shaft. It led straight up, farther than his light could reach. “No way!”
“It'll be easy,” Craig said, pushing his pack out of the way. “Watch me.”
Alex looked doubtfully over to Annie. She shrugged. “You should see him where we practice rock-climbing,” she said. “He climbs farther and faster than Willie.”
“And higher too. Give me a boost, will you?”
“Wait a second.” Annie unzipped the top of Willie's pack. “Not without Willie's harness and gear.”
“But it's an easy climb –”
“No, it isn't, and you know it. Besides, we need to use the gear to help Alex up – he's never done this before.”
Annie helped Craig into the harness, adjusting his waist and leg straps until they were snug. She took great care to attach the rope to his harness with a proper double figure-eight knot.
“And don't forget to hammer in a piton every few yards,” Annie said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Craig stretched his arms. “I'm ready. Help me up.”
Alex interlocked his fingers, his hands wobbling as they took on Craig's weight. Craig stepped onto his shoulder and, one painful thrust later, his weight was gone, replaced by a shower of dirt and pebbles.
Annie put her headlamp down on end so that its beam shot up the shaft. She fed out the rope, keeping a tight grip should Craig fall.
Alex ventured a quick look. “How's it going, Craig?” he called.
“Okay so far” drifted down from above.
Bits of dirt and stone clattered around the headlamp. Alex was thinking he should move it when a large stone suddenly fell from the shaft and shattered its lens.
“One down,” he said glumly.
“It's okay.” Annie calmly brushed aside the broken glass. “We still have three torches and two headlamps.”
Alex unscrewed the back of the broken headlamp to save the batteries. He crawled back to grab a pack and felt his knees splash into a pool of water. “What the heck?” He twisted to shine his torch back the way they had come. “Annie … look! The tide's coming in. We have to get out of here. Fast!”
Annie looked in horror at the rising water. She quickly turned to call up the shaft. “Craig, come down
now!
CRAIG!”
Instead of a reply, the empty harness dropped from the shaft.
“He can't hear me!” Annie cried. “What should we do? We can't just leave him up there.”
The water was now only inches below the ceiling of the lower cave. They could still get out, but they would have to swim on their backs with their noses up for air.
“You go. I'll stay with Craig.” Alex pulled the harness from Annie's hands. “We'll get out when the tide goes back down.”
Alex struggled into the harness while Annie hastily explained how he was to climb. “When you pass a piton, clip the rope below it to your harness. That way you can't fall any farther than the distance you have climbed since the last time you clipped the rope.”
Alex was confused, but there was no time for questions. Annie gave him a boost. He clambered and found a toehold. The shaft was wide enough for him to press his back against one side and push his feet against the other. He inched up, pushing with his hands while his feet slowly walked up the other side. He pulled down on the rope coming through the pitons. Up a few more feet, he found a piton that Craig had hammered into a crack.
What had Annie said to do?
He clipped the rope to his harness and hoped for the best.
It was not easy to find new toeholds, especially in the uneven light. Although he tested each hold before putting his weight on it, he constantly feared one would give way and plunge him back down the shaft. He tried not to rely on any one so he would have a chance of catching himself if he slipped.
Alex was not convinced that Craig's pitons would hold if his weight snapped against them. He tried to reassure himself by thinking that if Craig's top piton did not hold, there was always the next and then the next. Surely one of them would hold.
Alex could not be sure how
“It'll be easy,” Craig said, pushing his pack out of the way. “Watch me.”
Alex looked doubtfully over to Annie. She shrugged. “You should see him where we practice rock-climbing,” she said. “He climbs farther and faster than Willie.”
“And higher too. Give me a boost, will you?”
“Wait a second.” Annie unzipped the top of Willie's pack. “Not without Willie's harness and gear.”
“But it's an easy climb –”
“No, it isn't, and you know it. Besides, we need to use the gear to help Alex up – he's never done this before.”
Annie helped Craig into the harness, adjusting his waist and leg straps until they were snug. She took great care to attach the rope to his harness with a proper double figure-eight knot.
“And don't forget to hammer in a piton every few yards,” Annie said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Craig stretched his arms. “I'm ready. Help me up.”
Alex interlocked his fingers, his hands wobbling as they took on Craig's weight. Craig stepped onto his shoulder and, one painful thrust later, his weight was gone, replaced by a shower of dirt and pebbles.
Annie put her headlamp down on end so that its beam shot up the shaft. She fed out the rope, keeping a tight grip should Craig fall.
Alex ventured a quick look. “How's it going, Craig?” he called.
“Okay so far” drifted down from above.
Bits of dirt and stone clattered around the headlamp. Alex was thinking he should move it when a large stone suddenly fell from the shaft and shattered its lens.
“One down,” he said glumly.
“It's okay.” Annie calmly brushed aside the broken glass. “We still have three torches and two headlamps.”
Alex unscrewed the back of the broken headlamp to save the batteries. He crawled back to grab a pack and felt his knees splash into a pool of water. “What the heck?” He twisted to shine his torch back the way they had come. “Annie … look! The tide's coming in. We have to get out of here. Fast!”
Annie looked in horror at the rising water. She quickly turned to call up the shaft. “Craig, come down
now!
CRAIG!”
Instead of a reply, the empty harness dropped from the shaft.
“He can't hear me!” Annie cried. “What should we do? We can't just leave him up there.”
The water was now only inches below the ceiling of the lower cave. They could still get out, but they would have to swim on their backs with their noses up for air.
“You go. I'll stay with Craig.” Alex pulled the harness from Annie's hands. “We'll get out when the tide goes back down.”
Alex struggled into the harness while Annie hastily explained how he was to climb. “When you pass a piton, clip the rope below it to your harness. That way you can't fall any farther than the distance you have climbed since the last time you clipped the rope.”
Alex was confused, but there was no time for questions. Annie gave him a boost. He clambered and found a toehold. The shaft was wide enough for him to press his back against one side and push his feet against the other. He inched up, pushing with his hands while his feet slowly walked up the other side. He pulled down on the rope coming through the pitons. Up a few more feet, he found a piton that Craig had hammered into a crack.
What had Annie said to do?
He clipped the rope to his harness and hoped for the best.
It was not easy to find new toeholds, especially in the uneven light. Although he tested each hold before putting his weight on it, he constantly feared one would give way and plunge him back down the shaft. He tried not to rely on any one so he would have a chance of catching himself if he slipped.
Alex was not convinced that Craig's pitons would hold if his weight snapped against them. He tried to reassure himself by thinking that if Craig's top piton did not hold, there was always the next and then the next. Surely one of them would hold.
Alex could not be sure how
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