Worth Every Step
Page 14
Mary Kate stared from behind the shelter of her sunglasses as Addison bent over to retrieve her backpack from underneath the rain guard.
“Wow!” Drew also admired the sight.
“Wow is right,” echoed Jim.
Mary Kate’s first inclination was to scold the men for their Neanderthal objectification of women. Instead, she chuckled softly with relief that she hadn’t said “wow” aloud herself. Addison had an allure that completely transcended gender. Before falling asleep the night before, she had let her mind wander to what it would be like to kiss her, and if she did, whether Addison would be interested in more. For an instant, she had even imagined Addison touching her intimately.
“I can’t believe I wasted all those hours last night that I could have been asleep,” Addison said, taking a seat between Mary Kate and Drew. “I guess I’ve grown so used to hearing Drew snore that now I can’t sleep without it.”
“Very funny,” he said.
“Are you sure it wasn’t because I crushed you in the tent?” Mary Kate asked softly.
Addison leaned closer, and in a voice only Mary Kate could hear, said, “It may have been one of the reasons I stayed awake, but only so I could enjoy it.”
Mary Kate squeezed her lips together, but couldn’t suppress her smile. “You can’t stop yourself. You are a hopeless flirt.”
“Just being honest.” She gestured below as Luke strapped on his backpack. It was finally time to start their day.
They began with a steep climb, but upon reaching the ridge top, immediately descended into another valley, this one almost three miles across.
Though they walked silently most of the morning, Mary Kate kept an eye on Addison, just in case she struggled from being overtired. As they pulled out from their first break, Drew moved close behind her.
“How are you feeling, Mary Kate?”
“Pretty good. I keep expecting to start feeling the altitude, but so far, nothing. Too bad there isn’t any wood up here to knock on.” They had left behind all vegetation in the Karanga Valley.
“I wanted to talk to you about something, but I don’t want you to say anything. Okay?”
She was surprised by his serious look, and couldn’t imagine what sort of secret he might tell. “Sure.”
“I didn’t tell anyone this morning, but the reason I was up all night was because I got this awful headache again. I’m kind of worried about it.”
“Did you take something? I think Addison has some aspirin.”
“It’s gone for now. But this happened before when I went up Pikes Peak in two days.”
“What did you do?”
“I came right back down and it went away. But I’m a little worried because we were only at thirteen thousand feet last night, and we’re headed way higher than that tonight.”
“You should tell Luke.”
“No, I don’t want him to know. If he thinks it’s going to be a problem, he might not let me go up. I’d rather make that decision myself, you know?”
“I understand. But I’m not going to let you do something stupid.”
“You’re not going to rat me out, are you?”
“No.” She walked backward to address him face-to-face. “I won’t say anything to Luke, because I wouldn’t want anyone else making my decisions either. But I am going to watch you, and you better not be stubborn about it if it’s obvious you should go back down. That peak isn’t worth dying for, you know.”
“That’s why I wanted to tell you, so you’d watch. Kind of like the friend that tells people when they’ve had too much to drink.”
“We’ll watch each other—you, me and Addison. Deal?”
“Deal.”
True to her word, she bit her tongue during their next break when Luke made the rounds asking everyone to come clean about how they were feeling. Nikki admitted to having headaches, and Neal lost his lunch, but neither felt the problems were serious enough to turn back. Drew casually indicated that he was feeling fine. When they pulled out again, Mary Kate waited to walk with Addison, who was smiling and humming to herself.
“You’re in a pretty good mood for someone who didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“What gives you that idea?”
“Because every time I look at you, you’re smiling.”
“Maybe that’s because I smile every time you look at me.”
Mary Kate laughed at that comeback. “You can’t keep that charm of yours inside at all, can you?”
“I try. My little voice tells me to behave, but I don’t listen very well. How would you handle somebody like that in your classroom?”
“I’d probably show her a lot of positive reinforcement whenever she exhibited appropriate behavior.”
“I respond to positive reinforcement.”
“I can tell.” It was nice to have all the tension of yesterday behind them. If anything, the awkward scene from the creek had helped her get clear on what she was feeling. Her fascination with Addison was growing by the minute, and she was definitely entertaining the idea of following it wherever it led. The electricity between them was unquestionable.
The last leg of their hike took them across another broad valley before their ascent to the Barafu campsite. The glacier loomed above them. In all, they would gain two thousand feet today, still leaving them four thousand feet below the summit.
Halfway up the ridge to Barafu, Mary Kate was gasping for air. Pole pole was still the mantra, and she forced herself to drink all of the water in her pouch, even though she wasn’t at all thirsty.
When they crested the ridge, the sight before them nearly stole their breath. Luke waited at the top, corralling the group as he pointed to the long incline that led to the glacier. “Up there is Stella Point. It is a six-kilometer walk from here, and is one thousand meters higher. We will stand there at sunrise. Gilbert has dinner ready now, and you should eat, then rest. I will wake you at eleven. It will be very cold.”
