“I don’t like the look of this,” I whisper as the cars arriving out of the dark begin to form an ominous semicircle around us. “It might just be other climbers looking for a place to camp,” my climbing partner says, staring intently at his phone.
“We should leave,” I whisper, not even bothering to hide the fear in my voice.
“I haven’t found a place for us to camp yet, don’t go driving off,” he replies calmly, still swiping on his phone.
“Look, I’m all for adventures, but I’d like to keep my run-ins with what might potentially be the mafia to a minimum,” I hiss back.
“Oh come on, it’s probably nothing but-“
That’s when one of the cars’ doors open. A man steps out.
And begins walking straight towards us.
“That’s it, seatbelts on, we are out of here!”
I yell as I shift into reverse and zoom out of the semicircle. “I am not going to wait to find out if it’s an orgy, a drug deal or the local anti-bear squad!” I press the gas pedal as one of the other cars’ engines revs up as well, and drives after us as we careen back into the town. I shift gears: second, third, suddenly driving isn’t a problem anymore-
Out of nowhere, another car pulls out of a side street – and keeps pace right with us.
“Relax, for goodness sake, it’s not the mafia!” My climbing partner yells me, while throwing anxious looks back at the two cars following us.
I drive up a hill and see – a stop sign. I come to an aprupt halt.
On an incline.
I haven’t managed to get the car to drive after a full stop on an incline this entire trip. “Uh-oh…”
But there’s no time to switch drivers. The cars behind us are catching up. I shift back into first gear, feet on gas, release the clutch, and –
A moment later, we’re speeding down a mountain road towards safety. Eventually, I pull off onto a side road and park the car.
“I didn’t know you could drive like that,” he mumbles.
“……neither did I,” I reply, stunned.
Just like climbing, wildcamping isn’t always easy. They push your comfort-zone, force you to learn how to listen to your instincts, be brave in scary situations, and most importantly:
To trust yourself.
Even on an incline.