RIDERS ON THE STORM

Words by Mayan Smith-Goba - Images by Thomas Senf Finally I committed, digging my fingertips hard into the small wet edges as I brought my foot high underneath me. Reaching up for the next hold, the last hold of the pitch, suddenly I felt my body peeling away from the rock. My hand fired off the slippery hold and I was slowly tipping away from the anchors, which, after a stressful rope stretching pitch of run out slab climbing, were finally within reach. My hands failed, trying desperately to reconnect with the rock, but knowing it was too late - I was falling. My body accelerated down the slab, crashing into small ledges for what seemed an eternity until finally the rope jerked me to a halt. Excruciating pain seared through my left heel, but on a quick inspection I seemed to be in one piece. Lowering back to the anchors off sketchy gear, I fought the tears welling up in my eyes. Afraid to show my weakness to my climbing partners, Ines Papert and Thomas Senf, this early in the trip. Yet innerly I was distraught “Was the trip over for me after only one day climbing?” and “Could Ines carry on if I was hurt” were the questions that tormented me as we descended. My heel hurt, but climbing is the best cure I know for pain - We carried on and while on the rock everything else was forgotten… Our ultimate goal was to free climb “Riders on the Storm” using the rope only for protection. This major undertaking had been attempted by many of the worlds best climbers over the last 25 years. None had succeeded and only few had even made the summit. When Ines Papert had suggested this objective to me 8 months previously, I was simultaneously excited and terrified - It felt out of my league. I had little alpine or ice climbing experience and was intimidated by the list of climbers who had attempted this goal without success. Yet Ines was the perfect partner, she was very strong, driven and her skills complimented mine perfectly. We began to research the route, talking to everyone we knew who had been on it.