Barafu Hut was home to three dozen tents this night, including a larger one for three new guides from Summit Trail and Safari who would accompany the group up the mountain. Mary Kate remembered what Luke had said about needing more experienced guides on hand as escorts for the summit, especially to watch for signs of distress among the climbers.
The tents were packed closely together on the rocky ledge, the support wires wrapped around rocks or simply whipping in the growing wind. Addison chose the one farthest from the single latrine and dropped her pack underneath the rain guard. “I’m whipped. I’m going to head on to sleep.”
“You should eat something first,” Mary Kate said.
She shook her head. “I’d rather go up without food than sleep.”
“Okay. I have five more energy bars. That’ll get us through the night.” Mary Kate helped her spread out her sleeping bag. “Lay out your stuff for tonight so you can get dressed fast. I’ll do the water.”
Addison nodded absently and began to rummage through her bag.
Mary Kate joined the others in the dining tent, where Gilbert had set out a bowl of pasta with a chunky brown sauce that only the men would eat. The Milo was gone, the tea tepid and the conversation subdued. When they finished their meal, she worked the water detail with Jim and Brad before finally joining Addison in the tent.
As quietly as possible, she readied her gear. The first order of business was to change into her heaviest long johns, her thickest fleece pants, and the form-fitting green fleece top she had worn all day. Then she put on her last pair of clean socks, adding the dirty ones as a second layer. At the foot of their tent alongside Addison’s gear, she laid out her gaiters, gloves, hat, balaclava and a fleece ear band. To the side, she set her insulated pants and jacket, which would protect her from the wind.
Her parka, which she hadn’t yet worn, had several large pockets inside, including one that would hold her water bladder. If she packed her energy bars, sunglasses and water inside the jacket, she wouldn’t need her backpack at all. That would defini
tely make the climb easier.
Luke had warned them to expect temperatures in the single digits by eleven o’clock. Mary Kate followed Mei’s advice of pushing Addison’s camera—which they were now sharing—a flashlight and both water bladders to the bottom of her sleeping bag so they would stay warm.
With her last check, she could feel her excitement grow. In five hours, they would start their final push upward to stand on that glacial peak she had seen from the plane. It was hard to imagine sleeping, but she knew she had to get some rest at least.
As she squirmed into her bag, she heard a muffled voice.
“You can sleep next to me if you want.”
So she did.
Chapter Nineteen
Mary Kate shifted carefully in her bag so as not to wake Addison. It was nice to know at least one of them was getting the sleep she needed. Her lighted watch read a quarter to eleven. Luke would be rousing them soon to start the climb to Stella Point.
In the dark, quiet hours, she had examined her feelings about the woman next to her. It was clear from Addison’s overtures that the invitation was there. If she wanted it, they could take this to the next level, whether just a kiss or some sort of mutual exploration. Perhaps they would even have sex.
It wasn’t as if she’d never had casual sex, but it had been quite a while, since Jessica’s wedding three years ago. Ushers and champagne, always a dangerous combination. And before that, there had been Keith, her prom escort, whom she never dated again.
The more she thought about having a sexual encounter with Addison, the more she found herself both excited and intrigued. If ever she were going to do something like this, what better place to do it than halfway across the world from Mooresville, Georgia? No one would ever know about it unless she told them, and she seriously doubted that she would say a word to anyone, not even Deb. Mary Kate was attracted to Addison in a way she had never been drawn to anyone…including Jessica. Every detail of her life was fascinating, her jetting between London and Peru, her famous ex-lover.
“It is eleven o’clock now,” Luke called, his deep voice rumbling into the night. “Neal?”
“We’re awake,” Mei answered.
She could hear him move from tent to tent. He finally reached theirs and called out her name.
“We’re up.” She unzipped her bag and gently shook Addison’s shoulder. “It’s time.”
Addison groaned, but sat up and scooted from her bag, stretching her limbs to shake off the sleep. “I think I slept the whole time.”
“I think you did too. Are you ready for this?”
“Yeah. How about you?”
“I didn’t sleep, but I’m ready to go.” She dug the two water bladders from her sleeping bag. “Here’s your water.”
“Ah, warmed by your feet. How nice.”
“Would you rather have a block of ice?”
“Point taken.” Like Mary Kate, Addison had slept in her thickest long johns and middle layer. Piece by piece, they dressed like jousters, covering nearly every exposed inch.
Before they exited the tent, Addison gripped Mary Kate’s gloved hand with her own. “Good luck tonight. I’m there if you need me, okay?”
Mary Kate pulled her into a tight hug. “Thanks. Let’s go get that mountain.”
As they gathered near the trailhead, she made her way over to Drew. In a low voice, she asked, “How’s your headache?”
“I’m good. Looks like a go.”
“Okay, but I’m watching you.”
He grinned at her. “I’m watching you too.”
The full moon lit up the entire mountain in a magnificent spectacle, the glacier on top glowing like neon. Luke lined them up, asking that they try to keep the same order all the way to the top. Nikki and Ann were first, followed by Lazaro, one of the three new guides joining them on this last leg. Neal, Mei and Drew were next, then the guide, Eric. Mary Kate and Addison followed, just in front of Jim and Brad. Mohammed brought up the rear.
