Chapter 30
"Did ya already check the weather report for today?" Rishab asked Akash during breakfast."Yeah, we're not as clear as yesterday and we're gonna be lookin' at some wind later in the afternoon."
"That's gonna make it dangerous when we reach the ridge." Rishab stared at the mountain ahead of them. "We might wanna radio in around lunchtime and let base camp know we're gonna bunk in early; that ridge will give us the best protection from that wind." Weather on the mountain could only be predicted up to a certain point. Beyond that it was a matter of rolling the dice and he'd rather err on the side of caution than risk it and get one of the climbers hurt or killed.
"Hopefully we'll reach the ridge before those winds start," Harpreet commented, knowing how dangerous high winds could be. "What're we gonna do if we don't?" Abby asked.
"Dig in and wait it out." He shrugged. "Not much else you can do. It's a little bit scary the first time you get caught in one of these storms, but it's not really that bad." He winked at her. "And if you get a little scared I've always got extra room in my tent."
Rishab watched the interplay between the others as he checked over his gear one more time. He glanced at Madhu and saw the way she was leaning into Adam and wondered if what Akash said was true. Was Adam really gay?
Deepali glanced at Rishab in time to see him watching Madhu. Deepali tightened her grip on her fork and almost bent the fork she was holding in her hand. Was Rishab really into her like that? Why did Madhu always get what I want? I hate her.
Deepali sashayed towards Rishab and wrapped her hand around Rishab's neck, slowly moving it seductively to his chest, making small circles. "Rishu darlin', it was pretty cold in my tent last night. I think it would be better for both of us if we shacked up together tonight. Think the storm would be loud enough for what I have in mind, huh?"
Rishab moved back a bit and said "I just checked my schedule and it looks pretty busy for this lifetime." "Let's pack it up and get moving, people," Rishab said loudly as he walked away leaving Deepali red in the face.
It was like watching an accident, Sikander thought as he watched Deepali try to seduce Rishab one more time. You wanted to look away, but morbid curiosity kept your eyes locked on it until you had taken in every gory detail.
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Rishab cursed out loud when the wind whipped around the edge of the shelf they were attempting to reach and knocked him back against the side of the mountain. "That's gonna leave a mark," he muttered, throwing his right arm up and forward so that the ice tool would give him some stability.
The storm had picked up faster than expected as the clouds began to move in, bringing snow and hard winds. Climbing with seasoned climbers in this kind of weather was difficult enough, but in a situation like this, where their group was mostly comprised of climbers who were fairly new to the game it was even harder.
He glanced over his shoulder when he felt the rope at his waist being pulled and his eyes widened when he realized that Madhu's grip had slipped. Ice crystals were forming on the rope and it was making it hard to maintain a decent hold on it, but they had no choice but to keep going. They had no protection in their current location so they had to make it to the ridge; it wasn't that far away, but the weather was working against them.
He could see the brief moment of panic in her eyes as she looked up and caught his gaze and he shook his head at her. "Ice tool!" he shouted.
Madhu struggled to decipher his words as they were caught by the wind and ripped away, but when he made it up another few inches and pulled his own ice tool out she nodded. She felt stupid for not thinking of it immediately, but she shoved that away and focused on pulling herself up closer to the shelf.
Rishab hauled himself over the ledge and braced himself so he could help the others up. He was glad Madhu was right behind him because while he didn't want to lose anyone she was his biggest concern. He grasped her coat to get a grip on her and then locked his right arm under and around hers to pull her up onto the shelf. He pointed behind him. "Rest' soon as the others are up we've gotta keep moving!"
She nodded and moved back away from the edge, huddling against the wall as she sought protection from the bitterly cold wind and the snow pelting them relentlessly. Somehow, getting caught in a storm wasn't quite as exciting as Akash had made it sound, she thought as she watched Rishab helping the others up onto the shelf.
Akash stayed as close to Abby as possible to make sure she didn't slip or fall. He felt relief wash over him when she made it onto the shelf and he quickly hauled himself up and over, moving to shield her from the worst of the wind while the guides pulled the others up to safety. He smiled to himself when he felt her press against his back, gladly seeking the shelter he was offering.
"Alright," Rishab shouted as soon as everyone was safely on the shelf, crammed together because of the lack of space. He pointed at the end of the shelf. "We'll go around the wall here.. there's about two feet of air between the shelf and the mountain, so watch out for it! If you fall you could be seriously hurt and you could take someone with you, so don't miss a step!" He checked the line that connected him to Madhu, tugging on it to let Harpreet know that his end was fine. "Let's go, people!"
"This is exhausting," Abby yelled out to Adam. She felt him pat her shoulder, letting her know he agreed with her. "Soon as we've got the tent up you can hit the sleeping bag," he hollered back. "I'll get lunch ready."
They made it off of the shelf and around the wall, their steps slow and careful. The group was relieved to see the large outcropping of rock that would provide them with a barrier against some of the wind and they quickly set about making camp.
"Watch out around here," Rishab shouted over the wind. "This camp isn't as safe as the last. Stay in the group, don't go any further than this," he pointed to some poles he had just stuck into the snow around them.
"No problem," Abby muttered, helping Adam to get the tent set up. Something that was difficult because the wind kept hindering their efforts. Rishab had quickly built up his tent, one that he and the other two guides would be able to share during the storm while Akash and Harpreet helped the others with their tents.
"Yeah, forget the perimeter," Adam agreed. "I'm not getting outta this tent until this storm blows over!"
"Alright, you guys get in the tent, I'll do the rest," Akash said to Abby, Madhu and Adam. Getting the climbers safely out of the weather was first priority for the guides. Adam slapped him on the back. "You're not getting an argument out of us." He followed Abby and Madhu inside and grinned at the girls when they wasted no time getting rid of their outerwear and diving into the sleeping bags.
"That was kinda thrilling, huh?" he said and let his muscles finally relax a little. "Yeah," Madhu agreed with a grin. "I've gotta admit, I do get off on the adrenaline rush." "You warm enough?" Adam asked his sister. "No, but I'm warmer than I was a few minutes ago." "Yeah, that wind cuts right through you." He shivered only from the thought.
She watched him pull out what he needed to make a couple of hot meals without the use of a fire. "I take back every joke I made about you buying that now," Abby said. He smirked. "Uh-huh."
They paused when they heard a wind-muffled sound that sounded suspiciously like a scream from someone outside. Madhu's head shot up. "What was that?"
"Based on the high-pitched girly sound, I'd say it was Deepali," Adam muttered as he glanced at her. "Maybe we should go out and make sure the prick's okay." Abby shook her head. "We can't go out there again, Adam."
P.S. For those who want to know what happened to Deepali...that something is going to be reavealed int he next update... But seriously guys given you a number of hints... Lets see you put on your thinking hats and figure it out...
Edited by luvera - 12 years ago
