“What’s up with him?” Patty asked Two-ton, though she learned that the man rarely responded to her questions unless they were about technique.
She waited as if she expected an answer, because she certainly couldn’t move at the moment.
Her attention had stayed on the climb.
Two-ton wouldn’t accept less. He’d shown her how to pick a foothold in ice. How to give just the slightest bounce to test each placement of foot, hand, or axe—it stressed the position just a little and if she paid attention, she could feel if it was weak.
Twice he’d led her back down over a tricky passage to show her the challenges of a descent. Twice she’d had to ascend by new routes.
It was astonishing how much information he imparted with every soft-spoken suggestion. They could have reached the packs and return
