Alec left most of what he brought with us, taking just what he needed to set up safety lines at the top, a chalk bag, which he explained helped with grip, and the blue chalk he'd mentioned earlier.
He cleared the rock debris where it appeared the cliff had once exploded to the surface, leaving behind the ravages of its brutal birth. Alec stood at the base of the rock wall, judging the best place to start.
Alec leaped up and grabbed hold of a crevice in the stone about three feet over his head. With ease, he pulled himself up until he could contort his body enough to hook a foot over the same ledge.
Step one was completed, and so ended my comfort level with watching someone I cared about risking his life. From this point on, if he fell on the sharp rocks below, he could be seriously injured.
What possessed him to risk his life like this? Most people spend a lifetime avoiding risk. Here, Alec faced it head-on and willingly.