We started out long before the sun was up. We planned to hit the summit by mid-day and be back in camp in the early evening. So far things were moving according to plan. The sun had come up about an hour ago and the East Face was warming quickly, which was a very good thing. My hands were having a hard time on the cold rock. The climbing wasn't particularly difficult but I was beginning to feel the altitude as we pushed past 12,000' and onto the ridge. The views are amazing, and quite intimidating. The drop on one side of the ridge is 600' straight down. The other side a massive 2,000' to fall before the couloir starts. The three of us scrambled along the ridge, occasionally using the rope to belay each other across the areas with particularly extreme exposure. I focused on my feet and hand placements and tried not to look down.
Tim and Michael had known each other for years. They had climbed all over and were far more serious about the sport than I. They would spend hours in the climbing gym working on various boulder problems. I was just getting back into climbing after a break for several years for other pursuits and was lacking a belay partner to hold the rope while I climbed. Tim and Michael were gracious enough to let me join them. I never liked climbing in the gym, however and had been pushing to get them outdoors for some time. Both climbers were tall with a wiry athleticism that understated their strength. Both were in great shape. While my rock climbing skills were weaker, I had considerably more mountaineering experience, and was glad to be climbing with the sun shining on my back as we headed for the summit.
We hit the top at 12:30, signed the register and sat eating a little lunch and enjoying the view. It had been a great climb and we were all a little euphoric due to the physical exertion spent getting to the summit and the high altitude. After 45 minutes we began the long decent back down. Although we could see our camp in the valley 5,000' below the summit, it would take nearly 4 hours to get back. There was the ridge, two rappels and a long stretch of broken talus through the couloir that would prove to be much more frustrating than it looked.
By the time we made it back to the valley we were really beat. Our tents were in a picturesque meadow not more than 100 yards from a pristine alpine lake. The air was calm and crisp, the water was like glass and reflected the cirque of the mountain above us. The only ones in the valley were the three of us and the girls. Tim's girlfriend, Andrea, and a friend of hers, Lisa, made the trip and were waiting for our return by the lake. Andrea is a strong climber in her own right but with Lisa there, the two had planned to do some more moderate hiking while we hit the summit.
The five of us hiked up to the lake the day before arriving shortly before nightfall. The hike in was strenuous and Tim, Michael and I had wanted to get some sleep to make our 4:00 am wakeup. Because of our early wakeup the girls slept in Tim's tent while Michael and Tim slept in Michael's. Although the tent can sleep three adequately, I opted to sleep out in the open in the meadow that first night. The sky was clear and the stars were brilliant, even if it was a little cold.
"We made it", Tim said with a big smile on his face as we strolled back into camp. He tossed his daypack on the ground. Andrea came over and gave him a kiss.
"Hungry?" she asked.
Michael had put himself in charge of the food and was already putting together quite a spread. I found a nearby rock and took a seat.
"How come you never cook for Tim and I at home?" Andrea teased. Michael was totally focused and ignored her.
We had a wonderful meal as the sun set behind the mountain. After dinner, I broke out the cognac I had packed in but was totally outdone by the girls. To everyone's surprise, Lisa and Andrea had conspired to bring some pot and passed around a very large joint. We sat there, blissfully high, a little drunk, in an incredible setting watching the stars come out.
"We're going to go crash", Tim broke the silence. "No, we're going to go fuck", Andrea said with a big grin, and with that she grabbed Tim by the hand and pulled him off to the tent.
"Well", I said with a smile unsure what to say to that. Both Michael and Lisa grinned in agreement as we watched them go. I took another hit of the joint. The dynamic was kind of interesting. Lisa is very attractive and very flirtatious. I had met her once before at a party of Tim's. Apparently she and Michael had some history, but I didn't know any of the details. There didn't seem to be any tension, but I knew that they weren't together. The stars were getting brighter as the last of the sunlight vanished far off in the west. I couldn't help but wish that Michael wasn't there, or that he had brought another girl so I could see if anything could happen between Lisa and me. I really didn't feel comfortable pursuing anything with him there.
