Chapter 19

The climb became steeper near Palmer’s Glacier and the mountain more exposed. Sharp boulders and glacier ice jutted out in places. Jeremy got out the ropes and tied Kendal and her father together.

“What about you?” Kendal asked him.

“You don’t want to be tied to the guy in front. I’ll be testing the way, making sure everything is stable. There is an ice bridge we need to cross.”

“Where?” Kendal said.

“Up ahead. Just past Devil’s Kitchen.”

Kendal and her father followed. They went more slowly, more cautiously. It was now a very steep climb, with a drop-off to the left of them.

As they made their way around a giant boulder, there was the smell of rotten eggs. Kendal crinkled her nose.

“Devil’s Kitchen,” Jeremy said. “Some volcanic gas is being released today. We don’t want to get too close to the vent. The fumes can knock you out.”

He veered to the left and up another steep slope. When it leveled off, Jeremy said, “Stay back.”

Kendal watched him move across what looked like a small field, but when he came back for them and led them across, she saw that there was a deep ice crevice to the right.

Near the peak, they had to climb up and over some boulders, reaching and stretching. At one point, Kendal’s father had to hold onto his end of the rope and help pull Kendal up.

The higher they climbed, the stronger and colder the wind blew. When they finally reached the Pearly Gates, they took a moment to get out of the wind and drink some water and rest their legs for the final push to the top of the mountain. Jeremy said that it would take them twenty minutes to reach the peak, and Kendal couldn’t believe she had made it that far.