Alison stood on the edge of the precipice and cautiously looked over the edge. She was tethered safely to a rope that was tied in a knot to a silver ring that had been hammered and secured into the rock.
Alison loved the Blue Mountains and had climbed up and down many of the rock faces in the mountain ranges. The blue hue that appeared above the gum trees was a welcoming sight and reminded her of her long affiliation with adventurous trips into the natural habitat of the wild animals around her.
At last, it was time to turn around and abseil down, with the help of the guide. Once she was all the way down, the team leader shouted that it was time to start the climb back up again, using the scant hand and foot holds. The rope was being tightened as she moved closer to the top of the rock face.
Suddenly, her right foot slipped. Dust and pebbles flew out and she lost her grip, falling backwards onto another climber. He screamed in alarm. They kept falling until, just before they hit the ground, her rope pulled taut and jerked them both upwards.
“Are you OK?” she asked her fellow climber. He was a teenager and looked winded. His blonde hair was flying in all directions as the wind blew up the mountainside. She could smell his aftershave as he hung limply next to her.
“What happened?” he asked, as his eyes slowly opened, and he took in the view around him.
“I fell while trying to climb. I sincerely apologise for taking you with me. I did not even know that you were climbing directly underneath me! That is rather dangerous, you know?”
“You can say that again,” he chuckled, with a wry smile at her. “How can we attach ourselves to the rock face again, as I don’t intend to hang around here all day!”
Alison heard a call from above and another rope came down between them. They tied themselves together and gave a thumbs up for the guide and a colleague to start lifting them up. The rope seemed strong enough to support two people and they gradually moved up and up the cliff face. At last, they neared the summit. They breathed a sigh of relief when they were hauled over the edge and lay down, breathing heavily.
“Thank goodness that is over,” Alison said to her fellow climber, who nodded in agreement.
After that experience, they decided to call it a day and retire to a nearby tearoom, to get something to eat and drink. The sweet tea tasted comforting as she sipped from the cup. Somehow tea always made her feel at home, as she remembered her younger days growing up in England.
Alison loved the Blue Mountains and had climbed up and down many of the rock faces in the mountain ranges. The blue hue that appeared above the gum trees was a welcoming sight and reminded her of her long affiliation with adventurous trips into the natural habitat of the wild animals around her.
At last, it was time to turn around and abseil down, with the help of the guide. Once she was all the way down, the team leader shouted that it was time to start the climb back up again, using the scant hand and foot holds. The rope was being tightened as she moved closer to the top of the rock face.
Suddenly, her right foot slipped. Dust and pebbles flew out and she lost her grip, falling backwards onto another climber. He screamed in alarm. They kept falling until, just before they hit the ground, her rope pulled taut and jerked them both upwards.
“Are you OK?” she asked her fellow climber. He was a teenager and looked winded. His blonde hair was flying in all directions as the wind blew up the mountainside. She could smell his aftershave as he hung limply next to her.
“What happened?” he asked, as his eyes slowly opened, and he took in the view around him.
“I fell while trying to climb. I sincerely apologise for taking you with me. I did not even know that you were climbing directly underneath me! That is rather dangerous, you know?”
“You can say that again,” he chuckled, with a wry smile at her. “How can we attach ourselves to the rock face again, as I don’t intend to hang around here all day!”
Alison heard a call from above and another rope came down between them. They tied themselves together and gave a thumbs up for the guide and a colleague to start lifting them up. The rope seemed strong enough to support two people and they gradually moved up and up the cliff face. At last, they neared the summit. They breathed a sigh of relief when they were hauled over the edge and lay down, breathing heavily.
“Thank goodness that is over,” Alison said to her fellow climber, who nodded in agreement.
After that experience, they decided to call it a day and retire to a nearby tearoom, to get something to eat and drink. The sweet tea tasted comforting as she sipped from the cup. Somehow tea always made her feel at home, as she remembered her younger days growing up in England.