Chapter 724 - 36: Climbing
Move forward along the tundra, always forward.
As the moss scattered on the surface gradually thinned, and rocks increased, the tundra extending to the end suddenly interrupted, cut like by a blade, transforming into a grim Broken Cliff.
The Three-headed Saw-toothed Tiger followed Chen Zhou and stopped at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the distant dark forest.
The sky grew darker, the fierce wind surged past below the cliff, occasionally lifting stones which fell silently to the bottom, instinctively inciting fear.
...
"How do we get down?"
Paul asked, peering over the other side of the cliff, hoping to find a less steep cliff face.
"Stop looking, within at least a dozen kilometers there are no gentle slopes, to be safe you’d have to take a long detour, we must descend from here."
As he spoke, Chen Zhou threw the stripped deer hide on the ground and took out his knife.
Cutting the not-yet-stiff deer skin into even wide strips, he wove them into a belt-like rope and then knotted it, connecting it with the next strip.
Seeing this, Paul understood Chen Zhou’s intention, squatted next to him, and joined in weaving the belt.
"Later, we’ll first find a sturdy rock at the top of the cliff, fix the belt on it, then I’ll go down first, leaving the belt for you to hold as you follow."
Said Chen Zhou, glancing at the deer hide, estimating how long a rope it could make, shaking his head unconsciously.
"This piece of hide isn’t enough, you need to cut our deer skin blanket, we need at least 120 meters of belt, otherwise you can’t get down."
"Even with the deer skin blanket, it might not be enough."
Paul gave a negative answer, then added.
"I’ve practiced climbing, I’m not afraid of heights, the rope not being long enough is not a problem, as long as you can point out a safe way down the mountain and mark solid stable rocks, I can follow you down."
"Are you sure this is feasible?
Falling from the bottom of the cliff can also kill you, it’s all rocks below."
"No problem!"
Paul nodded confidently, then pointed to the three saw-toothed tigers beside them.
"What about them?"
"I’ll bring them down."
Chen Zhou’s brief words carried a heavy responsibility. After saying that, he fell silent, focusing on weaving the belt.
...
Daylight grew shorter.
After the beacon gradually fell, the radiance illuminating the surroundings seemed to fade as well, leaving only one no longer scorching sun hanging in the sky.
The remaining deer hide grew smaller, the earth darker.
Sunlight turned from a cool white to a brilliant gold.
After finishing the last rope knot, Chen Zhou tied the entire woven rope to a protruding rock, and once secured, he strapped Tiger First to his back, then began climbing down with sticks and moss for marking.
...
Only when his feet touched the ground did he hear the wind howling, only truly descending and suspended in mid-air could he feel the wind’s sheer force.
Tiger First was tightly strapped to Chen Zhou’s back.
The wind ruffled its fur as it stared wide-eyed and nervously scanned around, its broad tiger paws even tearing Chen Zhou’s clothes out of fear of falling.
Woo~ Woo~
A low growl continuously emanated from its throat, lifting its head to look at the cliff, eager to break free of the rope binding it, climb up while still near.
"Calm down!"
Chen Zhou warned Tiger First—
His fingers clung tightly to a nearby protruding rock, his eyes swept around, searching for the next seemingly stable stone.
Free climbing requires not only strong physical strength and psychological quality but also high proficiency and quick thinking—
During the climb, any accident could happen, strong winds, loose stones, slipping, falling rocks, even bird interference.
The climber must control their body well, and plan a safe and energy-saving route, especially on some steep cliffs with large drops.
On cliffs more than nine hundred or even a thousand meters high, there are few resting spots, and even resting itself consumes physical strength.
Climbers cannot hang in mid-air nor can easily choose to give up and descend halfway; they can only keep ascending until reaching the top, or falling to their death from exhaustion.
Therefore, before climbing, free climbers often undergo months or even years of protected training until they are well-versed with the entire cliff, memorize routes and stable points, and adjust physical and mental states before starting.
For Chen Zhou, the difficulty of the descent does not lie in whether the cliff is steep or its height, but in its unfamiliarity.
Everything here is a first encounter; he doesn’t know where there are rubble zones, loose rocks, cracks, unstable footholds, or falling stones.
Each step must be extremely cautious, not only for his own descent.
Once he brings down the three saw-toothed tigers, Paul needs to descend along the safe path he paves; if the route is not simple or safe enough, it could endanger Paul’s life.
...
As an extreme sports enthusiast, Chen Zhou’s climbing skills are naturally flawless.
He ensures three points of contact with each climbing step, double hands and a foot, or double feet and a hand, to stabilize his center, always transitioning point-by-point when shifting positions, cautiously checking every new foothold for looseness.
Fortunately, although the entire Broken Cliff is steep, the drop isn’t too great.
Over a hundred meters, this distance could be run within a dozen seconds on flat ground, but on the cliff, it translates to over a hundred transitions of footholds.