Read Online Peak by Roland Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Roland Smith
Tags: Fiction, General, Coming of Age, Bildungsromans, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Survival, Survival skills, Young Adult Fiction, Sports & Recreation, Parents, Boys & Men, Miscellaneous, Mountaineering, Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc, Everest; Mount (China and Nepal)
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thousand Buddhist monasteries and shrines have been destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have been killed or jailed.
Which brings me to that boulder in the middle of the road the prisoners were cracking into gravel. We passed by it an hour after we got over the Friendship Bridge, which sort of sums up what's happening to the Tibetans.
Or as Zopa put it later that night, "Our brothers in Tibet have been made slaves in their own country."
We stopped at every monastery that hadn't been burned to the ground or dismantled by the Chinese—some of them well out of our way. The monks were grateful for the food, supplies, and gossip Zopa and the Sherpas brought. It was clear that this was one of the half dozen reasons Zopa had for taking me to Base Camp.
Sun-jo and I hiked every day and climbed every evening. By the time we arrived at Base Camp ten days later I was feeling strong. So was Sun-jo.
PEAK EXPERIENCE
WE ARRIVED AT BASE CAMP just in time to see Josh get into a fistfight with someone. At 18,044 feet, though, it wasn't much of a fight.
An older, red-faced man took a swing, which Josh easily ducked and countered by pushing him in the chest. The man landed on his butt in the snow. After this it was pretty much over except for the shouting.
"I want a full refund!" the man shouted. "If you think I'm going to sit around Base Camp while you and the others climb to glory, you have another thing coming!" (He was obviously one of Josh's clients, and not a very happy one.)
It's hard to get up when you are out of breath, swaddled in down clothes, with crampons strapped to your boots. Josh offered his hand to help him up, but the man slapped it away.
"George, you're in no shape to go any farther up the mountain," Josh said. "You heard what Dr. Krieger said. You have a bad heart, which you should have told me about before you signed up."
"My heart's fine! That witch doctor of yours doesn't know what she's talking about."
A pretty woman stepped up next to Josh. "You have a heart murmur, George," she said with a slight German accent. "Blocked arteries would be my guess. You need to get it looked at as soon as you get off the mountain."
"Well, I'm getting off this stupid mountain today," George wheezed, getting to his feet. "And my first appointment is not going to be with my doctor. It's going to be with my attorney! I'll sue you for everything you have, Josh."
"If you want to sue me for saving your life," Josh said, "go ahead." He turned and started to walk away, then noticed us and stopped.
"Looks like you have an extra climbing permit," Zopa said.
"Two, actually. We had a woman leave two days ago, hacking up her larynx. Apparently I'm responsible because she's threatening to sue me, too."
Josh looked at me. The beard he had cut off for my arraignment was growing back in nicely. "So, how was it?" he asked.
"It was good."
He looked back at Zopa. "Can he make it up the mountain?"
Zopa shrugged.
Josh glanced over at the truck where Sun-jo, Yogi, and Yash were standing. "Do you have room to take George back down?"
Zopa nodded. "Those three are staying. That is if you have work."
"We'll see," Josh said without much enthusiasm. "We might need some Base Camp help, but with two less climbers we don't need any more climbing Sherpas."
He looked back at the small truck, then looked back at Zopa. "It'll be a tight fit. You'll have to haul George's wife down, too, and all their gear. She's in her tent sick as a dog. You'll need to get them both to the hospital as soon as you get to Kathmandu."
"There will be enough room," Zopa said. "I'm staying here, too. At least for a few days. I'll talk to the driver. He'll get them to Kathmandu safely."
Zopa started toward the truck but didn't get very far. A Jeep came roaring up and skidded to a stop, blocking his path.
Josh swore, then said under his breath, "Captain Shek. Be cool. Let me do the talking."
A tall Chinese officer in a crisp green uniform got out of the
Which brings me to that boulder in the middle of the road the prisoners were cracking into gravel. We passed by it an hour after we got over the Friendship Bridge, which sort of sums up what's happening to the Tibetans.
Or as Zopa put it later that night, "Our brothers in Tibet have been made slaves in their own country."
We stopped at every monastery that hadn't been burned to the ground or dismantled by the Chinese—some of them well out of our way. The monks were grateful for the food, supplies, and gossip Zopa and the Sherpas brought. It was clear that this was one of the half dozen reasons Zopa had for taking me to Base Camp.
Sun-jo and I hiked every day and climbed every evening. By the time we arrived at Base Camp ten days later I was feeling strong. So was Sun-jo.
PEAK EXPERIENCE
WE ARRIVED AT BASE CAMP just in time to see Josh get into a fistfight with someone. At 18,044 feet, though, it wasn't much of a fight.
An older, red-faced man took a swing, which Josh easily ducked and countered by pushing him in the chest. The man landed on his butt in the snow. After this it was pretty much over except for the shouting.
"I want a full refund!" the man shouted. "If you think I'm going to sit around Base Camp while you and the others climb to glory, you have another thing coming!" (He was obviously one of Josh's clients, and not a very happy one.)
It's hard to get up when you are out of breath, swaddled in down clothes, with crampons strapped to your boots. Josh offered his hand to help him up, but the man slapped it away.
"George, you're in no shape to go any farther up the mountain," Josh said. "You heard what Dr. Krieger said. You have a bad heart, which you should have told me about before you signed up."
"My heart's fine! That witch doctor of yours doesn't know what she's talking about."
A pretty woman stepped up next to Josh. "You have a heart murmur, George," she said with a slight German accent. "Blocked arteries would be my guess. You need to get it looked at as soon as you get off the mountain."
"Well, I'm getting off this stupid mountain today," George wheezed, getting to his feet. "And my first appointment is not going to be with my doctor. It's going to be with my attorney! I'll sue you for everything you have, Josh."
"If you want to sue me for saving your life," Josh said, "go ahead." He turned and started to walk away, then noticed us and stopped.
"Looks like you have an extra climbing permit," Zopa said.
"Two, actually. We had a woman leave two days ago, hacking up her larynx. Apparently I'm responsible because she's threatening to sue me, too."
Josh looked at me. The beard he had cut off for my arraignment was growing back in nicely. "So, how was it?" he asked.
"It was good."
He looked back at Zopa. "Can he make it up the mountain?"
Zopa shrugged.
Josh glanced over at the truck where Sun-jo, Yogi, and Yash were standing. "Do you have room to take George back down?"
Zopa nodded. "Those three are staying. That is if you have work."
"We'll see," Josh said without much enthusiasm. "We might need some Base Camp help, but with two less climbers we don't need any more climbing Sherpas."
He looked back at the small truck, then looked back at Zopa. "It'll be a tight fit. You'll have to haul George's wife down, too, and all their gear. She's in her tent sick as a dog. You'll need to get them both to the hospital as soon as you get to Kathmandu."
"There will be enough room," Zopa said. "I'm staying here, too. At least for a few days. I'll talk to the driver. He'll get them to Kathmandu safely."
Zopa started toward the truck but didn't get very far. A Jeep came roaring up and skidded to a stop, blocking his path.
Josh swore, then said under his breath, "Captain Shek. Be cool. Let me do the talking."
A tall Chinese officer in a crisp green uniform got out of the
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