Read Online Hell Is Above Us: The Epic Race to the Top of Fumu, the World's Tallest Mountain by Jonathan Bloom - Free Book Online
Authors: Jonathan Bloom
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his lower jaw around as if he’s chewing on something tough, stringy, and unwilling to break. That day on McKinley was a perfect example.” Junk’s presence on the mountain was clearly no coincidence, and it enraged Hoyt. But he had every reason to believe this experience was a one-time thing. True, Junk had told the press he intended to climb every mountain Hoyt climbed, but not at the same time . If he had known this would continue, his anger would have been exponentially greater.
Hoyt would not actually see Junk again on the subsequent expeditions, but he would always find out sooner or later that “this new shadow I cast, darker than the absence of light” was nearby. On the next climb, Hoyt made it to the top of Mount Rainier solo. Not only did he make it solo, but he did so in record time following the route that was his namesake. Hoyt returned home to New York full of pride. He celebrated with Wizzy and his sons at Delmonico’s in Lower Manhattan, ordering the largest steak on the menu. At that dinner, he ran into H. Adams Carter, a world-class mountaineer in his own right. It was unlike Hoyt to brag about his climbing successes, let alone even talk about them. But he was giddy, and shared his good news with Carter. Being a gentleman, Carter congratulated him, but also let him know Aaron Junk was at Rainier at the same time as Hoyt. Although he had not set any record in terms of ascent, Junk had taken a route along the Russell Cliff in the north, and had done it solo. No one had ever climbed Rainier via the Russell Cliff before. Everyone considered it a path of too much resistance. Put simply, Junk had just established himself in the climbing community as a force to be reckoned with. His name was known before, but more as a curiosity for pestering Hoyt. Now he had shown himself to be worthy of praise in his own right while also stealing Hoyt’s thunder. Now Hoyt’s new Rainier record was not of much interest to anyone. If a god performs a miracle, people yawn. Junk on the other hand was a human, and he had just turned water into wine.
On three subsequent expeditions, Hoyt would return home to news of Junk’s ongoing, obsessive retribution. He also found out Junk was taking pains to begin his ascents on the same day as Hoyt, because his plans were evolving, and soon he hoped to reach the top of each mountain before Hoyt. With this knowledge, Hoyt started secretly setting out a day earlier or later. But Junk was ahead of him. With the exception of Hoyt’s solo efforts, Junk began paying off members of Hoyt’s teams to send him word, usually through phone calls. When his spies were unable to slip away, they would pass notes to people around them – usually with money inside - telling them to place the phone call. They would receive more money later if the call was indeed placed.
The turning point came three expeditions later. Hoyt was climbing Aiguille de la Grande Sassière in the Graian Alps. The ascent was extremely difficult. One man, Charles Pickwick of Fairfax, Virginia, died when a bolt broke and he fell several hundred feet. Hoyt was devastated. No one had ever died on one of his expeditions. In fact, Hoyt had never seen anyone die before, on or off a mountain. “That was simply the most sobering experience of my life. Before your very eyes, a person goes from man to meat. I was thankful Wizzy did not have to witness such horror.” But as is often the case, the expedition continued despite death. There was no joy in the climb any more, only silence and determination.
On the final morning of the ascent, three team members including Hoyt had a go at the peak. A few hundred feet away from their goal, they noticed an object waiting for them at the very top. It was a flag; not the flag of a nation, nor the flag of any other organized institution. It was the flag of an individual, an unstable individual. It was constructed out of a woman’s white petticoat flying from a metal tent pole. Painted in
Hoyt would not actually see Junk again on the subsequent expeditions, but he would always find out sooner or later that “this new shadow I cast, darker than the absence of light” was nearby. On the next climb, Hoyt made it to the top of Mount Rainier solo. Not only did he make it solo, but he did so in record time following the route that was his namesake. Hoyt returned home to New York full of pride. He celebrated with Wizzy and his sons at Delmonico’s in Lower Manhattan, ordering the largest steak on the menu. At that dinner, he ran into H. Adams Carter, a world-class mountaineer in his own right. It was unlike Hoyt to brag about his climbing successes, let alone even talk about them. But he was giddy, and shared his good news with Carter. Being a gentleman, Carter congratulated him, but also let him know Aaron Junk was at Rainier at the same time as Hoyt. Although he had not set any record in terms of ascent, Junk had taken a route along the Russell Cliff in the north, and had done it solo. No one had ever climbed Rainier via the Russell Cliff before. Everyone considered it a path of too much resistance. Put simply, Junk had just established himself in the climbing community as a force to be reckoned with. His name was known before, but more as a curiosity for pestering Hoyt. Now he had shown himself to be worthy of praise in his own right while also stealing Hoyt’s thunder. Now Hoyt’s new Rainier record was not of much interest to anyone. If a god performs a miracle, people yawn. Junk on the other hand was a human, and he had just turned water into wine.
On three subsequent expeditions, Hoyt would return home to news of Junk’s ongoing, obsessive retribution. He also found out Junk was taking pains to begin his ascents on the same day as Hoyt, because his plans were evolving, and soon he hoped to reach the top of each mountain before Hoyt. With this knowledge, Hoyt started secretly setting out a day earlier or later. But Junk was ahead of him. With the exception of Hoyt’s solo efforts, Junk began paying off members of Hoyt’s teams to send him word, usually through phone calls. When his spies were unable to slip away, they would pass notes to people around them – usually with money inside - telling them to place the phone call. They would receive more money later if the call was indeed placed.
The turning point came three expeditions later. Hoyt was climbing Aiguille de la Grande Sassière in the Graian Alps. The ascent was extremely difficult. One man, Charles Pickwick of Fairfax, Virginia, died when a bolt broke and he fell several hundred feet. Hoyt was devastated. No one had ever died on one of his expeditions. In fact, Hoyt had never seen anyone die before, on or off a mountain. “That was simply the most sobering experience of my life. Before your very eyes, a person goes from man to meat. I was thankful Wizzy did not have to witness such horror.” But as is often the case, the expedition continued despite death. There was no joy in the climb any more, only silence and determination.
On the final morning of the ascent, three team members including Hoyt had a go at the peak. A few hundred feet away from their goal, they noticed an object waiting for them at the very top. It was a flag; not the flag of a nation, nor the flag of any other organized institution. It was the flag of an individual, an unstable individual. It was constructed out of a woman’s white petticoat flying from a metal tent pole. Painted in
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