The hill

We continue with the publication of the micro-stories of the third edition of the competition: High Altitude Storieswe let you enjoy with "The hill"by Josep Arlandis Forés.

The hill

-by Josep Arlandis Forés-

It was the last stage. The sun was setting when my companion stopped on the scree. "I can't go on," his eyes whispered. "It's endless," he cried in terror. The pain in his knees forced us to descend very slowly the 1,200 metres of height difference between the Collado de Añisclo and the bottom of the valley.

I felt dread for his condition. I tried to cheer him up. "We're already in the forest," I said, "We'll be better off here.

How wrong I was! The trees hid a winding path of perfidious slippery rocks. Obstacles followed one after the other without respite. The path demanded intense and continuous efforts. Our legs and minds had to resist. As best we could, we faced our fear and continued to advance in the darkness of the beech forest.

When we reached Pineta, we recognised our folly. Too much weight, too many days and too much elevation gain. "After this, will we ever go back to the mountains again?

The next day, while having breakfast, we were already dreaming about the next crossing.