Page 79 of In a Word, Yes

“It’s not about the destination.”

“Exactly. It’s our openness to learn from the journey that gives us something worthwhile to write about. Something worth sharing.”

We’re approaching the place where Meg has come to a stop along the trail.

She indicates a labyrinth of stairs cut into the steep hill thatleads up to a massive amber rock formation grooved like an accordion.

“There,” she says. “The Dihedrals.”

Meg mountain-goats it up the hill, and we follow, lugging our equipment to the base of the craggy wall. I palm the rough red rock and lean to catch my breath.

Meg juts her chin at one of the spinelike protrusions. “This one. This will be our route. No more than a hundred feet to that shelf up there. It’s a single-pitch climb, meaning we can do the whole thing with a single one-hundred-meter rope.”

Looking up, I spy shiny chrome bolts sunk into the rock at various points, higher, and higher, and still higher.

Hello.

So basically this is at least the equivalent of anine-story building. A thought I keep to myself.

Steph surveys the pitch. Scratches her chin. Nods. I’m fairly certain her pupils are dilated.

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” she says, clenching and unclenching her fists. “Let’s go.”

Is it me, orare these people nuts?

Twenty-Nine

galvanize(v.): to incite someone into taking action

Again, Meg reviews the pointers she drilled into Steph Stoneback on the drive over. I’ve never seen this side of her. Mighty Meg isn’t fearless, after all—she’s prepared. She takes caution seriously, repeatedly emphasizing the wordresponsibilityas it pertains to climbing partners. Meg is methodical. Strategic.

And she’s earning a whole new level of my admiration.

Meg explains that she’ll climb first, placing anchors into the existing bolts as she goes. “You’ll be the follower,” she instructs Steph. “We’ll be tied together, responsible for each other’s safety.Our lives are literally tied together.”

Gulp.

If they truly make it to that top ledge, I’ll be needing a stronger zoom lens. While I consider camera placement and position the tripod on the uneven terrain, Meg again reviews the terms they’ll use to communicate with each other while climbing. They practice shouting:On belay! Up rope! Slack! Trust the rope!

“I can’t emphasize this strongly enough,” Meg says, wearing a grave expression. “When it comes time to rappel,trust the rope.”

I’ve been assigned a first aid kit and one of two walkie-talkies “just in case.” Whatever that means.

Meg plants her feet, looks around, eyes the sky. “Light winds,” she mumbles to herself.

Leaving me to wonder,How much of a concern is this?

Helmets on, they’re set to go. Meg begins to climb.

As instructed, Steph shouts, “Meg, you’re on belay!”

Meg shouts, “Okay, climbing!”

The sunlight on the rock is stunning. It’s hard to take a bad shot.

Being part of this adventure is exhilarating, even for the one behind the lens.

Meg ascends higher, and so does the sun, warming my shoulders. I remove my jacket.