From the /c/nosleep community on Chambers

I used to climb mountains. Backpacked. Backrode. And solo camped. But I’ve never solo climbed in a rainforest, in a tropical storm, at night. Not until now. And I’ve never been on a mission like this one. The trip is to find a girl. A girl who died, in an accident, many years ago. A girl who I knew. The trip is to bury her, where she fell, in the rainforest. I’m a forester. I’m a mountaineer. I’m a climber. And I’m a Search and Rescue member. I’m not in the mood for a walk down memory lane. But, as I sit here in the forest, on a cold and wet rock, I find myself looking back. I look back at my life. I look back at my career. I look back at the mountains. And I look back at Sarah. Sarah. The love of my life. The girl who died. Sarah. The girl who I fell in love with. The girl who I met on a mountain. The girl who I fell for on a climb. The girl who I married in a town. The girl who I lost in a rainforest. Sarah. I remember the day I met Sarah. It was on a mountain. The year was 1998. The month was November. The place was New Zealand. The trip was a solo climb up a peak. The peak was called Mt. Ruapehu. It was a mountain that was sacred to the Maori. It was an adventure that I had been planning for years. It was a trip that I was very excited about. But I also knew it would be dangerous. It was the highest peak in New Zealand, and it was covered in snow and ice. I was a forester and a mountaineer at the time. I had climbed many mountains in New Zealand. But this one was different. I had heard the stories about the weather. I had read the reports about the risks. But I ignored them. I ignored them because I was young and dumb, and because I had a mission. My mission was to climb to the summit. The summit was at 23,872 feet. The climb was over six days. I would go alone. I would carry all my gear. I would camp each night. I would cook each meal. And I would summit on the sixth day. The first day was easy. I packed my gear, and started my journey from the base of the mountain. I had been planning this for years, and I knew every detail, every route, every campsite, every river crossing, every snow field. I had been on this mountain before, and I knew it well. I had done my research. I had studied the weather. I had packed my gear carefully. I knew that this mountain was cold, wet, and snowy. I knew that the winds were strong and the rain was heavy. I knew the snow was deep, and the ice was hard. But I was ready. I had my crampons, my ice axe, my snowshoes. I had my tent, my sleeping bag, my food, my stove. And I had my experience, my skill, and my training. So I packed my gear, and started my journey. The first day was easy, as I said. But the second day was harder. The mountain was steeper, and the snow was deeper. I had to use my crampons and my ice axe to make my way up the slope. But I did, without any problems. I had climbed many mountains like this before. I was a skilled mountaineer, and a confident climber. So I continued up the mountain, using my gear and my skill to make my way through the snow and ice. The third day was the hardest. The mountain was at its steepest, and the winds were the strongest. The rain was heavy, and the snow was falling hard. I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me, and I couldn’t hear anything over the howling winds. But I continued up, slowly and carefully, using my gear and my skill to make my way up the slope. I had been warned about the weather on this mountain. I had read the reports and studied the charts. I knew that the third day was usually the worst. I knew that the winds and the rain would be heaviest. But I was prepared. I had my waterproof gear, my insulated clothing, and my warm hat. And I had my experience, my skill, and my training. So I continued up, without any problems. I was making good time, and I was feeling good. I was excited to get to my campsite, and to rest for the night. I reached my campsite in the early afternoon. It was a small plateau, surrounded by steep walls of snow and ice. It was sheltered from the winds, and it had a small stream running through it. The stream was frozen, but I knew it had been running just a few days before. And I knew that it would be running again, once the weather improved. But for now, it was frozen solid, and I could use it as a stepping stone to get to my camp. So I put on my crampons, and started across the stream. The ice was hard, and I had no problems. I reached the other side, and set up my tent. I had a two person tent, but I was climbing alone, so I only needed to set it up for one. But I wanted it set up carefully, and securely, because the winds were strong, and the snow was falling hard. So I did. I set it up carefully, and securely, and then I packed all my gear inside. I had my sleeping bag, my sleeping pad, my backpack, my clothing, my food, my stove, and all my mountain gear. So I packed it all carefully, and then I zipped up the tent. I had a waterproof tent, but I still wanted to keep everything dry. So I did. I packed everything carefully, and then I zipped up the tent. I was now ready to rest. I was tired from climbing, and I knew I would be tired again tomorrow. The weather was bad, and the mountain was steep. I knew I would have to use all my skill and experience to make it to the summit. But for now, I was happy to rest. So I did. I sat inside my tent, and rested. I was warm and dry, and I had all my gear with me. So I sat, and rested, and waited for the weather to improve. But it didn’t. The winds howled, the snow fell, and the night was cold. But I didn’t mind. I was warm and dry inside my tent, and I had all my gear with me. So I rested, and waited, and slept. I woke up the next morning, feeling good. I was tired, but I had slept well. I was warm, and I was dry. And I had all my gear with me. So I was ready to climb. I packed everything carefully, and then I opened the tent. I had a cup of tea, and something to eat. I had brought all my food with me, and I had a stove to cook it on. So I did. I had porridge and tea, and then I packed everything up again. I had a rubbish bag with me, and I threw away all my waste. I had a small toilet roll with me, and I used it. I had a small towel with me, and I wiped myself down. And then I did it all again, before I left the camp. Because I was a climber, and I knew the risks. I knew that if I didn’t pack properly, if I didn’t throw away my waste, if I didn’t wipe myself down, then I would be sick. Or worse. So I did it all again, before I left the camp. I left the camp, and started to climb. The weather was still bad, the winds were still strong, and the snow was still falling. But I was ready. I had my gear, my skill, and my experience. So I started to climb again, up the steep slope of snow and ice. I used my crampons and my ice axe, to make my way up the mountain. I had done this many times before, and I knew what to do. So I did. I climbed steadily, up the slope, using my gear and my skill to make my way through the snow and ice. I climbed for hours. I climbed until I reached the next ridge. The ridge was narrow, and it was steep. It was covered in snow and ice, and it offered no shelter from the winds. But I had no problems. I had my gear, and I knew the route. So I followed the ridge, slowly and carefully, using my crampons and my ice axe to make my way across. I reached the other side of the ridge, and I started to climb again. The slope was still steep, the snow was still deep, and the winds were still strong. But I was ready. I had my gear, and I knew the route. So I climbed again, steadily and carefully, up the mountain. I climbed for another few hours. I climbed until I reached the next ridge. The ridge was higher than the last one, and it was steeper. It was covered in snow and ice, and it offered no shelter from the winds. But I had no problems. I had my gear, and I knew the route. So I followed the ridge, slowly and carefully, using my crampons and my ice axe

The Climb

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