Sarah woke up early the next morning and peeked out of her tent from the warmth of her sleeping bag. It was another clear, crisp morning. Prayer flags fluttered overhead, flapping in the wind rushing over the glacial trough that sat at the knees of the Monster. She peered eastward toward the rising sun hiding behind the shoulder of Lhotse. Its bright cascading rays were igniting the tips of the icy ridge in flaming alabasters and burnishing the moody land below in burnt reds and yellows. Removing her heat exchanging mask, she rolled it up and shoved it into her backpack, then pulling her jacket sleeve back, glanced down at her watch. It was a few minutes before 6:00 AM. Breakfast would be in an hour, not that it mattered. She wasn’t hungry. In fact, the thought of eating mildly nauseated h
