A Fine Kind of Madness by Laura Waterman & Guy Waterman

Author:Laura Waterman & Guy Waterman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
Published: 2000-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

STAIRCASE TO STARLAND

A STORY

by Laura Waterman

Many young climbers are in Gary’s position—devoured by such a desire to climb that all else in life is blotted out. In Gary’s case, he is so new to the sport, so unfamiliar with the mores of cliff-side behavior, that he has not found the door that leads to partnerships with other climbers. Thrown on his own, Gary becomes a bewildered witness to disturbing events called up by idols he admires at the cliffs.

“Great, Gary! You cruised that overhang. You were smokin’,” Phil says when Gary pulls up onto the belay ledge. Phil hands his younger brother the gear sling, grinning. “Go for it, bro, the last pitch of the summer is your lead.”

Gary’s grinning too. But as he racks the nuts in order, smallest to largest, the way his brother has taught him, he keeps blinking. His eyes are smarting. Tomorrow Phil gets on that airplane for college and the summer’s over. The summer Phil taught Gary to climb, and right now he wants it to last forever. Gary’s glad Phil isn’t saying anything. He doesn’t trust his voice to answer.

Phil’s staring straight ahead at the view of farmland and woodlots checkering the valley. The sun has sunk behind the cliff, filing the sky with translucent light. The backs of Phil’s hands holding the rope are pitted and scabbed, one knuckle red and swollen.

Gary examines his own hands as he snaps carabiners onto the gear sling. The backs are like Phil’s, just as scuffed by the rock, his fingertips just as callused.

“Buddy,” Phil says, scrutinizing the sky as though he were decoding the future, “I’ll be back at Thanksgiving. That’s not so long. Now, get your ass up to the top. Hey, wait!” Phil’s fingers tighten around his brother’s forearm like vise grips. “Watch these guys. See? On Billboard? That’s Carlo at the crux. It’s one of his routes.”

“Carlo. He’s the one always climbing with Wells, right?”

“Wells, or more likely Sandi.”

The brothers are silent studying Carlo, who’s built like a linebacker, his curly black hair luminous in the fading light.

“Look at his shoulders. You wouldn’t think a guy that size could climb,” Phil says.

“But it’s like he’s weightless on the rock.”

“I rubbed noses with Billboard once,” Phil says. “My arms were spaghetti halfway up it. For me that route’s two winters in the gym away.”

They hear Carlo’s crazy cackle as he sets up the belay.

“You can hear that guy all over the cliff,” Phil says.

“Now his partner’s starting up,” Gary says.

“Yeah. Wells. The Professor.”

“Why? Because he’s skinny and wears glasses?”

“More than that. His whole approach to climbing, as if every pitch is the final exam.”

“Boy, is he smooth,” Gary whistles.

“Wells is graceful. But have you seen Sandi climb?” Phil says. “I’ve never seen anyone move up rock faster. She looks the way water would look if it could flow uphill. That blond hair blowing in the breeze. Yeah, Wells and Sandi. Everyone’s favorite climbing couple. You know that route Staircase to Starland?

“That tops out on the flat slab at the highest point on the cliff?”

“That’s the one.

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