Tirseng made his way methodically up the granite until the way above was blocked by a massive overhang. He glanced to the right, both hands and feet wedged in the vertical crack. There was the faded, frayed 30 foot length of cord that he had left there 12 years ago, affixed to a rusty piton. By grabbing the fixed line and swinging pendulum fashion, the escape from under the overhang could be executed, reaching another shelf some 40 feet to his right. But first, he had to grab the line. He took a second free piece of cord from his pack, climbed several feet higher on what appeared to be perfectly smooth and flawless rock, and placing the cord end between his teeth, freed his ice axe and began tapping at a small fissure in the stone. He found a piton and tapped it home, then securing the cord in it.

"Belay me, Curioso," he said, looking down the face at his friend, and Curioso took a wrap in the rope and nodded, saying "Annette, make sure the piton by you is strong. Put your weight on it." Trembling, she leaned backward from the piton, watching the cord snap taut. It held. Above, the Snowleopard grinned and lunged away from the rock and to his left. The rope tightened, then swung him over to the old rope, which he grasped in his right hand, then back to his original perch. "Tres bon!" shouted Curioso. Tirseng released the temporary rope, and gave the end of the old one a wrap around his waist."I will need about 50 feet of slack, Curioso, "he said."I will tie this old rope in a loop around my stomach, then jump hard out and left. I will swing over there to where the shelf is. Do you see it?" Annette was feeling queasy, but she nodded. "When I reach it, I will swing past it a little and then drop back to it. Then I will tie my ax to the bottom and swing it back to Annette. Annette.."

"Yes, Tirseng"

"You must catch the rope when I swing it, otherwise it would be very bad."

"I understand."

"Now climb up to me Annette, just below."

Her mouth dry, she did as instructed, Curioso climbing to her spot. Tirseng was smiling down at her."You will do exactly as I do, little lizard. Make peace in your head."

And he pushed out, swinging in a wide arc, the rope stretching, brushing the stone at a high point half-way over so that Tirseng had to take several steps against the face, then he reached the outermost boundary of the arc, and he was on the shelf. He tapped in a piton and tied the safety rope to it."Are you ready, Annette?" He called, and he swung the rope across, the ice ax striking stone with a sharp metal note, then spinning toward her.