevasse was dark so he couldnt see Joes body. UNFINISHED.
Chapter nine - in the far distance.
Joe continued to abseil ddown the crevasse, hoping to get to the bottom. His rope ran out and he was terrified to look down and see the dark void beneath him. When he did pluc up the coursge to look down, he saw that the base of the crevasse was only 15 ft from him. He saw a beam of light from the roof and his whole outlook changed. He was determined to get out of the crevasse. He realised it was not the base, but a suspended ceiling. He crossed it with antagonising care as it was very thin and he could fall through. He started to climb the wall to get to the light, and made a pattern of his movements which made it easier. He climbed 90ft in 5 hours, he could have done the whole 100ft in 10 mins if he wasn't injured. He emerged from the whole and was stunned by the beauty of the mountains. After the initial joy of being free of the crevasse he started to worry about the 200ft he still had to descend and the 6 mile journey to camp. Joe saw the rope on the ice cliff abouve the crevasse and knew that Simon hadn't gone to get help, he had left certain that Joe had died.
Chapter ten - mind games.
Joe fell and started tobogganing down the hill, his crampons caughts on his gaiters and it was very painful. He crawledd following Simons tracks. A voice in his head told him what to do. He thought of his home town and mother and welled up. He could see figuires in the ice cliffs and wondered if he was imagining them.
Chapter eleven - a land without pity
Joe awoke from a nightmare. He had dreamt about being inside the crevasse, reciting lines by shakespeare.