Cast of Characters

Full disclosure: the photo below was taken at a particularly low point for me. Though I had tested and verified that my crampons fit my boots before we set out, I had not tested their ability to remain fast on my soles while bearing my entire weight. When I took a step to the side (which, given the pitch of the mountain, was almost all the time; we made switchbacks the whole way up), the front of my crampons would slide off to the side.

This was a nuisance, a frustration, and a real danger. Having logged 0 hours of sleep and 6 hours of climbing in the past 24, I thought that my day was soon over and the summit was out of my reach.

Fortunately, Phil (above) and Brian (below), encouraged me to go on. I heeded their advice, tightened my crampons as tight as possible, shouldered my pack once more and plodded ahead.