A Golden Legend

Chapter 29

The location chosen by Francisco and Jimenez to establish the camp was on a plateau situated on the foot of a hill of considerable height, near a stream that was rushing in that time of the year. At an altitude of about 7500 feet above sea level the vegetation was shrubby, with scarce thin trees and some cane groves. The air was a little rarefied, so before beginning their surveying tasks, they decided to allow a 24 hour acclimation period, particularly for those members who came from the coast and other areas of lower altitude. The humidity was high, and it had rained in the previous two hours, so that ascension had been performed on slippery rocks covered with a thin layer of wet dust

Arriving at the plateau they spread tents according to the available space and with a layout that experience had taught was the most suitable. Teresa remained inside her tent resting inside her sleeping bag, because the climate was cool. The noise of the rain, slipping on the exterior of the tent lulled her peacefully. She woke up due to external noise, and realized that when the rainwater ceased the camp had acquired some activity. She accommodated her clothes and belongings inside the tent, and went out of it just as she was dressed. She immediately returned shivering with cold, in search of her jacket stuffed with feathers and a wool hat. The warmth of clothing provided her a pleasant comfort. Teresa stepped between her companions toward the edge of the plateau, distant only about fifty yards and she observed the landscape from there. A succession of peaks of different heights and situated at different distance displayed on both sides of a deep valley, no less than one thousand feet below the level of the plateau. The different planes were marked as in a 3D projection. A stream, or perhaps rather a river, ran at the bottom of the valley lost in the fog between the more distant mountains.

 The fog that covered the entire area was light, so the visibility was pretty good, allowing them to enjoy the scenery. Wild scenarios awakened in the young woman the contemplative side of her temperament, so she stayed in that position for a period that she could not estimate. Suddenly a shiver traveled along her spine; she realized that a low cloud began to wrap her, blocking the line of sight towards the valley, and even the nearby camp. She decided to return to it before she got lost in the mist, risking a step in false so close to the abyss.

Minutes before the time announced for the departure of his flight, Marcelo opened his cell phone and marked his friend Santa Croce's phone.

“Hello, Leo. I´m calling from Ezeiza. ....Yes, the flight is to Lima. When are you  going to be there?...Well, I´ll call you on Friday if I can... send me a SMS with the phone number where I can find you ... Ciao, thanks.”  at that time the loudspeakers announced the departure of the Aerolineas Argentinas flight to Lima. The man deactivated his cell phone, loaded his trekking backpack and another auxiliary bag and placed them in the row of tourist class passengers.

The guide, a native of pure strain from the Huanuco highlands, pointed the narrow and sinuous path of cornice, scarcely two feet wide dug on the side of the mountain. Above and below the hillside fell with an angle far greater than 45°. Teresa looked both sides with apprehension pleading that there was an alternative pathway. Francisco spoke in quechua with the man and then translated to Jimenez:

“There is no another way forward than that path. The problem is that its width is variable and as nobody maintains it, there may be loose rocks and landslides interrupting the passage.”

“Well”  said Jimenez swallowing saliva, and heading to the climber Ovidio “ do you think that we should go through with our entire team?”

“We will have to leave the entire heavy luggage at the base camp. Only those who do not suffer from vertigo can go ahead. The slope is already high and may become worse. We are going to be tied up. The guide goes forward and I second. Francisco, I think that you should be the one who closes the march.”

Francisco nodded and then looked at Jimenez, whose face was completely pale and added:

“Professor, I think it is necessary that you return to camp until we have crossed the path until the end.”

Jimenez willingly accepted the suggestion, with the excuse of organizing the rest of the expedition and be responsible for communications with the group at Huanuco I.

Finally, the leading party that would undertake the risky trip was composed by Teresa, Francisco, Ovidio and the Indian guide. Attempts of Jimenez and Francisco to persuade the young woman of not joining the group until the cornice was properly explored were futile. Equipped with lightweight backpacks and appropriate elements of mountaineering they began the slow march by the narrow edge of the mountain, taking  infinite precautions practically at every step. The remaining pawns would stay with Jimenez to enlist and keep Huanuco II tidy.

They walked an hour to make variable progresses depending on the path. Soon they came to a point where now they no longer saw the hill before them and the view sank into the void. The mountain and the path described indeed a closed circle, so to continue they should walk facing the stone wall, clinging to each outgoing, while just behind them there was a gap of hundreds of feet. A sting toured Teresa´s neck when she  involuntarily glimpsed the far wall of the slope in front and the deep gap that was inches from her feet. She decided to look exclusively to the stone wall opposite to her and grasped  the rock with her nails.

They progressed slowly step by step for endless minutes, until they saw the end of the cornice and the widening trail about 150 feet in front of them.

After a strenuous upward journey through fields of loose stones requiring caution at every step to prevent ankle kinks that could put them out of the game, they reached a wide plateau, like a balcony suspended on the precipice and beyond which they saw no continuation of the road. Teresa saw a dark oscillating object suspended between one end of the plateau and the mountain in front of them; as the vision had the consequence of frosting her blood, she directed her gaze in other directions and concentrated her mind on the installation of her tent. Ovidio claimed the attention of the members of the group.

“Tomorrow we must cross to the other side of the cliff through the rope bridge that can be seen right in front of us” Teresa looked at it from the corner of the eye, and Ovidio went on “ it is safer that it looks, indigenous people have been using it for centuries. The important thing is to overcome vertigo and not to let panic invade you. Each one of you should focus his gaze exclusively on the person who goes ahead. The guide will go in first place and I second; others will continue tied to me and to each other, and walk at a distance no more than two steps with the former, so his back covers all the visual. The bridge will oscillate, particularly if there is wind, but that's normal. You must at all times take the side ropes acting like banisters with both hands and synchronize the march with the movement of arms along the ropes.”

Silence followed his words. After a frugal dinner, each stayed in his tent and silence spread about the camp. Despite her expectations, Teresa reconciled sleep immediately and had no nightmares.

The next day dawned with a dense haze covering the mountain, so after breakfast they had to wait two hours to enjoy good visibility.

The guide set at the head of the march and the rest moved after him in an Indian row. When Teresa arrived at the edge of the abyss her blood froze again. The floor of the bridge was not made out of boards or something like that as she had hoped; it only consisted of a thick vegetable fiber cord, along which she had to move by placing her feet one after another in an infuriatingly slow pace. The sides of the bridge were also only rustic ropes entwined, and the whole bobbed with the weak breeze and each step of the walkers. The girl began her march, and when the floor gave way to her foot, her heart gave a jump. Slowly she progressed along the swinging path, but the progress did not calm her nerves. She was already in the middle when an unexpected gust of wind shook the weak structure. Teresa caught hold with strength to the ropes that made the times of handrails, digging the nails into the palms of her hands; the wind relented and the bridge stopped wobbling after a few seconds. Realizing that the slowness only prolonged her suffering, she sped the step, until she finally reached the opposite shore; there she literally was raised in arms by two of the men, while her heart was beating rapidly.