Everest, 1924
The north wall is exposed to the wind and the two climbers had to slow down the scale, and are falling behind on schedule, with the dark and cold threaten the descent. But the summit there is a sigh, three hundred meters of steep slope, his legs rebels to the commands of the brain. Every step a torture, an endless effort to tense muscles. It was not easy to get this far. The enthusiasm of the morning, with the passing of hours, had turned to despair, fatigue, desire to quit.
Irvine looked up toward the summit obscured by clouds. He wished he had never done. She felt short of breath and attacked the fear of not succeeding. Thought for a moment to sit protected from the weather and if the friend wanted to go, he would have done without him. He stopped, unbalanced by a gust of wind.
"I have more strength," he confessed.
Mallory, who followed him, gave him courage.
"We can not stop" and pointed to the sky up to their eyes. "Soon there will be a blizzard, we must continue."
"No we'll never ... I'll stay here."
Mallory grabbed his coat and shook him.
"The mountains are not impossible to climb. It is the will of man that makes them "and then showed him the rope with which they were bound together. "You see this? Do not leave you alone. If you do not want to kill us both, hold on. "
In that moment I felt the first flakes of snow drift, the temperature dropped and the two disappeared, swallowed up by the storm.
Everest, 1999
With the glare of the sun, seemed to blur a big rock-and-white glossy, half-hidden among rocks and stones from the crumbling North ridge.
Simonson stopped the shipping company, walked away from the beaten track and cautiously approached what is, in fact, was a corpse. The
had found.
lay face down. The cold had preserved almost all, only part of the jacket and sweater were gone, consumed by time. For 75 years, the mountain had kept the remains of Mallory in the snow, but now, little by little, her body returned.
In the tent, toasting the success of the expedition.
"May I have this honor?" Said Simonson. With the gloves, taking care, Mallory opened the backpack and the bag with the other effects recovered.
From that time dreamed of a life, since he had read in a book, the story of two climbers, their purpose, and mystery that surrounded their business. No one knew if they could really reach the summit. The first men to do so. And he would find out.
He put the mask worn on the table, the respirator, the clock marking the same now from that day in 1924, the rope tied at the waist and pulled from one end, glacier glasses found in the pocket of the jacket.
"Where's my camera?" He asked.
hoped that the film, remained trapped in the snow and low temperatures, could still be in good condition.
"Irvine is missing, though. You may resent had him. "
"We'll find him," said Simonson believes.
better control objects. He had read books and studied the documentary. He knew by heart what the two had brought with them, and what were the gifts that they wanted to leave the mountain, once you are on, one step from heaven.
And the object of Mallory, there on the table was not there.
Everest 1924 Mallory and Irvine
embraced, touched and silent. At an altitude of 8,840 meters, just a step from heaven, there were no words. Only a peace and serenity unreal. His eyes were full of disbelief that view that man had ever seen. Peaks, valleys, snow-capped peaks, the infinite horizon all around. And suddenly, the fatigue of the day was gone, there in the top of the world, into the sky. The two climbers forgot for a moment the distress, fear, the snowstorm that he had swallowed a few meters from the finish. Because after a certain altitude there are no bad thoughts.
Mallory opened the jacket and the inner pocket, pulled out a photograph of his wife, kissed it and placed it on the frozen ground, protected by a pile of stones. Irvine took the camera and snapped some photos at the top, just to the north wall and defeat to his friend, collected in a solitary prayer. Then he looked at his watch. It was late, if they wanted to avoid the darkness would have to start over again. He felt a deep sorrow in leaving the place spotless, after struggling so long to get there, but they had to go. The descent was even more difficult, with the avalanche danger hidden behind each step.
is tied on the rope again. With a nod took the way back.
never arrived at the base camp.
I like to think so ...
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