the rush of the mountain climb was doing nothing more than pissing me off....fuck! why didn't I go to Greece, Spain or fucking Jamaica for god's sake. this sucked, stopping every two minutes, step after step getting higher and higher, watching my friends race ahead like the tortise and the hare in that stupid fable. i'd take a drink if i didn't have the shits or a cigarette if it wasn't 15,000ft up. SHIT!

the just as it got awful and unbearable, something hit me...the swish clack swish clack of my stick and shoes....swish clack swish clack...i'd be there soon...the top...