“Turn off your lights,” Luke said.
The guides wore head lanterns, but none was lit. One by one, the flashlights were stowed, leaving only the full moon to light the ridge. Within minutes, they were acclimated to the darkness around them.
“Use your light only if you feel you must have it.”
With Luke in the lead, the path was easy to follow. After walking very slowly for only a half hour, he stopped at a place where boulders lined the trail. “We will break every half hour for five minutes. You should drink.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I think I wore too many clothes,” Ann said.
Mary Kate also felt damp with perspiration from exertion.
Five minutes passed quickly, and they were underway again. The pace was very slow, even slower than it had been throughout the trip. It reminded Mary Kate of when she had first learned to count seconds. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three… For this climb, she took a step, counted two full seconds, took another step, two more seconds. With each step, she would plant one of her walking sticks slightly ahead. This rhythm seemed to serve her well. She still hadn’t noticed the effects of the thin air, but she concentrated on taking a breath after each step to make sure it wouldn’t hit her all at once.
“We break.”
The half hour had passed in what seemed like ten minutes.
Mary Kate reached inside her jacket for the bite valve to her water bladder. She wasn’t thirsty, but Luke insisted they would need the water tonight.
“It’s getting colder,” Addison said softly.
“I thought it was just me.”
“No, we’ve already climbed a couple of thousand feet higher.”
Again, the break was short and they started up. Mary Kate lost count of how many times they stopped, deciding it was best not to know how much farther they had to walk. Her watch was buried underneath four layers, and it didn’t really matter anyway. She was getting very tired, and the temperature had continued to fall as they climbed. With her fleece cap pulled low over her ears, she dropped the ear band over her balaclava to add a layer of cover to her mouth and nose. Her breath crystallized inside the fleece, but it was warmer than if she left it exposed to the night air.
“My water’s frozen,” Addison said at their next break, fingering the tube that ran from her backpack. “I forgot to blow it back through the tube after our last break.”
“Have some of mine,” Mary Kate said, tugging the bite valve from inside her jacket.
“I can’t take your water. You might not have enough.”
“I’ve got plenty. We’ll drink yours on the way back down.”
“It’s a deal.” She lowered her head to Mary Kate’s neck and took a long pull through the tube.
“Hey, my water tube’s frozen up,” Drew said.
“Over here.” Mary Kate extended her offer.
As he drank, Addison rolled his water tube between her fingers until the ice broke up enough to force it back into the bladder. Then he returned the favor.
From their break, the trail grew steeper, zigzagging between the rocks. The path was covered with scree, loose volcanic gravel that made it difficult to get traction. For every two steps the climbers took, a half-step was lost on the slide.
At the very back of the line, Brad complained that he couldn’t go on. He was obviously struggling with every breath and step, to say nothing of the cold.
“I’m sorry he’s being such a whiner,” Jim said, out of earshot of his son.
“He’s doing pretty well for somebody who didn’t really train for climbing a mountain,” Addison said between gasps. “He probably hasn’t focused on getting to the top like the rest of us had. That’s what Luke said we’d have to do.”
“But he never follows anything through all the way. I was hoping this would be something that would motivate him.”
Mary Kate thought of her students. “You’ve got to help him believe he can do it.”
“Oh, my God! Look at that,” Ann shouted.
Mary Kate looked up toward Stella Point. The crater rim was only a hundred yards ahead, clearly visible not only in the moonlight, but also from the glow that crept along the eastern sky. She could make out the silhouettes of several other hikers traversing the ridge from another route.
“We’re going to make it,” she said, turning to grin at Addison.
But her confidence waned as the mountain made its last effort to keep them from its summit. Now on the steepest part of the trail, every step took a colossal effort, and no breath was deep enough to deliver the oxygen her body needed. She plodded on, occasionally feeling Addison’s hand on her back as she slid backward in the scree.
In the last half hour, the sky grew light, and as the group finally peeked over the ridge into the massive crater of Kilimanjaro, a brilliant orange sun tasted the horizon. Mary Kate fished inside her jacket for Addison’s camera, hoping the battery had held at what Luke estimated was thirty degrees below zero on the Celsius scale.
“Minus twenty-two,” Mei said just before she threw up.
Luke pointed to a trail that circled to the left. “The summit is there. It is one hour or more, three hundred meters higher, but not steep. If you feel strong, you should continue. Anyone who feels pain in the chest or head should return to camp.”
The hikers exchanged tentative looks before Mei finally spoke. “I need to go back down.”
Neal put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a light hug. “I’ll go with you, honey.”
“No, you should go on.”
“I don’t want to. This is our trip. We’re going to do it together.”
“I’m going back down too,” Brad said, “as soon as I rest here for a week.”
“You did a good job, son. I’m proud of you for not giving up.”
Mary Kate felt her eyes fill with tears.
“This is it for me too,” Drew said. “My head’s pounding like a jackhammer.”