Part I: Six Packages, Six Journeys, One Big Wooden Door

56 57 The Chosen: Battle with a Cerberosian Prince The Summit was an unnecessary challenge, especially if given the opportunity to receive assistance. Five minutes into the walk to Base Camp, TJ felt he could do it on his own. He was second in order from the front, behind only Dorjee. His motivation was seeing Dorjee. As Dorjee walked, TJ felt a great sense of admiration and respect for him. He saw Dorjee as a man who was proud of who he was and what he was doing. A man who was conquering nature—without the assistance of others. TJ wondered why the sudden depth and self-reflection. One thing was clear, though: He could do what Dorjee was doing. He could be the man Dorjee was. Or who he perceived him to be. As a result of his internal epiphanous experience, TJ asked his sherpa to give him his equipment. He was going to carry it himself. Against the objection of the sherpa, he still went ahead with it. The athlete in him, perhaps more so the star athlete in him, couldn’t allow otherwise. They all looked at him as though he was crazy, as though he was being superfluous. After the first stop, Fang decided to carry his own equipment, too. The rest of the climbers continued exercising their privilege of having a porter carry their equipment. “You all seein’ this pissing contest?” Ethan said. Fang and TJ were slightly ahead of the others, behind Dorjee. Ana was at the back with the rest of the crew, while Ethan, Tumi, and Pippa stayed in the middle of the group. “Pride comes in all shapes and nationalities, I guess!” Tumi replied. “You’d swear there’s a title belt waiting for them at the top of the mountain,” Ethan said. The three of them laughed. Laughing and talking was becoming a little tougher, slowing with every breath. It wasn’t unbearable. It was noticeable. The temperature was slowly dropping. With every village they passed, with every day that passed, they were gradually going higher. It wasn’t so much the distance as it was the altitude. The distance was far. Sixty-two kilometers. But that distance, spread out over ten days, at a fair pace, is manageable. Even for the least among athletes. The altitude—that was the real challenge. This acclimatization journey was all about the altitude. Giving the body time to adjust to the difference in the air. The higher they got, the thinner the air became, making breathing different to what it was lower down the mountain. The first few days were tough for first-time climbers, but they all made it fairly well. Ana struggled a little, but she was still feeling strong going into day five. Each day of travel consisted of anywhere from three to six hours of walking. With the porters carrying their bags and equipment, it made the trek a slightly less strenuous experience. In fact, there were moments where the climbers got to enjoy the local culture. During the rest days, they were able to walk around the villages and experience first-hand the life of the Nepalese mountain natives. One positive side of the altitude was the scenery. The views from these villages were incredible. They were surrounded by swarms of green. Green trees, green plants, greenery all around. Along with the beautiful vegetation, the mountain peaks were just as