Gallery

The first few hours were a rhythmic meditation of effort. Left boot, right pole. Right boot, left pole. Her breath plumed in the cold, and the crunch of her boots on the hard-packed gravel became the only soundtrack. The lower slopes were forgiving, a slow incline through dense scrub oak, demanding endurance more than skill. She was warm now, fueled by adrenaline and the sheer focus of the task.