Frag Out! Magazine

down into the abyss. every several dozen of meters i have stayed for moment to gather strength. over my head has flown a black raven and have sat on the rock a few meters away. i have thought that odin has sent his pathfinder in order to control my proceedings. in my thoughts i have talked to myself "go further", and so from time to time, every several meters. A sound of the fluttering hood has resembled a sound of the helicopter blades. it has been terribly irritating, and after some time it has become unpleasant. despite this i have reached my destination. this is it! i have been on a plateau. A wind strength has been continuously growing – while supporting on the right side with my stick, i have seen, as it has been bent. An ascend covered with snow has been behind me, about 200 meters upwards. i have reached rocks walking in a zigzag manner – the wind has not wanted to stop blowing. behind the ascend i have suddenly noticed a lowering of the ground. on one side i have seen a glacier tongue and its rocky walls, as it has had no end. gravel and sand in the narrow pass between two glaciers under an impact of the wind have created a strong snow-storm. beside a terrible roar and whizz of the wind nothing has been able to be heard. i have overcome a narrow pass very carefully. then i have started to climb on the rock. it has been really like breaking stones – fording in the icy snow without the crampons is not so easy... And as before – 20 meters upwards and a 10-second break, until reaching a peak. while being in the mountain pass, i have passed by many red volcanic hills covered with snow. sometimes i have met dried lava molds which have enabled me to hide behind them. i have fallen a few times to the crevasse, just in the place where in the snow sea has appeared an island of the black rocks. nothing pleasant. in such a situation you think only not to break and wedge oneself. but a further strenuous going out from the crevasse has been capable of depriving of the remaining energy. but i have managed, i have reached an evacuation cottage in the center of the mountain pass. i have already seen a shore of the Atlantic ocean in the distance. it has added some motivation to me, but i have known that there have been still several kilometers to it. on my way, ascending from the mountains, i have begun to meet people who with a greedy attitude have looked at my balaclava and goggles. the frozen flakes of snow, under an impact of the wind blows, have pierced into the exposed parts of my body. the ordinary tourists who have left their car on the campsite and have decided for hiking. without any preparation, information and equipment. it has been noticeable that they have been not aware that a poor informational and logistic preparation, as well as a lack of luck are the reasons of many tragedies in the mountains... EXTREME

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